Getting Things Done

 If you see an incomplete blog post it is because Bella is insisting on "helping".  She's not happy just sitting in front of me so I can't see anything she has to stand on the laptop keyboard while she is doing that. Otherwise, she is chewing on the power cord. > <  

I'm making great progress on my February UFO challenge. To be truthful Stephanie did the hard work I just had to sew the blocks and sashing together. That part is done. Below you can see the border I plan on adding. Borders and binding are cut out - I should be able to finish the top by the end of the month.

I finished quilting the gold cat quilt yesterday and added the binding today.  I used a new pantograph that I was a little worried about as it had swirls, flowers and echoing. I did a couple of practice passes without actually stitching to get a feel for the pattern. It turned out to be fairly easy...lots of stop points...lots of stop points means lots of opportunity to beathe. ;o) The back is a very soft flannel.

I was right about the Grid Girls second block layout. The final clue was just released, the blocks are set on point. The setting triangles will be the floral print. Luckily I still have a lot of the print as I also want to use it for the border and binding. Maybe with a narrow pop border of both the green and lavender to break it up a bit?

I should be able to finish both of the tops this week. 

Then I'm not sure what I'm going to work on. I don't have anything ready to load on the quilt frame. I do have a couple of little table toppers on my list that I may quilt on the Juki.

Happy Leap Year everyone!

PQ 15.4 Hourglass

 My Project Quilting challenge quilts seem to be getting smaller and smaller. 

I have a bazillion triangles of all sizes that I have cut off of flying geese blocks and folded corners. I can't seem to toss them. So last Sunday when the challenge of Hourglass was announced I thought about some of the triangle scraps I have...could I turn some of them into something?

Yes, I could.

Very very small hourglass blocks. They finish at about 3/4 of an inch. After making 12 (didn't use them all) and unknotting my fingers I decided I'd made enough.

A couple of borders and a very poorly sewn single fold binding and ...

Voila! 

OMG!!!! I just saw the mistake! How??? How??? My nose has been attached to this piece to make sure the points were good, the seams even and flat, the borders even. How???

Progress

 

Mike is making progress on the master bath. The master bath, walk-in closet and master bedroom have been painted. I was kinda worried at first because it was really neon glow white! Luckily it warmed up a bit as it dried. I really like the color. Two of the shower walls have tile. There is still a lot to do but it's nice to see actual progress. I need to start looking for or deciding on fixtures and such. I think I've decided on the vanity mirrors - a simple beveled edge rectangle. Now I have to decide on a toilet...OMG, you wouldn't believe how many different types there are and the price differences. Do I really need a toilet that can flush a hole bucket of golf balls without clogging? (hehehehe)

Finished the quilting and binding on the Thomas the Train panel. I donated it last Friday. 

The back is pieced, and I had enough of the train fabric to use for the binding. Not my favorite, but it's done and off my UFO list.

I made some progress on the Grid Girls mystery.

I don't know why my photo editor distorts some pictures. I took this picture a couple of days ago - I guessed at what the secondary block would look like, and I was right, clue 7 was released a couple of hours ago. I think there is only one more clue. This has been a fun easy mystery.

Speaking of mysteries, Project Linus announced that it will not be doing a mystery quilt this year. I have mixed feelings about it...the mysteries were fun and totally different from my normal style but after making seven I think I'm ready for something new.

Next up on the frame is the gold cat quilt.

I think I'm going to use a pantograph on it so I should be able to finish it this week between trips to Home Depot and Lowe's. ;o)

Not Much

 

Most of last week I was focused on the Project Quilting 15.3 challenge (see post below). I did finish clue 5 of my Grid Girls mystery.

Well, part of the mystery is solved...one of the blocks is an X-block. I have no idea how the next block will be pieced. Clue 6 was just released but I haven't looked at it yet.

I got the Thomas the Train panel loaded a couple of days ago and didn't do anything until about an hour ago. 

Definitely not my favorite. The fabric is not the best quality, at almost each stitch I can little thread pulls. I'm pretty sure it is the fabric and not something wrong with the tension or machine. I want to finish it by Friday's Quilts for Kids meeting.

Progress has been made on the bathroom remodel. 

Lots of demolition and prep work but we (meaning Mike) are starting to make major progress. We had to re-think the tile wall layout as the tiles are large and one of the walls is narrow - we would have ended it with slivers of tile - not a good thing. A new layout was agreed on and Mike will be installing it this week. Paint has been picked out and it didn't take me a week or more to decide, major progress there. ;o)

Inside Only

The Project Quilting Challenge 15.3 is Inside Out. Rule one: some part of your project must thematically or literally be inside out.

My poor Bella is strictly an inside only cat. She would love to be outside chasing birdies.

This is her favorite place when the sun is shining and there are birdies in the front yard.

These guys look like outdoor kitties to me. Singing in a feral cat choir.

This is the first time I'm made a cathedral windows block. I love how the technique lets you bring the surprise inside out to shine.

Whoo Hoo!

 

I made my first Aunt Daisy block!

And right off the bat I made an error - turned a block. Can you find it? It will be an easy fix. This block is huge! I'm having second thoughts about making a king sized quilt...maybe a queen size and a nice throw would be better. We'll see as I progress.

Guild community service top is quilted. The back is a solid red. 

I'm not a fan of solid backs - shows everything, but it's not too bad if you have a thread color that matches perfectly on the back and top. Kinda bad when the top has a border that reads like a solid and the red thread shouts against it. Oh well.

Clue 3 was trimmed up last week and clue 4 is ready for trimming this week.

Love the Bloc-Loc templates for flying geese trimming. Expensive but  worth it!

I won this fantastic seam ripper from Project Quilting. 

Alas, I've already had to use it. The fat grip is wonderful. The cute sewing machine paper clip came with it. This week's challenge theme is Inside Out: Some part of the project must thematically or literally be inside out. I have a few ideas - I might even make two very different projects for the challenge.

I finished the duck panel. Very quick and easy. 

I used flannel scraps for the back. It and the above guild quilt were quilted using a swirl pantograph. They turned out much better than my free motion swirls.

Next up is this Thomas the Train panel. It should be another quick and easy finish.