Monthly Archives: January 2018

Tu-Na Quilts: Mixing Around and Having a Lot of Fun

I’ve always said that spending the winter in Arizona is like going to winter camp for seniors. There’s 92 different clubs and activities offered in our 55+ active adult community and that’s not counting the flu that’s also going around. Tu-Na Helper and I have been busy and enjoying every minute of our time here.

I did spend some time this week mixing things up a bit and produced this cute little block. I thought you’d like to see what I’ve been up to as far as sewing related. No, I have not started a new project. But more about that later.

This little beauty is 7 3/4″ X 9 3/4.” Tu-Na Helper says this one is a new digital model since it’s missing the lever. Some things just have to be left to the imagination. You can find the free pattern here on Why Not Sew.

I changed the pattern a bit. I treated it like paper piecing and not sewed as shown on the pattern for two reasons; I needed it to be facing this direction and I just couldn’t see myself fussing over little pieces of freezer paper. It actually worked amazingly well.

What I Learned Today:

I’ve been missed. I received 4 emails from my dear readers asking if I was ok since it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. Rest assured all is well but I did enjoy knowing that I was missed. There is much fun in the sun around here taking my time.
The more time lapsed between posts makes sitting down and writing more difficult.
I need to use my “real” Kitchen-Aid to whip up another lemon meringue pie. The lemons on our tree are ripe! I’ve already made three pies and we’ve had some company.
Some of those lemons are so big that it only took 1 and 1/2 to make a 1/2 cup of juice.
There’s no comparison between homemade fresh lemon meringue pie and lemon pie made from a box of lemon pie filling.
Find another piece of fabric to use for the background in my pictures. I got a new camera for Christmas from my kids and a new light/camera stand from Tu-Na Helper. I’m still learning to use both.

Question: Do you whip things up by whisk, hand mixer, or a fancy stand mixer like the one pictured? I tried whipping cream with a whisk, once. After 30 seconds, I decided it definitely is worth using something that’s a whole lot faster.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen,

Tu-Na Quilts

Linking with:

Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

2018 Monthly Color Challenge (January is red) at Patterns by Jen (PB &J)

Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

Let’s Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

Tu-Na Quilts: My Three Month Plan

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Before I started my blog, I joined the finish-a-long party but haven’t been back since. Life happens. Because I need all the motivation and encouragement I can muster, I am linking once again. It’s an International affair hosted by a group of bloggers from around the world. You will find the link at the bottom of this post. Look out party goers, Tu-Na’s back!

Tu-Na’s January, February, and March Finish-A-Long projects

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Tu-Na Quilts: Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Closet

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Yes, lets’ talk about that elephant quilt lurking in my closet. I’m making it for my best friend’s granddaughter who already celebrated her first birthday in November. So it’s officially not a baby quilt anymore. And I’m officially very late with it.

This project became shelved when I began having eye issues. It needs a bit of seam adjustment to make the rows match.

Everyone (well, at least the blogs that I follow) talks about their one monthly goals and up to now I figured I didn’t need to set myself one goal a month. But after last year, I do need an incentive or something to help me move some projects along. So I figured I’d join the party.

The rules are to write a post about the one item you want to move along or finish this month and link to the party at Elm Street Quilts. Then at the end of the month, write a post about your progress and link to the finish party. I figure it may be just the incentive I need to move along a few projects. Oh, and there are prizes to win, too.

I started this quilt last spring. You can read about the exciting birth of that baby elephant here as Dr. Tu-Na was present in the delivery (sewing) room. I posted about this quilt’s progress here in Let’s Make Elephants, and here in We Have an Elephant Parade, and here in Progress on She Has Her Mommy’s Nose.

I’ll post about my progress on this Elephant at the end of the month or sooner if I actually get it done. Yes, completely done: pieced, sandwiched, quilted, bound, and in the mail.

What I Learned Today:

There are 25 days left in January. I better not wait until the last week to work on this project.
It gets cold in North Dakota in the winter. We braved the cold temps and spent the holidays with our family in North Dakota. The coldest it got was -28°F with at least two days of never getting above 0°.
My plants in the sunroom don’t like the cold. The dieffenbachia froze.
It’s time to bring on the heat and head back to Arizona.
I’m thinking an Arizona Family Christmas next year just might be perfect.

Question: What project do you have that’s been hiding in the closet? Oh, I have others that will hopefully make their appearances this year but this is the one that really needs to get done so someone cute and little can snuggle with it.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Linking to:

One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts

Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts

Moving It Forward at Em’s Scrapbag

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River