January 2021 Quilting Goal

Happy New Year!

I'm so pleased that Patty is hosting One Monthly Goals again this year.  It helps to think about what I want to get done.  This month I'm working on three things.  

1. Keeping up with the Long Time Gone Class.

These are the blocks so far (one repeats because I corrected a mistake).  I need to make a bunch of flying geese before this month class on the 16th and assemble them into a couple of blocks.  They are cut out and I did get one wing sewn on a few of them.

2.  I want to get the  components for the Abstraction top made this month. Getting it assembled into a top would be a bonus.

The large squares are all made and I've cut the pieces for the setting rectangles -- then realized the seams were all pressed the wrong way.  Hence the large note with the stack of pieces.  As I get ready to stitch them together, I'll fix the seams.  To assemble the top, I'll need to cut the setting triangles.  

3.  Just before the New Year, I finally prepped the final flowers and ribbon for my Poinsettia block started in a workshop with Kathy K. Wylie in November 2019.  This will be my sit and watch tv project or possibly handwork for some zoom calls.  There are less than 40 pieces left to stitch then I need to decide about the berries and the lettering on the ribbon.  I'd like to have the pieces stitched down and a decision made about the berries this month.

When working on the prep, I was using up the tail end of a glue stick.  It was old and a little dried up.  I put in a new stick of glue and it was so much easier to work with!  Just like putting a new blade in my rotary cutter.  Tools work best when sharp or fresh.  I don't usually do glue basting for applique.  I like freezer paper on top.  But with this workshop, Kathy taught us how to use the apliquick sticks and I was determined to make friends with them.  There are places for them but I think after this block, I'll reserve the sticks for specific places.

Here's all the little flower pieces for one flower pinned on top.  A few are in their actual spots waiting to be stitched.  The others are pinned nearby waiting to be put in place once the pieces below are done.

Here's the block with all the flower and ribbon pieces pinned in place or nearby ready for stitching.  

I haven't prepped the berries yet.  They are tiny - less than 1/4 inch.  Kathy showed us how to turn them using the sticks.  I'll probably try turn a few then make a decision whether to turn them all or make French knots.