What Have I Been Up To Lately?

What have I been up to this last month?  Well, a lot.  I discovered a three zippered pouch pattern that really challenged me.  I had to follow directions, which is a challenge in itself.  I struggled and struggled and finally got it down.
This is the start of the of the outside:

This is the end result:

After this one, I decided to make another one:

Pretty neat.  The outside has endless possibilities.  It can be patched, embroidered, quilted...

I've also discovered another crocheted stitch I didn't know about.  It's thick enough for making hot pads and I really didn't feel the need to make hot pads, (ok, I made one just to see how it looks), so I made a tote:

It's hard to tell, but it's just thick enough to be awesome!  I lined about two inches on the top to hold down the handles but other than that, it doesn't need lining.  Again, awesome!  This is another I'm not finished with yet:

I'm in an embroidery block of the month.  Here are January, February and March:

They are so cute!  I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to put them together yet.  It'll be a wall hanging quilt so I'll probably add buttons and lace.  

This is what I'm working on now:

What is it?  Well, I'm in an international quilt block swap and the theme is Spring.  Coincidentally, the subject for my Journal Arts project for April is Spring. Woo hoo for me, two projects in one.  In all honesty, this project is an experiment for a bigger project due in a couple of months. I'm still mulling it around in my head.  That will be a post for another time.

I am done with row three on my Dear Jane quilt.  No picture yet.  I'll take one after I'm done attaching it to the first two.  

I'll end with two pictures of my Isabelle.  

I got a little shelving unit, (from a curbside) and I put it next to my rocking chair.  Isabelle is sitting where I put my coffee:

So that's what I've been up to.  My life is great.