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April 7, 2024
10 more............11 to go............ from Exuberant Color


I chose 10 more pairs of 2" batik strips for the 9 patch blocks.

A friend is coming today to acquire some of my quilts so I spent part of the day yesterday reacquainting myself with the quilts piled on 2 shelf units.  I have my stacks of "won't share" and then there are the rest.


Last night I got all of the pairs of strips sewn into strip sets to cut for the 9 patches.







Yesterday morning the raiders were in my backyard.  There is one squirrel on each of 2 of the bird feeders and one squirrel ...

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April 6, 2024
17 blocks added............... from Exuberant Color


The 17 new blocks made in the last couple days have been added to the design wall.  There will be some rearranging as I get the last 21 blocks made.  Some of these blocks might not make the final cut.







I was outside looking around late yesterday afternoon and noticed this Hosta in the front garden.  I was surprised how big it was since I hadn't seen any other Hostas up yet.



I checked the back garden where I have lots of Hostas and found one more coming up.






On the other side of the porch I found at ...

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April 5, 2024
Still organizing.....or was I playing with stash............... from Exuberant Color


I'm still moving things around in the basement and I came across a selection of darks and lights and decided to expand on it and add reds.  I have used 20 of these fabrics in 2 other quilts and added 17 more for variety.




These are the 2 quilts with 20 of those fabrics plus more that are gone now.  I gifted the quilt on the left but still have the one on the right so I could match up fabrics in my stash.  I have an idea percolating for the next quilt.

Last night I sewed strip sets ...

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April 3, 2024
Only a little progress................... from Exuberant Color


I pressed the 40 blocks from Sunday and put one of each set of 4 on the design wall and put the remaining blocks in a project box for later.



I sewed the rest of the next 7 groups and got the 28 blocks made but not pressed yet.

I spent the morning sorting through my flannel stash and grouping similar types together in storage bins.  I have a little more to do before it is how I want it sorted.


I think this might be the last cactus bloom but there is still one more bud that might make ...

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April 2, 2024
Lots of 9 patches.................. from Exuberant Color

I pressed 10 strips sets that I sewed Sunday night and cut them for 9 patches and chose 7 more sets to sew.



That pile of 9 patches pieces is enough for 40 blocks and sewing them kept my hands off the Easter chocolate that I bought at half price yesterday.








I got all 40 of them sewn while watching the NCIS programs on TV.  Today they will be pressed and 10 of them will go up on the design wall, the other 30 are for another quilt.





I only got 4 of the 7 new sets sewn.

My mind ...

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March 25, 2024
A lot accomplished............. from Exuberant Color


One of the two quilts back from my longarm quilter has been trimmed.  I used 2 fabrics on the back.  This is my Sunlight in the Forest quilt, one of Kaffe's designs but my choices of fabrics.  I did use the same first border that he did.  Colors are more accurate in the next photo.  As I trimmed it I was thinking I would have to use a black background binding and the back is dark....so that wasn't sounding like much fun.


Then I came to my senses and realized tat a red would be nice.  I ...

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March 24, 2024
Progress on 2 plus something new............. from Exuberant Color


The last flannel16 patch blocks that I made yesterday are now added to the previous ones for a total of 38.  I haven't come up with a final plan for them.





I sewed the blocks from the Friday strip sets and sewed 3 more new strip sets for the batik 9 patch project.






I added 5 new blocks to the design wall and rearranged a bit.  I made it one block wider and need to have 12 rows top to bottom.  This first quilt will have all different blocks, one of each of the 4 alike of each combination ...

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March 23, 2024
A better day.............. from Exuberant Color


I did more organizing with the flannel fabrics but am not done yet.  I found a light fabric to match with 3 strips that were cut for 16 patches.  I'll have to count how many 16 patches I have now.  These need to be pressed before I go any farther with them.  I have a huge box of flannel scraps.  The last time I sorted them was early 2017 and I cut lots of tumbler shapes and tossed all of the small pieces.


I selected 11 more pairs for 9 patches last night and sewed 3 of them.





This ...

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March 22, 2024
Planning, cleaning, and a lot of other uninteresting things to post about...... from Exuberant Color


Very little sewing, just one of each of the combinations of the 9 patches.

Thursday mornings are drop off times at our local thrift shop so that was yesterday morning's task.

Then I decided to look through my flannel stash and make a decision on my storage of it.  It is a bit of a mess after pulling pieces for 4 quilts.  I made some decisions but didn't get it all straightened out so I'll be back down there today.  

I spent time with my many notebooks full of notes and don't have a clue if ...

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March 20, 2024
Partial binding and 9 patch progress................ from Exuberant Color


I started out the day getting another huge backing made for my Charley in the Forest quilt.  You will see the fantastic backing fabric in a few weeks.

I salvaged some of the cut off backing strips on the Hugs and Kisses flannel quilt and sewed them together.  I went ahead and sewed it on the quilt and I'm short about 55".  I have a little yardage left so I'll cut the remaining 2 strips from it.  I should have the binding finished today.


For the rest of my 3 hour sewing session last night I got the ...

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March 19, 2024
Lazy day............. from Exuberant Color

This Hugs and Kisses flannel quilt was unpinned from the longarm frame and trimmed and that was it.  No ambition to do any more.  Some days are like that.




I pressed the 9 patches from yesterday and put one from each set of 4 up on the design wall.  I sewed 3 more strips sets and pressed them too and cut the segments for 9 patches.  I need to get busy today and cut some more batting to match with tops since I didn't get it done last week.  Then I can get the roll of batting off my ...

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March 18, 2024
Another quilted....................... from Exuberant Color

The flannel Hugs and Kisses is quilted, not without a few problems which I won't bore you with.  I'll get it trimmed today and cut the binding, which will probably be the same as the backing fabric.



I sewed 9 patches while I watched TV last night.  I laid all 4 of the orange ones out separately so you can see the variety that a mottled fabric creates.





My largest Columbine which is pink is getting big.  I'll have to check and see if the Columbines in the front have come up yet.  We're in for ...

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March 16, 2024
Quilted and trimmed............. from Exuberant Color


I went down to the longarm before noon and quilted this flannel pinwheel quilt.






I did 6 big wavy lines in each 12" block from top to bottom.  I wanted loose quilting to keep the quilt really soft.





I got it trimmed right away too.  The plaid on the back is one of the Robert Kaufman mammoth flannels.  It is heavier weight than any of the flannels on the front of the quilt.  This quilt is so soft!  I need to find a binding fabric today.



Last night I got caught up on sewing all of the rest of the ...

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March 15, 2024
More blocks................ from Exuberant Color


 I sewed one of each of the 13 new combinations and saved the other 3 of each to sew later.  I wanted to see the yellows and oranges on the design wall.

It was cool enough yesterday morning that the heat came on and I should have gone to the basement then and started quilting the flannel quilt.  I waited until afternoon and by that time it was warm out and cold in the basement.  Today it should be warm down there so I hope the quilting happens.

That left my "in between things" project as the only thing to ...

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March 14, 2024
Lots of background work in the basement............ from Exuberant Color


First thing yesterday morning I baked the chocolate chip cookies.  I had a question from someone in another country about my recipe so I thought I would show the package, not knowing if this is available in their area.



I just noticed something that I had not seen before.  At the bottom it says if omitting nuts to add 1 - 2 TBS of flour.  I will try that next time because most of my family prefers no nuts in cookies.



Here is the rest of the recipe for my reader who inquired about it.  Click on the photo for  a ...

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March 13, 2024
More baking..................... from Exuberant Color

I had 3 sessions in the kitchen yesterday.  I baked the Kringlas in the morning, peanut butter cookies after lunch and mixed chocolate chip dough in intermissions during my TV time.  I'll finish the baking this morning.


I sewed some more strip sets to make 9 patches.

I only got one batting trimmed to length yesterday.  It is on the backing on the longarm now.



I found two Lungwort/Pulmonaria plants with blooms.  I thought about raking the leaves off the bed but there is possible snow predicted next Monday which means cold weather.  Yesterday I checked the temperature ...

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March 12, 2024
Variety day................. from Exuberant Color


I had intended to spend more time with quilt related things yesterday but ended up with a variety of things needing attention.

Early in the day I started choosing pairs of strips to sew into 9 patches and last night I got some of the strip sets sewn.

I had errands to run in the middle of the day and didn't get to the batting cutting until later in the day.  I have batting cut for 2 of the 3 flannel quilts and will continue cutting for some others today.


I needed to start baking treats for my great-grandchildren ...

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March 11, 2024
Backings for flannel quilts........... from Exuberant Color


Yesterday afternoon I cut the 2 backing pieces for the Hugs and Kisses flannel quilt.  I will press them today and sew the long seam.








A few days ago I pressed this backing and got it loaded on the longarm for the flannel pinwheel quilt.






I just wasn't ready to wrestle with this new 30 yard roll of Hobbs 80/20 batting yesterday.  Today I'll open it and get the batting cut for all 3 of the flannel tops and maybe pieces for a couple more quilts too.  Once I get it hoisted up on my double table ...

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March 10, 2024
Finished times 2.................. from Exuberant Color


It's time for the official portraits and stats on 2 finishes.

Autumn Coneflower 2, made of batiks, finished at 62.5" x 78".  It has Hobbs 80/20 batting in it.  The binding is hand finished.






The backing is a burgandy with beige leaf outlines, a batik I bought many years ago, knowing I would make a quilt some day that would need it.  







The bright flannel quilt was made with many small yardage pieces and some large scraps.  The cats, splotchy multicolor, and monkeys are Laurel Burch designs.  This quilt finished at 53" x 71".  It has Hobbs ...

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March 8, 2024
More of the same............... from Exuberant Color


With two sessions of hand stitching I rounded the 4th corner and now just have most of one short side left to stitch on Autumn Coneflower 2.





Seven more strip sets for 9 patches were completed and now I have 12 sets ready to be pressed.  Then I can crosscut them and sew the 9 patch blocks.

I sewed the long seam in another flannel backing but didn't turn on the iron yesterday.  Now I have plenty of pressing to do.

 

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