Churn Dash houses are done and off to the quilter... and todays linky parties

Been gone a ton and loving it. I went tripping last week and managed to visit Grandma in the nursing home, Grandpa's grave, parents, sisters, one brother, aunt and uncle, a cousin, nieces, nephews, and all my grands. We have been to great places together including a missionary homecoming, church, a trampoline place, Aggie Ice Cream, jungle gym, the stock car races, softball camp, shopping, and quilt shop visits.  I also took care of three birthday outings.  Can this summer get any better?

The littlest one LOVES the sound of the motors being revved up!!

The twins DO NOT!  They are more of a ranching, quiet living family and are used to livestock instead of race car motors.  It really scared them.

Some sewing even took place...

Top Done!  Scrappy Folded Blooms is not only done but quilted!  I picked it up from the quilter last night and you won't believe this!  She would not let me pay her.  She said "cookies" was enough for payment, so I made up a plate of extras I had made for a family whose mother got killed by a drunk driver, and off I went.  When I arrived to pick up my quilt, she said it brought her much joy to quilt.  Apparently I had dropped it off on the anniversary of her mother's death.  Her mom loved butterflies and it reminded her of butterflies.  She also explained that she tries to do a service for someone every day and yesterday it was for me.  What a giving lady she is!  One thing is for certain, those good deeds always bring blessings to the giver as well as the receiver.

Here it is...

After stopping by her place I headed to the softball complex to deliver the other plate of cookies.  It is a joy to watch 3rd graders learn to play ball; it has been a long time since I have watched a game.  A great social experience followed saying hello to so many community members I have known through the years.  My heart was so full as I handed the plate to the little girl who lost her mom and greeted her grieving father and grand parents. I hugged the grandma so hard and hurt with her and for her.  Oh heart strings!

On a lighter note...

Churn Dash Houses is done and delivered to the quilter as well!!

I even made three blocks that will be turned into pillows.  Thank you Chooky for this wonderful Churn Dash challenge.  I am sure I will make more next month on another project.

I changed my old, difficult to use quilt hanger into a lengthy curtain rod.  The old one pinched the quilt between two boards and was impossible to hang a large quilt all by myself.  This new one I can do easily and by myself.  The only draw back is that I have to add hanging sleeves to my quilts.  One at a time they are getting done.  Here is the first time I have hung Dear Jane on the wall!!

To Do Tuesday:

It seems like lately I am only managing to get to this every other week.

Last time's goals.

1. Finish cutting Churn Houses ✔

2. Cut borders for Scrappy Folded Blooms Quilt ✔

3. Cut new Bloom Quilt pieces. ✔

4. Finish binding Christmas Row quilt. X

5. Make binding for Windmill Quilt  X

I did make the hanging sleeve for it though.

This week's goals:

1.  Make 5 bags for the quilt retreat gifts

2.  Make 7 pincushions

3. Make up one each of the "make n take" ideas I have decided on

4. Finish binding Christmas Quilt

5. Attach binding to Scrappy Bloom Quilt

6. Make binding for Windmill Quilt & attach it

7. Add hanging sleeve to Masterpiece and finish binding the last side

8.  Attach hanging sleeve to Windmill Quilt

9. Study Hebrew 15 minutes per day

10. Play with the windmill pattern I purchased in regards to how it will fit in with my Quilted Barns 

It looks like a lot, but I will be home a ton this week!  I am so excited!

I am also linking up with:

Monday Making

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Deana's Monday sewing report from the weekend!

Since I finished all of my December goals early, I decided to get out Justin's Medallion and get a start on it.  I have it listed to complete in one month and that is a HUGE almost impossible challenge.  I got 2/5ths of it done.  That will really help me out when this number is drawn in the Patchwork Times UFO Challenge.  

I cut out the entire quilt, and it took me an entire day!  Next, I began making the middle blocks.  This is how far I got.  Today I plan to complete 8 more blocks that are nearly done and join this whole middle together.

I also got Dear Jane off the basting frames.  I hope to quilt 1 hour a week on it.  I just can't fit in any more than that, and if I don't start quilting it a little at a time, it won't get done this year.

Today's linkies are:

BOMs Away

Main Crush Monday

Monday Making

Bambi's Show & Tell Monday

One basted, one on the frames, and one cut into strips!

Well, I reached my goals last week.  I was able to get this one basted and off the frames.

Here it is basted and ready to quilt this week.

I put my Dear Jane on the frames to baste.  I hope to get it basted this week or next.  Here is a video I want to refer to while quilting the large triangel areas.   It is the way my mother in law did hers and I loved it!

I also cut this quilt into strips.  I hope to get started sewing on it this week.

You can see my Little Caezar's Pizza Kit box in the back.  I love buying the frozen kits from fund raising groups and storing unfinished projects in them after the pizzas are baked.

My main focus for this week is to get Granny Went Star Crazy quilted.  It is pretty close because I worked on it a little each day last week.

I also hope to get these stars cut and sewn this week for my student's barn quilt.  I will use these stars as a means to show them how to cut out the barn blocks.

I am linking up with:

Monday Making

Main Crush Monday

Moving it Forward Monday

Freemotion by the River

Done! A Dear Jane Journey visited...

My Dear Jane top is done!  Unbelievably, I did it!

My Dear Jane Journey began with my first post May 30, 2010.  That was 7 1/2 years ago.  Back then I decided to keep track of the time and the number of pieces.  Later on I quit.  I made the blocks mostly in order and sewed the rows together as I went along.  I would recommend that.  It was so nice to just add the next row when it was completed.

Here is a photo from my first week.  At that point I had logged 4 hours and 40 minutes with 194 pieces.

By June 20th, nearly a month later, I had two rows and two blocks done with a total of 22 1/2 hours and 586 pieces.

April 5, 2011 ( almost a year later), I had 4 rows and 3 blocks done:  47 hours 52 minutes 1,202 pieces

January 15th 2014 (3 years later and nearly 1 1/2 rows added):  65 hours 33 min and 1,629 pieces.

I must have really worked hard on it in 2014 because it had about doubled in size 6 months later.  June 20, 2014:  no time was logged but I was up to 2,431 pieces.

The end of 2014 I was nearly done with row 10 out of 13 rows.  The photo below is a beginning and end of year comparison photo.

In 2015 I only made 6 blocks all year!

Only 10 blocks were completed in 2016.

So, for 2017 I had only two rows left.  I participated in Patchwork Times group where you make a list of 12 projects to finish and number them 1-12.  She draws out a new number each month and that is the one you work on.  I wisely put Dear Jane into two months with the goal to complete one row a month.  It worked and now I am finally done!

I chose not to piece the triangles as is traditional.  I don't like how busy they make the quilt.  I think it is busy enough as it is; that is why I chose to do colors on the diagonal.  It gives your eyes a place to settle and travel.  

I also chose to point the colored triangles toward the quilt instead of away from it.  I feel like they point the eye back to the middle rather than moving the eye off the quilt.

I am joining the following Linky Parties:

BOM's Away

Monday Making

WOW - Wips on Wednesday

Moving it Forward

Freemotion by the River
Bambi's Show N Tell Monday

5 more Dear Jane and a top

I finished 5 more Dear Jane blocks this weekend and assembled my quilt top.  I am getting so close to done on both of these projects that it is utterly exciting!

The spoon is to show how small these blocks are ... 4 1/2" finished.

I only have two more Dear Jane blocks to make, two rows to add to the entire top, and the border to piece.

Here is a lovely post about another woman's Dear Jane Journey.  It inspired me so I am linking to it.

I am linking up today with:

BOMs Away
Moving it Forward
Bambi's Show and Tell Monday
Monday Making
Main Crush Monday
Freemotion by the River

Dear Jane

I made a few Dear Jane blocks last week.  I only have 7 more to make and this baby will be near done.  I am not piecing the triangle border.

I am linking up today with

BOMs Away
Moving it Forward
Main Crush Monday

Deana: Dear Jane - another row of blocks completed!

I am so excited that I am so close on finishing Dear Jane.  I just completed the blocks in another row.  I have only one row left.  Yay!

I am linking up with Design Wall Monday, Freemotion by the River, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, Moving it Forward Monday, and BOM's Away.

Thank you for your fun linky parties ladies.

Deana: 4 Dear Jane blocks done

I finished 4 Dear Jane blocks today!  Yippee!  My goal is to finis four more by the end of the month among other things.

The purpose of the spoon is to show how small they are.  Those little purple squares in the center of the bottom right block are crazy small.

I am linking up with Design Wall Monday, Monday making, Main Crush Monday, Moving it Forward Monday, Show N Tell Monday with Bambi, and Finished or Not Friday.

Deana: Dear Jane is moving along

Hello bloggers!  How are all of your wonderful projects moving along through this snowy winter?  Well, I have had a good January.

Last night after work I was able to assemble what is completed so far of my Dear Jane Quilt.  I had to sew together some sashing strips and join together rows that needed it.  I have only 18 blocks left and they are all pieced ones.  The applique' ones are complete!  This baby will get done this year!

As a reminder that Dear Jane blocks are only 4 1/2 inches finished, I took this photo with a fork.  You can see that a table fork is much taller than a Dear Jane block.

I also finished my pieced borders on another quilt, but I am not ready to reveal it yet.  

Fridays are my favorite linky days.  

I am linking up with:

Fabric Frenzy Friday

Can I get a Whoop Whoop?

TGIF

Crazy Mom Quilts
Finished or Not Friday

Deana: 5 Dear Jane blocks prepared

I got five Dear Jane blocks prepared for applique' this morning.  All I need to do is hand stitch them down.  They are my LAST FIVE APPLIQUE' blocks - yay!  Preparing them is the hardest part so I am on the home stretch.  I hope to sew a few more rows together soon.

Now I am off to the longarm to do some quilting.

I am linking up today with:

Main Crush Monday 

Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday

Monday Making

Oh Scrap

Show and Tell Monday