January Blues

 Hello my friends!

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I have to share a funny quote I came across the other day:

Does January feel like that to you? If so, you are not alone~ I think many people feel that January is such a long, gray, quiet month, after all the excitement and color and warmth of December...

Even though I do not like putting away all the cozy Christmas decorations, I do actually enjoy January, but that is probably because it is a big birthday month in our family! And looking forward to cake and presents can lift anyone's spirits I think!

After a very busy 2023, with lots of commitments, helping kids move,  and travel, I am enjoying the forced absence of all of those. Nothing like a snow day when you can ignore the alarm for another hour and it is suggested people stay home and safe~ yes, please! I am such a homebody and I don't care if everyone knows it!

You are probably wondering what, if anything, has been happening in my craft room lately. Well, I am happy to share that I have been finishing old quilt projects, and starting some new ones, and dabbling in some card making again too. Cardmaking used to be a big passion, until quilting came into the picture. I always tell people who want to start quilting to just give it a try: If they love it, they will be hooked forever, and if not, maybe it is not their thing. I'm not sure you cannot be passionate about it, either one way or another ;).

One of my finished projects was this quilt I made for our oldest son. Our kids all have some sort of collection of quilts made by me, but I never quite know how much they appreciate them. Well, I found out in the sweetest way when we helped our oldest son and his girlfriend ( and pup) move into their new place this past Fall! I was unpacking boxes and came across a big box filled with every quilt ( and blanket, but more about that a little later) I had ever made him. When I told him he didn't need to hold onto all those quilts and offered to take them home to store them, he told me that he  already knew where he was going to keep them: In the storage compartment in their new sofa. That melted this momma's heart just a little, especially because one of those was a fleece blanket that we  referred to as "car blankets" and our kids all would take their own on long, cold car trips when we lived in Montana. The fact that even that one hadn't been relegated to the trash heap was just so touching , that I decided right there and then to make him another quilt. Our 3 boys were all born in Montana, and our oldest especially has a soft spot for that state, so I thought an outdoorsy quilt theme would be perfect! So out came the Accuquilt die and the flannels, and I designed this ( very heavy!) quilt. For the backing I used a blue checked fleece, and then decided that hand quilting it wih a big stitch would be the perfect finishing touch. So I spent many an evening at my quilt frame, with doggies at my feet, completing that quilt. Even though I didn't complete it in time to gift it for Christmas, I was able to send it in time for his birthday, and he sent me a photo of his pup thoroughly enjoying it as well~ hahaha, I bet she can smell our doggies on there still ( even though it got washed very thoroughly!), and she misses her playmates! 

Another project I just finished ( last night as a matter of fact~ it hasn't even been though the wash yet!), is this quilt, which is yet to get a title. I think it was a free accuquilt pattern and I used my Qube to make it, but honestly I do not remember the details. I really should start writing these things down!

This quilt top had been finished for a while, and I had loaded it on my Cutie frame~and even started a little bit of free-motion quilting on it~ and then life got busy and that set-up became more and more intimidating-looking and thus I ignored it for a bunch of months. But I finally got up the courage to finish it up, and even though it is far from perfect, it is done, and I am proud of it! Immediately after taking this one off the frame, I loaded on a new quilt, and I swear this one will not take as long! I really do think that playing around with it a little bit each day makes one so much more comfortable. And if you don't have any idea what a Cutie is, and what I'm babbling on about, pop a comment below and I will write a blog post about it in the future ;).

Another quilt top I just finished not too long ago is this one:

It is made from half square triangles and squares and therefore super simple to make! I started with a free pattern by Moda, and then veered off from there and ended up with this one~ ha! That is (unfortunately or fortunately) the way I operate! I decided that this one needs more, and am planning on adding a wide border with appliqued flowers and leaves  in the same color way. I will share more about this quilt in a future blog post.

 

The final quilt project I want to share is this one that I got started on last weekend, when we were experiencing terribly blustery and cold days. On our bed we had this vintage quilt. I don't remember where I picked it up, but I love how the maker used all sorts of fabrics and obviously made do with what she had ( even to the point of piecing some of the small squares together). 

Some of the colors have faded terribly, and it is hard to guess what they might have been originally, and the fabric is becoming so threadbare that you can see she used a blanket instead of batting ( one with pink stripes!). 

I adore this quilt, but having it on our bed was causing it too much stress, so I thought I should fold it and display it to keep it intact as much as possible. Instead, I decided to make my own version!

I'm using my accuquilt Bear Paw die to make my blocks ( yes, these blocks all use the Bear Paw components!), and they are turning out slightly larger than the original quilt blocks, but that is fine. I am planning on making mine pretty scrappy too and throwing in some faded and alternate colors to really mimic the look of the inspiration quilt! And to not burn out on this project~ I figure I will need at least 30 blocks and have been known to start a big project, only to throw in the towel halfway through becuase it becomes a chore~ I am following the example of one of Farmhouse Quilts and Friends FB group members and commiting to sewing just one block a day. That way I have time and permission to work on other projects as well, but my quilt top should be ready for assembly in roughly a month in that manner. And even though I usually come up with a title for my quilts AFTER I complete them, in thinking of an appropriate title for this blog post, I thought that January Blues would be a perfect name for this quilt as well!

Are you still with me after that very long and wordy post?? If you are, thank you! And to show my appreciation for sticking around, AND to celebrate my birthday this weekend, leave your name in the comments below and you will be entered to win a fun little giveaway to help chase away the January blahs! I will announce the winner right here in my next blog post!

Until next time~ happy creating, and stay warm!

Monique