Now We Have Four

Another one of our group has added her Swoon block to our wall. They aren't due until October. Hoping the rest of the ladies bring a block to share soon.

Today was not a good day. I managed to roll my ankle this morning. It's pretty swollen but I've been icing it all day long. Hoping it feels better by tomorrow.

In two weeks, I'll be packing all my sewing toys to go to a local retreat. I've gone a couple of times in the last two years and have always had a good time. My biggest problem is deciding what to bring.  I think I always bring too many projects. 

Time to get another bag of ice! 

Sew Something Spectacular........

Joyce

And Then There Were Three

I've had a really fast two days. I drove to Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday morning (yes in the mess of a snow storm). The roads were crappy almost all the way there. Two hours of nervous driving. Not really nervous about my driving, but you never know what the other guy is going to do. Regardless, I made it to my daughter's house without any major problems. By 2:30 were at the Eye Center for Sara to get tested for possible lasik surgery. We left the office at 5:00 pm. Yes, I drove in rush hour traffic! Sara's eyes were dilated so we decided I should drive. I'm a small town girl, so the traffic was a bit intimidating. Spent a lovey time having dinner with my daughter and my niece later in the evening.

The Swoon Blocks are coming along! I missed our weekly meeting, but there is another block added to the wall. Our goal is to have all our blocks ready for swapping by October! As I said....then there were three!

Drove home today, Wednesday....and haven't done much of anything. The weather was better today!

Hope some of you were able to get a little sewing in today. What are you working on today?

Joyce

I Love To Do Binding!

I know that many people don't like to bind, I find it very relaxing. I do lots of binding for my friends. Yesterday, I picked up 6 quilts from my longarmer. I will be starting those very soon. Another friend gave me two big quilts to bind for her. This should keep me busy for a little while. This is the stack I just picked up:

There are two big ones in the stack, but the rest of them are small baby sizes.

I have been making Quilts Of Valor for at least five years. My quilts have been sent all over the United States and Germany. I decided last year that I would like to make QOV's for the men from my high school class. Since we graduated in 1968, most of these men served in Viet Nam. As I work on these, it seems that one classmate leads to another. So far I have given four quilts to classmates. Each time I am in awe as these veterans are emotional with heartfelt thanks. One of them told me he was humbled and that it was the most precious gift he has ever been given. My list includes two other veterans, another Viet Nam vet and one who served two tours in Afganistan. The young man who served in Afganistan is a friend of my daughter. It took me awhile to make connections with him, but it was worth the effort. Look at that smile!

Hope you are having a fabulous February!

Quilt Retreat and Quilt Kit

Last November (2015), I attended my second quilt retreat. I have several friends that put these on at a local motel in Amish Country. I had always gone out for just a visit, but had never attended by staying for the full retreat. At the November retreat, I dug deeply and found a beautiful quilt kit that I had purchased at Mercantile On Main in Coshocton, OH. I'm not sure how many years ago that I bought the kit, lol. To maximize my time at the retreat I had pre cut all the fabric for each block. It sure made a difference in what I was able to finish. Well, almost finish! I have the top almost completely sewn together. There are just two rows and a few borders til it's finished.

This is what I started with:

Which turned into this:

Maybe I'll have it finished by this fall? One can only hope!

Joyce

A Quilt Finish

I don't think it matters how long it takes to get your quilt finished, as long as you finish it. I have so many WIPs that I don't even want to try to count them.

This is a quilt that I started when my daughter had hip surgery. She was 24 at the time and basically they call it a revision. We are hoping they have her all fixed up now. I purchased this quilt as a kit from a shop in Akron, Ohio during a shop hop. I love the pattern and the fabric. It was very easy to piece and the fabric yardage was very generous. Don't you hate it when you come up short? The pattern is called Hello Dahlia! by P&B Textiles and it's a free download on the site. This quilt came back to me last fall so this one was on the fast track! Only about a year and a half!

Hoping you are keeping up with your WIPs! Do you have any idea how many you have?

Joyce