Works in Progress

I finished  hand quilting the Rose of Sharon and did the binding completely by hand.  So OK, not that easy. Usually I machine my binding on and hand sew it on to the back.  Still need to give it a label.

In the mean time, I continue on with Celtic Solstice.

Three of the pieced borders are done.  Working on number 4.  All hand pieced.  

Celtic Solstice

My hand piecing kit

I'm still in Florida helping my dad with all the day-to-day things that have to be done after mom passed.  I will be leaving to go back to Ohio in mid-March. In the meantime I've been catching up on my handpiecing.

I brought along my hand sewing kit.   I've got my needle keeper, my needle threader, my thread, pincushions, my scissors, a tiny box for small pins, and yes of course a seam ripper,...and my beeswax candle that smells deliciously of honey.  Inside my needle keeper I have John James appliqué needles (number 11) and John James milliners needles (number 11). As I handpiece, I switch back-and-forth between the two. My favorite thread for handpiecing is Aurifil 50 wt.  I also use Mettler 60/2.   Both of these threads are cotton.

While I've been in Florida, I've been working on my Celtic Solstice.  Celtic Solstice was Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt for 2013. I began this quilt in September of 2013 and followed along with the clues.  I chose my own color palette based on the fabric I had the most of.  (I am quite determined to use up my stash.) As the clues developed, I printed out my pieces using Inklingo.  During the next year between other projects I pieced together Celtic Solstice at a leisurely pace, first putting together the 3 inch blocks then joining the 3 inch blocks into the 9 inch squares. Once I finished my 9 inch squares I join them together in fours.  The project box that I brought to Florida with me consisted of 9 inch blocks and some joined four block squares.

4 blocks joined

During the last few weeks I have finished piecing the center of the quilt and am now working on the pieced border.

Without other projects to distract me, I should be done with the Celtic Solstice top in the next few weeks.  

Rose of Sharon

 I've been in Ocala Florida since January 4, 2015.  I didn't expect to be here very long and came here all in a rush when mom and dad called me to say mom was sick and needed help.  I brought just a few things to work on.  Mom saw what I was working on and really liked it.  At the time I arrived in Ocala, I had one section of the four to finish quilting and the borders.  The first week mom would sit with me and talk while I quilted.  After mom passed I continued with my quilting in my spare time and evenings.  I'm just about done now mom...    Tomorrow or the next day, I'll visit the local quilt shop Tomorow's Treasures to find fabric for binding.  This is an old old UFO so some of the appliqué work needs some redoing.  I'll bind it, label it.  It'll need a washing. Then I think I'll use it as a table topper for moms sewing table. 

It looks like I'll be here for another month helping dad. I'll work on another project during this time.  I brought my Celtic Solstice to finish piecing.  Perhaps I'll work on that.  Being away from home without major distractions from unfinished projects in my sewing room, I'm forced to finish what I have.  That's a good thing.  I'm feeling a sense of accomplishment.  I'd also like to finish up the hexagon table topper I pieced a few months back.  I need to hand quilt it.

Four squares of Celtic Solstice

Hexagon Table Topper