Negative Progress

 Two steps forward and four HUGE steps back. It took forever to load the smaller Aunt Daisy quilt onto the frame. Then I had a friend from California visit and family for Easter. Earlier last week I started quilting using a Baptist Fan pantograph...Absolutely hated it! Hated it so much the pantograph is in my guild donation pile.

It took almost 20 minutes after each pass to line up the next row and I still didn't get it right. I quilted four rows, said a very very bad cuss word, and took the quilt off the frame and chucked the pantograph. I plan to take all the quilting out. So frustrating.

On a positive note, I finish one of my oldest UFOs.

This was the last Project Linus mystery quilt (I miss them). Started in 2023. I still had four blocks to make. Decided I didn't like one of the original blocks, so I created my own...the coral and shells in the bottom left. The instructions for this quilt were fantastic with great ironing instructions. The blocks and rows were easy to put together and all the seams nested!

Next up is adding a sleeve to Wind Drifter. I'm entering my first quilt into our guild show next month. I also have a back to make for the next quilt I'm going to load on the frame. Hopefully progress will be made.

Up and Running Again

The Moxie is up and running again. I'm using the new off market bobbin I ordered from Amazon. So far so good...except...it doesn't like pre-wound bobbins. I love using pre-wound bobbins, so this may be a problem.

I finished two tops that were donated to Q4K.

This pink one took forever.  All ruler work, but kind of a boring design.

Quick finish. Simple meander. Whoever made the tops did a nice job, both are cute patterns.

I added a border and quilted one of my small quilts. 

When I went to mark it as done in my project log I noticed a note that I didn't want a border and the binding was already made.... oops. Oh well I like it with a border too.

My dining room staging area is full again. I'd picked a new UFO to work on, decided to go in a different direction, hated it, tried something else, hated it, third times the charm right...right...but...I decided to use a different background fabric. What to do with the old, already cut background fabric? Start another quilt of course. Both are sitting on the dining room table waiting their turn.

While I was suffering through the above, I pulled another UFO (I have lots) and started working on it. I'll show the progress on it in my next post.

I also made the modifications to my coat.

Not the best picture. The coat is still a little big, and I left the sleeves a little long intentionally. Overall I really like it. Of course, now that it's done the temps have been in the high 70s. I think coat weather is over.

Lots of Progress

 My dining room table has become the staging area for all my works in progress. It is currently clear! That is a rarity. 

To start I purchased a new bobbin case and have been making progress on the top that was already loaded. It's kinda boring...not the quilt top, my quilting...so actual process is spotty and I haven't taken any pictures.

I added borders and made the binding for the lotus blossom quilt top.

The blue border is a digital (??) printed fabric with a shiny surface. I like the design but the fabric frays horribly.

I had a bunch of 4 patches in the box of scraps that I used to make the lotus blossom blocks. I used them to make the single block into a table topper / wall hanging (haven't decided).

I couldn't find a border fabric I liked for the other wall hanging so it is officially a UFO instead of a WIP.

I think I'm one of the few people in the world that likes to sew binding. Joanne had friend who requested a quilt. One person made it, a second quilted it, and I added the binding.

King size. Much prettier in person.

I should have taken a picture of this with a ruler.

It is currently 8.5 x 12.5. Again, I can't decide on borders, so it also moved from WIP to UFO.

And yesterday I sort of not finished my upcycled coat.

It's HUGE! And heavy. But overall, I love how it turned out.

All the reviews / tutorials I saw said the pattern sleeves were too short so I lengthen them. If I didn't roll them up I think they almost reached my knees. ;o)

One of the ladies at my guild gave me some suggestions on taking up the seams so that it fits better. Basically, since it needs to be taken in about 3-4 inches, she recommended cutting the old seams off and then re-sew. Yikes!  Hopefully it turns out as good the second time around as the first.

 

Well Boogers!

 It's kinda hard to quilt when you are missing two pieces of your bobbin case.

I finished quilting this quilt last week (binding is only half sewn on).

Love how this quilt turned out. I immediately prepped and loaded another quilt. Tension was a little loose on the bobbin. When I went to tighten it...huh? no tension screw...come to think of it, it wasn't there when I ran out of bobbin thread with the above quilt ... but the tension was good, so I didn't question the screw missing. Then while I was carrying the bobbin case all around the house looking for the screw or searching for a replacement screw, I lost the little disc thingy inside the bobbin case. I've ordered both parts, hopefully they will be here tomorrow. I also ordered a generic replacement bobbin case.

The lotus blossom top has been sewn together.

I've added the corners but haven't squared it up. My plan is to add a small blue border then another white border and bind it in blue.

Extra blocks went into a wall hanging.

And what will hopefully be a table runner. No orphan blocks allowed.

I love thrift stores. Ever since Donna and I took our coat class I've wanted to make another coat. Still not sure I can cut up one of my quilts, but I can definitely cut up this bed spread I found at a thrift store. The plan is to make the mid-length coat.  The "embossed" pattern on the spread is directional so I may have to cut the sleeves from the center of the spread and finish the bottom of the sleeves either with a cuff or binding. I should be able to have the scalloped edges around the bottom, up the front, and around the hood using the pattern shown. 

It's supposed to snow this week so maybe I'll be able to get this made soon.

First 2026 Finish

 I finished my first quilt for the year.

I quilted and added the binding to the not so little whale quilt last week. It finishes at 53 x 68.

I took it to my guild meeting today. You can really see the quilting in this picture. Not bad, but I need to pay attention when it comes to turning corners.

I finished the sailboat star top.

It looks much better sewn together than it did on the design wall.

I made a small runner with the odd sized blocks.

I've finished piecing all the blocks for my current leader ender project.

I still need to cut the setting triangles then I will put it up on the design wall.

I have way too many tops that need quilted! I started the year with 18 tops and currently have 30!

How did that happen.

Yesterday I was prepping a few of the tops for quilting...making sure they had backs, cutting batting, etc. I found this top that I picked up last July from a Quilts 4 Kids meeting. It's not really cotton...not sure what it is. 

Today I was going to give it a good press, top stitch the edges and decide on a back. I found a hole in one of the squares...no biggie I've fixed holes before...but then I looked closer.

There are a lot of little holes like this all throughout the quilt. In roughly the same place. They are not from a bug as they are too consistent in placement and size. Since there are so many and the fabric is kinda iffy (definitely not a kid's quilt) I'm going to do something I never thought I'd ever do, I'm going to throw it away. Yikes! Would you keep it?

It Only Took Four Years

 Four years ago, I joined in a number of Covid sew alongs. Aunt Daisy was one of them. Originally I was going to make the king size quilt. Last year I decide to break up the blocks into two quilts. I also decided to add a border to both quilts. Presenting the larger Aunt Daisy quilt...

It measures 92 x 121 inches, which is very close in size to the original king size quilt. I had to move the furniture in order to get pictures.

It was easier to let Bella give official kitty approval than move her. No, I'm not going to quilt it myself, it is way too big for my Loft frame. Can you find the two turned units? One would be easy to fix and other not so much. They don't bother me so they are staying. Now I need to find backs for both Daisy quilts.

I have gotten in the habit of having a leader ender quilt. It is usually a simple easy to piece scrap block. My current leader ender project blocks are almost complete so I need something new.

One of Angela's fabric hauls had a large number of signature blocks - actually family history blocks - in a rail fence format. They weren't her colors and she wasn't interested in them so of course I took them. I've taken them all apart over the past couple of months and tossed the family history sections. There are 348 2.5 x 6.5 pieces in about 30 different prints. Above is the block I plan to make with them.

Dilemma

 
Project Quilting released their second challenge yesterday: Scads of Plaids. Again, I have an idea. I even pulled some plaid flannel scraps. But, again, I'm not going to participate. I just don't want to start another project without some finishes occurring first.

And I have one!

Ta Da!!! The small Aunt Daisy top is done! Hahaha, small is a bit of a joke...it is 70 inches square. And yes, I know three of the units are turned the wrong way, and no, I'm not going to fix them.

The large Aunt Daisy top is half done. Putting these together is a bit of a challenge since the seams don't nest. And it is heavy! But I'm so close. 

I loaded a panel quilt on the frame yesterday. I also picked up seven quilt tops, some with backing and binding fabric at the Q4K meeting.

I previously had almost all the donation quilts tops finished...note to self, don't tell JoAnne I'm running out donation tops to quilt. I am going to try to mix a few of my own quilt tops in with these.

This is one of the tops I picked up...don't know the pattern name but I really like it. Love the fabrics used.