Monday progress...............

Yesterday morning I looked for bindings for the mug rugs.  I was matching to the backs because the fronts are multicolor and almost anything would go with them.

I cut the bindings for all 7 of the mug rugs.

This table mat is 12" square so that meant one strip plus just a small amount from a second strip with 2 seams near each other.  Instead I used a piece of this stripe which was cut on the lengthwise grain and was longer than 48".  It was leftover from binding on a large quilt a few years ago.

Last night I sewed the binding on the mug rugs.  These are all around 7.75" x 9.5".

I had time to finish the last 3 by the time the 10 o'clock news was over.

The 2 larger ones are 8" x 9.5" and the small one is 7.25" x 8.5".

I chose binding for the Nancy Crow fabric quilt and cut the strips.  I hope to get that finished today.

Trimmed and ready to quilt............

I had chosen backing fabric for these mug rugs over a week ago but hadn't trimmed them yet.  Yesterday was trimming and layering day.

This set of four got trimmed and layered too.  Now I need to decide on thread color(s).  It would be nice to chose one color to quilt all seven of them.

i haven't done as much knitting in the last week but last night I finished the second one in the set of three that I had started.  This is the first time I've used this lavender and white yarn.

My neighbor helped dig some Sedum plants that were near our lot line a couple weeks ago.  She is going to put in a fence for her dogs and we were afraid the plants would get trampled.  They had already been chopped into by the crew that cleared her lot line.  I planted them yesterday in several pots.  They are a hard plant to kill so we'll see if they survive being planted so late (and close to winter).  I have had them in pots over the winter before and they always did ok.

2 projects...........................

It was time to trim the little strips that I sewed a few days ago.  For some of them the 2.5" ruler and the rotating mat worked well.  A few of them were too narrow so I had to move the ruler.

I got all three sewn together but haven't pressed them or squared them up.  They will be 3 nice little mug rugs soon.

I got one of each of the last four sets of strips sewn into blocks.  

Strips were cut for 3 more stratas and they got sewn last night.  I need to press them today.

I looked through the remaining Nancy Crow fabric and found this one that could possibly be some alternate blocks.  I have enough strips sewn for 54 blocks and 63 is the minimum number of blocks I like in a 16 patch quilt (56" x 72").  I have about a yard of this patchwork print and I need to measure to see if I can get 4 rows of 8.5" strips out of it, and whether I can get 5 squares across or only 4.  Then I can determine whether I would rather have 80 blocks in the quilt instead of 63. 

Table mats finished.............

The two table runners are made from the same batch of fabric but the layouts aren't identical.  I decided to finish them alike in case someone needs a pair.  They are each 12" x 36".

The third table runner and mug rug are also made with the same group of fabrics.  The table runner is 12" x 29.75" and the mug rug is 7.5" x 8.25".

The backs are pretty enough to be used face up part of the time.

Yesterday afternoon I cut the batting and seamed the backing for the Marcia Derse 16 patch quilt so it is ready to go to the longarmer as soon as I press the backing.

 

MIndless sewing results..................

After I cut 2 more 4.5" sections off the strata, I cut the remaining strata into 1.5" strips.  Then adding 2 sections to the end of one of the table runner tops I had enough left to make a mug rug top about 7" x 8.5".  I had originally intended to make the table runners like the mug rug, but I came to my senses, remembered this was mindless, soothing sewing, and cut larger sections.  This table runner top is 12" x 30".

I had enough sections of strata to make 3 table runners the size I showed yesterday, but I decided instead to split the 3rd group and add half to each of 2 table runners.  They are now 12" x 36".  Now the only decision left on this pair is whether I back them with the same fabric in case the same person ends up with them and would like to flip them over and have backs matching, or use some of my smaller pieces of batik and make them different.

Late yesterday afternoon a local person posted on Instagram about the big storm that just blew through.  Others commented about large branches in the road.  In my neighborhood we got a gentle shower for less than 10 minutes, no wind.  Later however another storm rolled through and it sounded like a good rain.  I'll have to check the rain gauge this morning. 

Almost there...................

Another day of hand stitching, 4 corners done.  I still have about 45" to stitch on the last side.

It went from hot to cold yesterday as the front went through and the severe storms stayed south of us.

I will post this photo again in my monthly recap, but since it's the only other photo I took yesterday I'll share it today too.  These are my 11 littles finished in March.  I did 3 in January and 3 in February so there are 17 finished so far this year.  There was only one I didn't get quilted (that is ready) and I know I won't have time to do it today because some cousins are coming for a visit.

 

It was an outside day.....................

It was in the high 70s yesterday so I decided to do some yard work.  First I raked leaves off the flowerbeds where the Brunnera and Lungwort are.  I only found one Lungwort plant in bloom but I'm sure several will follow soon.

The largest Columbine plant is growing fast.  I could see this one from the dining room window.  I got stung by a bee while picking up stacks of leaves in this flowerbed.

One of my Lenten Rose plants has flowers and more buds.  It is a burgundy color flower.  This is the plant that didn't do as well as the other 2 last year.  This year maybe it will be the overachiever.

I think the flowers on this Lenten Rose plant will be the pale green ones.  Maybe they are considered white but from last year I remember the green tint.  I need to rake the leaves out of this bed and cut down the dead leaves from last year.  Maybe this morning if the rain stays away.

I took down my bird feeders before one of our extremely windy days about 2 weeks ago.  I hung this one yesterday and within 15 minutes this raider was here.

Last night I sewed the binding on 2 more little pieces.  I consider the small one an oversized coaster (6.5"square) and the other a mug rug (a little over 8").

Here are the fabrics on the back of them.

I chose a binding for the next quilt in line to be finished.  I hope to get it cut today and sewn on to prepare for the hand stitching.

Tilda 16 patch..................

The photo looks the same as the last few days, but it is really a finished top that is pressed and measured.  It is 55.5" x 72".

A close up shows some of the variety of Tilda fabrics in this top.  They are from several different lines.

Since every other strip is turned upside down, the birds and mushrooms are facing both directions.

The same thing happened with the house print.  I could have avoided this by not using the one way prints but I chose to have the largest variety possible of the fabrics I had.

Here are the 2 leftover blocks.  Since I have one more quilt to make, maybe they will end up in it.

I finished another mug rug last night.  This one is 9" square.  Hand dyed fabrics on front and Kaffe dots on the back.

We're supposed to get up to 70 today and possible rain.  Another day to sew.

A bit of sewing..........

Somehow 2 of the mug rug squares got separated from the other 2 and I finished them into mug rugs a while ago.  Yesterday I found the other 2 and when I went to trim them square they were 1/4" smaller than the 2 finished ones so now there are 2 pairs, not a set of 4 alike.  That's all the sewing I did yesterday.

It was still low humidity yesterday so I wanted to work outside for awhile.  It got up to the mid 80s so it still wasn't all that comfortable.  While I was out there I saw my favorite white peonies blooming.

This might be the final bouquet of the season and there was only one pink one at the right stage to cut.  I'm enjoying all of the white ones and I think they are the most fragrant of all.

Today is supposed to still be low humidity but 90+ degrees.  I draw the line at 80s so I'll be working inside today and probably turn the A/C back on.

Small projects............

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. (found out later it is a Bleeding Heart). 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.

Orange thread..............

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.

January 2020 monthly recap.............

3 finishes for January, I had hoped for 4, but 2 of these were large so I'm happy with the month's progress.  The 2 pastel quilts are so much prettier in person.  They look kind of washed out in the photos.  The 16 patch on the left is 54.5" x 70", the flannel quilt in the center is 70.5" x 88" and the 30s reproduction Trip Around the World is 69" x 92".

2 quilt tops were completed.  The Australian fabric equilateral triangle top is 55.5" x 69" and the Zipper quilt top is 60" x 72".  My goal this year is to have more finished quilts than new starts.  It gets complicated computing at the end of the year because I don't just finish the older quilt tops, I finish some of the new ones too so in the recaps they are both a quilt top and a finish in the same year.  Most of my older tops are large and it is so much more fun finishing the smaller ones.

I worked on finishing a few small items yesterday, 2 mug rugs and 3 coasters pieced with leftover Marcia Derse fabrics from one of my quilts.

The last 4 mug rugs..........

I spent most of the day yesterday baking and making fudge.  Last night I sewed the binding on the last four mug rugs that were quilted.  I will have all of the mug rugs for sale on my Wandaful Quilts blog.

I forgot to do the photo update on my wax bulb Amaryllis.  It is getting taller and no sign that it is going to open yet.  I showed it the last 2 weeks on Fridays.

In front of the  bulb are my shortbread cookies.  I made the green spritz cookies also.

It started snowing early last evening and now the really cold air gets here.  Luckily it isn't going to last long and we might be above freezing by mid-week.