First four finished!

 Making progress on the Spirit of Sacagawea project, just in time probably for keeping on schedule with doing two per month.   Too many other things going on in April to worry about it too much though.

This is the fourth block, it's called Deer Fern.  It's too late to rethink the idea of using only from my stash and after twelve blocks I hope I'll think they have a certain charm.  Right now I'm just not loving them, likely because I'm far out of my comfort zone in color and style.  I think it's good to move out of the box and have no doubt that in the end I will have learned many new things just for having gone through the process.

This is what really has me excited this week.  I have all the blocks together now, the borders ready to add, and I'm on my own quilting schedule.  Add to that a cancellation at the exact right time so I don't have to feel panicked about getting it done.  Hooray!!

Major accomplishment...no pics...

Finally...after all these months...I have put the last dot on the last of my sixteen applique blocks.  Began cleaning, starching and readying for trimming them.  Also finished 80 half square triangles to incorporate into the border.  They seem big to me but since they aren't sewn in yet I'm hoping they'll visually shrink a bit.  My blocks will finish 15" and the half square triangles are 3", making five per block, easy math.  I may yet need  to experiment with 2 1/2".   I'm on my own quilting schedule for next week, I sure hope that will be enough time :)

Block #3 - Spirit of Sacagawea

Here is my third block of this project.  I like how it turned out and it's "right on" the size, go figure!  Anyone doing these blocks knows I did not stay true to the book and anyone who pieces had evidence that I am not a perfectionist.  I was short on the light background fabric, not just short for doing the outer triangles but even short for the inside ones.  I found a good substitute.  Still in all, it's finished and I like it...what else matters?

My lucky day!!

Oh my, I just have to share my good fortune.  At our guild meeting there is always a long table in the back of the room where people share what they no longer need.  The variety is incredible.  I'm always searching little bits of textural print scraps or pretty little 'flower garden' prints and such.  Today my sister, JoAnn, and I were searching through the mountain of cast aways (mind you, they are always adding more to the table).  Suddenly, JoAnn handed me a stack of blocks with a giant safety pin in the center.  Wow!  They are gorgeous.  I asked where she found them and she said they had just put them out.  Unbelievable, and I am the lucky keeper of these amazing blocks.

There are eleven in all. 

Lovely double pinks and madder browns.

Hand pieced and lovingly stored.  I do not have any idea who brought these to the table but I want to say THANK YOU!!! They are in grateful hands and will be loved and appreciated.

Making ALL kinds of progress.

Four blocks done, twelve to go.  I absolutely love how this is turning out.  My little set back of the week...I had all the tiny purple dots (on the stamen of the orange stripe flowers) prepped, and Ratchet, my dear sweet not quite two year old pup, ATE them.  I found three but they were not usable.

I managed to get the door changed on my Spirit of Sacagawea cabin.  This is such an improvement.

 

One of the next blocks on this quilt is called "Baby Baskets".  I drew out a paper foundation of the block border and had to try it out to see how it would work...much better than my piecing skills.

Neat and tidy would be the word of the day (for this end of my studio).   In major need of spring cleaning but wanting to wait until I could get help moving my desktop computer.  Well, help arrived.  It wasn't really in my plan for last weekend but I never turn down assistance.  More pictures when the rest of the mess is taken care of.  Have a good week!

 

 

It's coming along nicely...

...if not for the deadline!!  Actually I think it's going well.  I have twelve of the fifteen center purple flowers ready to attach, which only leaves stamens and circles.  That shouldn't be too bad, right?  Oh, and borders.  They haven't been designed yet but I have ideas swirling in my head, most of them fairly simple.  I put this one on my schedule, it has to be ready for quilting by the second week of April and ready to deliver to Quilt Depot on the 20th (focus, focus, focus).  So many other new ideas keep intruding, distracting, begging for attention.  Not to be mistaken for other projects being worked on, these are completely new ones...like designing an applique of a close up view of barbed wire (random, ha?).  Back to work, just wanted to share my progress :)

New project in the works!

This is it!  Isn't it great?  Now there are two reasons for starting this project.  The first, and most important, is that I am working on it together with a great friend.  It's a perfect excuse to be able to spend some fun times with her.  We'll both be blogging as we go so be sure to check out what Nancy has to share on her blog at Hen House Studio.  The second reason, an exercise for me to use only from my stash.  This quilt has twelve blocks, six pieced and six appliqued.  We have a goal of completing two blocks a month for the next six months.  My first two blocks are now completed.  The Spirit of Sacagawea seems especially suited to my attention, maybe because we live in the Pacific Northwest and have always been aware of the Oregon Trail and Lewis & Clark.  Be sure to check out the authors blog, it's really wonderful.  I love their new fabric collection called Indigo Crossing...gorgeous! 

 This block is called Shining Star.  Possibly more commonly referred to as a lone star.  The block was to measure 18 1/2", I'm considering myself fortunate that mine made it to 18".  My scant 1/4" is never scant enough.  I didn't have quite enough of this background so I pieced it before I cut the pieces.  Almost impossible to see my seams in the busy print.

Nancy chose our applique block for this month.  It is called Log Cabin.  We changed our dogs to reflect our own pets.  Our Ratchet is an English Pointer.  I can nearly picture the early explorers hunting for pheasants with one of his ancestors.  I decided to add embroidery to the bird where the pattern showed quilting lines.  Only thing I'm not completely pleased with is my cabin door.  I may still change it...what do you think?  and change it to what??