4-18 Seeds of Kindness

If you can't tell the difference in my Seeds of Kindness quilt top as it grows, compare the pictures closely and see that the pieces are getting smaller because there are more pieces in the picture! Voila!

~Joan

Pay It Forward Gifts in Mail Today + 1

Today I'm mailing the 3 Pay It Forward gifts to Sarah, Shar, and Moneik. Sure hope they like their surprises.

I'm also mailing a 4th package of 4 cream Thimbleberries FQs to Christine for spotting the boo boo in my Seeds of Kindness quilt.

~Joan

Plan B Update

I haven't sewn much lately. I have been working little by little on my Plan B quilt. Here are 24 blocks laid out. I need to make about 60 more of the little HSTs for the light star blocks. I just have had a very dry sewing spell. I should say piecing. I did make a large cafe-type curtain today for the store where my oldest two daughters work. That's something I've been wanting to do for the owner for some time. A couple from my church own the store. Only their family and my 2 daughters work there.

I never could find fabric that I thought would be appropriate for the curtain. I know it will fade fairly quickly because it's in direct sun. I wanted a light fabric as opposed to a dark print. I ended up making it from navy/white heavy ticking with a white lining. The main purpose was to hide the cleaning bottles that they keep on the windowsill as well as blocking some of the sun coming in that window.

A note of gratitude...Yesterday our little 5-speed car was totalled when my husband was driving home from a coworker's house (we think it was totalled--still waiting for insurance adjustors to give us the final word). I thank God that my husband was not injured. A second earlier and my DH would have been smashed in instead of the back door and wheel area. Thank you, God!

~Joan

Back in the Saddle Again

No, I didn't find my missing row. Thank you to those who were concerned that I was losing my sanity, marbles, grip on life, etc., etc. as well.

It's about 40" square now. Continues to grow!

Here is a picture of my accomplishments from last night on the Seeds of Kindness. I have added a couple rows and laid out two more. I feel better now.

~Joan

What in Tarnation?

I hope that's about as close as I'll ever come to cursing. I am one frustrated piecer. It seems I've lost a row of my Seeds of Kindness quilt.

In this picture, the right two rows are sewn together, but not sewn to each other or the quilt.

Here's what I've been doing to keep it all straight.

I have all my unsewn charms in a plastic folder, arranged by colors. When I'm ready to add a new row, I separate and choose colors somewhat randomly, but use twice as many reds and greens as anything else since that's what I have the most of.

Once I have laid out a row, I carefully take it off the design wall and pin a note to it. The note reminds me what direction the first piece goes as well as where on the quilt it will be attached. So it's a small (1-1/2" square) piece that has a square on it representing the pieced part of the quilt with a line where that row will be added, plus an arrow to show me the orientation of the first piece. Simple, huh?

I was brave (or stupid, as it now seems) and laid out 4 rows at once, knowing I couldn't possibly mix them up. Not with my foolproof system, you understand.

When we got home from piano/violin lessons today, I was eager to see how my new rows would look. After all, I had two more rows to attach to my quilt!!

I realized there was a problem at once. I was missing row 1/4. I had 2/4 and 3/4 sewn together and had started on 4/4 (you see how this works?). Because row 1/4 was missing, row 2/4 and the last row of the quilt did not fit together because the pieces were oriented the same direction!!

After searching the house extensively (which was futile from the first, because I always put everything back in my special SOK tote) and realizing that I'll probably find it as soon as I make all new plans for these rows that are already sewn together, I am posting this picture as a stopping place for now.

When quilting gives you lemons, make an apple core quilt.

~Joan, who is not feeling a whole lot like herself and isn't pleased with the poor woman she is right now.

PS: I'm working on this tonight until I can't keep my eyes open any longer. I heard a rumor that my WH is playing bridge with the munchkins, so I'm a free woman.

Whisking You a Joy-Filled Week

We have a group called Secret Sisters at our church. Ladies pick names of other participants and then pray for and encourage them through the year, secretly. The one who has me left me this cute package on the gift table last night. It is a kitchen whisk in a cello bag with iridescent shimmery shredded paper and dark chocolate Hershey kisses. Isn't that sweet?

In case you can't read the tag in the picture, it says, "Whisking you a joy-filled week". How fun!

~Joan

Smiles & Quilts (These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...)

Smile if you like your haircut!! Side view of Emily's new layered look. I realize we're about 25 years behind the times. That's the way we like it!

Oh, is this a blog about QUILTS? Well, looky, looky at what I finished today. It's now ready to welcome all comers in my foyer.
Thanks for stopping by!

~Joan