inching toward a challenge

since starting quilting 40 years ago, there are now national teachers who have stopped teaching and traveling.  among those that i wish i had taken classes with is ruth mcdowell.  at the beginning of my quilting career, her instruction was way beyond my expertise; later on she was doing only 3-day workshops that were way beyond my budget.  i got her book from the library recently and am poring over the details of her technique....

 why you ask?  for this...

this photo was taken in boothbay harbor a few years ago....this garden was on the corner at a bank and snapped the pix as the beauty of these snapdragons and the color combo were just stunning.  i want to make a wall quilt using ruth mcdowell's technique.  the fabrics are on hand already (Marden's) but until now too timid to attempt.  first step is to enlarge photo...next to fedex office for a bigger version.  freezer paper is on hand as well.  from time to time will give updates...this is out of my quilting comfort zone but just have to try anyway.  first tho, gotta renew my book....

bevy of bows

monthly bee yesterday yielded this smallish bevy of bow tie blocks for the UFO in progress...

while hesitating to solidly (no pun) commit to particular goals, there is a sort of plan for the snail-like dwindling pile of projects in process and this is one...it's my busy box take along and think still need around 150 or so of these little bow tie blocks.  my conundrum is that i want to work on ALL the UFOs every day, humanly impossible though it may be.  few more necessary tasks and the day is mine....peaceful quilting to you all!

vicky and bertie

barbara brackman's 2019 sew along is "stars in her crown" referring to the 9 children of queen victoria...each block is named for one of the children....the sew along is 2 weeks old and happy to say am current....

late start was partly due to fabric selection but once i found one, the rest were easy.  chose some of my faves including a blue (naturally!) and am really liking them so far...these are 8.5" blocks for a smallish wall quilt with sashing yet to be chosen....with plenty of jo morton fabrics on hand, should be easy peasy!

snow sewing

hunkered down in the apartment for the weekend proved to be quite productive....first got my 'antebellum album' blocks sewn into a flimsy...

a narrow border is next...had hoped enough of one of the pinks would be on hand but doesn't appear so....that is the drawback of buying half yards or FQs....but have a couple of other options to try....then have to start on barbara brackman's new sew-along, already 2 blocks behind....next, the donation quilt binding is ON....yes, do believe will have a big quilt finish this month....that'll make 2 official UFOs gone which is 2 more than got done last january....so now the hoop is holding this...

one of 4-5 amish style quilts on the UFO list that is just about half quilted.  will this get finished in january too??  remains to be seen....oh and i've planned another for that scrap bag of cherrywood solids i've been hoarding...but concentrating on NO MORE STARTS until more get finished.   ***  both sun/mon mornings got woken up by snow plow....imagine!  that seldom happens here in the south...but lucky to be able to turn over and go back to sleep....thinking today will be another snow sew day...isn't it grand!