Birthdays mark off time.

🎂

Birthdays show you just how fast time is flying by, especially as you get older.  

My 3-year-old grandson tells everyone he is 3 1/2. 

My 8-year-old grandson says he is 10.

Now at my age, if I even admit it, I am certainly NOT going to add on a few months or years to my age; but if one birthday isn't bad enough, now I have the local Hallmark's sending me a card celebrating my "half" birthday.

What?????

No, no, no......I do not need to be reminded how fast time is flying by.

I already know it is going too fast.  

Well, that card got me into the sewing room today to get my butt in gear and get busy on my Hearts and Hands  quilt that has been in the making way too long.  No more procrastinating.  This quilt needs to be done so that I can move on to something new without regrets or guilt.  

I turned this final  pile 

of un-ironed blocks into pressed blocks.

Trimmed off the excess Pellon.

Now ALL remaining blocks are prepped and ready to be glue basted and stitched in place.  That's what I am doing next.  

I truly am seeing the light at the end of this tunnel (at least where a quilt top is concerned).  I certainly don't want time to run out on me where this quilt is concerned, so most likely the next time you hear from me, I will have stitched several more blocks down to the background.   I CANNOT let time be wasted.

Wish me luck.

Oh, by the way.....I am ignoring ALL half-birthdays from here on out.  

🎂🎂🎂

Getting reacquainted

I think my machine has forgotten who I was since it has been over two weeks since I have sat and sewn.  

It's been a very busy time.

So for a quick fix, I made up a beer bottle pillowcase kit that I bought at the AQS Grand Rapids Quilt show.

This will be a Christmas present.

When I say I was busy, I get tired even now when I think of all that has been going on  over the last couple of weeks.

Dream Cruise on Woodward which lasts a week (my DH looks forward to this all year and drives his  red '71 Nova in it.)

AQS Grand Rapids Quilt show (I made it only one day)

Shopping for a new dress for a wedding.

A wedding and reception.

Two baby showers (one that was 3 hours away which made for a very long day)

Babysitting the youngest grandson for a few days while mom is on a business trip and dad is working and going to school

Out to dinner  SEVERAL times with friends and family.

Visited Hitsville USA//Motown museum.  I highly recommend this.

Oldest grandson visiting for a couple of nights and entertaining him with fishing and sushi dinner.

(I am going to have to go on a diet after all this).

Neighborhood party where  everyone with an old car brought them to show and there was food and lots of visiting

Canned peaches

The usual cooking and cleaning

I am sure there was more, but I am brain dead at this point

Anyways, after my quick fix of a pillowcase today, I am getting back on the Hearts and Hands bandwagon and getting the final blocks prepped (hemmed) for applique.  All the ones requiring a running stitch were hand done today, gathered up and pressed.

The remaining star blocks were sewn onto the Pellon.

There are a good 20 here.  

Then trimmed.

Turned and ready to press into submission. 

Once that is done, I will be placing them, glue basting and hand stitching them down.

This is the homestretch for Stage II of Hearts and Hands.

Next stage of Hearts and Hands

All 12 sections of Hearts and Hands are complete.

That's 70 blocks stitched down in place.

Next step is to sew the sections together which will create three horizontal seam lines and two vertical seam lines that will require the last 47 blocks to be stitched in place.  At that point, the center of this quilt will be complete.

But.....my fingers and hands are sore, so I am setting this aside for a few days just to take a break.  I have been working on this quilt  almost to the point of obsession, so I am sure it won't be long before I am back at it.   

At the rate I have been working on this, I am sure it won't be long before this is a top waiting to be quilted (Stage III).

Making Headway on Hearts and Hands......

My 117 finished, circular blocks are in various degrees of readiness to be appliqued down to the background. 

Back when I originally started making these blocks I immediately did a running stitch around a completed block and gathered it up to make the hem. So these are pressed and  ready to go.

The later ones, I was just happy to get the applique done, so now I have to gather them up and press in the hem.

When it comes to the numerous star blocks that I paper pieced most recently I have decided they need to be stitched with a Pellon backing to get that nice curve and then turn them right side out.  There are so many layers in the seam allowance I felt this would work best.  This is how I am going about that.
I lay the star block onto a square piece of Pellon.

Then I stitch all the way around  for a 1/4" seam allowance and then trim.

I make a good sized slit and then turn the block right side out.

Give it a good press and then trim away the excess.

I am hand appliqueing all the blocks to the background.

Little by little I am making progress on this quilt.  I am trying to finish a section at a time no matter which stage each block is at.  It feels good to just get one section complete and then set aside.

At this point, I have six sections completely appliqued.

These sections don't necessarily attach to each other, but I have them marked as to their positions

Once all sections are complete, then I will sew them together and then more blocks will be placed on the newly created  intersections (seam lines).

At this point, 28 blocks are stitched down.

I really do see a light at the end of this tunnel.  I am getting excited!!