Hello April! So Glad You're Here!

April is here! We here at the home of Jayne's Quilting Room have been eagerly awaiting this month since learning that we would get another grandbaby this month! She will be here soon!

 

  

Now you know why we just HAD to get back to Ohio by April first. We are awaiting baby girl's arrival any day now. 

In addition to being eager to welcome our newest little love, I am preparing to head out to a 4-day quilt retreat. Deciding what projects and necessary supplies to take is taking up a lot of my head space.

Other head space is being devoted to food prep for Easter celebrations coming up this weekend. 

My head is just full of stuff, isn't it!!? 

One project going to retreat will be this jelly roll quilt that I started while in Florida. I stopped work on it when I began having trouble with my sewing machine. It should be a quick and easy finish. The Kaffe Fassett jelly roll I used is one that came from my dear sweet Frienzie Kay, who passed away last year. I am so grateful to Kay for introducing me to KF fabrics oh-so-many years ago. 

This retreat may become known as the KF retreat, as this next quilt will see some sewing action. Trip Around the World, from the Fasssett book Heritage Quilts, is one I am making with my sewing bestie, Sharon. She has actually done a bit on hers, as we began it last fall. 

I want to have a pastel look and my stash, while extensive, did not contain adequate lighter colors to suit me. With that in mind, while at Florida's Quilted Twins, I shopped specifically for fabrics with lighter, pastel tones. I am pleased with the collection of 1-yard cuts that came home with me.

One more piece is a larger amount, because it is what I plan to use in that jelly roll quilt (see above) for the sashing strips. It will also work in the pastel assortment for Trip Around the World.

 Two KF quilts at a retreat? I think I can do it. I suppose I will also take along some back-up plans for just in case situations. Never want to run short!

Happy April, dear quilters, and Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

It's April!

 

Four months into 2022 - already! Is any month more welcome than April? It holds so much promise!

Do you plan on a month-to-month basis? For me, it seems to be a workable way to be accountable to myself. For this new month, I seem to have happened into a couple of projects quite by accident. 

You saw my early and experimental efforts on a mini trip around the world quilt. I am liking how it is coming together. This is a rerun of the previous picture. I've made a few more blocks since these initial blocks.

While in the middle of these blocks, I also decided to make a trial block for another quilt on my 2022 Goals List. This is the first block of my Great Granny Squared quilt. 

Both Great Granny Squared and Mini Trip Around the World are on my goals list for this year, and it appears that I plan to make them both this month. Interesting how I just sorta' fell into these projects. This doesn't bother me in the least; I kinda' like that these goals are going to be checked off my list, and are rather fun to do at the same time. I have 2.5" squares everywhere!

I will share my March wrap-up collage tomorrow, and hopefully will have a few more pictures of these fun blocks I've been working on.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Hello April!

 

What a cheery month April is! I am always so glad to welcome April as I love just about everything about it. Flowers, leaves, freshly mowed lawns, birds, blue skies, warming temperatures, open windows, gentle breezes - a lovely month, in every way.

So I wonder what I will find to get up to this month? You can bet that there will be a good bit of stitching, both on the regular sewing machine and on the long arm. Here's a quick list of my stitching plans for the month. Scroll down a bit for a few related pictures.

Long Arm: 1~T-shirt commission; 2~a long-overdue wedding quilt; 3~Spring Dreams (original); 4~Patriotic Dreams

Sewing Machine: 1~red and white stars; 2~KF's blue stars; 3~blue and white Irish Chain; 4~scrappy WIP; 5~Lunch Box Social (A Kim Diehl pattern)

Those are some lofty goals, for sure, but if I get even some of them done, then it's all good. A lot of it will be done at our upcoming retreat which promises to afford me lots of dedicated machine sewing time; we'll just have to wait and see about all that long arming! *smile* More retreat details will be covered in a future post. 

Spring cleaning is also on my list. I was never one to be very devoted to such a concept, but after cleaning all our windows last spring, and then enjoying the difference it made, I intend to do them all again this spring. The first really warm, breezy day will see me intent on cleaning off a year's worth of grime. Additionally, I foresee some general 're-fresh' efforts - new pillow covers for various beds and couches, perhaps some new curtains, a changing out of some quilts on beds, perhaps new wall art in some key spots. 

In addition to retreat details, upcoming on the blog is some fun stuff related to our Spring Dreams Sew Along. I have had correspondence from two friends who are participating - they sent pictures and some narrative info that I will pass along. And can you believe this - ideas have been percolating in my head! I feel some new projects taking shape. If I can get those firmed up, that can be an upcoming post, too.  

Here are pictures to go along with the two lists above.

The long-overdue wedding quilt.

 

Scrappy WIP (work in progess)

Inspiration pic from internet: Blue Stars/Kaffe Fassett fabrics

Inspiration pic from internet: Red and white stars

I did windows in May last year!

 

Enough for now, Peeps! Gotta' get stuff done! Sewing to do!

Happy April! 

Happy Quilting, Friends!