I Like Thursday #179

It's time for I Like Thursday. A bunch of us bloggers write happy and uplifting posts once a week. Please visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to link up with more blogs. We got a snowstorm overnight. Everyone's been complaining that we didn't get much snow this year. It always seems to catch up to us! I think we got about 4 inches but some of it was wet and slushy. It's supposed to get really cold soon so that slush will turn to ice. That doesn't sound fun to me!

I have completed 8 Swoon blocks. I have the 9th all cut and ready to go. I even have the sashing cut! I really love these colors and think they look so great together. Tula Pink fabrics are so rich in color. Her designs are fun too!

I got this clock as a gift. It's on the wall in my sewing room. It's right over my sewing machine so I can see what time it is. Once I start sewing, the time seems to stop. I get so caught up in what I'm doing that I'm always surprised to see the actual time. This clock keeps me grounded!

Isn't this llama adorable? She's also in my sewing room. My daughter bought her from a farm that raises alpaca. This one is all dressed up and brightens up my room. My room has a lot of pink in it so it fits right in!

The prompt this week is what thoughtful things we do for our significant other. My husband takes care of my car for me. He gets it washed and serviced. I get my own gas but that's about it! I always do the laundry but I match up his socks and roll them up. His mother had a sock basket and just threw socks in there without pairing them up. He always hated that! I make the coffee on the weekends. He never even drank coffee until he met me! I think most of all, he knows when I need to be alone. I think I do the same for him too. You sometimes need that quiet time. I know I do!

Have a great weekend! It's supposed to be brutally cold here this weekend. 😣

More Applique

 I just finished another applique block. This one measure 5" X 20". This one was so fast! It's made up of a bias stem and 20 circles. So fast! It still needs to be ironed but it looks pretty good. 

This picture shows all my blocks so far. My small applique blocks are all done. I have 4 small rectangular pieced blocks and 7 large appliqued blocks left. This will take awhile but that's fine. It's a nice relaxing project. There's something very satisfying about working on a hand project. 

I Like Thursday #178

It's time for I Like Thursday. The weeks are flying! Please visit LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color to read more happy and fun posts. I can't believe I've received flowers twice in the last few weeks! My brother and family sent me flowers for my birthday and my husband sent me flowers for Valentine's Day. I don't usually get flowers so it was a nice surprise. They're so pretty and make my family room smell so good. I also got chocolates!

I have finished 6 blocks out of 9 for Swoon. These are so fun to make. I've made this quilt before so it's fun to make. The instructions for which direction to iron the seams are not included so I figured them out and added them to my directions. It's nice to have no surprises! The Tula Pink fabrics just shine in this block. 

Urban Elementz had a sale on pantographs last week. I just got mine delivered today. The first one on the left is called Knit 1, Purl 2. I love the curliness! The middle one is called Malachite. I feel like it's a great variation on stippling. It reminds me of topography you might find on a map. The third pantograph was a freebie from the company. It's appropriate for this time of year!  I also got the heart panto for a corner and border which was also free! Such a great deal!

I got this for Christmas and think it's so true! I think sewing brings down my blood pressure and calms me. It's almost therapeutic although I am on high blood pressure meds. Maybe it would be even higher if I didn't sew!😂

Our prompt this week is if we knew we found the "one" when we met our spouse. I had no idea! I was already seeing someone else although it was a long distance relationship. I guess actually being able to see someone everyday won out over long distance. We were engaged within 6 months and married one year later. That was almost 39 years ago. I guess it worked out pretty good!

Have a wonderful weekend! It's 60 degrees here. It feels more like Spring than Winter. I just hope we don't get snow in April!

Rose of Lemoyne

I finished this block over the weekend. It measures 10" X 20" finished. This one didn't have too many pieces so it didn't take too long to make. It looks happy to me with that curvy stem! Once you figure out what pieces to applique first, it's not too hard to make. Some of these pieces were rather large but it worked out fine. 

Here are all my blocks so far! This is a nice slow hand project and it's very relaxing. I'm already prepping the next block!

I Like Thursday #177

It's time for I Like Thursday! LeeAnna, over at Not Afraid of Color, is the hostess for us bloggers who post happy and uplifting posts on a weekly basis. Go visit her blog! I'm working on my second Swoon quilt. Each block measures 24" square when finished. I'm using Tula Pink's De La Luna fabric line. I love showcasing those faces in the middle of the block. My daughter chose the fabrics and paired the fabrics for each block. It's only 9 blocks so it's a quick quilt to make. 

We were watching the Chinese Balloon get shot down this past weekend. Molly thought she could help out. She jumped up on the TV cabinet and tried to catch the balloon. She's very silly!

I've made a little mug rug out of the paper pieced heart pattern I made last week. I might make one more mug rug before I quilt and bind it. The next mug rug will only have one heart in the middle. I'm still trying to figure out what else to add to it! 

Our prompt this week is Valentine's Day and how we celebrate it. Well, my son was born on Valentine's Day so our celebration of the holiday has changed over the years! I get everyone a box of chocolates but I usually give them out during Ben's birthday party. This is his newborn picture. He was only a couple of hours old. He was an easy baby and is still easy going. He's my best Valentine's Day gift ever!

Have a wonderful weekend! After last week's record breaking cold, we're expecting record breaking warmth! Crazy weather this year.

String Quilt and Hearts

I finished my string quilt this past weekend. It was a quick and easy finish! It measures 92" X 92". It's a really great size and used up some of my fabric stash.

Here's the back. I think you can see the quilting better on this side. I used ribbon candy in the diagonal strip of each block and also outlined that strip with a ruler. The blocks were just stippled. Stippling was really the best decision since it was difficult to see what I was doing. I used an Aurifil gray thread that blended a little too well! The back is nice and flat. I love that texture! I just stitch the seams on the piano border.

I paper pieced a few hearts in honor of Valentine' Day! I think I might make a mug rug. I haven't decided for sure! Valentine's Day is also my son's birthday so it's doubly special!

I Like Thursday #176

It's time for I Like Thursday. A bunch of us bloggers write happy and uplifting posts every Thursday. Please visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to read more of these posts. I had a birthday last week but we didn't have my little party until this past Sunday. My future daughter-in-law made me this "bouquet" of fat quarters using Tula Pink's Daydreamer line. She even included heat resistant thimbles as well as bobbin holders that can be inserted into a spool of thread. You can tell we have a lot in common!

My husband got me this sign! I'm going to hang it outside the door of my sewing room. It's made of metal and should be easy to hang.

I'm almost done quilting my string quilt. The quilting is difficult to see but I quilted ribbon candy in the 2 1/2" diagonal in the middle of each string block. The rest was just stippled. Stippling was the best choice for this quilt. I couldn't see the quilting since my gray thread blends so well. I feel stippling has it's place in quilting. If you don't like, don't use it. I would never put anyone down for stippling. It works and has been around for years. 

Has anyone else read Prince Harry's book? I really enjoyed it. I do think he was treated differently since he's not the direct heir to the throne. However, he got to see so much of the world. I can only dream about all the places Prince Harry got to see and experience. I think there's a price to pay for everything. Nothing is free. I just hope that he and his family are finally happy. 

The prompt this week is Pantone color of the year, Viva Magenta. I love this choice! It's bright, happy and cheerful. I don't always like the color they pick each year, but I love this one! I hope it pops up in non-traditional ways!

Have a wonderful weekend! We're bracing for record breaking cold temperatures. Although we have a generator, I just hope we don't lose power. It's supposed to be windy too. Ugh. I'm definitely not looking forward to the cold.