Getting over a hand quilting hump :)

Welcome Ya’ll!  It is RAINING here on Florida’s east coast as I write this post… we don’t typically get much rain in the winter… so it is sooo soothing and refreshing to have a nice rain!!!

I know many who read this may be dealing with bone chilling cold… or if you are below the equator… summertime heat waves and fires… I pray for each of you and hope you will return that favor by leaving a comment today and praying for me as well!

When I shared with you on Wednesday I had just hit the halfway point in my Fall Wall Hanging… but it was slow moving because this block was coming up…

I am linking this post to Kathy’s Slow Stitching Sunday linky HERE…. hope you will come see what everyone is stitching today 🙂

So when I got to this block … I still had no firm plan for the center… behind that cool embroidery is thick stabilizer that I couldn’t remove as the stitching is so busy… I trimmed what I could before adding it to the quilt 😉  But I wondered how it would stitch up!

Well I worked through the smaller blocks until I reached this bigger block and took a deep breath and thought about it….

AFTER stitching around the pumpkin itself and the entire embroidery design it became clear I needed a good solid base for this floating pumpkin to hold it down…  Crosshatching worked perfectly!!!

To mark this block I used this pencil by CLOVER…

It says it is water soluble… but i had never used it to make sure.. I tested a small area before marking my whole block and it did wipe off quite easily once wet… so away I went!

Before I knew it the pumpkin block was all finished and it was time to decide on the color of the leaf border I had already decided on for the grey border on 2 sides of this block…

With the help of friends.. and real life experience… I decided on the black variegated to grey Valdani 12 wt thread…

I stopped for a pic at the halfway point to make sure it would show up properly when photoed… I LOVE this thread!

 And here is the block I completed yesterday 🙂

I got so excited I started working feverishly on the blocks surrounding this one but really wanted to view this block without the remaining white marks… so I thought I would show you HOW I DO IT!

First get a spray bottle you can fill with water.. plain tap water works fine.. and spritz your entire block while it is laying flat to absorb that water into the batting a bit..

I let this sit about 5 minutes or so then got a nubby rag and started wiping the marks away….

Once it dried… even though when wet I could see them … the marks were all gone… I expect when I wash it with soap and water in the washer when finished all residual remains of this pencil I am using will be gone 🙂  Yipeee!!!!

Also this week I have participated in a BOM.. it is properly called #WDBOM2016!  You can find details on Wendy’s blog HERE… Wehago Designs Block of the Month 2016 is what the hashtag is short for though 🙂

I sooo enjoyed making this BOM .. it was fun walking down memory lane from the quilts I have made to choose these fabrics…. these fabrics were leftovers from Kimber’s Memory Quilt… the bright fun blue is vintage fabric and didn’t make her quilt… but I had pulled and had hoped to use it there so I used it here instead 🙂  Yay!

I also found out there was a need for 12″ finished 9 patch blocks for fire victims from brush fires in Australia… one lady name Shari is collecting these blocks and will make quilts from them … I sent these 4…

I didn’t crop this shot because I wanted to show off a bit of the vintage bunting Wendy made me and now hangs over my design wall… and you can see a fun disappearing 4 patch block I made up too!  (Next to my 9 patch in the bottom half of the pic!)

Well .. I want to make good slow stitching progress today… only 9 little blocks to stitch before the center is complete on this wall hanging!!!  Yay 🙂  Join us over at Kathy’s.. follow the link above ! 🙂

Until my next post please remember to handle your life with care as…

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Fun Sunday Stitching … How about you??

Are you doing any fun Sunday stitching??  Maybe a tad of slow stitching today to enjoy ?!!  Well I surely am 🙂  And I am linking this post to Kathy’s Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching post HERE!

Kathy talks about taking time on Sunday to relax and recuperate… I am planning on focusing on this today… and maybe a guilty pleasure Netflix watching too! lol

I woke early this morning as I went to bed a bit early last night… but I have had several VERY productive days and I am excited to share lots of stuff with you today! 🙂

While waking up today I finished the maple leaf quilting 🙂  This quilts makes me happy!  I am looking forward to this coming fall to show it off for sure!

 And once I finish these 4 blocks I will have about 30 blocks done.. that is HALF the center of the quilt… and the borders will be fun and go quickly as well! 🙂

I really thought I would put this down once we were ready to focus on my daughters quilt she got for Christmas… the stencils came late Saturday afternoon and she is happy with them so that is good… 1 she chose and 1 I chose… pics to come next Sunday 🙂 lol!

And I have all the thread and the batting I want to use for this quilt… I am very excited to start it but it is a big quilt and requires a LOT of marking!  My daughter and I were chatting yesterday over the stencils that came in… she is VERY excited for me to start work on it and she wants to HELP!!! 🙂

Yep.. you heard right.. I will teach my daughter of 17 1/2 years old how to hand quilt this year!!!!  Yay 🙂

I will teach her on this beauty we found on eBay already a flimsy with a border and all!

I was already excited to start on this quilt… but to know she will carry this through highs and lows as she learns how to be an adult she is proud of and to teach her how to hand quilt on this quilt… makes it even more special to work on for sure!!!

So more on that next Sunday too! lol  In the meantime me and my daughter will mark at least the center today and this week… maybe the for little stars around he center wheel/star too! 🙂

Remember me asking about this tshirt my daughter can’t wear but wants to keep ??!!!

Well after pondering it with my daughter.. we are gonna make it a pillow with black fabric surrounding the Superman symbol! 🙂

Okay… now life is sounding busy in this post.. and I surely didn’t plan that.. and there is even more going on I haven’t shared yet!!!

Here is 1 of the 2 BOM’s I am doing this year…

It isn’t sewn yet… just cut and waiting for me on my ironing board… but so happy to have chosen the fabrics as I sorted fabrics… the white fabric with little light pink hearts as well as the center square of this 9 patch block is in memory of Kimber’s memory quilt which was my big project last year… the blue “cornerstones” and a fabric I couldn’t work into her quilt but had pulled and just loved it so before storing it away in my fabric chest… I cut 4 squares of it for my first BOM!!!!  Want to know more about this BOM??  Not to late to join.. the goal is to pull fabric from your stash too!  Check out Wendy’s link about it HERE if interested… she is an excellent teacher and I can’t wait to see what all the year holds in the fun BoM!

The other BOM I am planning will start on the 19th… so I will have more to share on that next Sunday 🙂

I got my new labels in on Friday… I had just ordered them from Etsy HERE on Wednesday with my personalized choices she shows in her shop ad… and they came ready for 30 more quilted items to be branded forever with my name… I usually will add the year to the tag as well with a permanent marker and set with my hot iron 🙂

Hope you check out her shop!  She has excellent customer service and labeling your quilt is so easy when you add this while sewing on the binding 🙂

Saturday’s mail brought not only stencils for Brandi’s quilt I told you about but another surprises too!  I got this cool pin and my membership card from AQS!!!! (American Quilters Society)

 I shared in my last post that I joined AQS to get the magazine and discounts on my class and entry for me and my honey to the quilt show and vendors…  Well in 3 days they managed to send to me all my welcome stuff… and membership INCLUDES 10% VIP discount card good at Joanne’s!!!!  How fun.. so you get a magazine every other month (6 issues a year)… this cool pin…

and discounts on all they sell/do!  I am liking this money spent .. I was hoping I was spending money wisely.. I surely think I have.. and the quilt show isn’t til the end of NEXT month! lol  So much for PATIENTLY waiting ! lol

I have more to share but that will include some finishes too… so I will save that all for another day… Here is a pic my son James posted of his “Bubbles” … we know her as Kaydence but he loves her nickname a LOT!

and check out what is laying out in the floor behind and to the left in this shot!!!!  Yipeee 🙂  The quilt I made her is getting used!!!!

I love seeing my work in action!  Do you like seeing your quilts caught in shots or in real life being enjoyed??

Until my next action filled post remember…

Life is Precious &