Stitching the Blues Away...

 Pollyanna where were you yesterday?
It seems like every Mother's Day - I get the Blues.  Partly because my kids are scattered across the West, and can't all come and be with me. And partly because I miss my Mother every year.  It's been a very long time since she hasn't been around to Celebrate any Holiday with.   I know I'm not alone on this. Last year at this time I was at a Quilt Show in Idaho and spending time with my Son and his family.  I blogged about it HERE. I've had to have the same conversation with two of my children this week.  I really feel like I am a broken record and I'm sorry.  I just don't feel too special, when it's so hard to get the family together. I try to be flexible and not demanding, but sometimes it's hurts when I do try to plan and my plans never come off without so much grief! So it will be one family on Saturday and two on Sunday for Dinner time.  I had a friend who used to say, "You take what you get, and don't throw a fit".  I'll try and be happy even though I will still be ALONE most of the day.

So, to TRY and keep from crying, I had to get stitching, in spite of my hand.  I have to do my own type of THERAPY!  Playing with my Purple Roses Fabrics from Jackie Robinson and the quilt pattern I started at the Block Party with Debbie Caffery. I got the Blocks all made for the "Thank Your Lucky Stars" center. Using strip piecing, the Tri-Recs ruler and Marti Michell's "C" Templates. I did all of the un-sewing earlier this week so I was ready to sew them the right way.  Rotary Cutting still hurts but I got it done. 

Here they are arranged on my Living room floor.

Next I get to sew the Blocks together and add the borders.  I like how the secondary STAR shows up.

I have a leftover trial block with a cream star and dark background.  This one will go on the back, I guess.

I used my Midnight Flight 4-patches as leader/enders while I sewed on Thursday. I'm getting quite a pile of them. Parts and pieces of the 4-patches. Hot Pink Swirls and Shadow play Blue with a variety of 'neutrals'. Pressed ready to CUT, finger-pressed- centers spun, and ready to stitch. 

I am glad I finally learned to spin those centers. THANKS to Bonnie Hunter.

                                    
Did anyone notice I didn't BLOG on WEDNESDAY??? That's just how my week has gone.

 Happy Mother's Day to all my Bloggy Friends and Family!  

I hope you all have a family filled day, if that is your wish.

Design Wall Monday/3 NewFO's- March 25, 2013

I had an amazing time at the QUILTMAKER BLOCK PARTY in Portland.  My camera and phone were busy and I have sooo many pictures to share.  It took some time to edit them and cut out the excess. I'll just show 2 of  the New Projects I started.  This is the last week of March.

Thursday was my Bonnie Hunter Class- "Midnight Flight". Pictured behind Bonnie and I in the up-close picture I took from my phone.

 I FINALLY learned to spin those 4-patches.  These are made from 1-1/4" strips. The next photo is 1/4 unit of the Midnight Flight Block laid out.

Here are my 2 tries to get the center spinning the "right" way. I did a bit of un-sewing to make it the same as the picture. 88 pieces in one block.  I have parts and pieces ready to make more, but only 1 got completed in class.  I'll be making a change in the tone of the pink 4-patches.  They aren't showing off the chain like I want them to.  I sewed the whole day on my featherweight.  You might have seen me on Bonnie's BLOG.   More blocks from the class.

 Here we are again with my "Easy, BUSY Street" quilt at the Show and Tell she had with every class. I got her to sign it on the back label and she also signed 'siggy squares' and all of her books for me. She is just as fun as you see on QUILTCAM and I'm so glad I took a class from her first!  A great start to the Block Party. Her lecture and Trunk show was Wednesday night and I sat on the front row, up close!

Friday's class was with Debbie Caffery- the quilt is called "Thank your Lucky Stars"
I learned a new trick to using the Marti Michell templates, even though I've been using them for a long time. The whole Quilt is pictured, she also showed it in current fabrics and as a table runner with wonky turned stars. I took my Jackie Robinson "Roses" fabrics to make this quilt.  There are two blocks and the Flying geese border. This NewFo might get finished first.

Debbie Caffery and me with 2 of my blocks behind up on the wall.

 I made 2 of the 2nd block and tested the fabrics before going to lunch. Leave it to me to NOT follow the Pictures, see the dark outside corners?  There were a variety of fabrics used in class. I loved looking at the different choices.  We learned to cut the stripes to go all around the 2nd block. We had a lot of fun watching the Fishing Boats and the pretty full Rainbow outside the window that afternoon too. That picture must still be on my phone. I had to use it on Friday because I left my camera on the table at Dinner Thursday night.  Long story... I'll post the Saturday class and more FUN in future posts.

Linking up to Judy L.over HERE at Patchworktimes today.

Linked to Cat Patches HERE  for the NewFO challenge too.