I Like Thursday #311

It's time for Thursday Likes! Please visit LeeAnna to link up with more participating blogs who post happy and positive content. Well, it's finally looking like spring around here. We've had a couple of warm days but the trees are starting to bloom as well as some of the flowers. It's so nice to see color after such a long and snowy winter.

I bought the backing for my Facets quilt. I bought this 108" wideback by Windham Fabrics. I just love the stars! They're nice and colorful which I think will work nicely with the Facets blocks. I've already washed it but need to iron it.

Isn't this pattern so cute??? I just had to order it. I'll be using my scraps to sew it. I just thought it was too adorable to pass up!

The conversation starter this week asks us what favorite song we sing to ourselves. Well, I'll have to say it's anything by Tom Petty! I know most of the words to my favorite songs by him so I can sing along quite nicely. Not sure anyone else would like to hear me!!

I've had a busy week filled with appointments but I'm hoping they're over for awhile now. Have a great weekend!

 

Fiber Marketplace 2026

My daughter-in-law invited me to join her at Fiber Marketplace which took place at Union Bluff Hotel in York Beach, Maine. This was the view right in front of the hotel. So nice!

The room wasn't huge but there were a good number of vendors that had set up their each unique area. I saw buttons, hats, t-shirts, accessories and tons of yarn! Most of the yarn was hand dyed and available in all weights. I had a hard time choosing what to buy!

I bought these 2 skeins of yarn. They're both sock/lace weight so I have the option of making shawls or socks!

I also bought these needle stoppers. They were too cute to resist! 

The Yarn Sellar, also located in York, Maine, was the sponsor of the show so, we just had to stop in and see the store. 

I bought these 2 yarns while I was there. The store was jam packed with a huge variety of yarns, patterns and accessories. I will definitely be back. 

I was happy to be return home and show off my purchases. I had another great day at a show. I'm already looking forward to next year!

NEQE 2026

I was out most of the day yesterday and never made it to I Like Thursday. I have a great excuse! I went to a quilt show! There aren't many quilt shows around anymore. I think the pandemic got rid of a lot of them. I'm lucky to be able to attend New England Quilt Expo in Manchester, NH every April. It's been around for the last 3 or 4 years. 

The first think I do is check out the vendors. I visit each one and decide what I like and would like to revisit. Since I've been a quilter for many years, there isn't a lot I really need but I do find some cool things once in a while. I think there were about 25 vendors at the show. 

There were lots of great quilts on display but lots of people so I could only take a few pictures. I really liked these three.

I didn't end up buying too much. I could only find fat eighths of 1930's fabrics. They're just so pretty that I couldn't resist. I also bought some very pale lavender thread. I've never seen this color before and just had to buy it. I'm going to test it on Facets. It would be interesting to use this color thread on that quilt. We'll see!

I'm going to a yarn show tomorrow. My daughter-in-law asked me to go with her. She's going to do the driving. Most of the yarns at this show are hand dyed so I'm looking for some great color combinations. I'll post pictures next week!

Finishing Up

Now that Easter is over, I'm finishing up a few projects. This is Facets which only needs 2 more borders! I love how this quilt came out. Facets really challenged me with the amount of blocks that had to be made. Also, the color changes for each round weren't easy! I had to remake a lot of blocks as I started each new round. But I did it and I'm almost done! Phew!!

The sleeping cross stitch kitty is done, back stitches and all! The back stitching was tedious and slow but it really adds detail to the cat. I went out to buy more fiber fill to make this guy into a cute pillow for my family room. I caught my cat, Lily, sleeping on it last night. I wonder if she knows it's another cat?!😉

I Like Thursday #310

It's time for I Like Thursday! Please visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to link up with more participating blogs that post happy and positive content. Well, I finished cross stitching this kitty and started the tedious task of back stitching. You can see it in his paw, mouth and ears. It's long and boring but does improve the overall look. I just have to keep at it!!

I went to the mall and saw the Easter Bunny getting ready to have his photo taken with some kids. It brought back memories of my kids sitting with him. Unfortunately, my kids just seemed to cry and not enjoy the Easter Bunny at all! He doesn't seem scary to me but I'm not a child. The children I saw with him the other day all seemed happy. Oh, well, I guess you just never know!!

Do yourself a favor and read this book! I waited for this book for awhile and it was well worth it. It's a great story and will keep you interested until the end. It's a story of 2 families and how they're connected to each other. So good!

Our conversation starter this week asks us about Easter dinner. Well, we're going out to eat again this year. However, I will make a dessert for after the restaurant. I buy all sorts of chocolate and Easter candy and tell everyone it was left at my house by the Easter Bunny. I miss making those Easter baskets when the kids were little so I still buy them candy and blame the Easter Bunny!

Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!🪺🐣🐰

Baby Gifts

These last few days have been busy for me. I had to take my mom for her annual doctor's appointment yesterday and then I had the dentist today. I haven't been doing too much sewing but I did want to show you the gifts I made for my friend and his wife for their baby due this June. In this picture, you can see the quilt and booties that I've posted before.

I also made this little teddy bear that uses the same fabrics as the quilt. I thought it would be a cute little partner gift with the quilt. I don't think they were expecting it. It's a pattern we used to use when I was in a quilt guild. I'm glad I held onto the pattern since it seems to come in handy!

I put everything in this cute baby bag. I'm just waiting for them to come visit the area since they live out of state. I hope they like what I made them!

I Like Thursday #309

It's time for I Like Thursday! Please visit LeeAnna to link up with more participating blogs. Well, my Christmas Cactus is blossoming again! This is the third time since November. Is this normal?? I'm not very good with plants. I did have a Christmas Cactus for years and I don't think it bloomed much more than onceper year. It's very pretty and I love it. I'm just wondering if it's normal!

I'm halfway through making my border pieces for Facets. It's not a very large block measuring at 3" X 6.5". However, they are a little fussy. I'll be glad when I'm done. Facets has been a real challenge for me. I love how it's coming out but it's been difficult at times.

It's on the warm side today so I opened a few windows and I could hear the birds singing. I set up my Merlin app and found these birds in just a few moments. The birds are back! I feel spring is really here although it doesn't always feel it!

The conversation starter this week asks us if we still eat the same breakfast we used to eat as kids. Breakfast has always been difficult for me. When I worked, I used to have to be there quite early. I never had time to eat. Once at work, I did get a coffee break but only about 15 minutes. I'm used to not really eating breakfast. As a kid, I think I used to have toast but even then, I wasn't too hungry. I'm fine with just a cup of coffee! I just eat a good lunch at noon. 

Have a great weekend!

Two Projects

I've been working on the binding for my baby quilt. I made the binding and sewed it onto the quilt over the weekend. Baby quilts are fun since everything works up so fast. I got a chance to start sewing the binding down by hand. I'm already about half done. Love that!

Here's a close up of the binding. This colors in this quilt are brighter than they seem in these pictures. 

My cross stitch kitty is done! I thought I was finished until I remembered the back stitching. I'll get to it eventually! I have a few hand projects I'm trying to finish first. 

I Like Thursday #308

It's time for Thursday Likes! Please visit LeeAnna to link up with more blogs posting happy and fun content on a weekly basis. I finished quilting this baby quilt this morning. It measures about 42.5" X 56.5". I'll be making the binding soon. I love how the ribbon candy just pops in this picture. This was fun to make and I hope my friend and his wife love it!

I had a gift card from Barnes & Noble so I bought this very neat Nook cover. It reminds me of a quilt so I just couldn't resist it! I use my Nook a lot since I borrow books from libraries in Massachusetts using the Libby app. It's such a convenient way to read books and it's all free!

I also bought this cute hair clip. You would never know it's a clip. It looks like a book and I just had to have it! It says Romantasy on the side where the book binding would be. So funny and it works great!!

The conversation starter this week asks what was your least favorite food as a child and how we feel about it now. So, in seventh grade I bought a cafeteria lunch at school that happened to be a pepper steak. Well, after eating it, I got sick. To this day, just the smell of peppers brings that nausea right back to me. It was always difficult living in an Italian family since my mom used fresh peppers a lot. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat peppers. 

Have a great weekend! Tomorrow is the first day of Spring so Happy Spring!!!!!

FMQ and Facets Quilt

I added that last round of full blocks to the Facets quilt. These blocks are 6.5" square. This quilt top so far measures about 84" square. I just started cutting some pieces for the border. The border round is much smaller and I expect to finish it quicker. The main color is red with a pale yellow background. I think they measure around 2" X 6.5".

 

I loaded the baby quilt and started quilting it over the weekend. I'm not doing anything too fancy. I'm making free motion loops, ribbon candy, and arcs. The thread is a very pale pink. I really love the little pop of pink on the blocks. It's fun to quilt this one. It's not too big and fun to add that texture!

I Like Thursday #307

It's time for I Like Thursday! A bunch of us bloggers post fun and positive content every Thursday. Please visit LeeAnna to link up with more participating blogs. I just had to share these pictures of the sunset. They were taken this past Sunday around 7PM. The sky was vivid with color! Just beautiful!

This is the fabric I bought for the backing of the baby quilt. It's actually a brighter pink in person. They may name the baby Lily so I thought a floral theme would be good.

I'll be quilting that baby quilt soon so I've been practicing my free motion quilting on the long arm. I thought I needed a little practice since I haven't done free motion quilting in awhile. It felt pretty comfortable once I started stitching again. I think I'm ready to start quilting it now.

Our conversation starter is - If you could bring back any fashion trend, what would it be?? I miss hats the most! I remember how nice everyone looked at Easter wearing their Easter bonnets. I feel hats added that extra touch to an outfit. When I got married, the ladies in my bridal party had cute little hats on with a small attached veil. It looked so elegant! Not sure they'll every come back!

Have a great weekend!!

Other Projects

I'm working on a few other things other than Facets. I made these sweet little baby booties for my friend who's expecting his first baby. Aren't they so sweet?? They're a pattern I found online that works the booties without a seam. Once you're done knitting, there's nothing to sew. If you're interested, the pattern is here. They're so quick and easy to make!

This is how far I've got on my cross stitch kitty. It's coming slowly but looking good. I'm more than halfway done. I try to work on it everyday but sometimes I get busy with other projects. There are so many thread changes that you can only do so much at a time. 

I have one teal row sewn onto Facets and another one in the process of being sewn on. There are so many seams to match that it takes awhile. Oh well, I should enjoy the process, right?? At least, that's what I keep telling myself!!

Facet Blocks Done!!!

 I finally finished making the 52 blocks for the last full round of the Facets Quilt. This round took me a long time! I didn't realize when I started this quilt that I would need to make 196 blocks and that doesn't include the border. I thought it was a great project to use up scraps. I did use some scraps but I also bought a few fat quarters as I needed them. I'm not sure I used up much of my stash. 

These are the last 4 blocks I made for this round. It sure felt good to know I'm finally done with this block! They measure 6.5" square.

This is my pile of 52 blocks. Shouldn't it look bigger??? Months worth of work in such a small pile! I'll be sewing the blue blocks onto the quilt as my next step. The border will follow!