A Few Stitches

 I haven't stitched in weeks and only a very small bit in months. You would think the recent inclement weather would allow me to sneak in a little sewing, but I haven't been able to make that happen. Due to the weather, the cattle sale was cancelled, but I put on my ranch wife hat and have been helping DH. However, I did manage to sneak in a few stitches while he was on a feed run so I took advantage of the gifted time and dusted off my neglected 16-patch  project I worked on last fall:

                               

Completed blocks were stitched into rows:

 And I pulled out this fabric from an earlier Hill Country Spring collection for the backing. In a different scenario, I'd probably use a less busy print, but I'm giving myself brownie points for using what I have and a riot of wildflowers is always a good thing. And yes, it is in serious need of a good pressing:

When I was in Texas last month, I did manage to make this oversized lined drawstring bag:

                                             

I am using it for a dirty clothes bag during road trips. Can a dirty clothes bag bring you joy? I don't want to know what that says about me that it does:

                                            

I was also thrilled to have manipulated technology into allowing me to still use the embroidery capabilities on my sewing machine and stitch a label for a quilt I gifted to the friends who did mom's memorial service:

                                             

It required downloading drivers and reconfiguring some software and for this technology-stunted gal, it was worth a whoop or two. They are retired military and I gave them this quilt:

I also worked on some blocks using a jelly roll pattern. I was really in the mood for some mindless sewing and this project fit the bill:

                                  

Whew, it feels really good to have something stitchy to share! I figured I had better strike while the iron was hot, both literally and figuratively, because more pressing matters await and I am being summoned away from my sewing room:

New Project

 I finished piecing my Autumn Jellystone last week and yes, it still needs a good pressing:

and I immediately had a hankering to start something new. These Hill Country Spring jelly rolls are the first jelly rolls I ever bought....many moons ago

This was a 2008 collection and I was just beginning to quilt so I'm thinking I bought these sometime in 2009. After 10+ years, this seems like a good time to turn them into a quilt. Moda comes out with a similar collection each year, but I think this was the first one. I grew up in the Texas Hill Country and it will always hold a special place in my heart so it stands to reason that I ought to have a Texas Hill Country quilt in my repertoire. 

I have hemmed and hawed over what pattern to use all this time, and these jelly rolls have been moved from shelf to bin many times, but Wednesday afternoon I just sat down and started stitching the strips into 16 patches:

For some reason, the St. Louis 16-patch quilts that took the quilting community by storm 8 or 9 years ago have caught my eye recently so that's what I settled on:

I wanted something unfussy, fast and simple with a classic style and I think this fits the bill. I pulled in some solids from my small stash:

Because once I set some blocks together, I felt like they were a little muddy as a whole. 

I don't use solids much, but I thought these might brighten things up a little.

Hmmm, maybe these are too bright. I worked on them again on Thursday and Friday. They are fast and by the end of the day, I had 46 blocks, but then I spied some Grunge sitting under a pile and I knew I'd switch out the solids. From a distance, there isn't much difference, but I'm planning to keep this quilt and I know I'll be happier with the Grunge blocks:

I wanted a bigger quilt than this was going to make so I cracked open a 2nd jelly roll and the stitching will continue.

I'm at the sale barn today and then I'll be cooking for a crew again Tuesday through Saturday so sewing will be put on the back burner for a bit, but I figure these jelly rolls have already been marinating for over a decade so what's another week. At least they finally have a plan.