May's quilting goals - and what I'm doing!

(Pix to come - eventually!)

Egads - I'm up to Number 20 (and probably a lot closer to #1 by now~!) on the UFO Queen's list on Stashbusters - something to NOT be proud of!  Trust me on that one!  Ah well, never mind - I'll have a week before I have to pay in a FQ should I hit the #1 spot!  And I have the little baby quilt that would be just right for it!

The numbers for May on the Numbered UFO list are - #12 - which is Four Patch Revisited and #53 which is Jamestown Landing, both Bonnie Hunter's patterns!.  I truly do NOT expect to be at the final quilting on either of these - but will be instead be glad to get them to the flimsy stage!~  I'm still at the practice a lot on the FMQ - and choose to do my practicing on table toppers of some description and baby blankets!  Hence the baby blankets!

As for pictures of either of these - well, ulp!  I don't have any yet - but I WILL have them!  and WILL update my flimsy gallery as soon as I get the pix taken!

Mostly though I'm working on Jamestown landing - and considering that prior to this month I only had 35 string blocks out of the 168 needed and that my dd and I have been doing swaps with her portion being 500 blue and white HST which would be coming my way 100 at a time (I need 840 of these doodads!)......  well, all of a sudden things started moving faster - and Wendy sent 400 to go with last month's 100 and I got busy on paperpiecing the remainder of the string blocks!  Currently I'm putting together the alternate rows (the star rows are DONE!) and will be making the remaining blue and white HSTs after I figure out exactly where I am with what!

Originally I had thought of changing the color of the intervening unit block to green - or gold - or red - because I was afraid there wouldn't be enough color in there!  ROFLOL!  Even though the string blocks are "light" - they are comprised of ALL KINDS of lights and I just love them!  Definitely enough color in there with the string blocks looking "light" from an onlooker point of view!  Love this quilt!
..............................

Re the Four Patch Revisited - I have ALL the little blocks leftover from when I downsized Bodacious to a baby quilt which I gave Evan.  While I don't have any double pink like Bonnie used - I do have several other pinks and am switching my LE to attaching the triangles for the square in a "square" (the tiny Bow-dacious 4 patch blocks)!  Still need to figure out what other color to use!  This will probably be a quilt for my bed - uhm - an alternate winter quilt????  not sure! (My Log Cabin is first choice!)   This is the LE as stated - HOWEVER since it is also a May quilt - it is of short term duration - and LE will revert back to the Orange Crush quilt once Jamestown Landing is done!

................................
Jamestown Landing is a Bonnie Hunter quilt - and found in String Fling.
Bow-dacious is also a Bonnie Hunter quilt - and is found in Adventures with Leaders & Enders.
Four Patch Re-visited is also a Bonnie Hunter quilt and is also found in Adventures with Leaders & Enders.
Orange Crush is a Bonnie Hunter mystery and is found on her blog: quiltville.blogspot.com  Quiltville's Quips and Snips.

Needless to say - I'm a Bonnie Hunter fan and I LOVE scrap quilts!

What I did this past week and weekend!!!

Here's pictures of the Log cabin Quilt that I finished binding in January (not this past week - but also wasn't posted either!)  My daughter did all the quilt design of this (I did the piecing and the binding!)

Detail of the white parts

4 blocks together and almost pictures of the quilt stitching design

Log Cabin Quilt - all bound

Quilted and bound this past week.

Evan's "Big Boy" quilt

(he's being promoted to Big Brother in October!)

I did both walking foot quilting (straight lines)
as well as Free Motion Quilting (the flowers and leave -
which, of course, you can't see!)  First time FMQ on a big project!

You can almost see the blue thread of the flowers in this picture.
Almost, but not quite!

You can barely see the shadows on the backing for the design -
flowers with leaves!

Finishings for Week 34 - 08-22-15

I'll be updating this tomorrow (08-23-15) - hopefully with pictures!  Hopefully!

• Stash Report:done - behind, but reported
• Design Wall:done -  behind - but shown
• Archive night:
• Bonnie's Spiff Up night:DONE - needs pix and ALL pix put up - maybe tomorrow
• Slice and Dice:Ugh - need more be said?
• Finishings!
• Binding
• Quilting
• Piecing
• Swaps
• STARTED:
• Garden - sigh! An overgrown weedy mess!  Every time I go outside, my knee pops out of joint again!
• House - house having gone downhill during time I was NOT ambulatory - is still behind where I would like for it to be but is definitely ok to reside in!
• Education -  closer to being caught up in religion, Earth, Algebra, Russian.  STILL behind in other areas - working on that!
• Cooking - considering my knee/leg - I did some very simple cooking, felt happy about that!
• Food preservation - none done.  MUCH needed!

Halloween Table Runner is DONE! And so is the Passover T. R.!

I don't remember whether or not I ever posted a picture of the completed Passover Table Runner or not!  I completed this sometime in either February or March.

Passover Table Runner - You can't really see it but there is a leafy vine that I FMQ'd in the center of the gray with black and red flowers that journeys up to the other end of the T.R.  For a first attempt at FMQ - I didn't do too badly!  (And no, we WON'T discuss the mess that was SUPPOSED to be a many petalled flower that I removed over a period of several weeks!)

This is a closer view of the same T.R. - but you STILL can't see the pattern - just that there is SOMETHING that was done SOMEHOW SOME WAY on the fabric - good, bad, or indifferent!  (BTW - this was completed and bound either the last of February or sometime in March - I can't remember!)

The Halloween T.R. - just finished the binding this AM!  A lot more FMQ - but you can't see it, even if I did use black thread!  It shows up more on the back, but when I took pix of the back, all I got was a lot of pumpkin glare!  There are cobwebs (NO spiders, TG!), a cat with an arched back, a witch flying in front of a moon, a ghost, a bat as well - and you can't see them in the photo.  FTM - because the fabric in places is so dark, you can't really see them in real life either, although you can FEEL them - even if I did use black thread!  (I may go back and re-quilt the design - either with black again or more probably with a glow in the dark thread!)  Considering my non-expertise though, that may not be an altogether bad thing!  I did have a lot of fun working on this one though!

Stash Report for Week 9 - WB 03-01-15

This week I've been working mostly on Quilting my Passover Quilt.  The part for the walking foot is done!  However the part for the hopping foot (FMQ foot) is definitely not done.  Not that far off - and it COULD have been done - but it wasn't!  Honestly, my FMQ on this has been one of the funniest things, with angle this and angle that and wierdly shaped the other. I'm not done yet - and sure do hope I improve!  Although the biggest improvement may happen if and when I take a chill pill - if I can ever get one prescribed!  I have this funny thing - as I get tense, I start pressing down HARD on the fabric - which of course makes the fabric jerk and twitch instead of glide over the machine surface!  And no, I don't go too fast!  In fact, in a race between myself and a snail - the snail would win - hands down, every time!  Still and all, I am patting myself on the back for one thing - I am trying it - and I AM determined! (OK - that's TWO things!  I still can't count!) 

As for pictures - well, it isn't at that point yet - but hopefully I will get one up sometime this week!  the picture at the top was done with a walking foot - which still obviously needs a lot of that P word (Practice!)

03-01-15 - Week 9
Used This Week: 0 yards
Used This month: 02.50 yards
Used Year to Date: 02.50 yards

Added This Week: 1 yard
Added This Month:2 yards in Feb
Added Year to Date: 2 yard

Net Used for 2015: +0.50 yards

Design Wall for Week 8 - 02-23-15

COMPLETED!!!

The Mini Twister- this will go to a friend Peggy.

BINDING NEEDED! (probably will have to wait a tad - maybe not!)

Log Cabin quilt is back home!
Wendy did a BEAUTIFUL job quilting it -
not sure you can see all the feathers or the baskets of flowers and so on with this picture!
but they're there - and boy are they gorgeous!
Now to put the Binding on - and - ta da - it will be DONE!

TO BE QUILTED THIS WEEK

My Passover Table Runner - also my first experience FMQ.
The Walking Foot part was fine!  But OMG the FMQ!
Going to work on the vine - and may remove at least part of that blasted flower
 and re do it in a different thread!

Buckeye Beauty -
will be straight Walking Foot - at least until the borders!

LEADER ENDER

Am going to be adding on the corners LE style -
at least until I get done with other projects!
I would like to get this to the flimsy point.
Don't have enough black though.

PIECING

Wendy's Stars
This will become the Medallion for a QOV - as soon as I add the borders, et al.
Hoping to bring this to a flimsy status this month

Odds and ends from a VERY OLD Swap that I totally flubbed on!
Want to finish up the last of these - today I think.  And because the fabrics got separated from the envelopes and the directions when I moved, the blocks that I do not specifically recognize I will post pix on both to that email list as well as to the individuals.  Some were already sent to the individuals in that swap - including one block that I inadvertently left the embroidered antennae OFF of the butterfly.  Those folks who do not reply after a month or who indicate this will have their block added to a quilt for a charity.

This is one of the blocks

I have to re-sew part of this - but this is another block.
Unfortunately, it apparently doesn't belong to the Louise I thought it did!

HAND PIECING

Hand Piecing is on hold until after all the Bindings are done, done, DONE!

Monday, 02-23-15...

• TO DO
• Done Babysit Evan
• HOUSE
• Done Finish WHB
• ZONE 3
• LAUNDRY AREA
• Done zone clean
• SEWING ROOM
• Done zone clean
• EDUCATION
• EXERCISE AND DIET
• Done Yoga 6-R2
• Done Strength 2 x Legs
• Done Cardio dance, housework
• CREATIVE WRITING
• Done 13-2
• HANDWRITING
• Done 50-54
• LEARNING
• Done Chapter 2
• LIFE SKILLS
• Done house
• * MUSIC   
• Done Rachmaninoff 2nd C. to #4
• Done Scarlatti - Sonatina in G
• *KITCHEN
• SOUPS 
• Done Make soups for the week plus (freezer) - chili
• QUILT
• Done DESIGN WALL(Monday)
• LEADER/ENDER
• Working on it corners on Fabric Frolic - until all other quilt stuff is done
• PROJECTS
• Working on it Quilt Passover TR and binding

YAY - FOUND the Camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK - here's the pix of my completed flimsies!!!!!!

Celtic Solstice - finished in May, border re-done in June - twice!
Now it's DONE DONE DONE! and ready to quilt!

Celtic Solstice again - trimming will happen after quilting when ready to attach binding.  Originally had an outer border on it (twice) didn't like that either!  Pieced border, however is what was holding up the works!  It didn't match - drat it anyway!

Underground RR - was SUPPOSED to have 2 colors on the "arrows" - I didn't like that - kept what I had!  

Underground RR - showing the border et al (please ignore the blue fringe - my afghan is underneath - as is the Friendship quilt - which has a purple border!)  It was also supposed to have 6" border of contrasting color.  It's big enough!   And I liked THIS color for the outside border anyway!  Binding will be dark green - which should make the dark green color in the sashing print pop!  Underground RR - was SUPPOSED to have 2 colors on the "arrows" - I didn't like that - kept what I had! 

Double Duty quilt - almost as old a UFO as the UGRR above!  Had a class in this - ummmm - 4-5 years ago!  Wanted to finish this up - and dreaded the amount of work from the simple patches!

Double Duty quilt - LOL -  started working on this one evening - just putting "a few" together.  This was at 630 PM.  Almost had the whole thing together by 230 AM when I pooped out and went to bed!  Finished the next morning!!!  LOL  So much for the "long and drawn out " work to be done!  LOL

Where IS that camera????

Aargh!  I hate it when I "dribble" items around in various places that make NO sense whatsoever to anyone who is looking for them!  Currently missing - my camera!  I DO have a place where it "lives".  Unfortunately it is now "visiting" SOMEWHERE in this apartment!

And - I have several quilts - the flimsies, at least that are DONE!!!!!

FLIMSY done - of course, the Celtic Solstice - but that was finished some time ago, border taken off and replaced.  And now - this past week - the border is back off - this time to STAY off (the quilt is quite big enough - and I LIKE it this way!  Admittedly, I probably should stay-stitch 1/8 inch from edge all the way around so that it won't have the seams come undone!

And then there is the Underground Railroad - which DOES have a border - BUT I didn't like the one it had - so I replaced it this week - and LOVE it!  Do need to finish up the backing for it.

AND now - the DOUBLE DUTY quilt - which I just picked up to work on this past Monday - and the flimsy is done done DONE!  (no borders - just the binding and that's it!)  Yeehaw - and is it cute!

Now - don't you wish I would hurry up and find the camera so you could see what I'm talking about?

(Oh yes, the design wall I set up earlier this week - all from pix I already had!)

Bodacious baby quilt!!! And then there's the changing pad....!!!

It's Done - and I love it!  I finished earlier this week - but couldn't find my camera.  Finally found it where it was supposed to be - only covered up so I couldn't see it!

I had thought originally of quilting the background fabrics - but I like the pillowy softness for a baby quilt!  All I did was Stitch in the Ditch around the "rattles" and the sashing and borders.

This is the changing pad.  Actually it's a walking-foot quilting Sampler - which isn't great - but baby won't mind!  LOL  Sorry about the picture quality - shadows do "fun" things sometimes!

Goals for Week 14 - WB 04-06-14

And I'm STILL on the lookout for GREEN!
Even if the snow has almost completely melted!

GO AND DO

• DONE Library (books and DVDs return)
• DONE and WOW!  I did good! Citizen Police Academy (Sat - shooting range)
• DONE groceries for Passover (why can I never find potato starch or matzo farfel?)
• DONE Bills (ugh!)
• DONE Hair appointment 
• DONE Dr. appt?  check on this

HOUSE - starting on springtime decluttering - and freecycling

• PAPERWORK - a mountain of it! work on at least a half hour a day
• DONE M + 1 hour - Things to do
• DONE T
• DONE W + 1 hour - Filing
• DONE R
• DONE F + 1 hour - Bills
• ZONE 1
• Front porch
• DONE Zone
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Side Porch 
• Entrance
• DONE Zone
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Back Stairs
• DONE WHB
• ZONE 2 - 
• Kitchen
• DONE Declutter
• DONE WHB on Fri - 
• Dining Area
• DONE WHB 
• ZONE 3 
• Bath
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Laundry Room
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Sewing Room
• DONE WHB on Fri
• Study 
• DONE WHB on Fri
• ZONE 4 
• DONE BR - WHB on Fri
• ZONE 5 
• LR - 
• DONE WHB 

GARDEN - 

• DONE Garden Design

STUDIES - (NOTE - will work on week's assignments - Mon AM to update from weekend frenzy)

• EXERCISE - week 3
• Yoga wk 3 (increase times) (Sun, Tues, Thurs) 
• DONE S
• DONE T
• DONE R
• Yoga wk 3 (Mon, Wed, Fri)
• DONE M
• DONE F

KITCHEN

• SOUPS (serving kept out for Monday - freeze the rest)
• DONE chicken Rice
• DONE tomato soup
• BREAD
• DESSERTS and SALADS
• DONE apple fritters
• DONE cabbage-apple-raisin slaw
• DONE MAKE MENUES for the week (do Monday)

QUILT

• DONE STASH REPORT (Sunday)
• DONE DESIGN WALL (Monday)
• DONE BONNIE H. ARCHIVE NIGHT (Tues)
• DONE SLICE AND DICE NIGHT (Wednesday) - 1 bag scraps (only 4 bags left!)
• PIECE 
• DONE LE - Jamestown Landing - String  blocks

Stash Report for Week 3 - Sunday, 01-19-14

First of all - a finish!

Baby Quilt #1 - Walking foot quilted and bound = 3.0 yards
the Flimsy was reported in MY Stash report several months ago (6 months at least!)
which leaves only 1 5/8 yards for January!

And there is a FLIMSY finish as well!

Cinnamon Sticks Table runner - 2.0 yards!

...........................................................................................
01-19-14 -Week 3 - 
Used This Week:3 5/8 yard
Used This Month: 3 5/8 yard for January
Year to Date: 3 5/8 yards

Added This Week: 0 yards
Added This Month: 0 yards for January
Added Year to Date: 0   

Net Used for 2014: 3 5/8 yards

This has been a GREAT week! Just look and see!

Underground RR block - Drunkard's Path

Cinnamon Sticks (looks different from the design wall, doesn't it!)

These 2 last photos are of the Baby Quilt #1 and show at least some of the walking foot quilting done.
We will ignore  all the errors, please!

Additionally the house has been worked on - AND the paper mountain has been tackled!  No vanquishing the paper monster YET!  But it will happen!

Yeehaw! Baby Quilt #1 is DONE DONE Done!!!!

Urgh - just realized - I forgot to add the label!!!!  Although for me, labels are NOT something I usually add!
Nevertheless I will endeavor to attach a label to one of the back corners.

Wow! See what I did this week!

QUILTING

I've really hesitated (STRONGLY) about showing what all I did this past week - at least as far as the quilting was concerned!

First of all - I didn't touch my Celtic Solstice quilt until today - and may hold on this until next week!  So far it is still at this stage....

What I DID do - was work on the Baby Quilt #1 - and was sooooooooooo pleased with my progress - until I flipped it over!  Which is when I saw little pinches of fabric that had scooted in there!  Grrrr!  Yeah - I know - the Seam ripper is my friend - but honestly I didn't WANT to have to use the seam ripper at this time!  And yes - I DID smooth everything out first - and DID work in the center first!  Problem was I kept running directly into my safety pins - which I had to move - and, of course, that's when everything scooted!  Oh joy!

Pinch #1 - and honestly, I COULD have taken a more blurry picture!
Really!

Pinch #2 - and if it had a been me that was pinched like this - It would have HURT!

Pinch Number 3 - drat it anyway!

I would like to say that I finished this - and I may yet - today!  I would also like to say that I got all the rest of the little projects all ready.  Uh huh!  Like.... NOT!

I DID get the little go with bag ready to go with all the various projects for Open Sew.  Problem was - I got there - and....  I hadn't packed my seam ripper, scissors, slicer, screwdriver, regular needle shank (I still had the walking foot on!),or any of a dozen other things!  I WAS fortunate though, THIS time I did remember to pack my machine cord and pedal!  AND I packed the machine!  Also packed rulers - which I couldn't use (no slicer, no scissors!)  I think it is time I figure out WHERE I put that little kit and just pack it up and KEEP it in my go-with rolling cart!

Cinnamon Sticks - needed the scissors!
Needed regular foot and needle!  And thread!

Bow-da-cious!  Doing connector blocks (folded corners) -
sure didn't happen Fri night! no scissors!

QOV - needs that outside border.  Slicer left home!  Drat it!

So - this meant that the Cinnamon Sticks placemat, additional border for the QOV didn't happen. I was able to do 2 blocks that I have been scared of since I got the Underground Railroad Pattern to begin with - namely, the Wagon wheel (mine is lumpy - but that happened anyway to a lot of wagon wheels - which were wood - and lopsided - and which broke at inopportune times!) and the Drunkard's Path (strangely enough the circles were almost completely round - should have sewn those on before the Wagon wheel!)

"Wheels" to be quartered for Drunkards path!
Actually am pleased with how these turned out!

Wagon wheel - can we say off center and LUMPY????

Borders around the Underground Railroad note.

Still, there are hours left in the day - so I think I will work on finishing out the Drunkard's Path into a block, finish up the Cinnamon Sticks and I think maybe that final border on the QOV!  THEN if I can - I will sandwich some of the table runners I have floating around so that I can quilt them this week!