{Post 1,485} Where in the World is Joan?

I have had many folks ask if I stopped writing a blog.  Well, obviously the last 2 months have been too busy to put anything down here.  Many family activities, short trips, life in general!

Here's a few pictures from the last couple of months, in reverse chronological order!

I still quilt as often as I can.  That just has not been much lately.  I have started teaching a friend to quilt.  Here's her first little quilt top, which she promptly quilted and bound.  It turned out beautifully.

Finished this quilt (crumb HSTs--twin bed sized) and gifted it to a friend at church who has faithfully served there before we even arrived over 15 years ago:

Quilted this beauty (also twin bed size to be used as a throw) for a wedding gift in September.  It still needs binding, washing, and labeling:

Finished this quilt for my soon-to-be-born grandson:

Started hand-quilting this beauty...it is 88" square:

Hosted one of my other grandson's first birthday party and made these cupcakes:

Worked many hours on gutting and rebuilding our downstairs bathroom.  I love the wall color.  It is called "rainwashed".  The only thing left to do is put the shower walls up.  Here is an in-progress picture:

A picture from the window of our room at our church's family camp, near the Smoky Mountains:

Had a visit from my favorite (and only) sister, my parents (dad pictured), and my niece:

So, yes, I am still here.  I am doing well.  Busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.  Thanks for asking :)

I will try to update more frequently, but there's no telling!

{Post 1,480} I'm Sew and Sew

After a nearly sleepless night, I decided to sew some this AM.  Didn't really have the energy to do much else.

I have finished 96 crumb blocks as of now.  I found a bin of light shirt scraps (yay!) that I added to some of the ones I already knew the location of and pieced some light squares.  Here is what I have so far.  If the blocks were sewn to each other, it would only measure 36" x 40", but it is a good start.  First the mystery bin:

I listed a bunch of new patterns on eBay.  whistlersmother10 is my user name.  Some Thimbleberries cream FQs and a couple templates, too.  Check them out.  

{Post 1,479} Even More Crumb HSTs

I owe my b-friend (that's short for blog-friend) Natasha a big thank you for starting me on this journey of crumbs.  I already have a recipient in mind for this one.  I am using up the tiniest of pieces, and it's so colorful and pretty.  So much to look at in a scrap quilt, too.  

My square blocks are 4-1/2" unfinished.  I am getting some pieced light half blocks now, and that just adds more interest.

Eighty-two blocks now:

{Post 1,477} Move It, Move It, Move It

Fifty-six crumb blocks (4-1/2" unfinished) made so far.  Many, many in process.  

Last night I started playing around with settings.  There are legion.

Here are 4 I started with to get an idea of how these would play together.  The lighting is harsh...canned lights right above the edge of the design wall.  Not a lot of space in here for my 4' x 8' design walls.

Which one do you like best?  I have a few more ideas, but not enough blocks yet to implement them.

{Post 1,475} More Crumb HSTs

Had trouble sleeping at 11 PM or so tonight (it's after 2:30 AM), so I got up and pieced some more HST crumb blocks a la Scraps a Plenty.

After taking this picture I pieced 8 more.  Each little block is 4-1/2" square unfinished.  This represents a chunk 16" tall by 36" wide.  Many more to go, but I have a big stack of pieces pressed and trimmed for adding on more units.  This is fun, but takes a long time.  It's kind of mindless sewing, so it is fun and relaxing.  Looking forward to seeing the finished product, as usual (way early).

{Post 1,445} Center of Runner Pieced

These are some shirt crumb blocks I made while piecing some more String Squares blocks.  I finished 16 more of the SS blocks!

I am making these crumb blocks into a table runner for my cousin once removed.  We have just recently reconnected after about 40 years on Facebook.  Her posts encourage me.  She has such a strong sense of family.  I am mailing it to her as a surprise.  

Must add a wide border, quilt, bind, and label it first!

It is 17" x 13" now.  I will add a 2" border all around from the same shirt and then a binding.  The small blocks are 4" square unfinished.  I had some tiny crumbs.  These type of quilts intrigue me.  

I used the same red shirt for the 20 tiny (1" unfinished) cornerstones.

{Post 1,438} Seam Guide on Featherweight

Just put the seam allowance guide on my Featherweight.  It's much smaller than other ones I've seen. Works like a charm.

I'm making some crumb blocks from shirt crumbs.  I'll leave it set up in my office in case I get a few minutes to sew in here.  It's on a TV-tray table.

Just realized I've never shown the picture of the bee-you-tee-ful plate on the end of the machine.  I think this is what sold me on it.  It's gorgeous.