A quick update

Today I received a sweet email from Lynn S wondering if I was OK since I had not been blogging. Thanks Lynn, I was rather shocked to discover that my posters were missed. Well, rest assured that I am alive and well and stitching more than ever. I decided at the beginning of this year that I was getting so distracted by online activities that I was not actually getting the things done that I really wanted/needed to be working on and as a result, I took a break from blogging. I still have been posting on Instagram under happy_appliquer as that is quick and easy but certainly not as in depth. Anyway, here is what I have been up to lately.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am working on the Splendid Sampler. I am just loving these blocks and have kept up to date with all the blocks and bonus blocks and have even added a few extras. Here is where I am so far with 49 completed blocks. I suspect I will have lots more than the 100 blocks when I finish!

I am also keeping up to date with the 1857 Album quilt by Sentimental Stitches. These blocks are only 10" and with my controlled color palette they make great portable blocks as I don't need many thread colors. That is good as this spring has been very busy with guests and travel to see family.

I also started a Baltimore Album quilt that I had been planning for years. I had collected fabrics and patterns and saw that a FB friend was also going to start this quilt which encouraged me to begin. I just need to add the embroidery and this block will be finished. I just loved adding broderie perse and some shading to the flowers as it seems to add such depth and dimension to the block.

In April my son, Kevin Kosbab of Feed Dog Designs, who is a quilt designer came for a visit. He spoke at the Modern quilt guild and we played in my sewing room. I had this large paper pieced rosette on my wall and he asked what I was going to do with it. It is actually the first rosette in Katja Merek's Millefiori quilt and I knew would probably never complete. So while he was here I drew the peacocks, pulled a background fabric from my stash and began turning it into something else entirely. It was fun bouncing ideas off another quilter and I worked on it while he finished quilting a quilt of his on my longarm machine. Now on border ideas.

I also went to Paduch where I took a class on hand piecing from Carolyn Konig, a quilt designer from Australia. It was a wonderful class and I even completed the class project once I got home, however, I cannot find a photo of the finished product. Here is it partly complete.

In Paducah I found some great wool patterns from Carried Away designs. I loved this so much I finished it my first week home. So sweet and different from the usual primitive wool designs that are out there.

Unfortunately all of these things require lots of handwork and I have been struggling to come up with some machine piecing work that will keep me going. With that in mind I pulled out these little blocks for my Phebe quilt by Di Ford. I started making these blocks several years ago but stalled due to moving and constant distractions. I now have completed just over 1/2 of the total required of these stars.

And finally right now I am working on prepping my center for Phebe.

I am enjoying this one and am again reminded to focus on the projects I love and want to complete. Blogging is fun and I do love sharing but my little break has been a great time for me to rediscover the parts of quilting that are the most special to me. I still feel the pull to jump into the latest project that I see online but more and more I am content to just do my own thing.

Til next time, Happy Stitching!

 

 

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