May The Fourth be with you...

 

It would appear joining two UFO groups is paying off this year...
it also helps that I'm semi-retired now, so I have more FREE time.

March Finishes:   APQ, Quilts needing labels.

 River's Edge  March's Letter was"A"

You're Invited 

Surprise, surprise...it turned out pretty cute.  I won't lie, what looked like an easy, slam-dunk design turned out to be a bit challenging.  Jack and I spent a fair amount of quality time together.  I still see things I'd change if I had the "want to", but.... now it's off to the  LAQ*.

 

River's Edge: quarterly project 

While I have been working on the Memory Bears as my quarterly project....the quarterly project due this quarter was the stack of Row-by-Row kits and patterns accumulated over the years.  The goal, weed the stack and finish two. 

Remember when Row-by-Row was all the rage?  My Quilting Auntie and I would shop hop and pick up patterns and kits like we were really going to sew these up!  😂

Row-by-Row from 2017.  Picked up from Sew EZ Two** in Spokane, WA.

 

 

Adding to my studio Small-Quilt Wall(s).  I hung it above my design wall so I could see it every time I entered the room.

 

 

"Adventure A-Waits"

Picked up from Mel's Sewing and Fabric in Southern Calif. in 2017.

(It still needs the binding.)

I've gone through the weeding process with these patterns and kits a few times now and it's down to three kits to make up.... the first entry on the UFO list for 2026. 

 

 

 

 

Machine Review Corner:  Baby Doll

For an inexpensive machine, she was OK.  Not as smooth as a more expensive machine...but OK.  It would be a good travel machine or a good "first" machine.

 

That wraps up a busy month....so satisfying!

 

 

* LAQ = Long Arm Quilter
** Sadly this shop is permanently closed.
And that's a pity, it was a great shop. Aunt Nyla and I spent a lot of time (and money) in this shop.

Mystery Solved!!

 ...And, a Fun little virtual get-together...River's Edge Antiques & Quilts

It started in the morning and every hour they would release the next "Clue."

Another small quilt for my Small Quilt Wall....

 

 

 The more I interact with this shop on line, the more I want to hop in the car and go visit them.

 

It Was the Butler

...In the Library with a Candle Stick!

I wasn't going to say anything....I signed up and was just going to DO IT. 

But then I thought y'all might like to have some fun, too.

River's Edge Antique's and Quilt Loft is sponsoring a one-day mystery quilt-along, called Star Bright.

 

 

 

 

 

March 29, 2025

Here's the skinny:  It is a one-day event, it will be a small wall quilt when finished.  It just looks like fun.

* Go HERE to sign up.  Participation is FREE.

* Pick 6 Fat Quarters from your own collection....or they have some bundles for sale (the bundles look good and I was tempted, but I have FQs that are begging to be sewn up!)

*Then just tune in on FB on March 29 and follow along.

 It's THAT simple, but the date is fast approaching so don't delay....sign up today....see all y'all there (virtually) !

Beary Cute!

 

Memory Bears for my Bestie, her daughter and granddaughter....

Finished the first one.... 

 

Working on the Second One....I decided I wanted them all to be different,  and I stumbled across this YouTube channel:  PayItForward  HERE 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only is this the CUTIEST bear I've ever seen, Lisa Pay videos are WONDERFUL!! 
Very detailed and she's so easy to follow.

Rag Bear Pattern video HERE  And the Pattern is FREE!!

 

The Rag Bear is a very different style. But, he's quite cute and I think Madelyn will like him.

 Lisa Pay has A LOT of FREE patterns AND, you just have to LOVE her sense of style!! 

One more bear to go...I can BEAR-LY wait for Miss Peggy to see these.....

Spring has Sprung

 

The first two weeks of March have been quite busy....

* My Birthday was such a pleasant day... Flowers from my son & his family....dinner out with my sister and her D.H.  Such a nice day, I don't even mind adding another candle to my birthday cake.

(Anyone remember Sheriff John and the
Birthday song?  HERE )

 

 * Paducah Quilters Club meeting.  Good turn out this month.  We are doing something called "Fold it - Snip it - Rip It - Drop It - Pass it - Repeat 7 Times"  It's a challenge.  See the "How To" video HERE.  It is an interesting concept....I'm not very good at thinking up interesting things for a challenge...stay tuned.

 

 

* Quilter's Day Out (March 15).  Do you have a plan for supporting your local quilt shop?  

Local quilt shops are becoming an endangered species....support yours.   

I will be making a visit to my current favorite shop ...  Backyard Fabrics quilt shop in Mayfield.  It's a bit of a drive, but so worth it.  Here is their FB page.

 

And the frosting on the cupcake was a whole lotta sewing going on.... 

Making Progress on You're Invited and the three memory bears.

 

For the next few days I will focus on tidying up the studio and working on the memory bears.
The weather in Western Kentucky is so pleasant right now....I just MUST get out in the yard, also!!

 

 

The goal for the remainder of March is just to keep the momentum going! 

March is Brought to You By....

 

The APQ  UFO Number 6 and the
River's Edge UFO Letter "A"
and the same River's Edge Quarterly Project W1,
Peggy's Memory Bears.

APQ's:  March number is 6.

My number 6 is an easy one....Label older quilts....quilts I made early on and never labeled.

 

After digging them out, I realized there weren't as many as I thought. Two of them are quilts I made  "back in the day" when
I did not even know HOW to quilt.... a little embarrassing to me now, but they still deserve a label.

 

 

River's Edge:  March's Letter is "A" .

You're Invited, A panel by Riley Blake. HERE.

This one is only a couple years in the queue.
As UFOs go, not too bad.

Purchased from a wonderful quilt shop in Omaha,
Country Sampler.  

The thought was to make this for one of my great nieces, JayCee.  

She grew up so fast and is now a young woman.  I'm not sure if she'll like it.  I will see her when I'm in Vegas this summer.  (See Below)  I'll make it a point to spent time with her and get to know her better, and what she likes.

  

 

 

Most of the work is done....It just needs to be assembled. 

This month's Machine Spotlight is Baby Doll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baby Doll was in impulse buy.  A Janome Harmony 4052.

Someone on the Next Door app was selling her and I thought it would be a good little machine for my great niece, Savannah.  HERE 

Savannah was showing an interest in sewing at that time.

That didn't happen, so then I thought I'd keep her as a backup machine.  That was two years ago....have only fired her up once.  Obviously I don't really need a back up machine.

This summer I will be driving from my 'ol Kentucky home to California for my grandson's H.S. graduation...with a stop off in Vegas to spend time with The Quilting Niece, her siblings and their mom....Baby Doll is going to finally find a new home either with Miss Savannah,
or Miss JayCee ??   (See Above)  Because, honestly, do I REALLY need FIVE sewing machines? (The answer is "no.")

But, in the meantime....let's see how she performs.

March is off to a promising start!

Fabulous February !

 

Oh What A Wonderful Feeling...!!!

Two Finishes and a Start.

 

 

 

APQ tote bag(s).

The Laura Tote Bag turned out to be more labor intensive than anticipated, but, I am so happy with the result!
She's cute!  She's Sassy!  I think she needs a name.  She looks like a "Betty."

I'm going to use Betty for all the stuff  I tote back and forth to church (see what I did there? 😁)

 

 

If you use duck cloth, as I did, get the serger out.  

By the time I thought of that it was nearly finished...duck cloth FRAYS!

 

The remaining panels went back in the queue. 
I just wanted to move on to another project.
These panels still may be destined for the "Pass It Along" box...
I've had them A   L-O-N-G    time!

...I don't have to decide today.

 

 

 River's Edge  February's Letter is "L"   The 3-Yard Quilt.  The authors of this book have a new fan. 

 

 

Presto-Chango 

Citrus Twist

 

 

Cute lap size that I'm going to use in my car.  It did not turn out exactly as I had envisioned, but it's FINISHED!! 
Now off to the LAQ.*

Piecing by Fran:

 

I missed some of Millie's modern features such as Needle Down, but all-in-all  sewing on Fran was a very pleasurable experience.  A Lot like a Featherweight.  That makes sense as they are both Singer machines.

Next machine up:  Baby Doll

 Started:  River's Edge  Quarterly UFO project....The Memory Bears. 

After the passing of my BFF's BFF (HERE) I asked Peggy to send me a bunch of Terry's shirts and I'd make memory bears for her and Morgan (daughter) and Madelyn (granddaughter.)  So while it's not a TRUE UFO (it has not been hanging around for eons) it is important to have them completed and ready for delivery when I visit Reno this summer. 

 

 

Finally, I worked on the Confetti Star blocks.  I'm now 2/3 finished piecing the blocks. (Using up A  L O T  of scraps!)

 Slow and steady... I see light at the end of the tunnel!

 February was a very productive month!!

 

* Long Arm Quilter