“Friendship, love, health, energy, enthusiasm, and joy
are the things that make life worth living and exploring.” ~ Denise Austin

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

To-Do Tuesday #17

This is my 17th week of linking with Home Sewn By Us for To-Do Tuesday.

Here is my list from last week and my progress

To-Do Tuesday for the Week of April 21 through April 27:
  1. Work on the mini quilt from the online class quilting and binding.yes
  2. FMQ the yellow brick road quilt and practice FMQ on other projects...for at least 4 days this week.yes
  3. Work on at least one of my other quilt projects and maybe start another quilt from my list to make.yes
1 I finished the hand quilting and added some more machine quilting and trimmed the edges.  And now I am ready to add the binding
2 I did FMQ for 4 days this week on the practice potholder and the yellow brick road quilt.  I switched to some new designs by Lori Kennedy...Claire's peony and forget-me-not.  I didn't take a photo.
3 I worked on the pineapple paper piece quilt

I made a new...what I call...Homemade Paper Booklet.  Here is the photo of the old one and the new pages I sewed together for the new one.

Here is how I make them.........I fold legal size paper twice.  I stitch on my sewing machine in the fold of 3 or 4 papers together.  I use a total of 10 papers for each book.  Then I put Washi tape on the edges to make pockets to put cut out pieces of old file folders.  I put Washi tape to join the sections together.  I use this for practice stamping before I put the stamp in a project and record ink types and colors.  I use it for paint swatches with the names of the paint and brush used.  I also jot down techniques and reminders of procedures mostly in my creative journals and new techniques I learn from online classes.  

To-Do Tuesday for the Week of April 28 through May 4:
  1. Finish the mini quilt asymmetrical log cabin
  2. Finish the last 3 pineapple paper pieced blocks
  3. Participate in Quarantine Quilt Along Round 2 with GE Designs. 
It is hard to resist a quilt along.  Gudrun has a new pattern called Hope and it is available with a small charity donation to several charities she has chosen.  The Live FB Broadcast will be May 3rd and will also be on YouTube.   

Do you like to sew along with thousands and thousands of quilters all over the world.............it will be fun this Sunday.  Check out more about it and join.  Let me know if you are going to join the quilt along.


Be sure to check the link for Linky #38 and join in the fun!

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

To-Do Tuesday #16

This is my 16th week of linking with Home Sewn By Us for To-Do Tuesday.

Here is my list from last week and my progress
To-Do Tuesday for Week of April 14 through April 20:
  1. Make a decision of what to do with these two mini quilts.  And possibly make two more from the series in the class (4 different mini quilts in the series) yes
  2. Work on at least one sewing/quilting project every day.yes
  3. Work in my creative journal and online class projects every day.yes
1 I decided to make the larger of the mini quilts from the online class into a wallhanging and I have the binding and backing picked out.  The smaller one will be a mug rug and I will not be making the other two mini quilts in the series at this time.

2 I worked on making masks and here is a photo with me wearing one of them.  We wear them on our walks in the neighborhood.
I also made several more Stitch Meditations

For my zen stitching I love going to my scraps of fabric and in less than a minute I find scraps that want to be together.  Then my needle leads the way in stitching........and the running stitch seems to win out.  But I like it!

3 Here are two pages that I finished....I am behind in this creative journal!  But I have worked on it and the online class journal every day and I am making some progress.  

To-Do Tuesday for the Week of April 21 through April 27:
  1. Work on the mini quilt from the online class quilting and binding.
  2. FMQ the yellow brick road quilt and practice FMQ on other projects...for at least 4 days this week.
  3. Work on at least one of my other quilt projects and maybe start another quilt from my list to make.
I am linking to  Roseanne's    Linky #37

Be sure to check it out and join in the fun!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

To-Do Tuesday #15

This is my 15th week of linking with Home Sewn By Us for To-Do Tuesday.

Here is my list from last week and my progress

To-Do Tuesday for Week of April 7 through April 13:
  1. Do more stitch meditations yes
  2. Work on at least one of my sewing/quilting projects every day yes
  3. Paint..journal...document in my creative journal and 2020 Artfully Inspired Life journal every day yes
1 I did one more zen stitching......#15 Stitch Meditation
I used some pieces from mask making....and I made 4 masks this past week.  I will make more....we gave one to a neighbor and I am not sure how many more to make.  I am going to try a different pattern.

2  I worked on a sewing/quilting project every day and I like that I wasn't specific in this goal!!  I like to work on a lot of different projects. 
Several days ago I stitched on a project from last year because I wanted something to hand quilt.  I mentioned it in my last blog post with a photo.  It is from a Bluprint class by Suzy Williams.  It is about making mini quilts and using an improv style following her guidelines.  They were supposed to be similar in size to group them in a wall hanging...but I made the second one too large.  She just frames her little minis with the batting showing and no back.  

3  I did work in my creative journal and worked on online class projects every day.

Here is a photo I took today (tiny more quilting done of the one on the left since Sunday post) of the 2 mini quilts from the Bluprint class.
The one on the left is asymmetrical log cabin and I kept making my strips too large and it got larger than the first one!  These are both very fun little quilts to make.

To-Do Tuesday for Week of April 14 through April 20:
  1. Make a decision of what to do with these two mini quilts.  And possibly make two more from the series in the class (4 different mini quilts in the series)
  2. Work on at least one sewing/quilting project every day.
  3. Work in my creative journal and online class projects every day.
I liked those goals from last week.....so I am repeating 2 and 3 same as last week!!

I am linking to  Roseanne's      Linky #36

Be sure to check it out and join in the fun!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Easter Slow Sunday Stitching

Today was a rainy day and good to stay inside and stitch or paint or cook.  I did all three of these.

I am linking this post to Slow Sunday Stitching.. 


The stitching I did was from a project I started last year and it is from a Bluprint class by Suzy Williams.  I blogged about it last year.  It is in the class
Fabric Play:  Sewing Mojo Minis 
and I really like that class.  I watched it yesterday again and decided I wanted to make more of the minis.....THEN I remembered I didn't ever finish the hand stitching on one from last year.  It is an asymmetric log cabin mini. So I am enjoying this stitching today.


Happy  Easter everyone....we had a low key day.  We did some texting with the family and I looked at some old photos.  I made meatball pasta tonight....so easy and so yummy!


I am linking to Kathy's Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching

Be sure to see what everyone else is doing

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

To-Do Tuesday #14

This is my 14th week of linking with Home Sewn By Us for To-Do Tuesday.

Here is my list from last week and my progress

To-Do Tuesday for Week of March 31 through April 6:
  1. Do more Stitch Meditations yes
  2. Do more FMQ on the yellow brick road quilt 
  3. Work on online class lessons yes
  4. Spend time each day in my creative journal yes
1 I did 2 more zen stitching and my last blog post describes this one that I finished yesterday.  
This is #14 and the last blog post has a photo of #13

The next photo is the first mask that I finished yesterday and it is from the Jenny Doan tutorial.  In that last blog post I listed some links to some tutorials for mask making.
2 I did not work on any FMQing
3 and 4 I worked on these two goals.  I did post a page in one of my FB groups

To-Do Tuesday for Week of April 7 through April 13:
  1. Do more stitch meditations
  2. Work on at least one of my sewing/quilting projects every day
  3. Paint..journal...document in my creative journal and 2020 Artfully Inspired Life journal every day

I am linking to  Roseanne's  linky #35

Be sure to check it out and join in the fun!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Slow Stitching and mask making

I am linking again to Slow Sunday Stitching.. 
Last Sunday I posted about my zen stitching piece that I had some indecision and put it away until another day.  I did finish it this week and took a photo.  I also finished the liberated log cabin mini quilt and info about it is in my last blog post.


The next photo shows the batik fabric I am using for masks and the purple is binding for ties.  
I just started another zen stitching using the doctor and nurse fabric and the end pieces I cut from the 10" batik squares.  I will finish this Stitch Meditaiton this evening.
  I needed 6 x 9 pieces for the masks I am making first and those little leftover pieces just needed to be in this stitchery!
I have been thinking of all the caregivers and everyone involved with this battle to stop the virus.   We are doing our part by staying home....only go out once a week for groceries.  


I have been researching mask making and have a list of several sites with tutorials for anyone who is interested.  There are a lot of tutorials available but this is just a few I saw:

Jenny Doan from MSQC quick and easy


Leah Day mask with filter pocket

an easy simplified pocket mask using t-shirt ties


The Crafty Quilter another kind of mask




Be sure to check what everyone else is doing today!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl