Applique Tuesday

Finished the embroidery on this block.  Now to machine applique it.  I use invisible thread.

 The hexie paper giveaway is still open. See my  post. Open til Thursday midnight.

Stay warm, dry or cool - depending where you are. Blessings to you all.

Slow Sunday Stitching & Stash Report

First, a reminder of the hexie paper giveaway going on here. See my last post. Open til Thursday midnight.

Well, I was not even half way to my goal this week - 0.82 yard were destashed instead of 2.  I mainly spent my time quilting my WIP for January, working on my new project for 6+6 in 2018,  hexies for Bliss, a sample chair bag and a string block for Kat's Covered With Love block drive. My new YTD is 2.85 yds destashed.

For My Small World I now have six 2" pinwheels - 10 more to go.

I find making such tiny blocks stressful as they don't come out as good as I would like. Oh, well maybe by the time I've made all of them I'll have gotten better.

For the Sweet Land of Liberty sew along I'm working on a house block. This will be my slow stitching this Sunday. Next will be to add borders to bring it up to size.

I don't have photos of the bag or the string block. They were out of the house before I remembered to take a photo.  I'm linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Cynthia's Oh Scrap!, and QuiltPaintCreate's Sunday Stash.

WIPs Be Gone

Almost done with some blocks for Humble Quilts Sweet Land of Liberty sew along.  I like this one because we are winging it for the pattern and all are making their own interpretation of the blocks unless fortunate to have bought the pattern by Cheri.

I also worked on a baby quilt.  It is now
quilted:

 bound

and on its way to the local NICU.

This is my 6th Nearly Insane block and my last.  I've decided to make a different set of blocks into baby quilts this year. More on that later.  

Who wants hexie papers?  Link your eye candy - of any kind, old or new for a chance to win 105 of them - enough to make 15 flowers. Blue button below. Party ends Thursday, midnight.

I'll be 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 doings posted.

WIPs Be Gone and 6 + 6

Okay, I got started on the UFO (which I call WIP) that Judy pulled - #10 - my Mod Quilt.  It's sandwiched and pin basted - now to quilt it.

Then I worked a bit on My Small World  -my new project for 6 + 6.

Afterwards I sneaked in a quilt block.  This is for the 2018 RSC Challenge and Angela's Squared Away Sampler.

She has a button for it: 

and last but not least, I got the first four of the next round of my hexie circle done. I'd shown you the hexies with the fabrics I was going to use - here they are all finished with their curvy bits.

Only 5 more sets of 4 to go and then I can sew them to the center.  I should mention that this quilt finishes at about 58" by 75".

All of the above are long term projects except the Mod Quilt.  I'd like that to be my WIP gone for the month.

What are you up to?  I'd love to see your WIP or UFO or ??  Here's the Linky:



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

The first stash report for 2018.  What with working on two baby tops, the next hexies for Bliss, some secret blocks, a sampler block, a small pillowcase and the last of my log cabins, I used up 2.03 yds last week.  My new YTD use is therefore 2.03 yards out. I've set an arbitrary goal of 2 yards a week out - that way I'll make my 100+ yards in a year. A tad over this week. I hope to continue that performance in the coming weeks.  How did you do?

For Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch report, I sewed at least 15 every day of the week, so my total is 6 days (since the year started on a Monday) out of 365 so far.

For Slow Sunday Stitching, I've cut the first group of four hexies for the next round (it took me hours to decide what fabrics to use), and now I'll be dissecting three of them to add design elements.

That ruler is what I use to cut the curvy bits.  I want to thank all of you for your suggestions in my last post of what fabric to use next .  I auditioned all of them, but they weren't just what I was looking for. I should mention that this is a large quilt  (around 58" x 72") so have a ways to go. And I'm still enjoying the challenge of making these unique hexies.  Once I finish prepping them, I'll hand stitch them while I watch another episode of The Crown.

I'm linking to Oh, Scrap and Sunday Stash - as well as Slow Sunday Stitching.  Hope you get to quilt today.

I've Been Somewhat Busy

It's been a quilty week - two projects I can't even show you because they're just off the germ stage at this point.  I did work on my scrap bag quilts.

Got this 30" top done by adding two borders. Sorry for the poor photo.  Hope to quilt it soon.

This second quilt from the scrap bag just needs borders now. Think I'll add two and miter the last one.  We'll see.  It will be a 36" one for St. Anne's.  Probably another member will assemble and quilt it. 

Got another 6 done!  Working on the last 6 now and I did have enough fabric (will be scrappier blocks than these). May sprinkle them among the others to see if they blend in.

Here's a project I forgot to update in my 2017 review.  Made 4 blocks in 2017!  40% done now - woohoo.

Last, but not least, stitched my circle of curvy hexies to its center. I like how the purple makes that circle shape.  However, I haven't a clue what to use next (fabric-wise).  Any suggestions?

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

 First the last stash report of 2017.  Used 1.12 yards in making two baby quilt tops, scraps for my Bliss hexagons, and a border on a baby quilt top.  My total for the year is 75.71 yds destashed.  Shy about 25 yards but a lot better than I expected.  So with today, I'm back to zero destashed for 2018.  I've been hand sewing and I can finally say I've finished all the curved hexagons for my Bliss round. Yesterday, I hand stitched some of the hexies to my center.  It will be my hand stitching project for the week.  Here's the ring with only one seam not made - easier to sew onto the center that way.

I'm linking to Lynn's BOMs Away , Judy H's Design Wall Monday and Beth's Monday Making. Go take a peek.  Happy New Year!

WIP/UFO, 6 & 6 Challenge List for 2018

I've linked again to Judy's UFO Challenge for 2018.  Needed to make a list of 12 WIPs of anything crafty. And I'm doing Meredithe's and Anne's 6 & 6 in 2018 also.  I'm going to use 6 old ones from the list for Judy's challenge for the 6 & 6.  The odd months on this later one is for a new project - I've decided to make My Small World by Jen Kingwell.  It's a gorgeous wall hanging.

1.  Finish making the blocks of this scrap log cabin. Twelve to go if I have enough fabric.  If not, then I'll have to think of a new layout.

2.   Sandwich and quilt this top from Karen at Faeries and Fibres QAL

 3. Make more blocks for Anna's Garden

4. Complete my Easy Street top

 5. Quilt my Riverside quilt.

 6. Add leaves  and flowers to the nine baskets blocks

7. Finish this fourth Benjamin Briggs block.

8. Make the remaining two baskets in the center block of LE

 9. Assemble, sandwich and quilt

10.  Sandwich and quilt my Mod Block Lotto quilt

11. Japanese place mats 

12. Bonnie's En Provence - assemble, sandwich and quilt.

Four more below for the 6 & 6 in 2018 challenge  (hers are every 3 weeks and is asking only for significant progress. UFOs are all the even months - this gives me 8 choices of UFOs in case I've lost interest in some.

13.  Contine on Bliss.

14.   Continue on my Hexie Garden.

15.   Continue on Our Lady quilt top.

16.  Women's Voices top.  Keep working on this.

New projects:

  1.  My Small World by Jen Kingwell.

c. Quiltmania 2015

2. Meadow by Jen Kingwell Design Group.

3. Sweet Land of Liberty Sew Along at Humble Quilts

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Friends and Fellow Quilters!  Thanks for all the times you've come by.  I love to read what you have to say.  Hope to see you throughout 2018.

WIPs Be Gone Report

A WIP in Waiting

Meredithe at Pomegranate and Chintz has reported on her 17 UFOs in 2017 challenge. And it's time I did the same.  Actually, I did report earlier in December - go here.  I was hoping to get to edit the review and show more progress, but that didn't happen.

So I'm going to report on how I've done in the last three years trying to make my WIPs Be Gone.  Starting  1/1/15 when I gave myself the challenge to work on WIPs til today (12/28/17),  here's is what I've discovered.

WIPs finished/or worked on significantly:  20
Charity quilts made:  59
Spontaneous Construction/Commission Quilts/New Projects:  38
So on average I worked or finished per year  7 WIPs 
                                                                      20 charity quilts 
                                                              and  13 newer projects.

Most of the newer projects are finished.  All of the charity quilts are complete also.  So it doesn't look as I am very keen on finishing WIPs.  Yikes!

But looking at the life that happened in those three years, I need to give myself a bit of slack.  First off, half of those charity quilts were made in 2015, then I broke my leg and everything quilt-wise came to a halt for most of the next 6 months - it took a full year to get back to normal.  Slowly I got back into the studio, and then I finished about a fourth of the charity quilts each of the following two years.  Same with the newer projects and WIPs.  Yes, I do favor new projects, but I"m not tired of those remaining WIPs yet.  It's that they're much bigger projects and do take time. And I had several commission quilts this past year.

So as I wrote on Lynn's blog, What a Hoot, "I'm taking a different approach - kind of like Judy Laquidara used to do with her stash reports - just count what you've used and what you've added. So yes, WIPs aren't finishing as fast as I hoped- but I'm going to count only what I've worked on or what new project I'll start for 2018 - 18 at hand at this point. But who knows what I'll add."

PS: Meredithe has mixed it up a bit for next year.  It's 6 & 6 in 2018 - 6 new projects and 6 UFOs.  I'm keeping my 18. Let's see what new things I start.  Go here to read about this highly motivational challenge. 

Happy New Year! Let the 2018 quilting begin.

Merry Christmas!

Thank you for all your kindness and support, your comments and suggestions.  You make my heart smile.  See you next year!

On my Design Wall

The quilt is bound (see last post). The block is mailed and the trees are now a table runner top. So new things on the design wall.

I'm calling the first one Morning thru Night Forest.  I'm going to put it aside til July when I do more Christmas sewing.  The block below it is that other medallion I made with units found in the scrap bag.  Must grow to 30 - 36" .  Depends if it's going to the NICU or the clinic.  We'll see.

I used .66 yards between the two projects above and about half of my ORL clue 3  which brings my YTD total to  74.59 yds destashed YTD.  Every little bit helps.  I haven't even started ORL clue 4 yet. But I have been getting acquainted with my new granddaughter. That takes precedence.  Welcome Grace Xinling   She's such a sweetie!

I'm linking to the usual Monday parties:  Oh, Scrap, Sunday Stash, Design Wall Monday, and BOMs Away, and Monday Making.  Don't miss the lovelies there.

Baby Quilt Finish & ORL #3

Quilted, Bound

and ready to turn in tomorrow:

I hurried up and made this top in August. Showed it at Guild, put it in my bag to take home and promptly forgot about it what with the grands coming soon after.  I found it a couple of weeks ago and thought I'd better get her done. An unintentional WIP crosses the finish line.

I'm working on clue three of Bonnie's mystery On Ringo's Lake.  A lot to do, but at least I've started.

This is one I know I won't have finished by Friday as I have the St. Anne's meeting tomorrow and Mom is coming to spend the night.  Guess what we'll be doing?  lol.

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

What with finishing the NICU quilt top, making my geese for ORL, cutting binding for my quilted baby top, and making a Covered in Love block, plus a little tree, I used 1.64 yds from the stash. That brings me to 73.93 yds destashed YTD.

On my design wall, I've got my Covered in Love block, the binding for the quilted baby quilt, and the tree for my table runner.  Yes, it's not the same size as the other on the right, but then not all the trees in the forest are the same either - hehe.  Fact is I couldn't find my templates to make this last tree the same size as the other three.

Off the watch a new episode of the Crown and hand stitch on my almost complete applique block.

I'm linking to Oh, Scrap and Sunday Stash, Design Wall Monday, BOMs Away and Monday Making. Check out their link parties - so much eye candy and news.   Blessings to all.

One NICU Top Finished

Here's my first completed top from that bag of scraps I showed you in the last post.  This is my 6th enlargement of a Nearly Insane block.  Mine is 30" finished.  The Nearly Insane one finishes at 5".  I fussy cut the sheep for the 16 patch. It's a bit dark but I think some Mom will want it for her little boy in the NICU.

I then went on to finish the units for Bonnie's Part 2.  I made my flying geese with the No Waste Method of Patchpieces.

I like this method as I don't have a lot of fabric in the colorway Bonnie chose for the mystery, and this method uses a lot less fabric for making flying geese.  Here's all I had left after making my 50 units.

While I was making them, I did a few more log cabins as leaders and enders. I now have 24 blocks finished and 6 more started.

Lastly, I've been promising my DH a pie, so I finally got a frozen peach filling from the freezer and made a crust, and baked this beauty.  My mom gave me a bunch of peaches back in June.  They were so sweet I didn't put any sugar in the filling.

YUM!

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.