February Wrap Up

February was a great month for stitching around here.  Each of these projects deserves a post all of its own but I will briefly highlight them here because I was super productive and there are quite a few to show this month. I had one finish and several starts.  This is the turning into the year for hand stitching and mini quilts. It wasn't planned. It just seems to have happened.  I usually get more time to stitch in the winter months. Springtime is just around the corner with beautiful sunny days here in south east Texas so the yard and garden will be competing for more time.  

1. Quilty Circles 

I finished my Valentine Quilty Circle.  It is just as cute as it can be. Hand quilted and hand stitched binding. There are more photos at the end of this post.  Audrey at Quilty Folk started this circle a day and her idea has taken the heart of hundreds of quilters and circles are being stitched around the world.   

The backing is pieced using several older fun prints. This quilt barely made a dent in my Valentine fabric box.  I may have to make another one next year.  

2. Circa 2016

I started the Circa 2016 being offered Temecula Quilt Company.   This is so much fun.  The instructions are perfect.  Everything went together so precise and so fast. I made most all of this quilt in one day.  I am using some ancient scraps.  I have saved a bag of small bits for years (1996) and I am so excited to use them in this mini quilt.

3. Quilty Circles 
 I am hooked on making these seasonal mini circles... I made this mini for July Fourth.

4. 1857 Album Quilt.

I finished the last of the February blocks. See all of my blocks here. I am looking forward to the March blocks which should be posted tomorrow.  Sentimental Stitches is offering these blocks free on her website. 

5. Valentine Basket

I found this little Valentine project in Quiltmaker Magazine Jan/Feb 2014 No 155  Page 32. Pattern is called Love Blooms Here by Paula Stoddard.  I am thinking about using this as a center medallion and making surrounding blocks based on The Stonefields Quilt by Susan Smith. 

6. The Splendid Sampler.

I made all five blocks of The Splendid Sampler over the weekend.  I wasn't super interested in this one until I saw the Happy Happy block by Jen Kingwell...I was hooked.  Everything she designs makes me want it.   This is another project using older scraps.  This is a mixture of some Robin Pandolph pastel scraps and other fabrics I have kept in a shoe box left over from several quilts made around 2006.  I am really excited to be using them in this project.  I still have the stems to embroider on the flowers.  Every one's block is so cute. I just could not resist this block.  This should be a fun quilt and I am glad I joined in with all of the others.

7. Red and Green Blocks

Legends and Lace is generously making these patterns available for free in the month they are offered.  I drew my own version of the block on the bottom left.  I really hesitated at making those tiny leaves on the top two blocks but finally I gave in and just did them any way.  They are not perfect but they have turned out better than okay. Such tiny work really makes my hands ache.   This BOM started in December and goes monthly. 

   

8. Bloom

At the moment I am working on this. I drew this pattern from a photo in the April 2009 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. There is a great article about Robin Pandolph.  I have admired this her design for several years.  I decided to make this one for my mom for her spring "door" quilt. This is also using more of the shoe box scraps.  I have many of the same fabrics Robin used in her quilt.  I also want to make that Easter Egg mini.    

And finally, I have enjoyed my table quilts during the month of February.    

I have decided I need to make a Quilty Circle quilt for most every holiday.   That is only if I have fabric in my stash for it.  I already have some Halloween fabrics circles cut out.   

And because I didn't want to move all these photos to the top with my IPad, enjoy my Valentine quilt.

Thanks for stopping by.  Welcome March sewing!

Linking up with Audrey and some other circle makers  over at Quilty Folk