Cherry Tree

Today's block has a reference to President's Day as it is the Cherry Tree block, reminding us that George Washington could not tell a lie.  It is a 7-1/2 inch block and was a joy to sew together.

It is block number 52 of 366.  It was easily completed early in the day which left more time to sew some 2-inch squares together for my son's quilt...

All 400 of them.  Each block has 20 two-inch squares in it, so I do have a ways to go yet before it is finished.

This quilt has been a work in progress for a very long time.  Tonight when I put my son to bed I told him I was going to stay up for a bit and work on his quilt.  He looked at me and said "wouldn't it be cool if I woke up in the morning and it was on my bed all put together?"  Unfortunately as desperately as I wish that were the case, it isn't going to happen tonight as I only made three blocks before I decided it was getting too late.  Give me a few more evenings and it may be a possibility.  I'm pretty sure once he gets this one, no one is ever going to have a chance at it. :)  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Design Wall Monday, Thimbles, and Texas Treasure

I started out the day finishing numbers 117 through 119 hexie flowers for the Vignette Hexagon quilt.  I got so excited about the fact that I was this close to 140 that I sorted and individually bagged all the flower pieces for the remaining 21 flowers.  I'm so close, if I can just sit still long enough to get them all put together.

Bonnie at Quiltville's Snips and Quips is having a Thimble Linky party today which I am finding very interesting.  It is fun to see what thimbles people use and why.  I've tried pretty much every thimble out there, and every time I'm in an antique store I look for the "old" thimbles to see if I can find a really pretty one.  I've never actually purchased an antique one, but I do have my grandmother's thimble which is very special to me.  

I always use a leather thimble and the one I use has the entire fingertip covered.  It seems I tend to use the side of my finger a lot, and when I use the thimbles that don't have the entire fingertip covered, I end up having a very sore finger at the end of the day.  I also found that as I tend to have a longer fingernail, the leather thimble is only one I can stand to wear as it doesn't get underneath my nail.  I wear my thimble so often that there have been times when my son has had to tell me to take it off because I don't need to wear it while I eat.  I used to find the thimbles I like in quilt stores (the early 90's) and then would order them from Herrschner's when quilt stores no longer carried them.  I've only recently found them in a quilt store again.  They are fairly cheap at $2.99 a thimble and they do last quite a long time for me.

Now on to my horror story for today.  Today's 12-inch block has a lot of tiny pieces, and when there are a lot of tiny pieces that makes for a lot of seams, which in turn makes for a lot of headaches.  In fact, this block could lead a woman to take up paper piecing and like it.  :)  I finished it, but I'm not happy with it.  As a matter of fact it has been finished for hours, and I'm so unhappy with it I actually considered not posting a picture of it.  But there goes the daily sewing of a block, blogging about it, and then posting a picture.  So dear reader, here is block 51 of 366.  Please excuse my ugly block.  This one is definitely going on the bottom of the pile, and I am fairly certain it will be never placed in a quilt.  I think it will be my reminder that as hard as I try, not all blocks are for me, and I need to accept that and move on.  

I'm linking today with Judy for Design Wall Monday, and Bonnie for Thimbles Up.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Mountain Homespun

Today we hit a milestone as it is block number 50 of 366.  The stack of blocks keeps growing as does my excitement for finished quilts with them.

Mountain Homespun is a 9-inch block and requires an accurate 1/4-inch seam allowance. :)  It was an an enjoyable block to make as I rarely work with strips that thin.  Seems I'm broadening my horizons on a daily basis anymore, and I can't wait to see where I am headed.

Now for the stash report:

Used this week:  0 yards
Used year to date:  2.5 yards
Added to this week:  0
Added to year to date: 22 yards
Net used for 2012:  -19.5


I did order some fabric this week, but it hasn't arrived, so I'm not going to count it yet.  Hopefully I will finish a few quilts this week so I can offset the incoming. :)  I will be linking with Judy for the stash report.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

FNSI and Mosaic

I was busy last night, and I probably stayed up a little too late, but I had a lot of fun sewing.

This quilt is called Grandma's Attic from This and That.  It is a pattern for charms, but I didn't use them, I used some yardage I had from Buggy Barn.  It isn't supposed to have a border on it, but I'm thinking maybe I should add one.  I'm going to wait a bit to decide.

Then I cut 409 more 2-inch squares for my son's quilt.  I soon realized that 409 squares is a lot of squares. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the sets of four together and then get back to piecing the blocks.

And here is my block for today.  It is an 8-inch block and is number 49 of 366.  I didn't care much for the piecing as everything is on the bias, and I think that is just because I wasn't in the mood for sewing on the bias tonight.  Another day I'd probably have no problem with it and would make a whole quilt with them.  Have a wonderful Saturday/Sunday and Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Chevron

As I was stitching this block tonight I kept thinking I had seen it before, but I knew I had never put one in a quilt.  I finally realized I had knit a bedspread with this pattern in it a couple of years ago.

It is an easy block, but has a fun zig zag to it.  I know there are a lot of different ways this block could be used in a quilt.  If you put the zig zags horizontally it would look completely different (kind of like Charlie Brown's shirt).  And what fun would it be to have the pattern go the length of the bed?  It could be used in a two color quilt or every zig zag a different color (which then would remind me of Joseph's coat of many colors).  I am definitely going to be putting this block in my "needs to be a bed-sized quilt" pattern list. :)  It is a 9-inch block and is number 48 of 366.  I am linking tonight with Can I get a Whoop Whoop!   Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

True Lover's Knot

Today's block is a big fun one.  It is a 14-inch block and is number 47 of 366. 

This block looks a whole lot more complicated than it actually is.  The best part, it could all be chain pieced which made it easy to put together.  Another good thing, its early and I'm thinking of heading right back down to the sewing room. :)

Tomorrow night is another FNSI, and there is still time to join.  I have my Friday night carefully planned.  I have a class from 6:30 to 8:30 and at 9:30 Gone With the Wind is on TV.  The plan is to be sewing for the whole three hours while watching Scarlet and Rhett.  :)  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

Watercolor Heart

As I made my block tonight I sat and thought about how my grandmother and I used to collect stamps.  My grandmother was a great letter writer and always sent the perfect card.  She also opened the mail for my grandfather and uncle's business so she had access to some great stamps.  Every Monday night she would bring me a few of the best.

I've been thinking for the last few weeks that making a postage stamp quilt would be a lot of fun.  You could make really elaborate designs with the tiny squares or do a random one with a strip from each fabric in your stash.  After going through my stash this weekend I thought it would really be fun to do that, that is after I have all my quilts cut out because I would never want to end up 1-1/2 inches short on something.  :) This block is 6 inches and is number 46 of 366.

I'm linking today with WIP Wednesday.  Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen