RWB with star finished

       A couple of weeks ago I finished quilting a RWB quilt made with a winter mystery held by Alycia. I changed the center to make it more of a star from what she designed. Yikes, I sewed it in December 2019 .Finally, I quilted it and bound it and now it is ready for a recipient.

Reflect on fall

      Today is the day after Thanksgiving. Yesterday was a blur of cooking and cleanup. In the past, I was out the door very early at Black Friday sales chasing down fabric bargains. This year, there does not seem to be those in person sales. The few local fabric stores here are selling online and shipping or curb pickup next week. Most of the joy in fabric shopping is doing it with real people and feeling fabric. I have looked at some fabric online, but no big bargains for the day. I miss shopping with friends, seeing other people's ideas in the stores, and discusssing ideas for fabrics. I am not a loner and although I work alone alot, I am not ashamed to say I need other people, real, not just virtual.
      To cheer myself up, I looked back over the photos I took this fall outdoors. I still have some snapdragons inside in a vase that I saved when I emptied my pots this week. Maybe I should pull out my paints and work up some magic on paper.

My lacey Japanese Maple

My ginko and other Japanese Maple

My Endless Summer hydrangea

My Sunset Maple

Landscape from Saegertown, PA

Across the street at my son's house- Sunset maple, Tulip trees

My Mum

One of the last Zinnias

And lastly, the last hydrangea flower which resembled a heart- very encouraging to me!

Violet comes home

      My new granddaughter, Violet, made her appearance on Nov. 14th via a very speedy labor that offered her mom no opportunity for any pain meds. We were called as we were walking into church, had to retreat, pack and drive 2 hours to Erie, PA where we picked up our 3 yr. old grandson who was being watched by a friend, and took him home another 35 minutes. In the snow. The rest of the family arrived home the next afternoon. My husband had to go back home, but I stayed for the rest of the week. There is something magical and miracle laden about newborns. So grateful I got another chance to hold and care for this one.

     Because my daughter asked me to make curtains (lined) for her room (I am techically challenged except for quilts), I sweated through the measurements and finishing as well as making a tabbed blockout panel and did not have time to finish the custom quilt I was making the baby. At my quilt retreat, a friend gave me a partly done top and fabric that was pink so I completed the quilt, made a backing, spray basted it, and quilted it on my 301 while I was at my daughter's. Been a while I quilted not on the longarm. Masterpiece Lavender top, and DecoBob Dove Gray bobbin.
     I will finish the custom one with the birds and butterflies. Of course, just like home, the cat appeared as soon as the quilt hit the floor to photograph.

Huge Backup

      I have no idea how much time has passed since I posted. I feel like I am in a giant logjam. It is not like I was doing nothing, because I have tons of photos and things done, but oh my, the crush of the days.
     The first weekend in November was our guild retreat. I take projects with me that can be webbed and done due to no interruptions.
     I have had a lot of grandkid duty- taking and picking up from school, feeding etc. here and my daughter in PA had her baby on Nov. 14th. I have photos of all that and I am trying to sort it all out to present.
     One of the quilts I webbed and completed at retreat was Supernova by Sarah Craig. It was made from a batik layer cake I bought on Etsy along with the same fabric jelly rolls. The jelly rolls became an Upstairs, Downstairs, also webbed and sewn together at retreat, as inspired by A Left Handed quilter. Isn't it amazing that the same fabric looks totally different in the two quilts?

The layout, wall too small

Upstairs, Downstairs All Sewn

Bordered

      A border was added to Blue Bargello because I did not want to bind on the seam edge and  have all that bulk in the binding. I think I was able to add the right color and width to the quilt without diminishing the sparkle. Just got lucky, I guess.

It's a cut- Pixel Chain

      I have had a Kaffe jelly roll for a while that MSQC got me with. I decided to make the Pixel Chain quilt. Cutting everything up was time consuming and I did it while I did not have access to a machine. Now it is all cut, and I used some freezer paper to lay the first blocks out on. I am trying to figure a way to chain piece these somewhat so it does not take me forever.

      I will try to chain piece the top and bottom row and then the next two identical rows. Having all the pieces on the freezer paper helps to keep everything organized.

All bagged up and cut

15 more Block 1 to go, then Block 2

ADK in the fall

      We were able to stay at a teeny cottage in the Adirondacks (ADK) in Old Forge, NY for 4 nights and take 2 grandkids. The weather was chilly, but sunny. It was grand. It was less than half peak, this week is peak.
     I think I would live up there but for the distance to get medical care and supplies. I love to visit and drink in the scenery. I took my sketchbooks and was able to do a little work. With the photographs and sketches, hopefully paintings will follow.