Goals!!!

One of my goals for January was to applique two Cherry Baskets each week for the Quilt A Long with Patchwork Insprirations HERE.

I need 18 baskets for the setting I have decided on. I've been tempted to machine applique the cherries and leaves, but my Juki only does a straight stitch and there is no place right now to set up the Bernina.
 Hand applique it is!  

I was asked if it's difficult to sew the diamonds together. It's actually pretty easy! There are four different descending strip sets sewn together plus one single strip (hard to see on the far right).

Each strip set gets trimmed at a sixty degree angle. 

It wasn't in the pattern, but I pressed the 5 and 3 strip sets toward the light top and the 4 and 2 strip sets the opposite way. I think it helped with sewing them together since they nestle a bit and the bulk is reduced.  

And then cut at that angle to make the basket units. I was able to get about 9 or 10 of these units from each strip set. I used a pretty small stitch length when sewing the strips together because I was worried about them unraveling at this point--lol! 

Here is one unit from each of the four strip sets plus the single strip (cut the same way as the sets) for the right corner. 

After sewing the units together, trim off the tops leaving a quarter inch seam allowance from the darker diamond tips. See--- so easy!!!

And here is my main One Monthly Goal--On Ringo Lake!
 It was pretty messy outside and since my sewing space is a disaster, I had to do a chair shot. If I remember, I will try to get a flat photo soon.. 

I still have to attach the label for On Ringo Lake and then I will relax and do a little Slow Sunday Stitching on the rest of my basket handles today. 

Linking with One Monthly Goal HERE and Slow Sunday Stitching HERE 
Also linking with Quiltville On Ringo Lake link up HERE

A Little Slow....

This week has been pretty crazy--hard to believe it's only Wednesday! I've already had my teeth cleaned, my wrists injected with cortisone, and my hair cut. What I haven't done is any sewing. I'm in the process of rearranging my sewing room, literally moving every single thing but my design wall (which may get moved yet). Lots of cleaning, sorting and purging has been going on, and I am pretty happy with the new layout. My only problem is finding a good set up spot for my printer/laptop. I am way behind on my internet quilt trolling--lol! 

I did get some things accomplished while at quilt camp--a few more 4"x 5" Anthology blocks.
They are pretty fun to make and so darn cute since they are so little. 

A few more string blocks for Jamestown Landing got added to the pile--I need a lot more of these before I can start making blocks. 
Another border for Mrs. Billing was finished too! Unfortunately, the next border I need to attach is going to have to be hand sewn--way to many Y seams for me to machine sew!  

I also got the diamond pieced bottoms of my Cherry Baskets sewn at camp. When I got home, I prepped the handle units using a piece of freezer paper ironed to the backgrounds.

Before I left for camp, I prepped a lot of cherries and leaves and drew up an overlay from preview paper for general placement. I'm not being too exact on where the applique goes as long as it's in the neighborhood--lol! 
At least I've been able to get a little hand stitching in in the evenings but I'm afraid it will be a while before I'm back to some serious piecing.....
back to the big do-over! 

A Monthly Goal and Something New

Well, I couldn't resist putting all my On Ringo Lake blocks together so I could determine whether I had too many or not enough parts. For my smaller size that I am making, I needed two more blocks for a total of 32, so I did have to make more geese and pieced triangles. 

I really like how this is looking and I'm determined that it won't end up like every other Bonnie Hunter mystery I've done, so I am making On Ringo Lake my January One Monthly Goal. 

There are several Sew Along's happening on Facebook that I wanted to participate in, but I have rethought my priorities and am only doing the basket challenge from the Bea and Cecile Quilt-a-Long (you can read about HERE).
The Cherry Basket pattern by Bonnie Sullivan has been on my cutting table for ages, and I thought it might be fun to make a summery version (and in blue, natch!). 

My first two blocks.
 The rules are to make two blocks a week for eight weeks. My setting ( a little different from the pattern) will require 18 blocks, so I will have to do a little hustling to stay caught up and have a top sewn together by April. You can see that my plan for a light background in the previous photo had to be scrapped. I didn't have quite enough light home spun fabrics for the big triangles--they are so difficult to find! But thanks to my friend Brenda P., I had a nice big chunk of deep blue from the bag of fabrics she gifted to me last year. 
Thanks again, Brenda! 

Speaking of home spun fabrics, I don't think I have mentioned that I recently won a big "ol box of them from Janet of Rogue Quilter. 

I had a lot of fun sorting through them--strips, charms, a few triangles and lots of large pieces too! Thanks so much Janet! 

And I had to giggle when I found this little square of fabric buried in the middle of the home spuns!!!

Linking with One Monthly Goal HERE

Linking with Quiltville Mystery Monday Link Up Parts 6,7,8, and 9 HERE