Last Song of the Blues

After many years (from 2016 to 2019) ....

of counting how many pieces ...

there is in each block ...

Counting how many seams left to sew ...

4 ...

feels weird. Really!

3 ...

I went from love to hate with this quilt.

2 ...

Some blocks I love ...

Others ... argh!

1 ...

Some I've just skipped altogether, ha!

0 ...
I just can't believe I have made 365 blocks for ONE quilt.

Ten thousand, eight hundred and twenty one pieces later ...

Here is Echo Beach.

From the beginning, I saw an island at low tide when the beach is peppered with

puddles. The sand is sometimes dry and white, sometimes it's wet or it's covered

in sea weeds then it's very dark. Haha! I know, I know, I have too much imagination.

I didn't follow the original layout as far as the corners go.

She put the basket towards the center and the flowers to the edge.

But I didn't want the baskets upside down when I lay the quilt on my bed.

It even made an appearance on Show and Tell with the Artisanat on Tuesday. I was a very proud mother.  :^D

The next time you will see this quilt it will be quilted. (in about another three years time, lol.)


;^)

Joining
Sarah at Confession of a Fabric Addict
Angela at So Scrappy
Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework
Denise at For the Love of Geese
Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation

365 Challenge in the New Year and Green

The New Year started with a fresh layer of snow. It makes everything so beautiful and new. I love it.

It was nice weather for sewing. And I did.

Worked on my 365 Challenge quilt, turning the little 3.5 inches blocks into pairs. Checking if two of the same fabric are not next to each other.

I have a lot to choose from ...

I mean 128 blocks to choose from.

But it was fun revisiting them one at a time. Some I don't remember sewing. Yeah it's been that long in the making but it is coming to an end.

Remember  when I said I wouldn't trim the block because I didn't want it to come undone? I've done that a lot of times. This is really slowing me down now. (Don't look at my cutting board. Santa forgot my new one under his sleigh seat.)

Matching them up with the lighter border. I'm turning into a very good matchmaker. ;^D  I work with three at a time as I don't like sewing long seams.

On the floor, between the sewing machine and the iron board, are the next rows to be sewn.
In my last post about the 365 Challenge I didn't mention the stats for December.
The total of pieces for that month was 1497. At my "Ta-Dah moment" I'll let you know how many pieces for the entire quilt. Brace yourself.

My leader- ender while sewing 365 Challenge is little 4-patch blocks. They will be the first border for Field of Poppies, aka Good Fortune. They are done with green and whatever neutrals.

I was running low on neutrals so I got a gifted bag of scraps out and I found this.

Look at the names on this map. Wow Bobbinville does exist. Awesome! Scissor  Isle, Seams Isles and Binding Edge too. So cool.

To get there you need to cross the Patchwork Sea (?) Canal (?)

Cotton Heights and even Julie is there. I love this little piece of scrap!

And look! Debra's Studio is such an important studio that it has a button on the map. Oh! I want to go there. The fun it would be.

Okay, back to reality.

I also found a little piece of blue birds fabric in the scrap bag. It doesn't really work for the 4-Patch blocks but I just couldn't help turning it into a 9-Patch. They are always useful.

It just makes me smile. Simple thing, I know, but cute. I did turn the last little piece of the blue birds into a 4-Patch. Heck! Why not?

On the 4-Patch front, I am almost done. I need 116 for the first row and I now have 95 done. Gosh! Can I get two tops done soon?

I want to participate more this year in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge that Angela so kindly do every Saturday. I haven't picked a block (or blocks) yet. I'm sure something will come up. It always does.


;^)

Joining
Angela at So Scrappy
Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Bye Bye 2019

It hasn't been an easy year for me and my family. The health issues, hubby losing his job, the continuous moving from one place to another at work, the news of being transfer to another centre, a sick child at home, the new staff to train, yep, it was a rough. But of course there's always the flip side where things shine bright like ...

 ... the day I made Port-a-cath pillows with the lovely ladies at the Artisanat Club.

... my first I Spy quilt got finished. My only finish of the year. 

... Les paniers de Cécile got to the flimsy stage. It's was a sew-along from 2018.

2019 also saw me working on a Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt and getting it all together this time, lol. It was first "done" in May. Unsatisfied with the quality of my piecing, I decided to take it apart in August.

By mid-September it was back together. It is not exactly finished since I am working on the borders ... still.

Anywho ...

... sensory blankets were also made in 2019 by the Artisanat group. We had a lot of fun again. A very beautiful group of ladies that I am very lucky and so happy to be part of.

And of course, in 2019, there was the Blues.

There was a lot of blues. Every other week or so, the blues were there. I posted about the 365 Challenge quilt 32 times in 2019 which is GARGANTUAN when you think I wrote only 38 posts this year. (No wonder you are tired of seeing the blues, sorry!)


So ... care to see some more? ...



Hmmm?



😁




It's starts with a Starry Path

32 pieces. Sorry but all I can see are broken dishes units.  No stars.



Mrs Lloyd's Favourite on December 23 is also my favourite.

It has 37 pieces. RSC2020 contender? Yes! (oh! Look at that! I have one corner turned the wrong way. Oh the sneaky one, lol.)

Dec 24 - Bethlehem Star - 41 pieces

and then the Star of Bethlelem on Dec 25 - 57 pieces

which is also known as Swoon. I so wanted to make a Swoon quilt when they were the trend on the web. Now I do have a little Swoon. Yay!

Good Cheer on December 26 with 53 pieces.

A.K.A. Eggnog Overdose (but just for me. Ha!)


Lightning in the Hill - 57 pieces

December 28 was Jacob's Ladder - 54 pieces

Oh! talking of ladders. Have I told you that during my holidays, we decided to finish painting the house? I started this project in July 2019 and got the entrance done. Now it was time for the hallway, staircase to the basement and the living room to get a new color. Bye bye burnt orange living room. Hello Sand!

So much fun! Hilarious! (not!) Between the paint and the sewing, I had to go to work too.


The evening found me at the sewing machine to finish Dec 29, Range's Pride with 20 pieces.

It's now December 31st and I finished work at noon. So drove home and ran downstairs to finish Dec 30 with One More Block - 48 pieces

Can you believe it! There's only one more block to go!! AWHHHHhhhhh!

The fun I have!!

I spread out the centre and all the 6 inches blocks made to see if the last one needed to be dark blue or light blue. 

Well, what do you know! 

I don't need to do the last one. 

I have enough block to do the last round!

I am giddy with joy!! 

I am DONE!!! WhooHoo!!

Then I spotted this one. 

:^(     :^(    :^(

I really don't like it. It is the worst mess of the entire 2019.

So, okay, I'll make the last block and remove this ugliness from my beautiful quilt.  :^D 

I looked up the last block and ... 

Hopes and Wishes 

... Ha! hahahahaha! No WAY! 

NO WAY! 

Not even with eggnog will I attempt to do this one! 

So, I snooped around ... 

... and found November 24 had a bonus block. 

Yay! It's an easier one. (anything would be easier really!) 

Ta-Dah! December 31 is Turkey Tracks in my quilt! 

and I am 

really 

done!  

Now, the first meeting of the Artisanat Club is January 7, 2020.

Can I have the top all together for the first Show and Tell of the Year???

AWWWHHHHhhhhhh! 



The suspense is killing me. hahaha!



;^)


I wish you all a blessed New Year with good health and loved one near. All the rest is icing on the cake (but we still shouldn't take it for granted).

I know I am complaining sometimes on my blog but know that I truly appreciate each moment I have with my family and friends, with you all and with my sewing machines. (I couldn't help myself; I just had to include them there. lol)

I hope we will all be together again in 2020 for a wonderful year of joy, inspirations, tutorials, sew-a-long, challenges, for scrap busting, for finishes' cheers, for empty bobbins and wait, what? new projects and UFOs alike, for the frustrations, the bloopers, orphan blocks, surgeries' recoveries (ours and the sewing machines), quilt shows and ribbons, for new and repro fabrics, best tool finds, tears and laughter, pat on the back and congratulations. Oh and the seam ripper. 😒 All in all, the best is yet to come. 😁

Hugs,

Chantal