Another Applique Block and the End of the Month

I finished another of Eleanor Burns' applique blocks.  This one is called 'President's Wreath'.  So now I have 6 done and still have 6 to go.

It's the end of February already!  I have nothing totally completed for this month.  Hopefully next month I will.  My sewing machine is still not working as it should.  I need to take it back and see if they can fix it for good this time.  If not, I guess I will have to buy a new machine.  I will wait until the Creative Festival in April when I can compare the major competitors.  What kind of machine do you have?  Do you like it?  Would you recommend it?  Please let me know.

I have been working on the Scrappy Trip Along quilt.  Never thought I would say this, but I think I am getting tired of these blocks.  Maybe I'll put a border on it, of all the left over 2 1/2in squares that I couldn't use in the blocks.

I Caved

I know I said I wouldn't start anything new.  Or maybe I didn't say that.  I think I said that I wanted to finish some things first.  But my machine is still not fixed, not because it can't be, but because I have not had the opportunity to take it to the repair guy.  Until my machine is back in working order, I can't do too much to finish anything.  Anyway, that's my excuse.

And those Scrappy Trip blocks are so addictive.  Bonnie Hunter is responsible for that.  You can find her tutorial here.  I have made about 1 block per day.  I use the 2 1/2 inch strips like leaders and enders, working them in between my other blocks.  The Super Heroes quilt is almost done.  Just have to sew the sashing and rows together.  I'll show you when that is done.   Then I am going to send it off to a long arm quilter.  That way I know it will get done.  So here are my scrappy trip blocks so far.  They are not in any particular order.  I have done 12 of them.  Don't know how many more I will make.  Maybe 12 more.  They are so much fun!

And here is a little journal quilt.  It only measures about 10 inches square, but I am counting it as a finish for this month.  Otherwise I will have nothing to show as far as finishes go.  Although I am hoping to have the Super Heroes quilt done to the flimsy stage by Thursday.

Side Tracked

Don't worry, I have been working hard on the super hero quilt.  But you know me, every now and then I need a little bit of a change.  Batman and the Hulk just don't do it for me.  And I have been seeing lots of Scrappy Trip Around the World quilts out there in blogland.  They look great and appear to use up a lot of stash fabrics.  So this morning, as I watched my neighbour cut up the 50ft pine tree that had gotten uprooted during our crazy weather last weekend, I decided to make a block and see if it really was as easy as folks say it is.  And it was!  I made two of them in less than an hour.  The guys cut up that huge tree in less time than that.

I plan to make more, but not right now.  I still have 4 more blocks to do for the Super Heroes Quilt and I also have to find all of my Journal Quilts.  The president of our guild has asked me to present them at our meeting on Monday evening.  She wants them to be a President's Challenge.  We will make journal quilts and they will be judged by our members.  Winners will get fat quarters.  Because I had suggested Journal Quilts at our last executive meeting, I was selected to talk to our members about them.  Wish me luck.

Toronto has been issued a severe weather warning.  Baby, it's cold outside!  I think someone left the refrigerator open.  The temperature is -13C with a windchill of -25C.  Tonight it will go down to -17C with a windchill to match.  I can't even think about the cold temperatures without getting chills.  I have put my heavy comforter on my bed.  Just trying to keep warm.

My DD is teaching in a portable this year.  The only portable at her school.  And she is freezing most of the time.  So I offered to knit her a sweater.  The back is almost done.  Hope to start on the fronts this evening.  I am sort of designing it as I go.

The sooner I get it done, the sooner she will be warm.