Design Wall Monday

WaaHoo, I sewed! and sewed and sewed!!!

Beach sewing square in a square blocks.

These will be a border for an upcoming UFO finish.

More beach sewing.

The final blocks for Mischief Quilt.

The 1st 2 rows are being sewn together.

Deli Geese was May's UFO and it's now complete.

It's headed for the beach for outside sitting.

I started a new project. 

I saw this quilt on the TV show Home Improvement.

I had to back it up, pause in just the right place and take a picture.

Then I started doing an internet search until I found a picture of  a whole quilt.

I found a picture of an Antique Diamond Star on Linda Franz's website.

That story lead to this story at Piece N Quilt.

So I got out some recycled shirt fabric and then ordered diamond papers from Paper Pieces.

When the papers arrived, I had to cut fabric.

Then I had to baste a few.

They are large enough that I won't glue baste. 

I need lots more variety.

I need lots more time to cut but until I do, I have plenty to baste right now.

Check out the fabulous design walls that are linking up at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday.

Slow Stitching On Sunday

Wow, it's been forever since I've done a slow stitching post. February! Gosh, where have I been? Playing and beaching and stitching and quilting and sewing. Busy not posting. 😏

Slowly but surely the Mischief Quilt wall hanging is making progress. 

I'm starting to sew rows together.

The 2 on the bottom go on the right side of the row.

The top and bottom rows and each side end needs the green border sections added.

I was quite surprised at myself when I saw the pieces were already cut.

Just some quick glue basting and I soon had a stack ready to add.

I  am keeping my row organized by marking the upper left corner with a safety pin

and then clip the stack that gets sewn on left to right together with a binder clip.

The next row will me marked with a safety pin and then sewn on to row 1.

Row 1's pin will always stay on until this wall hanging is ready for the border. 

Today will be a good slow stitching day as it's rainy and dreary outside.

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

2018 UFO Challenge April Update/May Plans

I used April to catch up on Judy L's UFO Challenge. I was a slacker and now I'm an almost caught upper.  That's what I'm calling it.

My April project was to get out my Mischief Quilt and get to work on it again since it is my only hand stitching project. I took parts and pieces with me on the last beach trip and got busy glue basting everything I had cut and kitted. I have 4 blocks remaining to piece with almost 6 added to the pile I already have. Not a bad month.  I'll continue to work on it since I'm enjoying it again.  I am only making it into a wall hanging instead of a big quilt.

For May, Judy L chose UFO 12. I'm super happy about that. Just last week I ordered backing fabrics for 5 more UFOs and picked a brown/cream polka dot flannel for this quilt. This is going to be so much fun. The plan is to  use Angela Walters' method of Dot To Dot Quilting that I learned from her Craftsy class. I haven't done it for a while and I'm really looking forward to playtime on this quilt.

But first I will finish March's UFO. Close, oh so close!

So in a nut shell, the month of April was a huge UFO busting success for me. I started the month with these plans and finished with 2 quilts completed, 1 almost quilted and big progress on Mischief Quilt. I see good things happening in May.

2018 UFO Challenge Update

I'm quite please with the progress I've made catching up with the UFO Challenge.

This was for January and it is now finished.

Then I immediately picked up February's UFO to keep my momentum going.

It is now finished.

The backing has been pieced for March's UFO, Jamestown Landing.

The batting is cut and after this weekend, it will be basted and quilting started.

We went to the beach last week for a couple days so I took April's Mischief Quilt project with me.

All the pieces that were cut are glue basted now.

I even got a couple more blocks sewn together.

I have no intention of finishing this in April,

there is too much yet to do but I do plan to make progress on it.

It is now my only hand stitching project.

If I were to grade myself on this project of catching up, I'd give myself a B+.

I am also excited to report that On Ringo Lake will not become a UFO,

it is at the quilters right now!

Here's a story for another time. 😉😉

2018 UFO Update

I had such great intentions when I wrote my 2018 UFO Challenge list.

Then my life happened and most of my sewing mojo went missing.

And then with the 2 cowboy quilts completed for the brothers,

the mojo has returned.

My focus is first going to catching up on the UFO Challenge.

I read Judy L's post UFO Push! and that really put me in the mood to get going.

The back was made recently for the January UFO, Strings and Stars.

So when I cut the batting for the 2nd cowboy quilt, '

I cut some for this one too.

It is now basted and ready for a rainy day of quilting-probably Monday. 

I can't wait to lay the thread I want to use on this.

Variegated yellow.

Maybe. 

Since the table was set up already and I was in movie mode,

I decided to get the borders pinned on to Circle of Jewels, my February UFO.

It's lots of fiddly work and border 1 is pinned and glued in place,

ready for some machine applique.

Border 2 is cut and ready to add.

I purchased a wide back for this one so I only need to cut batting.

For March's Jamestown Landing, 

I have 4 pieces of wide back that I am hoping is enough.

When I cut batting for Circle of Jewels, 

I will cut for this too and maybe April's, depending on what it is.

So that's it in a blog post!

No UFO finishes yet,

but I am ready to knock them off the list now.

Can't wait to see what the April number will be.

(I know what I don't want it to be.)

Please be nice Judy L. 

It's no April Fool's joke.

April's UFO is #5, Mischief Quilt. 

Which is good since it is my only hand stitching project in progress. 

Design Wall Monday

What a week! Most of it was spent in the kitchen as I added to our winter pantry.

I don't think I turned on the sewing machine once!!

This little quilt is from the latest QAL at Humble Quilts.

It's called Palmateer Point.

I finished it the day the last clue was released but only hung it up yesterday.

It now lives on my sewing room door.

(I really need to change out the hooks for that quilt holder. 😉)

I also did some kitting up for the next retreat.

I have 3 small projects to work on,

plus I'll take along Garden Party #2.

A few evenings I worked on the Mischief Quilt rosettes.

I added 4 more to the pile.

I love batiks but this is the only batik quilt I will ever hand stitch!

And it might just turn into a wall hanging.

My fingers do not like that dense fabric!

So yesterday I got out the On The  Road Quilt.

(This is an old picture.)

I stitched a few more sections on and did an inventory of parts.

I need to make several more neutral scrappy blocks.

Those are so much fun to make.

Netflix and the neutral scrap bin=pure happiness!

I think I'm just over half way on this project.

Time to get super serious! 

The weather has turned typical for the Pacific Northwest.

That means serious sewing for me.

Unless of course a beach trip happens like I'm hoping it will.

Check out what's happening in Blogland at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday.

Design Wall Monday

Wednesday is Binding Friends Day.

I had my rows to Midnight Flight sewn together, 

I took them so the ladies would help me lay them out.

I really need to get a design wall up again!

After much oohing and aahing and a couple of rows switched,

we had it perfect!

It is now a completed top,

arrangements have been made for the quilting.

Pressing needs to happen today.

Lori at Humble Quilts is hosting another QAL.

This one is called Palmateer Point and part 2 is up today.

I know what else I'll be doing today.

Oklahoma Backroads is coming along nicely.

It's my leader/ender project.

I am one block short of half way.

This will be a lap quilt.

I worked on Mischief Quilt in the evenings this week.

I had to lay out a few of my blocks because it's time to cut more parts.

I can't wait to see what the next set of blocks will be.

No more pink or blue because there is a lot of that.

The strips are in the bin so it will be easy to cut the next bunch.

It's nice to be back into super sewing mode. 

And to make it better, the rain has returned to the Pacific Northwest!

I'm very thankful for that!

It's Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

It's a great day to sit with my coffee and catch up with my friends.

Design Wall Monday

I guess I am on summer vacation from quilting. 

Not much sewing machine action has been happening.

I did make myself another pair of pants.

 I've tweaked the pattern just a little tiny bit more.

I also cut out another pattern for woven fabrics.

I'll test that out on some pajama pants.

In the meantime,

I discovered this great bin in the school supply isle at Walmart.

(Really Crystal told me about it.)

It is perfect to hold all of my Mischief Quilt parts and pieces.

I've only sewed this much on the next rosette in the last 2 weeks.

Now it's front and center to take to the beach for outside stitching on nice days.

I've also been hanging out with these people.

Too bad the other boys weren't around for a picture.

I love that Stellie (middle) idolizes Mae (left) and 

that Corbin is her cousin, not her friend! 

But really he is her friend too. 

The workings of a 5 year old mind!!

I'm hoping to spend some time in front of my sewing machine over the next couple of days.

Then it's back to the beach for us. 

We have some fence to build.

Check out all the fabulous design walls at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Enjoy your summer!

Design Wall Monday

While babysitting the grands the other day, 

I cut more Mischief Quilt kits.

While I was cutting, they were playing.

It's lots of fun to play puzzle with quilt blocks.

I've been working on them in the evenings again.

This just proves my point of not stitching when I am dog tired.

It's all fixed now and a finished block.

I also worked on my June UFO for Judy L's UFO Challenge.

I have all 16 of my blocks made and

 today I  worked up this design in EQ7 will make a fun quilt.

None of my blocks match these blocks.

I just wanted to be sure my sashing design would work and I think it will.

 Next I dug in my stash for some great border fabrics.

I'm excited to get this top made this week.

I also worked on Midnight Flight blocks.

All kits are prepared and I used these as leaders/enders this week.

I've just got a few more before all the quarter blocks are made. 

I'm linking up to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday post.

Design Wall Monday

We spent some time at the beach last week.

Finally, for the first time this year, we could dig clams on Long Beach.

Something about toxins, blah, blah, blah.

I love spending time at the beach!

My beach sewing project is Wild & Goosey.

I added these little blocks to my pile.

I've decided to just keep making the littles so I'll have a good variety 

when it's time to make them into bigs.

I need to add to my little fabric stash for the next trip.

I basted more gray hexies for the On The Road Quilt.

Half the blue rosettes are each surrounded by 12 gray hexies.

Then other half are surrounded by neutral scrappy pieced hexies.

I need to make more of those too.

I glue basted several more Mischief pieces.

Here is my new little sewing set up.

The kitchen table is too high or

my chair is too low. 

This is just right!

We are headed back next week.

Today I'm going to visit the other design wall blog posts that are linking to

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.