January's Highlights

 Before I get too wrapped up in all the projects on the horizon for February, I will take a quick look back at January in the monthly collage of highlights. Pulling these pics together into a collage makes it easy to see that the month was productive and somewhat interesting. To me, at least. *ha!*

Lots of quilt pictures for January. The top row shows the flimsy I finished early in the month made with the Churn Dash blocks that we Frankfort Girls exchanged in December. The next two blocks represent a quilt I will be making in the very near future called Falling Stars. I saw it pictured somewhere, searched cyberspace for the name of the pattern, made up my own measurements and will continue after my current project is wrapped up.

The middle row begins with my cleaned off cutting table, an accomplishment that is nothing short of amazing, if you ask me. This space had been cluttered with mounds of old projects, shopping hauls, and all manner of stuff needing to be put away. Tackling that to start off the new year is HUGE! The middle photo is my gift to my dear friend Sharon O., the giver of long-arms. I referred to it as the Thirties Sampler as I was making it, but all along it was intended to be for her. The last picture is Lucy, the current project. Those were early blocks made to see how it would look when coming together. I am now at the snowball block phase of construction.

In the bottom row I begin with a major job which occurred in our driveway - culvert replacement. Wow, what a job. The old culvert had deteriorated to the point that we had a sinkhole which threatened to give way completely with the next major rain storm. This replacement was finished last Tuesday, and we have had rain and snow since; timely, for sure. The bottom middle picture is the 10-year project called Lake Effect. I leave it for weeks/months, and then return to it. I am back at it, attempting to finish off those appliqued panels. 

The final picture in the bottom row is a strange-looking picture, for sure. This is located about 12 miles south of us near Bainbridge, OH. These trees have giant cranes' nests in them. It is an incredibly curious sight. We drove slowly to observe them, and eventually stopped and got out of the car to get closer. The trees are on the far side of the creek and the cranes were plentiful in and around the creek area. I was fascinated by those nests - there must have been 40 or more of them. I had no idea that such wildlife resided so near.

I am a poor photographer of beautiful nature scenes, but it's not for a lack of trying! I only had my iPhone to work with, and I did the best I could. I'd love to have had a nice telephoto lens on an equally  nice digital camera. Those nests would really show up with the proper equipment.

In sewing news, the Lucy pattern calls for 24 half-snowball blocks, so I made those yesterday. Today, Sharon P. will be here to sew, and I plan to make some, if not all, the 60 full snowballs needed for this quilt. The little squares are all marked, and the stitching should go quickly.

I plan to take some pictures of Sharon's progress on the same pattern using French General fabrics. Totally different look, for sure.

Happy Sewing, Friends!