What would you do?

 

I didn't sew a lot last week - finished another ebook that was due. I decided I wanted a set of the hexie coasters so I made up three more.

Bella helped me add a few more rows to the Exploding Heart quilt. She is so helpful.

 And I tried to prep the quilts I got from Quilts for Kids last week. That is where the "what would you do" comes in.

I think the same person who made the last two donation quilts I quilted made these three. Those two had their issues but turned out okay. To me the next two quilts have major issues that would not be okay. The Strawberry Shortcake quilt is made from a sheet...an old worn faded sheet.

This red, white and blue quilt is made from a flannel sheet...an old nubby stained sheet. While both look good in the pictures I just couldn't see finishing these quilts. I called the Quilts for Kids coordinator and she agreed with me that they weren't worth finishing. Part of me hates to throw them away but the other part of me wouldn't want to be the person to received something as a gift that looked and felt old and used.

Luckily there was one nice quilt in the bunch. I've already found a backing fabric in my stash and hope to have it quilted soon.

More Tries

 

I actually got quite a lot of sewing / quilting done last week. Last Friday was the first Kiwanis Quilts for Kids meeting since last November. I decided I wanted to bring a third quilt to donate...something I made, not just quilted.

I finished this quilt top three years ago. I was worried about using a purple thread to quilt the top but it was thread I had already. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

The back is a nice soft pieced flannel. This quilt was made from 100% scraps, including the batting!

While at the meeting I picked up two more quilt tops to finish. I think they were made by the same person as the last two. I'll show pictures next week.

I've sewed a few of the Exploding Heart rows together...

I am still loving this quilt.

Then I focused on the string leaves. I took one of the leaves with me when I purchased the perfect thread for the applique. Geez! It was the exact same color as the spool I already had and said wouldn't work.

I did end up using Heat-n-Bond to adhere the leaves to the background fabric. 

This was the first attempt. I decided it was way too long (45 inches) and too much "white space" in the outer blocks.

This was better. Removed 5 inches total.

And this is the best! I think the border fabric really makes this quilt. It is quite large, 25 x 50. It needs a large rectangle table or maybe the back of a couch to really show it off.

My March UFO goal is finished early. Now we'll have to see how long it takes to get it quilted.

p.s. Thanks again Rose for the inspiration and tutorial. This quilt was so much fun to make.

I Tried

 

My plan was to have the March UFO finished this weekend...didn't happen.

My first attempt at a string pieced maple leaf was pretty sad.

My second attempt was much better.

This is the layout and fabrics I plan on using to make the table runner.

I bought some tear away stabilizer and prepped the first leaf to machine applique then found I didn't have a thread color that I really liked AND I'm a little leary about the machine appliqueing - I'm worried that if I just pin everything the leaf or a fabric segment/string may shift. In the past I've always used Heat-n-bond to attach my applique pieces to my background fabric. Couldn't do that with the string pieced leaves. I may try using basting spray.

By this time it was Saturday afternoon and I needed something to work on. Didn't have to look far as I have a pile of small quilts sitting next to the sewing machine that needed to be quilted.

These were marked and pinned - ready to go. I got the quilting done Saturday night, the binding on yesterday and the hand sewing done today.

Another Finish

  

I didn't do a lot of quilting this past week. I had a couple of ebooks from the online library that were due, couldn't be renewed, and had to get them read. I really like how easy it is to get books from the online library but if a book is due you can't just turn it in late and pay the fine. If it is a popular book it could be months before it can be checked out again.

I did do some kinda sorta quilting related things: couldn't find a red fabric I knew I still had so I sorted all of my fabric by color. I have meant to do this forever - okay since I moved into this house. It still needs to be organized more but it can wait.

I also went to an estate sale and bought a large garbage bag full of fabric and batting scraps. Most of the batting was fusible Pellon including two very large pieces.

Here's the fabric, ironed and sorted and some of it cut into scrap bin sizes.

Sorry for the bad picture. I took it last night then put everything away. I'll donate the pile on left and keep everything on the right. Most of the fabrics were to make purses so there were a lot of decorator and canvas fabrics (in the left side pile). Everything had been washed and was very wrinkled. There were two pieces that were two yards each - I'll save those for donation quilt backs.

I showed this quilt loaded on the frame a couple of weeks ago. I finally got it quilted Friday.

The large red sashing is a double knit polyester. Polyester seams do not iron flat. This actually quilted up really nice. I tried to go over all the polyester seams so they would lay flatter but it ends looking a little puckery. It is why my fabric got organized. I knew I had a red fabric I wanted to use for the binding and I couldn't find it anywhere.
 

Eleventh Hour Finish

 

 

But it counts! My February UFO Challenge was to get the blue paisley Christmas quilt top put together and I did it. I added the borders to the quilt Saturday night. 

 The borders are a mitered (of sorts) Y-seam. I was worried since I changed the design and had to trim the center of the quilt to a hexigon that the borders wouldn't fit properly. Shouldn't have worried, they fit perfectly and everything lays fairly flat. This nighttime picture shows the color/fabric pattern change better than a daylight picture. Now I have to find a backing fabric and figure out how in the world do you quilt a hexigon shaped quilt!

I'm excited about March's UFO pick - my fall string leaves.

I want to make a table runner of some sort. I like just the two but would really like a third leaf. I think I've thought of a way I can make a maple leaf without a bunch of weird string piecing. The potential border fabric shown kinda sorta works but doesn't shake my shoes. I may have to go shopping (poor me).

I've made progress on my blackwork project.

Although I'm behind on the weekly fillers.

I've also made progress on my cross stitch project. Honest!

White cross stitches on a white aida cloth is hard to see but if you compare the chart with last month's update you will see there is a lot more of the pattern that has green highlights.

FYI, I have heat! Just in time for lovely mid-60 degree days...except "they" are predicting snow (!!) next Monday. I'll believe it when I see it.