That was easy - NOT!!!!

I mentioned yesterday that last Monday didn't go so well with the sewing. I seemed to have ripped out as much as I sewed. But it's all good - I mean you have to have some days like that.

I was hoping that yesterday would be better - I did sit beside Lynn again and I may have to change that next week because YEP - I was ripping again!

I started off by finishing this block that I had started last week. The block is done in rows and because I didn't lay it out like I recommended to my students, it was easy to pick up the pieces and sew the wrong edges together. I did it last week and I did it again yesterday.

Block from Quilter's Patch

 Notice that the entire block is made from a LOT of equilateral triangles. By lunch I had managed to get the top three rows sewn together. Ah!!  Then while eating lunch, I noticed that I had sewn the row on upside down. Seriously?  Yep - it was a crazy block to sew especially if you don't lay it out properly. Lesson learned!!

I finished it off this morning as I had to applique the stems in place before some of the rows got sewn together. I'm very lucky indeed as I have one sewing machine set up for applique and the other for piecing. Or one is for binding and one is for applique. I'd like to get a third machine set up! It saves time from having to change the feet. Isn't that silly? But sometimes having to make those small changes is a show stopper. "Oh - I'll wait until I have more applique to do" and then it gets left for a while. Nope - I'm pushing through and not leaving anything undone!

Here are my 12 completed blocks. I took the dogs down and they are in the remake pile.

All blocks so far in Quilter's Patch

I think there are six blocks left (big blocks) and then the applique border. I will have to cut more fabric soon as I'm almost completed what I had cut last summer. Well, let's just say that I'm about half done the quilt. Yikes!  But this is on my list of quilts to finish this year so it's all good.

I finished the applique quilt last night. The binding is on, and the sleeve is hand stitched. However I started that new book BEFORE I finished the quilt. It was so nice in the living room with the sun blazing in that I had to sneak in a bit of relaxing in the chair and enjoyed the sunshine. Then when the sun went down, I went downstairs! I sure hope to do more of that in the comoing year - enjoy the sunshine in the day and work in the evening.

That makes 12 completed items for the year. Labelled, sleeves, binding. I'm thrilled. I did buy a new brush so I can stain the legs of the tuffet and that would make one more. Did I mention that I had gone to the hardware store a couple of weeks ago. I took the dogs for a walk - which was a workout for me! and I bought stain and a paintbrush. By the time, I had made it home, the brush had disappeared from my bag which from time to time was dragging on the ground because walking these two girls is a challenge.

The other thing that I did yesterday was to recut what was missing from the 150 Canadian Women blocks. I had miscut one piece last week and it sat all week as I didn't have time to get back to it. The block is now fixed and filed. I cut the red for the next group of blocks. I have to cut the white before Monday and then I'll have two groups of six to sew. Monday is going to be busy!!!

Blocks from 150 Canadian Women

Yes - I'm using only solid(ish) reds and that block in the bottom middle looks a bit blobby. I might take out the four patch and sub some white squares in there. So many people are done their quilts and yet there are a lot more working on them. A huge thanks to Kat for making this project happen. I love red and white quilts and I'm going to make more than one from the blocks. I want to wait until they are all pieced before I figure out what to do with them.  I think I have 48 completed now. Almost one third of the way through!!!

Today is a glorious day already - the sun is shining and the temperature while cold isn't bad at all. It's huge how much difference that sunmakes.

This morning is earmarked for paperwork and trust me, there's a lot of it sitting here. Then off to quilt two quilts this afternoon and hopefully do a bit of piecing.

There are TWO posts this morning and hopefully a third later on today. Things that I don't want to include in the one post.

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!