Two More Finishes

My Triple 9-Patch is quilted, bound, and completed! The label on the back is ready to sign along with a Scripture verse. I love to think that my grandson will read this verse and ponder its meaning as he closes his day - warm and safe in his bed. 

 





 

 
This quilt was a fun project. I loved combining the bright prints in differing combinations. The quilting includes boats and waves...which looked good on paper, but now I wish I had gone with the bubbles like Luke's Syncopation quilt...but I'm pretty sure it will look fine once it is washed and shrinks into the design more. 

This quilt finished at 67" x 89", perimeter is 312", top used 6 yards of fabric, backing - 5 yards, and binding - 1/2 yard, for a total of 11.5 yards of stash busted! Can I make the 50 yard mark? I'm nearly there!



Next is what I call my "Sherbet Quilt". The colors remind me of sherbet. This was a mystery quilt I participated in a few years ago (I forget where or I would leave a link).  Mystery quilts can sometimes be a gamble. If you do not have a good idea of how the fabrics will work together, the finish may, and can be a disappointment. 

Miss Sherbet was an unexpected finish as it was not listed on my top UFO list for finishing this year. I sent it off to the long-arm quilter because I wanted to give it as a gift this Christmas. I found a perfect recipient! This throw size quilt finished at 71" x 71", perimeter is 284". I used 5 yards for the top, 4 yards backing, and 1/2 yard for the binding. Total stash busted = 9.5 yards!


My hexagon table-topper is completed and sitting on my antique 3-legged table. I hope it does not fade as this room gets a lot of light. 

I'll call it a total of 2 yards of fabrics for the whole project. I wish I had the pattern as I would like to make another. I bought the top somewhere along my travels, so all I had to do was quilt and bind it. It even included the binding fabric. Bonus! 

I recently did an inventory of my kits and UFO's. I found several table-topper kits that I really should try to make a concentrated effort to complete. They are a nice quick "fix" when you feel the need for an "accomplishment". I'll have to include a few in our 2016 UFO Challenge. 

Please feel welcome to join us at Stashbusters if you are not already. This yahoo list is so supportive and friendly! I love the little games they play to motivate myself. Even if it is "just one thing"!  

This will probably be my next to last posting for a finish this year. Christmas sewing has absorbed the majority of my time right now. My Going to Grandma's quilt is presently at the long-arm quilter, but she should be calling me soon for pick up. 

Until next time, may all your stitches be happy ones!

Finish Along Q4 Goals

Lots of goals to reach before the end of the year which will require some serious sewing time in the sewing room. I've included a couple of carry-overs from the last quarter: (those in red are the top priorities)

1. Country Bride Quilt - Yep! She still needs to go to the quilter's.This is a carry over from last quarter. Actually, she is a carry over from 1997! 

2. Triple Four-Patch - has not come back from the long-arm quilter yet but will be done before the end of the year for sure.

3. Neutral Jelly Roll Quilt - prepped and ready to be quilted. If time allows, I may actually get this one done!

4. Twirly Triangles a.k.a. Not A Cross Word - top is completed. Not sure how I want it quilted yet but I am happy to have the top done even if it does not count as a finish here. Not a top priority but maybe I'll get lucky and find the time to finish.

5. Table Runners -  are quilted and ready for their bindings. It is always good to have a few of these ready for quick finishes and for handwork in the evenings.The first two are ready for binding. 

6. Reversible dress - I really must finish this before my darling grand-daughter outgrows the pattern! And of course, I have to make another for her American Girl doll!

7. Leah Day's Butterfly/Umbrella quilt - still working on my skills for this one but hope to have it done. It is still in chunks here on the design wall. 

8. Christmas Celebration Tree Skirt - my first effort in paper piecing. Pattern by Judy Neimeyer. An awesome experience. I would love to try another!  Soft colors because our tree decorated in white and gold with ornaments from Margaret Furlong.

9. Silly Goose Quilt Mystery 2015 -  Most likely will not get this one quilted but hope to have the top completed before 2016. I'm lovin' the colors I chose for this mystery quilt.

10. Going to Grandma's - presently in pieces with a few blocks completed.

11. Grand Illusion - So many of these were made from Bonnie Hunter's mystery 2014. My goal is to get the top completed at least - hopefully with enough time to get it to the machine quilter. I have a way to go yet as you can see.

12. Sage Butter Quilt - making for oldest daughter. Changing the colors from green and brown to red and brown.

13. Ohio State Christmas Quilt - recently purchased this kit. So cute! 

14. Garman's Medallion - plugging along on this challenging quilt. Hope to have all the Lemoyne stars completed and possibly set in before the end of the year.

I always seem to plan more than I can possibly accomplish but maybe I'll get lucky and actually do it!

Shop Hop & Free Motion Quilting

 I really do not like to shop, but I admit I have found lots of fun and enjoyment hopping around all the local quilt shops, collecting their stamps, patterns, charm squares, and entering a chance to win prizes! I went to all 12 shops this year on the Charming Quilt Shop Tour and did not win a thing! Can you say, "BUMMER!"? I did rack up some points on my waze travel app though, as well as add to my bulging stash (not such a good thing)!  I also get 10% off purchases at all 12 shops for the next year when I bring in my bag. Nice!

 


Another adventure I've been on has been by enrolling in the Leah Day, Butterfly Dance, Free-Motion Quilting Class using my domestic sewing machine. This is one of the those classes that has become a real game changer. It has opened so many new possibilities to take this craft to the next level. Practice! Practice! Practice! has become my mantra as I build skill, confidence, and speed. I never imagined I would be attempting this endeavor on my sewing machine no less!


I have made up several of these "quilt sandwiches" to practice on. Picking up a quilted mattress pad at a local garage sale recently gave me the idea to chop it up for practice sandwiches. Now there are plenty of these to work on without fretting over using what seems like wasting the good and pricey batting. Any suggestions on what to do with these blocks when finished? Insulate the attic maybe? 


I used a different motif instead of the butterfly pattern Leah uses. Because I quickly lost interest in this year's row by row experience, I had accumulated a bit of fabric from this year's theme - water, and decided to use up those fabrics on this project. Actually I did not want to start another project but since I already had these fabrics... The umbrellas were enlarged from a pattern I bought at Just Quilt It, a participating Quilt Shop from the Row by Row Experience. Don't they fit perfectly with this theme? Hopefully it will be the drive that will see me through to completion...for another finish....like in the spring of 2016! I guess that is the downside to taking classes - they generate new projects.


I think I have begun as many NEW projects as I have finished this year! Although they are all fairly simple designs, the time does add up. I must sit on my hands when Bonnie Hunter's new mystery comes out this holiday season! What keeps you on track and focused to finish?

Another machine quilting site I found helpful is the Inbox Jaunt by Lori Kennedy. Her button is also on the right. She has tutorials, patterns, and challenges! See you there!

Q3 FAL Finishes 2

It's still time to report to the Finish Along with Adrianne at On the Windy Side with high hopes to snag a win! 


This is a small finish but counts as another to be ticked off my list titled FAL Q3 Quilting Goals. 

This blue table-runner was hand-quilted in the evenings - something I love to do. Handwork is so relaxing. I could have done more but I want to move on toward more finishes. 







It was previously pictured on my post, FAL Q3 Quilting Goals, in July. I removed the corner triangles and left the ends pointed. I like it better this way.

I could imagine making more of these. Not necessarily this pattern but more "Skinny Quilts". Table runners can be fast projects and they are perfect for practicing piecing skills and innovative designs that do not take up a big investment of time and materials.

I've even begun to think about my goals for 2016. It is time to pull to the top of the list at least ONE heirloom quality item that I really dream of completing. You know, one from the bucket list! THE ONE quilt that shows my best work and the one my children will fight over. (But I want to make more than one so they don't have to fight over such silly things! - It's just all stuff, you know?)

If you'd like to read more about prioritizing your goals, check out Lori Kennedy's Quilt Notebook Series at The Inbox Jaunt.  It is time for me to rethink my priorities.

When it comes to quilting, our most limited resource is TIME…

Q3 Finishes

It's time to report to the Finish Along with Adrianne at On the Windy Side with high hopes to snag a win! Many quilters participate in this Finish Along and it is fun to visit their posts for motivation and inspiration. 

I listed 8 items I hoped to have completed in my July post titled FAL Q3 Quilting Goals. Two are complete finishes and a few others are very close and will definitely make the list next time.

Syncopation Quilt was another attempt at using up the juvenile fabrics on my shelf. This is the second quilt (of three) using these fabrics and there's still not much progress in shrinking that pile! This quilt top began using a pattern but I ventured off on my own using various combinations and sets. It is kind of a "planned" orphan block quilt. 



I love these funny and charming prints. I never tire of working with them and I hope they entertain my grandson at bedtime when he is winding down his day. 

There are alligators, and fish, and trucks, and snakes, and monkeys just to name a few of the wonders and adventures of little boys.

It was not machine quilted by me but I chose the pattern, "Bubbles" and picked a variegated thread of primary colors to bring the pattern forward for visual appeal. 

And of course it would not be complete without the special label along with a Scripture verse that I pray will always  carry him throughout his life.



So now I can tick off #4 on my Q3 Finish Along List

Leaders and Enders and Vortex Quilt

I recently found more strips and scraps in my basket next to my machine. These are what Bonnie Hunter might describe as "crumbs".  And I love her idea of leaders and enders so...why not use these crumbs as my leaders and enders but instead of being a four-square block, they are just random shapes. 

I have them laid out here on the ironing board. Many different sizes, but I won't trim them just yet. I grouped them in pairs, sewed them together, and grouped them again.

 Can you see more possibilities? These little darlings are addictive! The little block in the top left corner only measures 3.5" by 6.5". I will continue to group these together until they are close to 12" square. How long will it take to finish an entire quilt like this? Who knows but it is a nice diversion. I have started a box for these to work on as time permits and it will sit by my machine for "leaders and enders". Feeding these through the machine saves a lot of thread too! 

You can read more about making your own Vortex Scrap Quilt at Crazy Mom Quilts. She just had a Quilt-Along this last June. 

"Walk with The King today, and be a blessing!"

Strings and strips

I feel like I opened Pandora's box. I've been saving 1" to 1 1/2" strips for some time now and because I picked up several yards of lightweight interfacing from a local rummage sale for 25 cents, I thought I would try a few string blocks using the interfacing as the foundation. Well a "few blocks" turned into 36! Oh what fun! Oh what a mess! I just could not stop!

There is even more of the same on the machine table where I work - they had to spread out to the floor. I guess there is no other way to work with these. These string blocks really are fun to make even though they are messy. The foundations are 12 1/2" so they will finish at 12". I am thinking of maybe adding some sashes...but will think on that some more. I found a nice black print I will definitely use for a 3 or 4" border. Because the design wall is full of blocks that I am presently sewing into rows, these are actually laying on the floor.

They all have a black print for the diagonal centers. This is a great project for using up some of those older, loose weave fabrics since the interfacing foundation gives it a little extra body and support. At least I think it will! I have never made these before so hopefully they will not give me grief when I machine quilt them. The interfacing is very sheer but I think I may iron the seams open when joining the blocks together so there is not a big bump.

So what do you do when you are finished? How do you store these skinny strings without them turning into a jumbled mess? I surely do not want to have to press them all when I decide to use them again so just tossing them back in the box is not an option. Good thing we like to fondle our stash, right? I spent some time stacking strips and laying these bundles in the box. I also sorted some of the shorter lengths as I went. A Pineapple quilt is on my wish list and these "shorties" will go first.

There is a little box of really really skinny strips. I have not idea what I will do with these other than perhaps make a few "promise stitches" pictures for gifts.

Any tips or comments you want to share? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for visiting. 

"Walk with The King today, and be a blessing!"

FAL Q3 Quilting Goals - 2015

I am still pushing to complete more projects begging to be finished this year. Last quarter was fairly successful, considering it was a busy time working outside. So next up are:

1. Country Bride Quilt - this is a biggie! I finished this top in 1998 for our oldest daughter's wedding. It is embarrassing to admit it still needs quilted. Just listing it here is a big step closer to getting it done. 

All the appliques are done by hand and I later trimmed the background away to reduce bulk as I want this one hand quilted. I have the quilt lines are traced lightly on the top - it is just getting it sandwiched and quilted that has me stuck! It is quite big - another reason I have stalled. I am considering taking it to my long-arm machine quilter and have her baste it for me. I can then put it on the frame and go for it! How long do you think it will take?

2. Triple Four-Patch - a carry over from last quarter. It is at the long-arm machine quilter's so I can at least count this one done by the end of next month...Actually I think I remember her saying it won't be ready until October. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will come back to me before the deadline so I am counting it here!








3. Twirly Triangles just got a new look which I have now titled, "Not a Cross Word".  I'll add an updated photo once it is completed - this one is another carry over from last quarter. (proving I have not given up!) I love these new simple designs that lend themselves to so many different settings and arrangements, don't you?





4. Syncopation - This was a fun quilt that began with a pattern and then I just started improvising because of the size. I was really trying to bust my stash of juvenile fabrics with this one and I STILL have enough to probably make one or two more! The top is finished but it still needs quilted. Hopefully this one WILL be completed by the end of September.











5. Jelly Roll Race Quilt - This top is all basted to its backing and batting. I am presently taking a class at the local quilt shop on machine quilting using my domestic sewing machine. All I need is a little confidence and a bit more practice and I plan to tackle this one myself.

For the batting I used strips leftover from previous quilts. I fused them together using very lightweight interfacing and I am rejoicing in my "free" batting! You can read more about how I did this on this posting.



6. Table-runners - I have a few of these all basted and ready to quilt the layers together. These might make nice gift ideas this Christmas. 

 

This topper is all quilted and ready for the binding. I am stalling because I am unsure how to miter those corners. Another challenge to overcome. 

Am I seeing a pattern here? My UFO's all meet at the same place - where I get stuck!  How do you break through your "sticking places"? 

A half-hexagon block made from a pack of 5" charms. It is all basted but not quilted yet. I love these little projects and try to have a few by my chair so in the evenings I have some busy work all ready. I notice here too that I will have those awkward angles on the outside edges. Yikes! 




And this one's quilting is just about finished and will be ready for its binding to be applied. Compared to the above mentioned, this one will be an easy finish. 

The four outside corners have not been quilted yet - perhaps I will remove them after seeing it pictured here. 
 
 I find hand quilting can sometimes be addictive. I like to fill in the areas so I tend to add a few more rows or lines of stitches. Being a table runner where it can be easily scrutinized, I want it to lie flat. 

So there is my plan. I would LOVE to have all 8 finished by the end of this quarter. Let us keep doing that "just one thing"! Even if it is only 5 minutes a day. It all adds up to a completion!