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.

Brrrrr

 Baby, it's cold inside! My furnace stopped putting out warm air yesterday.  Took a while to notice as I was loading this quilt onto the frame.

This room is always cold (about 5-7 degrees colder that the center of the house) but about half way through loading the quilt I was thinking it was really cold. Checked the thermostat - 66 degrees. Hmmm, it is set for 68. So I cranked it up and listened - nothing. Boogers!

The heating and air technician was out this afternoon. Luckily the furnace can be fixed. Unluckily he didn't have the part on him so he'll be back tomorrow.

Thank goodness for electricity and gas fireplaces.

It doesn't put out a lot of heat but it takes the chill out of the room. I also have a little space heater that I've set up in my sewing room. I've also found no heat is good incentive to clean house...heats up those cold muscles (hehehe). 

So last week I showed a little teaser of a squirrel donation quilt...I finished it a couple of day's ago.

The panel was actually for a toddler's soft book. I cut it up and add rail strips. I love how it turned out. I had enough of the rail strips that I decided to piece a back for the dinosaur quilt...

...but it is just too cute to be a back. So I found a great teal fabric for the dinosaur quilt (it is already pinned and ready for quilting) and some soft flannel scraps to back the rail quilt. A bonus quilt!

Now, no new quilts are allowed. I must focus! As soon as the heat is back I'll finish the quilt on the frame and load the rail quilt. Or put the borders on the my February UFO Challenge quilt. Or sew the Exploding Heart top together. Or quilt....see what I mean about needing to focus.

Quiet Week

  

Last week was quiet, lots of errands / shopping / appointments, and not much sewing. To be honest, not much interest in sewing.

This coming Friday is the third Friday of the month, normally the Kiwanis' Quilts for Kids meets on this day however my little county in Oregon is on the Covid Extreme list so no meeting. I realized if we did meet I wouldn't have anything to contribute to I quickly loaded one of the quilt tops I picked up at the last meeting onto my frame....where it sat for three days.

Last night I finally quilted it. It was a wrestling match! I tried to quilt single and double loops but the machine just dragged...I know it is not the machine it is the carriage. After several attempts to figure out what was wrong I realized one of the track wheels was caked with crud. After cleaning them all things were much smoother.

Not my best quilt job but not too bad. I got it trimmed up today and found a fabric in my stash to use for the binding. Once the binding is on this will be my first finished quilt for 2021.

Someone kept trying to "help" while I was trimming the quilt. Bella does NOT like being told no. She lunges and bites - hard. Do you remember the old TV show The Honeymooners? Ralph was always telling Alice "To the moon, Alice. To the moon!" I seriously thought about teaching Bella how to fly today. Thank goodness for squirt bottles.

One of my errands last week was picking up the Sew Steady extension table for my new sewing machine. I ordered it when I purchased the machine and it finally arrived. I ordered the 24 x 24 table. It is large!

See the colorful pile of fabric in front? Since I don't have enough WIPs/UFOs I cut out a new donation quilt today. It should go together quickly. I'd really like to have a second donation quilt finished soon. What I really need to do is focus on finishing a few other quilt tops. Focus Joy. Focus!

Reality Check

 

The reality check is that if I have not made the quilt for the last 20 years due to those curves I'm not going to do it now.  If they were just curves I'd probably have it done by now, but it's not. This is the piece:

The curves are supposed to taper to points at both ends - if you look at the right point it is about 1/4 inch off. About four years ago I made enough to make one block. I probably took apart each piece at minimum twice - a LOT of bad words were said. The unfinished block was supposed to measure 12 1/2 inches. Mine measured 13 inches - if I trimmed it down I'd lose all the points.

Last Monday after writing my post I couldn't sleep. I didn't do any sewing for three days. I had just about made the decision to chuck the whole project or see if anyone else wanted it, and I was feeling okay with that decision...then I looked at all the extra fabric that was included in the kit...hmmm. I also took a second look at the pattern...hmmm. For the most part the quilt used 12 inch blocks, maybe  - maybe, I could make different 12 inch blocks?  Hmmm.

First try:

Okay, concept works but the results are really blah.

Second try:

Ummm..excuse me...

Better...A little busy, still a little blah, but I can live with it. Next week I'll brave the Y-seam mitered borders.

Just so you know it wasn't a complete loss. I made a table topper with the one block I did finish.

I know it looks pretty but I had to iron/sew in pleats to get the center to lay flat and I think each side is a different size.

If anyone wants the curved pieces and parts to make the blocks, the magazine with the pattern, and the plastic temples I had made to cut the pieces, let me know I will happily mail them to you. Just know you have been warned.

Yikes!

 

Normally the pictures on my phone/camera determine what I'm going to post here...this morning this was the only picture I had.

How boring is that? I had enough Sunny Lane scraps to make two placemats. The pieces and parts will be used to make the back for each placemat.

So the hunt was on to find something to post...Okay, how about the results of my January UFO Challenge.

I knew I wouldn't finish this cross stitch project but I am pleased with the progress and my attitude toward the project - I've enjoyed working on it this past month and I know I will continue until it is done. It is no longer a UFO but a WIP.

I also worked on my 2021 blackwork project. I'm about two weeks behind but that is okay. As I mentioned the last time I showed it, the flowers and multiple thread colors in each box are a challenge and take a little bit longer to stitch than last year's filler boxes.

Even though I made a list of new projects I wanted to make this year I'm not going to start a new one for February. I did get all of the blocks sewn and squared up for January's Exploding Heart quilt but it is going to be a lot of work putting these rows together and not screwing up.

Should we start a betting pool for how many times I screw this up? Funnies aside, I am loving this quilt and my fabric choices (I do need to move some of those yellow daisy around). Bella is not allowed in the spare bedroom while this is laid out on the bed. It would really explode if she got a hold of it.

And now my February UFO Challenge - #2 on the list...can I skip this one? NO! This is my oldest UFO and I am determined to make significant progress on it in February. I tried to see if I ever showed this before but couldn't find a post (might need to go back more than six years). I know I did work on it at one of Lynn Wilder's retreats three or four years ago.

Click on the picture and look at the date in the bottom right corner...that is when I started this project. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate dislike curved piecing? Or Y-seams? This quilt has both.

It is the first kit I ever bought - I still think the fabric and colors are beautiful. All the blocks are cut out and ready to sew...maybe we should start another betting pool on how many excuses I come up with to not work on it...or how many swear words I say as I'm piecing those curves. ;o)