First Finish of March

I finished sewing the binding down and the label on the Schnibbles Picnic quilt last night while TIVOing through American Idol.  I can't stress enough how VERY happy I am to have finished it!  Whew!

Don't get me wrong, I still love making Schnibbles,

and I DO like how the Picnic turned out. 

I just had to do waaaay too much

 "reverse sewing".

I simply stippled all over and used

a cute bear label on the back.

DONE.  So very done.

And on to the next project.

OK, so I told you I wanted to finish a McKenna Ryan project that I started last year.  I had already cut out and fused all the gazillion little pieces down on the completed background. 

It was all sandwiched and pinned and ready to quilt last year when I quietly folded it and put it away.  All the cutting and fusing had taken it's toll and I REALLLLY needed to get away from it for a while. 

Like for a longggg while. 

For a year.

Sooooo, today after work, I had a big cup of coffee and trudged upstairs to my sewing room to get this thing done!  In the pattern directions, McKenna explains that she stitches around all those gazillion fused pieces with invisable thread on the top and cotton thread on the bottom.  Ok, so that's what I tried first.  YUK!  It looked hideous.  Absolutely HATED it!  You could see the bottom thread points because the invisable thread was so thin.  So, pulled that out and tried invisable on both top and bottom.  Equally ugly.  So, pulled that out, too. 

So next I tried cotton thread on both top and bottom in a matching color.  Success!  Problem is, constantly changing thread...

like every 10 minutes.  UGH!

But, it is looking good.  And although labor and thread intensive, I'm liking how it's turning out!   So far, I've done all the fused pieces and now am filling in the background parts with a dense stipple.  I'm a bit worried  about making sure it is evenly

 densely quilted so it will lay flat and smooth. 

Time and thread and thread and thread
 and thread will tell.  :-) 

So, tell me all about some project you absolutely
 HAD to put away for awhile! 

CGQC Goals for March

I  have this awesome spring panel and some

real pretty coordinating fabric to match it!

So, goal #1 is to make it up in time to

use it this spring!  

Just LOVE the watercolor look!! 

This month's Schnibbles pattern is Roundabout,

 so that's another goal, too.

I made this awesome wall hanging for over my mantle during the spring season last year, but never finished it.  It is a McKenna Ryan  fusible applique pattern.  It had eight gazillion tiny little pieces to trace and fuse and cut out and then fuse onto the background. 

 By the time I got all that done, I was soooo DONE with it for the time being.  Now it needs to be stitched around all the fused pieces and she uses clear thread.  So I gotta do it!  I want to use it this spring over my mantle... but dread doing it...  UGH!

And my last goal for March is to quilt this little jelly roll top I made at our last spring quilt guild retreat.

I actually saw some daffodils coming up in a pile of snow today, so spring IS on the way!!  YAY!  :-)

OMG!!!! What a Wonderful Surprise!

When I got home from work today, a little package was sitting on my front steps just waiting for me!  Guess what was inside?

It was a little RAK package from Cindy of Sew Cindy.  She sent me 2 awesome Aviary charm packs, four beautiful pink fabrics and some adorable buttons!!   Isn't she just the sweetest gal????  I'm going to use these 2 charm packs to make this month's Schnibbles pattern- Roundabout.  It will be beautiful!!  Thank you, Cindy! You are such a doll!  :-)

And speaking of Schnibbles, I FINALLY finished the very intense Picnic top tonight... soooooo

not my favorite Schnibbles by far. 

Way too much unsewing!  :-(

I'll quilt it tomorrow after work.  Then I'll only have 2 more Schnibbles to make to catch up after starting the  group 4 months late!  I'm really excited about this month's Schnibbles- Roundabout.  It looks like it will be a fun one to make!  :-)