Pleased As Punch - a finish

Pleased As Punch is a 30" square Simple Whatnots Club 9 project - and it's DONE.  These Kim Diehl projects are about the only projects I've done in the past couple of years that don't contain lots of bright colors.  As most of my readers have probably figured out, I gravitate toward bright happy colors in my quilting most of the time. 

But I also love these darker, rich colors.  And I think this may be one of my favorite Simple Whatnots projects ever.  There is just something about the design of this one that really speaks to me. ADDED NOTE:  these are the actual Kim Diehl fabrics she designed for these quilts, so I didn't choose my own colors.  

 

This was a project that was on both my UFO Challenge list, and also on my PHD (projects half done) list for The Pin Cushion (local quilt shop).  For my 2021 PHD list I chose 12 unfinished projects from the longer UFO list that I really see as a priority to finish.  And this one is my first finish from that priority list. There is another Simple Whatnots on the list too.  

In 2020, for the first time ever, I managed to finish all 12 PHD projects, and those finishes earned me a lovely little stack of "Bonus Bucks" that I can spend in The Pin Cushion.  Thank you Brenda for challenging and rewarding us!!!

February plans

It's one month closer to spring . . . not that I'm silly enough to think we'll see spring arrive in South Dakota this early.  But February, and Valentine's Day, usually make me think of spring colors even when there is still snow on the ground.

My goals for the month of February are:

• Saturday Sampler - February sections
• SAHRR - Stay At Home Round Robin - catch up with rounds
• Quilt of Valor - 5 star blocks 
• Kim Diehl 
• Laundry Line - finish cutting out and begin sewing
• cut out 1 more Simple Whatnots project
  
  
• Quilt and bind
• Unity quilt 
• Kim Diehl - Pleased As Punch (Simple Whatnots)
• patriotic table runner
• Unicorn doll quilt (Olivia)
  
  
• Pillowcases
• 2 Quilt of Valor presentation  pillowcases
• Harry Potter for Mason
• Zebra for Olivia
• Bugs for Jonah
• Cars for Dave

• UFO & PHD Challenges # 2
• Quick Strippee with flamingoes
• Humble Homes
  
  
• RSC21 blocks - YELLOW
• Ohio Star - 2 blocks
• Blossom Time - 4 blocks
• Gingham - 2 framed blocks
• Home Is - 1 house block
• String - 4 blocks
• Wisdom - 5 blocks
• Twinkle Star - 2 blocks

• Organizing
• Empty large scrap basket
• Sort and separate bin of pink/red/orange scraps

Design Wall Monday - February 1

 What's on your design wall this morning? I've linked up Design Wall Monday: 
https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

Well, the UFO Challenge number drawn for February was #2, and there are 3 items on my list for that number.  I'm starting with the easiest one to finish - a Quick Strippee baby quilt that was all cut and ready to finish.  I have the top and bottom rows done, so it won't take long to put the rest of the rows together.    

This is a free pattern from Mary Quilts and the link is below.  I've made several of these as baby gifts including for some of my own grandkids.  It's quick and easy to cut and sew, plus the layout allows a focus fabric to really be the star.  This one has the cutest flamingoes. 

Once this flimsy is done, it will join the pink and grey one with sheep and go to the quilter.  One more is already cut, and that one is red, white, and black with Scottie dogs. https://maryquilts.com/quick-strippie/

Simplify

Simplify - was the guiding idea as I cleaned off my cutting station on Saturday.  It’s my 2021 Word, and I really need to apply it to a lot of parts of my life.  But I'll start in the sewing room.

I get so lazy when cutting projects, and tend to just push pieces off to the side, thinking I will take care of them later.  But then “later’ doesn’t come.  The surface has now been cleared and even dusted.  All of the scraps and other odds ‘n ends have been organized and put away where they belonged.  Some specialty rulers are hanging on hooks on the wall where they are much handier.  Simplified!

Near the top of that pile were a bunch of triangles trimmed from those QOV star blocks.  Those are now Hourglass blocks and in a bag with quite a few others - all in red, white, and blue.  Underneath that pile of scraps was a whole baggie of triangles trimmed from another past project. These are green and cream.  I had actually begun sewing them into HSTs but then stuffed them in a bag.  Add all these HSTs to the coral and blue ones that were hanging out near the top of the big basket, and I have the parts that could make some cute doll quilts or pillows or something.  I guess this proves that I have trouble throwing these triangle trimmings away from every project.

Once that surface was clean I got back to cutting out the Simple Whatnots project that I’ve been slowly working on.  Laundry Line has a LOT of little pieces, but I’m nearly done with the cutting and will be able to start sewing it this week.  

Sunday sewing will hopefully include a finished binding, and pulling some yellows to begin my RSC blocks as we move into February.   

January was semi-productive

How do I define "semi-productive" you ask?  Well, there were no full sized quilts completed this month, but I did get a lot of my monthly goals done so there was forward progress on plenty of things. My only complete finishes were a bag, a table runner, and 3 pillowcases.  But I did make LOTS of blocks for ongoing projects, and took 2 projects to be quilted (by credit card). My January plan really focused on small projects and organizing.  In those areas I'm pleased with my progress.

I'm a list maker, and feel great when I can check something OFF a list.  So the past couple of months I've actually printed my goal list and pinned it next to my work space to keep me going in the right direction.  That doesn't mean I don't go off to chase squirrels, but it does give me better focus most of the time.    

• Saturday Sampler - January sections - DONE
• Cut out 1 Simple Whatnots project - Not quite done, but almost
• UFO Challenge project #7
• Unity quilt - finish Rnd #4 - DONE, added Round 5 & delivered to quilter
• 1 Sew Together bag - DONE - Laurel Burch cats
• Ritzy Cracker - sew "2-sies" into "4-sies" - NO
• Pillowcases
• 1 Harry Potter for Mason - kitted up & ready to sew
• 2 flannel Harry Potter for Steph's kids - DONE
• 2 zebras for my granddaughters - only 1 DONE, but other is kitted up
• 1 car pillowcase - kitted up & ready to sew
• Organizing
• set up new project cabinet - DONE
• clean cutting station AGAIN - DONE
• label the drawers sorted by color - No labels yet as more sorting needs to happen
• Quilt, bind, finish the following:
• Gnome table runner - DONE
• blue snowflake runner - DONE
• 2 Winter Moose table runners - NO
• Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2021 - PINK
• Wisdom - 5 blocks - 6 blocks DONE
• Gingham - 2 blocks + 4 green frames - DONE
• Blossom Time - 5 blocks - actually got 8 blocks DONE
• Diamond Tile - 2 blocks - NO
• Ohio Star - 1 or 2 (to make quilt bigger) - 2 DONE
• String blocks - 4 or more - DONE

Getting ready for some weekend sewing

After work yesterday afternoon, I picked up 2 quilts from the quilter, and I'm hoping to get the binding made for them this morning so I have binding to do while watching TV later this weekend.

And I kitted up 2 presentation pillowcases for our Quilt of Valor group.  With some leftovers, I made 3 quick Patriotic Stars blocks for a future QOV to add to the stack we have gathered so far.  I think I'll add some of these blocks to my February goal list.  They are quick to make and we do need more to finish a quilt top.  

Our February color for Rainbow Scrap Challenge was announced this morning - YELLOW!  Another bright cheerful color!  That makes me happy.  So I'm off with my morning coffee, to play in the sewing room for the morning. 

A big basket

A big basket of scraps is currently sitting in the middle of my sewing room - and it’s mocking me every time I walk in.  I’m almost afraid to dig into this. 

This basket is about 20” deep and it’s packed full of scraps.  It was the one scrap bin I didn’t dump out and sort by color a couple of years ago.  Nothing new has been added to it recently, which is good, I think.  But I’m working on goals for February, and emptying this basket needs to be on that list.