Batik Stars progress

Oops!!  I think I remember why this particular quilt became a UFO in the first place.  Do you see the difference in the length of the block and length of the sashing?  What was I thinking when I cut these sashing strips?

This quilt was actually a Saturday Sampler from 2007 called Shivery Snowmen.  There is an applique snowman block that goes with each of the pieced star blocks. But I didn't make the snowmen blocks but I do have the patterns - somewhere.  This has been on my UFO list for several years now.  I believe I did pull these blocks out a couple of years ago and bought the sashing and border fabrics.  That's also probably when I cut those sashings at 12" instead of 12.5".  And probably why it became a UFO all over again.  

Since I cut those sashing strips 1/2" too short - sometime in the past - I decided now to just piece them and I think once this is quilted it won't be very noticeable.  What IS noticeable however, is the quality of my sewing back in 2007.  I've gotten much better at cutting and sewing accurately since then.  I've been making quilts since the 1980s, but really only started really focusing on accuracy a few years ago.  I still learn something new all the time, which is great.  

So, here are the 12 blocks with the (pieced) sashing strips added.  I may rearrange a couple of these before sewing them into rows.  I have plenty of navy blue left to finish the sashing but am hoping there is enough for binding too.  And the border fabric in the project box is a Kaffe print with lots of brown and other colors.  It will be fine I think.  

I'm setting a goal of finishing the top of this by Sunday evening - while watching it snow again.  Actually a couple of focused hours should be all I need.  But it's so easy to become distracted in my sewing room by other pretty projects that aren't so old.  

French General - quilting progress on a UFO

It isn't fancy, but so far the quilting is turning out fairly well.  I did a straight diagonal grid over the whole quilt, and then went back and added the "orange peel" in all of the neutral squares.  I like it, but think I will add the same orange peel in the colored squares too.  Maybe I'll have this done by the end of January after all and can check it off my UFO list.  

There wasn't enough of the border fabric left to make binding so I'm going to stop at The Pin Cushion after I get my hair cut today and look for a binding fabric. 

Welcome to 2020 - January goals

January 2020 - a whole new year with wide open possibilities!!  Following a couple of UFO challenges last year gave me some great focus and the results were some great progress of UFOs - finishes and forward progress.  I finished 15 projects and made progress on quite a few more.  Of course I started a lot of new things too - some finished and some not. It's all good. 

So . . . the number drawn for January is #2, and the easiest thing to finish would be this wall hanging made of French General fabrics (started with a charm pack) and disappearing 4-patch blocks.  This was an August 2018 project, but didn't get the outer border until much later.  It just needs to be quilted and bound.  It's only about 42" square and I think I am going to quilt it myself with a simple diagonal grid.  So my first task today is to dig into the stash and see if I have anything suitable for a backing, and then find a batting leftover that is big enough so I can sandwich it for quilting.  

Looking at the photo now makes me think the square cream areas could use a small quilting design rather than just a diagonal line going through.  Hmmmm - we'll see what happens. 

And, then I should find the other 2 UFOs on the list because I'm not sure where I put them.  Both of the other projects are from past year Saturday Samplers.  The Batik Stars is a good sized quilt, but the Gingerbread project is much smaller.  

There isn't a PIG (project in grocery sack) on the list for this month, but I'll continue working on the red, white, and blue PIG from December with a goal of getting it to flimsy stage by the end of January.  

Red Birds ready to quilt

Another UFO is ready for quilting.  This pattern is called House Warming Party, but I kept calling it Red Bird Christmas, so I think the name change is going to stick.  Forgive the photo quality - it is so grey and dreary here today that I couldn't find a spot anywhere in the house to take a decent picture.  Once it's quilted and bound I'll get a good one.

 

 

The fabric in that outer border is a "strip it" fabric where it was printed in strips of different designs. So it looked like it was stitched into piano keys, but in reality it's just printed that way, which made that border much quicker to do. The same fabric was used in some of the pieced blocks too but was cut into much smaller pieces obviously so you couldn't tell.  The birdhouses were all pieced and the birds, perches, and round openings were all appliqued onto the birdhouses and into some of the other pieced blocks scattered around the quilt.   

 

 

 

I loved the colors, the fabrics, and the design of this and I couldn't resist buying the kit - a few years ago.  But like all UFOs it languished much too long before getting finished. I still have a bag with some good sized scraps that I can use for something like a table runner.  I think I may keep this one.

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Working on a New UFO

I was looking at my UFO list yesterday, and decided that I just wasn't "feeling it" for the next item on my list for this month. It's an autumn themed churn dash quilt and it's just the wrong time of year to feel excited about autumn fabrics. So I decided to simply pull another UFO out instead.

This week I had bought some red and blue yardage to finish this patriotic panel. So it was the ideal next project.

I've added a red inner border around the panel so far, and have 7 red/cream/blue stars made for a second border. There are 13 more stars cut out and ready to sew.  And there is plenty of the red and blue to add a third border.  I think this will become a Quilt of Valor.

UFO #2 is finished

This 38" square wall hanging is a Kim Diehl design called Farmhouse Stars. And it's finally DONE!!  The original pattern had a dark border around the outside but I decided I wanted it without that border and I do like the change.  I used a piece of ugly cheddar solid from my stash on the back and pulled an older Kim Diehl fabric from the stash for the binding.  And best of all, I quilted it all by myself.  The quilting is very simple - diagonal lines through the brown squares and outline stitching around the stars. I can handle simple straight line quilting. 

 

Beginning the exploration

 

I feel like I've opened up Pandora's Box, but it's just a big grey tub full of odds and ends of sewing "stuff" in my sewing room.  Late Tuesday evening I got up the courage to move the scrap bins which I'll deal with later, and lifted the lid on that tub.  It was full and I must admit it's a bit overwhelming.  This finished quilt top was one of the first things I pulled out, and I know I made this in our previous house, so it's at least 12 years old.  I remember making this but had no idea it was never quilted. 

 

It's a simple 9-patch, but with large yo-yos pinned into the white squares.  I unpinned the yo-yos, and pressed the top.  And on Wednesday I went to The Pin Cushion . . . backing is now purchased and I've left it for quilting.  There was even enough of the yellow border print in the bag to use for binding. I'm not sure if those yo-yos will end up back on it or not.  We'll see.  They might be cute anchored with a big white button sewn into the middle of each. 

UFO Challenge update

The March number drawn for the American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge is #12. That is ironic, considering those 2 baby quilts are at the long arm quilter as we speak. So when I get them back they will need binding to be finished.

	UFO/WIP Project	Status Before	Status After
1	Valentine Bench Pillow	Needs blanket stitching around applique, then sandwich, quilt, and add envelope backing
2	4 Seasons Cats	Finish hand quilting, bind
3	ABC kid quilt	Machine quilt, bind
4	House Warming Party	Finish blocks
5	Circa 2016	Finish making blocks
6	Easter Sunrise runners (2)	Applique, quilt, bind	DONE in January!
7	Batik Stars Saturday Sampler	Finish blocks
8	2016 2015 Saturday Sampler	Finish blocks, need to cut out setting pieces Quilt and bind	DONE in February!
9	Reindeer 60-degree runner	Quilt and bind
10	2015 Friendship Exchange	Blocks are made, need to determine a layout
11	Beach cross-stitch piece	About half stitched only
12	RSC16 Crown of Thorns	12+ blocks finished, need to determine layout

The funny thing is that February's number was 8 and I posted about my 2016 Saturday Sampler and how I needed to make the final block and cut out the setting pieces. Then the very next day I posted about my 2015 Saturday Sampler as if that was my #8.  And I did finish that 2015 Saturday Samper in February, so I guess one finish is as good as another.  And my 2016 Saturday Sampler quilt top is seeing wonderful progress so I'll just keep working on it until my baby quilts come back from the quilter. 

X-block UFO

 

This UFO is from 2011.  I know that I bought the X-block ruler and the fabric on a guild bus trip to Nebraska shops that summer and made most of the blocks right away. Then it got set aside.  About a year ago I made a few more blocks and hung those up in the closet again, where they spent more time being ignored.

 

I put the top together in 2016 and even found backing in my stash for it.  Last week I finally decided it was time . . . to get it quilted, bound and finished.  Bonnie, at The Pin Cushion, did a great job on it as always. She selected a nice angular zig-zaggy design that plays nicely with the angular zig-zaggy look of the blocks. 

 

Next step is to dig through the stash and find something that will work for binding. Wonder if there is any of that black print hiding away somewhere?  These are definitely NOT colors I normally like to use, so the chances of finding anything in that pumpkin color aren't very good. Maybe the green, but I'm not holding my breathe that I'll find anything compatible with that either.  I may end up buying a half yard of a solid in one of those colors just for binding.

Easter Sunrise added to the finishes

 

Both of the Easter Sunrise runners are completely finished and ready to gift. I can check off my January UFO Challenge project.  Yay!

 

The original pattern was called He Is Risen, by Just Sew of Wayne NE -purchased at a quilt show a few years ago.  It's a simple silhouette machine appliqued to the orange batik. These are identical to the first one I made for myself, except for the top one above has the "hill" cut slightly different.  The gorgeous batik background is what really makes these special and I bought enough for 3 when I bought the pattern. And I've never seen a batik quite this perfect since then.

Playing with Dresden plates

 

Another example of bringing a UFO forward a step - the Dresden plate pieces were all cut from a charm pack, and then tucked into a zipper bag and put into a drawer. No idea why I did that.  I was organizing my rulers and stencils over the weekend, and couldn't find the Dresden ruler. Eventually I found it in a drawer, in the bag with the pieces.

 

So I've sewn them together and appliqued them onto a background square.  And there are enough pieces cut for another one.  I think with a little quilting this will make a good pillow.  Does this make the project a WIP now instead of a UFO?  Only if it doesn't end up back in the drawer I suppose.

UFO #1 is a flimsy

I used all but 1 green block to finish this top. It's about 48 by 60. There is a bit of the orange and black left, and various pieces meant for more blocks that didn't happen.  I cut, stitched, and pressed the binding for this one out of leftover black from the blocks.  And I had enough of a cream, orange, black print in my stash to piece a backing for it.  So, it's ready to be quilted.

This is definitely not what my original vision was, but since I no longer remember what the original plan was - Done is better than perfect, right?  It's big enough for a nice throw and would make a decent donation quilt.   Plus this will be another 7 yards out of the stash once it's done.

 

Now - on to the next UFO. That will be the red and aqua pieced and applique blocks.

Working on UFOs and WIPs

On Sunday afternoon I pulled out 3 sets of blocks that need to become finished quilt tops.

I finished the last of the floral applique blocks this weekend and now I need to figure out how to use them with the large and small pieced blocks. These are not too old yet - just the 2015 Saturday Sampler blocks. But I don't want them to languish in the UFO pile for too long because they are so pretty.

These 20" rail fence blocks have languished in my UFO pile for several years. Maybe 6 or 7 years? I have no idea. I used a jelly roll and the number of blocks just didn't work out well. There are only 8 of them and they were set aside along with about 3 yards of a brown coordinating fabric because I had no idea how I wanted to arrange them. 

The last set of blocks I pulled out are these X blocks. These were done with the special X ruler. I liked the blocks but got bored with the colors I think. There are only 6 of the green ones and 10 of the rust ones and plenty of leftover fabric. Again - some planning needed in order to get these to the flimsy stage.  I'm not sure of the age of these blocks either but I know I bought the ruler on a guild bus trip to Nebraska, so that would have been either 5 or 7 years ago.  It's time to finish it up.

Auditioning borders

I finished the last 3 missing blocks last night for this UFO project. My husband is away again this week for work - that is 6 weeks in a row! So I have sewing time in the evenings.  It's a Saturday Sampler from 2007 and I am still thinking about how this will all go together. Any ideas for me?

Right now I'm leaning toward a very narrow black sashing between blocks and a slightly wider inner border around that center. The narrow sashing would separate the blocks and also give it kind of a stained glass look.  Then I found this gorgeous batik in my stash. It has some purples, green, pink, and orange. The blocks are all batiks so I thought this might work. But that blue block sticks out like a sore thumb, even after moving it into the middle. 

So I need to keep digging in the stash to see if I have anything else that is more multi-colored. Or I may need to go shopping for that border. That would be a shame.

More blocks & a flimsy

Since I've been on a block binge this month I looked in my sewing room closet to see if there were any sets of blocks hanging in there that were nearly complete. I want to keep working on the UFOs that I've been collecting.

And hello! There were 8 elephant blocks (12") just waiting for the last 4 to be made so it could become a quilt. The white background fabric was even hanging there with the blocks.

So I got busy and made those last blocks - the brown ones and the pink ones. And that makes 110 blocks for this month . . . as long as I'm still counting.

I stopped at my LQS this week and purchased a yard of a brighter purple 30s print to use as an outer border. From my stash I found an aqua/green to use as cornerstones. And there was more than enough white background left for sashing. One step closer to being a finished UFO.

Saturday Sampler 2003 is finally finished

This is an old UFO - and it's finally finished thankfully!  Ode to Aging was the name of this one and I made 2 that year. The other one was done in bright colors and it was finished right away and given away as a gift. But this one was done in flannel and I just didn't like it that much. So of course it went to live in a bin, or a drawer, and then hanging in the closet for 13 years.

Shame on me!  But I finished the binding while watching football on Sunday; it's finally done and I'll be able to add 12 yards of fabric used to my stash report next week. The size is a long twin, and it weighs a ton. It's about 85" long and only about 60" wide. 

Another UFO complete

This wall hanging is approximately 48 x 36, with the background made up of 12 Saturday Sampler blocks from 10-12 years ago. The blocks are really beautiful cream/white/off-white pieced blocks that I had just never put together into a quilt top. Inspiration just hadn't hit me until this year. 

So after all of these years, I decided to put them together and applique something on them. The floral pieces are Silhouettes - bought with the fusible webbing already on them and they are laser cut. I machine appliqued them onto the background. The fireflies that I added as a last minute idea are simply jewelry pieces.

The bigger firefly is a large pin and the 2 smaller ones are actually earrings.  I have noticed in the photos that the subtle shades of cream and white don't really show up, but on the actual quilt the block piecing looks great as a background with lots of depth of color.

I plan to hang this above the bed in my guest bedroom.

A finish for October - finally

My Halloween block swap quilt is finally bound and ready to enjoy. I need to come up with a good name for this one and finish the label for the back. Any ideas for me?

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A UFO is finally done!

It feels so good to be able to finally check off a finish, and this one has been "marinating" for quite awhile so it's extra special.

This is a Scrappy Trip Around The World - a Bonnie Hunter pattern - and I used all batiks in watery colors of blue and green.  Love how it turned out. It's going to some newlyweds as a belated wedding gift.  I really hope they enjoy it because it's just the right size for cuddling up on the sofa. 

I'm linking up to Finish It Up Friday at: http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/

Summertime Row Robin

I'm so excited to have this quilt done and hanging up in my home office for the summer. The last of the embellishments were added yesterday while watching golf on TV.

This was a guild project - a row robin, rather than round robin - from a couple of years ago. My row is the large center row with the flip flops. Each one has ribbon and fun buttons on it to make it 3-D just like a real flip flop.

The fish row has button eyes and the beach ball row has buttons in the center of each ball. There are a few little shell shaped buttons on the beach house row. The bottom row is all paper pieced and each block is unique.  The top row is a mixture of applique and pieced blocks.  And I added this Loralei "patch" onto the front as the label. You'll find her on the beach among the palm trees. I wrote on her hat but decided I couldn't hide her on the back.  I LOVE the whole thing!!

Linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday.