An update and a finished table runner

A couple of weeks ago, a 'local' quilt shop had an online demo for making slab quilt blocks. I have done this before and decided it was a good activity for me right now. I decided that all of my pieces would be squares or rectangles, something I have never done. 

After making four large slabs, I decided that I would not have enough scraps of this color to make a quilt and I really didn't want to cut into yardage. Then it occurred to me that I needed to make a table runner for a new piece of furniture. 

The color was perfect and I had plenty of scraps to make the 23" by 63" runner. I free-motion quilted this with the open paisley motif. The paisley motif is a favorite of mine and I was anxious to try open paisley. I used 40-weight, Aurifil #2600 Dove gray thread.

The front of the quilt uses batiks with a gray grunge for the sashing and border. The backing and the binding are a cotton from my stash. I'm not a purist and have no problem mixing batiks and regular cottons.

Now the quilt resides in its intended place. The batiks pick up the colors in the wall hanging, an old church window.

Another view.

And one last close up showing the quilting.

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Other than quilting...

I've made just 5 masks since I last posted! I think we have 12 masks in our inventory at the moment. I leave the elastic loosely knotted on the masks until the new owner adjusts it. They can then move the knot into the casing. I don't know if we are done making masks but it is nice not to be making masks or waiting for supplies on a daily basis.

Ray and I made 2 fleece blankets. We have a young friend, Brynn. Every year she has a day for her friends to meet and make blankets. Then Brynn takes them to UW Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. Brynn has spent a lot of time as a patient in this hospital and enjoys donating the blankets. This year we aren't gathering together; we need to make them on our own and get them to Brynn.

And we've been cleaning. Yuck! Well, it needed to be done. Every closet, cupboard, bookcase, file cabinet, piece of furniture, every nook and cranny on the main floor of our house is getting cleaned. I think about 2 more hours and this will be done! The upstairs of our home is my studio - all 3 rooms. They get cleaned often and the four huge dormer closets get done every few years so we'll pass on the upstairs. The basement is on my list but we'll take at least a week off before beginning. 

I hope you have a good weekend.

#staysafe #washyourhands #wearyourmask #bekind

A few projects finished!

I have a few projects completed.

Last year Ray and I attended Brynn's Blanket Party.  She has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and is treated at University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital aka American Family's Children Hospital. At her party, we all made fleece blankets to donate to the hospital. We will most likely be traveling at the time of the party this year so I made a couple of blankets to give her to donate.

The dachshund blanket has a red back and is 54" square. I tied the front and back pieces together like people normally do with a square knot.

The gray and pink blanket has a pink back and is also 54" square. Ray and I cut a small slit at the top of each pair of front and back pieces. Then we pulled the two pieces through the slit. It took more time but turned out cute.

The Pink and Yellow Flannel Baby Quilt is done. This donation quilt is about 47" square.

The quilt was folded and I did not get on the floor to flatten it.

I made this quilt as a rectangle 5 squares wide and 10 squares long. Then I cut from the upper left corner to the middle point of the right side. I also cut from the bottom left corner to the same middle point of the right side. I sewed the two cutoff pieces together matching what was the top of the quilt to what was the bottom.This piece became the left half of the quilt and was sewn to the right half. I couldn't find instructions so I decided to try it my way and it worked fine!

The front is all flannels that I found in my stash. The back is a brushed cotton that was also in my stash. I used some of the leftover fabric from the front on the back. 

The quilting is a stipple with small flowers. I used Aurifil #2423 pink 50-weight thread.

I also finished Deb's Extras. My friend Deb gave me her Kaffe Fassett layer cake scraps at a quilt retreat last summer. I cut the pieces to 5" squares and made this quilt. The small blues squares are made of fabric from my stash.

This donation quilt finished at 50" by 59". I quilted this with a carnation motif using Aurifil 50-weight #1231 lime green thread.

The back is a green that was in my stash and seemed to look good with the front.

I think I have 16 quilts in the donation pile. I'm not sure how much sewing will get done before we leave in May. I have lots of projects started so if I find some time, I definitely have something to sew.