During January, I am showing groups of quilts that I finished last year. This is mainly for my own benefit as it is a record of the quilts I have made without having to wade through a year’s worth of blog posts.
Here are the doll/wall sized quilts that I finished this past year. They are in no particular order.
I decided I definitely want to make these blocks bigger. So I spent a pleasant afternoon cutting four extra pieces for each block. They will finish at 10” square.
I also remembered that I was short some pieces in the RV last summer. So I’m now ready to make those last seven blocks.
I cut most of the pieces for these blocks from layer cakes. I cut all the leftovers into 1 1/2” strips. I have a plan for these, but I’m not ready to work on that project just yet.
I pieced them in Dora, the RV, last summer. I decided to put some up on the design wall.
They will finish at 8 inches. But I’m thinking about making them a bit bigger. That way I can use smaller borders and still get the size quilt that I want.
I’m not sure I’ll stick with this layout, but I do like it.
I know, it is well past Christmas. This photo was actually taken in 2020. It is the earliest photo I have of this cactus.
It was taken just after planting. The next photo shows its growth the first winter we were out here.
I was so excited to see this growth after a year!
When I came back for a later visit, it looked like this. New growth at the top, but look at those big, ugly cracks! We overwatered it. Cacti have pleats that will expand and contract to accommodate variations in water levels. But with too much water, they will crack open.
It was so ugly, I considered pulling it out and replacing it.
But I left it. After another absence and subsequent return, I found this!
Still had that ugly gash, but definitely displaying new growth!
And it was having babies too!
These last two photos were taken recently. The scars are there, but they are overshadowed by the beauty of the new growth.
I’m so thankful that I didn’t abandon this when things got ugly.
It occurs to me that this cactus is a picture of my life. God didn’t abandon me when things got ugly. He heals my wounds and allows new growth. Yep, the scars are still there, but they are no longer the first thing you notice. There is growth in unexpected places.
Interestingly, I’ve noticed with several other of our cacti, that damage of one sort or another is often followed by a growth spurt.
I know this beauty will likely sustain future damage, from drought or mishandling by its caretaker (that would be me). But I’ve learned that this is not the end, but rather a new beginning.
Mr. Wonderful and I have a new hobby! I started collecting rocks when I was a little girl. It always seemed like free treasure, even though I just picked up stuff I thought was pretty.
I recently discovered that rock hounding is a big deal out here! So we’ve been having fun learning about it. These photos are from a day spent at Saddle Mountain.
We get to go offroad with Oscar, hike, get exercise, explore, and find “treasure” all at the same time!
Here are a few of our finds.
This bucket needs to be scrubbed up yet.
I love finding rocks with crystals inside.
You can see how the molten rock formed flows in this one.
Here are some things picked up at Lake Pleasant. They need cleaning as well.
We bought a rock tumbler. Now I’m on the hunt for a wet saw so we can see what’s inside.
I ran out of bobbin thread and “quilted” half a row without thread. When I redid that area, I had unknowingly shifted the pantograph, leaving this ugly mess.
I sprayed it with a water bottle and let it dry. Ta daaaa! All better!
I noticed a lot of resistance when I tried to advance the quilt in the frame. I found the problem!
Did you see that Lori over at Humble Quilts is making a Tree of Life quilt this year? She has invited anyone who wants to join her. Click here for her first post with lots of inspiration. Click here for block instructions.
I made this tiny tree back in 2019.
And I made this wall quilt for my mom.
I plan to sew along with Lori to make a bed quilt for me. I just have to decide on colors. I was smitten when I saw this quilt by AbyQuilts. So I might follow her lead.
I have the die shown below and I just found out it is on clearance!
KatyQuilts 