SPLENDID SAMPLER... Falling in love with 6 inch quilt blocks

To me these little blocks have become the sweetest sewing adventure.   Six inches sometimes made of  four  little 3 inch blocks have definitely taken a hold of my heart.  You don't get any where fast making 3 inch blocks for a whole quilt but seriously after I made the Flights of Friendship block I want a whole quilt made with 3 inch blocks!  LOVE  IT !

I am not making all 100 blocks for the sampler.   Eighteen is the goal for now.   Just a sweet taste to make me happy and feel connected to world wide quilters.  It is a goal that will make a snuggle quilt with the  help of some alternate blocks and then I can move on to the next best thing!  Life is fleeting away faster than I desire.

The journey began here HERE  and now I have a little stack of pretties.

10 Snowman String blocks

11 Splendid Sampler blocks 

A little WHOO- HOO moment for me! 

(click on photos to enlarge)

Bonus Block by Pat Sloan 

CHURN DASH    

with tiny tiny star fabric.

Two loves in one block.

I will forever love the churn dash block. 

Block # 12

CHECKERBOARD

Block # 37

DASHING BY CHOCOLATE

Block # 40

FIGHTS OF FRIENDSHIP

This is my, will take ME a lifetime  3'' BIG QUILT desire. 

Those little friendship stars have my heart.

Block # 13

SCRAP STAR       

The  stripes are a thrifted shirts. 

My latest desire is to put something old in every quilt I make. 

Another One that I could make a whole quilt of.

And my latest little Six inch lovey dovey....

The red plaid is a thrifted shirt.

Block #  99

FOUR CORNER SPINWHEEL

YES YES YES

This one too for a Big quilt dream! 

My life is one big sewing dream!

I have lists of quilts I want to make.

Unfortunately life sometimes has other plans that I need to tend to. 

Little by little I sew whenever I can. 

Happy May Blessings to you.

Janita

The road traveled by a Creative Soul .

 2012
I see a sign of opportunity....


A free Craftsy Block of the Month class.  It is an opportunity to learn some new skills
  The-Craftsy-Block-of-the-Month/

Do I turn here .... I'd like too.
Learning new skills would be a good thing for me....
Oooooh  much excitement......

But I should really finish some old projects first.  :(

Put it on my list.  Watch a year roll by.

Time to jump in...  It is now or never. I can't wait forever.

Drop everything else I have already started and not finished.

Start a new project!

Feels like I'm going on vacation.....fun fun!

Justify it by saying I can use some fabric in my stash.

Dig through fabric piles ... Make a mess.

Make one quilt block .... fall in love

It is January 2013.

Stand back and admire my new creation.

"That makes me think of snowflake." .

Make another block..... add a snowflake.

(click on any picture to enlarge)

I have always wanted to make a blue and white quilt.

The time is now :)

A blue and white snow theme quilt is born.


Winter is in full force....
BRRRR.....

A winter quilt sure would be nice on the bed.

I don't especially like winter weather.....

But I do love quilts in winter.

And  who doesn't love snow angels....

Bunny Hill Designs "Snowbound" Block # 12   modified.

The weather man says it is below zero.

Time to Hibernate.....  and SEW.

Somewhere about month 3 or 4 of the Block of the month...

I had this great idea!   Add the word SNOW :)

http://www.littlemissshabby.com/2011/01/birdie-stitches-block-1/

I would need more blocks.

20 blocks turns into 36.

Summer .

January 2014. Back to sewing more blocks.

Dresden Plates

Ohio Star and Amish Star

Each new block gets a celebration.

I've modified patterns.

                           Bunny Hill Designs "Snowbound" Block #11

I use to pray for snow days as a child!

Mostly because I didn't have my homework done :)

I've made my own applique pattern.  

Because I wanted to remember this moment forever.

After saying

 "Being together is Snow fun"

 a few times I decided it didn't sound like 

what I wanted.  It sounded like it's NO fun.

 So I changed it to 

Being together is SNOW much Fun!

 In  2013.....

When Emerson was 5, I took her sledding for the first time.

This block was created as a memory

 of our first trip together down the snow hill

of which we went down much of the hill backwards,

Screaming and laughing the whole way!

It still makes me laugh when I think about it.

When I showed this block to Emmy for the first time

 I asked her if it reminded her of any one.

?????

After a little bit of thought,

her eyes light up...

"That's You and me!"

and then she said,

"I wish I could sew as good as you Nanny"

Melt my heart .

Do you see my face.... I'm the big one in the front!

I've turned down roads that Stretched my skills.

Should I mention stretching your skills takes a bit longer than you might think?

I can now do Paper Piecing without cringing at the thought of it.

Meet Miss Iowa, Miss Wisconsin and Miss Arizona

Places I have lived.

I have traveled the Hexagon road. 

And now you know why my snowmen blocks are also hexagons.

May 2014.... 27 blocks down. Just 5 more blocks to make.

I'm weary....  I'm loosing my enthusiasm.

Summer.

January 2015.

Time. to. finish. this.

Why is this taking so long????

Because this is a BOM detour.... I keep adding to the project.

I've had a few do overs.

I've taken a few unexpected turns.

This block Bunny Hill Designs "Snowbound " block # 9

was my first snowman block. 

I think it needs something.

For the longest time

I thought I might add the words,

"Good morning Frosty"

Sharp Left turn idea here......  

A Completely different thought enters

In reference to this verse.....

"Surely goodness and love will follow me 

all the days of my life and I will dwell

in the house of the Lord forever"

Psalm 23:6

I think I can make it work.

This stitchery is a sentiment of this verse, not a direct quote.

I found it as I was doing a search for winter stitcheries. 

Sorry I don't have the link.  

I was just jotting down thoughts 

as quickly as I found them.

Double sorry if this was your thought that I am using.

I debated whether or not to put on the Bible reference 

because of it not being a direct quote.

.

In the end I decided I wanted to remember where

the thoughts came from.

Life isn't always a bowl of cherries.

I wish it were.

 I do love cherries.

But

I do have plenty of reason 

to sing of God's goodness

to me!

Psalm 23   

For all of my days on this earth

the Lord has been my Shepherd.

I have only seen one real bluebird in my life.

I like that this little bird has found a place 

singing away on my quilt. 

Now it is March 2015.

I have added embroidery to blocks I made long ago.

My wonky log cabin block has gained a bit of love.

Spring is here.


Wow, 3 winters have passed.

Many of the extra blocks tell a little story about my life.

I have 3 sisters..... I decided to include a Sister's Choice block.

This was my last pieced block.

After the excitement has climaxed and waned more than once....


 Lots of visits from little people offering slight distractions....

I am finished with piecing the blocks!

I have a bit of embroidery that I want to do yet.
My snow letters still need to be appliqued.
It is on my  March list :)

But at the moment....
Happy :) is in my Heart!

If you are interested in more posts
you can find more of the story of this quilt here

Janita

Winter smiles......

Cozy home

Blue and white quilt blocks

Snowman on the porch. 

Nothing fancy but it sure turns the frown upside down

 and adds beauty to the day.

Winter...

Winter comes

Day by day

My heart is warm, 

 my nose is cold, 

and my toes are froze.

Wishing to be like the bluebird

Singing a happy song anyway.

This week is the farewell to February.

Winter goes.

Beautiful  Winter  :)

Janita

2014 : Little by Little - Bit by Bit MAKE A LIST!

Do you have the feeling in life that you are gaining ground? Are you getting better with age? I would answer that.... "I hope so but  I am hesitant to say it with an exuberant Yes."  I have rounded the corner in the last era of my life, my daughters have grown up and have moved on. They run their own show now. My job of trying to grow my children into responsible adults is over.  My life now has a different focus.  I am on a mission for the next 50 years....  Growing ME :) going deeper, refining silver into gold if that is possible.  I don't have life all figured out. Yes I am 56 years old and sometimes feeling that I am still in the process of Growing Up.  For the next 50 years I want to feel like I have figured out a few things here and there for Me and I hope to be wiser and happier for it.  I know life is a journey and it will be a mix of  learning new ways to get the most out of my days and other days feeling like somethings will never change.  At this stage of life my patterns of living are pretty established.  I feel like I wouldn't know how to bring about change if change is needed. More than once I have wondered what it would be like to have a Life Coach.  Surely I am not alone in starting well with great enthusiasm, but soon puttering out and not finishing well.  My struggle that last few years has been about being a better finisher.  Last year I bought a pocket size  set of polk-a-dot composition note books.   I needed a little motivation to be a better finisher.  On one notebook I wrote the title...  FINISHED PROJECTS!!  Through the year I wrote down each project that I finished.  A total of 15 things I finished in 2014!!!!  Amazing!
For me I discovered that with days that slip away it was encouraging to keep track of things that I finished.  Some times I still feel like a mother stringing beads on a string with no knot at the end.

Here is my list.

1.   Made 3 Christmas ornaments for my Grand children
      romancing the polar vortex here
2.   Hung an mirror in my daughters massage room
3.   Finished My Frost Bite quilt     tips from a turtle here
4.   Finished textured flowers picture     love flowers, love fabric here 
5.   Made a little pillow for my little red rocking chair out of scraps
6.   Made 3 Christmas sweater stockings made for my daughter
      view stockings here
7.   Remade some Fall leaf coasters     the sweet of life here
8.   Made 4 Sweater pumpkins    simply-delightful-here
9.   Restored a Quilt for  my daughter Ariann

New border and binding.

Happy Happy Happy!

This is her couch snuggle blanket.

10. Made 6 kitchen towels for people I love.       Christmas love here
11. Finished painting a Red dresser for my ironing station.
      LOVE IT! the-best-of-home -here
12. Teaching a young woman how to quilt and we finished her quilt!
13.  Assisted with curtains for Ariann's bedroom!   8 Windows.
14.  Made window draft stoppers.   Our dining pleasure has increased dramatically.

15.  Made curtains for Cassie's Massage room.


 I am not going to amaze anyone with wowing accomplishments each month.   My style is a slow steady rhythm.  I am like a flower growing from seed.  Some days I hardly notice any change on the outside but inside I'm pondering, thinking and growing.  Blooming in season.....then fading into Winter.  Each year the process repeats itself.  January makes me feel like I'm starting the new year all over again from a seed tucked safely in the ground.  I know the days of my life are numbered and no one needs to remind me days pass quickly.  Someday I will be old and my children will be taking care of me.  They love that thought. Ha.  When the end is near I want to say .... I have lived a good life.... I'm ready for Heaven.

So much to learn yet to make the most of my days.

Little by little, bit by bit I will gain understanding of what it takes to live the life that God has created me for.

Once again another year has come and gone....    I think it has been a good year.

Now 2015 is rolling along..... once again at a speedy rate.   Hello FEBRUARY.

My one word for the year................BEGINNING.     I have been paying more attention to how I begin my days.  Morning time is Prime Time for me.  I have more energy,  I spend less time thinking about what to do and more time just doing it in the morning.  I have a better chance of solving a problem in the morning.  I have moved more projects forward before lunch than I have after lunch.  My days have a greater sense of God's presence if I spend time with Him in the morning.  For various reasons I have neglected a daily quiet time in the last couple of years.  I found myself in a season of Winter in my spiritual life.  I'm  starting again at the beginning, reading the New Testament  One chapter at a time.  It has been good for me.

http://www.navigators.org/www_navigators_org/media/navigators/tools/Resources/5x5x5-Bible-Reading-Plan.pdf

January Insights ..........

* I  have decided I was spending too much time in the morning on the computer.

* I am not a list maker.  I once knew why some people are list makers and some are not.  Reasons I don't do well with lists.....  Things always take me longer than I think they will....  I am discouraged by lists of things I need to do each day.....  There is always more on my list than I can possibly do in a days time.  I once made a list of projects that I wanted to complete in the year 2010. It is still on my fridge with over half of the projects remaining to be done.  I am a list maker drop out but I think people who make lists get more accomplished.

So what did I do in January????
I made a list!  I made a list on a small piece of paper so the list couldn't be too long.  It is a list not for the day or the week but for the month.
Things to work on in January.
I wrote down 8 things I could work on this month.   And I keep it tucked in my other little book titled

"Quilts I want to make", because You know there are more quilts than I'll ever have time to make that I'm dreaming of  and I need to keep moving forward on things.

So here was my January list.......

1.  Finish 2 more kitchen towels.    Sweet and done!

2. Work on Snowman block for my Blue and White snow theme quilt.

Inspired by Anne Sutton's "Snowbound" quilt pattern   Block # 11
https://bunnyhilldesigns.com/index.php/patterns/seasonal-patterns/winter/snowbound.html

Using scrap triangles and Changing it up a bit....  Lots of trial and error here. The stripes were going up and down.... It was all puckery after stitching on the snowman so I started over.  I like the diagonal stripes much better.

More Decisions.....
I'm trying to decide if I like the white or the dark blue stitching on the tree .

The snowman is made out of wool.

Inspiration  :)

Views outside my window.

I went with the white thread 

because I thought it looked like snow on the branches

Adding falling snow flakes too.

The colors are showing up overly bright here for some reason.

I actually finished this in February

 on a day when there really was 

NO SCHOOL!

Nice memory of a snow storm :)

Another SWEET AND DONE!

3.  Put borders on Christmas quilts  ......   One out of three done.   Moving forward!

This is the project that never ends.  The project that I have been slow as molasses on.

After making one I had a bright idea to make 3 more.... Silly me.

 

4.  Baste above Christmas quilts -  Negatory




5.  Cut more pieces for my Polka-dot- Quilt  for my Leaders and Enders Project.

     Just cutting pieces has led to this pile of pretty.

They are sew sweet. 

6.   Prepare backing for Mama Said Sew Quilt    -  Negatory




7. Work on Embroidery for Addilyn's quilt  -   Negatory




8.  Make Christmas Gift bags.-   Negatory





And there you have it girlfriends.......  the story of my lists.

Make it small, make it encouraging, celebrate each step of the journey.

 I know I am slow.  It is OK to be slow.  Just keep moving forward.

And now it is February.  I can throw out the old list and make a new list.

This month if I get those Christmas quilts done I am going to be

ONE HAPPY CAMPER!


Put some Happy in your day :) and Get 'er Done!

Janita

Tips from a turtle....

You don't have to be speedy

       sometimes it is more about slow and steady.


                               The important thing....

                                                is to FINISH!


Today I am sharing a UFO  that is now FINISHED!!!!

I know cold and snow is kind of a sore subject right now
as spring has been slow in coming....

so I'll just warn you.... this project is SNOW related.

 

I am a good starter..... I am not so good at finishing. 

So can the heavens just open for a moment
             and let the angels sing.... HALLELUJAH!

It feels REALLY good to have this finished!!!!! 

This project was probably pieced over 4 years ago.

                    SO  Sad!

I brought it out of hibernation in January of this year,
decided to move it forward and  labeled it.....
                 
                   MR. January UFO.

 Today it is SO LOVED!!!

It is adorned with DMC embroidery floss ,

 quilted with Pearle Cotton #12.

The fabric used are a mix of cottons and flannels.
The snowman noses are wool.

                   
   I am on a journey to learn how to hand quilt.

 In the beginning stages it is a journey of learning to persevere.  My fingers got tired of being poked with a needle.  I  had to tell myself to keep moving forward even though I was always wondering if I was going to like how it looked in the end.   I challenged my self to set small goals each time I sat down to quilt... focus on what is in the hoop at the time... don't worry about the end.... trust thy self.... somehow  it all comes together :)   My mind wanted me to quit constantly.... and surrender to machine quilting.... because it was taking toooooo long.

NOTE... Do NOT surrender.

 A hand quilted finish is sew wonderful!

 Sew Satisfying!  Sew worth the time it takes to do it! 

                

Poor guy in the middle

          

The back of the quilt

Raw edge applique-

trying something new.

Used this stencil

 then fattened up the lines

to make it a bit chunkier.

Philadelphia Pavement

made with Recycled shirt

free pattern here

First time incorporating a label into the piecing

Pattern....

"Frost Bite"

Created by

Teachers Pet

http://www.the-teachers-pet.com/quickies.html

I have modified the pattern slightly by adding the snowflakes

and changed the borders up a bit.

Hand quilting ..... it makes me happy.

Janita

Linking to Sarah's Can i get a Whoop- Whoop