2021 - Quilting - been at it since 1974, not quitting anytime soon!

 2021  I moved, I read a lot … Let’s see, what else did I do?  Oh, yeah – I quilted every day that ended with “Y”!  Here’s some of my favorite finishes:

When my son and his family were in Panama, all their belongings were in storage.  When the Almeda fire hit, the storage unit burnt down.  No one takes winter clothes and quilts to Central America – the low temp in Panama during the 2 years was 65!! 

They lost many beloved belongings:  photos, paperwork, love letters and 27 quilts!  So first thing on my list was a new quilt for each family member – FIVE! Twin sized quilts.  Twin size is great for snuggling together on the couch!

Disappearing 9patch for my DDIL  This replaced her Master’s Degree graduation quilt. Same pattern and some of the same fabrics!

Double 4patch from my DS  This replaced his Nursing Degree graduation quilt.  I was lucky enough to find the “Nurse Quotes” at Forget me Knots Quilt Shop in Bandon Oregon.  Thanks Michelle!

Stripe Me Lucky quilt for my DGS (10)  A Jen Kingwell Group pattern.  Made with stripes, brights, superhero fabrics and Mickey Mouse among others.  I love this pattern!

                                       

Square in a Square Superhero quilt for my DGS (8)  He’s still into superheroes and this simple quilt turned out really graphic – I like that!

                        

Zig-zag Rail Fence for my DGD (4) This was the same pattern I made for my oldest DGD (15) now.  I still had some of the pink and I spy fabrics from the prior quilt.  A big hit!  In fact, she loaned it to Pancho, the chihuahua, so he would know Nana loves him too!!  But she took it back that night to sleep under!

                                  

P and I took a CraftTour to Japan in January 2020.  Jim West throws a good tour/party!  We brought back some fabrics and some food/candy wrappers and wanted to make a memory tote bag.  18 months later … it was so!  This is a big bag and heavy with the interfacing to keep the wrappers from  ripping.  But I like it already – just perfect to take a whole project to retreats!  

                        

HOME wall quilts.  I was moving; my son and his family were moving back to the US after 2 years.  We obviously needed a wall hanging to welcome us!  I had the Moda Alphabet book – mainly because of this quilt and of course, the alphabet!  So, at April retreat I started making the wall quilts.  P, my table mate wanted one too – soon we were all about “me, me, me!”  They turned out cute.  One was hanging when the Panama gang returned home.  And I just finished mine in time to hang it with other house projects. P made me promise to not tell that her's (pink house) isn't done yet!!

                                  

During the deep days of quarantine P and I worked endlessly on “My Small World” quilt by Jen Kingwell.  They were great fun but tiny pieces!!  We each made ours ‘our own’!  With family jokes, geographic references and printed initials!  There were supposed to be more NY Beauty arcs but we made a little ‘hill town’ instead.  Much easier and still cute as a button!  For the back, we started with the fabric calendars we bought at "Tomatoes".

Back

ModSquad met as often as we could, masks in place.  And after we finished last year’s challenges we moved to Improv piecing. 

Improv is a lot of fun, but we discovered a marathon of improv was much easier than an improv challenge each month.  But the end products were so diverse and fun to see in the group.  Well worth the trouble.  We had one month left after they were done … so our new assignment was a improv holiday challenge.  It could be any holiday!!  I had so much fun making improv trees. There was a wall quilt on Pinterest – I tried to make it (in an improv way, you know!)  but no worries, it turned out different and I loved the process.  I admit I have enough extra trees for another quilt twice as big!!

  

Well, it's January 2, 2022 and I feel better with the blog caught up.  I won't even tell you my plan!!  You've probably laughed enough!  I'm working on more UFOs to generate some quick finishes.  There are at least 2 retreats planned.  And wouldn't it be nice to go on a quilt adventure with Craftours??  We'll see!

Stay tuned for the 2022 adventures!  Including visiting the kids this month so we can have Christmas!!  The weather has to calm down sometime, right??

  

#100dayproject 2020

I have participated in this Creative Art challenge on Instagram for a few years.  I always start out like gang-busters ... and you know the rest!  This year, we're in quarantine for 'who knows how long'!  My days are becoming kind-of hit and miss as to getting anything done vs playing Wheel of Fortune all day!!

I wanted to do better while in the quarantine mode.  But after a bit of a drive at the beginning I find myself drifting.

What do I want to do during the next 100 days??  Well, I miss our visits to see Grandkids.  We were DUE in March, rats!  So as one part of #100dayproject I'm playing a photo game with the GKs.  The age spread is from 13 to 3!  So obviously I'll have to send at least a couple of pix each day.

My idea is to take extreme close-ups of things here on the coast.  Some in our house, some in our complex and some on the path to the beach.  The kids are here often in the summer at 'Camp Nana / Papa'  Our complex is being re-roofed!!  Quarantined next to an ongoing construction zone!  Let's not go there!

Every day I will take a close-up picture and send it. for the Panama gang, I'm messaging it to DS.  He'll handle any photos that are sent back.  The older GKs are in Portland and on Instagram!  So I'll post their pix online.

When I take the photo, I take a 'reveal' photo at the same time.  So - I'll post the reveal after they have guessed!  Why?? - well, I feel isolated and like I'm loosing touch with them.  I'm hoping we can start a back and forth conversation doing something creative but easy.  Some ongoing joke between us for years to come? One can only hope!

Here's the photos I sent/posted today!  Remember ages 3 to 13!!  I have no idea how much interest I'll get. I'm starting off easy, don't judge!!  LOL!

For Portland kids  Ages 13 & 11

For Panama kids   Ages 9,7&3

I'll keep you posted!!

Meanwhile, do you have projects that you love?  That you have all the supplies somewhere, that you never have time to work on???  Boy, I do.

I have a Quarantine project for ModSquad that I have desperately tried to keep in my brain while I work on 100 different things.  Is it 'Squirrel!' syndrome??  What ever it is I have it bad!

During past #100dayprojects,  I have tried and tried to work on one project - preferably to completion.  HA!  What I decided might work this year for the whole 100 days is:  I need time to work on what I want to!!  Time to strike while the iron's hot.  While I still have that idea in my brain ... when I come across that fabulous fabric somewhere safe - I get it ready to go and then I GO!  

It should boost my mood, my creativity and possibly (I'll believe it when I see it!)  help fence in the piles in the sewing space??  My goal is to work on the project I choose that day for at least 1 hour!

That being said, there are two quilts I have been aching to start for YEARS.  I love scrap quilts (but YOU know that!)  So I'm going to make 1 10" plus/x-plus block every day.  I can't believe how easy it is!!  Yep, made one today!!

For a 10" block you start with 

4 - 4 1/2 squares for the corners; 

10 - 2 1/2 squares background; 

2 - 2 1/2 squares for cross; 

1 - 2 1/2 x 6 1/2 for cross.  That's it!   And it's a blast choosing fabrics!

I don't know how big I'll make it - probably not 100 blocks!  Although that would not even put a dent in my scrap stash!!  When it get's big enough, I'll move on!  I need to make a summer baby quilt, that quarantine Modsquad project, I'll need a silent auction item (I'm thinking another spring challenge wall quilt - I'd like to do it again in other colors.) for the Newport August Quilt Show - surely this will all be over by then!!!  Please??

Stripe Me Lucky by Jen Kingwell Designs is calling me too!  This could be the year!!! I know it won't go as smooth as I'd like ... that's SOP!  But even if I don't make it the 100 days AGAIN this year - it will be X number of days I did more!

There's Sue Spargo's BOM from a few years back.  I digressed from the pattern, not a surprise! So now I'm trying to fit the blocks together when I have some time and a free design board.

I was making Jen Kingwell's BOM mystery last year (lost interest when we didn't really like the final layout!) and My Small World, both bogged down.  Love to get at least the tops done. 

And of course, after I finish 2 sets of blocks in Edyta's Quarantine mystery, I'd like to put that one together ...

It all starts tomorrow!!  Good night! Stay safe and QUILT ON!