Small Preparations

 With November coming to a swift close, I've been slowly working on preparations for the Christmas season but also looking forward to a new year that will, hopefully, be a little less chaotic than 2020 has been. In my 70's now, I am much more aware of the need to "make every moment count." I cannot imagine what it is like for my 97-year-old father navigating all the mess especially these last few years have been in. At any rate, I have most certainly had a blessed life. I'm waxing a bit nostalgic as this last weekend I heard from my childhood friend that her mom (my second mom) is receiving care from Hospice in a care facility. This news not only makes my heart cave in but also reminds me of the goodness I have been surrounded by all my life. Thanks be to God! 

This morning I finished binding the third pocket "mug rug" I made for a pre-Christmas gift for our great-grandchildren. Each family can add a cookie and glass of milk or cup of cocoa for Santa on Christmas Eve. Last year I made a little home decor piece for each of the five married grandchildren (see below). I like the idea of mug rugs for gifts as they are cute and fairly quick to put together. I have thought about making table toppers/runners as gifts too but if I do that for this year's gifting, I'd better get on the ball!

I did some easy embroidery on the pocket part of the rug where a cookie (or maybe a wish list) can be inserted. For the top rug I used the Holly and Ivy block from Lori Holt's Vintage Christmas book and for the other two (and the pocket idea) I used The Crafty Quilter's pattern, Christmas Pocket Mug Rug.

Here are two of the five decor pieces I made for the grandchildren last year. I adapted an idea I saw on Pinterest here using my Silhouette and vinyl. 

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As I mentioned in the November 11th post, I have my two sewing machines set up to start a quilt and finish a quilt. . . I started making the half-square triangles (HSTs) for the flannel quilt and will begin sewing them into 11 rows of 23. 

Boy, am I glad to have the Triangle Square Up Ruler!

This last week the weather has been cool but not uncomfortably so and Clare was able to move all of the hay that was stored in the south bay of the big barn, to the new barn.

His plan is to convert the south bay of the big barn into a workshop outfitted with workbenches and shelves so he can be inside during the cold months and work on restoring his 1949 Ford tractor and any other manly projects he has. He's ordered some pendant shop lights and has both a propane and electric heater that he can use on the coldest days. He says, "It'll be every bit as well-appointed as your sewing room!" (which is pretty darn nice). 

It's a drizzly day out today and I've put a pot of clam chowder on for a warm-up-our-tummies afternoon meal. Speaking of meals, Clare and I will be enjoying a mini Thanksgiving dinner this coming Thursday; Herbed turkey breast, acorn squash, mashed red potatoes and gravy, and an apple-cranberry salad. Of course, I will also be preparing a pumpkin pie!

God's blessings,

Hazel

Honoring those who served. Veteran's Day - USA

 The last seven months have been particularly stressful what with the pandemic waxing and waning and a truly unprecedented battle for the White House; however, the election is over and for all intents and purposes the US is breathing a little easier. We know that there will be much hard work ahead to re-establish the things that the USA has always stood for . . . things that have been eroded over the last four years. I, for one, am hopefully optimistic that civility and kindness will once again prevail. 

The pandemic has most certainly changed our lives and made us much more aware of our fragility. At the same time, we've also experienced resilience and our innate ability to adjust. For me and my husband, the 'stay home/stay safe' agenda has provided an opportunity to get at many projects around the ranch that under normal circumstances would have continued to languish. Of course, many of the outdoor projects have been managed by my handy husband . . . his talents and skills never cease to amaze me. In the past 10 months he has:

• Replaced the seats, front and back, in our 1965 Mustang.
• Plowed and prepared the back six acres for grass and alfalfa seeding.
• Braced the back pasture fence with hog wire panels (to lessen the accumulation of trash that blows in from the south).
• Seeded the back six.
• Made and used an attachment to the skid steer to sift dirt for topsoil.
• Built a paved area in the back flower bed for pot plants.
• Installed metal lawn edging around the entire back garden.
• Purchased and used a mower, hay rake, and baler for three cuts of alfalfa/hay from our pasture.
• Installed a sprinkler system and new lawn for our neighbor.
• Rebuilt our neighbor's barn.
• Rebuilt fence along the entire east side of the property.
• Repaired two excavator's tracks.
• Planted twelve 10-gallon trees - Eight along the south side of the arena, two in the front yard, and two in the back yard.
• Built protective cages around the eight trees by the arena - protection from deer and horses.
• Put up a shelter for the livestock in the steer pen.

Those are just a few of the tasks and projects he has undertaken. It is no wonder that some of our grandsons say that Grandpa's middle name is WORK!

The most significant project, by far, was the rebuilding of our neighbor's barn. For the last ten years that we've lived here on Vine, Annette has allowed us to make use of the back of her property's pasture and barn for our horses and hay storage. It only seemed right that the barn, pretty rickety to begin with, should be at least shored up and made safer and more useable. Clare, being the perfectionist that he is, used only the four original corner posts and some of the timbers to completely rebuild the barn which now bears no resemblance to the old one.

All new.

As for my finishes (and starts) the last ten months, staying home has allowed time for completion of many quilts, table toppers, Bloem baskets, masks, cards, gardening, and good books. I must admit that for much of the time I've had to deal with constant pain which certainly slows down the pursuit of many outdoor projects and activities. However, I've learned to ignore or at least put up with pain and keep pressing on. Although it was slow-going, I did manage to plant in the Spring, weed during the Summer, and clear out the garden in the Autumn. Gardening gives me much pleasure and it has been a delight to see all the beautiful blooms, etc. over the Summer. I didn't get the Spring-blooming bulbs planted that I wanted to but I did divide and transplant the overgrown bed of iris. We had a really cold snap October 24th that made many of the shrubs and trees leaves turn brown instead of the gradual Jack Frost colors. It warmed up some the last week in October but as of this last Sunday, temperatures have hovered near freezing during the days. . . no more digging in the dirt this year!

Inventorying my sewing projects for 2020 (thus far) reveals: Seven table toppers, four mug rugs, six Bloem baskets, one Kitchenaid mixer cover (quilted), one soft toy, fourteen cotton face masks, six of 12 blocks for the Block-of-the-Month challenge of our quilt group, eight full-size (twin, throw, and queen) quilts, three wall quilts, and one top. Both my Viking and Brother sewing machines are set up to finish one quilt and work on a new flannel quilt (pattern and fabric that I've had since October 2018, I'm embarrassed to say!). Since March, I've not attended any of the meetings of the Tooele County Quilters because firstly, March through May's meetings were canceled, and secondly, being part of that 'at risk' group for COVID-19, I've been very hesitant about being in any gathering of more than ten people. However, it's been good to keep in touch via social media and I do okay sewing on my own (although talking to myself is getting old! Haha!) The one quilt I am most proud of was the Meadowland Quilt (pattern by Meghan Buchanan of Then Came June). 

Everything about this quilt was fun - the pattern, the fabric I chose, the construction, and the fact that I made it for my lifelong girlfriend who loves it.

I have gone on a card-making spree a few times in the last year too and renewed my enjoyment of playing with paper and ink. Of course, my Stampin'Up! demonstrator, Wendy Knowles, has been a wonderful enabler! Haha! 

These are just three of my favorite cards - two autumn-themed greetings and a birthday card for my dad who turned 97 October 11th. I've been watching YouTube videos from various card makers and experimenting with new-to-me techniques and different designs. 

My Reading Challenge on Goodreads I set at 30 books for 2020, and as of yesterday, I've actually read 43! I love to read and although most all of the books read this year have been on the computer (Kindle), I've got to say that almost every one has been enjoyable. The local library has been closed most of the last seven months, so getting physical books has been out of the question. I have bought a few hard/paperbacks to enjoy that real turning of the pages feeling!

Another very happy thing has come about as a result of  'pandemic isolation;' and that is, more frequent communication with faraway grandchildren, particularly, our granddaughter in Lubbock, Texas. In April she and I signed up for Jennifer Jangles' 30-Day Sampler Embroidery on-line class, received our kits at our respective locations by the end of the month and began stitching day by day the whole month of May. It was great fun to share notes on our progress and it inspired us both to do more stitching. Since then, it's been delightful to exchange cards and texts about what we're doing and what we're thinking about. McKenna is a smart, thoughtful young woman who has found her path in life, both in her marriage to a very fine fellow and in her career as a marketing and communication specialist for Lubbock Economic Development Alliance. Love her so very much. 

That is not to say that our other grandchildren and great-grandchildren have been any less of a delight and joy in our lives. Even though we don't get to see them often enough, we still get updates via texts, phone calls, or social media that brighten our days. Our third oldest grandchild, granddaughter Brittany, will be having our 7th great grandchild in January 2021 and we couldn't be happier, especially since this will be our third great grand girl! There is a special quilt in the making for the new little one . . . just sayin'! 

It has begun to snow again and I feel a nap coming on. Besides, the two dogs on their beds are looking comfy in their sleepy posture. 

Ta for now,

Hazel

Week I-Can't-Remember-How-Many (or, An Update)

Hi, hi! Still keeping ourselves in check here on Vine. Hard to believe that just a month ago we were pretty much oblivious to the terms "coronavirus," "shelter-in-place," etc. And, who would've thought that the world's sewists would be encouraged to make fabric masks for everyone! I want to be as vigilant as possible so I took on the mask task and so far have produced 14 of the bad boys (as my granddaughter called them! :). Just this morning I received texts, photos, and a video call from some of the great grands who had received their homemade masks in the post.

Here is our youngest great, Arabelle, showing off her pretty blue mask.

The pattern I used for the first 14 (I intend on making more), was from Sarahmaker and after the first one, I gradually figured out a streamline way of making one mask in about 30 minutes (to the designer's suggested 20 minutes). I see now that Sarahmaker also has this tutorial for a no-sew mask. These are a bit less sturdy than the sewn ones but would do in a pinch or if you needed a mask in a hurry. There are tons of tutorials popping up on the web but, aside from the one I've already used, I like this video tutorial from Jenny Doan and will probably make the others (and some backups) from her instructions. She uses just two pleats as opposed to the three (not so evenly spaced) pleats on the Sarahmaker tutorial. Fortunately, I just happened to have 1/8" elastic in my stash for the first 10 masks - especially for the little ones - but now am using 1/4" elastic which I also have in my stash.

Our second youngest
great looks like a stage coach bandit in his mask . . . my granddaughter said that he wore it all Sunday morning! Haha!

And then here is our seven-year-old great grandson with a "prop" - sanitizing spray. He definitely is a ham.



Speaking of great grands, great grandson Dawson (the bandit above) received the toy tote Bloem Basket I made and is thrilled with it and the various farm animal toys. Granddaughter Brittany said that he is all about farm animals and tractors and wants to come out here to the ranch and drive Grandpa's tractor. Well, maybe ride . . . !

There is a pig farm, a goat farm, and a horse ranch included with the toys. Love it!














Last Thursday morning I tripped on one of the dogs and a rug and landed hard on my knees. As a result my knees and lower legs, especially the right leg and foot, are swollen and sore and sporting some nasty-looking bruises. There goes wearing a fancy Easter frock . . . not that I have one! I would post a photo but it is not a pretty sight and I'm also rather embarrassed to show how clumsy I am! I did have a video chat with my doctor and he sent me to get X-rays to ensure there are no broken bones. I'm walking around okay, so that didn't seem likely and, as it turns out, the X-rays only showed lots of arthritis in both my ankles and knees. Duh! I already knew that! Nothing much to do except ice and elevate.

With my feet up, Chewy the dog finds a good spot to hang out.

This is a difficult time to not have regular worship services; however, our pastor decided to have two abbreviated services on Palm Sunday and during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday so that fewer people are in each service, thereby adhering to the "social distancing" guidelines. Our congregation is small anyhow and this new schedule is working well. It is also important to me for my spiritual well-being to be in the Lord's house at least once a week. 

Palm Sunday at First Lutheran.

A palm frond left by a member of the congregation that I tucked into my Easter door wreath. 

So, another week on Vine Street and looking forward to sunshine and the chance to get out in the yard - or what I like to call my Garden of Weedin'!

God's Peace,

Hazel

Out Like A Lamb

I would imagine that considering current events around the world that there will be a flurry of blog posts from otherwise errant bloggers, like myself. In any case, it seems appropriate that I lend my two cents to the fray if for no other reason than to update my friends and family on the ordinary and otherwise days on Vine Street!

As we all are very aware, the world has been turned upside-down with the coronavirus pandemic; however, and hopefully, we will adapt and "flatten the curve" together with attention to recommendations of social distancing, etc. Although there have been some gloom-and-doom stories in the news of late, there has also been an indication that most of us are kind and generous to our fellows. My fervent prayer is that we can all be comforted in God's unfailing love in Jesus Christ - especially at this time of year when His greatest love is given.

Adapting to new ways of socializing may be difficult in some circumstances but I must admit that being a rather solitary person by nature, I (and my sweet husband) am not finding it too hard. The telephone commercial from years ago about "reaching out and touching" (as in dialing the phone) is appropriate now, both on our phones and computers. Facetime and Skype are probably going to see an uptick in usage if they haven't already. And then, there's snail mail, which for me is a perfect way to keep my hand in the creation of special cards. I have a plethora of red rubber and photopolymer stamps and have decided that this is an awesome opportunity to pull out some of the older ones (especially those from StampinUp! that I acquired over 20 years ago!) and create away. Susanne Netz of Sunn Stampin' calls it #isolationcreation which I think is great for not only papercrafting but any other creative pursuit.

This is an example of one of six cards I made recently for friends and family. The chair (colored with Stampin' Blends) is from SU's Funky Favorites, 1998. The comfy kitty (labeled Ernie) is a stamp from creativebeginnings.com, a domain, it turns out, that is no longer on the web. I'm thinking I probably purchased this in the early 2000's. The sentiment is from On My Couch by papertreyink.com, copyright 2009. So you see, once I get creatin', it'll be hard to stop.

Of course I also have a stash of sewing/quilting projects to work on and unfortunately (or not!) I cannot stop myself from adding to the list of things to make what with all the wonderful, and often free offerings on the web from generous creative folks. Our local Tooele County Quilters did not have our regularly-scheduled monthly meeting in March and will most likely not be gathering in the next few months. Good thing, though is that in January we started the annual Block of the Month and Mystery Quilt. Besides all the numerous projects I have piled up, I have gotten fabric and supplies for both of these challenges and have the fabric all cut for the Mystery Quilt (which this year is called Let's Take a Trip) and have made up one of four of the blocks for March and April's Block of the Month, Sunday Best Sampler, I got a 40+ fat quarter pack from Pink Castle Fabrics called Birthday Bouquet and found some lovely Windham Fabrics yardage for the background called Sunflower Market by Whistler Studios, Pattern #50623. I am using a Paintbrush Studios fabric cut called Chelsea, Pattern 120-219 for the cornerstones. Here is the first block, On A Whim:

 I'm calling mine Out on a Limb since I turned the four bowties the wrong direction. Fortunately, all four were sewn in wrong as there is no way that I'm going to try to remedy it! Each of the first three blocks for this sampler are rather labor-intensive with small pieces. I've found that starching my fabric before cutting and sewing really helps in getting cleaner results. This is something that I only recently have adopted after reading that quilting wizards like Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter and Melissa Mortenson of The Polka Dot Chair use fabric starch for their small piecing. I also discovered that a wool ironing mat gives incredibly flat pressing. Helpful tools make the creative life so much more fun!

Aren't these pretty fabrics for the Sunday Best Sampler? I'm thinking that the finished quilt will be happy.

For the Mystery Quilt I am using two of the  fabrics that I had purchased maybe five years ago for that year's mystery quilt project (and never got around to doing). I have an 108" wide text fabric that I'm using for the background which will modernize it somewhat. Last year's mystery quilt turned out so cool which makes everyone excitedly anticipating this year's.

Yesterday I mailed off my completed Meadowland Quilt  to my longtime best friend in California. She saw the first 15 blocks that I posted on social media (Instagram and Facebook) and said that if I didn't have a recipient in mind, she would be willing to accept it! Haha! Well, finishing it up with her in mind made it a pleasant journey.

I also mailed off a toy tote (Bloem Basket) for our great grandson. His 3rd birthday was March 16th and slowpoke that I am, I just finished it and filled it with farm toys. The Tooele County Quilters had an Open Sew Retreat scheduled for last week - March 24, 25, and 26. But, since no gatherings of more than 10 people are currently allowed, we didn't get together. At our last retreat in January I made (among other things) three Bloem baskets for a friend and at least eight of the other attendees asked if I'd teach them how to make it. I got permission from the basket's designer, Johanna Weidner, to purchase the pattern at a discount and demonstrate construction at our next retreat. So, in lieu of showing in real life, I emailed daily photos and comments of my construction process to the eight quilters who had signed on. The basket I photographed and "demonstrated" was the toy tote.

I requested that everyone send me a photo of their finished baskets but so far, no one has finished. I hope that they didn't get confused from my "virtual" demonstration!

The Bloem Baskets I made in January.

Tomorrow (or possibly tonight) I will cut the pieces for the second block for the Sunday Best Sampler Block of the Month. It is called Starling and will feature one print fabric. I also want to get started on a table topper/mini quilt for April using this free tutorial, April Showers mini quilt. I have a spring-y fat quarter bundle that I'll be using for that. So far this year I've made table toppers/mini quilts for each of the first three months and have found them to be a fun relatively quick and satisfying endeavor.

Table runner for January.

Table topper and mug rugs for February.

Irish Chain table topper for March.

While we're on the topic of quilting, I have made two other quilts this year that I'm pretty proud of.

One of my New Year's "resolutions" was to use up fabric that has been sitting in my stash for many years in some cases, so I began that with a quilt for our two-year-old great granddaughter. Last year, January 2019, I had made some cute cushions for a little rocking chair we had gotten for her and I had quite a bit of the paperdoll fabric I used for those left over. After making a reading pillow (from this tutorial) for her for Christmas out of the rest of the green background paperdoll fabric, I figured I could use up the blue and white background pieces for a quilt. Here is the finished quilt and our precious great granddaughter:

The other quilt I put together was using some fabric purchased in Honolulu on our trip there in 1989. I must have had the intention of making nine patch blocks since it and some white fabric was all cut into 4" squares and there were a couple blocks completed. I took that idea and ran with it, backed it with Minki and bound it with leftover print squares sewn together. I call it my Hawaiian quilt and am saving it for any new baby who happens to be born in the family in the future.

This photo was taken February 13, 2020, when we were having a cold, dry spell.

I really love how this one turned out and can't wait to "gift" it.

On March 11 the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic and shortly thereafter, colleges were beginning to close campuses and encouraging students to return to their homes and complete the semester online. Our grandson, Ty David, who is in his senior year at Tarleton University in Stephenville, TX, packed up his worldly goods and began the journey back to Utah on the 17th. He had his truck and trailer and his three rodeo horses and he was gentlemanly enough to travel along with another college rodeo student to her home in Loveland, CO. They arrived in Loveland late on the 18th and Ty's intention was to get a night's sleep and then travel down Interstate 80 through Wyoming and on home the next day. However, the weather put the kabosh on that as there was a severe winter storm outside Cheyenne, rendering the interstate  dangerously icy with low to no visibility. He wasn't able to leave until the morning of March 21 and we were so happy to see him pull in here at the ranch at 6:50 p.m. The ponies were very glad to be home too and they are by now settled in with their pasture and stable mates here on Vine at the Diamond A Ranch. Ty is finishing up his classes online and working fulltime at the family business, All-Tech Electric, Inc. 

Home at last.

Zip stepping out after a long ride.

So the last ten days have been a lesson in patience and adjustment but there is a bright sun on the horizon in the HOPE that we will survive this. 

This too shall pass.

God's Peace,

Hazel

Looking Back at March 2019

Here it is coming up on the end of April and I'm just getting around to recording my Furtling for March . . . thanks to Archie the Wonder Dog, I will get this linked up just under the wire!

March pussy-footed in with a little more snow and most of the remainder of the month continued cold and wet or snowy. By the first day of Spring (per the calendar), there'd been a bit of a meltdown and a few brave bulbs were pushing up.

March 29th view. The month roaring out.

Because the weather was mostly cloudy, there was plenty of opportunity to get some furtling in (big smile). As mentioned last month (!), I started working on the remake/new quilt for my grandson. Well, good news is I finished it and it was ready for quilting by the 13th. I pieced the back using the section of the old quilt that I was able to salvage and am quite pleased with how it turned out.

The pieced back.

Pre-quilting.

After quilting and binding - front. Draped over the fence when there was a break in the showers!

Once I'd photographed it for posterity, I folded it up and posted it to Arizona. My grandson called to tell me he'd received it and that it was a comfort to him that next week when he was down with the flu. He says that it is his "go-to" blanket for napping and TV watching. 8) Makes me happy!

Once I finished that quilt I felt it was time to do something just for me. Luckily, I had stumbled across Johanna Weidner's adorable Bloem Basket pattern AND the #bloembasketalong she was sponsoring on Instagram. Of course I had to join in! I picked what fabrics I thought I'd use on the 8th and one snowy Saturday I cut and stitched and finished my cute Crocus basket. Just couldn't help myself.

What a handy accessory this is!

The Fat Quarter Shop quiltalong, Threadology, published Blocks 3 and 4 on March 1 and 15, respectively, and I got those stitched up. I put them up on the design wall in the approximate location they'll appear on the finished quilt.

Ohio Star, 9-Patch, Shooting Star, and Churn Dash blocks. The large 9-Patch and Shooting Star blocks at the bottom will be featured on the back of the finished quilt.

There was a little break in the weather by the 23rd and on a trip to Home Depot, I picked up some pansy plants and planted them in containers on the patio. They looked so very cheerful against the otherwise gloomy skies.

Still blooming despite the late snow. March 29.

The Tooele County Quilters had a three-day sew-in March 26, 27, and 28; how could I not take advantage of that time to sew and gab all day! I pre-cut all the pieces for the basketball quilt I'd determined to make for my soon-to-be 8-year-old great grandson and packed it up and stitched away those three glorious days. Such fun! 

Ten of the 20 basketballs.

Chester, the cat, helping with the other ten blocks.

I mentioned last month that I began organizing my sewing/craft space. I made good progress on that AND, with the help of my handy (and handsome!) husband, made a lovely ironing table. I was inspired by this post from Sew Katie Did, and used this post from Elizabeth Hartmann for the removable cover. 

My new pressing table, front.

Pressing table - view over the top.

So, my furtling for March ended on a high note. Thanks, again, Helen and Mini Archie for this fun way to connect. See you sooner rather than later!

A February Furtle

Joining up again with Archie, the Wonder Dog, for a February Furtle (I like the sound of that).

Thankfully the month of February is short because, weather-wise, it tends to bring on the doldrums. However much we need the snow pack for summer watering, this year has been a record breaker and we've had enough already! 

The Oquirrh Mountains from our backporch - day after snowstorm.

Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake - day after snowstorm.

The weather it seems, is an easy subject to go on about . . . but this post is focused on what came about in the furtling department for me. Truth be told, not much really!

I finished up the Quilty Hearts quilt (Emily Dennis from Quilty Love); just in time for Valentine's Day. I like how the front and binding turned out but am not a fan of the fabric on the back as it is just a tich off in color which really bugs me. I'm not sure yet if this quilt will be gifted anytime soon, so it's hanging on the quilt rack in the hallway where we can enjoy it every day.

Quilting is Curls and Hearts done by Michelle Jensen.

I showed it off at our Tooele County Quilters meeting on the 19th along with one of the blocks from the 2019 Block-of-the-Month pick, A Vintage Christmas Quilt book by Lori Holt. 

This was a fun little (6 inch) block to make and really tested my 1/4" seaming - and that is another story.

Back in July 2018, my granddaughter (in-law; my grandson's wife) asked if I might be able to salvage/restore a loved quilt that my grandson would not part with despite that fact that it was falling to pieces. Well, I tentatively agreed to take a look and in October she sent me photos of the poor, sad thing . . . 

Faded, holey, backing torn away - sad indeed.

In December she stuffed it in a box and sent it on to me for possible repair. I thought perhaps I could restore it and give it to my grandson for Christmas but that was not to be. My husband (bless his heart) helped me cut away the raggedy backing and binding and pick out the ties at each block's intersection and then I ironed it out as best I could.

The printed fabric is very faded and there are numerous holes.

Turns out, the quilt was made about 15 years ago by my grandson's aunt and given to her brother (my grandson's father) on the occasion of his second marriage. I'm not sure how my grandson came to have it but there is no doubt that it has been lovingly, or not, used. I worried over what to do with it and finally, in February, decided to try and take it apart and try and use the best pieces as a pieced backing on a new quilt. I managed to unpick one long side of blocks off and gave up after my hands started cramping! I had settled on a pattern that I'd purchased from GE Designs via Craftsy/Bluprint for the new top, picked a precut roll of 2-1/2" strips and required background, sashing, and cornerstone fabric. Once I had cut everything out and carefully labeled it I began to stitch the blocks together and this is where the struggle in getting an accurate 1/4" seam began. I made two sample blocks just to see if it would work out and discovered that even using the 1/4" setting on my sewing machine and going slowly, the what-was-supposed-to-be 12-1/2" block came out 11-1/2" instead! Ack! This did not make me happy, especially since I'd cut everything out to make the 20 blocks needed for the throw size top. 

The very cool pattern.

Fourteen usable blocks on the design wall - doesn't look too bad from this vantage point.

Long story short, I put the project aside and started organizing my craft/sewing area. All the while I was stressing over finding a solution to the 1/4" seam dilemma, reading tips from a variety of quilting geniuses, measuring and re-measuring, putting a tape guideline on my machine (which didn't work because it interfered with the bobbin case), ordering a 1/4" foot with guide, and even ordering a special straight sewing guide created by Christen at I See Stars Quilting. That, and a line drawn with a purple fine-line Sharpie on the bobbin case cover (in front of the foot and needle on my machine) seems to make a difference. The foot I got is plastic and the guide is a bit floppy which doesn't help at all. I've since ordered a metal foot with guide in the hopes it will be more sturdy. 

My grandson's birthday is this coming Sunday, and I wanted to have the new quilt with old quilt pieced backing done and posted to him in Arizona . . . umm . . . probably not going to happen. 

In late January I signed up for Amy Ellis's Seven Day Improv Quilting Challenge but didn't do anything with it until February. I spent two or three of my sewing sessions just playing around with the prompts that she'd sent in connection with the challenge. It was fun to play a bit and though I don't have any plans to pursue more improvisational work anytime soon, I do see some more play in the future. I have been doubly inspired by Jo with her lovely improv goodies from the January

 furtle.

My wonky improv attempts.

While making my almost daily cruise of Pinterest, I came across a quilt along that started February 15th over at the Fat Quarter Shop. Of course, I had to join in and by February 28th I'd made Block #1, the Ohio Star. This quilt along, Threadology, finishes up in June. I'm making use of the fat quarter bundle from Moda, Sunday Supper, that I've had in my stash for some time. I found some Kona cotton for the block backgrounds in a color that is so very close to the porcelain color in the collection. 

As of today, I've finished Blocks 2 (Nine-Patch) and 3 (Shooting Squares). So much fun and the 1/4" thing is getting better! Haha!

Referring back to a couple of my furtles from January, here are photos sent by grateful granddaughters:

Sweet great grandson reading in his super hero bean bag chair. 

Tiny dancer in her cushioned rocking chair.

Speaking of grandchildren, I have to brag a little on our grandson, Ty, who qualified for the RFD-TV The American rodeo semi-finals. His run was televised from Dallas, Texas, and I snapped these photos of the television. His parents flew to Dallas and had the thrill of watching him live.

I've been very busy reorganizing my craft/sewing space and will be posting about that this month as well as many other things, like a quilt for another great grandson who's having his 8th birthday in April. 

Looking forward to visiting with other February "furtlers."  Thanks again Helen and Mini Archie for this push back into the blogosphere!