Five Shadows

Good Morning quilting friends! July is flying by and August will be here in a minute it seems. Return to school ads are popping up everywhere. Today I have my grandson visiting while his sister is at choir camp. And his mom is busy with yard work.

Take a look at what happened in my quilting and sewing world this past week.

To-Do Tuesday, July 18, 2023

1. Turbans! Hope to get to a few tonight. ✔️
2. Meeting with Church sewing group tomorrow, Wednesday. ✗
3. Friday some friends and I are going to the One Stop Shop Hop in Wabash, IN. I’ve got a shopping list! ✔️
4. Friday is also the day Primitive Gathering announces the next two blocks to be made for Twilight Stars QAL. Looks like busy weekend sewing ahead for me! ✔️
5. Aurifil thread project. ✔️ In progress!

Here’s my progress for the week -

1. I stitched up five turbans.

Here is my DIL modeling one of the turbans. Cute how it coordinated her top the day I asked her if she would mind trying it on.

2. I missed my Wednesday church sewing group because I woke up with a terrible headache in the middle of the night.  Not a migraine, thankfully, but did put me out for the day. My DIL took the turbans to the meeting for me.

3. We had One Stop Shop Hop fun! But it was so crowded! Maybe we should have gone in the afternoon instead of when they opened on the first day. We noticed it thinned out a bit as it neared lunch time.

I did make a few purchases. Top left – kit pattern and fabric. Top right – puzzle for when Christmas guests visit! Planning ahead! The rest are one yard cuts and two panels.

4. Blocks 3 & 8 are the blocks for Twilight Stars QAL using Primitive Gatherings Triangle Gatherings book.

6″ finished blocks, flowers from my daughter’s garden.

5. Aurifil thread project

The Aurifil Thread Exemplar box for our first month to Thread Lab came with seven spools of different weights and types of Aurifil threads. Karen L. Miller of Redbird Quilt Co. designed a pin cushion using the threads provided. Our homework is to make the pin cushion this month. Here is my work so far. I’m rearranging the elements to my own design.  I’m learning some new hand stitches while using Aurifil threads I’ve not used before in this Aurifil Lab. Fun! The fabrics I’m using are hand dyed by Vicki Welsh of Colorways.

To-Do Tuesday, July 25, 2023

1. Finish pin cushion for the July Aurifil Thread Lab class.
2. Get back to one of my PUPs, Previously Unfinished Projects!
3. ??? Mystery project ???

That’s it for me this week. How is your week going?

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

Hello Quilting friends! I had a short week of sewing, only a few star blocks made. We worked at our daughter’s house, and I started a reno project at my own house. I’ll keep that one under my hat for a while, but it might involve getting a Gammill longarm! Wink Wink !!!

Here’s what happened this week -

To-Do Tuesday, July 11, 2023

1. Twilight Stars – will I catch up before the new blocks are shared this Friday? ✔️
2. I have an idea for a Christmas Countdown I’d like to get started on to gift to my grands by the end of November. That means starting two new projects. Hmmm.  ✗

1 Twilight Stars QAL!

I caught up on the first five weeks of the Twilight Stars QAL hosted by Primitive Gatherings. I’m stitching up 6″ finished blocks using Primitive Gatherings 3/4″ Triangle Papers. Each week we make two blocks from the Triangle Gatherings Book and then set the blocks in the star points. I’m using Dapple Dot by Riley Blake for the block & star point design and Joy in the Journey by Dani Mogstad for Riley Blake for the background. I just love the tiny floral print with the Dapple Dot. It’s such a happy combination.

2. Christmas countdown. The Accuquilt die for numbers won’t work for what I have planned, the numbers are just too big. Maybe I’ll think on embroidering the numbers? Hmmm.

I didn’t do any other sewing, but tonight I do hope to sew up some turbans for cancer patients. I said I’d make up a few by my church quilt meeting tomorrow! I better get to it!

I did do one other sewing related thing though. I sign up for the Aurifil Thread Lab at Clothesline Creations in Middlebury, IN which meets once a month for the next six months. We had our first Lab today!

We received a box full of goodies including Aurifil’s Swatch Book. Aren’t those colors gorgeous!? We have a little project to make with the spools of threads pictured. I’ll be showing that maybe by next week if I get it completed. Each month a different instructor will present a project in her specialty. It’s going to be fun! It’s not too late to join in if you are interested in learning about all Aurifil has to offer in threads.

On to my daughter’s house -

Here’s where we left off last week – framing in a closet.

Here it is with drywall installed.

And mudded! It looks splotchy because mud is drying. What a difference! Priming soon! Then after painting, shelving will be added.

That’s it for this week. How was your week for quilting and crafting?

To-Do Tuesday, July 18, 2023

1. Turbans! Hope to get to a few tonight.
2. Meeting with Church sewing group tomorrow, Wednesday.
3. Friday some friends and I are going to the One Stop Shop Hop in Wabash, IN. I’ve got a shopping list!
4. Friday is also the day Primitive Gathering announces the next two blocks to be made for Twilight Starts QAL. Looks like busy weekend sewing ahead for me!
5. Aurifil thread project.

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

The Dog Days of Summer are here in NE Indiana. So humid! Not complaining, it’s to be expected!

I did things this past week! Take a look, and then go link up to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Carol of Quilt Schmidt to share what you are working on quilt or craft wise.

To-Do Tuesday, July 4, 2023

1. Continue with T-Shirt Quilts! ✔️✔️✔️
2. Wednesday sewing group at church – not sure what I’ll be working on. ✔️
3. ??? Maybe I’ll sew up & quilt more blocks from my PUP. ✗  But I did work on another project.

1. T-shirt Tops are all completed!

I used a simple 3 x 4 layout for all three. I cut 2 1/2″ strips for sashing, and 2 1/2″ squares for corner stones. T-shirts cut at 16 1/2″ square with one block pieced from sleeves and bits for a total of 12 blocks. Tops measure 56 1/2 x 74 1/2 inches.

Each top has different sashing fabric provided by customer.

I’m delivering tops to longarm quilter today.

2. At Wednesday sewing group I cut out knit fabric to make turbans for cancer patients. No photo.

3. ???  Mystery sewing! I didn’t get back to the Sew Steady class PUP.

I placed an order June 18th and it arrived from Primitive Gatherings Friday. I’m starting a new QAL, Twilight Stars. Yes I’m that crazy! But it’s star blocks! I love stars blocks! The package sat in a WI PO for several days and I was afraid it had been lost! Then the tracking finally showed movement. I ordered the supplies the first week of the QAL which is now in the fourth week. I hope to catch up! Two blocks are to be made each week.

Book used for the QAL, triangle papers, and possible fabrics I’ll be using.

That’s it for my sewing this week.

Here’s the latest at my daughter’s house -

Priming bedrooms continue. Once painted, daughter will have to decide on design for closet area.

Closet in eves in main bedroom is moving forward. Insulation between floor joists and new boards going in. Hub is smiling! This will be the last area to frame in.

There is the kitchen, but let’s not talk about that! Daughter wants to move in once the bedrooms and bath are completed. She says she can live with the kitchen as is for a while.

I’ve a short To-Do list for this week -

To-Do Tuesday, July 11, 2023

1. Twilight Stars – will I catch up before the new blocks are shared this Friday?
2. I have an idea for a Christmas Countdown I’d like to get started on to gift to my grands by the end of November. That means starting two new project. Hmmm.

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

Hubs and I are home from a quick trip to celebrate with a few friends. Friday night we celebrated with friends on their 50th wedding anniversary. Saturday we celebrated with one young man retiring from serving in the Navy. At both parties we enjoyed reconnecting with friends and making a few new ones.

To-Do Tuesday, June 20, 2023

1. Finish binding the anniversary quilt to gift this Friday! ✔️
2. And off we go on another short trip to the anniversary party and a retirement party. ✔️

We had a great time catching up with friends at both of the parties.

Other quilting – Before we left on our trip, I pulled out a PUP (Previous Unfinished Project) and sewed up another block.

This is from an online class  The Next Steps in Template Quilting from Sew Steady with Donelle McAdams. I started this class in April 2022, then set it aside back in September when we started helping our daughter with her house renovation.

Maybe I’ll get a block or two done in between the renovations since my responsibilities there seem to be slowing down.

Here’s a short list for this week -

To-Do Tuesday, June 27, 2023

1. I received a box of 36 t-shirts just before we left on our trip. I’ll start making three t-shirt quilts from them for a customer.
2. Quilt Block 13 of my PUP quilt.
3. Thursday I meet with my quilting group. I plan on taking along the EPP Owl.

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

Family, sewing, quilting, and house reno. That’s my life now.

Here’s my list and what happened this past week -

To-Do Tuesday, May 23, 2023

1. As Hubs works on drywall finishing at daughter’s house, I hope to get going on stripping the wood trim that was removed from bedrooms to update electric. Drywall ✔️
2. Sandwich three baby quilts and anniversary quilt. ✔️ – kind of 2 out of 4
3. ??? Guess I’ll see which way the wind blows again this week in my sewing world. I really should get started on quilting the anniversary quilt.

1. Here are a few photos of what’s happening at the house

This might not look like much of a difference from last week’s photo but this is the second layer of drywall mud. Ready to be sanded before applying the last coat of mud. The mudding might just be finished this week through out the house!

Frame for tub was built, and tub set in place.

Bathroom floor tile. Daughter playing with layout.

This is how you fix ceilings with cracked plaster. It looks like a mess now, but will look brand new soon!

My plans to start stripping woodwork was vetoed. I’m just barely keeping up as the clean-up crew and go-fer! I do what I’m told to do! Ha ha!

2. Sandwich quilts.

My Daughter in Love has been learning to quilt. She did such a beautiful design recently on a charity quilt that I asked if she would be willing to quilt the Trip Around the World Variation. She said yes! And here she is doing a large floral design at my Baby Lock Tiara III.

And here is my daughter straight line quilting the giraffe quilt for her coworker. It was well received at the party.

Sorry for the lousy photo of the finished Giraffe baby quilt. Daughter was flying out the door with it for the party. It finished up at 35 1/2 x 47 1/2 inches. Bound in Moda green grunge. I don’t remember which thread she use for quilting.

Two quilts completed.

3. Today I bought fabric for the back of the anniversary quilt. So I hope to get moving on that one soon.

The other project I worked on was making a tote for storing my large Clammy Rulers,

A t-shirt came with the ruler order but I ordered a size too small. I figured I could cut it up and use in the design of the tote. So here she is. Another circle design with the quirky saying from the t-shirt. Now all my Latifah Saafir rulers and patterns are stored together in this tote.

To-Do Tuesday, May 30, 2023

1. I’m keeping daughter’s house at the top of the list. Dry wall mudding is the chore of the week.
2. Make headway on Anniversary quilt!
3. Friday is quilting day with friends. I hope to alter two t-shirts with a friend’s help. The shirts have ‘flutter’ sleeves that I just do not like. And I’m taking along an EPP project, handwork.

What a week! We did have a Blessed Easter, but not the way we expected. I missed Good Friday service because my daughter called saying she had a nasty cut on her ankle. She thought it might need stitches and her husband was not home. Also, she does not do well with blood! Could I look at it and take her to Redimed? Mind you I live 35 minutes from her. We Face-timed and yes, I thought it would need stitches. So hopped in the car, got her to Redimed 15 minutes before they closed. She was the only patient, and yes she did need 3 stitches. Plus splinters removed. The DR was very nice. I had said sorry for keeping him late on a Friday night, and he said he didn’t mind when it was someone who really needed assistance.

Easter Sunday plans changed again as our son and two of his family were sick. I took my granddaughter to church, Hubs picked up lunch for us, and we had a fun afternoon with multiple eggs hunts in our yard. I think granddaughter would have gone on for hours with us hiding eggs again and again! When we took her home, we thought/hoped her brother would be well enough for a little egg hunt in their yard. Nope. Poor fella. He figured out quickly which eggs had something in them, and bypassed all the rest. After picking up just four eggs said he was done.

Basically, it was the quietest Easter Hubs and I have ever celebrated. Instead of potentially 14 of us, only three of us. The rest of family was traveling or had other plans, or sick! Poor daughter with stitches did make it outside for a bit, using crutches, to enjoy the sunshine.

In my sewing and quilting world -

To-Do Tuesday, April 4, 2023

1. Quilting Trip Around the World  ✔️
2. Pieced border for the Featherweight embroidery. ✗
3. Wednesday – sewing with women’s group at church – heart pillows for cancer patients. ✗
4. Spring Break – granddaughter is to visit for a quilting lesson. ✔️
5. Daughter’s house – not sure when I’ll fit getting over there this week. Hubs is staying busy there finishing up rewiring. Porch lights are next. ✗

1.  Quilting Trip Around the World. Last Tuesday I met up with two quilting friends for lunch. And then headed over to one friend’s home to load the quilt on her longarm. I only had the afternoon for quilting.

Loading the longarm.

Last pass, as I forgot to take pictures during the quilting.

Friend Ruth, who invited me to use her longarm, holding up quilt.

As a reminder, this is the first ever quilt pieced by my friend, Janie. She pieced it while visiting from TN. Then she left it for me to quilt for her. As you can see I did an all over large meander with occasional loops. All free motion. I hope Janie will like the simple quilting. If I’d had more time and experience with a longarm I would have liked to have done something more intricate. Binding is ready to attach.

2. Pieced border for the Featherweight embroidery.

I did have time to piece the HST, but not sew them together or attach to the embroidery piece.

3. Wednesday – sewing with women’s group at church. This didn’t happen. Canceled due to severe weather predicted that didn’t materialize here. A tornado did pass through 30 or so minutes south of us, but didn’t touch down.

4. Spring Break – granddaughter is to visit for a quilting lesson.

My DIL and two grands only made it over one day for sewing. Here’s the run down of what happened.

My DIL FMQ -

She quilted this top, I don’t remember the name of the pattern, I think it came with the layer cake.

She did cross hatching, ‘v’s and stippling with little loops. All FMQ, love her creativity!

Look at her large FMQ flower in the center of the quilt! Love it! If I’m counting right, this is only her 4th quilt to FMQ! Talent! (Maybe I should have had her do the quilting on Janie’s Trip Around the World!) Quilted with Variegated gray 40 weight Auriful thread.

Granddaughter

She picked out this house quilt pattern last Fall when we also bought the fabric and cut the pieces out.  Pulling it all out, she got the strips sewn together for the house chimneys. Then she was done. This might just take a while!

Grandson

I think he wanted to sew because Mom and sister were doing so. We picked out a charm pack and all he got sewn together was four little squares! Lost interested quickly. I think I’ll be finishing this one with out him.

5. Daughter’s house – Hubs has been working on getting the electric finished up for the next inspection. I was only over there one day. I had lots of construction debris to clean up. Plus helped Hubs pull through the last two wires for three-way switches. At this point, I really don’t know what is next.

And now this 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!

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.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the USA this Thursday, I hope we each remember to whom we are giving thanks. May God Bless you all!

To-Do Tuesday, November 15, 2022

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden, week 33. ✔️
2. Enjoy visit with sister & BIL. ✔️
3. Friday is sewing day with quilt group. Hmmm. What to take along? ✗

Here’s what happened with that list -

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week 33 completed. Those leaves slow me down with the tiny background pieces. I started attaching it to the quilt last night, no photo.

2. Visit with my sister and BIL went well! I invited my kids and their families over and all but one joined us for an enchilada dinner. Good time, good conversations.

3. I didn’t make it to my friend’s home for our sewing day. Just as I was reading a text from her that her drive was very icy, my husband came into the room and said he just heard of three car accidents in the direction I was to head. Icy roads. He didn’t want me driving. I thought plan B would be staying home and sewing on the project I planned for the day away, but since I was home other household projects kept popping up. You know how that goes, right?! Then once roads cleared, I ended up heading out to get the Covid Booster & the first Shingles vaccination.

Shingles is nasty folks. Have you gotten the two part vaccination? I know too many people who have suffered from Shingles, and one even lost their sight in one eye. That has prompted me to get the vaccine.

I did do just a bit of other sewing, again with my granddaughter.

Two 4 1/2″ square coasters for the grands to use Thanksgiving Day. Granddaughter selected the cat paw print and built from that for her coaster. And her brother loves orange, so we went with those two fun prints and pulled out the green and blue to coordinate.

Granddaughter likes smoothing out the corners with this hemostat.

A friend dropped by with a fabric donation for charity sewing. She was cleaning out her sewing room and part of what she gave me was a bag full of cat and dog prints. My grands enjoyed digging through those fabrics with me! The cat paw print in the coaster came from that bag of fabric.

My DIL got in on the fun and pulled out this cute cat panel. The green and purples were pulled from my stash. The beginnings of another charity quilt! Maybe a white should be added to make HSTs to border the panel. Unless my DIL takes up this project, it will sit for a while as I am still working through my own pile of  To-Be-Charity quilts!

To-Do Tuesday, November 22, 2022

1. Today I start cooking for Thanksgiving!
2. Keep moving ahead on Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden.
3. Will I sew on anything else this week? Time will tell.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday with Linda of Texas Quilt Gal.