Five Shadows

Happy May!

So, this week didn’t actually go according to plan. I know I did stuff, but what exactly is questionable. Ha ha!

To-Do Tuesday, April 25, 2023

1. Create back for Trip Around the World variation.  ✗
2. Clean house – it’s been neglected for too long.  ✔️
3. Featherweight embroidery – finish it up, buttons and border for framing.  ✗
4. Figure out something for evening handwork – hexies? Hmm. Maybe? 
5. Daughter’s house – wish I could say the end is in sight!  ✔️

What I did and didn’t do -

1. I didn’t work on a back for Trip Around the World. But I did start a new project from the leftover squares. More on that in a bit.

2. Clean house. Mostly accomplished! My bedroom and bath got a major deep clean and sure does look nice! I hope it can stay that way for a while! The other bath and half bath also got a cleaning. Kitchen, dining room, foyer, bathroom floors all got a good scrubbing including the grout in my bathroom floor. Just about the only think still needing attention is dusting the living room and changing out winter decor quilts for spring. All boring stuff I know, but with working on my daughter’s house reno, my house maintenance has been neglected.

3. I didn’t touch that cute Featherweight embroidery.

4. I’m sticking with the hexies for now for evening stitching. And I didn’t get far on them this past week. I’m feeling kind of burnt out on them, yet didn’t dig anything else out to work on in the evenings.

Hexie designs will be added to a background fabric to make mug rugs. I’m aiming to create three to gift to quilty friends.

5. Daughter’s house has insulation in! And also drywall installation has started!

This was once a bathroom! Floor was rotted. The whole room was gutted top to bottom.

Look! New floor joists covered with new subfloor! Plumbing and electric in! Insulation! And not photoed yet, yesterday drywall started to go up! People! This is major progress! And so exciting to see!

Here’s what I did work on that was not on my To-Do list.

1) I started making 9-patches with 2 1/2″ squares left over from the Trip Around the World quilts.

Then they evolved into Granny Squares.

I’ve got 10 finished blocks of the above color way. I think I’ll do a basket of flowers in the center of the quilt and place Granny Squares around it. Then figure out what to do with the 9-patches. No pattern, I’m just playing and building the quilt as I go.

2) I mentioned the Giant Clammy Experience hosted by Latifah Saafir in my last post. Registration is closed, the first online class was yesterday, May 1st. I watched the class and pulled fabric for the first project which is a tote to hold the rulers.

Floral canvas with a mottled red for the lining.

3) Yesterday Hubby and I hung the first pieces of drywall in our daughter’s house! We started in the bathroom. I didn’t get a photo as I had to leave to pick up grandkids from school. Next week there will be more photos of the progress.

Here’s this week’s list -

To-Do Tuesday, May 2, 2023

1. Daughter’s house – guess it should go at the top of the list now that we are hanging drywall.  Drywall up makes it look so close to finished! Which is deceiving, as there will still be so much to do. But once it’s finished, painting!
2. Sewing with my church group Wednesday morning.
3. Granny Square quilt – keep at it.
4. Hand work at night – hexies for now.
5. Backing for Trip Around the World variation quilt.
6. Sew Clammy Tote.
7. Sew Featherweight Embroidery borders so it can be framed.

I’m being very optimistic here! I might end up helping with drywall more than sewing/quilting this week. Maybe I’ll surprise myself and get to play in the sewing room! Here’s hoping!

I hope you all have a great week in your sewing room/studio. Or garden! It is that time of year here in the USA!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Greetings! This week flew by! We had good times with family and church family too. I’ll share more news in a future post.

Things I accomplished this past week -

To-Do Tuesday, April 11, 2023

1. Trim and bind Trip Around the World. ✔️
2. Piece border for the Featherweight embroidery.  ✔️
3. Decide on a project for evening handwork. ✔️
4. Land on some other project – old or new? ✔️
5. Daughter’s house. Her goal is to be in the end of this month. Hubs and I don’t think that is very realistic. She wants to move in while construction is still happening. I’ve experienced that, and don’t recommend it!

1. Trip Around the World

Binding is on, all but one corner which I left open for a label.

2. Featherweight embroidery

Pieced border and some embellishments attached! I’m still deciding on placement of buttons.

3. Evening handwork

I’m back to piecing 1/2″ hexies. These will be appliquéd on to background fabrics for mug rug gifties.

4. Land on some other project – old or new?

I forgot to list my sewing day with quilt group which was Friday. I took along the Trip Around the World variation and made two and a half more blocks. I’m liking how this scrappy quilt is coming together.

5. Daughter’s house. Hubs got sick and spent a few days in bed. We missed the building inspector and have to reschedule. Daughter got home from her trip to Germany and did much needed yard work this past weekend.

Weather heated up to 80F a few days last week but cooled off Sunday night back to 40sF. I’ll be up in daughter’s attic working on insulation while it is cool the next few days.

What have you been working on?

Here’s my plan for the next week -

To-Do Tuesday, April 18, 2023

1. Trip Around the World variation. I need to have this top pieced, quilted, and bound by first of June!
2. Featherweight embroidery – attach buttons. Add a border so it can be stretched over canvas and framed.
3. Evening handwork, hexies.
4. Wednesday morning is church group sewing day.
5. Daughter’s house.

The last day of February! And I finished piecing Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden last night, February 27!

That’s the only quilting I accomplished this week.

To-Do Tuesday, February 21, 2023

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden – will I finish the piecing this week? ✔️
2. Sandwich the PUP I pulled out last week. Start playing? ✗
3. On going work at my daughter’s house. ✔️

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week 51 pieced.

And stitched into the quilt top.

Week 52!

See the open space for one rosette flower? Week 52 orange Rosette will go there.

Stitched in!

And here she is! All pieced!

Happy Dance!

This took me one year + one month + nine days to piece.

I bought this fabric Saturday at The Hen House in Charlotte, MI to be the back of the quilt. Hubs and I were on our way to an Orchid Show in Lansing, MI. A road trip means stopping at least at one quilt shop! Don’t you agree? Orchids – Hub’s hobby.

2. Sandwich a quilt – didn’t happen.

3. Work continues on daughter’s house. Hopefully the demo part is over. Rough electric is going in. Plumbing still not completed.

That’s it for my week. Oh! Other than I’ve been bidding on fabric lots at an online auction for a LQS going out of business. I’d share more info but you might go and out bid me!

This week  -

To-Do Tuesday, February 28, 2023

1. I suppose I should move working on daughter’s house to the top of the list. There is wallpaper paste and bit of paper to remove which I really have no desire to do. But I can tell you it is a much nicer (cleaner!) job then demoing plaster walls!
2. Maybe work on charity quilts
3. Or pull out the other project I hoped to work on last year.

May you all have a peaceful week of piecing your favorite quilt!

Linking to I’m linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

It’s a windy March like day here. Only thing is, it is still February!

Here’s my list from last week and what I accomplished.

To-Do Tuesday, February 14, 2023

1. Can you guess?! Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden of course! I was hoping to finish up the piecing by February 18th. Doesn’t look like it will happen, but I’ll give it my best! ✔️
2. There has to be an end to my daughter’s house remodel. Only if we can get the plumber and electrician to finish up for inspections! Then drywall can go up and it will look so much better.
3. Maybe, start a new quilt, or pull out a PUP. BUT I really want to just focus on Homage. ✔️

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden. I didn’t meet my February 18th  self imposed goal. But …

Weeks 1 – 49!

Week 50 stitched.

And week 50 attached! Two more weeks to complete!

Week 51 progress. I hopeful that I can complete the last two weeks of this quilt and have them attached to the top this week!

2. Daughter’s house. The electrician is scheduled for March 10. Things are moving along. Slowly, but moving forward. My latest job there has been pulling out nails from trim we hope to reuse. Trim and at least 2 feet of the bottom part of the walls in the three bedrooms have to be removed so electrician can remove old knob and tube wiring and replace with the new wiring. It’s messy work. The plaster falls apart and the old insulation falls out of the walls. Did I say messy? And so dusty!  It will be a while before any drywall is going up. I remain optimistic that the is an end to this project.

3. Start a new quilt, or pull out a PUP (Previously Unfinished Project.)

I pulled out this quilt top that I sewed together a few years ago to follow along with one of Angela Walters Quilt-a-longs. I changed the pattern up a bit but never followed along! This week I added an outer border and this time hope to follow along with a different quilter. Dorie Hruska is offering a free Quilting on the Line class. I’ve marked the squares, sewed up the back.  I still have to sandwich the quilt before getting started on the quilting.

Today I’m getting a much needed hair cut. Then will most likely head over to my daughter’s house. This evening I’ll be back to handstitching Homage.

Here’s the list for this week that looks like last’s week’s.

To-Do Tuesday, February 21, 2023

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden – will I finish the piecing this week?
2. Sandwich the PUP I pulled out last week. Start playing?
3. On going work at my daughter’s house.

How was you week?

I’m linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

How has my past week gone? I’m happy to say NO migraines!

Here’s last week’s to-do list -

To-Do Tuesday, February 7, 2023

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden of course! ✔️
2. Non sewing related – daughter bought a fixer upper 100 yr old house. Hubs and I are helping out with some remodel and updating. Ok, Hubs is helping out A LOT! Hopefully plumber & electrician will finish up, inspection will pass, and dry wall can go up soon. Looking like “soon” might be a month or more. Sigh. There’s more to the story. There always is. I’ll spare you. ✔️ As in work is happening but no where close to inspection time yet.
3. Other quilting? Maybe. ✗

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week 48 stitched

And 48 attached!

Week 49 stitched. Isn’t it an odd shape? I just started to attach it to the quilt last night. So look for a photo next week.

2. Daughter’s house – the plumber came back and made progress. Master Electrician has not shown up yet to update the breaker box. I stripped wallpaper in the upstairs hallway. And pulled nails from trim that was removed so new wiring can go in behind baseboard. Hubs is doing the grunt work and I do the clean up. What a messy job! Daughter and her boyfriend are putting in their fair share of work too. We are not new to remodeling. So we know it always looks worse before it looks better.

3. No other sewing or quilting was accomplished. But I did buy a new pattern that caught my eye. Starbound by Primrose Cottage Quilts. It’s layer cake and charm pack friendly. Something I seem to be collecting to use up the layer cakes and charm packs!

On to this week’s list -

To-Do Tuesday, February 14, 2023

1. Can you guess?! Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden of course! I was hoping to finish up the piecing by February 18th. Doesn’t look like it will happen, but I’ll give it my best!
2. There has to be an end to my daughter’s house remodel. Only if we can get the plumber and electrician to finish up for inspections! Then drywall can go up and it will look so much better.
3. Maybe, start a new quilt, or pull out a PUP. So many options. BUT I really want to just focus on Homage.

That’s it for this week!

I’m linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Yikes. Migraines are no fun and I just had a few days this past week fighting the pain. And wouldn’t you know it, we had sunny days mixed in with our drab winter gray. Oh did that sun reflecting off the snow and coming in my windows hurt my head.

I only working on Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden this past week. Missed a family outing. Missed attending church. And I’m thankfully feeling tons better now.

To-Do Tuesday, January 31, 2023

1. Continuing with Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden!  ✔️
2. Finish SAL quilt top.  ✗
3. Friday is sewing day with my quilt group. I plan to take Homage along. ✔️

1. Homage progressed

Week 47 stitched

and attached.

I also did a lot of glue basting hexies for the remaining weekly patterns.

2. No headway made on the sew along quilt top.

3. I did make it to the quilting group Friday. But I stitched the wrong back ground to one leaf unit and had to rip it out. At that point I switched to glue basting.

Next up?

To-Do Tuesday, February 7, 2023

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden of course!
2. Non sewing related – daughter bought a fixer upper 100 yr old house. Hubs and I are helping out with some remodel and updating. Ok, Hubs is helping out A LOT! Hopefully plumber & electrician will finish up, inspection will pass, and dry wall can go up soon. Looking like “soon” might be a month or more. Sigh. There’s more to the story. There always is. I’ll spare you.
3. Other quilting? Maybe.

Linking to  To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

The last day of January, can you believe it!?

We are back into a cold snap here in NE Indiana. 11 degrees when I got up this morning. It will stay below freezing most of this week according to the weather channel. For me, that means a space heater running to keep bathroom pipes from freezing.

It will be nice to stay cozy inside and do hand stitching.

Here’s my progress for the past week -

To-Do Tuesday, January 24, 2023

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden! ✔️
2. Pick a machine sewing project.  ✔️

1. Homage is coming along -

Week 44 stitched

And attached.

Week 45 stitched, part of top edge of quilt!

And attached!

Week 46!

And this is what the back of the hexies look like when attaching week 46 to the quilt. I honestly didn’t realize I had completed so much on Homage this past week until I looked back at last week’s post.

2. New quilt projects, two Squirrels!

Moda had a weekend charm pack challenge earlier this month with a free pattern. I pulled fabric to make two from my charm pack stash. Ha ha! I sewed up one this week. Made with a Kona Solid charm pack by Robert Kaufman- oops not Moda! –  and Moda Zen Chic fabric for back ground.  I added a border with HST in corners to enlarge a bit. 39 1/2 ” square.

Then Wendy Sheppard of Ivory Spring hosted a Crockpot SAL that also used charm packs. She had links to crockpot recipes so ppl could make easy meals and sew all weekend. I didn’t use the recipes but I did grab the free pattern.

I used a bright Moda Poems from Pebbles charm pack for this one. HST made and trimmed. Sewing is under way but no photos yet.

To-Do Tuesday, January 31, 2023

1. Continuing with Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden!
2. Finish SAL quilt top.
3. Friday is sewing day with my quilt group. I plan to take Homage along.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Snow is coming! Since I live in NE Indiana, what is winter without snow!?  Maybe up to 8 inches falling on us tomorrow. Pictures next week!

On to quilting -

To-Do Tuesday, January 17, 2023

1. Keep moving forward on Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden! ✔️
2. Finish the clothing quilt tops. One done, two to go. ✔️
3. Maybe pull out something old or new to work on. ie. There are too many 2023 Squirrels showing up in my feed to tempt me into new projects! But really I should just focus on the Flower Garden and get is completed! ✔️ No sewing but collecting patterns.

Here’s what I did this week -

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week 43 stitched together.

And attached to the quilt!

Week 44 underway.

Plus I counted out the 1/2″ paper hexagons for the remaining eight weeks of the quilt-along putting them in sleeve protectors with the instructions for each week.

2.  Clothing quilt tops are completed and sent to the longarm quilter.

I cut hearts out of 12 hankies and appliquéd them on to solid t-shirts or as in this photo a scarf. There are hearts in all four corners of the quilt tops. I didn’t take any more photos. I think I was just so happy to complete the three tops and move them to the longarm quilter! Here is the one I did photo last week.

3. I’ve been printing off free patterns that look tempting as they show up in email or on Facebook. Have you heard of the 365 Challenge quilt? Created by Kathryn Kerr? She designed a quilt several years ago making one block a day with 3 inch, 6 inch, and 12 inch designs. It’s free and can be found on Facebook as Friends Who Like 365 Challenge Quilt Blocks.

This week I just want to focus on the EPP  -

To-Do Tuesday, January 24, 2023

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden!
2. Pick a machine sewing project.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt.

Greetings! Are we really half way through the first month of 2023!?

Tomorrow marks the day one year ago that I started the Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden Quilt Along.  I’ve not completed the quilt top in that one year as I’m on week 43. It’s all about enjoying the process, and that I am still doing!

Here’s how my To-Do list went this past week -

To-Do Tuesday, January 10, 2023

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden! This was last year’s quilt-a-long and I have 10 more weeks to finish. ✔️ I’m still stitching.
2. Three clothing quilts. Part of the clothing came already fused with a stabilizer. I’ve cut all those pieces into squares. Time to fuse the rest and continue cutting. Possibly construct some basket blocks. ✔️ One top made.
3. Friday quilt group – I’m taking along the hexies for Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden as my handwork for the day. ✗  Plans change.

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week 42 stitched together in two sections. Isn’t that top one very odd shaped?

Weeks 1 – 42.  Note the four corners are all now pieced and attached!

Week 43 is basted and some stitching underway. I did not photo the progress.

2. Clothing Quilts

41 different garments were used in this top along with four handkerchiefs. Instead of baskets made from the hankies, I went with hearts in the four corners. The next two tops will be very similar other than the “center” shown here as the sailboat. Each quilt top will have a different t-shirt motif in the center.

3. I didn’t attend Friday’s quilt group. Two gals I give a ride to could not make it, so I decided to stay home and make headway on the clothing quilts. I’m working towards getting the clothing quilts done so I can get back to my own to-do list!

Looking at this week’s plans -

To-Do Tuesday, January 17, 2023

1. Keep moving forward on Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden!
2. Finish the clothing quilt tops. One done, two to go.
3. Maybe pull out something old or new to work on. ie. There are too many 2023 Squirrels showing up in my feed to tempt me into new projects! But really I should just focus on the Flower Garden and get is completed!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmilt.

This past week was spent in lots of family time. Both our grands celebrated birthdays. As it was their last week of Winter vacation, returning to school today, we squeezed in many activities. They had both sets of grandparents as their Arizona grandparents were in town. Lots of fun times were had together!

On to sewing and quilting.

To-Do Tuesday, January 3, 2023

1. Stitch stitch stitch on Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden! This was last year’s quilt-a-long and I have 13 weeks to finish! I started late and never caught up. So now it carries over into a new year!  ✔️
2. Sandwich, quilt Irish Chain quilt. Maybe bind?  ✗

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week 40 Stitched.

And here are weeks 1 – 40 attached in the growing quilt.

Plus week 41 all stitched together

and added to the quilt top!

And 42 started. These are 1/2″ hexagons. The completed quilt will measure about 42″ square.

2. I didn’t touch the Irish Chain quilt.

BUT I did get started on three clothing quilts.

I’m cutting up clothing into a few 12 1/2″ squares, and mostly 6 1/2″ squares for three similar quilts. There are also hankies to be used that I’m thinking of turning in to baskets. Hmmm. Some of the floral prints might make appliqué flowers for the baskets which will be 12″ finished blocks. I’m aiming for lap size quilts.

This coming week I’m focusing on Grandmother’s Flower Garden in the evenings and the clothing quilts during daytime.

To-Do Tuesday, January 10, 2023

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden! This was last year’s quilt-a-long and I have 10 more weeks to finish.
2. Three clothing quilts. Part of the clothing came already fused with a stabilizer. I’ve cut all those pieces into squares. Time to fuse the rest and continue cutting. Possibly construct some basket blocks.
3. Friday quilt group – I’m taking along the hexies for Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden as my handwork for the day.

That’s all I have planned for this week, other than my daughter in law wants to come over for a quilting lesson. I’m open to that!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmilt. Go join in on the linky party and take a look around at what others are doing.