My first totally improv quilt

This top is finished. It will go on the longarm in a day or two. I just love this one. The entire quilt is made from scraps that were in my scrap bins, finding a few other colors to spice it up. I love the shots of blue (not as dark as the photo, more of a teal) and the bits of orange and green. I pulled out a few yellow fat quarters but didn't use any of them. Even the binding is already cut from scraps and will be mostly the darker pieces in the quilt. The backing will likely be one that I bought on sale, but I may go find something more 'golden' to have the same warmth as the front. I'll use a panto with swirls and hearts to finish it off. This will go to a young woman who asked for a yellow quilt.

It is starting to feel like spring. Our parking area for visitors is ice with water on top and the birds are flitting around the yard. The air smells fresh, like it just rained. And I am finally rid of that 'covid' haircut (or lack thereof) and feel like a new person!

Still at it...

 I'm still not finished the yellow improv scrap quilt . . . but getting there. 

Just have a new pic of those wonderful orchids that our son gave me. Now there are 18 blooms on it and all are perfect. Such a delight to watch them come out! 

We are getting warmer weather, much welcome after a week or so of -40 with wind. The melting makes walking from our door out of the complex quite dangerous though. I'd like to go but need cleats!

Finally it is quilted and bound!

 This queen-size is make entirely of scraps from my stash, except for the black sashing and borders. I had to purchase that, but had some backing that worked and batting. Feels good to get this one done. I tend to procrastinate on the larger quilts because they are physically not much fun to man-handle into place on the longarm. This one was easy to keep square. It is about 76 x 94, not too huge.

The pantograph is called Featheration by Golden Threads. It is perfect for a bed quilt, not too dense and so pretty. I'm glad to have this one done. It seemed to take me forever to just get at it! 

Btw, all is well with our health. We are so busy with to-do stuff that it cannot catch us! LOL.

 

Sample nearly done

This is my sample for the next pattern that will go on Etsy -- as soon as the pattern is written. There is more quilting to do in the V-shape at the bottom and the light was awful when taking this picture. Hopefully good daylight will show it off better. The fabrics look much nicer in real life.

The pattern will be fun for creative people as I've included various color schemes to spark unique ways to make this one. Besides that, it lends itself well to embelishments such as beads, lace, crazy patterned fabric and so on. I rather like this dark version, more of a Silent Night feel, but since it is not realistic but stylized, it can have sky fabric or an ombre for the sky or palm trees instead of no-name trees. Also, light in the windows, etc.

Just one color option of several

I made a few mistakes in the sample and will just point out one of them... Joseph is leaning backwards. This will be noted as a "watch out that you don't do it too" in the pattern.

Two projects and a Gift!

 I come down to my studio first thing every morning to have devotions. My latest nativity project is on the design wall and there is a small window on the opposite wall, high up. It rarely lets full sun in, but when I looked at the quilt, the sun was shining JUST on the manger. I gulped and grabbed my camera but by the time I got the picture, the sunshine made a rectangle on the quilt. Still it was as if the Lord was saying "Good Morning" to me.  Here is the picture.

 

Brown scrappy is on the longarm, finally. I watched a video that showed how to keep a quilt nice and square while using those plastic clips instead of pinning it to the leaders. It really helped. This top was square and I was afraid of making it wonky. So far so good.

The last picture is my birthday gift from my son. He picked the one with the most buds on it... so if they all bloom at once, there will be 20 or so. I took care of a neighbor's orchids once and that is all I know. Google is a great pal! I hope this one loves the place I put it and the care I give it because it is so dratted pretty! That son is getting more thoughtful day by day... another gift!

Projects on the go . . .

At this point, there is "Brown Scrappy" on the longarm (finally), a top finished and waiting while I find backing that works with it, a new nativity quilt that will be offered as a pattern on Etsy as soon as I finish the quilting, binding, and writing the instructions, a scavenger hunt that is crazy but fun and for a competition so I cannot show you yet, two bags of blocks from our guild that other quilters didn't want to put together, and a whole mess of yellow and accent prints/colored scraps on the design wall just begging for more. Here is a picture of 'so far' -- just tossed up there, about half of what is waiting to be sewn into chunks and in no particular order. Fun! It will make a twin and does anyone realize where all their scraps come from!!😮

I've also offered to make quilts for refugee families sponsored by four local churches. They will arrive about six months apart, and are usually a couple with 1-3 children in ages varying from little to adults. Their sponsors are finding out for me their color preferences and a bit of theme ideas (like one little boy does not like creepy crawlers, just the alphabet please). This is got my imagination in a whirl. So far, two queen-size -- one in solids, one red, and four smaller, a blue, a black, a yellow and an alphabet (I ordered a panel).

We are well. Semi-retired hubby is working some hours nearly every day. If I make cinnamon buns now and then, he is happy with "cook once, eat three times" or crock pot or take-out. I'm spoiled rotten. He even does the vacuuming now and then. 

Our family is okay. But we lost a friend and a second cousin to Covid. Two of our adult children had it, mild, recovered. It is cold here, like -20C in the morning. Kills the bugs but apparently not the virus. Hawaii sounds good but our government shut down flights to warm places. 😒

Hope to be back with more sooner, but life and that to-do list being what they are, no promises.

Slow Progress

Slow progress in lots of things -- including blog posts about quilting. I am making a new pattern to put on Etsy page, so that is taking time and now about 1/8 done the piecing for the sample top necessary to sell the pattern. It is giving me joy but sorry, can't take photos until it is finished. 

As for other things, was involved in a quilt challenge where "clues" come every month and it also is avoiding a camera until it is finished because it is a competition piece. Fun, but so crazy that it will be a hoot to see what everyone else is doing.

In the meantime, ideas and squirrels keep running through my head but the days are not long enough! I did have a rough time of grief regarding my grand nephew, not so much for him as he is with Jesus and how can I grieve that! But for the family and others. Also, some of my family had Covid, not serious, but still robbing energy. My hubby came down with a mild case of Shingles just after Christmas. He had the vaccination a couple years ago which helped, and he never complains, but I still feel some stress for him. 

Then there is all the negative news, both in USA and other parts of the world. Some days I've felt like staying home, turning off the TV and reading happy-ending fiction! But am thankful for the joy of the Lord that does not depend on circumstances. He keeps reminding me that He is in charge and all this is not a surprise or out of His sovereign power.

That all said, quilts are in the head and heart and will be on these pages before too much longer.

blessings to everyone!