Yard Work Interferes

       My quilting projects ended up not being the priority last week so I didn't accomplish much toward my goals. Maybe I need to be more realistic about my quilting goals for each week. I worked in the yard most of 4 days. Soon it will be too hot to spend much time outside, but for now I wanted to get some things done. One day my son came to help trim low tree limbs so no sewing got done that day.

How I did on last week's goals:

1. Do more quilting on “Celtic Fantasy” Not Done. I did buy some more quilting thread for this quilt but did not use it yet.

2. Sandwich “Peony Stars in Summer Winds” Done. It got sandwiched but still waits for quilting.

3. Piece blocks for charity quilt border. Not Done. Instead I decided to piece the center portion. Here is the center part of “Traffic Jam” ( a free pattern from Pat Sloan).

The border is supposed to be 3 rounds of 2” finished squares like this.

I sorted and pulled scrap 2 ½” strips to use but didn't get much more done.

My quilt guild has has 2 members pass away recently and their fabric stash has been donated. I brought home only 3 yards to add to mine. Then I pulled from my stash backing for 2 charity quilts so I am pleased with my stash use and reduction.

Stash Report for 2023

this past week- Used: 8 yds Added: 3 yds
So far this year- Used: 61.21 yds Added: 40 yds

Net decrease 21.21 yds

Goals for this week:

1. Do more quilting on “Celtic Fantasy”

2. Sandwich charity quilts

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“When Life gives you scraps, make quilts. “

Weekly Progress and Goals

      A lot of sewing and quilting was accomplished here last week even though I didn't make progress on both quilting goals. I also managed to work several mornings in my yard and garden before it got too hot.

How I did on last week's goals:

1. Start quilting “Celtic Fantasy” Done

All the stitch-in-the-ditch quilting between units is done, and I echoed the outside of the center Celtic cross.

2. Sandwich “Peony Stars in Summer Winds” Not Done; 

however, I accomplished a lot on several other projects.

When I searched my stash for a backing, I did not find one I wanted so I worked on piecing a charity/comfort quilt. The top is finished and I love it.  Simple and easy.

Saturday afternoon I made another search of my stash for possible backings and found a perfect one. The piece of green had been saved in a group of fabrics for a possible quilt that might never be made so it was good to find the perfect use. Now “Peony Stars +” is ready to be sandwiched.

Stash Report for 2023

    this past week- Used: 5.75 yds Added: 0 yds
So far this year- Used: 53.21 yds Added: 37 yds
        Net decrease 16.21 yds

Goals for this week:

1. Do more quilting on “Celtic Fantasy”

2. Sandwich “Peony Stars in Summer Winds”

3. Piece blocks for charity quilt border.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“When Life gives you scraps, make quilts. “

Weekly Progress and Goals

     It is vegetable garden time here so some of my time needs to be spent in the garden but then I can relax in the afternoon and sew or quilt. I am pleased with progress on my UFOs and goals. It helps me focus when I have specific projects I want to tackle.

How I did on last week's goals:

1. Sandwich “Celtic Fantasy” Done.

I pulled the thread I want to use to start quilting but decided to work on a different project before I start the big job of quilting this. 

2. Make progress on piecing alternate blocks for UFO Done.

I finished piecing all the blocks, sewed the center together and Sunday afternoon added the borders for a finished top. This project started when I adopted someone's UFO at guild. It had a couple of pieced circular stars and parts with fabric cut for borders.

This is how the original pattern was supposed to finish.

I came up with a different design for a larger quilt using the same fabric; however, I did buy the green setting fabric. I put together the name of the original pattern and the alternate block for the name of this finished quilt top. “Peony Stars in Summer Winds”

3. Make progress on piecing a charity/ comfort quilt. Done.

I'm using Pat Sloan's free pattern named "Traffic Jam".  I  have  pieced all the blocks and cut the sashing plus making the quilt a row longer. 

I still need to piece blocks for the border.

Stash Report for 2023

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

So far this year- Used: 47.46 yds Added: 37 yds 

Net decrease 10.46 yds

Goals for this week:

1. Start quilting “Celtic Fantasy”

2. Sandwich “Peony Stars in Summer Winds”

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“When Life gives you scraps, make quilts. “

Weekly Goals

     I had a great week with family and granddaughters although not  much time was spent on quilting. Here is how I did on last week's goals.

Goals for this week:

1. Enjoy craft time with granddaughters. Done GD Lily had several days of “Grandma Camp” and craft time. She tie dyed 3 shirts: 2 for herself and one for Father's Day.  Here is one for her.   

She painted a rock for a bookend on her bookshelf.

She sewed some on her quilt top but I did not get a photo of her with it.

She helped me set out petunias and GD Mattie joined us for an afternoon at the pool.

It was a busy, creative, fun week.

2. Piece alternate blocks for UFO Not done because I left the project box at home by accident so instead of that I pulled scraps and pieced crumbs for “made fabric” when I had some time to myself.

3. Piece a charity/ comfort quilt. Not done because I also left this project box at home.

There was no change in my fabric stash. I don't count crumbs used.

Goals for this week:

1. Sandwich “Celtic Fantasy”

2. Make progress on piecing alternate blocks for UFO

3. Make progress on piecing a charity/ comfort quilt.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“When Life gives you scraps, make quilts. “

Hands2Help Finishes

     For this year's H2H challenge I enlisted some help from friends in my church quilt group. We have several finishes with a few to be  finished after the deadline. I am happy to share our finishes.

We have 3 finished twin size tops for MCC. Their mission to send comfort to areas of conflict and disaster touched our hearts.

Here is one more finish that will go to a local charity so that is a total of 4 for H2H this year. 

A big "Thank You" to Sarah for hosting this year's challenge and to all the participating sponsors and quilters. Together we can make a difference.