Sunday sewing........

I  started out sewing pieces for 10 more pineapple blocks.  When it came time to turn the iron on I switched to another project.

 I have over 20 masks cut out with flannel on at least one side.  A lot of friends are cold weather walkers.

This is one side of the first 8, all flannel on this side.

This is the reverse side of the first 8.  Five of them have flannel on this side too.

The other three have Charley Harper fabric on them.  This one is a little hard to see the print, a squirrel and birds.

This one is a row of cardinals with snow caps.  It will look better on a face than on a table.

My shadow is on this one.  I need to remember to stand over at the side.

This whole batch could be sewn with red top and white bobbin.  Today I have some that will take red/beige and some red/navy thread.

3 almost done blocks...............

I have finally made the decision that I'm not going to finish any project this month.  Instead I'm just going to work on what I want to.   I started 3 pineapple log cabin blocks last night.  They are just missing their light corners right now.  I don't know how many blocks I'm going to make because they will be set on point and I need to start the layout to calculate it.  This will be another throw quilt so it won't take a lot of blocks.  I have 10 leftovers and now 3 new ones (almost done).

I wasn't able to figure out what was making the noise by my basement window 2 nights ago but this might be the culprit.  It is a large cat that comes to drink out of my birdbath often.  He just finished drinking and was starting to walk away when I took this photo.

Still sorting..........

 I realize this photo is blurry but I got spooked by a noise outside one of my basement windows and didn't want to go back down there and take another photo.  I'll go out today and see if there is an animal stuck in a window well.....or footprints on the ground by my window.......

I see that I have enough light fabrics already cut for more blocks so I just need to cut the light center squares and all the rest is dark that I need.

Cutting table............

I cleaned off this cutting table yesterday and immediately chose 2 projects to work on.  I have stratas sewn for a throw size Kaffe Trip Around the World.  I need to sew the last seam to make them into a tube and then slice off segments to start designing on the wall.

The other project is to go through that box of batik scraps and choose some to cut for more pineapple log cabin blocks.  I only need blocks with light centers and corners to go with the 10 blocks I have in the orphan block box.  I can see I already have enough of the last strip and corner triangles left over from the last quilt I made.  I will search through the rest of the little boxes and see what I still need to cut.
 

Happy Thanksgiving..........

 

I stole this photo off my 2018 post because I will only see this year's turkey after it is sliced.  My turkey dinner will be dropped off by my granddaughter in the middle of the afternoon.  I chose to stay home and be safe.

I have uncovered one table in my basement (yay!) so I have a workspace again.  I may even try to get another one cleaned off today.  I have to cut some batting and hopefully will get to the basting stage on the blue zig zag baby quilt.

Stash additions...........

 I hadn't purchased any Charley Harper fabric for quite a while so I played catch up and got some of the ones I missed the last few years.  I have been trying to figure out what shape to cut them to capture the whole design.  I think maybe my large hexagon shape and equilateral triangles that work with it might be the one.  They are GO! dies and the half hexagon works with them too for the edge fill in.  I made one Kaffe quilt top with the shapes 4 1/2 years ago.

Yesterday afternoon I baked pumpkin muffins to share with my family.  I'll have a few in my freezer to pull out for breakfast too.

Sewn together...............

Several people agreed with me yesterday in the comments that this was the perfect border for this Bear Paw quilt.  It is one of my favorite older Hoffman batiks.  I decided to just go ahead and cut the border pieces and sew them on.  It is 54" x 69".

I also cut and pressed a backing for a Marcia Derse fabric baby quilt top that I made in August so I will find batting for it today.  

Sashing and cornerstones...........

The Bear Paw top is sewn together so now it is time to audition for border fabric.  This is the first piece I pulled out and I like it so I'm not sure how many more fabrics I will try.  Click to see a larger photo.  I really need to prepare something for machine quilting so that is today's project.  

Sashing cut.............

I cut 11 strips into 3 sashing strips each and put them up on the design wall with the Bear Paw blocks.  One of them is almost too light so I may find another strip to substitute.

Then I added 2 different fabrics as cornerstones below the first and second rows.  The top one is a beige print and the one below it is a peach color.

They are about the same value but the peach color is brighter and might be the better choice.

 I got another birthday package in the mail yesterday from a CO friend.  She said this treat is made in Boulder CO.  It is almost too pretty to open.......but.......I will open it.......today.

Pressing and cutting...........

I had a cutting and pressing day yesterday.  The pieces here are flannel for masks.  I think cold weather walkers will enjoy them.  I used several plaids and some prints left over from other projects.  

I pressed all of the Bear Paw blocks and measured them to determine the length of the sashing strips and then pressed the center fold out of the strips I will use for sashing.  Now I just have to finalize my layout and I can get the Bear Paw all sewn together. 

12th block sewn..........

 Number 12 is sewn and unless I decide I want to replace any of the first 11, I am done making the Bear Paw blocks.

One paw close up.  

I don't know if this is the final layout.  I will analyze this for a couple days.

The bottom of the photo isn't as well lit so the blocks down there aren't as dark as they look here.

I went to W*lm*rt 2 days ago but they didn't have any frozen blueberries so I stopped again yesterday afternoon and I found this beautiful cactus.

I'm not sure what to call this color.  It is almost 2 tone pink and beige.  All of the rest of the cacti were red and I have enough of them.

It is almost the color of a tea rose.  I'm sure most of the buds will drop off because the cacti don't like to be moved once they are blooming.  If a third of the buds bloom I will be happy.

I lost 3 of my other plants over the summer so this helps fill in the gap.

11 blocks............

 I did lots of cutting yesterday morning, more than I need for this quilt.  I can't believe I got 2 pieces of the same fabric next to each other on this block. It is going to stay and won't be noticed when all of the blocks are together in the quilt.

This is block number 11.  I have to decide how big this quilt is going to be.  We all know we can go on and on and make lots of blocks and make big quilts but really what I need right now are throw size, for the recliner, or over the arm of the couch for decoration, or for a comfort quilt.  I'm thinking 12 blocks might be enough and put a 4" border around it for a nice throw size.  The blocks are 14" finished.

All of the blocks so far on the design wall.

Still cutting and sewing those triangle squares.............

 This is last night's batch of pieces for the Bear Paw blocks.  Some of the stacks have as many as 12 pieces alike and others as few as 2 alike. 16 per block so I'm probably going to need a few more.  I was so happy to see my regular TV shows are on again.  Tuesday night is a 3 hour session so I can get lots of sewing done.

However I didn't get any more rectangles or corner squares cut so I didn't sew any more blocks.  I just had to lay out as many pieces as I could for a block to feel some progress.

Searching through neutrals............

 I feel like I am working in slow motion.  It must be all of that sugar in the dark chocolate and birthday cake.  The only fabric fun was going through my neutral batiks to choose more for the triangles, long rectangles and corner squares for the Bear Paw blocks.  I will be repeating all of them through all three shapes.

I put the last 3 pieces of birthday cake in the freezer so I can enjoy it later this month.

I did my grocery shopping yesterday afternoon because it is supposed to be considerably colder and windy today.  I think I have enough of the fresh items for about 8 days.  I was shopping about 8 p.m. in the summer because it was still light out and very few people were in the store at that time.  Now I have to shop when it is busier because I don't like going out in the dark.

There are a couple 60 degree days predicted at the end of the week so I hope to do more clean up in my garage, not a fun task.  I need to pot some cactus starts too while I am working out there.  They have some healthy looking roots and 2 of them have been waiting about 4 years for this as they sat in cups on my kitchen windowsill, getting a little water occasionally.

Sewing while watching TV..........

I got 3 more blocks made while I watched my NCIS TV programs last night .  Now I really have to cut more triangles because I used almost all that I had already sewn.  I need to add some more bright colors so it doesn't become too boring.   I haven't pressed any of the blocks yet so I haven't determined the length of the sashing strips.  I'll probably do that today so I can cut all of the strips I have chosen into the proper lengths and then I'll know if I need to cut more.

Thanks again yesterday for all of the birthday wishes from people catching up on reading my blog.  I have a couple more days of cake so the birthday celebration isn't over yet. 

The day after...........

 

Since my birthday fell on a Saturday this year I think I need to consider today a continuation of my celebration.  Here is my second birthday bouquet, from grandchildren.  How heavenly to have flowers in 2 different rooms at the same time.

I took a photo of my cake with my cellphone before it was cut but forgot to get one with my regular camera until after sampling.  I shared with my family after my drive by parade of friends and family.  What a fun day!

The whole neighborhood knew I was having a birthday.

A few friends thought I needed some more chocolate....because we know we can never have too much chocolate.

Thank you to all of you who wished me a happy birthday yesterday.  I loved reading all of the comments, loved every one of them!

I did it!!.........

I made it to the big day today, my 80th birthday!!  I hear people complaining about being one year older and not telling other people their age.  I am the opposite and so thankful for each year and proud to say I got this far.  

This bouquet arrived yesterday from one of my daughter's best friends.  She spent many hours here playing games and being silly with my daughter and I love her dearly.

Here are the cards I have received so far this week so it feels like I had a birthday week instead of a day.

Today I can have 2 Dr. Peppers in celebration!!  Maybe other forbidden foods too!

 

Small progress................

Two more blocks were sewn yesterday.  The big squares aren't as dark as they look in the photos.  Once again the camera wants to be boss.

Block 7 is pieces laid out on my small flannel board.  I thought maybe I wouldn't have 16 different triangle squares but I did.  I need to cut another batch of triangles for variety for the next blocks.

I found more strips in the 1.5" batik strips box for sashing so I might only have to cut a couple more.  Now I need to dig through the 1.5" batik squares that are already cut that I can use for the cornerstones.
 

Cutting and sewing parts............

I pulled some yardage to cut more triangles for the Bear Paw blocks.  I have all of my parts sitting on top of a plastic lid.

I had to decide whether to sew the 2 blocks that were ready or sew more triangles into squares.  I decided to do the triangles and this pile is enough for 4 1/2 blocks.

After I sewed the triangles I laid out one of the blocks to sew today.  I hope to sew at least 2 blocks and if it is a good day, maybe 4 blocks.

The red cactus is blooming.  The red ones used to bloom closer to Christmas but this year they decided to bloom before Thanksgiving.  I think I only have 2 that don't have buds on them yet and I don't remember what color they are.

They are just so pretty.  I love my indoor garden.

 

Lining up pieces and parts.............

I mowed the front yard yesterday morning for the last trim of the year and to chop a few more leaves.

Then late afternoon we had a tornado warning that came blasting out of my cellphone.  It was dark by the time it all blew past so I don't know if there was any wind damage around me.  We got a little over an inch of rain.

Last night I sorted all of the rest of the rectangles and light squares that were already cut and I have enough for 5 Bear Paw blocks.  Then I cut triangles and sewed until I ran out of light ones.  I have enough sewn for 2 blocks (16 per block).

I planted a little piece of cactus in this tiny pot a few years ago and it has bloomed now 3 years in a row.  It is a piece that broke off of my favorite pink cactus.

Here is a bloom on the mother plant.