New Distraction

 There is still very little sewing going on here. I'm distracted and either cleaning, learning about cooking...or perusing expensive kitchen utensils that fortunately haven't been purchased ;-)  But now I have someone even more wonderful to distract me.

Meet Luke and Marianne's new brother, Bob 💓💓💓

He's about 5 years old and just about perfect. I've never had a new guy fit into the family so quickly. We just got him yesterday! He has as much energy as Luke so there is much playing despite having just walked them briskly almost 4 miles. Luke is quite happy with his new brother and Marianne is content as well. She likes dogs. We've had to wait quite awhile for a new addition and God provided the best one!

Bob and Luke

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

Working title

It's a serious kind of day here in California with too many wildfires to follow.  Fire season has started early and just adds to the overwhelming challenges of this year.  Our neighborhood is relatively distanced from danger so I just spend time praying for those that are not.  I especially pray for the firefighters working all of this. The sky tells of the story this morning. There's only one fire I know of on our central coast, I think about 15 miles from home.

 So I'm a bit distracted from sewing.  

Yesterday, however,  I got started on the borders for my cats quilt.

Only 27 more of these 10" pieces to go :-) 

Praying you are all safe and healthy.

Finally getting pictures to post

Not sure what my trouble is but sometimes it takes me forever to take photos of my quilting to get ready for a blog post...especially those just in progress.  But I finally just laid some blocks on the floor and did it though I spared myself laying out all of them ;-)

I don't have that many UFO's but my PIG's (projects in grocery bags...or drawers etc) or just patterns with plans is on the larger size. My DH wanted to see this one done as it is going to hang in a room with many cat paintings and a Kliban the Cat tshirt quilt.  So I got some courage together and got started.  Selecting fabrics was my first challenge till I realized all the homespuns I'd collected and how much fun it would be to use them. 

The next challenge was in printing out the patterns for paper piecing...especially as our printer was dying. But it got done and with some trial and error I re-learned paper piecing which I hadn't done in a long time. Not cutting fabric too small for the intended sewing was one of the first lessons to be re-learned. But I hurdled the fabric selection and started sewing, accomplishing one block and tail in a few hours. I'm not a fast one but I had a good time and soon all 20 were sewn.

Here are 4 :-)

There is another side piece to add to the blocks and some sashing where the tails will be appliqued. I had thought that I had utilized every technique I knew (and with homespuns!)...paper piecing, curved piecing, applique and with embroidery that will be a finishing touch to the cat faces...but then I remembered hand piecing and probably more that I don't recall at the moment.  But anyway, this has been challenging and an enjoyable way to use my homespuns and make cats.

Marianne who continues to eat well and defy some health challenges, joined me as I sewed the last one together.

She keeps me comforted and awake too early. HA!

After the last block, I took a quilt break and made some more masks as well as some hair covering caps for nurses in Texas where the hospitals are overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients. My friend, Julie, is in the midst of it and is generously helping her co-workers to stay safer.  She is so inspiring, how could I not want to help too?!  She shared a good video for how to make them and I had a good time sewing them up.  I pulled from some florals and I think their unit might look a bit like a fabric garden. LOL but I hope they all feel some love from us quilters and are protected a bit more as they do such challenging work for us and our families. 

Here's my picture of some that I made.

But check out Julie's post for more about all the caps sent in.  She packaged them each with a note to the nurses receiving them and passed on our gratefulness to them. JulieKQuilts 

I'm linking here for more quilty inspiration at Confessions of a Fabric Addict with a thank you to Sarah for her inspiration to finally post something. HA! 

Thanks for visiting and to those who comment. I love receiving them :-)

I hope you all are safe, healthy and blessed 💓🙏

A finish and a treat

Hands2Help was a great success this year with over 117 quilters making quilts to share and well over 500 quilts made! I believe the numbers are still being tallied. Many vendors also supported the effort by providing gifts for those making quilts. Sarah has had the big job of getting those off to the quilters and my treat came this week with a sponsored gift by MODA :-)
A cute bag with some mini charm packs inside.

Thank you, MODA and thank you, Sarah for all the inspiration!

The finish this week comes from sewing up some beautiful fabric from Robin Pickens called Painted Meadow.  This fabric is so cheery to sew and I just plain had a wonderful sewing with it :-)  I chose a pattern called Twinkle by Sew Be It. I bought this pattern years ago and I'm sorry I couldn't find a link for it on the web. 

I modified the size of the pieces a bit so I could take full advantage of a layer cake. It ended up about 62" X 72".  Luke helped me a bit with modeling but even with cookies...he would not smile despite being a happy boy.

I love these big coneflowers and fat bumble bees. 
Hope you are all healthy and safe. Thank you for visiting!
Linking to Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

The second HOPE baby quilt

A finish of this second HOPE quilt (designed by Gudrun of GE Designs) was quickly done using some large freehand flowers for the quilt design.
The photo shoot however turned out to be more about Marianne =^..^=
She is doing so well these days I'm having fun with her.
We started out inside as she was still having her morning nap.

Interrupted

And on out to the porch

And a miracle happened with these quilts...I remembered to sew labels in!

So another fun year of Hands2Help is (washed and) in the mail and on it's way to the Little Lambs Foundation for Kids. Linking here to Confessions of a Fabric Addict for more quilty shares.

Hands to Help and a shopping spree!

Welcome Hands2Help quilters! It indeed has been an odd year for all of us. My quilt sewjo was a bit strained for a while and sewing masks seemed to be all I could do.  I was rejuvenated watching the HOPE Quarantine Sew Along with Gudrun of GE Designs. I made a quilt for Little Lambs Foundation which I shared a couple of weeks ago.

And then I went on a little shopping spree :-)  Quilt in A Day sends emails out each day with special prices on certain items.  They posted a foot pedal pad by Martelli that caught my interest.  Hmmm, Martelli usually knows what they are doing....maybe I'll try that.  (Spoiler alert: it's awesome! My sewing machine foot pedal now stays right where I need it and this thing is easy to keep clean!) 
Then of course I started looking for other items to add...you know, to take advantage of shipping ;-)  Some little needle threaders went into the cart, a strip stick for pressing seams, and oh my an Oliso mini iron!

and then...a Stripology Squared ruler! This all was quite a treat to get in the mail and I needed to start playing with the fun items.  So yesterday I cut and sewed another HOPE quilt using more of leftover Robin Pandolph fabrics.  I can't believe how many quilts I have made from these and there is just a bit left.
It is not sewn together yet but I will get this put together and quilted and in the mail with the other one this week.  It was such a fast, fun pattern to sew.

Thank you, Sarah for hosting yet another year of inspiration, tutorials and goodness! I'm linking this post to Confessions of a Fabric Addict for the Hands2Help 2020 Link Up. Go enjoy all the beautiful quilts!

Straits and Emerald City Outside

I do not have quilt holders at present and it occurred to me that the only real large area I have for showing these HUGE quilts was my driveway.  Not an interesting backdrop but with the foggy skies we have this morning, I decided to give it a try. Marianne came out to help but was not really interested in posing. So for a finish in less than a year...I present my 2 Bonnie Hunter quilts that I started in the guild classes last June.

First class and first finished last September was my version of her Emerald City, Sage and Seaglass (named after the Kim Diehl fabric that I used for most of my fabric choices).

 

It was my second choice of the classes but became my favorite.

Next up is my Straits of Mackinac where I used mostly fabrics from Janet Clare's 'More Hearty Good Wishes' with a piece from 'Weather Permitting' on the back. With the whales and ships, a Storm At Sea pattern seemed fitting.  I purchased a fat quarter bundle of the fabric and then when the option to take Bonnie's Straits class came up, it seemed like the perfect fit. 
Though the pressing and finishing of this quilt about did in my desire to quilt (!), I'm happy to say I completed it and enjoyed some new choices for white neutrals that include the cute crabby fabric as well as some anchors and other choices. I have certainly learned a lot from making Bonnie's quilts that will hopefully inspire me in the future.

So we wish you a Happy almost end of May and pray you are all safe and healthy! I've been sewing up Robin Picken's Painted Meadow fabrics this week with all its beautiful cone flowers and fat bumble bees. Pictures coming after I've quilted it.
Linking to Confessions of Fabric Addict  'Whoop, Whoop Fridays'.