On My Design Walls

 Here's Nearly Insane block #2.  They get harder - or should I say - have more pieces.  30" square.

The photo below is the 17 UFOs in 2017 top nearly done.  Needs the outside border - then will measure
30" square.
I'm so glad to have gotten this far.

Have not yet found that other set of crumb blocks, but it's around somewhere.  I need to pick a new UFO to work on for the 17 in 2017 challenge as the three weeks ends tonight.

And really happy to report I finished all the blocks to #9 - the project drawn for Judy's UFO challenge.  I can actually think of setting them into a top now.  Woohoo.  Here are the last two blocks.
Even did the embellishments.
And on the design floor:
 This is a small top I told my DD I'd work on for her.  Err, it has some issues so I took the outside border off to fix them, then realized have to take the sashing off as it way off in places.  See middle right - there isn't enough fabric to make a seam with the border - there was a big hole there.  So I may be going all the way to block one, making them the same size, add the sashing - maybe interior cornerstones so that there is enough sashing in places, and so on.  It's too cute and the attic windows so fine not  to fix.



What are you up to?  Linking to several Monday parties. Why don't you check them out - Linky Parties tab under header.  You could still win a fat quarter - top of sidebar.  Blessings!

Some of This; Some of That

Free fat quarter giveaway still open. See top, sidebar.

My stash report:
   .05 for last RSC block this month; .6 for border on Spontaneous Construction; .01 hexagon bits; 1.25 donation to guild; .5 fat quarter prizes; .07 leader and enders for a total of 2.48 yds destashed. My new YTD total is 24.34 yds destashed.

I've begun the next round of hexies for Bliss. I'm using the back side of the fabric on the hexagon that only has two pieces.  I'll share  later why.  Nee 9 of these pairs for this round.  Should go faster as there are no 6 piece hexagons this time - lol.   That will be my hand stitching today as well as a motif on the ancient one.  

Off to link to Judy at Patchwork Times for Stash Report and Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching.  Hope you get to sew or quilt today.  Blessings.

Making blocks

Well, a bit of progress - I made five blocks for the RSC 2017 challenge trying to feature aqua (except I have very little of it).

Only the basket one registers for me as aqua and the upper right comes close.  Maybe I'll do better with the March color.

I've started the last block of my current "17 UFOs in 2017" challenge project.  If I get it done tomorrow, I'll have all the blocks made for this going on seven years (this summer) old project. WIPs Be Gone!

Linking to Angela at So Scrappy.

Quilted, Bound, Delivered WIP

Here's Nearly Insane #1 at 30 1/2" square quilted, bound and on its way to the local Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at our county hospital.  The Nearly Insane blocks were designed as 5 1/2" finished blocks.
The walking foot was used for stitch in the ditch - all
the rest was FMQ - even the lines in the four outer rectangles.

Back of quilt

Go back to first photo for true colors.
What are you working on? Leave a comment or a link to let the readers and me know. I'm linking to some parties myself as found in my tab above and especially to Finished or Not Fridays. Someone gets a fat quarter.

Blessings,



Applique Tuesday

I'm working on those blocks for my UFO challenge.  It called for applique:


Still needs embellishment. And while I had the applique tools out, I decided to work on a block from Anna's Garden - the January UFO.


With the Solstice block I made that had an appliqued basket that made 3 blocks of applique in the past few days - a record for me. I do believe I'm getting faster at this. The owl block was done using the crafty applique method. The other two are freezer paper and starch.

Have you done any applique lately?  I'm linking to some linky parties under my tab for them and to Let's Be Social.  Go see her darling Elephant Parade.
Sew Fresh Quilts

On My Design Wall

I should have been cleaning  and cooking yesterday - we're having an Welcome House for two sets of new neighbors, yet spontaneous combustion kept compelling me to get into the sewing room and finish the next round - thus the offset hearts (from the usual in the corners).  At first the size of the hearts didn't look in proportion to the center, yet on they went. Upon reflection, I'm okay with it. Aren't mothers often in the background supporting us silently?  Setting it on my neutral flannel design wall tells me the next round should be dark.  I'll  see.

Off to clean and cook after I link to Judy at Patchwork Times  and Oh Scrap and a couple of other linky parties you can find in tab above under header.
Would you like a fat quarter - giveaway still open - see top, sidebar.  Blessings!

Some of This; Some of That

Want a free fat quarter?  Check out my giveaway - top, sidebar.

My daughter came over and raided my stash - a good thing - lol.  Helped with my numbers for this weeks stash report. She's clearing out her sewing room/computer corner to make room for an addition to her family. You can read about it here. She found fabric for two backs and took 2.40 yards.  I used .6 yd for my crumb blocks, .5 for my Madonna SC, .25 yd for a pieced block for my UFO challenge, and another .5 yd for another teal block.

That brings my YTD total to 21.86 yds destashed.

I've finished hand quilting my third side of the last border on the ancient one. I've learned so much since I started it in 1987. And one thing is how to space quilting motifs in a border.  This last row has (ahem) a bit more space between the last two motifs.  But that is the way it is. Placement should be better on the upcoming hand quilting.
And that center motif should have been lower - I was alternating them up and down to fill the space.
What are you up to?  It's an overcast and gray day here - just right for a walk in the park and then some hand stitching while watching The Crown.  I'm linking to some parties that you'll find under my tab "Linky Parties" above.  Blessings on this Lord's Day.

A Winner and a Find

Last week's WIPs Be Gone winner is June D.  I've sent her an email and asked her in which color family she wants her fat quarter.  Congrats to June.

Now as to my 17 UFOs in 2017 challenge, I was suppose to start work on my crumb blocks.  Can't find them!  But I did find a different set, so I guess that's the one I'll be working on.
There are 25 of them.  I'm going to use 16 and make a modern neonatal quilt which will measure 30" square.  Finally, I can start on this one.  Now I wonder where that other set is???

I hope you get to quilt today.

WIPs Be Gone

None gone yet, but even with taking Valentine's Day off, managed a bit of progress:

Two you've seen. The pieced one took me several days with its 72 pieces - arghh.  Had to go slow and check which direction to press seams so it would lie flat - picked out seams several times. Phew - give me applique anytime. Those two were a snap compared to that many pieces one.  Three down - two to go and I can start on putting the top together.

On the "spontaneous construction" front, I found a set of heart blocks.  I'm altering them to go with my Madonna:
From this ----------------------------to this (less white)

five done!
What are you up to?  Making any progress?  Link or comment and let me know.  I have another fat quarter for someone.  You get to choose. Usual guidelines apply: Leave me a comment for one chance.  Link your eye candy for another (link button below). Follow me and let me know for a third. Remember if you don't have a blog, you can always post a photo from a photo hosting service.  Please be sure there is some way for me to contact you. Ends next Thursday, midnight. I'll be linking to several parties.  See tab above.  I'll announce last week's winner tomorrow.  Blessings!

Design Wall Monday

Want a free fat quarter?  Check out my giveaway - top, sidebar. 

Up on my design wall is my latest block for WIP #9 of my challenge list.
It's a sampler from a 2010 blog hop.  I was going to make 35 blocks, however on revisiting the project, have revised that to 30. I only have 2 to go and this one may become a flimsy. Woohoo!

And it's time to pick another project to work on for the 17 UFOs in 2017 challenge.  Those projects only get 3 weeks for progress.  I've got some crumb blocks I'm going to be working on.  Have to find them first - lol. Hope to start another one today and do some quilting.  What's on your sewing room agenda? I'm linking up with Monday parties. You can see which ones under the linky parties tab above. 

Blessings.

Some of This & That

Want a free fat quarter?  Check out my giveaway - top, sidebar.

Used .5 for border on the string quilt, .04 on DD's block, cut .25 for green baby quilt binding and .88 yd to guild giving me 1.67 yds of destashing.  YTD: 18.06 yds destashed.

Forgot to show you my "teal" RSC challenge blocks - two more to go.

Only one looks teal [or sea green]to me - another color I'll have a buy a bit of. You probably can't see them, but there are a few spots of teal in the other two.


My spontaneous construction project has moved forward a tad bit.  I've decided what I want to do next, but first I had to make it 16" square for my plan to work.  I thought of adding a blue border. Then again I didn't want to cut Madonna off from the rest of the quilt, so I added more background.

I discovered a set of blocks which I am in the process of changing(lol - spontaneous deconstruction, too). They will be in the next round for this medallion quilt.

As to hand stitching I hope to hand quilt a few of these motifs on the last border of my ancient quilt. Just have the last side to complete.
 Now I'm so pleased to show you my latest round finish to my Bliss hexagon project.  I got the circle of hexagons hand stitched to the center.
Have to decide what the next round of hexie fabric will be - that's the toughest part for me.
I hope you get to quilt today. Blessings to you all.

February Quiltathon

End of Day 4
Hey - I got to the flimsy stage for the 17 UFOs for 2017 challenge.
She's all put together - phew.  Now to sandwich, quilt and bind.  I think I'll use a dark blue for the binding - or maybe go scrappy as I have a lot of pieces of binding left over.  This now measures 30 1/2" square - just right for a neonatal quilt. And that's as far as I got in the February Quiltathon. I had hoped to work on another block for my other challenge, but had a fun and good interruption during the afternoon.  My DD came over and we worked on three of her projects - so it was sort of a continuation of the quiltathon.  We finished a toddler bed quilt top.  I didn't get a photo of that one.  Then we worked on a set of blocks she had 8 of.  So we made a 9th.
It's the middle one on the top row.  She's now going to assemble them with a nine patch in the corners. Then we moved on to cathedral windows.  It took both of us to figure it out, but we did it.
She was going to make a 16 window piece - she settled for 4 - LOL.
ready for hand stitching during lunchtime.
That's it for this month's quiltathon.  Link up at Judy's to show us your progress.

Day 4
Is there a day #4?  I'll have to go over to Judy's and see.  Well, there is for me as yesterday was a bust as to quilting. So many things came up.  I was in and out of the sewing room all day.  That's what happens when both of us are retired.  And yesterday, I did have to cook something for dinner. Enough nattering.  Here's where I'm at:

Got two rows of the string blocks put together with their side triangles sewn on.  I laid them out a certain way and kept sewing them wrong. That ripper was hot with all the action. Today I'm going to label the remaining ones so I don't have to waste time taking out seams.  As to the #9 I'm suppose to be working on, got the paper templates made.  Need to prepare the background now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 3  Last night's progress - this block is from a kit. Personally I think the fish looks too big. It is what it is.  I'll add some grass along the stream with a bit of thread painting.
On to the next block -also applique.
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Day 1 - 2
I'm late to the session of the monthly Quiltathon at Patchwork Times .  It started yesterday, the 8th, but I was so busy and away from home, I couldn't do much quilting.  Today - the whole morning was taken up with St. Anne's meeting and off to get a lab test. So here it is late afternoon and I can finally begin.  It helps that DH is going early to a plant society meeting so I don't have to cook supper or clean up which will give me more sewing room time. I'm working on two UFOs - one for the Quiltathon and one for 17 for 2017.

For Judy's, who picked the #9, I'm doing applique again.
 I have 27 blocks made for this sampler - just need 5 more to start putting it together. Started in 2010. The fabrics above are drying. Then I'll cut out the shapes and iron them onto the background you see under the paper placement guide.
  For the 17 in 2017, I finished the 8 strings I needed by making them as leaders and enders. I've got the first row of the blocks' triangles sewn on. Once the other three rows are done, I'll be able to sew the blocks together for a preemie quilt for our NICU.  I'll see how much progress gets done by Sunday night because Monday I move onto another UFO. 17 in 2017 is all about progress and we have only 3 weeks each to work on one of the 17. Visit Judy's linking post to see how others are doing.

WIPs Be Gone

So I won't forget as I did last week, the winner of this past week's giveaway book is Aunt 'Reen.  I've sent her an email.  Now the week's before winner hasn't gotten back to me - I'll send her another email and hope to hear from her, too.

I finished the quilting on my treadle machine generated top. Now ready for the binding. I had hoped to also quilt it on the treadle, but I don't have the right foot. I guess I could try to just use the straight stitch foot as they did back in 1902, however I believe there was a quilting foot then [according to the manual]. Suggestions on where I could find one for a Singer 27?  Here's the back.

                I just did wavy lines because it has so many little blocks.  I do utilitarian quilting on my charity quilts - keeps them fluffy and faster to finish.  I can do a bit more complicated quilting:

Time for another giveaway -how about a fat quarter? You get to choose. Usual guidelines apply: Leave me a comment for one chance.  Link your eye candy for another (link button below). Follow me and let me know for a third. Remember if you don't have a blog, you can always post a photo from a photo hosting service.  Please be sure there is some way for me to contact you. Ends next Thursday, midnight. I'll be linking to several parties.  See tab above.  Blessings!

Coming off my design wall

is my second scrappy St. Anne's baby quilt top for this month.  That makes two now from the same scrap bag.  The only thing I pulled from my own stash was the yellow fabric.  I had to make some liberated four patches as the yellow strips had to be 3 1/4 " wide in order to get four of them from the piece.  Then to avoid a math dilemma I just made the next border's four patches 3 1/2" square and trimmed 8 of them to fit the 3 1/4" size on one side. I should have taken an 1/8 off two parallel sides and that would have made them look less liberated But then again maybe not.  Used up a lot of little scraps.

I'll turn it in next Thursday and have them sandwich and tie it. Then someone will take it home to bind. We have a working meeting after prayer and "show and share".

It's raining here - just the right weather for hand stitching in the warm living room.  I'm attaching my hexie donut to the center now.

Book giveaway on sidebar.  I'm linking to Judy's Design Wall Monday and others. You can find her link up button and others under my tab, linky parties, above.

Some of This; Some of That

What with my Madonna, some applique, strips for a baby quilt, fabric for a neonatal top, 2 leader and ender hourglasses, work on my string blocks, and 3 blocks for the RSC Challenge, I used 1.16 yards from my stash. Then I scrounged around and found some madras and a plaid I'll be donating. My total this week amounts to 3.46 yards with a YTD of 16.39 yds destashed.  A good total for five weeks. Now if I can only keep it up.


Slow stitching today.  The weather has gotten colder and I'm going to sit in the living room working on the last hexie for my ring and staying warm.  It's too cold in the sewing room.

Book giveaway still open.  Check the sidebar. And the winner of last week's EPP papers is Leeanna of Not Afraid of Color. I've sent her an email.

Blessings,

WIPs Be Gone Sidelined

I should have been finding WIP #9 for the February challenge and working on string blocks for the 17 in 2017, but "spontaneous construction" still has me in its grip.  I did manage to escape long enough to make a few four patches for that baby quilt, almost finish quilting the other baby quilt, and a few leaders and enders, yet my madonna called me back each time. So another round is done:

It's a bit Gwennie inspired (thanks, Lori of Humble Quilts) with the odd corner units, however I think it works. Thought of blue next keep flitting through my brain. Hmmm, not sure. Will have to sleep on it.  I'll add  the winner of the EPP papers later today.  The giveaway for this new week is a book.  You'll get to choose from three that match your preference as close as I can come.

Usual guidelines apply: Leave me a comment for one chance.  Link your eye candy for another (link button below). Follow me and let me know for a third. Remember if you don't have a blog, you can always post a photo from a photo hosting service.  Please be sure there is some way for me to contact you. Ends next Thursday, midnight. I'll be linking to several parties.  See tab above.  Blessings!

UFO Challenge and 17 UFOs in 2017 Report

January is over and it's time to report on my progress with these old projects.

First off ( and also the one I did for the 17 UFOs in 2017 challenge) was my Anna's Garden.  It was probably the fact I had to report that I got done - not one - but three applique blocks and did 1/3 of the prepping on a fourth block. That fourth one doesn't look like much. It represents cutting the background, numbering the templates, cutting out the paper templates, and constructing freezer paper copies reversed. Luckily it only has 16 pieces.  This  makes almost 10 out of 21 applique blocks for the quilt. The last 4 are piecework.  You can see my first 6 here.


The "17 in 2017" is every three weeks. The 23rd I started to work on these string blocks a la Bonnie Hunter. I'm trying to use up strings of fabric. I had four done and managed in a week to finish 5 more and start on another three. Still haven't decided how I'm going to lay them out.

That's my report - no finishes, but some progress.  Working on #9 this time as per Judy.  Again, making blocks. Judy's post is here for February.

I hope you get to quilt today.

SAHRR Round 5 and 6

  Ready to show rounds 5 and 6. Actually, the prompt for 5 was make 4 of something. So I chose four patch, and actually since that made my q...