What Happened to January?

Wow...January just seemed to soar right on past.  I was busy, busy, busy (but obviously too busy to post on my blog).  Every time I thought about posting something, I thought I would just wait a few days.  Well....I'm here now.  So here's a summary of what I did this month.

I got all the blocks assembled for Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt.  It turns out that I need to do some "fiddling" with the border elements, but this will be done pretty soon.  It's just taken a back seat to my "stash management" chores.

I got my AccuQuilt Go cutter in early January...a Christmas present to myself.  I finally decided to bite the bullet and spend some money to help me alleviate pains in my wrists from rotary cutting.  I am very happy with my purchase.

I used the six-1/2 inch triangle die to cut the pieces for my "Library Quilt",  I stash-managed scraps into all of these 2 1/2-inch strips, and I used the 2 1/2-inch strip cutter to tame my "French Collection" fabrics into the beginnings of this quilt design from Moda Bake Shop.  

I spent some time playing with "10-inch layer cakes", using a design from Missouri Star Quilt Company, to try to tame my "Summer Breeze" fabrics into a usable block, and then I played with my Drunkards Path die and the "Tumbler Die" to get started on these two designs.

I cannot emphasize how enthusiastic I have become about the ability to take relatively small pieces of fabric and quickly (did I say quickly) do the precision cuts necessary to achieve some really nice layouts.  The "tumbler quilt" is done from 1950's dress fabrics and my 1930/1940's reproduction collection.  This quilt just makes me so happy.

Finally, my friend Nancy came out on Sunday, and we had a Scrap Happy Super Bowl Sunday Funday in my sewing room.  We "tamed" a lot of her fabrics and mine.  She went home feeling like a SuperBowl Champion, and I finished up today by emptying a huge bin of fabric scraps and turning them into "strips and bricks".  

Today I finished sewing some more Drunkard's Path blocks, and my little "tumbler" quilt is headed on the long arm tomorrow.  It was a great January, and it promises to be a productive February.  In addition to all my happy quilting adventures, I had a wonderful month visiting with my three granddaughters who are close to us in Virginia and Maryland.  I'm sharing a few photos, of course:

Maya Joy with her first car...Merry Christmas from Nanny and PawPaw

A quick visit to Richmond to see my beautiful VCU student, Brianna, and a fun time looking at Richmond Street Art

Miss Paige came to visit; we stacked blocks and read books, and just played with each other.  Isn't that what it's all about?

Oh, since I'm sharing, just one more photo.  Here's our son, Chuck and Laura....and Baby #2.....due in May....we're so happy for them..and us.

Hope you all are well and happy.  Talk to you soon,

Chatty Kathy