Design Wall Monday - May 29, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

Memorial Day is today. Did you know there are special flag raising procedures for the day?

In traditional observance, the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon.  It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day.  The half-staff position remembers the more than one million men and women who gave their lives in service of their country.  At noon, their memory is raised by the living, who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain, but to rise up in their stead and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.

I finally finished the crochet project below:

It taught me so many new crochet stitches, and I learned so much.  Very much over my skill level, but the you tube videos on how to do various stitches helped me persevere.  Pattern is free on the internet:  A Warm Embrace on the internet at this website  (Here)

So now I am free to continue with my quilting projects.  I plan to play with blocks that are already made, moving them around the design wall to audition layouts.  What are your plans for this holiday week?  

Please join us in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below.  I plan to visit your blogs this week and learn more about what is happening in the quilting world.  I appreciate your faithfulness in linking up.   Let's party!

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Design Wall Monday - May 22, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

Well, I took the Benjamin Biggs Quilt down from the design wall, and decided to work on another quilt for a while.

This UFO was a free online 365 blocks (one for each day) project from Kathryn Kerr in 2016.  The website is (Here)  I think the blocks are repeated every year for new quilt makers, with a few changes.  When I finished the blocks, I put them up on the design wall, and there was so much going on that I didn't like the quilt. It was way to busy for me to appreciate the work I'd done in each individual block.

Here is a picture on my design wall of about half of the blocks.  The pattern has another dark blocks square around the outside, and then another light blocks square after that.  But the blocks all together left me underwhelmed.  And you know I like to be whelmed......(not over or under), just whelmed.

So in 2016, I put them away.

Now they are out, and  I am thinking about making 2 or maybe 3 quilts out of these 365 blocks.....with giving some space for the eye to rest between the busy blocks.  Mine are all browns and pinks in repro fabrics, and I will be experimenting with possible layouts.  I am looking at vintage style quilts for inspiration.  The blocks are 6 inch blocks, and 12 inch blocks.

These two ideas would be for the smaller blocks:

or possibly this layout:

For the larger blocks, I could use eight of the pink ones and for the middle stripe, use some of the smaller pink ones with a small pink print:

But nothing is decided, and I will be playing with layouts on the design wall this week.  Maybe something will say "this is the one".  Any thoughts you have would be welcome.  I'd like to get these 365 blocks made into finished quilts.

What is on your design wall this week?  Or what are you sewing on?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us.   Thank you all who participate.  You inspire me each week.  Please link back to this blog post from your blog post, and mention Design Wall Mondays in your blog.  

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Design Wall Monday - May 15, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Mother's Day was yesterday, and I received some beautiful orchids from my son and his family.  Here is a picture:

Wow!  They are so beautiful and will last for a long time.  I am going to read up on them, and see if I can learn how to get them to rebloom.  They are on the coffee table in the living room, and I smile every time I walk past them.

Last year when I tallied up all my UFOs, I made a pledge to finish them before starting any new projects.  But I've found that it is impossible, as there are new projects that I want to start all the time.  So I have modified my pledge to include a few new projects along with the UFO finishing goal.  It's all good.  And a woman has a right to change her mind.....often.

One new project is a signature star block exchange with the ladies that I meet with twice a year in Shipshewana, Indiana.  This fall we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary of when they started the group. and there is a block exchange that I am joining for the occasion.  I haven't been meeting with them for the whole time, but they are such a lovely group of ladies and I love them so.  It makes me want to make a quilt with all of their signatures on it.  

Another new project that I have started is one that a group of about 12 friends are making.  It looked like such fun that I had to join in.   It's a pattern called "Cousin's Walk" and is an older pattern.  It is an applique quilt, with a lot of primitive birds.  Here is one of my bird blocks:

And I am still happily crocheting along with the project that I showed you last week.  It is on the home stretch, and that makes me happy.

What projects are you starting, finishing, or ones that are on your design wall?  Today will be a "clean up the quilting room" day as it is much needed.  Who made such a mess in there?    Me.  and it is up to me to get it cleaned up.  I like to set a timer and hurry around putting things away until the timer rings.  Do you ever do that?

I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to show us this week.  Join in the Design Wall Monday LInky Party below and tell us what you are up to.  Thanks for all of your posts and link ups.  I appreciate you!

And Happy Mothers Day to all of you who are Mothers.  I hope you had a lovely day Sunday.

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Design Wall Monday - May 8, 2023

 Good Morning Ladies!

My quilting mojo has temporarily gone away.  The weather has been so nice, and after finishing several long-worked-on UFOs, I took a break.  Hopefully, I will get back to some quilting projects by next week.

What am I doing?   I got sidetracked with a crocheting project and since it is almost finished, I am working on it until it is finished.  I know basic crochet instructions, but this pattern had me learning new things, which is always fun.  Here is my project, and I am starting row 78 out of 105 rows.  

And a closeup of the center:

The free pattern from the internet is named A Warm Embrace and is found at this site…..(Here). 

What are your projects this week?  The Benjamin Biggs Wedding quilt blocks are on my design wall, and I feel like removing them for a month and put something else up there.  They need a time out.  

Join in our Design Wall Monday Quilty Party below and show us what you are doing.  Thanks so much for faithfully participating.  

  

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Design Wall Monday - May 1, 2023

Happy May Basket Day!

I love May 1st and the memory of May baskets on front doors.  As you know, a lot of my quilts feature baskets, so on this May Day, I give you some repeat pictures from previous blog posts:

Here are the three quilts that I showed at the “show and tell” at the quilt retreat last week:

Pattern for this one is:  Birds of A Feather by Barb Adams and Alma Allen

In this picture, I’m pointing to the only basket block in my replica of the 225 block Jane Stickle Quilt.  I’m also wearing one of my mom’s aprons.

Baskets and more baskets in this quilt:

So Happy May Basket Day!  Join in our Design Wall Linky Party below and show us what you are making. 

 Later today I’m going to make a few baskets of flowers to put on the front doors of my neighbor’s houses.  When I was a child I would ring the doorbell, leave the basket, and run away.  My running days are in the past now, so I will greet them and explain what the tradition is all about.  Please tell us if you have any May Day basket experiences.  

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