February Goals

First February goal is to finish my Tree of Life quilt top for A Lovely Year of Finishes. I've been working on this for a long time! I love designing my own tops but it takes more time to make with lots of decisions! Falls under 'The Pleasure is in the Process'. With most of them made now, it's on to finishing the top...

Second is to work on Lori @ Humble Quilts QAL ~ MidWinter Blues. Got a start on my cutting...

This is Lori's finished top

 and the antique inspiration quilt that she is working from...

I love this antique quilt and am toying with the idea of reproducing it for my project. Love how the alternating blocks form another pattern and how, altho set on point, looks like a straight set.

Third is to continue on with the Amaretto Cottage BOM with Janie. She and I got started on the next block last Wednesday, there are four of these, this is one of mine...

Fourth is to make the first block in Barbara Brackman's new BOM Threads of Memory...

 

Kathy, a quilter participating in A Lovely Year of Finishes posted her finish (#66) for January and it's her Civil War Sampler top from Barbara Brackman's 2011 Civil War BOW!  It really got me thinking about my sampler and getting that back on to my list of goals for this year. My January finish is #87 the NYD Mystery quilt top. Last night I finished quilting it so it is also quilted for a finish!

Lofty goals considering all I have going on this month switching out longarms and reorganizing my studio. It will be a fun month, once I shake this cold off!

Have a great Super Bowl Weekend!

 

2014 Civil War BOM ~ Threads of Memory

Forgot to mention this morning, Barbara Brackman is hosting a new Block of the Month for 2014 on her Civil War Quilts blog. Here is her post. Today's post is the last block for Dixie Diaries which wraps up the blocks for this year's block of the month.

Threads of Memory starts January 25th 2014 and will be posted once per month ~ the last Saturday of each month. These will be 12 inch blocks, no applique (one per month, not a BOW).

From her post:
"The theme Threads of Memory refers to the Underground Railroad. Each month you'll get a block named for an important place in the story of the network that assisted slaves on the road to freedom. We'll explore true stories of people who lived in slavery, escaped on the "Liberty Line" or helped the fugitives."

Becky will be making two versions and Dustin will add his own flair by doing two versions as well, one all in one fabric :0) I plan to play along and may tie it in with my Mom in some way. She has dementia and Threads of Memory has a whole new meaning in our world. Mom did allot of cross stitch through out her life and I am thinking of including pieces of her work in the quilt.

Will be fun to see who all joins in for this one. How about you? A flickr site was set up in 2011 and I imagine it will be using for this project. Yep, just went over there and checked, Dustin already has a thread about it.  The Dixie Diary blocks are posted there now. Here is a link. You will also find a link on Barbara's blog, it's a photo of a woman holding a camera. Sweet!

Also posted by Barbara Brackman on her blog a couple of weekends ago... for anyone a bit more ambitious, looking to start a new Civil War block of the week... here is her post about Elm Creek's book ~ Loyal Union Sampler   Also a good choice for a new project in 2014!

First book for American Homestead

Ellen Murphy at American Homestead has her first book coming out soon :0)

Just wanted to give a shout out. It's nice to see a fellow blogger making it in the quilting arena. I first 'met' (online) Ellen while working on Barbara Brackman's Civil War BOW. Both of us have blocks that Ms. Brackman included in her Civil War Sampler book too. Since then we both participated in Barbara's next BOW, Grandmother's Choice and Ellen is finishing up on Dixie Diaries.

The best part is that Ellen not only made her blocks, she posted them as a tute each week. They are the best! Especially for many of the CW blocks were we were cutting with 1/16th of an inch increments!!! A challenge but fun :0)

I know first hand how well Ellen can put directions together! She also has her own patterns and is now a vendor (she was at Houston market this year). Ellen is also well traveled. I enjoy following on her blog with projects, tutes, travel and food! Loved her trip to Holland :0)

This is a link to her blog. Wishing you the best Ellen!

Enjoy your weekend

Groetjes, Jo (Dutch for Greetings :0)

 

UFOs for November

Well, my list doesn't look much different from October's! I did make progress on the Tree of Life project...

Not pictured are more HST's sewn into sashing that will go around the center block or as a sawtooth border or both. Will see how many there are left when I get there ;0) Brandie (ABC blog) and I are planning to get together and get her started on growing some trees!

Still have these two to get back to. Backing for the flimsy above and to finish the blue and white top below.

One of my distractions is a BOM one of my customers wants to make. She asked me to help her with the blocks. It's a gorgeous quilt called Amaretto Cottage, a 2012 BOM by Marianne Elizabeth of Classically Home.

It's gorgeous as are the fabrics! Wouldn't this be nice in Civil War fabrics! Several of the blocks are the same or similar to blocks we made in Barbara Brackman's BOW and in her Civil War Sampler book.

Janie and I will be meeting today to finish the first block and set some goals. She is doing amazing, recovering from knee surgery, she is ready to get going on this beauty!

I am linking to Carrie's ~ A Passion for Applique ~ Nothing But UFOs in 2013...

November, wow this year wrapping up too fast! Holiday commercials are up and running. The wind looks like it's let up for today. After 3 or 4 days of wind, it's really looking like Fall around here!

Enjoy your day, stitching away!