I’ve been quiet, but I have been keeping busy.  The “Hugs and Kisses” quilt I’m making for my friend Kaori is going well.  Days ago I ran out of white and still have five rows of blocks to make, but oh well.  I’ll buy more white tonight, and meanwhile I’ve been sewing rows together and just loving how it looks!  Here’s the slowly advancing line of “doneness”.

I made a new emery filled pincushion with scraps from the Lava Meets Sea quilt I just finished.  I even treated myself to new glass headed pins.  (These are wonderful because they don’t melt if you iron over them, and the emery pincushion filling will keep them sharp.)

Unrelated to sewing (but still exciting for me), I got a new car!  I loved my 2003 Rav4 so much that I bought a new 2013 Rav4.  It’s so loaded down with extras that I feel spoiled every time I drive it.  I never had a bit of trouble out of the old one, so I’m hopeful that I’ll drive this one for a long, long time.

I’m still working on a hexie pixel/picture for my friend Missy.  Her family has been through so much loss and pain, and yet they bring so much comfort and hope to everyone around them.  Their grace is amazing and inspiring to witness.  Making hexies and sewing them together by hand, one by one, takes so much time … but it feels like just the right thing to do for Missy.  I’m working on the last row of the left half of the picture, so I’m nearly halfway there with the piecing.  I am open to suggestions for quilting/finishing ideas!

And lastly, my next quilt project!  This one is something I haven’t made in ages — a quilt to keep!  I ordered the fabrics this morning and will get started on it once the Hugs and Kisses quilt is off to the quilter shop.  Can you see Deegie’s face?  Since he’s such a fan of quilts, it’ll be fun to put him on one.