Busy Bee

This time of year I feel like a
busy bee.....so much to do, both outside and in.


  Ahhh, but I just want to sit back and enjoy the flowering trees and bushes, admire the freshly mown grass, smell the lilacs and sip on an iced tea.

It's hard to find the right balance.
Today was no exception.



I live in the country and my house is surrounded by woods on three sides.  Tall trees block my view, many covered with vines so long that they have twined themselves to the very tip top branches of the walnuts and locusts.  In the spring, we have to work fast to pull down the vines and clear many of the fallen limbs and downed trees that litter the woods near the house.  Soon it will be too dangerous to walk among the trees because of the dreaded poison ivy that grows so profusely. My husband is very allergic.  So far, I've never had the hives that can torture but don't want to press my luck either.  Sunday, we played pioneers as we cleared the land.  Yesterday and today, I've returned to safer work at my sewing machine!

I have several projects going right now.

First up, I am quilting my X-Block scrap quilt with straight line quilting and the walking foot on my Bernina machine. 

This is my first experience with sewing line upon line across a quilt like this.  I'm loving the look even thought it is a little time consuming.  Rather than mark the quilt, my pressure foot is the guide. Not perfect, but I'm liking it.

Over the weekend, I finished making fat quarters from the vintage sheets found at a thrift shop. There was also one awesome pillowcase that I couldn't pass up. They are ready to mail for the Vintage Sheet Patchwork Swap.  I'm hoping to get some wonderful vintage fabrics in return so that I can make a quilt like this one or maybe this one.  So fun!

Taking the walking foot off and on my Bernina is as much fun as washing windows.  I avoid it.  So......instead, my little Singer Featherweight came in handy today during my granddaughters' naps.  I was able to finish Step 2 in the ORB Hexagon Quilt-Along.  Aren't they cute?

My Leader and Ender project right now is a blue coin quilt I'm getting ready to make.  I use leaders and enders and chain piecing  to create scrap quilts without adding extra time or effort to my sewing,  I call them my "free" quilts.  I'll tell you more about that concept soon. Look how the "coins" are beginning to pile up.....I should have enough for the quilt soon!



Are you tired yet?  I am!!

Last, but not least, I want to show you the six lovely blocks I received from the first quarter of an online Block Party Bee that I belong to.  Each of these blocks was made by a different quilter from, literally, around the world! The bee is called the 3x6 Sample Quilt Mini Bee because each participant makes 6 blocks of their choice and has 3 months to make them.  The blocks are to be all the same pattern, but each made in the colors chosen by the participant.  My colors were green and aqua, as you can see. I am so tickled with the blocks that were painstakingly made for me by gals from Australia, Germany, England, Oklahoma and North Carolina. The second quarter began in April and I'll soon be showing you the blocks I make for 6 different quilters. First, I need to choose a block.  Meantime, feast your eyes on these beauties!

This busy bee is going to get a glass of iced tea!  Join me?