I put 64 of the 69 finished framed 9 patch blocks up on my design wall to see whether the last 11 blocks need to be dark or light. I put them up on the wall in a light, dark, light, dark arrangement and it is looking too light to me. I think all of the rest will be dark blocks. That means I may have to cut some new solids to pair with them.
A friend called and requested some masks for her family. I put 7 out on the porch for them this morning and finished this batch last night for them.
I spied this little plant in my back garden yesterday afternoon. I have never seen it before and don't know what it is. I found a second one peeking out from a pile of leaves.
The peonies are sending up their red shoots so I need to rake the area where most of them are.
The plant I showed yesterday and thought it was a columbine is really a Bleeding Heart. Thanks to an anonymous reader who left me a comment identifying it.
I got the binding on two more mug rugs.
I made 2 sets of masks in the same fabrics. Two of them went to family friends and I kept 2 on hand in case someone else needs one.
This is the other side of those two masks. I'm using batiks that I hadn't found a use for before.
This group was given to family and friends last week.
I cut prints for 9 more framed 9 patch blocks and paired them with contrasting solids. That leaves 11 more to find fabrics for.
This is one of the fabrics in the photo above. It is a Hoffman print from the 1990s and I have used it in many quilts over the years. It reminds me of Picasso paintings.
I went outside late in the afternoon and did some more leaf raking and filling bird feeders. I also put fresh water in the birdbath since the birds have been using it a lot. Then I went out with my camera to capture the earliest signs of spring here. This is a little volunteer forsythia bush with a few blooms.
I think this is a Columbine plant. I just uncovered this one yesterday and it is loving the sunshine. I'll share a few more nature photos tomorrow. I have one more day of raking but I haven't been bagging the leaves. There are several piles of them and it is supposed to rain Saturday so even if they almost dry off today they are going to get wet all over again in their new location.
Yesterday I was sewing with orange thread, putting binding on 2 mug rugs and sewing one more framed 9 patch. I also spent some time out in the back garden raking off layers of wet leaves so the early plants could see the sunshine.
I have been reading on blogs that some people are having trouble getting started on any sewing project in these unsettling times. My advice: go sew some mindless scrap blocks and while you are stitching them you will start getting ideas for which other projects you might want to work on. Did you ever notice how many things you wish you could work on when you are busy with something else in life? Sitting in a chair and doing nothing is not going to get you motivated. Working on any art project will get the creative juices flowing. I have 2 more mug rugs and one more block ready to sew as well as 4 more masks to keep my creativity flowing.
I pulled out the wide Kaffe Fassett backing fabric to use for my Trip Around the World for my bed. I need to press it so today I will turn the iron on and press several things that have been waiting.
Three finished quilts for March. That is 3 months in a row with 3 finishes. Can I keep up the momentum?
The one on the left Prismatic Garden 14 is 41.5" x 57" and was quilted on my straight stitch machine. The block components were made several years ago but the top was finished in March last year.
Kaffe Meets Plaid in the center was quilted in straight lines on my longarm. It finished at 70" x 95". The top was finished in Aug. 2016 and backing was chosen last year.
Downtown on the right was quilted on my Pfaff and measures 38.25" x 51.25. The blocks were started in Oct. 2017 with inspiration from Maria Shell's book "Improv Patchwork". The top was sewn together in May last year and backing was chosen at that time.
Two tops were finished. The one on the left (77" x 99")just needed its border and the Blooming Nine Patch top (88.5" x 107") was made this year.
What didn't get finished was another quilt top in the solids with prints series. I still have 21 blocks to make for this one. I made these 4 blocks last night.
It was a good sewing month with friends over several times to sew. Now I have to just share in photos, just like everyone else until things return to normal.
"Downtown" is finished, 39.25" x 51.25". This the third and final finish for March 2020 so I wanted to post it before midnight on the 31st.
The backing is a batik from the early 1990s when Hoffman fabrics started making the batik fabrics.
Here is the view as I was approaching the design wall to photograph the Blooming 9 Patch quilt top. I don't think the color is perfect but is close. It ended up 88.5" x 107". Even though it is huge, on a queen bed that has a 15" deep mattress it wouldn't be large enough.
The design wall is only 84" tall and I'm not tall enough to get the quilt all the way to the top so there is about 12" laying on the floor. But the good news is that it is all sewn together. Click on the photo for a closer view of the fabrics.
I sewed the binding and hanging sleeve on downtown and the hand stitching is started. I will have my monthly recap tomorrow. I'm thinking maybe next month I should hurry up and have all of the finishes in the first 10 days instead trying to meet this self imposed deadline at the end of the month.
I had 3 hours of TV to watch last night so I got the last rows quilted on "Downtown". I also pulled all of the basting threads out. Now I need to trim it and find a binding fabric. The race is on for this finish for March. I also wanted 3 quilt tops sewn and I don't think that is going to happen. I should be able to finish the Blooming 9 patch quilt top though since I have just 4 more rows to sew and then add the 2 large pieced corner sections.
My childhood friend called yesterday and we talked for 2 hours. I was walking by my cactus shelving while talking to her and noticed there were 3 more blooms. Two were next to each other so I captured their beauty in this photo. I see there is one more bud on this plant and one on my peach/orange one.
