Moving along

Some progress on the puzzle quilt. I used the new machine to add the button hole stitch to the border. I might go over it with embroidery thread to make it sharper. This quilt ended up being a little larger then Queen size. I just had so much ends and pieces that before I new it I had added extra rows. That's okay with me except it will make quilting harder.

I think this is going to be a pretty nice quilt made from ends and pieces. I did have to do some piecing to make the border but after it's quilted it won't be noticed. I have to buy a roll of batting before I can do anymore to this quilt. I do need to make some kitchen items since that box hasn't turned up yet and I'm tired of grabbing a towel to remove hot pans from the oven.

Puzzle Cat Quilt

The quilt is coming along and I'm finding out what I like and don't like about the machine. We'll talk about the machine later after I work with it a little longer. Here is the puzzle and the quilt sections I'm working on. This is going to be one of those quilts with a thick soft flannel backing that everyone grabs for when they are sick or chilled and need of soft warmth around them.

winter

This has been such a hard week for me. My left hand does not like the cold. I've had to pry open the fingers each morning and then it was still pretty useless.

Here's a look at what we have been dealing with:

To top off the week this is on the way tomorrow night. We live in the pretty blue area that says Blizzard.

Inside I am still enjoying my Amaryllis. The last one is in full bloom. It has no leaves but it has 2 stems. One stem has 4 flowers and the other has 3. I can't believe I grew this gorgeous flower from Walmart's trash can!

With the sun shining against the backs of the flowers you can see the yellow in the petals.

I've been putting a puzzle together this week. The more I looked at the quilt the cats are laying on the more I liked it. It's just plain, no forced pattern or block designs and no heavy quilting that makes the softness look stiff and hard.  I have a lot of short cuts of fabric's. Not a scrap or a fat quarter, just ends or pieces and some of it I've had for a long time.

Today I pulled them out and ironed them. Since the puzzle is done now I'll be cutting blocks tomorrow. This might be a good way to get use to the new machine with just a lot of piecing.

A few cases

Since I am avoiding sitting down and really trying to learn to use the new machine I used the serger to run up some pillow cases for Conker Cancer in Tenn. instead.

Outside is a world of ICE...but inside my Amaryllis are almost in full bloom. It's been fun watching them bloom with the snow as the back drop. I'm glad I didn't allow them to bloom for Christmas. I really needed some beauty to look at in January and they have certainly shown their beauty.