Temporarily Out of Commission...

It's been a long time between posts for me, but I've been under the weather the last couple of weeks and all activities have pretty much come to a standstill.  I have become very closely acquainted with my bed lately (which the kitties seem to appreciate) and I've also found a lot of time to catch up on my reading.  There are some fantastic books out there I didn't know I was missing!  In any case, I'm hoping to be getting back to normal in the next week or two and perhaps then I'll be able to resume blogging.  Until then, I hope you're enjoying some sunshine and May flowers in your little corner of the world!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

2 Corinthians 12:9

Lots of boxes...

As I've already mentioned, not a lot of sewing is going on over here.  Instead I've been busy packing.  This is the contents of most of my sewing room right now...

Packed boxes and empty shelves

I'm fortunate to have a spare bedroom that I can put the boxes and furniture in while I prepare my sewing room for paint, new flooring and cabinets.

As usual, I've had some help with my efforts.  I just wish that help didn't make everything take twice as long!

David on top of a box

Most of the packing is done now and soon I can move on to paint!  Slowly I'm making progress...

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. 

Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)

Faithful...

Sewing has come to a virtual halt around here lately.  With one exception.  I recently finished quilting a prayer quilt for a friend.  This was high on my to-do list, so I made sure to make time for it.

I'm calling this quilt Faithful, because that's what comes to mind when I think of this particular lady.  No matter what challenges come her way, she is always faithful and singing praises to God's glory!

The pattern is a Schnibbles quilt called "Plan C" from Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.  I used 2 Charm Packs of Aviary to make it.  The pastel colors aren't something I'd normally use, but I think they really match the recipient.  The quilt is 32" square which I've read is a good size for someone in a wheel chair.  I'm hoping that will be the case.

I used a Golden Thread pantograph called Feather Me on this quilt, but I resized it to be smaller so the scale would work better.  I've used this one before and it's a nice, easy one to do.  It also fits with the soft, feminine feel of this quilt.

So, the stats for this quilt are:

• Size: 32" square
• Fabrics: 2 Charm Packs of Aviary, Bella Solid Natural
• Batting: Warm & Natural
• Thread: Aurifil #2600 (piecing), Superior Threads So Fine #401 (quilting)
• Pattern: Plan C by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co
• Quilting: Golden Threads Feather Me pantograph (8 Passes, 3 Bobbins)
• Started: April 10, 2013
• Completed, May 5, 2013
• Recipient: A friend

I've dropped the quilt off at our church so that members can pray over it before giving it to her.  My hope is that she knows how much she is loved by those around her and that it will bring her comfort in the days ahead.  I could never express how much of an encouragement she has been to me and an example of Christ's love for others.

We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus. 

Acts 15:11 (NLT) 

More De-stashing (Dots and Swirls)... (Winner Announced)

Note: Deborah was the winner of the Nancy Halvorsen book and fabric.

OK, more clearing out going on over here.  It's like a trip down memory lane!  Some of the fabric I can clearly recall why I purchased it, but others remain a bit of a mystery.  Like this bundle here...

It's not that I don't like the fabric.  It's pretty.  However, it's really not me.  I'm not a pink girl and I'm really not much into dots or swirls.  There's also this Fancy Cats pre-cut panel by Loralie Designs that could be used with this fabric bundle to make a quilt.

All together, there's a yard each of the 5 bottom fabrics and 2 FQ's of the light pink scroll.  Then of course, there's the panel fabric.  That's a total of more than 6 yards of fabric.  (This is all quilt shop quality fabric.)

If you're interested in this fabric, leave me a comment letting me know what you'd make with it.  And please know, I'm totally OK if you choose not to use the cat panel in your project!  Although I love the creatures, I know they're not everyone's favorite animals.

Sorry, but since shipping could get expensive on this one, I'm going to leave this open to those with US addresses only.

5/12 - Congratulations Sandie!  You're the winner of the fabric.  I've sent you an email for your information.

Hatch & Windows - Take 2...

It feels great to finally have finished this quilt.  I should have finished it long ago, but to be honest, I just didn't feel like quilting on the frame.  I was having too much fun working on other projects instead of buckling down and quilting row after row of pantographs.  So it sat, half quilted, for far longer than it should have!  However, last week, I made myself finish it.  And it wasn't nearly as painful as I expected it to be.  (Isn't that usually the case though?)

Hath & Windows - Take 2

I'm calling this quilt Hatch & Windows - Take 2.  (I ended up giving my parents the first version and making another one, hence the "Take 2".)  This will go to Quilts of Valor.  The pattern is Mystery 26 from the Yahoo Group Mystery Quilts 4 Military.  I pieced the back and used some leftover blocks to make a label for it.

I used a pantograph from the book Quilting Dot to Dot by Cheryl Barnes.  The pattern doesn't have a name, but it's on page 87.  (I've actually gotten a lot of really good pantographs from this book!)

Quilt pantograph I used

Quilts of Valor requires a presentation case to go along with each quilt so I made a pillow case out of some extra fabric.

Quilt and Presentation Case

So, the stats for this quilt are:

• Size: 61" x 73"
• Fabrics: from stash
• Batting: Warm & White
• Thread: Aurifil #2326 to piece, Superior Threads Rainbows #860 for quilting
• Pattern: Mystery 26 (Hatch and Windows) from the Yahoo Group Mystery Quilts 4 Military
• Quilting: p.87 Quilting Dot to Dot by Cheryl Barnes (20 passes, 6 bobbins)
• Completed: April 2013
• Recipient: QOV

Quilts of Valor is such a great cause so I'm very glad to have finally finished this.  They're building a group home in our area for those recovering and can use quilts for each person staying there, so I'll drop this off to them next week.  What's really great is that most of my quilt bee participated in this mystery too and have finished and delivered their quilts as well!

Love each other deeply with all your heart. 

1 Peter 1:22b (NLT)

Hat Trick...

Although my goal was to have this quilt done far in advance of the end of the month, here we are on the last day of April and I'm rushing about trying to take pictures and write a quick post about my Schnibbles quilt for this month.  Oh well, why mess with tradition?  It's a gray and rainy day here, so please excuse the dark photos.  The quilt is much brighter in person.  Here is my version of Hat Trick, the Schnibbles of the month chosen by Sinta and Sherri for Another Year of Schnibbles.

I used Independence Trail by Minick & Simpson for my version.  I also made mine square which I noticed many others did as well.  I'm going to hang this above our bed when it's finished and a square wall hanging will just work better I think.  I also left off the corner 9-patches.  I made them; however, I really didn't like how they looked in my version.  Plus the large open setting triangles will give me more space for quilting.  I don't know what I'm going to quilt there yet, but I'll have to make it something nice now that I have all that space, won't I?

To get the color scheme I wanted, I ended up using 3 charm packs rather than 2, but I have lots of squares left over that I can use for something else.  I still want to make a lap quilt out of this fabric, so I'm sure it won't go to waste.

I'm motivated to quilt this sooner rather than later, so I went ahead and basted it.  I use 505 Temporary Spray Adhesive for basting projects like this rather than pins.  I'm also using 2 layers of Warm & Natural in it.  (I always pre-wash my batting to pre-shrink it.)  As soon as I figure out how I want to quilt it, I can go ahead and start it.  That is of course if something else doesn't catch my attention first...

So many projects, so little time!!!

Be still, and know that I am God! 

Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

Prep Work...

Before I really started with the packing, I took some time to work ahead on some small projects.  First, I finished the next Quilt in a Box block, Hilary's this month.

Hilary's Block

Then I worked on making enough HST's to swap for the next several months.  Since all of my fabric will be packed up, I needed to get this done early.  I'm swapping two sets each month, so that gives me through July to finish the renovation.  (I really hope it doesn't take that long!)

HST's to swap for the next 3 months

I'll still have projects to work on during the renovation, since I can't see not sewing for that long. They're mostly things that need to be quilted, not pieced, although I wouldn't rule out another Schnibbles quilt or two.  My dear husband has said he doesn't mind if I take over the sunroom for my sewing while the reno is taking place, so that gives me a place to work.

So many plans now are running through my head!  It's so exciting and so busy at the same time, but I'm reminding myself to take one tiny step at a time.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 

James 1:19 (NLT)