Near the End of 2017 - This is what I"ve done with my Challenges

I linked to Judy's UFO Challenge for 2017.  Needed to make a list of 12 WIPs. And I decided to do Meredithe's 17 in 2017 also (I've added 5 at the end of the first list - no, I'm not doing 29 -LOL. Button on the side bar).  Here's my report on them - If  I do anything significant in December, I'll update.
1.  Finish this top from Karen at Faeries and Fibres QAL  (Done)

2.  Finish making the blocks of this scrap log cabin. (Made 16 more)


 3. Make more blocks of Anna's Garden (Made 3 more)

4. Complete my Easy Street top  (Move to 2018 list)

 5. Quilt my Riverside quilt. (Top together and sandwiched)

 6. Add leaves to the nine baskets blocks (Move to 2018 list)

7. Finish this fourth Benjamin Briggs block. (Move to 2018 list)

8. Make the remaining two baskets in the center block of LE (Move to 2018 list)

 9. Make more blocks in this Blog Hop project  all blocks made as of 2/28/17! (Move to 2018 list)

10.  Sandwich and quilt my Mod Block Lotto quilt (Move to 2018 list)


 11. Sandwich and quilt my Carolina Christmas top  (Done)


12.  Make more string blocks - need 8 more.   all made and quilt top completed!

The five more for the 17 for 2017 challenge  (hers are every 3 weeks and is asking only for significant progress:
13.  Bonnie's En Provence

14.  Carol's December BOM win    four blocks made for the four too small and top assembled and quilted. Woohoo - Done!

15.  Japanese placemats  (Move to 2018 list)

16.  Crumb block quilt   crumb top assembled and ready to sandwich and quilt. (Done)

17  Women's Voices top.  (Move to 2018 list)

4 Finishes; 5 with significant progress - 8 not touched.  Better than I thought.

17 UFOs (WIPs in my case) in 2017

At the beginning of the year, I committed to two pushes to get projects done.  This month I didn't work so much on my stated 17. I opted to work on others ( I have many - LOL).  Here's where I made progress:

This is actually not a WIP - just got it last week. Quilted this wall hanging for a giveaway at St. Anne's.  It was already assembled.
First time I FMQed metallic thread.  Click on photo to enlarge. Worked good. I circled Baby Jesus' halo, but the angle doesn't let it show.

Closer to closing this ring of hexagons
Made two blocks and the eagle - still work to be done on him.
Assembled my RSC top - still needs a border.

I hope to do some work on my Listed UFOs/WIPs next month, but I'm not holding my breath.
Off to an anniversary lunch with DH - today is our 49th.  Blessings,

Applique Tuesday

I'm almost done with my Anna's Garden block and time to start prepping the next one.
First I make a copy of the pattern and cut out pieces (cutting in the middle of the lines) very carefully to leave me the outline of the block for placement purposes.
 I also label each part so I'll know exactly where they will go back in the placement page.  I start with the ones that will be tucked under other pieces.
All in a bag now and ready for the next step - fabric and freezer paper. Some may think this is a lot of steps, but one at a time, it's not hard at all.  More later.

What are you up to?  Leave me a comment and I'll come by and look at your progress.

I'm linking to Connie's Linky Tuesday.  Go see the links at her party.

Some of This; Some of That

The Stash Report:  Made 53 blocks out of scraps for 3.66 yards.  Made my On Ringo Lake  Part 1 units using another .25 yards for a total of 3.91 yards used for the week.  That brings my YTD total to  72.04 yds destashed. 

Here are my units for Bonnie Hunter's mystery
They took longer to do as I had to dig into my scraps and some I assembled as 1 1/2" pieces to get the nine-patch.

 And I've started to quilt my Baby Quilt.  Just have most of the small squares to quilt and then I can bind.  I'm aiming to have this done by Friday.  We'll see.

Last, but not least - here's a cactus I photographed in my husband's greenhouse last week. These flowers last about a week before they lose their beauty.  That color is something!
 On my design wall is still the Mother Goose medallion quilt.  I have made the last 24 units and hope to get those sewn together quick, too.  Then maybe I'll have time to get back to my Christmas WIP.  But first I must add some quilting to a Wall Hanging that will be a door prize at our Sewdality's reception after the Anointing of the Sick mass.  Always something - good thing I can carry over my WIP list into 2018.

What are you up to?  Come by and I'll visit to see your work. I'm linking up to Oh, Scrap!Design Wall MondayBOMs AwayMoving it Forward, and Monday Making.

Before the Thanksgiving

I was able to put together my 2017 Rainbow Scrap Challenge top:

All the block's are from Pat Sloan's Summer Solstice Quilt Along. I modified them to be 9" blocks instead of her various sizes to get the size quilt I needed. The fabric was whatever I had in my stash that was the color of the month - even the background. I'm learning that one does have to buy larger pieces now and then to have on hand for backgrounds. Now to think of a border.  Any suggestions?

I also was able to finish the first round of leaders and enders around my Mother Goose medallion  as I cooked and baked and visited with my DGSs #1 and 4.  Just have columns of half blocks to add to the sides now, and that baby top will be done.  I'm liking this way of using up scraps.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday or weekend. Blessings!

Here's the Start of

my next baby quilt top using those leader and enders I told you about in my last post.  It's on my design wall now.  As you can see it will be a simple medallion. I wanted a larger print for the center, but couldn't find it!  This Mother Goose one will do.  I'll probably move some of the units here and there.  It's great how the camera can spot things the eye doesn't register - like those two yellows on the right side.  I'll have to rotate one of them or just put it in another side. I'll see.

Found another darling linky party.  This one over in Kiwi Land. It's called sew, stitch, snap, Share.
Go check it out.  I'm also linking to Design Wall MondayBOMs Away,  Moving it Forward, and Monday Making.

I hope you got to quilt today.  My DD and I are off to the local quilt guild meeting in a bit.

Blessings,

Some of This; Some of That

First the Stash Report:  I made 2 six inch blocks and 1 ten inch block, plus donated a 1/4 yard for 1.03 yards destashed.  New YTD total is 67.13 yds destashed.  Here's the 10" block.  It goes with my eagle quilt.
I thought it would be the hardest to make (well, I did in 2010 when I started this quilt top), but it's been the easiest so far.  One can learn a lot from posts on the Net over time.  The other two are leader and enders for a scrap quilt. As it will be a while before this one is done, you can see it at Sew Very Easy on You-tube. In cutting and making these simple blocks I found a way to be more accurate.

I've randomly selected two of the rectangles
Upon putting right sides together see that one is smaller than the other which is the correct size.  I could throw the one on top away or adjust for it. This can happen when one is cutting scraps piled up for faster cutting.
 So I line up the the smaller square on the side that will not be sewn as below.
 Then I sew a scant 1/4" seam based on the yellow square (which is the right size).
 I press open the seam and measure.  It is exactly the right size.
Lastly, I'm linking to Oh, Scrap, Kathy's Slow Sunday stitching, and Sunday Stash.  We've had company for the last four days.  You know how hectic that can be. So I'm going to sit down in my comfy chair, watch Wallender, and sew some hexies.  I've added a few to this donut.  Five more to go and then I can stitch it to the center.

I hope you get to quilt today.  Have a restful day.  Blessings.

Quilted, Bound and ready to Top a Table

My Palmateer Point mini quilt is done. I'll use it on one of our tables in the house.  It was fun to participate, and since it was small, I  knew I could finish it this year. I quilted along the diagonal lines.
I'm  linking to Amanda Jean's Finish it Up Friday, Sarah's Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, Myra's Finished Or Not Fridays , and Jennifer's Wednesday Wait Loss. Do go by and see all the lovely postings. Blessings.

Some of This; Some of That

Stash Report:  Used .48 yards in making 17 six inch blocks. Also used .5 yds for my eagle. Donated 1 yd for a giveaway at Guild. New YTD total is  66.18 yds destashed. 

On my design wall for the 17ufosin2017  in Oct is a WIP NOT on the list.  The eagle was sitting on top of one of my bookshelves. I picked it up and started to work on it again at the first of this month, pretty much like the Christmas WIP I worked on in October.
The block settings will change a bit - have three more blocks to make and the background to the eagle to cut. I'm thinking I'm picking up other UFOs and making them WIPs because some of the projects on my list have too much work. Ugh.

What are you up to?  Come by and I'll visit to see your work. I'm linking up to Oh, Scrap!, Design Wall Monday, BOMs Away, Moving it Forward, and Monday Making.

Blessings!

Finished Top

I finished that scrap baby top.  All the centers were left overs from other baby quilts made this year.  In the end, I left the letters the way I first had them.  Since the other quilts like it were well received, I decided to go with that setting.  Most of the solids were from a bag of scrappy strips a friend gave me.  Thank you, Deanna!
It's lighter than it looks. Apparently early morning light doesn't give one good photos either. Sighhh.

I'm linking to Amanda Jean's Finish it Up Friday, Sarah's Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, Myra's Finished Or Not Fridays , Jennifer's Wednesday Wait Loss, and Michelle's Let's Make Baby Quilts .  Do go by and see all the lovely postings.

Applique Tuesday

Remember that eagle I was going to work on?  Here's as far as I got:

Still have legs and talons, laurel wreath and arrows to add.  Now to decide on a background for him.

It's been a while since I actually had something to post on Applique Tuesday. There were the bits on three Sampler blocks, but this is all applique.

Have you appliqued lately?  Let me know and I'll come visit.

I'm linking to Connie's Linky Tuesday and Esther's WOW.  Go on by and see all the quilty goodies there.

Design Wall Monday

Here's where I'm at:
This is not the final layout - just a start on that process.  I'm not sure I want the word spelled as it is. Seems like a lot of white space.  The letters were generated by children of our parish during our 2015 Festival.  They used fabric markers to color the letters as they chose.  Here are some of examples of previous ones:



Maybe I'll make a four square block for the middle with the letters.  What do you think?

I'm linking up with Judy's DWM, Lyn's BOMs Away, Beth's Monday Making, and Em's Moving it Forward. What's on your design wall?

Happy quilting!

Sunday Stash Report

Made five blocks this past week which used .14 of a yard. Pulled a yard for an inner border on my RSC challenge quilt.  The 1.14 yds brings my YTD destashed to 64.20 yds.

I'm still working on that Anna's Garden block - it will continue to be my Sunday Slow Stitching.

And since I had all my applique paraphernalia out, I decided to work on my eagle block (another WIP to get done). I'm not happy with his head - can't get nice sharp points for his feathers and the copy lines show around the edges - think I'll try another method.

I'm linking to quiltpaintcreate's Sunday Stash and Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.
Have you been destashing?

Catch Up Saturday

I've been working on my  2017 RSC challenge blocks.  Didn't want to end the year with another WIP.  Angela picked black/brown for November or as a catch up month so we can do just that or start
assembling.  So I made another orange block.


Then I made a lavender block. My layout needed one of this color or as close as I could get to it. RSC blocks are good for pointing out deficiencies in one's scraps and stash. Next year I have teal, neutrals and lavender I need to replenish --oh, a reason to buy fabric!
I've been making my RSC blocks with the patterns from Pat Sloan's Solstice quilt a long

Enjoy your weekend.  I hope you get to quilt. Blessings.

Quilted, Bound and Finished

My mod baby quilt is quilted, bound and finished.

It measures 32" square and will be for the NICU unit at our regional hospital. I'd seen the pattern online and thought to try it.  It's a easy and quick pattern.
After quilting the last baby quilt flat with all the FMQ, decided to do just squiggly lines on this one. It'll do.  For speed I like to bring the backing from the back forward to make a quick and easy binding.  Always a bit stressful time for me as the way I'd done it before, I've nipped the back fabric.  Argh!
On the quilt before my mod one, I laid the sandwich right side up and flat on the cutting table once it was quilted.

Then I folded the backing all the way down, out of the way, so that I can trim off the excess batting. The problem was I couldn't see if the back was too close to the cut line due to my quilting.  Before I got any further, I happened to see a quilter online  (so sorry I forgot who posted this) who put the backing side up and folded the backing down then laid the ruler on the sandwich.
This showed me clearly if my quilting was too close to the edge of the backing. I took out a few quilt stitches and thus had a clear line to cut.
Once I'd trimmed off the excess batting, I turned it over and trimmed the back to bring it forward, fold and press ready to stitch it down as the binding. Phew - no more stress!  I now have done two quilts that way and feel a lot better about the process.

What are you up to?  I'm linking to Amanda Jean's Finish it Up Friday, Muv's Free Motion Mavericks, Sarah's Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, and Myra's Finished Or Not Fridays.  Do go by and see all the lovely postings.

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...