Some finishes and more...

The flannel quilt, Pink Puppies, is now completed. It is 42" by 53" and a donation quilt. 

This was a cute kit 

with striped binding.

I added the pink flannel backing. I free-motion quilted this with large swirl flowers. I think they show better from the back. I used 40-weight Aurifil thread, #2423 pink.

Colored Strings is finished. This donation quilt is 58" square.

The back is red with colored circles and the binding is a black and white stripe.

I free-motion quilted this with rulers, doing four different motifs. I used the same motif for all 4 squares of the same color. I used a beige/brown Aurifil 40-weight thread, #2326. 

The first motif is a four pointed star.

This a a diamond pattern repeated a couple of times.

Next is a wedge pattern.

The 4th pattern is three four-sided figures with one common corner.

I finished piecing Diamonds With Squares. I'm adding a scrappy white border and it will be ready to pin and quilt.

I also began another quilt that I'll call Black/White with Red. All of the blocks are made. I'm still using some black/white strings that I made years ago. After adding red to the corners, I sewed some of the blocks together and decided to make a change.

The new layout has white sashing with red corner stones. I already like it much better. 

I finished this sweater. It is not gathered but appears like it in this photo.

I also finished my afghan, from Building Blocks by Michelle Hunter. Each of the 12 squares is different and is written for a person to learn more about knitting. Although I have knitted since I was a child, I am, for the most part, self taught. It's a great book/pattern and I did learn a few things.

To look really nice, one would have to get on the floor and spread this out nicely. But today, I'm not getting on the floor. 😉

You might be able to see it better on the back of the couch.

I am making another afghan from Michelle Hunter's book Building in Color. This one is knit in ten strips each using 2 - 3 colors of yarn. I am working on the second strip and have already learned things! It's nice to be filling in the gaps in my education.

I'm still going to physical therapy. We were rear-ended in a car accident in September of 2018 that moved vertebrae L3 about 1/4". My L4-L5-S1 vertebrae were fused together with cement made from my hip bone and screws in 2011. Well the spinal canal in L3 is much smaller than before the accident and is now full of arthritis and more so all of the nerves are again being pinched. This includes both sciatic nerves (right and left). It gets rather painful at times and it is difficult to move. The PT will continue a few more weeks and I'll start injections in early December. If need be, L3 will be moved back and fused to the vertebrae below. For now, I don't get a lot of exercise but I am able to sew some, I can knit, and I'm very good at taking naps!

Life could be worse but I'm hoping is gets better soon.

Sunflowers, quilting, and more

Does anyone else find it hard to blog these days? Life goes on but we don't have much excitement - maybe that's good! 

Last week we went to a sunflower maze at Straddle Creek Gardens in Lanark, Illinois. This is Ray's picture of the entrance to the maze.

There were just a few people there, early on a gorgeous day. The 'maze' was really a walk through the sunflowers. 

Whenever there was a fork in the path, a question was posted. Depending on your answer, you went right or left. We pursued all wrong paths and all right paths. 

The wrong paths were very short, maybe 20-40' in length and worked great if a group was coming; they could pass without being near us.

I've been playing with some Magic Star blocks. Joy of The Joyful Quilter fame shared a tutorial last March. Using two 10" squares, I quickly and easily made these two 9" blocks.

I had a plain orange layer cake and decided to use it with white. I played with a variety of layouts and settled on this one. 

I think I'll add a small white border and put this top in the to-be-pinned pile.

I don't have any quilt finishes but I have other finishes. First, I'll share the first Jesse Masks for DS1 and his family. The picture was snapped before I added ear/around the head straps. School is coming and kids need masks. These are custom-made according to each person's face measurements. Measuring and fitting long distance has been interesting. We'll know this week if the masks fit.

I finished this cotton/silk sweater for me. It is extremely comfortable and feels nice even in hot weather.

I also knit this hat from some leftover yarn I had. I'm not sure who will end up with it; I need to keep my hands busy so I made it.

Hopefully I'll have a finished quilt to share in a few days. Have a great day! 

#StaySafe #WashYourHands #KeepYourDistance #WearYourMask 

Two finishes in addition to more masks

I quilted Blue with Yellow Jelly Roll Race while we were waiting for more interfacing to make face masks. I just finished hand sewing the binding down.

The jelly roll, Butterfly Effect from Benartex fabrics, has been in my stash for a long time. I grabbed it to take to a retreat in March. That retreat seems like it was years ago.

I decided to add yellow between the strips to add a little pop of color.

This donation quilt is 55" by 65". I quilted it with a walking foot, stitching on each side of the seams using Aurifil 50-weight, #2715 light blue thread.

I had the backing, a water spot, light blue, in my stash.

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My other finish is a short sleeve sweater that I began a year ago. I frogged it (ripped it out) 6 months ago and started over. 

The color is off in this photo - the sweater is navy.

I had it almost finished in February but did not like the side detail on the bottom. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to just finish it. What a surprise - the bottom sides weren't done! The LAST line of the pattern had one more instruction. Now it looks fine!

The pattern is Sunbird Top by Quenna Lee and I absolutely love my sweater. I used Berroco Summer Silk yarn (Dk yarn with silk, cotton, and nylon). It is so soft.

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We continue to make face masks. Our inventory went to zero a few days ago. Since then, we have made more. In addition to doctors and hospitals, we have sent masks to family and friends. 

Our newest design is using a casing for the strap. The loop goes behind the head above the ears and then the two ends are tied below the ears behind the head. This design uses a 4' strap versus four 18" sewn on straps. That saves 2 feet of material. Materials are hard to come by so we are doing our best to conserve what we have.

When things are bad, remember:

It won't always be this way. Take one day at a time.

When things are good, remember:

It won't always be this way. Enjoy every great moment.

-Doe Zantamata

Stay safe and wash your hands.