Finished Or Not Friday: Did You Ever Quilt a Rainbow....

Okay, the post title happened because when I started writing this post, this popped in my head:

Joining in once again over at Quilty Girl (and new Grandma) Alycia's for this week's "Finished or Not Friday" linkup!  

I present my finally finished "Rainbow Scrappy Log Cabin":

Front

Back

I say finally because this was one of the six (!) projects I started back in 2021 when I decided to finally dive into Angela's (of the So Scrappy blog) Rainbow Scrap Quilt Challenge.  This pattern is the one that comes with Accuquilt's Log Cabin die although they call it the "Scrappy Star Log Cabin". 

I wonder if that's because Pam Heller,  Accuquilt's Cutting Expert always cites this die as a good one to use to cut up your scraps. 

After learning about and following the RSC, I immediately envisioned using the pattern for the challenge since that would absolve me from having to choose a colorway for the quilt.  Use all the colors in the rainbow and you don't have to pick a specific color direction!

Funny thing was that of all the projects I started that year, I wound up only picking and die cutting the fabrics for this during the challenge since I realized that I wanted to have all of the fabrics gathered and complementary before starting to piece the blocks.   

I eventually changed to using a different green fabric than the one cut here.

As a result the actual block sewing didn't start until 2022.  However as usual with a lot of projects on my plate, I only made maybe three blocks that year and then this got lost in the project shuffle.

It got revived again in 2023 when the American Quilters Society teamed up with Accuquilt and held a quilt along for this pattern. 

I got the top done but then the next usual question/issue was how to quilt it and so it sat again.  In 2024 Angela Walters held another of her free motion quilting challenges called "How Do I Quilt It?"  that covered stitch patterns for Snowball, Chevron, Log Cabin and Curved blocks and Applique borders.  That year I also had a Snowball block quilt that I was looking for inspiration for the quilting.  I did get that one done but unlike another time when I got two quilts finished because of one of Angela's challenges, this time I wasn't sure any of her approaches for quilting Log Cabin blocks worked for this one.   So once again it sat! 

Then this year the guild I belong to long distance with my mother-in-law announced that their challenge project for this year would be making a log cabin quilt!  Perfect!  Ever since owning the die I've longed to make a lot of Log Cabin quilts so pulled out all the ideas that I had for them.  However, in the end since this one was already pieced and ready to go and only needed to be quilted, it became the one to get done!  Another push was having a deadline since finished quilts were to be presented at the guild's June meeting. 

My expectation was to get it quilted by the end of May so I could mail it down to North Carolina in plenty of time.  Well you know what they say about the best laid plans:  it still took me until last week to decide on what wound up being a very simple quilting plan:  evenly spaced straight lines across some of the major directions that the piecing followed.  

Even then such simple quilting, done free-motion with a ruler, took me a little longer than I expected.  Then I decided after the quilting was done to add a flange accent to the binding I had planned to do using the outer border fabric. I was able to once again use up some of the leftover Log Cabin strips that I had and sewed them together to form the accent strip to create the effect.

It's a subtle touch next to the busy border fabric but I like it!  Even better, a flange binding is my favorite kind of binding: completely applied by machine!  

I finished it up on Sunday and mailed it out on Monday.  Unfortunately I'm still on pins and needles as it was estimated to arrive to her by yesterday.  It was in NC by that time but as of today is still listed as having been transferred to the postal distribution center in the next big town.  I really hope it gets to her by tonight otherwise after all of this effort, it might still not be part of the guild presentation tomorrow!

Well at least I can say I've checked off another UFO on my master to-do list --- even if it's not the one I was supposed to be working on this month LOL!  This month the number that was pulled on this year's UFO Challenge List (I'm following The Quilted Forest's picks on YouTube) was #1 which on my list is my "Scrap Vortex" quilt. 

That's another one that's only waiting to be quilted but has stumped me up until now.  Mostly because I have some vague yet also specific ideas on what I'd like to do on it but haven't quite worked out how to make that happen.  Hopefully this finish will inspire me to get that one done too.  Not to mention I still have to finish the quilting on March's UFO pick, still layer and quilt April's and cut out the "Newfo" picked from the list for May.  Never a dull moment in my quilt world!

And it's also never a dull moment in the worlds of the quilters that gather at Alycia's each week for "Finished Or Not Friday"!  So head on over there to see what everyone has worked on this past week whether it was finished or not!

To Do Tuesday: The End of March and Plans for April

 Ahhh, so another month ends!  How fitting that it aligns with the weekly check in for "To Do Tuesday" that is usually hosted by Carol over at Quilt Schmilt.  

However as of the time I'm posting this, Carol hasn't posted the link-up for this week (I hope everything is okay).  So if she sets one up in the next day or two, I'll update this with the link to it.   

So last week the plans for finishing up the month were:  

1.  Go back to "Modern Twist" and try to complete it for this month's UFO Challenge finish. 

I am still working on it.  I've only been able to sit down and stitch on it a little at a time as I'm still feeling my way on quilting it.  So at best I can call it "moved forward" for March.  

Even as I am looking forward to seeing what "UFO Challenge" number The Quilted Forest pulls for April,  I also want to continue working on this and try to finish it by the end of that month. 

2.  (Finally) work on the "Picture That" QOV top. 

Okay, finally made the final fabric choices so I can start cutting and piecing it.  I expect this one to be a quickie to stitch up!

3.  Start stitching the fourth (and last) "Hexie Snowflake" block to its background.

Yes, it has been started and is about half way done.  Should be completed by the weekend.

4.  "Fully finish" the "Year of the Horse" cross stitch.

Done!  Detail on that in this post.

Also Accomplished as March Finished Up:  

Having been able to finish the March blocks for my "Alaska" BOM a week early, I figured I'd put the blocks I've made to date up on the design wall just to take in how far I've gotten with this project.

Pretty good!  Although when I went to take the blocks down, I realized I had placed some of the blocks flanking the outer most center blocks incorrectly.  The blocks in those positions are pieced in mirror image and I clearly had put some of them in the wrong spots.  I made a note of that for when I lay these out again.

I have two more blocks to make to fill the center and in both cases I'll need eight of them.  So in April I'll tackle one of them knowing I need to make two blocks a week this time around.

Since I also have plans to make an enlarged version of the basic deisgn, I'll also be adding an additional  border of blocks.  Those blocks just so happen to have the same piecing as the other block I need for the center, just colored slightly differently.  So when I make those (in May), I'll make both sets of blocks in tandem.  I won't get them all done in a month --- I will just continue to work on them consistently until I have all that I need.  

Ooh, since the block making and constructing the final top is likely to go into June, this will be a perfect project to put on my list for the Fat Quarter Shop's annual "Red, White & June" event that month!   

Other Plans For April:

I'm trying to meet a deadline of making a Log Cabin quilt by May so I can send it down to my MIL to present at the June meeting of "our" guild.  Originally my plan had been to make two new designs that I've long wanted to make.  However with so many other projects in progress,  I've accepted that it just isn't going to be possible to get them done in time.  

I did start the "Sparkle & Shine" project that has only nine giant blocks and will continue to work on that in April and am hoping to get it done.  However, the other week I realized that I already have two Log Cabin WIPs, both of which started as "Rainbow Scrap Challenge" projects and one of which just needs to be quilted.  

So I decided it would make way more sense to try to get them finished up for the challenge.  The hold-up on the finished top is that up to now,  I couldn't decide how to quilt it.  So I need to sit with it a bit more over the next few days and try to come up with a plan for that.  

I also need to work on an idea I have for the layout of the other blocks which as of right now involves making additional alternate blocks for it.  If I can get that done, then I can determine if it'll also be possible to get it quilted in time as well.

So plans for this week are:

1.  Continue (and possibly finish?) quilting "Modern Twist".

2.  Find out what the "UFO Challenge" project pick is for April.  

3.  Do the cutting for the "Picture That" QOV top and maybe start piecing it togther. 

4.  Finish stitching the fourth (and last) "Hexie Snowflake" block to its background.

5.  Cut the pieces for the next set of the "Alaska" BOM blocks and make the first two.

6.  Layer RSC "Rainbow Log Cabin" and (possibly) start quilting it.

7.  Start making the alternate blocks for the RSC "Rainbow Log Cabin Hearts" layout.  

Hope I don't shoot myself in the foot with such a long list to start off the month!  I'm hoping Carol at Quilt Schmilt is able to get the "To Do Tuesday" link up set up.  If she does, then I can go see what other quilters have finished for March and have lined up for the start of April.  I'm guessing there should be a lot of pretty Spring projects starting to bloom in quilt studios around the world!

Quilting Travelogue - Part 1: Piecing, Shop Hop and Cross Stitch

We came back from visiting my MIL in North Carolina last week right into another busy week at home!  My community garden was scheduled to host the annual Fall visit of the Fifth Grade from one of the local elementary schools.  So that meant going in the day before to set up for the visit and back in the next day for their visit.  Then on the following day, staff and volunteers from Bronx Green-up, the community garden outreach program of the New York Botanical Garden came to help us get more of our new garden bed builds built and in place.  We've gotten a lot done since the start of the season back in March!

Then and Now!

After that I needed to recoup from the hard work of the garden days, do some food shopping for the house and follow up with relatives regarding our return which all managed to kill the rest of the week.  

Over the weekend I did pull out a few of the things from the trip and ordered a few things in follow-up to projects or purchases from the trip.  After a few appointments to start off this week,  I am finally, slowly getting back to what I had been working on before I left! 

The trip itself was also busy but very productive.   Here's what I did while we were away:

Piecing

I finished up my "Rainbow Log Cabin Heart" blocks.  These had been started to participate in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge all the way back in 2021.  I had brought with me the blocks sets for the Turquoise, Orange, Red-Purple, Black and Grey blocks that had been on my design wall since the Summer:

Those done, I realized I needed one more block for the layout.  I had considered a number of options but decided to raid my MIL's scrap stash and made a Brown block:

I also came up with an idea for what to do for the alternate squares so will try to work on that now that I am back home.

My "leader/ender" project for this trip was to start my blocks for Bonnie Hunter's "Shoo Fly Shoo".  This was her annual Leader/Ender project from back in 2019 and I got a few done while making the "Heart" blocks.  

I had liked Bonnie's quilt that was made up of "oodles of blocks" but this past weekend I spied a pattern at Quilting Daily  (they are having a $5 sale until 10/31) that I might prefer to do:

I like this one because it would mean making a whole lot less of the "Shoo Fly" blocks!  After finishing up the "Scrap Vortex" top back in March (and the backing for it is one of the post-trip purchases), I really wanted to continue working down my "string scraps stash" and this would give me another opportunity to use some of them.  Additionally, I've always wanted to make one of these string pieced Lone Stars which would then use up even more strings.  So I think I see a project-pivot developing!    

I did do another bit of piecing but will talk about that when I report on the "Long-Arm Quilting" portion of the trip.

Shop Hopping

We almost completed the whole East Central Region of the All Carolina's Shop Hop.  I've still got to mail in my Hop "Passport" so I can be entered in to win some prizes.  My MIL won a fabric bundle last year after submitting hers!  

We didn't find out until right before we went down that Rocky Mount in North Carolina where my MIL lives also got hit by a tornado during the Hurricane Helene storm period.  The damage while intense wherever it did touch down was no where near what was suffered in Ashville in the Western part of the state.  I was sorry to learn that many of the quilt shops in that area, a few of which I had visited in 2022 while camping along the Blue Ridge Parkway, were greatly impacted by the storm.  

Needless to say I picked up a lot of goodies and we went to three stores I hadn't been to before.  One of them was a store recently opened by a woman I discovered when I attended the virtual Summer Quilt Camp back in July.  

My MIL and I both purchased fabrics to make up the bag patterned in this year's issue of the Hop magazine.  

My MIL plans to make hers out of the fabric designed for last year's Hop.  She already had a few pieces in her stash and found additional prints while we shopped this year.  Mine will be made out of the ones for this year which I purchased while Hopping.  However, neither of us will be making them using the fabrics the same way as patterned in the magazine!  We never got around to working on that project so I'll be keeping this packed up for our next trip back down which is tentatively scheduled for February.    

I had also made this pop-up bin to pack in the bag with my Juki sewing machine prior to us leaving on this trip.

When I visit my MIL,  I set up a little sewing station and wanted to have a handy trash can to use when I come.  I also had brought down my Featherweight machine with me because there was talk of us doing a "Sit-'N-Stitch" session with some other quilters.  I had purchased two of the pop up frames so I could also make one while there to put in my Featherweight travel bag.  

When my MIL saw the first one she immediately wanted to also make one and ordered a frame.  I had one red and black Fat Quarter for the second bin and the plan was to find three more plus fabric for the lining while on the Shop Hop.  However, I only found the lining and two more fabrics I liked for the exterior.  Ultimately, I decided that one of them wouldn't be used to make the can.  Instead I purchased enough yardage of that print as well as another one to go with a panel I already have in my stash.  

And hopefully one day this will become another holiday quilt!

It all worked out since we weren't able to do the quilting get together after all.  I brought the extra frame back home and have since ordered yet another a print that I will use for the whole exterior along with the lining purchased on the Hop.  Since this was another of the projects we wound up not having time to work on, it too will travel back down for the next trip.

Edited To Add:  That didn't happen but the new bucket did eventually get made and the details about that are here.  

Cross Stitch   

While away, I also got some cross stitching done.  I had taken a few projects with me both to work on while there and during the drive down and back:

Before and a finished After!

These two also traveled down with me....

One was finished and one moved forward!

In my last post, I mentioned that I had finished my latest "snarky" cross stitch piece and hoped to "fully finish" it when I returned.  The good news is I found a great backing print for it on the Shop Hop!

So I am hoping in the days to come to "fully finish" it and get it hung up!

In the next post I'll discuss the quilting part of the trip and a big project that I moved off of my quilty "To Do" list! 

August Recap: RSC, Cross Stitch Summer Camp, A Favor for a Friend and More FMQ Inspiration

Re-Visiting the Rainbow Scrap Challenge

After a busy July, things did not slow down for August!  My plans for the month started off with pulling the number for my American Patchwork and Quilting UFO Challenge  list.  In the piecing category (this year I made a separate list for projects that need to be quilted), the number that came up was for my "Twisted Ribbons" project which is one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects.

I checked in with Angela's So Scrappy RSC information page and the color for the month was Orange.  What was good is that I needed that color in my other ongoing RSC projects as well so I pulled together pieces from stash and scraps.

Unfortunately, in order to work on "Twisted Ribbons",  I would have needed my design wall and as noted in my last post, it was still filled with the layout for the Christmas Scrap Squares project so that was not possible.  

However, I took the time to review all the RSC projects and I saw that my Log Cabin Hearts is probably the closest to getting to a finished top.  So I did cut the strips needed for an Orange block for that.  I had already cut sets for colors called earlier this year.  Since the RSC page now also had the color call for September, I added added more color block sets for that too.  

Now I will be taking this project with me on our upcoming trip to visit my MIL as one of the projects for our mini quilt retreat. 

Cross Stitch Summer Camp

Every August, Sheri the Colorado Cross Stitcher hosts Cross Stitch Summer Camp.  For the months of June and July she will give prompts which guide stitchers in choosing a project to work on for it.  For August the prompt is always the same:  "Try Something New".   For me that was the perfect excuse to start a project I had come across after viewing Flosstubes discussing the new patterns that debuted at the Nashville Needlemarket in early March.  

I saw a kit for a pattern that was said would be stitched in wool.  Having made wool quilt projects, I was curious about how that translated into cross stitch.  

The wool floss is on the left.

I admit I started on this late so by the end of August had not gotten far with it.  I've continued to work on it after August and here is where it is now. 

Commissions, Commissions.....

That month I also got a quilt commission request.  A long time friend of mine called to ask if I had an "African themed" quilt I might part with.  She had a co-worker who would be traveling to that country and wanted to give a unique gift for an upcoming birthday party for her.  I admitted I didn't have one but that I did have a fabric stash as this is something on my quilty wish list!

We put our heads together and came up with the idea of me making a jewelry roll like the ones I'd made her and another friend of mine.  She picked out the fabrics she liked and I made it up.

Unfortunately, this gift was not as well received as my friend expected.  So I had to have the "Quilt Gift Reality Check" conversation with her that we quilters have come to understand:  just because you like quilts and handmade items doesn't mean that others do or appreciate them.  I even passed along a number of links to her to articles that would let her know that this is a situation that is not as uncommon as she would think:

https://www.reddit.com/r/quilting/comments/ew94tv/how_do_i_recover_from_gifting_quilts_and/

https://www.epidastudio.com/7-things-to-consider-before-giving-a-quilt-as-a-gift/

https://www.badassquilterssociety.com/stop-giving-quilts-as-gifts/

https://scissortailquilting.com/finished-projects/giving-quilts/

Although I was able to calm her down a bit,  she was still a bit miffed and at least I got something out of it too:  she has vowed to never ask me to make a gift like that to give to someone again!  That has not however, freed me of the obligation to finally get to work on the memory lap quilt she has commissioned from me for herself, LOL!!   

The other thing I was able to do was to remake a tote bag I had made for her a while back.  She was carrying that one when she went for a mammogram.  Leaving the facility, she was on the elevator with a woman who was visibly upset, having received a rather grim diagnosis.  The woman asked my friend if she could take a picture of the encouraging saying on the front of the bag.  My friend felt so bad for the woman that she gave her the bag and then wondered if I might be able make another to replace it.  

Fortunately, the panel it came from -- Ruby Society's "Pep Talk" is still readily available so I got another panel.  I still had more of the original backing fabric that I had used for her first bag and shopped for a new lining fabric.  I was also able to upgrade the bag straps to cotton webbing which I think is sturdier than the nylon webbing I used the first time.  The best thing was that I was able to deliver both to her in person, making for a nice opportunity for us to meet up as well!  

Free Motion Summit

As I had in July,  I got the opportunity to attend another virtual workshop series: "The Free Motion Quilting Summit".  Hosted by Mary Davis of Mary Go Round Quilts, this was a free three day event (although you could pay for extended access to the videos) that introduced me to many quilting teachers I was not familiar with and re-introduced me to a few I did know.  

What was a big help to me was a workshop by Adria Goode on her "Big Flower" FMQ motif.   

This is an interesting stitch pattern in that it can be used either in blocks or in borders.  If you like it too, she has the free workshop available on her website as well!  

This was just the inspiration I needed to attempt to try to finish another quilt!  I had pieced "Heartland",  a 3 yard quilt back in Fall 2023 and had tried to longarm it when I visited my MIL back in May.  

I had picked out a computerized design and sized it on the quilt but wasn't able to figure out how to get my MIL's machine to stitch it out.  Since that time I think I've figured out what I did wrong and had planned to take it back to my MIL's when we go down to visit her.  However,  I felt the "Big Flower" motif would work well on it so I decided to instead quilt this one on my DSM.  I started that quilting in September and it is currently in progress:

The longarm instruction at the Summit made me also think about my plans for the next time I get a chance to use my MIL's longarm.  To that end, I pulled out another project long over due for finishing.  Looking at it for the first time in years, I could see a new plan for quilting it on her machine.  Armed with that and a new understanding of how her machine works and how to approach longarm projects in general,  I think I'm ready to take a stab at trying to get it done.   It is now packed up to go with us when we leave at the end of the week.

A Big Loss In the Quilting World

Towards the end of August,  I read that another light went out in the quilting firmament:  I learned about the passing of Freddie Moran on Jennifer Sampou's blog.  

For most of my quilty years, Freddy Moran was always talked about for her vibrant use of color and pattern, particularly polka dots.  I gained a new appreciation of her belief that "Red is a Neutral" when I worked on Red and White quilts these past few years.   

There is another tribute to her on the C& T Publishing blog.  Two more tributes to Freddy's work (done while she was still alive) can be seen in two videos by The Quilt Show here and here.   

In honor of her passing, I picked up a copy of her book "Freddy's House".  What's cool is that the used copy I got is autographed! 

She was also well known for her collaborations with the also dearly departed Gwen Marston.  I still want to try to get at least one of the books they wrote together.  

So that's it for August!  Last up will be a summary of September!

And So Ends April....

Boy this year is moving fast!  I only wish my projects were moving at the same speed!!  

The Raffle Quilts Go Away Again

Once again the late start on the raffle quilts meant I didn't get them done.  Two weeks out from the opening day, I was still waffling about whether I could really make a push to finish them.  Unfortunately, our community garden was hit hard when we lost two of our Steering Committee members in March.  One, our events coordinator, suddenly passed away.  Then our Vice President (and local government liaison) was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer and had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy.  The remainder of the Steering Committee reached out to our garden members for help in coordinating and finalizing the day's events and picking up the supplies for the day's activities.  

My DH and I volunteered since we usually worked with the Event Coordinator to set up the event on the day so had some idea of how she usually approached it and what needed to be done.  My husband had also already put in for the day off from work the day before the event.  That allowed us to further help by going to pick up all the supplies needed.  Once that all came forward, the plan to try finishing the quilts had to be packed away again!

The good news is that I did get to move them that much further forward.  All of the basket blocks for both are done and the border print strips for both are cut and ready for layout.  I was still debating on whether to add more applique to the pastel version (I've put flowers in three baskets but should I do four?).  I was also waiting to get the light version off the design wall so I could figure out which of the butterflies in the border print fabric of the dark version I would cut out and applique for the remaining three border cornerstones (I already have one prepped and made two applique squares for the center).

What this really means is that I must, must, must get this started early next year (perhaps right after the New Year) in order to get them done on time.  So there is still hope for this project.

Made Another Sash

In addition to helping coordinate the event, I also volunteered to make the Grand Marshal sash again.  We found out at the last minute that the scheduled speaker wasn't going to be able to attend after all but was sending someone from their office to officiate.  That freed me to make this year's sash a little less elaborate than last years. 

I scaled back some of the ideas I had planned to use for it (so ditched the canning jar blocks) but was still was able to have some fun with my little Bernina Deco embroidery machine and Accuquilt Classic letter dies.  Pictures from the event can be seen on page 5 in the latest edition of our community paper on the Issuu.com website here.

Progress on the Accuquilt QAL

The week of the garden opening, I was also supposed to finish up my Rainbow Log Cabin blocks for the Accuquilt and AQS quilt along.  Needless to say that didn't happen until after the opening day!   Then I had time to finish up the blocks and sew them together for the center of the top.

Up to that point, I had not given any thought to what I was going to use for the borders for this top.  I wanted to carry on the rainbow theme but didn't have anything in stash so a shopping trip was then in order.  I found a pretty bold and busy print that picked up all of the colors used in the blocks.  

Both the pattern and Erica Bottger of Accuquilt put their borders right up against the blocks.  With my dark print, I felt it "choked" the center that way so added an additional light inner border pieced together from the unused 12-1/2" light strips I had die cut.  The blocks in the top finish at 11" although the BOB* die itself cuts enough strips for a 12" finished block.  Now I have to think about how to quilt this and (fingers crossed) bring it to a finish this year.  

*BOB = "Block on Board" meaning all the pieces for the block are cut with the one die.

April APQ UFO review

Once again, I wasn't able to make time to work on the American Patchwork and Quilting UFO pick for the month.  The number pulled was "4" and on my list that is my "Make It Scrappy" project:

This one was started back in 2019 when I made a wall hanging version of a MODA Bake Shop design as a gift for my MIL.  When I made the letters for hers,  I also made letters for a lap quilt version for me.  I had finished all the letters and put the center of the top together but I still have to put borders on it.  

Well, that didn't happen this month but some good did come from thinking about working on this!  I had pulled out the storage bag for it at the start of the month so now needed to take a picture of what I have for it for this report.  Lo and behold, I also found a piece of this print bundled up with it:

It was the fabric I had used as the background for the word "Scrappy" in both quilts.  Well, it just so happens that I had recently bundled another cut of this same print with fabrics for my next string quilt project.  I had been lamenting that I was just short of what I needed of that print for that project.  I thought I was going to have to find another print to use because I didn't think I could get more of it.  So I guess it does pay to pull out that UFO project even if you don't get to actually work on it!!  

I have a note in my planner that in July there is a "World UFO Day".  Yes, there is a day for everything although quilters will be celebrating that one differently than most people, LOL!!.   Maybe I can make a plan to try and catch up on all of the ones I haven't gotten to this year when that day/month comes.

Fabrics are in for the next Angela Walters FMQ Challenge

Angela Walters has another of her Free-motion quilting challenges starting in May.  It's called "Floral Frames" and this time she will be doing stitch patterns that can be used in borders.   

Since about 2019, Angela has designed panels for demonstrating the designs she will show how to stitch out.  This allows quilters to literally stich along with her without having to be in an "in-person" class.  I liked the colors of this year's panel (Blue, White and Lime!) so decided to splurge on getting the panel this time since I will be able to display it with my other Blue & White quilts when it's done.  

I purchased the panel, coordinating threads, border and backing fabrics.

I'm also hoping to stitch up the quilt top I made last year in order to do her "Fillers" challenge.  

If you've been curious about Angela's challenges, in her last weekly chat she reviewed the history of the challenges she has offered, all of which are still on You Tube.  Additionally she is offering a discount on the purchase of the prior year panels if you are interested in getting any of them to try out her challenges.   

Cross Stitch Update

My plan for the month was to get my "Maybe Wine" cross stitch project done.  After re-starting it by ripping out work previously done on the top flower,  I felt I made good enough progress on the re-do to finish it up.  Unfortunately, all the changes in plans for the garden opening left me too pooped to stitch most days.  

I started the month here....

...and ended it here.

Luckily for me, there is a special cross stitch event starting tomorrow so continuing work on it is already on the agenda for May!

So that's it for April!  The month didn't "Shower" me with finishes but hopefully some finishes will "Bloom" in May!!