And She Sews!

 I have two friends who are prolific quilters / sewers. They are retired like me. They have wonderful sewing rooms and lots of fabric like me. So why am I not as prolific as they are? Probably because they actually sew! Me on the other hand, I reorganized every other month, spend way too much time on the computer creating spreadsheets, reading blogs and Facebook, and playing games. So I hereby proclaim a change - I am going to become a prolific quilter! (don't hold your breath)

I started Wednesday (maybe Thursday) with a friend's daughter's (Christina) quilt that she made over 10 years ago for her grandfather who has since pasted away. I offered to quilt it but before I did I had to make some repairs.

Christina had never made a quilt before this one and I don't think she had much guidance when she made it. I love the design and the fabrics she chose. Unfortunately most of her stitches look like basting stitches and there are lots of gathered areas. I fixed seam that were at risk of pulling apart but did not fix anything else.

I love the nautical flannel fabric I found for the back - except they didn't have enough of it - so I got the kinda tie-dyed looking flannel to make it big enough. I'm still debating whether to quilt or tie it. I'm leaning toward quilting it as it would re-enforce the seams.  I plan on making the back tomorrow and getting it loaded on the frame this week.

At my last guild meeting I had picked up a community service quilt kit.

Even if everything weren't already cut out this would have been an easy quilt.

I'll get the outer border sewn on after I finish writing this post. With all my 2.5 inch scrap strips I can see me making more quilts using this pattern.

I've continued to make progress on my blackwork project.

Although I'm still about 10 weeks behind.

I can't believe Wednesday is the 1st of September! My September UFO Challenge project is Lucy's Love Notes. Which is perfect because the 2021 Project Linus Mystery Quilt starts September 23rd.

All the blocks are made except Lucy the flamingo. This really shouldn't take that long to finish. (famous last words)

Okay, can she do it? Will she become a prolific quilter? Or will she re-organize something and make a new spreadsheet? Take more cute cat pictures?

Another Boring Week

 

My sewing machine is starting to get cobwebs around it.

I now have a stack of pinned quilts and table toppers so hopefully there will be some action soon.

While I haven't been sewing I have been going though all my sewing / quilting stuff and purging...yes, you heard that right, purging!

My guild is having a garage sale next month. The proceeds go to the guild. I have filled up three bags and started a fourth. There are books, patterns, odd notions, fabric, lots of scrap sets, make and takes from quilt rushes, a couple of small kits, etc.  I've tried to package them nicely so the guild can get as much $$ as possible. I am loving this. This is the first round. They have the garage sale once a year so we'll see what gets purged next year.

As I've been going through things I also found a few "oh, I totally forgot about that" UFO projects. Like this one... 

The embroidery is call chicken scratch. My original plan was to make the apron shown. I already know that's not going to happen, but I don't want to toss it - too pretty. Soooo....

The heart piece will probably become a pillow but I think I'll use the border piece to make this quilter's apron. I'll get some lightweight canvas or broadcloth to give it some body as the gingham is pretty light. Should be a fun project - if I ever sew again.

I think I have all my floss wound. To quote Annie O. "Winding floss is kinda fun,I think, for awhile, and then it’s not."

Boring Week

 

I have done very little sewing this week. I cut out, fused, and added the borders to my August UFO. The cutting and fusing (with a few swear words thrown in) took longer than sewing the borders.

I even got it pinned. Then I went on to pin a few other small projects...which lead me to the batting mess in the sewing room closet.

Time for a new spreadsheet (hehehe). This one has the type of batting, size, and if it is frankenbatted. While I was sorting and making my list I also made lots of frankenbat, or I did until I ran out of the fusible tape I like to use.

I also cut the smaller pieces into Swiffer pads, and the even small pieces into smaller pieces to stuff in pillows.

So here is my nice neat closet...

I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but I recently bought two large rolls of batting at Joann's (50% off with an additional 25% coupon). One of the rolls is shown here...but look in the back bottom right...that is another roll of batting that I totally forgot I had until I cleaned out the closet.  Three tubs and three rolls, I think I'm set for batting for a very long time.

I made a pillow case from a pillow case.

Nothing fancy, I just folded the pillow case in half and sewed two edges. I think one of my great aunts embroidered and crocheted the pillow case a very long time ago.

I also wound floss. Lots of floss.

I still have lots more to do.

Hopefully I'll feel like doing some real sewing this week and next week's post will be a bit more interesting.

Plan Z

I was very indecisive with the Aunt Addy blocks. After I got the center put together I started looking at the borders again. The background fabric had a little touch of blue that I really wanted to bring out. I was determined to use stash since I'd already gone shopping and decided to not use what I purchased. Soooo....

I found a blue fabric that I thought was perfect for a pop border and I've had this stripe fabric for ages. I probably should have mitered the final border but I didn't feel like thinking that hard. ;o)

  

The finished quilt.  Not very big, about 35 x 50. I don't have a back for it yet. I'd kinda like to quilt feathers in the background. But quilting will have to wait as it will have to go to the back of line and the line is long.

I finished another block on the Daphne BOM. 

These blocks are made from a lot of little pieces but they are fun to make. It is tempting to cut everything and finish the quilt top...but again there is a long line of quilt tops that need to be finished and it will have to wait its turn.

I ended up squaring the guild community service blocks so they could be made into the rail fence blocks. Since I knew all the kit blocks were going to have the same issue I grabbed them all at the last meeting.

I finished all the blocks and put the top together yesterday. Interesting assortment of fabrics - the bug fabrics are ... hmmm ...different.

All of this was to avoid making a decision on whether to work on my August UFO or my 2020 Project Linus UFO. Wonder what else I can work on to procrastinate in making a decision?

I had a mama with twins visit last week. They were so cute! Wish they would eat more of the weeds.

Fabric Artist Trading Card Swap

 

We swapped our fabric artist trading cards at today's guild meeting. 

Each one is so different! Some people (like me) made all their cards the same. Some people made each one a variation of a theme, and a couple people made every single card different. I have an idea on how I want to display them but it may take a bit to get it made.

Well...I've been more interested in working on my blackwork and reading than quilting so I didn't finish my July UFO by the end of July, but I do hope to finish it by the end of this week.

Hmmm...it wasn't until I took this picture that I realized the zigzag is horizontal not vertical...oh well, my goal was to use all the block I made and I did.

My August UFO is this project from a class I took about 15 years ago. It was a one day class and I didn't get very far. Everything is traced, some of it is cut out and some of it is fused to the back ground fabric.

However....the 2021 Project Linus Mystery starts at the end of this month and I haven't finished my 2020 quilt. The 2020 quilt is on my UFO Challenge list so I may swap it. Or maybe not...or maybe I'll go squirrel hunting.

Are you a fan of The Quilt Show? I've been aware of it but have not really paid a lot of attention to it. Ricky Tims has recorded (or is recording, the last one is this coming Friday) a free video tutorial of his Kool Kaleidoscope quilt. A link to the videos is here. I really (really really) want to make this quilt. The biggest thing holding me back is the technique requires yardage and most of my stash is fat quarters....but I do have all the lovely half yard cuts of batiks that Donna gave me in June. Hmmm... I may go squirrel hunting.

She is just plain weird...

I double checked...no lizards, no bugs, nothing.