Weekly Update

As you might imagine, this week has been filled with more sorting and arranging than creating, although I managed to get a few things done and have a few pictures to share. I love my new studio space.  Here is a picture of the little shelves Raymond made for me to hold ribbons. I am not sure what will go on the shelves, but put up some miscellaneous boxes to get them out of the way.

At Chattanooga Quilters Guild this year we are having a pizza box block of the month.  In January, everyone who wanted to (about 15 members, I think) brought a pizza box  with six one-yard pieces of coordinating fabric. We each took home someone else’s box and have to make a block out of the fabrics in the box in time for the next meeting. Then we will exchange again each month for the rest of the year. At the December meeting, everyone get’s their box back with a year’s worth of blocks made for them.

I decided to make a practice block from my own fabrics to make sure I didn’t mess up anyone else’s fabrics, and since I have more of the fabrics I sent in my pizza box, I plan to use that so that by the end of the year .  I made both blocks last week, but I can’t show them to you at least until after the meeting next week.

Here is a picture of the snow we got on Saturday out the studio window. It is still pretty cold, but the snow is gone already.

Here is the new little design wall we put together over the weekend. I used grey flannel instead of white like the big one. This one is almost six feet wide and almost as tall as the ceiling. After we got this one set up on the three PVC pipes it was a little saggy at the bottom. I thought maybe a fourth pipe on the bottom would help hold it taut. As luck would have it, Raymond had a long enough piece and a couple elbows in the garage, so we added it and it did the trick.  It just leans against the wall like the big one so it can be easily disassembled and moved if needed.

I have a lot of fabric with fruit and vegetables on it. I decided to use some of it to make new pot holders for the kitchen. Here are the first four.  This is a simple pattern that I found on the internet a few years ago to make coasters. I just increased the size to make them into pot holders and added little loops. I love the brightness of the citrus fabrics. I am working on some lemon and lime fabrics next.  Looks like I will be making more than I need if my plan is to use up this fabric.

The last thing I got done this week is to finish stitching on the last applique block for Birds of a Feather, the block of the month project at Sew Bee It quilt shop last year. I got way behind in finishing the blocks and decided to make a smaller quilt with what I had done.  Yesterday, I sewed all the blocks and filler blocks into a solid piece. Here it is:

It is about 28″ by 64″ right now, but needs some kind of borders.  I am so happy with it and especially that it is this close to being done.  This is about half of the blocks in the original quilt. I plan on hanging it in the guest room on the wall opposite ‘Remember Me” that I posted a while back when I finished it.

That’s it for now.  Have a creative week.