Happy Mother's Day.

No better way to spend the day than to see your kids, grandkids and your own mom, but the next best thing is to find the time to get into your sewing room and that is what I did and where I finished up #18 block of Beyond the Cherry Trees (BTCT).

The only thing holding me back on this block (which was #3 of my five blocks prepped) was the centers of the flowers.  I had to make something like 1/2" circle templates....which after all, I did not do.....because....while in Paducah, I was watching this lady demonstrate  how she did her applique on circle templates and then when she went to show it again, she used a "hole punch" and boy did my ears and eyes perk up.  Why didn't I think of this before?

So upon coming home, I ran to the nearest craft store and bought myself a 3/4" punch and I am still looking for a really good 5/8" punch as well (all so that I can move onto the next ...and what I think of as the most tedious block which has 100 or more circles or as some would call them either grapes or cherries).  I have been putting off this block because of all the different sizes of cherries/grapes that are needed.  Now, I have ordered my 1" circle templates from Paper Piecers  in the past and love them, but for this next block, I really don't need 100 or more of each size, so this seemed to me to be the next best thing.  Anyways...... I punched out these circles from the cardboard insert  of my Hanes pantyhose (yes.....I still wear pantyhose AND I save the cardboard inserts for templates!)  and I made the four flower centers from those and they worked out just great!  I am so excited.  I may not be putting off the cherry/grape block too much longer.  Just need to find that 5/8" punch.

Of course, now the only thing that is going to hold me back on working on the next BTCT block is that the wedding quilt came back from the quilter on Friday.....so......I need to put on something like 460" of binding.  That quilt is so big that I haven't even seen this quilt as a  whole.  But, the binding needs to be put on and I need to call it a day on that quilt.  I have a little over a month before it needs to be done, but this is one project I CANNOT procrastinate on.  So....you may not see me post again until I come up for air from underneath the "wedding quilt".  Unless, I need a break.  ;D