Well, after feeling so proud of myself for posting my finished little quilt for April ahead of time, I can't believe that it's been 3 weeks since then.  Where did the time go?
I must admit I've been dilly dallying about finishing off a block for a BOM that I'm doing with Karen Cunningham .  The quilt is a reproduction of one that is thought to be African American from the 1860's.

There is another circular vine to go around in the middle of the leaves yet.  I've been having trouble working out which colour to use.  Stuck with a capital S! 
Now I've decided to just leave it for a while, and go onto Block 2.  As always I'm a little behind- well I have 3 blocks to do so far.  Luckily, Karen is in Paducah at the moment and we're skipping a month, so no pattern for a while.  I'm trying to catch up!
Many of the pieces are quite large, but I'm having trouble with the colours.  The original worked in some very bright, clear colours- very folk arty, and I don't have that many in my cupboard.  Hmmm, should I go shopping?
I've also been working on my May small quilt.  It's a work in progress.

I just need to add 2 small borders.  I'm thinking a medium blue or a nice cheddary colour and then a deepish red.  Maybe!

Nearly up to date with the Just Takes 2  free mystery quilt.  Presently I'm only 2 weeks behind, not too bad at all.

I need to get all the pieces sewn together from the last 3 months, we've sewn 1/4 of the quilt already.  Looking at the pieces, this quilt is really going to be beautiful.  I'm so glad that I decided to join in, I've always wanted to stitch a red and white quilt.
Not such a bad month stitching after all!

Well, I'm still a little behind this week for my Just Takes 2 blocks.
I've finished the last fortnight, now I have until the 15th of this month to get the next blocks done.  Thankfully there are only 2 blocks in the next part.

From a distance, the applique looks OK!
I think after the next blocks, we get  to sew the first section of blocks together.  That will be interesting, to see how this quilt is starting to take shape.
I'm very thankful to the Just Takes 2 ladies for going to all this trouble for our benefit, with no cost involved.
A lot of these blocks are paper foundation pieced.  I really dislike foundation piecing, however, I'm choosing to make this a learning experience.  LOL.  By the end of this quilt, I'll either like this form of piecing, or I'll never do it again!

My Summer School quilt is slowly taking shape.  The centre hexagon flowers are now being sewn together.

I still need to decide on something to go in the centre.
The glue stick method of baste-ing the small red shapes is fantastic.  No fiddling with needle and thread, no hours of sewing.  Just a very quick pin shape into place, cut around, then glue.  I'm best friends with my Sewline glue pen at the moment.

A busy week in the house this week.
I really feel like I haven't accomplished much, but I have found a little time here and there thank goodness.

 I finished my February small quilt for Jo's  Quiltalong with plenty of time to spare, but I've just decided to handquilt it.  I found some fabric with plums (what was I thinking?) on it, perfect backing I thought.  So, I've cut batting and backing for my 2 small quilts and 2 other little quilts and I'm good to go.  Mind you, they'll take me months- I'm realistic! 
I really like hand quilting, but I'm very slow.

I've also been working on my Just Takes 2  blocks for this fortnight.  The latest blocks came out on March 1, but now I'm only one block behind.
Finished this last night- please don't look too close at the applique.

I must admit to really loving this quilt-along.  There is something very "clean" looking about a two colour quilt, and I love red and white together. 

Lastly, I'm back doing a little stitching on my "Princess Feather" border.

I'm stitching one block then one border at a time.  I've recently seen another Kim McLean quilt in the works that I love, need to finish this one first.
Variety is the spice of life, isn't it?  LOL.

Oh the postie has been a welcome addition around here this week!
I love that motorbike sound coming down the street.

I managed to source this Dear Jane 2 fabric from USA last week.  Can you believe that no-one in Australia had any left!  This is going to be the background for an applique quilt by Karen Cunningham  called "The Marriage Quilt".
The sweetest little wooden cotton reels also found their way home to me from Sarah  at Quilt Fabric Delights in Adelaide.   They are for storing your embroidery threads on- I must get to and unwind my skeins.  I'm thinking since they are so cute, I'm going to reserve them for my Cosmo Threads collection.

 These gorgeous Aurifil threads also came to my mailbox, I love these threads for applique.  They are lovely and fine,  the thread just sinks into the fabric being appliqued.  I'm treating myself to some threads each month.

And TADA !!! here's the next block from Just Takes 2.  Four more blocks for this month and I'm done!  Well, until 1st of March anyway.

I'm following along with the Red and white mystery quilt  designed by Brenda Papadakis and Gay  Bomers.  Blocks are released twice each month, so not a lot of work at once.
I've completed the blocks for the first 3 parts.

I can't believe I've just noticed that the big block at bottom right is sewn together wrong!  The corners should be rotated so that the solid red is in the corners.  Aaaagh.  It's paper pieced too, luckily I haven't taken the paper out yet, but it will surely shred when I take it apart- to fix or not to fix.  That is the question.

I've been waiting patiently, (well, a little impatiently actually) for my red and white fabrics to turn up in the post.  Just Takes 2  started at the beginning of January without me.  I've been looking at everyone's blocks as they stitched the first months worth.
Thanksfully my lovely red and white solids finally arrived and I've been able to get a start.  A wonderful pile of colour, freshly washed.

 Six blocks of the first 9 completed.

I'd forgotten how nice solid colour fabric is to work with.  It's a nice weight and  irons well.   I'm using Moda Bella Solids.

I'm all ready to get going on my Orca Bay quilt too.
Blocks are all ready to go, even for the pieced borders.