Week of Progress

   I have been busy sewing and quilting this week.  I finished quilting another Carolina Chain comfort quilt. 

I tried a new motif in the border inspired by a floral motif I saw Lori Kennedy teach on a “Sewing with Nancy” episode which you can still watch on YouTube or Nancy's website.

FMQ motif  

     All the Split 9 Patch (v blocks) are made and ready to sew into a top.   Then I pulled out another UFO from my list, finished the blocks and designed a setting. Happy with the progress.

  

I pulled fall fabrics and made a bun basket. 

I followed Sew Very Easy YouTube video.  It stores flat, is washable and easy to make.

  

     Before I could work on another UFO, I decided to clean off my craft table.  

After 2 afternoons of ironing and cutting, I have piles of usable scrap units.  

            

We are having cooler mornings like fall; however, the afternoons continue to be hot and dry like summer.  Hurry up, Fall.

Hope you enjoy time sewing or quilting.

I'm linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday. 

Only Lacking Binding and a Finish

      I got back busy quilting this week even though I took 2 mornings to clean flower beds.  I finished quilting and trimmed my scrappy anvil quilt. 

Today I will start on the binding. 

Here are some close ups of the free-motion quilting. 

I had a difficult time deciding on how to quilt it.  This is okay.  At least the quilting is finished and looks interesting.

    I added the finishing touches to my small crazy quilt. 

The lace on the border was knitted by my great-grandmother Asenath West Lancaster who died in 1932 at 89. The lace had been on a pillowcase.  It fit the border perfectly without me cutting it.  I have another piece just like it for another special project.   

  

     I have 2 small comfort quilts sandwiched and ready for quilting which I hope to work on this weekend along with dealing with half bushel of pears that I picked this morning.

  

I'm linked up with Can I Get A Whoop? at Confession of a Fabric Addict.  Check out the neat finishes and progress.

Stay cool and enjoy time sewing or quilting.

Finishing out 2017

     During holiday sewing time I made some more microwave bowl holders in 2 sizes ( 10" and 15") This is the first time I have made the larger size.  There have been times when I could have used one so now I have one.  A couple will be gifted.

     I worked on finishing up this hexagon table topper.  I started English paper piecing with the New Hexagon quilt along and decided a lot of handwork is not for me.  I machine pieced 2 hexagons to finish the number needed.  Next I pulled out paper and ironed flat seam allowances (trimmed a little) to then machine piece the hexagons all together.  I layered batting and backing and sewed together pillowcase style so I would not need binding to finish the edge of all the hexagons.  Now it still needs quilting.

        As 2017 comes to an end, I finished another lap quilt for church.

Here are closer photos of the quilting. 

  

      Even though I only finished a couple of quilts from my listed goals, I am satisfied.   I finished and donated 1 Quilt of Valor,  2 kid quilts to my guild for the children’s hospital, 1 wall-hanging to my sister’s guild for silent auction,  and 10 lap quilts to my church (which includes 2 JoAnn class samples). I made 5 quilts of various sizes which were gifted to family and friends and 1 full size quilt I kept for myself for a total of 20 which does not include a couple sets of placemats and many mug rugs along with many other sewing projects.  I’m counting 2017 as a productive year for quilting and sewing projects even though I still have numerous UFOs and WIP.

     As I look toward 2018 I hope to continue to make progress on finishing up UFOs.  The AQS blog recently shared hints for prioritizing UFOs.  I usually store projects in 2.5 gallon ZipLock bags. Here are 8 projects I pulled to take a new account and make a plan for finishing in 2018. ( This is not all my UFOs.)

My red, white and blue LeMoyne star improv quilt is partially quilted.  I would really like to quilt a mystery quilt top that has been waiting many years.  A graduation gift quilt has not been started. That is plenty to work on in the new year. 

Be Safe for your New Year celebration.

Enjoy some time sewing or quilting!

Holiday Projects

       On Nov. 6^th I posted quilting project goals for the end of the year, hoping that would help give me focus to get them done.  I’m not sure how much it helped.  In this holiday season certain projects have taken precedence over those planned. The Circle Back lap quilt was finished and given.  The appliqued Double Wedding Ring lap quilt was finished and taken to church for a comfort quilt.  I have done the stitch-in-the-ditch quilting to stabilize the RWB Lonestar (Lemoyne star) improv quilt, but I have not given any thought as to how I want to do the rest of the quilting. There has been no progress on the scrappy rainbow anvil blocks or any Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts.

  

The green, blue and yellow string blocks were partnered with hour glass blocks and are pieced into a charity top.  

 I also pieced 2 charity lap quilt tops NOT on the plan – Giant Swoon and 4 Patch Change Up – which tells you why progress was not made on others ON the list.

        Some holiday gift projects interrupted other work.  I made a scrappy small purse as a gift for one granddaughter. I found the directions here.  I did lengthen the strap and I used D rings to attach it.

I made an 18” doll chair from PVC for another granddaughter.  You can find the tutorial here. I may make more.

A few holiday mug rugs also were quick projects.

I enjoyed time with granddaughters.  I baked and put together 2 small gingerbread houses for them to decorate. 

Hope you are getting your holiday projects done.  Enjoy this holiday season and maybe find some time for sewing or quilting.

A Completed Quilt and a Quilt Top

     I spent most of the day focused on comfort quilts.  I finished quilting and binding the double wedding ring quilt.

I am pleased with the free-motion quilting using motifs I had not used before.  I quilted S curves in the small melon areas.

 

I tried out Angela Walters’ bracket motif on the outer edges before the border and stitched parallel lines to the edge of the double wedding rings. They create a great texture.   I was not sure how to turn the corner so I stopped the parallel lines on the diagonal.

Then I finished piecing the 4 Patch Change-Up quilt top.

 Holiday projects probably need to be the focus for the next few weeks.

Hope you have a break to enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends.   

Progress and A Finish

 1.  The second Circle Back quilt is finished and ready for the mail to gift as a house-warming gift. Today it was put in the mail. 

 2.  Quilting is in progress (about half way done) on the appliqued Double Wedding Ring lap quilt.  I quilted S curves in the melon areas. 

3.  I have 31 green, blue and yellow strings blocks waiting on the alternate blocks. Today at church quilt group I found some fabric in our stash but did not have time to cut it up or sew.  I also chose fabric for 2 other comfort quilts in progress, one of which is the next. 

4.  The pile of leader/ender 4 patches have been sewn into 16 patches and are part of a planned top.  Inspired by an episode of Sewing with Nancy called “Change-Up Patchwork” of which I was reminded when I saw the blocks that Wanda at http://exuberantcolor.blogspot.com/ is working on.  Here are the blocks on my design floor. 

I still would like to get more accomplished before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

Progress Finishing Projects

     After watching Nancy Zieman on her show “Sewing with Nancy” in 2014, I was interested in her creative design options for the quick lone star and I was inspired to make my own. You can watch the show online here that inspired me.  

I used 8 bandanas to create the stars.  My top is finally pieced and measures 62” by 76” so a generous adult lap quilt.  I have not decided whether to gift it or not.

   Here is the final photo of the dinosaur quilt with its binding that I wrote about recently. The black binding was the perfect choice.

I finished quilting and binding a set of 4 fall colored placemats that will be gifted. 

     I cleared off my craft table and sandwiched two quilt tops which are ready to be quilted. I took some time to bake for a Family Promise supper at church.  I used the Caramel Apple Coffee cake recipe found here and made muffins instead.  They are wonderful.  I baked them for 30 minutes and encourage you to give the recipe a try.

  

Enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

Finishes and Donations

     I spent Tuesday finishing the quilting on this child’s quilt made from scraps of 3 different dinosaur fabrics. 

  

 Just need to add binding so I am counting it as finished. I think a black binding will look good.  This quilt will go to the local children’s hospital. 

I quilted several new FM motifs in the narrow short frame strips and borders. 

     Since my last post I also finished quilting this Blocks and Ladders small quilt as a JoAnn Fabrics class sample.  

     Today is sew day for my church quilt group and I pulled 2 small quilts to donate that I finished in 2015.  I held onto them because I used them for class samples - this crumb quilt . . .

and this half log string quilt. 

      I also took time to make a skeleton Halloween costume for a granddaughter.  Many years ago I made one for her dad.  This time I took the easy route and started with a black sweatshirt and leggings and paint instead of applique bones.

     

      I am feeling discouraged about the lack of progress on my UFOs so really want to work on them. 

                                                                                                 

Enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

September Finish

     Instead of playing with more orange scraps, I worked to finish the quilting on my low volume quilt. 

I had fun quilting a different FM motif in each border. 

In the outer border I tried a new motif from Angela Walters called "Ferny". 

I even turned the corner without too much difficulty.  I plan to use this motif again. 

Enjoy some sewing or quilting this weekend.

Strip Quilt Finish

      I used the stormy day Monday to quilt.  I am glad this quilt is finished and it may be used as a QOV.  It meets size requirements. 

Don’t look too closely though because I made a rookie mistake when putting it together and is not my best work.  I did not cut all the column strips the same length before sewing them together so you probably know what happened.  One side slightly bowed.  Lesson:  cut all column strips the same length just as you would when adding borders. 

      I used an all over quilting motif that I have not done much.  I call it a swirl echo. 

 

Hope you and family are all safe from Irma.  Enjoy some sewing or quilting time. 

A Finish and Scrap Playtime

      I finished the koala quilt.   

I love it and I’m so glad Ruth let me test her pattern.  I added the scrappy quilt-like rows at the bottom and the borders finish to at 44 by 56”.  It will be a great gift for a child. Ruth will be offering the pattern in 2 sizes in her Etsy shop.

     I also pulled out neutral scraps to play.  I made a couple of blocks. 

I’m not sure what they should be called.  I added one to the rainbow of made blocks. 

I want 3 more rainbow blocks for this to make a small lap quilt. It needs an orange, pink and one other color. You can see what others are doing for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at the Scrap Happy Saturday post. .

   

     I still struggle to finish projects without starting something new.  I added the final borders to my second “CircleBack” top ( from Cozy Quilt Designs), bought a backing and it now waits in the que for quilting.  

Enjoy your weekend and some sewing or quilting time.  

More Quilting Progress

      I have not pulled out another of my UFOs to quilt but I am busy quilting on smaller projects.    I finished quilting this sample for the “Learn to Quilt” class at JoAnn Fabrics.  This quarter I’m teaching the Hugs and Kisses blocks.  I used simple walking foot quilting to show how a beginner might finish the quilt.

    I have started the quilting on my Kenny Koala quilt for which I tested the pattern by Ruth of Charly & Ben’s CraftyCorner  .  I added the bottom scrappy squares and borders.  I think he will be a great gift for a young person. She is planning to sell the pattern on her website.  After quilt group at church today, I will get back to work on quilting him.

    My church children’s ministry coordinator asked a couple of members to make fidget bags for the children’s activity worship bags. They are essentially a maze made with fleece and a marble.  They would be a good small gift for a child.  You can find a tutorial here.  I also used this maze generator to create the paths for more interest. 

 I hope you enjoy some sewing or quilting time.