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!

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.

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.

September Sewing-Day 3

I am using National Sewing Month as my excuse to sew every day this month.

I really like having my little list posted on Mondays.

On Monday, I set up tables on the deck and basted my hexi quilt.

I quickly basted the section that was in the sun and covered it up.

By the time I was finished, the whole quilt was shaded.

Then I started quilting until it was time for 2 1/2 year old Corbin to spend the afternoon. 

After he went home, I collapsed in the chair for the rest of the night.

I picked up the hexi box but all I did was open and close it.

After a very good night of sleep, 

Tuesday I quilted and quilted until it was done.

Added the binding and label, then settled down to stitch them down.

By the end of the day, 

I had a finished quilt. 

UFO Parade quilt 1 is marked off the list!

Simple somewhat straight line quilting in the ditch.

This morning I finished up my 9 patch wall hanging #2.

Wednesday is Binding Friends (sewing group) day and 

we laid out my Smith Mountain Morning blocks.

Darn me, I forgot to take a picture.

They are all pinned into rows but I'm not sure when I'll start sewing them.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings,

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

Last Monday I showed 2 small UFOs that I was quilting and trying to finish. The New York Beauty is done and is now being used as a table topper. Next on Mt. UFO is this Quilt As You Go string quilt that I started in February 2011. Whoa! Time to get it done. It will be nice to kick this one out of the UFO Parade!

I have to write notes to myself with my intentions-quite often I forget the note and the intentions! I see that I am not the only one that writes herself notes.  See Kathy's post here.

In the bag with the blocks are the center strings and more backing and binding fabric. I have boxes of batting scraps and bins of strings so I am set to finish. I followed this tutorial at Sew Many Quilts. There is a finishing tutorial here. I'm sure there are lots of tutorials out there, this is the one I prefer.

Ohhh, there's some great things happening over at Patchwork Times on the DWM links.......I'm headed there now. I love Monday in Blogland!

Retreat Round Up

The shenanigans began Wednesday morning.  

I didn't realize just how much I needed this retreat. I had a blast!  

I am happy to say that my pre-retreat list of projects is pretty much completed. 

Project 1 is done and ready for quilting.

These blocks were projects 2 and 3. 

Step 5 blocks for Judy L's mystery are ready to sew to step 4 blocks.

Of the 9 Grandmother's Choice blocks I took, 6 are finished (and 

I see in this picture I forgot to fix that little booboo on that top block).

The other 3 blocks are started but and I got tired of working on them 

or they needed something more.

So I put them away.

Project 4 is my Carol Doak mystery that is now ready to have the paper removed.

Project 5 makes me very happy. 

Instead of starting the new quilt, I grabbed this box 

when I came home.  I figured I should work on one more UFO 

before starting the new quilt.  I'm so glad I did!!

Finally I started this new flannel quilt.

I'll show it off on my Design Wall Monday post.

Only because I want to put some of these blocks on the wall to see how they will look.

Now it's time to catch up on some laundry and dance around with the vacuum.

Retreats are awesome!!

Wednesday UFO Report on Friday

I am happy to report this is no longer a UFO.  It is now a complete quilt top and will be quilted this summer. Yeah for some serious sit down and sew retreat time.  This was my first project.  I started on it immediately Wednesday and when it was time to sew on the top already cut to size border, it was too short.  Tears..... not really but almost.  When I came home that night, first thing I did was get the chunk of border that was cut off and put it in my purse.

Batik Beauty was finished first thing Thursday morning.  I'm also happy to say I like it now.  What really makes me happy is that it is no longer a UFO.

The next UFO (Go! Stars) on the list is sitting with my purse just in case I have time to work on it this weekend and with the way I'm crossing things off my list, it just might get started.

Wednesday UFO Report...

...on Thursday...........

Not much has happened to the UFO this week.  It's been such gorgeous weather here finally that most of my time has been spent outside rediscovering those long lost/under used muscles.  I decided this morning to sit down and sew and finish watching The Magic of Belle Isle on Netflix.  Great movie!

I made the final block and then did more sashing strips and 9 patches.  I had forgotten how many more I needed to make so I just made up what I had the fabric cut for already.  Now I know how many more to make. :0)  I can't wait to see how Taylor is going to arrange these blocks.  I'm hoping she will be here this weekend so I can take this to retreat next week and get it all put together.

That's right, retreat!~!~!  I am sooo ready to just hang out and laugh and sew and laugh some more!  Maybe I'll even get a UFO or 2 completed.  No promises.

So now the washer if done, the sheets are going to be hung outside with the quilts that are already out there.  Then I am headed to the garden with seeds.

Wednesday UFO Report

I made a little UFO progress this week.  Maybe I'm starting to like this now.  Cool sashing makes a difference.  I had it on the wall when Taylor was here the other day and she loved it so I guess it has found a home already.  I'll make that last block, finish up the sashings and 9 patches then I'll have her come out and arrange the blocks the way she wants it to be.  Then I think it will be time for her to learn to use the longarm.

See others that have linked up up to Patchwork Times UFO Report.

Wednesday UFO Report

Have you ever worked on a project that no matter how hard you've tried, you just can't like it?  This one is mine.

This is my project that I showed last week in the UFO Parade.  From the beginning of the block of the week/month, whatever it was, I have not liked these blocks very much. But I soldiered on and kept making them until one day.... I put them away and ignored them.  Then when cleaning and organizing my room, I found them again, drew up a design for them in EQ7, added some more fabric, block patterns, sashing and border fabrics and put them in the UFO bin. Now I am doing them, I figured if I didn't pick these first, they would be shoved into the dark corner never to see light of day again.

I need to make one more block and then start work on the sashing and cornerstones.  I am going to finish this.  I swear.   I also bought the backing flannel for the Hanky Panky quilt.  I had 3 littles with me and we had 3 blue flannels to pick from.  It helped that 2 of them were the same fabrics.  I'm kind of sneaky that way. ;0)

See other UFO progress or not at Patchwork Times today.  Judy L is ready to bind a gorgeous pink quilt.

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

Today is a stay at home and get things done day.  I decided the first thing I wanted to do was work my UFO Plan and get this fabulous top finished.  Now I need to decide what to bind it with, either the brown polka dot or the lime green that forms the little 4 patches.  I'm leaning toward the brown.

Since I missed Quiltcam live from Quiltville last night, I clicked on and watched via YouTube.  How much fun to sew and listen to Bonnie chat.  It was quite funny and spooky when several times as she mentioned things that were happening to me at the exact same time she's talking about it.  Stray threads was mentioned as I was pulling threads off my top while pressing.  Wondering if we plan how to quilt a project as I was thinking about a really cool pantograph that I have and want to use on this top. She mentioned classic fabrics and how long these wild and modern prints would be in style-prints like the lime/pink I was using in this quilt ....made me laugh at how alike quilters really and truly are.

I am so happy Bonnie is now using YouTube for Quiltcam so we can watch whenever we want instead of missing out on the chatty fun because of other obligations. Good call Miss Bonnie!  It so much fun to sew with others, even if it's just through the computer screen.

This is the next UFO that has been pulled from the bin and a plan is beginning to form in my head.  For me, the plan needs to be broken down into steps and written on paper.  First the blocks need to go up on the wall to see which ones to keep and which ones to replace. I remember there are blocks in there that I do not like. See, the plan is formulating already.

UFO Plan

After parading a few of my UFOs all over Blogland and 

doing some serious thinking to come up with a workable plan for me, 

I think I may have something figured out.

I'm testing it out on this UFO.

This is the UFO I am working on and showed in this week's Design Wall Monday post.  

This is the design I had come up with using EQ7.

The blocks were sewn together.

Border 1 was cut and sewn on.

Border 2 was ready to be cut when reality set in.

I don't have enough lime/pink fabric for wide borders.

Back to EQ7.

Play with simple borders so I can still use my lime/pink fabric.

Use what I have.

TaDah!!!

My plan is to pick one project.

Stick with it.

Try to use what I have.

Since most projects are contained with their components,

I shouldn't have much trouble.

We'll see how far that gets me. :0)

I am NOT going to say I won't start any new projects.

What fun would that be?

And I would be a liar because I do plan to start several new projects.

What I am saying is that I am going to focus on those UFOs I showed in the parade.

When those are completed,

I'll have another parade.

I'm linking up with Judy L's UFO Plan.

There are some really good tips from other Planners.

I hope to incorporate some of them into my plan.

UFO Parade

Judy L is hosting a UFO Parade at Patchwork Times. Facing the cold hard truth is hard.  Acting on the cold hard truth is going to be fun.  I have a lot of UFOs.  I am not counting them. I want each of them to be finished.  I'm parading one bin at a time.

Last year when I cleared out my sewing room for the big move around, I put my UFOs into big blue bins. I have 4 of them, they are all full.  Each bin has a list of what is inside. I keep that list in my notebook. 

Today I picked the closest bin to me.  Bin number 4.  Here are the contents. As I pulled each project out of the bin to take a picture, I made notes on what is needed to finish. Most of them had that info already on it.

There are 2 that I want special backings for so that went on my shopping list.  OK, let's start the parade of Bin 4.

Go! Scrappy 1- started  October 2010

Blocks complete, red sashing with black cornerstones.

Batik Blocks - started November 2010

This kit contains fabric and instructions for more blocks.

Also sashing and border fabrics.

This top if FINISHED!!!

Hanky Panky - top finished October 2010

There is enough of the blue fabric to use for binding.

I want to use a soft blue flannel for the backing.

Oh, Orca Bay, how you haunt me!

This has been waiting to be quilted since January 2012.

Last week I made the backing, the fabric has aged for about 5 months now.

It should be good to go now. 

Binding is made.

9 Patches and Posies - top finished February 2010

I'l like an antique looking floral print for the back of this one.

Binding is made.

Ultimate Scrap Quilt Like Julie's - top completed December 2012

Backing is ready, binding will be very scrappy.

New York Beauty Scrappy Batiks Table Topper

October 2011

Why hasn't this been quilted???

Yellow back string blocks - February 2011

I need to make 4 more blocks.

These are quilt as you go blocks.

That's the end of today's parade.  We'll have another parade on another day. I still have 3 bins full and probably enough new UFOs to fill another bin.  But I'm not talking about that today. wink, wink