Slow Stitching Sunday

You know how easily influenced I am, right?  I see something I love and off I go!  The other day Katy posted her wall hanging.  I had just finished using these fabrics in another project and was going to put everything away. But......sidetracked again!  I spent the day making little 9 patches and quilting this little wallhanging.  Saturday night we watched Captain Phillips with Tom Hanks ( I've loved Tom since Bosom Buddies!) while I stitched the binding, label and sleeve to finish this.

I thought I had the perfect spot for it but it's just a little too big. I'll find something else to put there and hang this one in my sewing room.

Then I finished this flower for Circle of Jewels and still had quite a bit of time left on the movie.  I had counted how many 6 piece jewel sections I still need to make and got started basting those. In no time at all, the movie was over and 30 pieces were basted.

Today I am going to find more slow stitching time.  Will I have another binding to work on or will it be jewels? Either way there will be some quiet needle and thread time.

See how others are slowing down at Kathy's Quilts: Slow Stitching Sunday.

On The Needles

Sadly my knitting mojo is missing. The only time I've picked up anything yarn related has been while I'm a passenger in a vehicle.  I've been hexi stitching instead.  This is dishcloth #14 and will be a mix of little yarn balls that need to get out of the bin.  I tried to throw these away but just couldn't make myself. I knew 3 of them would make a dishcloth.  I know you know what I mean!

Here's a cute grandson story. We went on a road trip with Crystal and the kiddos. I sat in the back next to 8 year old Elliot and I was knitting a dishcloth. We had a good conversation about washing dishes and making it fun with bright, happy dishcloths.  (He thinks his Gramma is silly.)  I told him he could have this green one since green is his favorite color.  No thank you, I don't wash the dishes.  You don't!? No, that's Mom's job.  Mom is laughing because they all help with the dishes.  In the end, I gave him the dishcloth and told him when it was his turn to wipe off the table, this would make it fun.  Now each of the kiddos have their own dishcloth.

I'm sure my knitting mojo will reappear one of these days. But for now, I'm happily stitching hexies.
See what others that have mojo are up to at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

I've had a pretty productive week in the sewing room considering

 I am still dealing with this hacky cough and cold. 

My list for last week:

Goals for this week:

• Finish last 2 months of Tell It To The Stars.  Done and excited for the September clue.
• Make back for hexagon quilt.  Done!!  Used lime green shirting that I'm sure my recipient is going to love
• Baste hexagon quilt.  Nope. 
• Re-arrange sewing table.  I worked on this for quite a while.  Scraps that were out of control are now in control.  I still need to move machines around the way I want them.
• Do a UFO Parade blog post--want to join in and make your own list?    Done (it's here) and printed off, pinned so I can see it while at the machine.  :)

I refilled my Circle of Jewels box after working several more jewel sections. Now I'm working on 3 more flowers before going back to the jewels again. This one is finished and the 2nd started.

While working on Tell It To The Stars, I used these 3 blue star blocks for Smith Mountain Morning as leaders and enders.  Then I was on such a roll that I sewed 7 more using the border pieces as their leaders and enders.  Yes, Bonnie and Judy L playing together again this week.  

After seeing someone's Pineapple Crazy picture on Facebook, I had the urge to work on mine. So I pulled out the box and made these border blocks.  Now I really want to work on this again. (See how easily I get sidetracked.)

Right now my design wall is empty but others are not. See them here at Patchwork Times.

Goals for August 25 through August 31:

• Baste Hexi quilt.
• Quilt Hexi quilt.
• Bind and finish Hexi quilt.
• Finish blue star blocks for Smith Mountain Morning.
• Sew 5 Pineapple Crazy blocks.

This will keep me busy enough.  Have a great week.

Slow Stitching Sunday

I'm not really a Slow Sunday Stitcher, I'm a Slow Stitcher all week long. In the evenings when we are watching tv, I have to have something to do.  Either stitch, knit or crochet.  Lately the yarn projects have been taken over by my Circle of Jewels project.

During the week I worked on jewels. I don't want to find myself with a pile of flowers and then have to stitch oodles and oodles of jewels. That would send this project right into the UFO corner.

I like to keep my box stocked with my goals.  So when I restocked my box last night, I still had the 2 jewels to complete and I added in 3 flower kits.  Before I could start the hexies, I had to finish the jewels.  Such silly games I play!!  When these flowers are complete, I will lay out for my next row and add it to the quilt top.

See fabulous Slow Stitching projects today at Kathy's Quilts.

UFO Parade August 2014-Part 1

I have a plan.

Oh Please! Stop laughing!

Since I've been in quilting mode,

I am making a short UFO Parade.

I'd like to get these done,

in this order.

Each of these quilts has a name on them.

I can't say which name because it's a Super Secret Project.

#1  The Hexagon Top

I found the perfect back for this one.

Scrappy batik binding will finish this one off.

#2 Scrappy Twin Sister

Flannel backing is already pieced and

is in the bag with the binding.

#3 Posies on Parade

I think this one needs a fun floral back.

Diagonal lines through the 9 patches and 

fun echo quilting for the flowers.

#4 Pinwheels on Parade

Wait until you see the back for this one.

It is the most perfect back I have ever picked.

#5 Blue Sampler Number Two

I need to find some border fabric and 

 flannel for the back.

That's enough to keep me busy for a while.

When these are finished, 

I bet I don't have any trouble finding 5 more.

Want to join me with your own parade?

Design Wall Monday

Time for my newest quilting project. 

I've been doing pretty good with these UFOs.

Kathy showed her hexagon quilt top the other day (and again today) 

and I couldn't quilt thinking about mine.

I made this top doing a Quilt-A-Long with Jaybird Quilts.

(Scroll down the page for all the info.)

This has aged 4 years and that's enough.

I now need to figure out a backing for it and get it going.

I've spent quite a bit of time on my Circle of Jewels.

I was told I have an obsession with these.

I hate to admit he might be right.

I worked my list quite well from last week.

I even finished a quilt.

I'm hoping I can do as well with the list for this week.

Check out great design walls at Patchwork Times.

Goals for this week:

• Finish last 2 months of Tell It To The Stars.
• Make back for hexagon quilt.
• Baste hexagon quilt.
• Re-arrange sewing table.
• Do a UFO Parade blog post--want to join in and make your own list?

Slow Stitching Sunday

I'm having a blast with my Circle of Jewels. I can't remember the last time I picked up my knitting or crochet at night. I'd rather work on this right now.

I have lots of flowers finished and several more ready to sew. I need 39 and I think I'm in the upper 20s.  Now I need to concentrate on the jewels before sewing any more flowers. I am to the point that I can figure out how many I will need without making way too many or way too few.  It might be time to sit down with graph paper and colored pencils and come up with a real plan.

We love sitting around the table on the deck. (Pretty disappointed the paint is peeling off it though.) Some great conversations have taken place out there. I love seeing what kiddos have left. Trucks are parked, ready for the next visit. Today looks like a good day to sit outside and stitch.

See what's slowing others down at Kathy's Quilt's: Slow Sunday Stitching.

Finish #7

It feels so good to be knocking these UFOs off the list!  This is finish #7 since I got my new machine at the end of May.  I named this one Lime Splash. It's bright, happy and fun but mostly it's done! Complete with label.

Time to find the next UFO.  Kathy showed her hexi quilt here and since then, I've been thinking of mine. Doing a search on my blog, I can't find a picture of the complete top although I know it is.  I think it is~.  I did find this post  that is over 4 years old. It's time to get this one out and get if finished.

Working The List

In Monday's post, I made a short list of things I wanted to get finished this week.

I'm happy to say I've marked everything off my list and then some. 

This is the back for the lime green and brown quilt. 

Notice the pins?

The quilt is basted and ready to quilt.

Here are 6 blocks-3 months- for Tell It To The Stars.

I have 2 more months to do and I'll be caught up,

ready for September.

Can you believe that's only a few days away!

September!!! Already!

I got my brown stars sewn for Smith Mountain Morning.

Here are 11 blue stars laid out on my little design boards ready to be sewn together.

I used the brown blocks as leaders and enders for Tell It To The Stars.

Bonnie and Judy L working together. 

snicker, snicker

I'm going to a retreat next month so I made the lottery blocks.

These are Exploding Blocks from Missouri Quilt Company.

These were so fast and fun to make.

Now I want to wind bobbins, 

clean and oil my machine, 

insert a new needle

and start to play.

Design Wall Monday

 Last week I made a short list of things I wanted to accomplish this week.  

I got 3 of my 4 things done.

I completed my Cathedral Stars top that I started at Bonnie Hunter's class in June.

I finished my Twisted Mystery.

Now a sweet little 6 year old wants to hang it in her bedroom when it gets redecorated.

I think we will use the share plan.

I was way behind on my Tell It To The Stars Mystery.

Now everything is cut and ready to sew.

And.....

August is compete!

I knew if I cut this and put it in the bag, 

I would be so confused when it came time to sew.

So I hunkered down and got it done.

I loved this step.

I chose my next quilting project but did not get it ready to quilt.

This quilt has aged since April 2013

and it's time to warm someone special.

My plan for this week:

• Sew 2 months Star blocks
• Make back for green and brown quilt
• Baste this quilt
• sew more Smith Mountain blocks

See what other's have on their design wall this week at Patchwork Times.

Sweet Surprises

On Monday, I set a few goals for myself for the week.

On Tuesday, I crossed one of them off.

Today I started cutting my blocks for Tell It To The Stars.

I am such a procrastinator!

I am not happy about that!

Last week I printed the instructions and as they come off the printer,

I picked them up and stapled them together.

I didn't even check to see if everything printed.

I love that my printer prints the last page first.

This morning it's all quiet

 (meaning the kittens are taking a nap!)

and a good time to cut some fabric.

I cut blocks for 3 months

(Yes! I am that far behind!)

 and pulled out the June instructions.

I was reading them and this is what I found on page 3.

When the grands are here and want to draw, 

they get paper from the printer.

When they leave, I put the paper they didn't color on back in the tray.

I missed this paper in the stack and I'm glad I did.

2 1/2 year old Corbin likes markers and he drew Gramma a picture.

He must have put it back in the pile of papers for me to find.

Totally made my morning!

Back to cutting,

3 months kitted, 3 months to go!

I know once these are all cut and ready to go, 

I'll want to sit down and sew like a mad woman!

Who knows,

I might be caught up before the next clue.

It's A Good Day...

...To Finish This Little Quilt

This is called Twisted Mystery.

It was Carol Doak's Mystery from

October 2011-February 2012

on her Yahoo group page. 

I am happy to report it is no longer a UFO

and after a spin through the washer and dryer,

I think it will hang beside my bed for a while.

It is so bright and cheery.

I used the walking foot to stitch somewhat straight lines.

And in the background, I did free motion little loops,

I intended them to be pebbles but

white on white is super hard for me to see so they are mostly loops.

I think it turned out fabulous!

I even lined up the hanging sleeve (on the right side)

with the back piecing.

I was happy when I trimmed the backing

and was able to use that piece for the sleeve. 

Now I need to put on my label that I forgot.

I'm calling this one done!!!

Next???

What a great way to start the day.

Design Wall Monday

I've been busy quilting away on my Carol Doak's Twisted Mystery wall hanging. (Is it wall hanging or wallhanging???)  I'm always surprised at how long straight (or somewhat straight) line quilting takes but I love the effect.  I've got all of the colored sections finished and now I'm quilting pebbles in the white background.

I've been lucky this past week to have a couple days of great amounts of uninterrupted quilting time.  Now that I am this close to being finished with this one, it's time to start thinking about what UFO I'll work on next.

I do have a sewing plans for the week. If I list it here, maybe I'll get to them.

• Finish this wall hanging.  (Tuesday morning--it's DONE!)
• Kit up blocks for Tell It To The Stars 
• Attach borders to Cathedral Stars
• Pin baste next UFO to quilt

This should keep me busy this week.

Check out fabulous design walls at Patchwork Times.

Slow Stitching Sunday

I'm super late getting my Slow Sunday Stitching post up. I have a great excuse! Really I do.  Ernie and I loaded up in daughter Crystal's vehicle with the her 4 bright and early this morning and made our way down to the Great Oregon Steam Up.  Oh what fun it is to ride the train, see all the tractors, steam and farm equipment and all things big and little boys love. New this year was a quilt show. We didn't find it but there were lots of quilts displayed throughout the grounds.

Needles to say when we got home, my knee was killing me and Poppy was in need of a nap. We both crashed in the recliners and his eyes were soon closed and I had an ice bag in place and my hexi box in my lap.  I spent the next couple hours on and off with the ice bag and basting jewels.  When I ran out of fabrics to baste, I started joining them into rosettes.  I love a slow afternoon that I can spend stitching and not worrying about getting anything else done.

Now I'm headed over to Kathy's Quilts: Slow Sunday Stitching to see what others are working on.