Quiltathon Day 4

Is your husband retired?

Mine is.

Some days it's hard to get anything done.

Like today.

It took all day but I got my quilt basted.

Not one stitch was sewn.

Not looking good for tomorrow either. 

I'm trying to use up the stuff that is taking over my sewing room.

Like batting scraps that my friend gives me.

I've use lots of them in donation quilts but not the wool batting.

I've saved that for myself.

I use the iron on tape to join the pieces.

Some times I amaze myself with how close I come with measurements.

I swear I had at least 5 extra inches but as you see, I didn't.

Close is good enough today.

Thanks Judy L for another quiltathon.

I'm hoping to get a bit more accomplished during April.

Design Wall Monday

It's time to make some decisions on the On The Road Project.

Like exactly how big I'm going to make it. 

What am I going to do for the sides and the corners.

How many more blue pieced hexie do I need.

How many yellows.

I love how it's looking! 

Sometimes this is all I want to work on.

I went on a hunt for a complete picture of this quilt and didn't find any.

I did find a few of this in progress and labeled them.

And I found pictures of the mini sister quilt called Trees Left Standing and labeled those also.

That will be quilted next.

The pattern is from Bonnie Hunter's Adventures with Leaders and Enders.

If you don't own this book, you should order your own autographed copy.  😉

Leaders and Enders has changed my quilting life!

Anyhow, the basting will begin today!

I'm pretty excited that I have the binding ready, 

the thread is picked out,

I even know the quilt design I'm going to try.

Quiltathon Day 4 begins now!

See what others are working on at Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

Quiltathon Day 3

I feel like I've had a pretty productive day.

I hemmed my shirt and top stitched the neck of another.

I decided to not cut out shirts but to work on something quilty today.

I pulled out an assortment of greens to make the back for the Crabapple top.

One of our retreat classes in May is for Bonnie's Garden Party.

Since I'm already working on one, I decided to make this one a different colorway.

Green.

So I cut a strip from each of my green fabrics before prepping them to become a back.

The pieces were all sewn together and the back is made.

When it was time for lunch, Ernie turned on the TV.

Netflix has a new series called Marvel Iron Fist.

Yes, I got sucked in on this rainy afternoon.

Time to work on some hexies for On The Road Quilt.

These partials are for the top. 

It's early enough in the day that I might get one or 2 attached before I'm done for the day.

Tomorrow is basting day.

I swear!

Since the next Quiltathon is next week, 

Check out Judy L's sidebar for the quiltathon schedule.

Quiltathon Day 2

Yellow walls and florescent light, yuk!

My quiltathon isn't going as planned.

I decided to spend some time with my Laundry Day Tee pattern.

I taped my pages together,

traced out the size I needed.

Put my master pattern underneath,

marked the adjustments and drew out my final pattern.

This fabric came from Walmart.

It's a nice knit.

Not as nice as Knitpop  or Love Adore but it's nice.

It was a super easy sew.

I love that it is all the seams sewn on the serger.

I really love using the coverstitch for the topstitching.

I need to hem it this morning.

Maybe I'll make that quilt back today.

Or maybe I'll make another Laundry Day Tee!

It's still early.

March Quiltathon-Day 1

Today starts Patchwork Times March Quiltathon.

Oh I had grand plans to quilt!

But I needed to clean a bit in the sewing room.

I needed to piece more hexies for my On The Road Project.

Here are 11 different groups of 4 units for the top and bottom row of my quilt.

I have 6 sets trimmed and pinned to the papers ready to baste.

I need to find a good basting movie. 

My plans for tomorrow are kind of up in the air.

I'd love to piece some batting together and pin baste my Crabapple UFO.

That was my plan for the quiltathons this year,

reduce the amount of tops on Mt. ToBeQuilted.

Slow and steady!

I took a little walk this afternoon.

Our East-side neighbors have lots of ducks.

They have decided they like the West-side neighbor's and our driveways.

They hang out here and there all day long and then waddle themselves back home.

I sure hope they don't get run over.

They are pretty fun to watch.

No, I do not want ducks.

Design Wall Monday

Not much happening around here that involves a design wall.

I have been playing with my new coverstitch machine.

You may have read about Judy L's and my antics over the past few days.

It started on Facebook and then went to her blog.

I haven't had this much fun on the computer in a long time.

Facebook posts, blog posts, emails,

the fun went on for days and I think will continue for several more days

as we share our passion for our new machines.

Here are my first test stitches. 

I hadn't even changed out the nails they call needles.

I was too excited.

I have yet to use it on any garments but hopefully that will change today. 

While waiting for my machine to arrive, 

I made some progress on my March UFO.

The final borders are on and the binding is ready to be made.

I need to piece some batting scraps together and get this basted.

That will not happen today.

I need to focus on my project for the March Quiltathon that is happening this weekend.

And that will only happen for me if Washington State does not open clamming at our beach.

If it does, we are out of here. 😀

See what others are working on at Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

Design Wall Monday

We spent a few days at the beach so I took along some Mischief Quilt block parts.

I have 4 more to add to the ones below.

These are the blocks I had finished before the weekend. 

Except that one on the bottom left and now it's finished.

I sewed a bit on my beach sewing project.

Quiltville's Wild and Goosey.

I added 5 more little blocks.

I have a long ways to go.

10 big blocks done already.

Slow and steady, taking a few more scrap pieces each time we go.

During the week, I worked on my On The Road Project.

The blue row is complete,

including the gray and neutrals.

Yellow and orange, here I come!

I think I'll work on the top row yellow/orange 

and the sides

before doing another blue section.

It's as wide as I want it at the widest point.

I plan to use it on a twin sized bed.

I'll try to remember to get a picture for next week.

Now I need to go catch up with Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday. 

Design Wall Monday

2017 UFO Busting continues.

This table runner is finish number 6.

This is from July 2009.

I put it away and promptly forgot where I put it.

 I thought it was gone forever.

Recently I opened a bin to get something else out and there it was.

How long had it been since I had opened that bin?

I asked on Facebook which color binding I should use.

I even posted pictures of a few selections but no red.

Only because I didn't have any that looked good with these repro prints.

Thousands of Bolts to the rescue again!

I finished and wore another new shirt.

I made a design chance,

then neck too low for my comfort so I added a piece of lace.

After wearing it, 

I'll take the lace off and rework the neck.

I have enough fabric to combine with another piece 

and I'll use the lace on that one.

My plan to work on this month's UFO was put on hold.

I chased a squirrel instead.

This is The Mischief Quilt.

I wrote my story here.

I see some great links at Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

I think I'll chase a few squirrels. 😀

The Mischief Quilt

The Mischief Quilt

Or as I am calling it, Squirrel!

I follow Karen TheDIYAddict on Instagram.

She's been sharing these awesome epp blocks.

I fell in love and had to check them out.

Variation #3 is my favorite.

I ordered the kit.

It came a few days later.

I watched the videos and

started pulling batik strips that I have accumulated from strip swaps.

The aqua is for my center octagons and the pale green is for the neutral kite shapes.

Honestly I was only going to make one block to see if I liked it.

Originally I cut enough pieces for 7.

I sewed up one block and immediately started on number 2.

I know I'm weak.

I went back in and kitted up 18 more blocks.

And have the papers kitted up for the next 25.

I can rationalize all of this.

Of course I can. 😃

My On The Road Project is getting pretty good sized.

I need a small project to take to my Binding Friends group on Wednesdays

or to the beach.

This will be perfect.

I hope I don't finish it before the 15th when we meet again. 

March UFO Plan

Hello March!

The month of my highest highs and lowest low.

Memories are tricky and 

I am so happy to have my quilting to help work my way through the bad ones.

Judy L picked Number 5 for her UFO Challenge.

This is the 2014 BOM from The Hexi Blog.

Here is my first post about it.

As I sat here this morning drinking my coffee,

I came up with a plan for this quilt project.

First thing it needs is a good pressing.

I have the remaining fat quarters bits from making the sashing.

I plan to cut it all up, add more scraps/strings and make a piano key border.

I have some fun red fabric with paint cans and brushes all over. 

I think. 😉

I'll dig that out and get in through the washer and dryer.

I have plenty of batting scraps to piece together.

I'm excited to get busy on this one. 

Let the games begin!