More UFOs finished

UFOs seem to be my September focus, and I can check off 2 more. I had these 2 pillow covers quilted by The Pin Cushion and then I got the envelope backs added. The ribbon bows need to be sewn on yet, but otherwise these are done. The camper pillow is a gift and the Valentine one is for me. The camper pillow will need a custom size pillow form which I’ll get made this week. 

Signature quilt

In late June 2018 my husband's extended family had a BIG reunion and my husband was the organizer/host this time.  His mother was one of 12 children (all passed now), with the oldest 3 born in Sweden and the remaining 9 born in South Dakota after the family immigrated to the US.  Most of their descendants attended.  I had made a ton of Ritzy Cracker blocks to have folks sign as they registered.  This is the result - 95 blocks signed by attendees, plus one empty block to fill out a row. 

There were actually about 150 people at the reunion, but we had couple sign together. And we had families put their children together on a block. There are 3 of them that I'll need to trace over the signature again to make them stronger.  As I laid these out yesterday I found signatures of 3 people who have passed away since that reunion a year ago, which was sad.  We don't know exactly what will become of this quilt. I plan to give it to my husband and let him decide if he wants to keep it himself or donate it as a raffle item for the next reunion. 

And ironically I still have a pile of about 30 blocks that will be added to the newer ones I've been making. Those will eventually become children's quilts for either gifts or donations. 

A bench pillow - ready to quilt

The top of the Valentine bench pillow is done and ready to quilt. It's long and narrow so it will require a special size pillow insert that is 16" by 38". And once it's quilted there are ribbons for big bows above the hearts.

Kimberbell released a design for every month and they are all so cute.  I did find the October kit for this pillow and it's definitely some fun Halloween fabrics. Now I need to find the December one - pattern or kit - not sure which I bought.  

Pumpkin runner

A challenge was made by the leader of our Sew Vintage group to make something using the pumpkin block in the new Farm Girl Vintage 2 book by Lori Holt.  I went home and just had to play with both sizes (12" and 6") of blocks and this was the result.  I was going to just use some fall fabrics but it ended up with a subtle Halloween theme.  Guess I have that holiday on the brain lately.

I bought the orange fabric, but everything else was from my stash, including the batting.  I pulled a couple of black Halloween prints for the border and the centers of the pumpkins.  The matchstick quilting that I did on the map pillow was repeated here, but not quite as successfully.  And on the back I used unbleached muslin, which wrinkled in a couple of places.  But if it's laying on a table no one will see the back.  

More UFOs to finish

On my UFO list was this Kimberbelle bench pillow kit.  I had actually started working on it when I first bought it, but then it became a UFO.  Note: I don't have an actual bench to put this pillow (or the other seasonal kits that go with it) on. But it will look great on the couch. 

The letters and hearts had the fusible already on and the shapes had even been cut out.  The word "Valentine" was even fused onto the center fabric.  So . . . there was a good start.  After some Sunday morning fusing and stitching, there is progress.  The hearts are fused and blanket stitched in red thread. Part of the wording is also blanket stitched and the rest shouldn't take very long. I'm NOT going to change the thread in my machine until ALL of the blanket stitching is done. That way I won't be able to sit down and distract myself with other sewing.  

When I finish this one I need to find the Christmas kit and the Halloween kit for these bench pillows.  The Christmas one might be only a pattern, but I won't know until I find them will I?

Check out more Design Walls on:  https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

TGIF

Thank goodness it's finally Friday!!  My pink hydrangea was one of the bright spots in my week.  You can see a fading bloom on the left, which was the only one that survived wildlife nibbling this summer. But then suddenly we got a nice new bloom popping out - in September - and there are 3 more tiny blossoms trying to grow.  My big white/lime green hydrangeas have never bloomed again in the fall, so this is exciting to see. Maybe it's just a fluke because of the heavy rain and heat we've had in the last 2 weeks. 

Some weeks are just not as productive as a person would want.  I have wasted so much of my week fighting with my computer, which is trying to die a slow death.  All day Tuesday was spent trying to get it to reboot properly and actually allow me to open programs. What a waste of time!!  I finally just went down to my sewing room and put on that binding on the OBW quilt. That was a good stress reliever, but I haven't gotten very far in hand stitching it down. Next week the IT guru will have my new laptop ready for me - hopefully.  And in the meantime, I'm slowly figuring out "work arounds" to some of my work tasks - and NOT getting any more sewing done.  

More binding to do

I was very excited to get a call this morning to say my One Block Wonder was quilted and ready to pick up.  Before noon I had picked it up and by supper time I had the orange binding attached. Now for some hand stitching.