Making Progress

     I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends as I hope many of you did. Even with the Thanksgiving holiday I made progress on my couple of goals and more.

Progress on last week's goals:

1. Cut out GD-Lily's jumper and start sewing. -  Finished. Sorry I forgot to take a photo when she tried it on.  It fit well. 

2. Quilt on cat quilt -  Finished. It even has a label and been washed so it is ready to gift.

Stash fabric used or added:

this past week- Used: 0.5 yd Added: 0 yds
So far this year- Used: 139.375 yds Added: 53.75 yd
Net decrease 85.625 yds

    The kaleidoscope is a finished top. I didn't have enough of one fabric for a dark outer border but I had leftover 5” strips so decided to use them to piece a scrappy border.  It makes the top larger than planned but that is okay.

    This week I have plans to do some holiday things with granddaughters. Each year they decorate a square for Christmas placemats.  We also decorate small gingerbread houses so I am not planning to work on a lot of quilting projects.

Goals for this week:

1. Control pile of scrap fabric

2.  Sew binding on QOV

3. Quilt a comfort quilt for church

I'm linking up to Alycia's Finished (or Not) Friday.  Check out the inspiration.  

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Weekly Progress and Goals

     Like many parts of the US my area has had a week of cold temperatures. This morning got down to 29 degrees which is unusually cool for SC this time of year. Before the freezing temperatures killed garden plants. I picked all the good size green tomatoes and processed them for a delicious batch of Green Tomato Muffins. They taste like zucchini bread.  I baked the muffins for 30 minutes.

The cooler days made for great sewing/quilting days.

Progress on last week's Goals:

1. Start adding appliques to “Celtic Fantasy” background units-   Done.

So far I have fused appliques to 2 areas.  It is looking a lot more interesting. 

2. Sew a few more Kaleidoscope rows together.     Done.

Four rows are sewn together. I have been pinning to match best I can.  Only 2 more rows and a border to be added.

3. Enlarge vintage jumper pattern for GD-Lily          In process.

I have traced the old pattern and know how much to add. I watched a video on YouTube by Nancy Zieman showing what to do. Now I just need to do it.

     On another project I chose a backing from my stash, sandwiched the cat top and started quilting. So far I have done straight lines with walking foot to stabilize.  I want it finished before Christmas for a gift so I need to continue the progress.

Stash fabric used or added:

this past week- Used: 4 yd Added: 0 yds
So far this year- Used: 138.875 yds Added: 53.75 yd
Net decrease 85.125 yds

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday I may not get a lot of quilting accomplished this week, but there are some I need to make progress on.

Goals for this week:

1. Cut out GD-Lily's jumper and start sewing.

2. Quilt on cat quilt

Hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends or family.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

“Celtic Fantasy” Progress and Goals

    Hope you enjoyed a peaceful Veteran's Day and relaxing weekend. After the remnants of the tropical storm/hurricane moved through here, weather has turned cooler and feels like fall. The rainy days were great for sewing time.

    I have enjoyed tracking my Yearly Goals and seeing how I decrease stash fabric. 

Stash fabric used or added:

this past week- Used: 5.75 yd Added: 0yds

So far this year- Used: 134.875 yds Added: 53.75 yd

Net decrease 81.125 yds

As far as progress on last week's goals, I did well.

1. Cut out units for “Celtic Fantasy” quilt. Done

All the fabric for the 6 background templates are cut out and those that fit are on my design wall. The appliques should really transform the look. Here's hoping that they will. I have not taken Ricky's class but have watched his videos and have the book so hope I am up for the rest of the construction.

2. Layout Kaleidoscope blocks and start piecing together top. Done    2 rows have been pieced together but this is not a rush project.

 

Goals for this week:

1. Start adding appliques to “Celtic Fantasy” background units

2. Sew a few more Kaleidoscope rows together.

3. Enlarge vintage jumper pattern for GD-Lily

     I don't know whether my cacti are supposed to be the Thanksgiving or Christmas variety; however, they are all full of blooms now.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Remember Our Veterans

    The weather here is not cooperating for a Veterans Day parade; however, they are remembered and appreciated. I love Alycia's latest Quilt of Valor mystery, “Long May She Wave” and look forward to making time to finish one to share with a veteran.

   On other projects I have a few small finishes and progress on a couple of larger ones. I have spent most of my craft time piecing; however, one day I will make time for the quilting. I finished several fall themed mug rugs and put them in the mail with Thanksgiving cards. Here are the most recent 2 embellished with silk leaves.

    Wednesday at church quilt group I put all my kaleidoscope blocks on the design wall and have them pinned by rows ready to sew into a top.

    Next I made progress on the “Celtic Fantasy” quilt. It is quite the process designed by Ricky Timms. Some weeks ago I made the 6 large freezer paper templates with are repeated in each quadrant and I have designed the templates for the Celtic appliques. The process goes like this. 1- iron the freezer paper template to the right side of the fabric, rough trim.

2- stay-stitch close to the edge and mark registration lines in the seam allowance before a neater trim.

All except the center template are made 4 times. Paying attention to the grainline uses a lot of fabric for the odd shaped pieces.

Here are the first 2 fabrics on the design wall. It doesn't look like much yet because the appliques will be the focus.

I have several quilts with more regular curve piecing.  I hope I will not struggle too much with these irregular curves.  That is why it is important to do the stay-stitching and registration marks. 

Thank you to all our veterans.

I'm linking up with Alycia's Finished (or Not) Friday.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Not Much Quilting

    The week flew by again. Is that just the holiday season? I mostly did a little on many different sewing/quilting projects and nothing big. Time a couple of days was spent with GD Mattie to finish 14 Thanksgiving coasters. They are simply felt and burlap.

    I caught up with Pat Sloan's “Hometown Charms” block Wednesday but I didn't take a photo of them all on the design wall before I took them down.

    I caught up with A Quilting Life's BOM. Here is the November block. I am excited that there is only one to go.

Here are some of the other blocks.

    Instead of working on the “Celtic Fantasy” or quilting a comfort quilt, I tackled scraps for church group. I used my Accuquilt Go Qube dies to cut lots of units for scrap quilts.

Progress on my goals for this year continue:

1. no progress on UFOs

2. no stash added or decreased

Stash fabric used or added:

this past week- Used: 0 yd Added: 0 yds
So far this year- Used: 129.125 yds Added: 53.75 yd
Net decrease 75.375 yds

3. I did work on controlling scraps from church group

4. I planned kits for church comfort quilts as I cut scrap units

Goals for this week:

1. Cut out units for “Celtic Fantasy” quilt

2. Layout Kaleidoscope blocks and start piecing together top.

Hope you enjoy this busy season of year.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.