Design Wall Monday

This is my UFO #3 from Patchwork Times 2017 UFO Challenge.

The blocks aged for 10 years, the quilted blocks for another 2 years.

After being upset with myself over procrastinating so long, 

I just giggle because I have so many great memories of receiving these blocks,

the friends that made them and the smiles they bring to me.

So no regrets, just smiles.

A few days ago, I posted my progress.

Saturday morning, I trimmed all the blocks.

That bag of trimmings bothered me for a bit.

There was so much in it, 

but nothing was wide enough for the string bin

and I not going to start making pet beds.

 I gave it to the garbage man without guilt.

The fact that all the batting used in the added sashings came from 

the trimmings of Tumalo Trail may have helped with the no guilt.

Then I set about joining my blocks. Thank goodness for Craftsy classes from Marti Michell called Piece By Piece: Quilt-As-You-Go-Techiques and Dot To Dot Quilting with Angela Walters.  I highly recommend both of these classes.  I learned so much from both of these ladies! The fact that I can take notes for the steps I don't want to forget and can go back and review just that part might be my favorite feature of these classes except the fact that I can re-watch them whenever and how often I want.  I learned the glue trick from Sharon Schamber  (you can find almost anything on you tube!). Isn't the internet amazing!!!

The status of this quilt right now is Rows A and B are joined together, C and D are complete rows ready to be added and Row E is laying on the sewing machine to start being made into a row.  Binding strips are all cut. Cross your fingers for a finish today. We still have plenty of snow and ice and the rain is coming in ready to create more chaos and I am happy to stay home and out of the way. I have my own work to do.

See fabulous projects at Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

The 2014 Bonnie UFO Challenge Finale

 TaaDah!

Two quilt tops finished!

Two quilt tops added to Mt. ToBeQuilted.

Bindings are made, labeled and stored away in the binding bin.

Plans for backings are drawn out.

It started here with a bag full of parts and a note to myself.

(Notes to myself are one of my best ideas ever!)

Actually it started in March 2008.

These quilts will be finished and gifted this summer.

It's always nice to have help from Miss Polly.

Not really!!

Thanks Jo for doing this challenge again this year!

I'm excited to have this one out of the bin!

Soon these will  be UFOs no more.

Check out Jo's beautiful quilt and 

see how others did with this challenge at Jo's Country Junction.

Bonnie UFO Challenge Success!

My version of Bonnie's Sister's Choice #1 is a finished top. It's hard to tell but the border is brown with green leafy vines and itty bitty yellow and blue flowers. I'm going to find some blue for the binding. You can see it here if you want.  Another of my life's simple pleasures.....Miss Polly always posing for the camera.  We'll work on the lighting another day.

Sister's Choice #2 has one of the 6 rows sewn together with part of row 2 under the needle.  I didn't stack these blocks the right way to be able to web the top like I normally like to do. I don't know what I was thinking or even if I was. This is giving me lots of leader/ender action which is a good thing.  I am in get it done mode and I'm running out of time before the mystery kick off.

See how others are doing with their Bonnie UFO Challenge at Jo's Country Junction.

Design Wall Monday

Good progress was made this week on my version of Bonnie's Sister's Choice Quilt. (Free pattern found here.) A few days ago, I did some math and decided to make 12 more blocks and make 2 quilts instead of one. Crazy? Nah, I have a plan!!

Quilt #1 is getting the rest of it's borders today. Quilt #2 will be layed out and blocks stacked, ready to sew together.

Funny story........most of the blocks have the same outer neutral per block with lots of neutrals being used. A few are scrappy.  The last 12 blocks....the centers are sewn spinning in the opposite direction from all the others. I didn't even think about it until I was pressing them.  Does that bother me? No, it's a scrappy, fun quilt. One day someone will look at it and wonder what was she thinking.  The answer will be "She wasn't!  She was doing mindless sewing, having a wonderful time with her fabrics."

The border fabrics are nowhere in the quilt. Again, does this bother me.....NO.  I love this quilt and I'm so happy I chose it/them to work on before Grand Illusion starts. I need to hurry, I want both tops finished before the 29th.

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

My plans for this week:

• Finish Quilt #1
• Finish Quilt #2
• Rearrange sewing table

Bonnie Challenge Update

I'm a day late with my Bonnie UFO Challenge Update. 

That's the way things have been going lately.

I only have 8 blocks left to sew back together.

Then I did some counting and some math.

Bad idea???

Maybe not.

If I make 12 more blocks, 

I can make 2 cuddle on the couch quilts.

Will I?

I don't know.

I'm still thinking about it.

I also have these 8 sewn blocks to press.

That's not all I've done this week,

I worked on another project instead.

Can't tell you what it is though.

You know,

tis the season.

How did others do with their Bonnie UFOs?

See here at Jo's Country Junction.

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.

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.