Scrappy Quilting and the Eclipse

 Happy almost May!

I'm sitting here wondering how it's nearly May already. I've been busy with work, grandkids, Easter, quilting, and a few health issues. Time flies! 

How about that eclipse? Were you able to witness it? I was outside taking photos (see below) the whole time and chatting with my neighbor. It was a nice break during the middle of a work day.

Eclipse 2024

Eclipse 2024

The day after the eclipse I had an out-of-town (sort of) work conference. The conference wasn't that far away, but I booked a hotel room for myself to avoid commuting an hour plus each way in traffic. So much easier!

My body has decided to act its age and I have encountered a few health issues lately but am working on getting them sorted out. They did take me down for a few weeks though. I went to a few of my grandsons' baseball games and that was a lot of fun. Easter morning I spent with my oldest daughter, son-in-law, and my grandsons at church, which was very nice.

Easter photo with my growing grandsons!

And, I have been working on a few quilts too. I've always wanted to try the quilt-as-you-go (QAYG) technique, so I made a quilt and now I'm making another one! The process was a lot of fun and the quilts come together so quickly. 

For the second QAYG quilt that I'm working on, I must confess that I cheated and bought precut quilt batting from Missouri Star Quilt Company -- which by the way, is making the second quilt go way faster. I've got nearly all the blocks finished and ready to assemble the quilt. I did run out of backing fabric (I know what you are thinking -- What?! You own so much fabric, how could you possibly run out?) and had to order more to complete the last few blocks, so I'm waiting (ever so impatiently). 

The first QAYG quilt that I did is a scrappy string lap quilt made from 10" blocks. The second one that I'm working on is the same but with 6" blocks. I'm keeping the first quilt for myself and have no idea what I'm doing with the second quilt!

The front of my scrappy string QAYG quilt

The back of my scrappy string QAYG quilt

I have also been interested in making a crumb quilt (with my bazillion scraps), so I've started working on crumb blocks and have about 6 10" blocks made already (yes, photos are coming). Such a great way to use up scraps! Between all the scrappy blocks and quilts, I may not have any scraps left...LOL! 

The next type of quilt I'm interested in making is a Duckworth quilt. Have you heard of those? I feel like I must make one because my maiden name is Duckworth! They are named after Jo Ann Merrill-Duckworth who came up with this technique. I'll obviously need more scraps for a Duckworth quilt! 😁

My latest embroidery is coming along and should finish it up this week. It's from a kit that my youngest daughter gave me for Christmas and when I'm done she wants it. (Is that re-gifting or just buying something for yourself? I'm unsure.) Anyway, I'll be glad to move on with another embroidery project and have been studying up on new stitches to try out.

I think that's it for now. More to come.

Happy Quilting, Embroidery, and Sewing!

February Blues

It's February and I have the blues,

Oh, February, you tricky little month, always bringing a whirlwind of emotions my way! Last year, I bid farewell to Mom (can you believe it's been a whole year already?), and 12 years ago, I lost my dear hubby. So, you see, February's like an emotional rollercoaster for me. And don't even get me started on Valentine's Day... SMH! Honestly, I usually treat it like any other day. Not that I'm anti-love or anything, just not big on the whole shebang. But hey, I reckon some of you can relate, right?

Now, let's rewind to October through January, when work had me doing the hustle and bustle, clocking in those 70-plus-hour weeks! Phew! But amidst the chaos, I snuck in some "me" time, working on some projects. Tell me, who else finds solace in quilting and embroidery? There's just something about the rhythm of needle and thread that soothes the soul, am I right?

I finished a springtime embroidery piece (ignore the cat hair). This is from The French Needle.

These are some of my string blocks, which I now have finished, and just need to put together for a quilt.

Current wall hanging I'm working on. I actually started this after Christmas, which means it should be done by next Christmas, right?

My current embroidery piece. This is going to take a while!

I made this cute little fall table runner. I found the idea on Pinterest somewhere.
Such a fun, relaxing little project.

Oh, and speaking of life's crazy ride, my eldest grandson, Hudson, turned 10 in January! Time's sprinting by faster than Usain Bolt, I swear. And my "baby" grandson? He's turning 6 soon, and I'm still in disbelief... Wasn't he just a tiny bundle yesterday? And brace yourselves, folks, 'cause come fall, my oldest granddaughter, Lilly (yes, Baby Lilly), is off to high school! Yup, time's playing some serious tricks on us.

Now, onto brighter horizons! Summer's coming, and guess who's packing her bags for Scotland? Yours truly! I'm practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. It's an Outlander trip, so we will visit some of the places in the show Outlander. And guess what? I got so carried away, I signed up for an Ireland escapade next year! Call it my older-than-midlife crisis, but I've decided to trade in my recliner for some passport stamps. Italy, Switzerland, and a sprinkle of other dreamy destinations are on my radar too. Oh, and let's not forget Hawaii again, 'cause who can resist those sunny shores?

I'm thankful that February is a short month! I am looking forward to attending the Dallas Quilt Show in a little over a month and until then I'll work on my projects and reflect on my husband and Mom, thankful they were a part of my life, and dream about Scotland.

Happy Sewing, Quilting, and Embroidering!