Five Shadows

This week I played around with ideas for a t-shirt quilt I’ll be working on for my nephew. I’ve settled on a layout, and will share it as I work on the quilt. I didn’t progress as quickly as I’d like on Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden. I missed a few evenings English Paper Piecing on it this week.

Here’s what I did do sewing wise this past week -

To-Do Tuesday, July 5, 2022

1. Finish week 17 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden. And start attaching it to the growing quilt. ✔️
2. Time to get serious about prepping t-shirts for a quilt for my nephew. That was my June One Monthly Goal and it did not happen!  ✔️
3. Play with something – maybe a UFO – maybe the whole cloth table runner. ✗

Week 17 competed and attached to the ever growing quilt. On to prepping week 18!

2. T-shirt quilt

I took some time to measure the logos on the t-shirts to determine what sizes to cut. My nephew doesn’t want a traditional layout. After sketching out a few layouts, I think I have the one I’ll be using.  On to fusing and cutting.

The only other sewing I did this past week was hem a pair of capris.

Friday we took our grands on a steam engine train ride. The Historic 765.

Angola, IN.

My plans for this week -

To-Do Tuesday, July 12, 2022

1. Prep week 18 and start stitching EPP for Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden.
2. Continue work on T-shirt quilt for my nephew.
3. Meeting with quilting friends – I’m taking along my EPP.  I’m 10 weeks behind on HTGFG and would love to catch up, but am beginning to wonder if that is at all possible!
4. Sandwich a charity quilt or two? A gal from church is making the tops and backs, and I volunteered to do quick machine quilting. I better get to them as she is faster than I am!

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

Happy July everyone!

We had more high winds & thunderstorms passing through our way Tuesday & Wednesday.  We lost power again, this time for 14 hours. I must say I am very thankful for modern conveniences!

Here’s my list of hopeful quilting for last week -

To-Do Tuesday, June 28, 2022

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden, work on week 17. ✔️
2. 4 clothing quilts – Friday meeting with another friend to add the embroidery.  ✔️
3. Shirts to aprons from my Dad’s shirt for my grand nieces and nephews.  ✔️
4. Maybe get back to the whole cloth table runner.  ✗

Here we go -

1. Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week 17, missing the background to the green leaves.

2. Four clothing quilts - embroidery

As requested, four identical quilt tops have been made from clothing and with the rose fabric center from pillow cases.

Then this embroidery was created by a friend who bought the new M17 Janome. The Mom represented by the clothing loved the beach, shells, sunsets. With help, this heart with Love you Mom with shells was stitched on to the rose fabric. I’m happy with the progress made on these four quilts this past week.

Also, my friend and I bought fabric for the quilt backs. A beach scene was requested. We won’t be getting to piecing the backs until later this month.

3. Shirts to aprons

I’ve made child size aprons from my Dad’s shirts. They will go to his 17 Great Grandchildren!

4. Whole cloth table runner – didn’t touch it.

What’s up for this coming week?

To-Do Tuesday, July 5, 2022

1. Finish week 17 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden. And start attaching it to the growing quilt.
2. Time to get serious about prepping t-shirts for a quilt for my nephew. That was my June One Monthly Goal and it did not happen!
3. Play with something – maybe a UFO – maybe the whole cloth table runner.

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

Clothing being cut into squares and aprons.  It seems that is just about all I’m working on lately. I’m happy to report that the four clothing quilts are finally taking shape.

Before I share those, let’s see what else happened this past week.

To-Do Tuesday, June 21, 2022

1. Finish Week 16 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden, and start Week 17. ✔️
2. Finish quilting and bind whole cloth table runner. ✗
3. Friday meeting with a friend to make headway on the 4 clothing quilts.  ✔️
4. Back to shirts to aprons from Dad’s shirts.  ✗

First off, I didn’t get as much accomplished as I would have liked because I came down with a bad headache last Tuesday night and it worked it’s way into a full fledged migraine. I really have no idea what brings them on. I’ve blessedly had so few this year, so this one took me by surprise.  After recovering from that, I did get busy.

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week one – sixteen all stitched together. Week 16 was all but finished so I did get it attached to the growing quilt.

Week Seventeen coming together.

2. Whole cloth table runner

I did some playing yesterday on the table runner. I decided I wanted to quilt in the background and am attempting a half inch grid. Slow going! Not perfect, ripping out did happen.

3.  Four clothing quilts

This is the big project that I want completed! Friday my friend and I met up to work on the four quilts for a grieving family. Their mother had passed and we were asked to make quilts from her clothes. One request from the family was for all the quilts to be identical. That meant cutting squares from all the clothing divisible by 4. Here is what we came up with after measuring and figuring out the largest squares we could use was 6 1/2″ cut, 6″ finished.

As is, the quilts will measure 54″ x 60″ which I think is fine for a memorial quilt. That is being debated as my friend wants to add a border using a sea shell print if one can be found. Another request from the family was for the back to have a sunset or sea shore panel on the back because the mother loved the beach and sea shells. I’m just thrilled to have the four quilts to this stage. Shopping has to happen for the back, and an embroidery is planned for the large rose print center.

4. Aprons

Working on them today! Photo next week.

And this week I plan -

1. Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden, work on week 17.
2. 4 clothing quilts – Friday meeting with another friend to add the embroidery.
3. Shirts to aprons from my Dad’s shirt for my grand nieces and nephews.
4. Maybe get back to the whole cloth table runner.

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

True confession time.

Organizing and cleaning my sewing room has left me with a few surprises. Who can raise their hand in agreement with that?!

Here’s what I found.

- 18 quilt tops waiting for quilting. I thought I had 13!

- 12 projects started, all at various stages. Why do I do this?

- 6 projects planned with pattern, fabrics, misc parts neatly packed and waiting for my attention. I must stop going to quilt shows and quilt shops where I am tempted with all the new things!

- Numerous projects earmarked to make for charity. Also in various stages.

- Rulers that need patterns, and patterns that need rulers. I was able to pair some rulers to patterns for future projects. Ha ha! Like I need any future projects!

I’m kind of mad at myself for letting this happen. Tops not quilted, projects not completed. Now that I’ve seen just how much I have going on in my sewing room, it is time to get serious about completing  these quilts!

Will there be new projects to tempt me and add to my list? Most likely! But if I’m finishing some projects, I won’t feel too bad about starting something new. Oh! And those ‘new’ projects I already purchased? Those would be fun to get into! At least that is what I’m telling myself.

Did I do anything on my weekly To-Do list?

To-Do Tuesday, June 14, 2022

1. Work on Week 16 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden.  ✔️
2. Sew aprons made from my dad’s shirts. ✔️
3. Work on nephew’s t-shirt quilt if there is any time left  ✗
4. Play! template quilt quilting  ✗

That’s all the stitching this week. Organizing takes time!

To-Do Tuesday, June 21, 2022

1. Finish Week 16 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden, and start Week 17.
2. Finish quilting and bind whole cloth table runner.
3. Friday meeting with a friend to make headway on the 4 clothing quilts.
4. Back to shirts to aprons from Dad’s shirts.

Oh my goodness. I can’t get photos to load. I have no idea what is going on. So this post has only one photo and it is a repeat from my last post. I’ll be asking one of my kiddos for help.

No new photos aside, here is how my week has gone.

To-Do Tuesday, June 7, 2022

1. Attach Week 15 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden  ✔️
2. Prep Week 16 EPP ✔️
3. Buy a steam iron that gets hot hot hot! ✔️
4. Host my quilting group Friday the 10th and work on quilts for grieving family with one of my friends in the group. ✔️

How did I do this past week?

1. Week 15 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Week 15 all stitched and attached to the growing quilt. But no photo.

2. Prep Week 16 EPP- prepped and stitching up just fine – again no photo.

3. Buy a steam iron that gets hot hot hot! I settled on a Chi recommended by Cheree. The Target near me had two in stock. So I got over there and bought one Thursday so I could have it for fusing all the fusible wed to clothing and t-shirts on Friday. And guess what? No photos.

4. Host quilting group & work on 4 clothing quilts. We had a good time, everyone brings along their own projects to work on & a bag lunch. Hostess provides a treat. I made a vanilla cake and topped it with fresh strawberries and whipping cream.

My friend and I worked on cutting and fusing the rest of the clothing for 4 quilts for a grieving family. There are three sweaters I’d like to omit from the quilts. Maybe we will make pillows with them for the family. And again, no photos.

To-Do Tuesday, June 14, 2022

1. Work on Week 16 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden.
2. Sew aprons made from my dad’s shirts.
3. Work on nephew’s t-shirt quilt if there is any time left
4. Play! template quilt quilting

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

Family vacation time! Last Friday, June 3 – Tuesday, 7th my family took vacation time to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park in Michigan. What a lovely time we had hiking, kayaking, touring, campfire s’mores and walking along Lake Michigan.

One of our many hikes. Four of my five adult offspring and their fams, my Hub is middle back row, I’m right front row.

Our Grands enjoyed every minute of their camping trip!

10 of us kayaking down Crystal River! Hubs and I have canoed many times, but this was our first time in kayaks. Fun! Loved the clear river!

One the way home, stopping at a gas station in Cadillac, I thought to search for a quilt shop. There was one 2 1/2 miles from our location! So off Hubs and I went to find Northern Hearth Quilting & Sewing Center!

Hubs took this photo to send to our family while I shopped. We all headed home at different times and days. The joke is Mom always has to find a quilt shop! And Ha ha! I did!

A few of the goodies I purchased. (on top of my hexie travel box)

What a wonderful vacation. Hubs says we should go back in the Fall to see all the maple leaves turning. I’m game for that!

Here’s my to-do list from last week -

To-Do Tuesday, May 31, 2022

1. Prep and piece week 15 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden  ✔️
2. Test out fusible I bought on a few t-shirts. ✔️
3. Photo Lesson 2 of The Next Steps Template Quilting, blocks & templates. ✔️

Here’s what I did accomplish this past week.

1. EPP

Week 15 stitched and ready to add to Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden. I took several weeks of EPP to prep, but really did not work on hand stitching as much as I hoped. I ended up at the kids campfire each night. Then went back to my cabin to read before going to bed. Yes, the kids all camped – at walk-in tent only campsites. Hubs and I were about 2 miles away in an AirBnB cabin hosted by Twin Birch Resorts. We both loved the cabin and just might get up there again some Fall.

2. Test fusible.  I did this and it will work. BUT it is taking forever with my iron. It just does not get hot enough to melt the glue. I’m researching to buy an iron that gets hotter than the Panasonic Cordless that I own. It needs to be a steam iron that gets hot enough to melt the glue on fusible webbing and adheres to clothing and t-shirts.

Fellow Quilters, what brand steam iron do you recommend?

3. Photo Lesson 2 of The Next Steps Template Quilting

Block 1. Nine Patch using Spin-E-Flex template. It clear and hard to see on the block. Can you find it?

Block 2. Circles and straight lines.

Block 3. Whole-cloth with Spin-E-Flex. Here you can see the template.

Block 4. Using the outer edge of a circle template.

Here’s my to-do list for this week -

To-Do Tuesday, June 7, 2022

1. Attach Week 15 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden
2. Prep Week 16 EPP
3. Buy a steam iron that gets hot hot hot!
4. Host my quilting group Friday the 10th and work on quilts for grieving family with one of my friends in the group.

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

T-Shirt Quilts! This month I need to focus on making a t-shirt quilt for my nephew.

Shirts cut front from back.

I bought a new to me woven fusible. I hope I like it! I’ll try it out today and if I do like it, I’ll order a bolt as I have several t-shirt & clothing quilts to make this summer.

One Monthly Goal for June – Piece a t-shirt quilt top!

Linking to OMG hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.

What a week! Besides missing a trip to visit friends and attend a graduation party, with too much coughing and getting over the Covid sore throat, the week went pretty well. When I sat down to write this post, I realized I did way more quilting & sewing than I thought!

To-Do Tuesday, May 24, 2022

1. Finish Week 13 of EPP for Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden ✔️
2. Prep Week 14 EPP ✔️
3. Keep cutting up t-shirts. Buy the fusible I need for the quilt. ✔️
4. Stitch more shirts to aprons. ✔️
5. Get rid of this bug! ➞ Hope so! Retested negative for Covid!

1. Finished Week 13 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Once again I forgot to take a photo of the week’s rosettes before attaching it to the growing quilt. But Week 13 is completed and attached.

2. Prep Week 14 EPP

Week 14 not only prepped but sewn together and …

attached to the ever growing quilt. Weeks 1 – 14!

3. Prepping t-shirts for fusible.

T-Shirts cut up and woven fusible purchased. I’ve not used this fusible before, so hope it works well. The LQS will order a bolt for me if I like it!

4. Shirts to Aprons

One of Dad’s two Hawaiian shirts turned into an apron. With a pocket front and center.

5. Get over Covid – I tested negative! So that’s a plus! But I have a lingering cough that I’m so looking forward to getting over! Sore throat is a thing of the past too.

________________________

I actually got back to template quilting with the Sew Steady Class The Next Steps Template Quilting with Donelle McAdams. Here are four blocks from Lesson three.

Finished, this block will be 12″ x 6″. Straight line quilting with the rulers I used. An appliqué will go on this block. I’ll get to that later.

12″ when finished HST pieced block with Orange Peel quilting using the curved edge of ruler shown.

12″ finished whole-clothe block using the Spin-D-Flex Feather 7.5″ template, 1/2″ circle, 4″ arc templates. Fanciest block in this set of lessons.

Friendship Star with straight line quilting.

Looking through my photos, I didn’t take any of Lesson 2! Guess I’ll go back and do that. All the blocks will be sewn together using the Quilt-As-You-Go method.

To-Do Tuesday, May 31, 2022

1. Prep and piece week 15 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden
2. Test out fusible I bought on a few t-shirts.
3. Photo Lesson 2 of The Next Steps Template Quilting, blocks & templates.

Linking to Linda’s To-Do Tuesday over at Texas Quilt Gal.

My May goal was to finish a baby quilt to gift to my nephew’s little baby girl.

I stitched in the ditch using Janome’s walking foot.

The back is a textured Minky fabric, which I was kind of afraid to use. But, it turned out great! No problems at all with SITD quilting!

Quilted and bound!

Ready to wrap and ship!

One OMG for May is completed!

Linking to Patty’s One Monthly Goal Link-up.

This crazy Sore Throat is lingering on from Covid. Good thing, Hubs continues to test negative even though he has an ongoing cough. We are supposed to be visiting friends in Knoxville, TN this weekend, but canceled that trip. Our friends say they will come visit us later in June. That will be fantastic!

Did I get anything accomplished this past week?

To-Do Tuesday, May 17, 2022

1. Prepping week 13 EPP for Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden ✔️
2. That might be all I get done as I don’t know how I’ll be feeling with this Covid virus.
3. but …
4. Work on Lesson 3 of The Next Steps Template Quilting ✗
5. Experiment with Terial Magic liquid stabilizer – make a pillow from a t-shirt ✗

1. The only quilting I did this week was hand stitching English Paper Pieced hexies.

Week 13 of Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden still needs a few stitches to be completed. Then it’s ready to attach to the slowly growing quilt.

Oh! I did accomplish a few other things. I pulled out some of my Dad’s shirts and started cutting them up to turn into aprons.

Here is the first of the aprons. Since I’m starting with medium size shirts, they will end up being aprons for Dad’s 17 great grandchildren. I want my 7 year old granddaughter to try this one on, but since I had Covid this past week, family are all staying clear from me! So soon, soon we will be back to normal and family visits. I might add pockets, I’ll see what granddaughter thinks once she tries it on. The oldest grands are 8 yrs old, so I think this well work for all 17 kiddos.

I also started cutting into t-shirts for a quilt for a nephew. Besides those little bits of crafting, I spent a lot of time lounging with library books and walking in our backyard.

Here’s a small garden tour for you -

Hubs is all about native plants. Here is a woodland area. Columbine are doing well this year.

This week the cultivated Iris are opening up. Here are three of my favorites -

Michigan Pride

Rustler

Purple Pepper

What do I hope to accomplish sewing wise this week?

To-Do Tuesday, May 24, 2022

1. Finish Week 13 of EPP for Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden
2. Prep Week 14 EPP
3. Keep cutting up t-shirts. Buy the fusible I need for the quilt.
4. Stitch more shirts to aprons.
5. Get rid of this bug!

What do you have planned for this week? Take a look at To-Do Tuesday Link up hosted by Linda of Texas Quilt Gal for all the craftiness happening around the web.