March Wrap-Up & Apr "Goal" Post

March Accomplishments:

Complete Finishes:  "Fireflies in the Meadow" (blogged in the last post)

Flimsy Finishes:

If it weren't for the Cabin Fever 2 retreat during the first weekend, I would not have any new flimsies. March has been hijacked almost completely by wedding preparations!

So, from the retreat I have: 

"Boomerang" - a Crazy Old Ladies pattern

and 

"Leaded Glass" - a Tracey Jay Quilts pattern, slightly tweaked

UFO work:

Just the tiniest bit. I did the initial trapunto quilting/applique stitching on "Twinkle-Toes." - -  God bless "Sewer's Aid,"which seriously helps with this work!!  Didn't even get the extra batting trimmed off yet. . .

NETY pull-out:
(This is how I begin to incorporate Never Even Touched Yet items on my monster list of long-ago purchases into my work cycles)

I did get one of these old kits washed, dried, and cut out in the first couple of weeks. (Before Kyle reported to Marines basic training, I still had that 5-7am slot of time where I couldn't access my sewing area, but needed something quiet to do upstairs):

"Dove in the Window"  Lots and lots of cutting for this one. I did replace one of the kit's batiks with a better one from my stash because it had zero value change from the background fabric.

Speaking of that Marine Corps basic training, I happened across some cool Marines fabric and designed a quilt to make for Kyle. If he doesn't get delayed for sprained ankle or such, I have 10 weeks remaining of his training time to get this top finished in. Except for the Marines fabric, I was able to find everything I need in my stash! Well, I will need to buy some binding, because my black will just cover the piecing needs. And there's not enough of the greens to do those fast-and-easy stitch-and-flip techniques with that border work, so it's being done by template. I'm about halfway finished cutting this out. 

Insane Depression Acquisitions:

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who reacts to bouts of the Blues by giving in to quilt purchases! (This one was brought on by Kyle moving away for Basic and Marissa simultaneously leaving for her spring break trip - I'm such a family-based Mama!) 
So now I have these fabric sets, all washed, waiting for time to be ironed:

"Parasol" - a straight-up kit I got on Craftsy

"Evening Stroll" - I'm going to scale it slightly smaller than the pattern. Scott's in love with this, and it's for our main-floor woodsy powder room: (pattern free at RJR Fabrics)

"Gray Square Scramble" - which has hollered at me to make it every since Corey Yoder first showed it:

"Five in a Row" - a modern-approach way to use these terrific charms in a sofa throw, probably something along these lines:

That blue is really a super-vibrant turquoise. Absolutely drool-worthy!

"Spanish Tiles" - Another quilt that's called to me for a while from my "Living Large 2" book by Heather Peterson, and the Petal and Plum collection seemed terrific for it.

 

Yes, I have completely lost it. When the heck can I make these?? Not until after the wedding in June!


Community Sewing:

Went stash shopping and worked up a design to use these 16 blocks. It's all cut out, and some of the blocks have their navy frames. Then they'll be sashed in the gray I used on the elephant quilt, and finally get pink and navy borders. 

April Directions:

(Please note: I work best with open-ended guiding matrices that direct my work in a variety of projects as I move things forward, with something marked as the priority work. Lists with items meant to be checked off as finished in a finite period of time stifle me. So don't look at this as something intended to have everything absolutely completed in a month. That would be amazingly stressful!)

I have to be real about this month. Not really expecting much from this list to happen in reality since my time will be filled with wedding prep and Top Secret work, but I can sit here and dream. :)  

Quilting for the finish: "Twinkle-Toes"  This is my chosen project for ALYF.

This is a realistic goal for the month, as I only need to trim the trapunto layer away from the stitching and then do the mini's final quilting, and finish the edges.


UFO work: After the above, next in line is "The Nerdles." 

"Lori & Aliyah" - Carry-over, same notations: Still have to dive into the intensity of this one. Waiting on some confirmations from the customer.

Community Service:

Finish framing the Cinderella House blocks. And still find a real name for it.


Piecing: Top Secret and "Forged: Semper Fi"

Evening Handwork Station: Continue pushing along block 1 of "Fiesta Mexico." Also, I STILL need to make labels for "25th, Baby!," "Kelly's Joseph Smith 2," "A Laurel Burch Christmas," "Patriots in Petticoats," and guide label making for Heather's dragon quilt and Marissa's community service quilt. And now "Jovial" and "Fancy Me a Rainbow" as well! Now add "Fireflies in the Meadow."

BOMs:
Hopefully put in the once-weekly attention to the projects on the list. Continue the FMQ on Kelly's; do another set or two for "Star Crazy"; finish button-hole stitching on the interior blocks for "Garden Friends"; and finish the mini quilt for block 1 of "Wind in the Whiskers" and trace out block 2's pieces.

NETY Pull-Out:
Eyeing that red-based number from that Georgia shop back in 2011ish.

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