UFO's -- Slowly Finishing a BOM

Do you remember A Tisket, A Tasket from Bunny Hill Designs? It started life as a free Block of the Month in 2009.  I decided to do the appliqué version of it.  I will admit to starting several months late -- and I never caught up.  My blocks have been languishing in the UFO pile for quite a while.  Every once and a while I would take them out sew a little bit and then put them back away.  

Recently I've been trying to finish some blocks.  4 blocks were totally done, 7 blocks were in progress and one wasn't started.  After my session the other night I've got 8 blocks done, 3 needing some embroidery or buttons, and the last one is fused, ready for me to cut out and prep the appliqué pieces.  In other words, I'm making progress.  Here are some of the blocks I was working on Wednesday night. 

Three more blocks added to the finished pile.

And here's one I am still working on. 

Generally I was writing what still needed to be done on the top of the pattern sheet but this one had a long list of items to do so I listed them on a post it note.  I still need to embroider some words above the basket.  Happily, I found my bias bars today so I can make the handle for the last block.  (There are still quite a few odd items I haven't found after the move into the new studio. I still have a couple of boxes and bags of stuff stashed away.  One of these days I'll go through them and find places for them or get rid of them.) 

Richmond area has been hit with 2 snow storms -- last Tuesday 1/21 and this week, Tue. 1/28.  We weren't originally forecasted for any snow this week and we ended up with about 4" in the back yard.  The biggest issue with snow is the dogs won't go outside while either a) it's actually snowing or b) the deck has snow on it.  Usually by the day after they are happy to go play in the snow.  Go figure.  A long term forecast calls for 3 - 6" next week and 1 to 2 FEET on Feb. 8 and 9th.  WHAT?  Feet of snow in Richmond?  I'll keep you posted.  And, I'll make sure I have plenty of projects to work on! 

Here's the thermometer for this morning at 7:15 or so when we left for our workout at the Y. That is 5.0 -- not 50.  Yikes.  No wonder I was cold overnight.  Tonight is suppose to be much warmer -- 16º.   

I sewed the binding on the front side of the stained glass quilt and took the brown and blue quilt off Ruthie today.  Tomorrow I'll be sewing the binding on the brown and blue and then sewing all that binding down.  Oh fun.  But I am looking forward to a very good month of fabric usage.  

Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday 1-27-2014

Wow! What a great weekend.  

Nancy, MaryBeth and Sharon came down from Maryland for a in-house quilting retreat.  This is the same group that went to Mary Jo's together several years ago.  You can read about it here and here.

It didn't get an auspicious start as they ran into a major accident on I-95 on the way down.  A 4 hour trip that included lunch took more like 7 hours.  Boring.  We unpacked the cars, got their stuff to their rooms and cracked open the wine.  Pat was our chef for the weekend except for one dinner that he had a dinner commitment. 

And we sewed: Friday night, all day Saturday, Saturday night, most of Sunday, Sunday night, and Monday morning.  I failed miserably at taking photos.  So here's Mary Beth's nearly finished Celtic Solstice. 

Her blocks were made before she came but she sewed all the blocks into rows, the rows together, made the border and attached it.  She was so thrilled to get so much done.  It's amazing.  We helped her audition another border as she wants it to fit on the guest room bed and needed a bit more to do it.  Our choice was more of the dark blue in the borders but she didn't have enough  She found more online, (amazing actually!) and she has it on order. 

Nancy made this modern quilt that showcases large print fabric.  She isn't tickled with it but she has some great plans for her next version.  The pattern picture used a white background instead of grey and the print floated in the white.  I love the random squares of color in the grey.  She was also making blocks from a charm pack.

I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't get pictures of any of Sharon's projects. First she completed her stain glass that she started two weeks ago here.   Hers is the red flower. All it needs is a label.  In no particular order, she also got the binding on a baby quilt, made the tops for twins), made a big sister top and then started in on a bigger project she drags a long as her back up.  I'm sorry I didn't get any pictures.  

I got my stained glass done except the binding.  Woot, Woot!  That will be done this month for sure. I also pulled out the shaded 9 patch and began getting the borders on.  One side is done, the second side is cut but I quit working on iras they were packing up -- I'm pooped.  I also did a bit of small seams on various blocks I've got in the works all of which need to be mailed off.  

Here we are nearing the end of our time together.  Hum, the blocks in the back of us are Chunky Churn Dash, another of Bonnie Hunter's quilts.  

Here are the intrepid travelers getting ready to pack up the car and get on the road.  We were well fed thanks to some incredible meals Pat made.  We enjoyed ourselves so much.  Now we are trying to figure out when we can do it again.  

There is also some talk of going to Houston too.  Nancy and MB are already committed.  Sharon and I are going to look into it.   I hope to see Nancy and MaryBeth at Hampton Roads quilt show later in February.  

One thing we had to do with this retreat is postpone it one day.  Kevin was hoping we could babysit Ellie Thursday afternoon/Friday morning when her other grandma was going to arrive to take care of her while they worked.  She starts daycare the week after that.  Sure! A chance to snuggle with the girl?  You bet.  It worked out great although I was a bit tired starting the retreat. 

Goals got marked off right and left this week.  Not much was left for next week. I did clear out two of my project boxes so I will be able to pick a UFO to put in one of them and I'll put the Polka Dot Challenge for Faithful Circle Quilters into one. 

Week of January 20, 2014

Prep for in-house retreat!  YEA!√

Make Ellie a Valentine’s Day T Shirt √

Visit Ellie and her parents for a short trip √

Make food for Tea group and enjoy the visit√

Work on Split 9 Patch put borders on -1 side is on√

Embroider shirts for Sophie and Natalie nope

Bake a cake, vacuum and dust house for retreat/tea group√

Continue working on A Tisket, A Tasket blocks nope didn't happen

Week of January 27, 2014

Finish borders on Split 9 Patch

Quilt brown and blue quilt

Make and put binding on stain glass quilt

Write a shopping list for Sunday’s quilt shopping expedition and go shopping!

Embroider shirts for Sophie and Natalie nope

Finish & mail Valentine T Shirts for Natalie & Sophie

Get hair cut

Wow -- I did very well on the goals this past week.  And it was busy.  This coming week is much less crowded and I hope to get a top quilted and bound before the end of January.  

Happy Quilting All! 

Snuggle Time

Who can resist snuggling with this little doll?  We couldn't! (And he's not too bad either!) 

We did a short baby sitting job yesterday and this morning.  
Before we went up for our "stealth" visit I made this little onsie for Ellie's Valentine's day. One of these days I'll figure out how to add words to a purchased design. 

I am now waiting for some quilty friends to arrive for our mini-inhouse-retreat.  Unfortunately traffic on I-95 has been a disaster and they are being delayed.  I'm glad I'm not in the car going no-where.  Of course, hopefully by now they are almost here.  

The studio looks almost as cleaned up as it did when I first moved into it.  We'll see how it works with 4 folks sewing and ironing!   

Happy Quilting All!