Finish #1

This was my first finish of the year but I held off posting, trying to get a pic of it up on the wall.

But the new hanger is still a week out, so . . .

 One of my very favorite backings

Botanical Beauties is done!

I started this block-of-the-month-along in January 2022 (here)

using fabric Wenona gave me for my birthday a couple of years ago. 

 Favorite block. Do you know how hard it is to make a curve using only straight lines??!? Still think it looks like Dancing Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. 

It quickly became my favorite project, one I looked forward to every month . . . right up until December when I ran out of steam. But I finished it! I learned so much about foundation paper piecing and I’m really, really pleased with how it turned out. 

Finished size: 52x56”. Links: February, Feb2, Feb3, March, April, May, June, July, August, Aug2,  September (my fav), October, November, December, January.

Finally

It took longer than expected - doesn’t everything nowadays?? - but Botanical Beauties is finally done and heading to the longarmer this week.

I’m beyond thrilled to have this done (ish). 

Botanical Beauties

I made it almost to the end of Botanical Beauties before I ran out of steam.

One - one! - block to go and I’ve been putting it off since the beginning of December. I even did laundry rather than work on this. That’s just sad.

Since I’m taking another quilt to the longarmer this week, it makes sense to take this one too . . . and that’s what I’m using for motivation. 

I still haven’t made that silly block (tomorrow, I promise) but all the others are squared up, sashed and ready for borders. 

One block to go . . .

Botanical Beauties #11

My penultimate BB block is done!

It took me 3 days to finish (why yes, I am still sick ☹️) but I’m pleased with it. 

It’s supposed to be an inula (I had to look them up . . .) which to me looks like a daisy Dr. Seuss would draw. So fun. 

Looking forward to putting this all together in January!

BB 10

Jac agreed to help me take photos 

of my latest Botanical Beauties finish - 

a fern -

but she actually only wanted pics of herself with her pumpkin. 

Nice of her to help me out anyway. 😂

Adding this so I remember where it is. Need to figure out my values (light-med-dark) for the last two blocks. 

BB #9

This is Botanical Beauties #9, Trillium. 

 Does anyone else see dancing Baby Groot when they look at this???

It amazes me how nice the curves look when everything is sewn with just straight lines. 

Not as many tiny pieces as last month meant it went a little faster, even with direct-contact supervision from my helper. (She’s not feeling good so I’m making allowances when she wants her face pressed into my arm while I’m stitching.)

I’m getting anxious to finish this up and enjoy the final quilt. 

Three months to go!

Botanical Beauties #8

This is Lily of the Valley, Botanical Beauties #8.

I know a brown background and lightly textured solids aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I seriously love this. Good thing, since it’s for me! 

Just four blocks to go . . .

Botanical #8

It was nice to have a vacation, but I missed my sewing machine.

Started on Botanical Beauty #8 today - lily of the valley - and it’s going to be slow going.

There’s lots of teeny, tiny pieces needed to get those nice, smooth curves. But this may end up being one of my favorite blocks, because of all those curves. 

 That can’t be comfortable 

My Lily wasn’t impressed. She insisted on staying right beside me, but kept her back turned since I wouldn’t stop sewing and pet her. Somebody is still annoyed I was gone for so long . . . 

Willow Leaves

Happy 4th, y’all!

It was a peaceful, relaxing day, filled with reading, movies and just enough sewing to finish one final weekend project.

Willow leaves, Botanical Beauties block #7, lulled me with those nice, big pieces into thinking it would be a fast, simple sew. Nope. There’s a reason it’s halfway along the learning curve. But I now know how to deal with sharper angles, plus I got more practice with my fav seam ripper. 😜  I’m pleased with how it turned out. Also happy I’m still able to learn new stuff. #olddog

Only 5 more blocks to go . . .

Progress

Finished it!

This is #6 in the Botanical Beauties SAL, so we’re halfway done. I’d never heard of a gaillardia, aka blanket flower, before, so I learned something besides paper piecing this month. 

And because I wasn’t totally exhausted yet, I started another FPP project. Didn’t get far, but it feels good to have the color choices made and the piecing underway. I’m *really* excited about this one. 

Botanical Beauties #5

Of all the quilt-alongs I’m currently working on, this is the one I most look forward to each month.

It’s also the one I’ve learned the most from, with the online lessons, monthly tips and the teeny tiny paper pieces. 

The designs look simple but there’s a lot of thought and planning needed to make all those pretty curves by sewing just straight lines. Very glad I signed up for this. 

Bombs, QALs and SALs, Oh My!

It’s progress report time.

The fourth block in the Botanical Beauties BOM, tulips, is done. 

Don’t tell the others but this one is my favorite. So fun, so easy, so mistake free! Four down, eight to go and I’m loving it.

Things aren’t going quite so well on the Glitter Ball Bomb BOM. The center block/column, with the circles, is done and I’m ok with it. But the two outer columns, with the half-circles, have to be frogged and redone. The circles are ok (although they were a PITA to sew) but the seams are off, making the strip curve badly along its length. Going to wait for April 15, when the next block instructions come out, and work on all of it at once. 

Annnndddddd, I might have signed up for another sew-along - oops, make that two more.

I’m using ‘Carolina Lillies’ for the fabric on Around The Lake and planning to make the baby size for a wall-hanging. . . Unless I really like sewing it. Then, I’ve got enough fat quarters to make the queen size. Whoo!

 All made from the same pattern. 

Now I just need to decide which layout and color order I want to do. 

Love how many different possibilities there are.

I bought the FPP pattern for Shimmer and Shine the day it came out - so pretty! - but was going to wait awhile to actually make it. 

Then they offered a rainbow version, just for peeps in the sew-along. Yep, I’m in. Who could resist?? I think I’m only going to make 1 block, for a wall-hanging. Or maybe 4, for a bigger wall piece. Or . . . . . 

Stay tuned.

Botanical Beauties, Round 3

Block #3 for the Botanical Beauties block-a-month is done 

and I felt confident enough this time to not make a practice piece first.

Got everything put together, with all the points lined up correctly on the first try(!!), 

turned it over to take a picture and . . . oops! (That’s not what I said at the time . . .)

I could have left it as-is and probably no one would have really noticed, especially after it’s quilted; could have ripped everything apart and redone that dead-center piece;

or I could make a little patch and stitch it in place over the oopsie. Wanna guess which method I chose??

Magnolia

Block #2 in the Botanical Beauties series, Magnolia, is finished (but not yet trimmed up).

Cutting and sewing all the teeny tiny pieces in this one has been a learning experience. Don’t hate it, but it’s not my favorite either. 

This one has sections even smaller than the one I posted earlier this week . . . and I sewed each one of those seams THREE TIMES because nothing was going right that night. Thank goodness for clear tape and the very thorough videos the designer puts out each month. Still looking forward to the next block though. Bring on Round 3!