Dilly Flowers

After a couple of weeks of appliqueing, my Dilly Flowers is a top!

So happy to have this done!  I've been busy frankenpiecing batting pieces for this top.  This is a lap size top, so pulling batting pieces for this is much easier than for a full size top.   My hubby asked why not use the roll of batting instead?  Smaller pieces just need to be used up first; otherwise, things will get out of control!  You all know how that is, don't you?  LOL

I just want to bring to your attention that the vine design is not mine.  It came from Shutterstock.com but changed it up to my liking by using different leaves and adding in dots.

Next up is this project.  This ufo was a guild challenge from a number of years ago.  Imagine my surprise to find nine blocks done instead of just six blocks!  These will become a wall hanging .... so not too much work involved.

This week, three deer came by for a visit looking for whatever they could munch on.  These two came and moved on rather quickly.  Seems like they couldn't find much to eat.

This smaller deer was busy tearing up something right at the roots.  I'm thinking that was a hosta and we all know how only a bit of that root will spring forth a plant.  So, not too worried.

Days later, replace that sunshine for snow .... we are having a snowstorm.  March is trying its' best to go out like a lion!

While we are dealing with snow, I'm also dealing with a case of shingles.  Very painful.  I could have sworn that my doctor gave me a needle for shingles.  Apparently not!

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Pyramids

Here it is .... my "Pyramids".   All done and ready for hanging come August/September when the autumn quilts come out for display.  This was done using EPP method.

Quilt Details:

Source:   Inspired after seeing Canadian Needle Nana making pyramids to make some too.  EQ7 came to the rescue and viola .... here is my version all done by using EPP (English Paper Piecing) method.

Started:  August 2022

Top Finished:  November 2022

Quilt Finished:  February 2023

Size:  50-1/4" x 68-1/2" (top size before quilting:  51-1/2" x 70")

Batting:  Hobbs poly

Machine quilted by:  Kathy Wareham using "Maidenhair Fern" quilting pattern.

There is no sleeve (temporary strips for hanging pinned in place on the back of quilt) on this quilt yet .... so it may be hung the other way.  

Looking at this quilt reminds me that I purchased "Sugar Top" pattern from Bonnie Hunter.  It is similar, but different.  That pattern is on my 'to do' list using plaids and stripes and solids.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Dilly Flower surfacing again

This month, my Dilly Flower will be worked on again.

I was going with the applique on the layout shown below, but that got scrapped.

This will be the new applique that will be sewn.   The look is daintier and I'm much happier now and can finally move on with this project. 

Once I was happy with the layout .... with a few changes ..... I got right into doing prep work for the applique.

Before I knew it, one half of the applique has been done.  Now onto the last half and then time for borders!

Edit 23/03/2023:  the vine design is not mine .... I got the image from Shutterstock.com .... just changed it up a bit to my liking by adding in different leaves and dots.

Lots of green for St. Patrick's Day!  

Our area is due for some kind of storm .... will it be rain or snow?  Right now, we are on the cusp of snow to the north and rain to the south.  It will be interesting to see what happens as the day goes on. 

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Circles is a top!

Yeah me!  I'm so pleased to have this top done.  Do you like my ombre look border?  I love it,  but it was a bit of a pain to do.  Those strips of fabrics were moved around again and again and sewn, ripped undone and resewn countless times.  It was so worth it in the end .... but ..... and I will leave it at that!  LOL

A line of stitching was done around the perimeter of the border to prevent seams popping open while at the LAer.

Notice that all my seams (except for the outer border seam) have been pressed open?  I'm starting to do this more and more.  If I do, my stitch length is reduced (that is why it was more difficult to rip out) to prevent any threads popping many years from now.  This top will need a real good pressing before going for machine quilting.  

So, why do I prefer to press open the seams?   For my quilts that I keep, I actually prefer the look once it has been machine quilted.  Also, with all the white background fabrics, there is an even look on all the seams because those white fabrics are sort of see-through and it would be noticeable to see some seams and no seams (because of being pressed to the darker fabric).   I'm just fussy .... and we can leave it at that too.  LOL

Onto the next project!

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Rounding up the circles!

I still am not done appliqueing the circles onto some of the neutral square fabrics ..... but couldn't wait and just had to start sewing some of the nine patch blocks together to test out my border idea.   This project is coming together quite nicely!

Before I knew it, all the circles were done!  Time to finish sewing the sections together!

Jack the Ripper had to come out ..... somehow I goofed and switched one half row and sewed it together.  It was only when I started to pin the entire row for sewing that I noticed the issue.  At first, I thought that a lot of ripping had to be done, but after looking closer, I realised that all that was needed was to rip out a row of six circles and turn the block 180 degrees and the issue would be fixed.  Whew, that was easier that first thought.  Fixed and time to carry on!

Now, for the border .... I decided that an ombre effect would be quite nice and different and that is what I'm doing.  There are a lot of red fabrics in my stash and to achieve this ombre effect will be quite easy to pull fabrics.

Life has been busy here lately ..... Dr. appointments for hubby, volleyball games and girl hockey games .... yep, busy, busy, busy!

To my Mother, wherever you are .... happy 105th birthday!  You are truly missed each and every day and we can't believe it has been 15 yrs. since you passed!

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

Circles coming around!

Much progress has been made on my red/neutral circles wall hanging!

Not all the circles have been appliqued onto the neutral squares .... only about 1/4 left to do.

Cherish your day, cherish your life!

February and March Binding Challenge

The end of February cheated us of a few days when we are used to either 30 or 31 days in a month .... but I got my quilt finished just in the nick of time!

No-blog Mary was ahead of me this month.  My quilt didn't have it's binding on yet and with only two days to go ..... whew got there in the end.

This is Mary's quilt for February:

and this is my quilt (another post to follow on this quilt):

Now, for March, Mary put her hand in the garbage bag and out came this quilt.  She never knows what she will pull out .... always a surprise.  I had to ask her about this quilt.  She thinks it was a Super Bowl mystery but can't remember when she made it; but she had to concentrate a lot while doing it.  The size is a queen.  Yikes, that will keep her busy!

My March quilts to bind will, hopefully, be these two.  I want to get them done and to the lady that is organizing a May drop-off to the women's shelter.  At least one will get done and the second quilt will be a BONUS!

You know how some birthdays just come and go without much fuss?  Well, I just had my 16th blog birthday on the 22nd of this month!  Sixteen years of blogging!!!  OMG.  The thing is, I forgot all about it!  What a time this has been.  Oh my, I remember my first post and wondered if anyone would be interested to even read my blog and, yes,  you are still reading me.  Thank you for your support!  Sixteen years ago, there were so many quilting blogs and I do miss quite a few of my favourite blogs that are no more.  How many more years will this blog be still running?  As long as there is something up on my design wall and my fingers can still work their magic, then there is something to write about.  Time will tell.  

It is snowing here again this morning.  We have at least 2' of packed snow in our backyard.  It will take a while before that snow melts once the warmer weather arrives.  Will March come in like a lion or a lamb?  It is supposed to be nice and sunny tomorrow with temp around zero.  If so, then end of March will see a blizzard or another snowstorm.

As far as snow goes, we haven't had as much this year.  It has been a crazy winter so far.  We've had a good share of snow, but also days of rain which has packed down the snow a lot.  There has also been balmy days resulting in a good melt of snow during those days.  Spring is around the corner .... just what corner?  LOL

Cherish your day, cherish your life!