Will it ever be Spring?

It's still cold and rainy here.  At least everything is green and lush!  And I think Spring green is just the prettiest color, after the drab grays and browns of winter.  Any day now . . . .

I've had some luck with blog drawings lately, scoring two wins!  Yesterday this beautiful package of luscious wool arrived from Cathi at Shakerwood Woolens.  You can also find her on Facebook.

My other prize was from Pam Buda at Heartspun Quilts.  I got to choose my own pattern, and I chose this beauty.  I love 'old fashioned' patterns, and can't wait to get started on this.  I think I already have the perfect fabric in my stash.

My green scraps for RSC16 have been cut and will be put together into blocks in the next day or two.

Gifted Gorgeousness is progressing nicely.  I hand stitch with a group two afternoons a month, and this is the perfect project to take along.  There are nine stitcheries, and I hope to get a little ahead so I can assemble the quilt before Christmas.  THis was a kit I won from Kaaren at  The Painted Quilt a couple of years ago.

If you haven't been over to visit Kaaren for awhile, you may have missed out on this SAL.  I loved the quilt so much I rushed out to buy fabric and get my top sewed.  Then I spent half a day looking for just the right backing fabric.  I hope to get it sandwiched and basted today, and then I'll start quilting on Thursday.  No pictures just yet, so hop over to see Kaaren's.

I debated over making mine in another color, but the yellow just called out to me!

I went to a friend's house this past weekend for a mini retreat.  She is hand quilting a quilt that was pieced by her mother for a grandchild's graduation.  DK has never actually finished a quilt before, although she started a couple of small items years ago.  She is making fantastic progress, and I helped her make the binding, which will be attached very soon!  I took hand projects to work on, and made some progress on my GFG.  My goal is to work on it daily, and perhaps have it finished this year.  I started it in 2010, so it's time.  Many of the hexies are from One Flower Wednesday and from a monthly hexie swap.  I loved making the hexie flowers, but I do NOT like sewing them all together.

I guess that sums up the month so far.  With all the rain and dreary weather we've been having, I have plenty of time to stitch.

Hoping for Spring....... Sunny

Fun with Flossie!

While I was cleaning and organizing about a month ago, I found a book that I had forgotten I bought.  I bet no one else has ever done that, right?  So I've been acquiring some fabric, a little here and a little there.

This is going to be a challenge for me, as there are no patterns for the 121 blocks.  A few are simple, and I can measure and cut with no problem.  I think many of them will be paper pieced.  To make it a little more challenging, I decided to dust off my Featherweight machine for the piecing.  I've had it for about five years and I've never used it.  I've named her Flossie, and I'm sure we're going to become very good friends.  My research tells me she's from 1935.

I finished a very simple block this afternoon, and am almost finished with the second.  To do that, I needed to thread it, and adjust the tension.  I'm used to automatic thread cutting, needle down, and automatic presser foot up and down.  I think I'll catch on to this pretty quickly though.

Late last night, I put the final stitches in my first May finish.  These aren't my usual colors, but I really love this!  The baskets are scrappy log cabins, from a fat quarter bundle I've had for years.  I just had to add the background and borders.  It measures about 35" square and will soon be hanging on a wall.

Now, back to stitching.....Sunny