Author: Mary

Another bear!

~ Mary ~ 13 Comments

I was laying down on the heating pad this afternoon when Finn started growling … that usually means he hears a deer outside the bedroom window. I checked the cameras and there was nothing caught on video out back so this one must have just been out of camera range until he walked from the driveway up the sidewalk and was caught on one of the front cameras! I went into Keith’s office to show him the video and the bear was outside his window crossing the street. Looks about the same size as the one last week so maybe he’s moved into the neighborhood?!

There won’t be any sewing today – I was cleaning the house getting ready for company and am paying for it dearly. The sciatica pain is intense. At this rate, I’m going to have to go in and have it looked at since I’ve given it over a month of “self” care and it’s just getting worse.

Assembled

~ Mary ~ 11 Comments

It’s insanely busy but it’s FUN! The I-Spy Double 4 patch top is done.

Brief quilt notes can be found on the website at this link.

At times like this I LOVE my big board. I’ve been suffering though a major bout of sciatica the last month and not having to crawl on the floor to measure and pin borders is a bonus!

See that bin on the left side of the photo above?! It’s times like this when I know I have no hope of ever using up the stash. I’ve pieced 3 tops from this bin of leftover novelty fabrics in the last week and you’d never know. Not that I mind it still being full. I love making these kids quilts and there will be many more Happy Block quilts in my future.

Every time I looked out the window today there were deer in the yard. This one strolled right by the window.

Quilted

~ Mary ~ 7 Comments

We had another stormy afternoon so I sewed blocks for the I-Spy Double 4 patch quilt. After Keith fell asleep, I came back downstairs and made the last 3 blocks and that one is now ready to assemble. I also quilted Suzanne’s string star – I’d loaded it yesterday but the weather hadn’t cooperated with me … darn those afternoon storms! Pantograph is Happy Times.

I’d like to get one more quilted this week and get the I-spy top assembled. Should be doable. I also finished knitting the blue scarf last night and the ends have been woven in. After I finish the Cowl that is still waiting to be closed up, I’ll let myself start another yarn project.

Thanks for the feedback

~ Mary ~ 12 Comments

I made the 9 blocks and after reading your feedback, I decided I’d continue on and make this a child size quilt as I intended. It is BUSY … but as I get more blocks made it’s just kind of fun. I’m tossing all kinds of novelty leftovers in this one!

I’m not pressing that last seam in the block until I’ve finished making them and have moved things around and am happy with the layout. I am planning a narrow finishing border just to frame the whole thing in the black print. Just 2 or 3 inches because I do not have much of that fabric.

I was supposed to be quilting this afternoon and I did piece a batting from leftovers and load a quilt on the longarm but storms were threatening most of the afternoon and I don’t turn the longarm on when I hear thunder!

Hopefully the weather will cooperate tomorrow and I’ll quilt. The rest of these blocks will go much quicker now that all the novelty squares have been cut – there are two of each one in this Double Four Patch I-Spy quilt too just like the Happy Blocks ones I just pieced.

Undecided

~ Mary ~ 10 Comments

I’ve got partial strips of the solids I’m using for the Happy blocks leftover … enough of them to use in their own quilt with the novelty scraps … so I debated something with a 9 patch or a 4 patch … I pulled a “neutral” and a possible framing border this afternoon.

Tonight, I just had to give some double 4 patch blocks a try. It’s BUSY! Now I’m trying to decide if it’s too busy and I’m waffling … I can always make a doll quilt with the blocks so I think I will make a few more blocks before I decide whether or not to abandon the child size quilt and just use the blocks in a doll quilt. Nine blocks would work size wise for the doll quilt so I’ll start with that and then make my decision.

Assembled

~ Mary ~ 4 Comments

I did have a little time downstairs today … I-Spy Happy Block top #2 is assembled. I’m debating between a snowball or double 4 patch I-Spy next …

That was fast!

~ Mary ~ 6 Comments

An hour and a half of sewing this afternoon and the 2nd set of Happy Blocks are ready to assemble. Depending on what Keith and I decided to do tomorrow, I may have some time to sew and could get them sewn together. If not, maybe Tuesday – Monday I’ll load and quilt a top. I want to get 5 quilted this month before we travel.

Dinner out

~ Mary ~ 2 Comments

We drove to Canton for dinner with the kids … there just happened to be a “festival” with a band downtown so we stopped by for a while after we ate to listen to the music. Pop and his girls might have had some ice cream afterwards too!

Assembled

~ Mary ~ 3 Comments

The first Happy Block top is assembled!

One pair will be a challenge for the boy to find … one fabric had a variety of vehicles and I wasn’t thinking when I cut the two squares … one has a fire truck and one a school bus …. Hopefully it won’t frustrate him too much! All the others should be easy to match up.

I’ve got the 2nd one cut and all ready to sew. In the past when I’ve made these scrappy Happy Blocks with HeartStrings I’ve just sewn a bunch of blocks ( enough for 2 or more quilts) and then tossed them up on the design wall and moved them around. This time I’m making them as iSpy quilts and each novelty fabric is in the quilt twice, that means I want them spaced out, and the frame colors to work well with their neighbors so it’s easier to plan it all out like this … on the first one I was constantly checking the placement as I cut and sewed … this one will be quicker to grab and sew since the placement is already planned out.

There are a number of different versions of these Happy Blocks on the website. As I mentioned, you can cut them any size you want. For these I’m making 30 blocks using squares cut 5.5 inches. Frames are cut 2.5 inches — the block will finish at 9 inches (9.5 with seam allowances and the quilts will finish at 45 x 54.

Here are the links to Happy Blocks on the website

Bear!

~ Mary ~ 14 Comments

I hadn’t picked up a bear this year on the cameras although Keith said a neighbor saw one walking down the street a couple months ago. I was a bit shocked when I checked the cameras this evening and found this video … Keith was in his office, I was in the sewing room and neither of us saw anything.