Guess What I Found

And I still love the little person who hid them so nicely.

Now for my sister to find her passport so we can cross the border 

to go to the retreat in Shipshewana. 

.
Blessings,
Chris

April 2019 OMG

My April one-monthly-goal will be

• to complete the Almost Amish Irish Chain to a flimsy
• to complete 2 BTCT hand applique blocks
• to complete the machine applique on 6 Morrell blocks
• to complete at least 2 more chapters on SMOWJ

And this is not an April Fools joke. 

I will be taking all this to the Shipshewana retreat next week.

I almost added complete the machine applique on the rest of 36 Huguenot Friendship Quilt but that would be a joke. But I might get it done also. 

Now to finish packing the project boxes. I need to find some thread to machine applique the hearts and the cone of Vanilla Milkshake thread for the Morrell blocks and a seam ripper. I have several. I should be able to locate one to take along. And travel insurance and US cash. I better get busy. 

Blessings,

Chris

Spring and the Shipshewana Quilt Retreat

The quilt retreat in Shipshewana Indiana is fast approaching. It officially begins 2 weeks from tomorrow but we plan to arrive Monday April 8 in the afternoon for a whole week of time away from home responsibilities and little people. Not that I don't like spending time with little people, but this is a quilting retreat. It will be me-time for those of us going. The retreat was sold out weeks ago so it will be a full room of quilters quilting quilts. I have been considering what projects to take along and have narrowed the list down to 5.                                        

1. Beyond the Cherry Trees

I have been working on this hand applique sampler from 

sentimental stitches

on and off for nearly 5 years. It is on now. There are just 4 more of the 25 sixteen inch blocks left to complete. Then the borders. 

This is my hand applique project for this year. 

2.  Huguenot Friendship Quilt

This was an impulse purchase a year ago. All the blocks are laser cut fusible appliques that I arranged and pressed into place. I have some of them machine appliqued down but still many of the 36 blocks to go. It is on my 2019 ufo list. 

3. Morrell Sampler

There will be 60 ten inch blocks and a twenty inch center block. 

I have several more than these blocks fused and pressed onto background squares ready to machine applique in place. Hopefully I will get a few more arrangements made now that I have located some amazing chintz fabrics in my cupboard. 

4. Almost Amish Irish Chain 

This is another ufo I want to complete this year. 

I thought it would be a super simple project for the retreat since all the hard work is done and I only have to sew everything together. 

Not quite. I still have to prep the heart applique shapes and I plan to practice 

the turned-edge-with-starch method. 

5. 150 Canadian Women

This is not on my ufo list for this year but it lends itself well for a 

leader-ender project so that it will be. 

There are many of the 6 inch squares already cut out and ready for stitching just waiting for me to pay attention to it. 

 

I still have some machine quilting to do on Dear Daughter

 before we leave so I can take it for show and tell. 

I have not done much of any kind of quilting this past month. What I did do was look after  my wonderful little boy and little girl grandchildren. March Break ended up being one sick week. Literally. Seven of the 9 people here were sick with a stomach bug that lasted for 2 days each. Fortunately for me, the little children's parents were both here to tend to the details and clean ups. I remained healthy. What I did do, however, was read 7 of the 8 Anne of Green Gables books. I read the 8th one last month. I also reached level 1000 of Candy Crush. I decided to retire there. I have written several thousand words for my book SMOWJ and the research continues. Now to finish the machine quilting so I can start quilting the next one while everything is ready. Spring is here and little things are popping up in my flower beds and the lawn is beginning to look a bit green. 

Blessings, 

Chris

BTW Sun I woke up to 3 inches of snow. 

linking to

  mid week makers  BOMs Away  let's bee social  needle-and-thread-thursday  can I get a whoop-   needleandthreadnetwork    slow sunday stitching 

March Break

Yes. It is beginning to look and feel like spring is going to arrive this year. The sun is shining profusely and the air has lost its bite. At least for this week. It is March Break here and that means the schools are closed until Mar 18. And, lucky me, all 5 grandchildren are here to spend their time at the farm. I have been able to block time on my calendar this past week and get some serious writing done on SMOWJ. There is still a nice snow cover and tobogganing will happen. That means Gramma has to put her books aside and turn off the computer. But she has plans.

I pulled out the Beyond the Cherry Trees project box that was in time-out this past year as my hand applique focus was on Dear Daughter. That one is still at the machine being quilted.

I have 21 completed BTCT blocks and only 4 to go and 2 of these are half done. I will be prepping as many little bits as I can so  they are ready to travel to Shipshewana with me next month.

I had intended to work on this Hexie Stack-N-Whack as a hand piecing project this year, but as I looked more closely, I realized that I already did all the piecing that can be done and the next step is to decide the layout and start putting it together.
I recently saw a unique layout option. Not sure I can find it again but it has me thinking.

 And aren't those the most yummy flowers ever printed onto cotton? My mind is racing with ideas for my Morrell quilt which I will be taking to the retreat with me. Five whole days and nights to quilt to my hearts content. We will be driving out on Monday and the retreat room doors do not open until noon Wed. And then, of course, there will be shopping.
I plan to machine applique all the Broderie Perse blocks I have prepped so far.
Also, I plan to take one or two ufo's that are simple machine stitching. Don't want to have to think too much.





In the meantime, there will be much indulgence here at the Farm as the girls are learning to "cook". At least learning how to use the can of whipped cream and the chocolate sauce.

Blessings,
Chris
Had a dream last night that I went to a quilt retreat and forgot to take my sewing machine. 

To Do Tuesday

I have not been writing posts about to-do-tuesday. Just sort of forgot to do it.
But I have been making to-Do lists and To-Don't lists and To-Done lists.

Today I spent a few minutes blocking time on my calendar for writing. I got 5 pages written today. Not bad with all the interruptions of a home-sick from school grandchild. She washed the dishes this morning, dried them this afternoon and made milk shakes not once but twice. They were yummy. However, I am working on clean eating right now and dairy in shakes is a no-no. But yummy nevertheless. I am writing about my journey with anger and para menopause. SMOWJ for short. I am so glad that is in my past. One reason because I no longer live there. The other reason because I can share my journey and victories with others.

But I still want to get Dear Daughter quilted. Gay at Sentimental Stitches is offering a new BOM called Cheddarback. It will run for 14 months with one 12 inch and 4 five inch blocks each month. No applique. Just some interesting blocks and a very unique setting from an antique quilt from the late 1800's.

I am determined to not start anything new this year, until, at least, I complete my doctorate and finish writing my book. Got 5 pages written today. Wait. I already said that.

My to-do list this week is:

• block out two 3 hours time spots to write
• write for 3 hours twice more this week
• get ready for all 5 grand children for March break
• eat clean
• turn the clocks ahead on Sat night - at least the computer will do that by default.

Blessings, 

Chris 

2019 UFO Challenge

Judy at patchworktimes has posted the ufo number for March and it is #4. But I did number 4 last month instead of #10 so I should do that one this month. I wanted something that did not take much time since I was working on lots of other things including 6 snow days with little children. It has been nearly 25 years since I had to deal with little children and snow days. But I survived and so did they.

For my Feb ufo I hand appliqued the last few bits onto this Antique Wedding Sampler block. I finally found the missing blue leaves and flowers among the stuff as I was looking for something else.

The Shipshewana Quilt Retreat is fast approaching next month and I am starting to prepare  my project boxes. I am hard pressed to not just start working on some of blocks but I am writing and anticipate having the first draft of my new book before I take the 7 hour drive to Northern Indiana.  That has not stopped me from putting blocks up on the wall and dreaming. But then I get so distracted looking at the design wall and trying to figure out how I would put the thing together or quilt it so I have taken everything off all 3 design walls. It looks so bare and boring but I need to focus on my writing.

Number 10 on my list is the Stack-N-Whack Butterflies. The focus fabric has very fine body lines in different colours. I could just add these with a pen. And I can make the antennae with a black pen. Easy peasy. I worked so hard to get all those points to come together. It would be a pity to cover them all up with a thick appliqued body.

I have seen so many new quilt-a-longs that I would have liked to join, but I determined not to start a new project this year. Two months down and only 10 more to go.

Blessings,
Chris

March 2019 OMG Goal

It is March 1 and such a beautiful winter day greeted me this morning. The sun is shining profusely and the ground is covered in a sparkling blanket of fluffy white snow. This after a few days of freezing rain, high winds, much rain and more snow. We had yet another snow day with little girls. This makes 6/7 at the Farm. Good thing they brought Netflix with them. The cleaning lady did her magic yesterday and the garbage got taken out this morning before I got up. Nice.

During the snow day I finally got Dear Daughter layered and ready for machine quilting. The 90th birthday part was 2 weeks ago and I took the top and had family sign it. It was my OMG for last month but did not get complete. It will be my one-monthly-goal for this month.


Blessings,
Chris