May UFO Report & June's UFO

May was a busy, busy month.

I feel I've made terrific progress on catching up with all the UFOs for the 2018 UFO Challenge.

Except for the May UFO.

It is pin basted and ready to quilt.

The machine is cleaned and oiled and has a new needle, 

bobbins are wound and machine is threaded.

All I need is time at the machine and a new audio book.

June's UFO is #6, my Hexagon BOM from 2104!

Last year I put the borders on and now I will quilt it.

I don't have a plan yet for this one.

I need to choose backing.

I have plenty of fabric for backing.

I'm on a mission to get completely caught up this month.

Wish me luck!

Thanks Judy L for hosting the 2018 UFO Challenge.

February UFO Crossed Off The List

My quilting mojo is being good to me.

I finished my February UFO from Judy L's Challenge.

Well it's almost finished.

I still have to stitch down the binding and the label. 

That's for TV time.

I'm not the greatest at free motion quilting designs but I had fun with this.

I know I put a bit over 16 hours into the quilting because

that's how long it takes to listen to Come Sundown by Nora Roberts

on YouTube. 

I don't include the taking out of half a border of this.

I  didn't like my quilting with the black thread.

I told you I wasn't very good at the designs. 😉

So I went with a medium sized meander and 

I'm happy with it. 

Next up is Jamestown Landing which is the March UFO.

It feels good to be making progress. 

Design Wall Monday

The sewing mojo has returned home! 

On Ringo Lake is a finished quilt top!

Even that one sashing block has been turned the right direction.

I'm waiting on the backing to arrive this week and the basting will begin.

After ORL, I grabbed the board the had these cute 6" calendar blocks layed out on it.

These were our Christmas Club exchange blocks for 2017.

I knew all last year how I was going to sash them!

This will hang in the bus at the beach when it's completed.

Then I started sewing Oklahoma Backroads blocks into a top.

I've been making these blocks as leader/enders for a while.

The pattern is at Quiltville in the free patterns tab.

Sorry for the horrible picture.

It needs a good pressing and then the sashing will go on.

Lots of tv time with the Olympics and then yesterday was the Daytona 500.

We have really missed watching NASCAR the past couple years.

I sat down thinking I could get the last row finished on The On The Road Quilt

(found at MDQuilts)

but I was wrong.

I had one yellow/orange rosette stitched wrong so unsewing and resewing had to happen

before anything else.

I have the final 4 finishing rosettes and 1 little edge section left.

Today? Maybe~

Snow and ice and freezing temps are here again.

Spring tried to show herself around here.

Daffodils are up with buds ready to open, trees are starting to grow their buds,

then WHAM!! Winter tells us who is still boss.

These days are perfect sew days. 

See what's happening in Blogland at

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Slow Stitching Sunday

 I haven't done a Slow Stitching post in quite a while. Believe me, there has been some SLOW stitching happening around here.

Case in point is my On The Road Quilt that only happens on the couch.  I am so close to having it complete. The final half hexi row of yellow/orange rosettes are prepared. The final blue hexi and the surrounding neutrals are ready. The side fill in pieces are ready.

I started this August of 2016 and have worked on in off and on since.
I am so excited to have his one so close to complete. I've got a plan in my head for the borders and the quilting. The backing fabric will be here this week. It is #4 on my UFO list for the year. When that number is called, I'm hoping to have it marked off the list already.

NASCAR Daytona 500 is today. I predict I will be sitting on the couch with this in my lap stitching and stitching until the final stitch is in.

Of course sometimes I predict wrong but I have have high hopes.

I can't wait to pull out the rest of the papers!

Check all the Slow Sunday Stitching posts at Kathy's Quilts.

So many fabulous projects! 

Design Wall Monday

On Ringo Lake is becoming a quilt top.

Slowly but surely!

3 long center rows are sewn together.

The 4th row blocks are stacked and ready to assemble.

Eating the elephant one bite at a time.

The Olympics have taken over my TV.

Now I wish I had a TV in my sewing room.

I am soooo very close to working the bottom row of my On The Road Quilt.

I'm only 2 rosettes away from finishing  the last blue row

but I got stalled when I needed more piece neutral hexies.

So I grabbed my neutral scrap bucket and went to work.

I'm not sure how many I have but I'm thinking more than enough.

You know how that works, right!!

Last night I basted all the remaining hexies.

I hope, I might need to make a few more grays and a couple of lavenders 

 but they are easy, 

just cut fabric and baste to the paper.

I'm ready to finish this top!

Bring on the Monday evening Olympics.

Check all the fabulous design walls at 

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday.

Design Wall Monday

When my mind is full, 

my hands need to be busy.

I tried sewing at the machine but that was a fail.

I can work on my Pieced Hexies,

stop when I need to just think.

There's something very comforting about pulling the needle through fabric.

This is the start of the final blue row. 

I might need to make a few more neutral and gray hexies

but the major parts are ready to sew.

(I just noticed that my purple by the blue is the wrong purple!) 

(Easy fix!!)

As I was working on it last night, 

all of the sudden it was very heavy.

Time to pull out more of the papers. 

Only the hexies that are not surrounded by other hexies

need to have the papers left in them.

When all the pieces are stitched,

I will work on a border to make it a straight edge. 

I plan a solid neutral border (solid as in tone on tone)

and then the blue fabric used in the center of the blue rosettes will be the outer border.

I am so close

and so excited!

Check out the other great design walls today at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

March UFO Progress & April UFO Plan

Well the March UFO Plan didn't exactly go as planned.

I didn't have enough leftover sashing fabric for piano keys.

I did have enough to make a fun pieced scrappy border though.

Some time early in the month, 

my quilting mojo went missing.

Pardon my folding creases as this had been folded (with seams to the inside)

and put back in her storage bin.

My mojo is back now so maybe the quilting will happen in April.

Or maybe not. 😉

Some UFO project is better than no progress. 

That's my story.

Judy L chose #1 for April.

My Millefiore!

I love this quilt so much.

I have great plans for her.

First is the border. 

This picture does not show the gray fill in pieces for the edges.

They are on there, I swear.

I can't believe I didn't take a picture of that!!

Here's my plan.

Press one edge at a time.

Remove those papers.

Applique it to the inner border of the same color.

After all four sides are finished,

attach the outer border.

The quilting plan and thread have been mapped out for months. 

That's going to be a big project

so prep work for quilting is all I plan to do this month.

I have to get other things ready for retreat in May.

See how others have done with their UFO projects at

Patchwork Times.

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.

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. 

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!

Finish Number 5

Yes, table runners count as finishes.

I started this a little over 2 years ago.

All I needed to do was quilt it.

Why do I put this off?

I'm blaming the squirrel.

Actually I was going to hand quilt this but decided to just get it finished.

This will go to in the bus.

Yeah for UFO Busting!

Design Wall Monday

There's not much to talk about his week. I sewed another t shirt and have another partially sewn and another cut out and waiting. I forgot to take any pictures. I love that they don't take long to sew. Simple front, back and 2 sleeves. Easy peasy and they fit and don't shrink up to show off my tummy.

 I don't know what happened but I decided to clean my sewing room. EEEKKK! That room was a scary place and now it's even scarier. But I'm making good progress.

Really I do know what happened, I read a Facebook post where a woman was given all of a friend's stash. It was an OhMyGoodness moment for me. I needed to get my stuff in order.

In the evenings there has been hexi work. Lots of basting. I've added a few more sections to my On The Road Quilt. I'll lay it out when the row is complete for a picture. I discovered I need to make lots more neutral blocks. 

The t shirts have to be finished first. That's a good project for this rainy, rainy day. I'll put in an hour or so more time cleaning, because I have a few piles to sort through still. Then I'll sew and sew and sew... (that picture is an old whoopsie, haven't done that it a while so I better pay attention.)

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

Slow Stitching Sunday

I am having so much fun creating the rosettes for my On The Road Quilt.

It has actually seen more action from my couch than from the road.

I added a couple more sections to the 1st row.

One more section was added since this photo.

I now have the plan in my head on what makes up the smaller sections.

These big sections are kind of cumbersome to work with. 

Again, I learn the hard way.

It's lots of fun to spin the hexies around to find the design I want to use.

I love using my little design board (link to Lori Holt's tutorial) to keep my layout the way I want it.

In the Pieced Hexi books, Mickey Depre has shown lots of variations for each design.

I am having so much fun making her On The Road Quilt-

find all the info on her website.

See fabulous Slow Stitching projects at Kathy's Quilts:Slow Stitching Sunday.

Slow Stitching Sunday

Holy Guacamole! It's been a long time since I've done a Slow Stitching Sunday post. Since August! It's not because I haven't been stitching, it's mostly because I haven't been in a blogging mood. Isn't that strange.

I have been busy making piece hexies for my On The Road Quilt. I work on this almost every day. Either basting a hexi, making the pieced blocks or connecting the hexies into a rosette.  Last night got the best of me and I HAD to sew some rosettes together!

I learned that I am making my pieces too big. I need to section off the gray and cream units and not do the whole great big blue pieces.  Then I can do them in smaller row. I'll go ahead and finish connecting the big ones I have stitched up-I think there are 7 of them now. Then I'll work smaller and smarter.  Again, I've learned a lesson the hard way!

Another lesson is to stitch right sides together. LOL  I had only taken a few stitches before I spotted this big whoopsie!  I am so good at laughing at myself!

Today I am going to take some more slow stitches while I enjoy a girlie movie. I went through Netflix yesterday and found a few I'd like to watch or listen to while I stitch. 

See some fabulous stitching at Kathy's Quilts: Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Design Wall Monday

We interrupt sewing every day for tuna canning.

Thursday and Saturday was spent canning.

All. Day. Long.

There was no sewing.

There were very few thoughts of sewing on those days.

Except for a little Piece Hexi prep work.

Our family has their year supply of tuna.

The good tuna.

2 tables this size covered in jars of fresh from the ocean tuna.

I'm glad is done!

On the days canning or running around didn't happen, 

I worked on the Swoon Lucy Backpack.

I'm working hard on the fussy cutting.

Some of the gals do this with perfection.

I strive.

I followed the cutting instructions for this.

Maybe with different prints the contrast would work

but for the size of this print, it didn't

My client would not have been happy at all.

So out came the seam ripper and the reverse tweezers and a little tv watching.

It wouldn't be fun without spending time with Mr. Ripper.

Check out other design walls at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

It feels great to be spending a little time in the sewing room again.

My sister had a birthday last week.

I surprised her with a new wallet.

As soon as I saw the Betty Boop fabric,

I knew what I was going to use it for.

She loves Betty Boop!

It was so darn hot last week.

I barely moved off the couch from about noon on.

Our house stays pretty cool until the late afternoon but not this week.

Those little window air conditioner units worked overtime.

That worked out good for me.

I got 2 blue rosettes almost completed.

Along with several more orange and yellows.

I'm deciding whether or not to use variations on these rosettes 

or keep them all the same design.

I only did 2 different so it won't be a big deal to redo them.

I started some Garlic Knot blocks using my 2 1/2" batik strips for a block swap.  

I always forget that not everyone measures the same so this block will go into my personal pile.

.

I cut fabrics for a 1 1/2" strip swap.

They are all bundled up and ready to go.

I can't wait to check other projects at Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.