A Special Finish

      My older GD will be starting the University of Georgia in a couple of weeks and I have been making her a quilt for her dorm bed. She shared pictures she found online of GA quilts that she liked. Thursday I finished her quilt; its labeled, bound and stored in a coordinating pillowcase waiting for delivery to her before she moves into the dorm.

     Then I took some time to play, made more continuous bias and practiced sewing it to petal shapes. Here is what I have now. I know I need to make a variety of bias tape.

No telling where this will go but I am enjoying the challenge. So much so that I signed up for Sherri Lynn Wood's online workshop

Freestyle Curve Engineering. She is offering 3 different improv curve workshops this fall. Check the link for more information if you're interested. 

Stash Report for 2026

this past week - Used: 5.625 yds Added: 2.375 yds

So far this year - Used: 73.01 yds Added: 10.375 yds

Net decrease 62.635 yds

I'm linking up with Alycia's Finished or Not Friday. Check out all the creative projects.

Have a great weekend and week and enjoy sewing, quilting and creating.

Modern Quilt Finish

      I only had one goal for last week so besides making a few quick mug rugs for gifts, I spent the rest of my quilting time on my Quilt Con fabric challenge quilt.

This is how I did:

* Start quilting my Quilt Con fabric challenge quilt. Done and Finished

This was my priority. I was excited to receive a the fat quarter bundle of Windham Artisan Cotton for the Fabric Challenge. I bought yardage of the White-Aqua for the background. The improvisational piecing of this quilt was inspired by the Slice and Insert technique of Jacquie Gering and the quilts of Irene Roderick. After piecing a collection of units, my sister Irene encouraged me to make connections between the units and "Twisted Transistor" was created. It is machine quilted with a walking foot on my home machine.  The deadline for entry is not until October 31, however, I did not want to be working on it at the last minute. This is my first time submitting an entry. Now I wait until December to hear if they accept it to hang in the show. 

Here is “Twisted Transistor”.

Stash Report for 2023

this past week- Used: 3yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year- Used: 77.21 yds Added: 40 yds

             Net decrease 38.21 yds

Sunday I started working on this week's goals.

Goals for this week:

1. Quilt more on “Celtic Fantasy”.     

I expect the quilting to take a while.  I am echoing the Celtic motifs and have to pause the quilting, jump over so as not to stitch across them and then go back to clip all the jump threads.  

2. Make progress on a UFO- I chose to quilt the “Fall Memories” wall-hanging

3. Work on fall theme mug rugs for homebound.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Finished Tops Instead of Goals

      Today is an anniversary to remember. I was a teacher specialist in a middle school and no regular instruction happened after the morning news on that day. The rest of the day was a blur of horror, sacrifice and bravery. I have a lot for which to be thankful. I get to spend a lot of my time sewing and quilting for fun.

This is how I did on last week's goals:

1. Make progress on the Quilt Con fabric challenge quilt. Done. 

The top is finished and sandwiched. I need to shop for thread before I start quilting. My son suggested the name “Twisted Transistor”. What do you think?

2. Make another Call Me bag. (free pattern from ByAnnie) Done. 

 I finished one for GD Lily and another for my guild silent auction.

          

   

Then I made a Piecekeeper Project Bag (another free pattern from ByAnnie). 

       

I am pleased to also be able to use a couple of almost antique metal zippers. Check this one out. 10 cents.

3. Do more quilting on the Celtic Fantasy quilt. Not Done. 

I just have not been in the mood to tackle this and other projects have a deadline which this one doesn't.

      A friend shared her unfinished quilting projects so I pulled an easy one and finished the top of this Christmas tree wall-hanging. It has the binding made and the backing fabric. I hope someone at guild would like to have it to quilt.

     Last Wednesday my church quilt group spent the morning sewing coffee gift bags. We help sell coffee for Cafe Justo which is a grower owned Coffee Cooperative based in southern Chiapas Mexico, formed to address the poverty and migration from Mexico to the U.S.A.. I brought home a fit and finished 12 more gift bags.

Stash Report for 2023

this past week-      Used: 3 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year- Used: 74.21 yds Added: 40 yds

         Net decrease 35.21 yds

Goals for this week:

1. Start quilting my Quilt Con fabric challenge quilt.   I would really like to get this totally finished soon. 

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Finally Back to Sewing Time

    Wow! Time sure flew by and I was left behind. The past 2 weeks I have not accomplished much of anything quilting to write about. It is the time of year where I try to work in my vegetable and flower garden early before it gets too warm and then hope to sew/quilt after lunch. I am enjoying many lovely bearded iris blooming (at least 10 kinds) in my yard. Here is one sample. 

I have way too many. That just means I get to share more. Last weekend I brought home and set out 2 new perennials from my sister. Friday I gave away the last of the tomato plants that I did not want to set out and most vegetables planted are growing nicely.

Progress on my goals for this year continue:

1.  finish UFOs

The border of the made-fabric hexagon quilt has been added so the top is done. I think it took so long because I was not using a pattern.  The piecing was mostly improv inspired by ideas from Victoria Findlay Wolfe's book 15 Minutes to Play.  The border is brighter than I expected; however, I am happy to move this 2014 UFO on to the next stage. It is almost too large to fit on my kitchen floor.

Here it is on a full size bed.

 

2.  decrease stash fabric

The only stash fabric used was to add a pieced border for a comfort quilt.

Stash fabric used or added:
this past week-  Used: 1.25 yds  Added: 0 yds
So far this year- Used: 51.25 yds Added: 10.5 yd3

3. control and use scrap fabric

I pulled down a bin of 4 1/2” squares and found 5 complete split 9 patch blocks with 15 more sets of HSTs made. I spent an afternoon preparing block sets to finish a lap quilt. I only had to make 3 HST sets and pull light and dark squares from the precut units.

4.  make charity/comfort quilts

I added a 3” finished border to my Jelly Bean lap quilt of 16 blocks ( instead of 30 from a block a day with Pat Sloan) so it will finish at 54 by 66”.

 

It was sandwiched when my church quilt group met last Wednesday.  I also brought home a sandwiched top to quilt that was pieced by another member.  There was a little time left to add the semicircles to the fans of another project.  

 I know the garden will need some time; however, I hope for time to make more quilting progress.  

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

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

Sorting Scraps – Discovered Orphans

     I pulled out a couple of 2.5 gallon bags stuffed with batik scraps 

and started sorting by color. In the pile I found a few completed blocks plus more parts. I have 3 birds and 3 fish blocks in the “piece no curves” technique of Annette Ornelas of Southwinds Designs. You fold a square into a triangle then fold back the bias to create a curve which you top-stitch down. On these blocks the curve has not been stitched down. That can be done with the quilting. I have no idea what I will do with these blocks. They may find a new home. 

    In the bags I also found a stack of units left over from a large lap quilt about 10 years ago. I was able to cut more rectangles, squares and piece some small squares enough for a 48 by 60” lap quilt. That will be good for a church sew day. 

  

    In some regular cotton stash I found one butterfly block and parts so I pieced and now have 2 butterfly blocks that need a plan for use. Antennae need embroidery or marking.

I pulled out some sewn strip sets, sewed more and have at least the center of a small quilt.  It could be finished for a baby; however, I am thinking of adding some borders for a larger child's quilt. 

There are still lots of scraps left to deal with another time. 

     I supervised my 7 year old GD while she embroidered and sewed a pillowcase for her sister's birthday. We both were learning on the machine embroidery.

I am happy ( “Whoop Whoop”) with progress made with the scraps this week and found blocks.

Have a great week and enjoy some time sewing and quilting.

Linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday.

A Little Improv and Time for Play

     On the web I ran across Amy’s “Improv Challenge” at  AmysCreativeSide.com  and decided to participate.  Each day for the past 6 days she has presented a new improv technique to try. My favorite has been gentle curves.  Here are my blocks created so far. I plan to create some more and then put some together into a small quilt. 

      Last week was spent with family and granddaughters.  Mattie made a mug rug and coasters as Valentine’s gifts. Here is a YouTube video of the easy directions.

These are the easy coasters using 4 folders squares plus foundation square, back and batting.

Both girls enjoyed decorating pencil holder cans and I’m sorry I neglected to take photos. Lily enjoyed time playing with dolls.

We also made a visit to their dad’s new office.

   I spent the day Monday sandwiching quilts; one small kid’s size and one queen size are ready and waiting for quilting.

Today was guild meeting and we were entertained and inspired by the quilt trunk show of Annette Ornelas. Check out her patterns and technique at Southwind Designs.

Enjoy time sewing or quilting

A Finish After 3 Washes

     I spent a couple of days doing free-motion quilting on my modern star comfort quilt for my church group.  I love quilting free-form feathers so quilted them in the background.  Here are couple of photos after the first stage of quilting. 

Next I decided to echo and quilt the background with a lighter thread to show off the feathers more. 

Here is the whole quilt finished.

      After quilting, I put it in the wash.  After the first wash, I noticed some dye runs onto the background so I put it in again with a Color Catcher sheet and Oxi Clean.  I always prewash my fabric; however, for donated fabric sometimes fabric doesn’t get prewashed. There was still excess dye a good bit excess dye after the 2^nd wash so I put the quilt in the wash again with another Color Catcher sheet and Oxi Clean to soak.  This photo shows the CC sheet from the 2^nd and 3^rd washes. 

I hope that will be enough. 

Enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

I'm linking up with Can I Get Whoop Whoop?   Check out what others are doing.

Quilt Tops Are Stacking Up

     Monday my church quilt group met to do the craft sewing project of making an airplane carry-on duffle.  We came with our pieces already cut out and worked all day to construct.  I shared how to change the pattern a little by adding accent pieces.  Here 3 of us are with our finished bags.  I love them.  At least one thing is finished.

     Recently I have been using scraps to make fabric mostly of blue and green.  I decided to use the pieces to make a large star quilt.  This top is sandwiched and ready for quilting.

     Wednesday my church quilt group met.  We are working on a second quilt to be donated to a family in Willington, NC affected by the hurricane. You can find out more about the project at

From My Carolina Home .  

  

Many of us worked last month to make blocks, as a group we chose a layout and a couple started sewing rows together. The center is pieced. I love the layout. 

I will add a simple border and quilt it.  

     In recent days I added borders to my Rainbow Stars and Bricks so it is a top.  I need to piece a backing and it will be ready to sandwich, but that will wait until the others are quilted.

These cooler days will be a great time to sew.  Enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

Playing with Strings

      Last week I filled a box with most of my kid fabric strings and scraps and prepared to play.   I have admired a couple of free-form string quilts.  Victoria Findlay Wolfe has a tutorial on her blog for a Waverunner string quilt. 

I have also admired this string quilt by Wanda at Exuberant Color blog. 

 I decided to use my kid fabric strings to play with for my version.  I organized my kid strings by length. 

I separated the smaller pieces to sew together as crumbs leader/ender style.   

       As I pieced the center,

I decided that I wanted to add a border to hold all the edge seams, frame and give the eye a place to rest. Here is the resulting top. 

It was so much fun, I plan to play more with my strings.

Enjoy time sewing or quilting when you rest from enjoying the spring weather.

I'm linked up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and
Oh Scrap   Check out what others are doing. 

Finished Low Volume Top

     I have not had much time this week to play with September orange scraps; however, I made time to finish the low volume quilt top.  Right now it measures 54” by 60”.  Wish I had made a few more blocks to make it a little longer, but I like the interest the borders and cornerstones add. 

 That is one more top on the pile to be quilted.

   This quilt top generated lots of low volume scraps of which I hope to put some together for a few more improv blocks.  If you quilt, you know how scraps multiply.

Enjoy some sewing or quilting time. 

Day Trip to Quilt Con East

    I was lucky to spend Saturday at Quilt Con in Savannah, GA. It was a wonderful show of modern quilts and beautiful weather.  I am so glad the show was close enough for friends and me to make a day trip.  The grand prize winner was Katherine Jones with her quilt “Bling” inspired by a princess cut diamond and foundation pieced.  

 Here are some other winners or ones that I liked.  The photo files are large so if you click on them, you should be able to view a larger detailed image. 

  I was inspired.  Hope you enjoy some time sewing or quilting.