From My Garden Block One

I started to write that it all began with a quilt pattern by Edyta Sitar--but truthfully it began with two friends that I have never met.  Swapping comments, emails, and fabrics-- a 'kid' story or two, we became friends. I guess our faith, our weather, and our quilting are what we have in common. So Mary, Sue and I began our project this month and agreed to show how we create each block from our own fabrics on the last day of each month.

The first block is a Heart.  It fits with the grapevine heart that hangs next to my garden gate.

I've also wanted to journal the pieces of a quilt, so this is my chance. I'm saving swatches of each block, why I chose pieces of fabric, cataloguing life that month, My Garden for the next twelve months.

Winter is trying to let go. We had a winter storm that came with warnings 3 days in advance.  It made me a little skittish---but it's just snow... and in the end we got about 4 inches of the stuff. I guess I need to relax.

Life is Good....

My Birthday....

Tuesday was my birthday.... A great day---a great week.  I've said before... In our house we have birth festivals lasting an entire week, not just a birth day.  This a a birthday card from a friend, pretty appropriate and all with the covered porch--- a friend since I was in the fourth grade.  Phones calls, Letters and emails have filled the week. Birthdays are a really big deal where I work now, lots of fun.  My birthday money didn't burn a hole in my pocket, I used it to purchase backing material for My Garden Quilt.  I also got free fat quarters for my birthday.

The Spring quilt is progressing--- don't give up on it, more pictures to come.

Here's the view from the porch of the snow as it fell last Saturday.  A reminder that winter is still trying to hang on.  Today It got up to 57--- in defiance, I refused to wear a jacket. On the docket for this weekend, Friends over for dinner and a ton of quilting....

Gratitudes

My I-Pad from Don

A fireplace mantel full of Birthday cards

Red Hots

Finishing Touches...

The routine is pretty much the same--- Work all day, Come home to a few chores, Run my pups through the woods, Supper, Exhale to my sewing or a good book.  The Quilt is progressing.  You can see what the corner blocks will look like in the snapshot.

I tucked away all the snowman quilts, dishes, and winter decorations last night event though we just got a fresh 6 inches of the whote stuff Wednesday.  Thursday and today it's supposed to be in the 40's.  AMAZING how warm that feels after a cold winter.

Chelsey's coming home for the weekend--- We'll have fun....I'm journalling a quilt so I need to scrapbook the pieces ... She's great at that.

Spring fever is setting in. Something to hope for. I tried to pick out my favorite season-- there are great quilts for all of them..

Gratitudes:
Longer days-- time change on the way.
Seed catalogs in the mail
Handful of DMC embroidery Thread

Sewing Machine Cover

Made from Orphan Blocks.... Here my new sewing machine cover.  Chelsey laughed at me---
"Why do you need to cover it---Mom you are always using it????"

I like it and it gave a chance to practice swirls in machine quilting.

I worked a regular day--- thank goodness.  I came home and took the pups on a long run even thow it was lightly snowing.  They are predicting heavy snow for Wednesday so we have to double up while we can.  You put on  a hat and head outside.... it just brushes off anyway.

I have the another piece stretched on the quilt frame, and the leaves cut out to go on the vines of My Garden Quilt...This time of year I get in more good quilting.....

Gratitudes:
The oldies station on the radio-- brings back memories
Seed catalogs in the mail
The Apple Scented Candle on the counter.

Borders Attached

I'm still talking myself into liking this piece.

An Oxymoron --maybe--a garden quilt in the snow....but it was a beautiful Sunday.

It's still below freezing so the snow just brushes off. When a friend and I signed up for this block of the month we had not seen what the finished product would loook like.  It really has a "Northwoods twist" to it and I pretty pleased with it. It's just not what I pictured it looking like all completed.  I still have wool vines and flowers to go on the border.

Every time I worry about Ransom being cold outside he does something like this:

We've been putting in extra hours at work ---better too busy than not busy enough....

Gratitudes:

dark chocolate cream for my coffee

that new spool of thread

Puppy prints in the snow....You're never alone.

The Last Block

Finishing up the last stitches on the last block of the My Garden Quilt. Every time a worked on a block I was convinced I wouldn’t love the next block as much.

 I was wrong each time. I have had such fun. I received the borders this weekend…

I’m really nervous about them. I don’t think I would have ever picked them out myself, but I’ve never seen an ugly quilt from Primitive Gatherings so I’ll keep you posted.


I’m auditioning fabrics for my friendship project for the coming year. I’ve admired the blocks from Linda, The Quilted Pineapple. I read about Edyta Sitar and wanted to make the quilt.

 I didn’t think I could tackle the quilt on my own, so a couple of friends and I are getting together for encouragement. Anyone who wants to join in, we’d love to have you.

The Hop to it book – I found on Amazon and took it to the office supply store and had the spirals put in it. Edyta has great photos in the book along with lesson in fabric choice and techniques. The book itself is great therapy for anyone.

I couldn’t spring for a Quilt kit –plus the spirit of the project is how each of us see the quilt…one block at a time. I purchased a couple of homespun fat quarters, but I’m going to the stash for the rest. We’re going to do one block a month so we have time to do other things and if we’re pressured, we’ve decided it wouldn’t be fun.

I’m taking the homespun-woolen approach to the pattern. I’m using DMC floss unless I happen to have pearl cottons. After working all day, I love pulling the basket out for handwork.

It was the warmest day of the year--- so far. A whopping 48 degrees.