The State of UFO #12

In this DWM post, I said there were 2 blocks I wanted to switch in this top.  That is done and on Wednesday I load this onto the frame and started quilting.  It's only 36" x 36" so it shouldn't have taken too long but I have been fighting with a nasty chest cold so my energy was gone!  But using my few minutes at a time, I got it quilted.

Or so I thought when I sat down this morning to put the binding and hanging sleeve on.  I didn't quilt the orange and the background has pretty heavy quilting.  So now I am using my DSM to quilt some free motion in the applique.  I love doing this but I sure need to spend more time at it.

I am having such fun with this that I am going to work on it today until it is finished.  So for this post, I am calling it finished.  I can't wait to hang this on the wall.  I have the perfect spot all picked out.

To see how others are doing with the 2012 UFO Challenge from Patchwork Times, look here.

 2:30 pm  This is officially a completed wall hanging!  

On The Needles

 A bit more progress made on the Skype Socks.

If I only do one color section a week, 

it's going to take me a long time to finish these socks!

I spent most of my TV time working on this stitchery for a winter pillow.

Some of the gals at Wednesday Binding Friends work on awesome embroideries.

They inspired me work on a few of mine.

I find it easier to work on this than to knit.

I'm back to working on my socks now.

Hopefully Judy L with have the post for other On The Needles up.

Hooray! Click here for Friday's OTN post.

I hate when my internet is down.

Hoping hers is working again soon.  

Design Wall Monday

I finished the quilt top from last week's DWM post and I wanted to work on the UFO for June.  I looked at my list and it says that #12 is to pick something from last years list that I didn't finish and finish it.  So I went to the bin with the project in it I wanted and this project was in a smaller bin on top of it.  Well I need an empty bin to keep the Christmas Town Sampler project in that will be starting soon.  So I decided this is my #12, even though it wasn't on the list.  I am woman, I can change my list if I want to!

After almost 2 years, this little 36" x 36" piece is a complete top.  Almost.  See the block on the top right and the bottom block on the right side?  The lines in the green fabric aren't going in the right direction.  I am going to take them out and switch them.  I think the lines being off are more noticeable than if the flowers aren't symmetrical.   What do you think??

I had to laugh when I read the last post I wrote about this project, which by the way is a Pat Sloan BOM, (still available) called Meadow Breeze.  I said I was caught up and putting it away for a few days.  LOL  22 months is not a few days.  But I love it and I'm ready to load it and quilt it and mark it off the list.

See what others are doing by visiting Judy L.  I love Monday's in Blogland.

On The Needles

It sure didn't take long to become Friday again.  

I am loving the new On The Needles link ups with Judy L at Patchwork Times.

I think it is making me pick up my needles a bit more often.

I am now working on my fall colored Simple Skype socks.

Not a lot of progress because I just started to work on these.

I finished these.

This pattern is called Into The Green.

You can see the design if you enlarge the picture.

One day while blog hopping, I saw a scarf called Drop Stitch Drama. 

A super fast and easy drop stitch design that uses double yarn and size 13 needles.

So I go to my yarn bin and find a skein Vanna's Choice purple and 

one lonely skein of Moonlight Mohair.

The perfect pairing for a quick project for the scarf wearing daughter. 

This took 3 evenings of a couple hours of tv time.

And reduced the yarn bin just a little.

Design Wall Monday

I have several things happening on my non design wall. 

 I miss that wall and need to figure something out. 

 I have a kind of plan but I'm not sure if it will work or not.  

So I do the best I can.

This is the quilt body waiting for borders. 

The borders are cut and waiting.

I continue to work on my blocks for the Sow-A-Long.

I don't know if you can tell or not but I had to unsew the outer units.

I sewed them backwards.

It's no fun unless you spend a bit of time unsewing.

I'm still making bow ties.

I ran out of precut parts.

So I started putting my little blocks together.

I think I should have taken another photo.

I'm excited to put this see this one develop into a top.

Go to Patchwork Times to see what everyone else has happening.

I love Monday in Blogland.

On the Needles

Last week I had just turned the heel on round 70 of the design on the Into the Green Socks and was headed to the toes on these socks.  Last night I finished round 97 and I'm looking forward to round 111 and the toe decrease.

**I'm counting rows because that's how far the lace pattern goes.  If you click on the picture, you can see the lace. **

Sure seems like I knitted more than that but I didn't.  I guess more TV time was spent stitching down binding than I thought.  Or more time was spent just holding the project and not moving the needles.  I caught myself doing that a lot.  No big deal, I'm not in a race.

I had fun last Friday seeing what everyone was working on.  I'm really looking forward to the On the Needle posts today that will link up here at Patchwork Times.  Join us, won't you!!

Cutting, Cutting and More Cutting

I have been cutting fabric. Lots and lots of fabric.

These strips were cut for the strip swap at retreat last month.

These fabrics were cut for an online strips swap.

These 50 fabrics were cut for an online postage stamp swap.

There are several in this pile that were cut all the way down.

Strips of all sizes with the ends going into the string bin.

I'm going to start sorting my strip bins by color. 

That will be fun.

Does this irritate you as much as it irritates me?

I hate when I refold the fabric, straighten it and find this kind of a mess.

That costs me money.

It makes me unhappy.

And then I do something like this.

This 2 1/2" strip turned into a 2" strip.

That irritates me too.  

What doesn't irritate me is when JoAnn's has rotary blades on sale.

I put new blades in 2 rotary cutters and need to replenish my stock.

I'm always amazed when I put in a new blade at how much easier it is to cut fabric.

I didn't think I really needed a new blade.

I was wrong. 

Design Wall Monday

After my Weekend Quiltathon, I was still in the mood to sit at the sewing machine. I was also trying to get away from the TV. I reached into the UFO bin and pulled out this just started project.

I had won a jelly roll and found a cute pattern for it and had sewn some of the strips together.  Then everything was folded all nice and neat and put back into the bag with the book and fabric for borders, binding and the back.  I wish I knew why I didn't finish this.  I love these fabrics and it's going to be such a soft quilt.

(sorry for the bright picture-that's what happens when there is a light bulb explosion)

When I did emerge from the sewing room, I decided to work on the Boxy Stars binding.  In the past, I used sharp pins to pin my binding down and being the klutz that I am, was constantly sticking myself.  I told Ernie next time I go into town, I'm buying myself some fancy new clips to hold down my binding instead of using pins.  I had watched my friend use them a couple weeks ago and thought they were pretty clever.

Then a light bulb exploded in my head!  I have a box full of binder clips!  Duh!!!  These work great and made me feel pretty good about using what I have.  I only wish I would have had this light bulb explosion the night before as I was stitching on the other quilt.  See you can teach an old dog...........

Check other design walls here and see Judy L's quilt with her fabulous borders.  I love Mondays in Blogland.  Now I'm off to visit with blog friends, old and new.

Weekend Quiltathon

After my finish last weekend, I was in the quilting mood. I put a new needle in the machine, cleaned and oiled and loaded the RWB Boxy Stars.  So much for that!  Somehow the machine was out of time.  That is the most frustrating thing for me.  So much fiddly, fiddly that it makes me nuts.  So instead, I just walk away.  Then come back and try again, get frustrated and walk away.  Really, for 3 days I did this.  Then yesterday I got mad at myself and dug out the dvd and stuck with it until I my upper and lower threads were perfectly balanced.  

The donation quilt for the VA hospital is ready to have the binding stitched down.  I cut the stripes for bias binding.  I love the diagonal stripes.  

The quilt for the hunting club is finished.  The last stitch in the binding was done at 10:30 last night.  I'd like to thank Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks for keeping me company while I stitched.

This morning I loaded up this fun flannel Split Decision quilt that was on my design wall March 14, 2011.  This was February's UFO Challenge project that didn't even make it out of the bag.  It's such a bright fun quilt, it's a shame it took me so long to quilt it.  Now I will go in and put the binding on it and it will be finished today because I will machine stitch the binding down.

What's up next??? Maybe I'll find something to practice some feathers on.  Or maybe I'll get out this month's UFO and work on it since it's my choice of a project from last year's list that I didn't do.  She says as she rolls her eyes at herself. 

On The Needles

Judy L has started a new Friday link up called On the Needles for our needle related projects.  This is going to be fun.  I can't wait to see what others are knitting, crocheting, weaving, etc.  You can see her projects and links to others on her post here.

I am going to show where I stand with my socks for the sock challenge.  I'm a little bit behind because my knitting time was spent working on the shawl for my daughter.  Now I'm back to my socks.  I usually only work on 1 pair at a time but right now I have 3 pair going.  At least I won't be bored.

These are my socks for April.  I'm using the pattern called Into the Green Socks, found on Ravelry.  I'm on round 70 and will work through round 111 before starting the toe decrease.  I think I'll pay attention to how long that takes me, just for the fun of it.

These are called Simple Skyp Socks, also found at Ravelry.  Gosh if you aren't a member of Ravelry, you are missing out on oodles of great stuff.  It's free to join.  I started these to work on when I'm the passenger so I don't suck all the air out of the vehicle.  But after 1 trip to town, I got myself all confused on the pattern and it's a super simple pattern.  I guess I am paying attention to what the driver is doing after all..........

So after that trip, I decided to take this pair of my basic just knit it socks for my car project.  I started them last month for date night here.  I am ready to start the heel flap on these today while I am the passenger again.  I can talk and knit and not watch freeway traffic all at the same time.  

Don't forget to check out what others are working on by clicking here.  Great idea Judy L!

Busy Busy

Tuesday and Wednesday morning, I made time for block making and strip cutting.

 I made June's block for Carol Daok's yahoo group BOM/Mystery.

I cut my strips for my first strip swap with the QuiltvilleSwap group.

Then made a trip to the post office to get them sent off.
I CANNOT wait until I get my package back!

The strips on the left go into my 2 1/2" bin.
The strips in the middle go into the 2" bin.
The lone strip on the right goes into the 1 1/2" bin.

Then I made blocks 26 and 27 for the Sow-Along at Barrister's Block.

This morning she posted blocks 32 and 33.  

I want to be caught up by next Wednesday when she posts more.

Wish me luck!

I continue to work on my Bow Tie Blocks for the 2011 Bow Tie Leader/Ender Challenge from Quiltville.

I started making my blocks here, in August 2011.

I stopped working on them for quite a while.
I picked them up again here, April 2012.

The yellow basket holds my pinned together block parts.

I work on 5 BT blocks at a time.

I pin 10 completed together and put them in the bin.

I don't know how many I have or how many I will need.

While going through a stack of books and magazines,
I found this booklet published in 2005 by Billie Lauder called
Let's Make Bow Ties & Spools of Thread.
I tried to find a link on the web but couldn't find one.
It has all kinds of layouts in it.
I'm having a hard time picking the one I want to use.

Now I'm going to spend time with my Binding Friends.
I wish I were working on binding but won' be.
Still having issues with skipped stitches on the quilting machine. 

I'll work on that later.

Maybe I'll crochet or knit or stitch.
I better go figure that out.  

Design Wall Monday

It's been a very busy week in the sewing room. More things were moved into their new home, fabric was cut, seams were sewn.

These blocks were on my design wall last week and today, after a final press and de-threading, the quilting will begin.  Yesterday the final borders were sewn on, back made, binding made and pressed and bobbins were wound.  Back and batting are loaded on the frame, spiral squares panto is laid on the table.

This luscious stack of fabric will be cut into 2 1/2" strips for my first time swapping strips with the QuiltvilleSwap group.  I'm pretty excited about getting my package back.

I also kitted up the Sow-Along blocks in hopes of being caught up by Wednesday when the new blocks are posted at Barrister's Block.  I'll work on these when I take breaks from quilting.

And finally, to show off my gorgeous baby girl, DeeDee and the mara shawl (free pattern on ravelry) I finished for her birthday.  Now I'm back to knitting socks until I start a shawl for myself.

See Judy L's adorable baby quilt and other fabulous design walls here.  I love Mondays in Blogland.

Feather Lesson Results in a Finish

Judy L is posting feather lessons on her blog, find them under her tutorial tab.  I have a feather phobia that I am trying to overcome.  I am going to make feathers.

I made the Carpenter's Star top for the lessons but when it came down to starting to quilt on the quilt top, I just couldn't do it.  So I got out this UFO which just happens to be the UFO for May in the 2012 UFO Challenge. I decided to just do it and quilted feathers in the border.  Then I did a swirly meander in the center.  I pulled out  the binding pieces bag and made a binding and now this is finished.

And I made feathers!  One corner looks pretty good, the other 3, not so much.  My feathers look better on the bottom border than on the top.  I do better going in one direction that in the other.  I have lots of practice to do.  I think I may just conquer this phobia.