Design Wall Monday, December 25, 2023

 Merry Christmas Morning Quilters!

Here are some pictures from this Christmas week:

Hubby and I, taken at church, in the lobby, on Saturday.

Our great-grandson, Bennett, in my lap at our son’s house yesterday.  He is so cute!  He s just over one year old.

Bennett with the sleigh bells which were hanging from the ceiling in a long string.  He had such a great time ringing the bells, and enjoyed the process so much.

Our grand-dog, Buster,  who was splendid in his new Christmas ruff of velvet with bells.

Penny Lane and Bennett’s dog, Wrigley, who both followed Bennett around, especially when Bennett had a cracker in his hand.  Penny helped him eat the crackers.

That’s all the Christmas news here this week, but next week I will be back to posting pictures of quilting and doing some planning for 2024.  Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below - even if you have no quilt pictures to show us.  Thanks for your participation, you are a blessing.

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Design Wall Monday - December 18, 2023

 This week was semi-productive in my quilt studio.  I put some things away, and got some more things out.  hehe. I found some old hourglass blocks that I will cut to 2.5 inches unfinished size to use in the Hourglass Quilt that I’m making.  Here is a picture of three of them, untrimmed:

This crumpled, hand stitched, partially completed quilt top has many issues, and this will be a good use of what I can salvage from it.  I am resewing all seams on the machine.

Here is a picture of my design wall, showing a beginning of my version of the Challenge Hourglass Quilt.  I am using 10 rows of hsts on all sides of the center hourglass blocks.  I will then put another small indigo border around the hsts before continuing on with an outside portion of hourglasses.  I will be able to get lots of hourglasses from the old partial quilt top.  Win,win.

Also, four more Jacob’s Ladder blocks were made.  Pictured here:

Christmas is coming, and I am preparing at my own pace.  As I age, I am much less stressed about getting everything finished on time.  Christmas will come whether I am ready for it or not, right?  And as an older person in our family gatherings, the gatherings are usually in one of our kids homes, not in ours.  Changes happen every year, but celebration of the birth of Jesus is the constant center of the holiday.  And of course, the most important part.

Yesterday we went to see a children’s Christmas program, and it was so special.  Image a group of children singing carols loudly and enthusiastically and acting out the Christmas story.  Priceless.  

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Merry Christmas!

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Design Wall Monday - December 11, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

Since I’ve been sick with a bad cold for over a week, I’ve done little quilting,  However, I did do a little planning on what I want to work on to start the new year.  The number of UFOs here must be dealt with, and 2024 will start with a good push against them.  I know, it is only mid-December and I have no Christmas decorations up yet, but the thoughts of starting the new year with some pleasant beginnings cheered me up.  I didn’t feel like doing too much.  I am feeling better each day, and have decided to resume living.  lol

So here are my 2024 plans::  

I have this UFO that is very near completion, and I want to get it all done.  It  is called “Two Step” and is on the cover of a book by Barbara Brackman.

I have most of the blocks made, but in a different size than the pattern, and my block count is 200 of each of the two contrasting blocks.   The pattern blocks finish at 3.5 inches, and mine are a little bigger.  I think they finish at 5 inches square.  After I got the UFO unboxed and looked at it, there were only about 17 blocks in pieces.  I sewed them all into blocks last week, so the only thing left to do in 2024 is sew all the blocks together.  

A second UFO that I looked at was a Jacob’s Ladder block exchange quilt pattern.  The blocks I have are from an exchange with The Churn Dashers of Tidewater Virginia, and the quilt is shown in American Patchwork & Quilting, December, 2019.

With the exchange, I had 96 blocks, and the quilt has 120 blocks.  So I only need to make 24 more blocks……12 slanted to the right and 12 slanted toward the left.  I am making one of each whenever I can to get all the blocks completed by February, 2024, so I can sew the whole top together then.  I made 2 last week while I was sick, and I am making 2 more today.  Here is a picture of the current two of them laid out with the sample block next to them:

The two blocks use the same components, but hsts are turned differently.  I have to lay a sample block out with the one I am sewing together,  just to be sure I have the parts turned the correct way.

What are you working on, or planning for next year?  I am planning on getting the  Christmas tree up and decorated before we meet again next Monday.  Please stay healthy and take care of yourself - this cold was a doozie!  And thanks for joining in our Design Walk Monday Linky Party!  You are a blessing.

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Design Wall Monday - December 4, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

I’ve been sick with congestion and a sore throat, so this week has been a “stay at home and keep my germs to myself” kind of week.  I have been busy in the quilt room though.  The long term redwork quilt is now bound, and ready for a label.  The quilting by Sue Daurio, was simple diamonds, in keeping with the style of old redwork quilts.  I am very happy with how it turned out.  It measures 93 inches square and I am so happy to have this long in process UFO completed.  

I love the border. 

 I think I will leave it out for the Christmas holiday.  For the label, I’m including the extra chickens block, which I made twice by mistake.  It is a cute block, and attests to how long I worked on this quilt, off and on through the years.  I had forgotten that I had previously embroidered it.  

The Splendid Sampler is a quilt top now, shown here on our bed.  Adding the extra blocks to the outside makes it the right size for our king bed.  It is now ready for a long arm quilter.  It’s a whopping 102” square.   I am glad it is no longer a UFO.  Progress rather than perfection.

What are you finishing or starting, or what have you put on hold until after the holidays?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and talk to us.

  

This week I hope to get some Christmas decorations up.   I should get some young children to help me - that is what is needed to get me excited about decorating.  Do you have your home ready for the holidays?  

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