Good news on April fool's day, excellent!

Started quilting on the unfinished gift quilt again. Hope to finish that and bind it and deliver it within the next couple of weeks.

My garden is beautiful, but only half weeded, so more of that and more planting. Love the warm days between rains.

LindaB/CA

I'm going to finish my Applecore charm this month! Really!

I don't have any quilting goals for this month yet. I am always working on something and have lots of UFOs to keep me busy. My goals for this month are to clean out the closets in the two spare bedrooms. I started one closet before Easter but put most of the stuff back in it. My son went through some of his things yesterday and that helps. They live in an apartment so I still have some his childhood things stored here.
Linda OH

Finish the color wash quilt (hand sewing binding is all that's left)

Finish the mini bow tucks bag I started today

Quilt and bind the Blackfords Beauty quilt

No gardening for me -YUCK! :). I did hire a yard treatment company today, though.

Donna

I am working away on my Civil War Memories Quilt. My goal for April is to get the blocks finished and the top put together and to get the 4 postcards I have to get in the mail by April 26th done and out on time. No gardening yet for me....we still have snow on the ground and today, in the air. Thankfully it is not sticking.

Maryv

It spit snow today, and our spring temps to date are well below normal, but it was sunny today and I got my radish seed planted outside, and started my tomato seeds for the greenhouse until time to plant them out. Flowers are secondary to me, I am a 'food' gardener first and foremost.

I sat my heavy wool crazy quilt away to tie later, I can take that down to the gazebo when the weather warms and work on it outside. I am FMQ the lighter weight wool (suiting) quilt, with batting to a cotton backing. It's not terribly difficult to handle, but I am having coniption fits with thread breaking. I've been working on it two days for a couple hours, and maybe have it a quarter done.

Glad to hear your eyes are getting better, and the good news about the cancer treatment.

Sharon, What great news about Katie and your eyes!

My first goal is to finish cleaning my sewing room which doubles as my scrapbooking room, office, and guest bedroom for my MIL (she can't do stairs well and this is on the main floor - she & my mom are coming for Mother's Day.). I have sorted all the fabric, moved 10 boxes to my bedroom closet which has more shelves, and sorted out my UFOs and have them mostly in order.

I hope to finish two more UFOs that will go to church for charity quilts.

I am now in the process of sorting boxes of photos, all the office stuff, and other junk I don't want. I have a huge box for our neighborhood garage sale in June and will need another!

I want to get a few more year's worth of progress on my son's scrapbook also. (he's 27 and getting married in November and I have only got his photo albums done up to 1990! YIKES).

It's still trying to decide if it's spring in Colorado, so I have cleaned out the perennial beds and am waiting until May (after frost threats) to put a few new plants in.

April could be busy!

Sue

April goals ... hmmm ...
1. remove 2 large dandelions from my flowerbed before they bloom
2. complete Card Tricks block #100 this week which will complete 3 and 1/2 years of hand-sewing blocks for my parents' quilt
3. put ribbons in my crocheted bookmarks
4. start a grandbaby quilt for my good friend Chrizty which I am hoping will include hand-made crocheted lace - I have to finish writing the pattern for that
5. design and write a 3rd crocheted bookmark pattern
6. figure out what to do for a heavy batting for my parents' quilt
7. read a book or 2

Best to you,
Sandra

Sandra, you might want to check out wool battings. They come in a light or heavy weight and I've not used them but keep reading how easily they are to needle when hand quilting. I've used all sorts of battings from cotton, to bamboo, to synthetics and blends......all but wool. LOL

Thanks Calliope, but wool makes me itch really badly so I will not be able to use wool.

Best to you,
Sandra

I'm so happy to hear Katie is doing better. I'll keep praying! April is a busy month...3 birthdays and one bridal shower.

1) Make apron for bridal shower, which is Saturday.
2) Bind DD's kimono quilt.
3) Start baby quilt for May shower
4) Get all my seeds started and if it ever warms up, start cleaning out flower beds. I hope to trim and rake everything and hire a couple of teens from church to bag and haul. :) Should go much faster.

This month's goals are:

Make and attach label to baby quilt for Andrew James born 3-30-13.

Bind my Marimekko quilt that I got back from my LAQ. I love it - can't wait to post a photo.

Bind the beach glass quilt which should be back from LAQ next week.

Decide which quilt to start next - baby sea turtles or manly transparency quilt for my wonderful step-son Luke. I've washed all the fabrics for both.

Start to cut more Marimekko strips for a pair of quilts I'd like to make someday for my great-nieces in New York.

Spring is so late here in Minnesota this year that I might not get out into the garden until May. Then there's my sailboat to power wash and launch (if the lakes ever thaw). Busy time of year.

Good news about Katie and good news about your eyes!!!

This will be a big garden month for me because it's the last month before it starts to get hot. We're having the patio re-screened so I've cleared plants (and weeds) from all around the outside. Next will be landscape cloth(hey, at least it's kind of like playing with fabric!) then edging the beds with pavers, then lots of rocks. I can't do all the work I want to do in the garden and find time to quilt too so it's time for the garden to go away. I'll keep a couple areas for orchids and container plantings but all the borders will be either sodded or rocked.

Quilting goals for April? Lotto blocks, Jen's challenge quilt. And some work on the t-shirt quilt.

Kate

Kate, I always figured if Clay 'goes' first, I would have a truck load of gravel dumped in the yard and have the neighbor kids spread it around for me....who has time for such things! I like the idea of container gardening, though.

Where has this month gone?! It's half over!!! The ZigZag Rail Fence is alllllllll done except for the binding. I have it cut and now need to sew the strips together and then sew the white flange strip to the dark green binding strip.....it's so exciting!!!

Lois, It's been so wet in MN my sister can't have her furniture delivered to Chicago because her MN city has put a ban on heavy trucks on the streets in her neighborhood...it was all supposed to have been moved yesterday. lol poor gal.

Sandra, Why do you need a heavy batting for your parents quilt? It can be warm without being heavy, right?

Sue, I see your mother is an active quilter.....has she been to the forum? I'm sure she would be an asset since she got you started quilting.

SharonG/FL

Good job, Sharon!

I'm doing well, too...the colorwash quilt is done, the bow tucks bag is done, and I'm in the process of hand sewing the binding on Blackford's Beauty! I am nearly done with my endless crocheted baby afghan so it will be a finish this month, too!

And the yard is looking better since the new service has treated it. :)

Donna

Making progress ...

Tyler's scrapbook up to late 1992 but need help identifying some folks and am tired of scrapbooking. Put it away for a while.

Finished one more quilt for church - but the colors would really be better for a nursing home lap quilt.
Sewed the borders on another UFO so I can sandwich it next and quilt. I used birthday blocks from a couple years ago and think it will be great for a teen.

No outside gardening for me - we are mostly shoveling snow! The picture was from yesterday MORNING! It started snowing Monday and we had about 14" by Tuesday morning. It is STILL snowing. Another snow day for the local school kids. It's a good day to stay in and sew!

Sharon, Mom is a really busy quilter, but she isn't on the forum. She would rather play a couple of trivia games and sew! She does like to hear about what we do, but don't think she would participate. She just turned 85 in February but is still churning out quilts for Project Linus and family members.

Sue

Woooo! Guess gardening is a bit premature there. Hard to believe since I've already planted my first tomatoes in pots, not the ground. Our predicted last day of frost is May 15. Easing into yard work again. Sewing is still getting more time than the yard.
LindaB/CA

It's beyond the half way mark in April, and I don't know where the time has gone.
My original goal: assemble scrappy blocks on point...my first on point, second goal, assemble wine cellar block quilt top...so far...here's where I am
-The first free weekend in April was the 6th and DH and I had an overnite, out of town date...over due and fun, but no sewing

-The second weekend...,one day pulling weeds and cleaning beds...very tiring, but the next day I finished assembling my first on point scrappy garden trellis quilt! just luv it thus far

-Third weekend goal...rip out one front bed which has been overcome w/ chickweed...ugh

-Fourth weekend goal...assemble blocks for wine cellar quilt.
Until May!
V.

-

Still raining and snowing here in Minnesota. I can't believe it! We're all getting depressed and suffering from sun deprivation.

I have both my Marimekko and Beach Glass quilt waiting for binding. I started on my transparency quilt and have it about 2/3s complete.

This weekend is my chorus concert - Mozart, Hayden and Beethoven. Lovely music.

Sharon, is your sis moving to Chicago?

I was such a dud tonight. I just sat and watched a really bad Sandra Bullock/Hugh Grant movie and sipped on wine. I didn't do a bit of quilting. Oh, well. Sometimes it's just hard to get motivated.

I did get the apron made for the shower. I prepared the binding and trimmed DD's quilt today and just worked on some charity quilts as busy work.

I've cleaned out a few gardens this week and planted some seeds on the 4th. Our town will pick up garden debris this week and next, so I have to get hopping. My son's truck just died and he's going to buy a car. He did all my hauling for me, so going forward I either have to bag up and haul debris in my car to the town composting station, or add a lot more compost piles to my backyard.

Sue, my daughter sent me some pictures of the snow. It looks beautiful, but nobody wants it at this time of year. I hope if melts quickly, without causing flooding for you. We have so much rain this week, they are calling for flooding in our neck of the woods (but not for us).

Donna, Sounds like you have a good jump on finishing April's goals. Good job on taking care of your lawn, too! LOL

Wow, Sue! Can't believe all that snow!!!! Hopefully it won't be around very long, but then, staying inside and sewing isn't so hard to take, is it? Your mom is amaaaaaazing for being able to continue to make quilts and donating them. I hope I can do that, too!

LindaB, I had just told the Geezerman it was time to get our annual tomato plant and kill it. We always had wonderful veggie gardens up north but can't seem to even grow a zucchini here in Florida!

V, I think after April, we might find you in the wine cellar! *grin*

Lois, Yes, they have already found a place to live in West Chicago and just today had 3 offers on their house in MN. They will be much closer to family and they all are happy about that. It's a good thing we had a chance to meet last year!

Yeaaaa for me! I have the binding all ready to sew to the back of the quilt and plan to do it tomorrow.

SharonG/FL

Lois...it's ok to watch a silly movie and sip a glass of vino...you need a break considering the rain and snow. I do hope some sun shines on you and Sue real soon...unbelievable all that snow. I should watch what I say as next year it may hit the mid-atlantic!

Sharon: Nice to read good news for you and Katie...hope it continues. Post a pic when you finish up your quilt.

I forgot to mention in my post that I did aquire my FW last weekend....not part of the April goals, but oh boy...it's fun! I need to do maintenance this weekend...the wine quilt may wait a little longer!

Hey, has anyone checked the calendar lately??? It's April 26th for cryin' outloud!!! Almost May and then the year is half over!!!! I must have snoozed all the way through it!

WooooHooooo, my April goals have been met. The ZigZag is DD - done and delivered. The horsie outing quiltlet is all quilted and just needs the turning opening sewn and a label. I bought a few yards of wide backing today, so I can get a head start on May's goals. heh heh heh

How is everyone doing? What veggies have you planted?

SharonG/FL

Sharon, my goals are done, too! Plus I finished all my BD blocks for the year and have them packaged and ready to mail at the appropriate time.

I also started a new wall hanging, though it won't be done this month. :)

Donna

I actually did pretty well on the goals for the month.

1) Make apron for bridal shower, which is Saturday. - Done
2) Bind DD's kimono quilt. - done
3) Start baby quilt for May shower - bought fabric and found pattern online
4) Get all my seeds started and if it ever warms up, start cleaning out flower beds. I hope to trim and rake everything and hire a couple of teens from church to bag and haul. :) Should go much faster. - everything started except eggplant. I'll stick those seeds in today. Cleaned out a bunch of beds, but much more to do. Got the screened porch scrubbed down for DH's birthday yesterday. Too cold to sit outside for long, but at least it looked nice and clean.

Sounds like everyone is accomplishing lots of projects in April, both in and out of the house!

My one ray of hope for me......this week I pulled out the Cricket loom that I warped with a scarf for my niece 2 or 3 years ago. I've woven several inches each day and the scarf is growing! I want to finish it to hold for fall and then weave two more scarves for friends. I just have too many things I want to do! But I'll bet NO one here knows anything about that! LOL!

I did get the blocks made for our Round Robin exchange next month. And I am making progress on a birthday quilt commissioned by my sister for her 'manly' friend. I gave her three fairly easy-to-make quilt designs to choose from and she chose the Chantilly quilt from Black Mt. Quilts. It is all HST and several borders so I am sure I will finish it by mid-June.

There is one finished smock and a summer blouse cut-out to put in my Etsy shop. Then I want to make a simple jacket for the shop too. I have several (ok, a lot) pieces of clothing fabric on hand to make things for myself and for the shop. They are laying out on my cutting table and they shout at me when I walk in the room.......

Off to sew HST blocks together!
Teresa