Scrappy binding

Got my Pigtail quilt back from the quilter yesterday and sewed the binding on this morning. That binding is completely made of leftover binding sections from other quilts. Now I need to stay home long enough to do the hand stitching. 

February blew by fast

February was gone in a flash and was a month that saw a lot of sewing but I did think that I had stayed focused on my goals.  HMMM - could it be that I was distracted by new projects again?  Although after checking these off I did better than I thought.

• February Saturday Sampler blocks - DONE
• February Round Robin section - DONE
• RSC15 pink blocks - 2 DONE
• choose a block pattern for the new friendship block swap & make at least ONE of 13 - block chosen, fabrics bought, pieces cut - sewing begun
• make final 3 blocks for Batik Stars UFO - No
• 5 blocks for Trip Around the World UFO - No
• 3 snowman pillowcases - DONE
• choose pattern and fabric for a baby quilt for my newest grandson - waiting for my daughter to suggest some colors she would like. Just says "not baby blue".
• hand quilt on the Tropical Wedding quilt (UFO) - Just a little added

I also played with some new projects and used a lot of stash fabrics.

• Tell It to the Stars quilt is bound and done!
• 2 aprons for niece's daughter
• 1 apron for my granddaughter Sophie
• 2 more Traveling Stars blocks
• 30 pinwheel blocks for a quilt top
• 5 pillowcases
• 2 paper doll blocks for a group project
• began a pattern test for an Iowa pattern designer - FUN!

Pattern test progress

I just couldn't wait to get started on the pattern test project this week so I've spent some time in the evenings on it.  I can't show the whole thing until after I've shared my results with the designer but here is just a small glimpse. My points here are not a perfect match but look good when I'm not zoomed in like this.

There are 3 borders left to add. One of those is pieced and the others are plain.  So I'm thinking I'll have a chance to finish it Saturday morning. And I have to say - I'm LOVING this design! And I'm loving the fabrics I chose too. Thanks to Carol at The Pin Cushion for helping me make these choices.

It's an interesting process so far. With each step of cutting and piecing I've written some notes on the pattern so I remember what I'm thinking was clear or unclear.  Before this I've occasionally circled, highlighted, or underlined something I wanted to make sure I did. Or I've made a note sometimes about cutting slightly larger and then squaring up, especially with HST or Flying Geese.  But the designer wants feedback, so I'm really being conscious of each step this time.  And I'll admit I bought about a 1/4 yard of each fabric just in case I didn't follow directions carefully enough.

Pattern test

I'm really excited about the opportunity to test a pattern for a designer.  Her pattern is in the "nearly ready for sale" stage and she wants some feedback on how well the instructions are written and pictures of the completed top as examples of how it looks in unique fabrics.

I chose these 4 fabrics and can't wait to get started on this project.  Three of the fabrics are from the Downton Abbey Egyptian line from Andover.  So fun! And the orange one is a batik from a different company but it is just the perfect color.  

Crows Foot blocks

This month's Saturday Sampler block is the Crows Foot.  We will make both sizes each month with the big one 12.5" and the little one  6.5".  The little one was a bit more challenging but I'm happy with the results. I also have the applique block done for the month but will show that another day.

One of the things I did with the little block to help it lie flat was to press open all of the seams in the HSTs instead of toward one side. It reduced the bulk and made a big difference in the quality of the block in my opinion.  I'll definitely use that technique again.

One of the things that I love the most about Saturday Sampler - besides the social aspect of it - is that it pushes us to try different techniques, different patterns, and different fabric choices.  In this case there are 3 blocks each month: applique, a large block, and an identical small block.  I want to improve my skills with applique. And learning to change our techniques and strategies to succeed with smaller piecing should help all of my quilting.  

She has a friend

Oops! I first posted this without anything except the picture. I like this even better now that there are 2 of them to keep each other company.  This is one of the blocks from Quiltmaker's 10th edition of 100 Blocks.   

I'm linking up to Judy's Design Wall Monday at http://www.patchworktimes.com. 

Week 8 Sunday "Status of the Stash" Report

I saw this graphic on Facebook this week and just had to laugh.  We do use a lot of acronyms to reflect the status of our stash.  And I can relate to all of these.  I definitely have STABLE, because I'm a PFC but TIH!

I had a couple of finishes this week that really helped out the totals: a nice big quilt and a couple of small things.  I also made several blocks for projects but won't count them until the project is finished.

In this week: 2.5 yds
In this year: 37.75 yds
Used this week: 18.5 yds
Used this year: 38.75 yds

Status of the Stash: I am winning by 1 yard!