Bonnie Challenge Update

Jo has challenged us to work on a Bonnie UFO before the mystery begins. I've been working on my version of Bonnie's Scrappy Sister's Choice.  I've found new energy with this project. I had pinned the parts together for a bunch of blocks. Now each block is placed on the design board and so it's easy for me not to mess it up. LOL  Under the needle is a 9 patch unit for my leader/ender. These are destine for Tumalo Trail which is in Scraps and Shirttails II. Pretty fun working 2 Bonnie quilts at the same time.

Here is my pile of blocks. I cannot wait to lay them all out and get busy on more rows.

Check out how others are doing with their Bonnie Projects at Jo's Country Junction.

Design Wall Monday

Do you ever pull out a UFO and wonder what the heck was I thinking? That was me Sunday when I started working on this UFO.  I had partial blocks pinned together with their parts. Blocks that were unsewn and pinned together. No notes other that what I found on the blog right here in 2008. Good thing I only made 4 totally scrappy blocks before I found this.

I will be spending some serious sewing time before the Quiltville mystery starts with this UFO. I have hopes of having a completed quilt top.  Why am I working on this UFO?  I blame Jo for having a Bonnie UFO Challenge.  My post about that is here.  The fun has begun.

Plans from 2 weeks ago:

• Retreat starts Thursday.....Can't wait. How many Pineapple Crazy blocks can I get made in 4 days without going crazy!  12 Pineapple Blocks and 5 border blocks
• Finish Patches and Posies  DONE!!
• Mail 9 patches for swap  I decided to add more blocks, they are done and everything will be mailed today.
• Make back for Pieced Hexies.  Pieces are cut and ready to sew.

Plans for this week:

• Sew back for Pieced Hexies.
• Work on Scrappy Sister's Choice
• Baste Pieced Hexies.

See what others have on their design wall at Patchwork Times.

Slow Stitching Sunday

I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted about my Circle Of Jewels quilt. I work on it almost every evening and am making nice progress despite my helpers, Shirley and Polly.  They were doing very good on my lap last night--maybe because they were spayed Friday and still not quite themselves. For the most part, they settle right in to nap but then there are those other times when they have to be off my lap!! 

I am almost ready to add the last row of flowers, then the last row of jewels.  I had a bit of a panic moment when I thought I was out of one of my jewel fabrics. I did a strong search online for more but didn't find any anywhere. The other day I was digging in my knitting bag and there was a sandwich bag with a nice pile of jewels fabrics cut and ready to baste to papers.  Talk about a sigh of relief! I totally forgot about doing that......so now you know how long it's been since I've really spent time knitting more that just a row or 2.  All because I am obsessed with this quilt.

It's now time to figure out what to do for borders.  I think I have a plan but I need to sit down with graph paper and colored pencils to see if it will work.  Since it's going to be a rainy, dark and gloomy day, I see more lap time for the kittens.

See how others are spending their Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts.

Saturday Sewing

I hadn't touched my sewing machine all week. The last day I sewed was Sunday before leaving retreat. I had great plans but something always came up. This morning Ernie left for hunting. I puttered around on the computer while having coffee and then when in to finish this quilt. I gave myself until 9:00 to sew then I had to do some housework.

Just before 9, Ernie came home with his deer.  There goes my morning! Not in a bad way, just something unplanned.

Everything was done, lunch was fixed and he decided to take a little nap.  I went in and quilted more. Then the phone rang. Plans were being made for more hunting.  Yeah! That means more quilting.

After he left, I kept at it and before long, this quilt was finished!  Binding on and stitched down by machine. Done!!!

I practiced echo quilting. Each flower block got a little better than the last.  I love the look of the back. This is my favorite flannel backing. I buy it at JoAnns. I've used in on lots of quilts and  I have never had a problem with it. My go to backing when I don't know what else to use.

Number 4 marked off the UFO Parade list and the super long UFO list. Looking back on the blog I see the top is finished July 2010. I know I got the book for this is July 2006 and remember working on these during down times at work.  

Next!

My Bonnie UFO for Jo's Challenge

Jo at Jo's Country Junction is hosting a Bonnie UFO Challenge. That's all the inspiration I need to pull out this UFO. I have my version of Bonnie's Scrappy Sisters Choice quilt.  When I started this quilt, I had a stack of center blocks already made. I used those instead of 9 patches.  Then I started putting it together. Then I changed my mind, wrote a note and put everything away. That means I haven't touched it in a very long time. 

Included in the bag of blocks and partial rows is a note to myself.  It says where I blogged about this top. It also includes what I planned to do with them.  I thought I needed to add sashing.  Several blocks need to be completed (There are several partial blocks with the parts pinned to them.) and that I wanted to take apart the blocks that are sewn into rows.

What's really going to happen in I am going to complete these blocks. I am not going to take the rows apart and I am going to finish this top. Will it be quilted before the new mystery starts? No. I've got other things happening but it will be nice to have this ready to quilt. I have border, backing and binding fabric so when it gets put away, it will be ready to baste and quilt.

I'm linking up at Jo's Country Junction.

Design Wall Monday

This past weekend was spent retreating with local friends. I was lucky and got to share a table with DD2-Crystal. She hasn't retreated with us for quite a while and we were all very thankful that Mike could take some time off from work so she could get in a few days of power sewing.

I only took my Pineapple Crazy to work on. I had 12 bobbins for my featherweight ready to go, my bags of scraps and papers. I thought I could get through those 12 bobbins, I really over estimated myself! I used 5 bobbins all weekend. I made a small dent in my scrap bags by completing 12 pineapple blocks and 5 border blocks.

I am now officially over one third finished with my blocks....82 pineapples and 20 border blocks. Not bad for 2 years time when I consider this to be my long term project.  I'm wondering how long long term is.  But after seeing Bonnie Hunter's quilt in person, I am very motivated to work on mine and get it finished.

Of course we had to play with some of the blocks to see what it could look like.  One of the gals stood up on a chair to get a look-see so I handed her my phone to get a picture. I hadn't seen it from this angle and it looks amazing!  Now I am really motivated. This is what 30 blocks looks like.   Pineapple Crazy is found in Bonnie Hunter's book-String Fling .

Go to Patchwork Times to see what other quilters are sharing today.

**I just remembered I didn't make a list for this week. I didn't finish my list from last week so I'm going to finish that and then we'll see what trouble I can get in to.

Design Wall Monday

Do you make deals with yourself? I do. All the time. I finished the Pinwheel quilt the other day and said I was going to get the Pieced Hexi quilt basted and quilt it next. But...the backing still needs to be made and Patches and Posies is on the UFO Parade list and it's smaller and everything is right here, ready to pin baste and PH is big and PP is older and screaming at me!   PH will be next.

So here we are. I'm practicing my echo quilting. OH BOY! I need practice!! I figure I won't get any better until I do it. I'm doing it. I'm echo quilting. Block 3 looks lots better than block 1.

Last week I planned to:

• Finish the pinwheel quilt  DONE 
• Work on Friends and Companions.  Nope
• Work on Wishes.  I looked at it, assessed how much background I have and need to do some thinking about different borders. This is a stash quilt and I still have quite a bit of the bright print so I'm thinking piano keys...maybe.

This week:

• Retreat starts Thursday.....Can't wait. How many Pineapple Crazy blocks can I get made in 4 days without going crazy!
• Finish Patches and Posies
• Mail 9 patches for swap
• Make back for Pieced Hexies.

See fabulous design walls at Patchwork Times.

On The Needles

Good progress has been made on the No Purl Monkey Socks.

I am such a slow knitter and if there is a pattern,

I'm even slower.

It's all good,

this isn't a race or a matter of life and death.

Good thing!

I made a whoopsie in the heel.

I'll live with it.

I am terrified of unknitting short rows.

Again, it's not a matter of life and death.

Check out some fabulous On The Needles projects today at Patchwork Times.

Finishes Feel Fantastic!

Time to Celebrate!

Pinwheels Finished!

(Ooohhh, I forgot to use the lint brush before posting a picture.
It's all de-linted now, ready for gifting.)

Fun pinwheel backing found at Thousands Of Bolts.

Scrappy Twin Sisters Finished!

Fun scrappy flannel backing.

Before this makes it to a UFO list,

borders have been added so it is next up to be quilted. 

Time to get out the tables for basting!

That's 3 UFOs off the UFO Parade List-Part 1.

Design Wall Monday

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Quilting has begun on number 3 on the UFO Parade from August.  Thursday morning I cut batting for the next 3 quilts I want to get quilted.  2 were on the list and one needs to be finished before it makes a list. UFO 2 has the backing made but I forgot to cut that batting. Binding for #s 2 and 3 are sewn and pressed waiting in the binding basket.

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This is Scrappy Twin Sister and she is finished.  She has aged from September 2010. I think that's plenty long enough. I found this block design in Quiltmaker magazine as one of Bonnie Hunter's Addicted to Scraps Column.  It was so fun to discover all the fun fabrics I put in this quilt.  The back is scrappy flannel squares.  I'll take pictures this week.  Of course I had to have a seam ripper moment. Thank goodness it wasn't more that this little circle.  Aren't those pink poodles a hoot!

 Just for fun, Shirley and Polly have discovered the empty dishwasher. I had to spin the spray arm above them. They are so funny!  No kitties were harmed in the loading of the dishwasher.

Last week's list:

• Finish Tell It To The Stars   Done-waiting for the November clue
• Pin baste a quilt  Not only pin basted but quilted and finished!
• Next block for Wishes, work of border and sashing  Block in finished but didn't start on sashing or border
• Next step for Friends and Companions  Block is finished.

This week I plan to:

• Finish the pinwheel quilt
• Work on Friends and Companions.
• Work on Wishes.

I can't wait to have Monday morning coffee with friends of DWM at Patchwork Times.

On The Needles

I'm working on the No Purl Monkey Socks again. It is Socktoberfest Season after all. I want to knit a couple pair of socks this month. Or at least finish these. I have so much fun sock yarn to play with and I miss knitting. 2 more color sections were added last night before I was interrupted by someone needing loves . I will leave my knitting bag next to my chair and try to knit at least a color section each evening.

Miss Shirley Kitty is learning to lay on Momma's lap/legs without playing with the yarn. She is doing really good. What you can't see is the little dog that is napping on my right hip.

See what others have on their needles at Patchwork Times today.  I might be adding a new pattern to my collection.

Tell It To The Stars

(Please forgive my horrible photos.

Poor lighting and cell phones combine to make this happen.

And me, I broke my camera.)

I have Tell It To The Stars sewn together.

Quilt Inspector, Shirley approves.

Next up are the borders.

Knowing Judy L, she is going to have an amazing pieced border to add to this.

I will sit back and wait for November's mystery clue.

It feels good to be ahead of the game.

There is no place in my house to lay out the quilt top and get a full picture.

It's raining outside. Boo.

I love the colors I chose for this.

It will be a wonderful fall quilt when it's finished.

Check out other Tell It To The Stars participants that are linking up with Patchwork Times. 

National Sewing Month Recap

My goal for National Sewing Month was to sew every day. 

I did it! 

I am celebrating.

Seriously, I cannot believe how much I accomplished.

Most days I was able to sit in front of the sewing machine.

Some days were spent with a little time, threaded needle and Circle of Jewels in my lap.

What did I work on?

In the collage you can see red/white/blue blocks for retreat lotto drawing, under that is the Quilt Retreat bag, next to that is Shirley checking out Tell It To The Stars, Batik Boxes (UFO blocks) top was put together, Wishes BOM was caught up, 2 minis, more Pineapple Crazy blocks made. Retreat fun happened. Smith Mountain Morning top was completed, Batik Hexies quilted. Circle of Jewels added to and a butterfly bag  (the black and white bag was made by Cheryl).  

Each day sewing time was found.

I'd love to keep that up for October.

For no other reason than

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Sewing Soothes My Soul.