Monday Meanderings 8 - 26 - 2024

We've had a lovely week in the great DC area.  The weather was dry and relatively cool considering what most of the summer has been.  I'm not complaining about mid 80s and high 70s.  But wait.  Summer is going to give us another blast of heat this week.  It's suppose to be 100 degrees on Wednesday.  Can you say "to the basement to sew?" I'm hoping the forecast will change between now and Wednesday. But the basement is generally cool and comfortable even in extreme heat. 

I had a decent week working on goals.  For the most part I got something done on all my goals, even if I didn't finish most of them.

8/19/24

✅Cut a 3 yard quilt kit — not a 3 yard quilt but another kit ready.

✅Arrange and sew snowball blocks — first 2 rows sewn together (blocks that is!) 

✅Start a new quilt using a horizontal panel — trimmed panel and tried a couple of ideas.

✅Keep working on seaside top — Getting closer but not finished yet. 

✅Begin grands’ Christmas ornaments —  cut out and started sewing first one. 

Here's what the final snowball blocks layout looks.  I replaced one of the blocks that turned up so dark you couldn't see the shark in it. 

The blocks in the first two rows are sewn together although the pic was taken before sewing.  I tend to change the direction I iron the seam allowances of the corners so the blocks nest nicely together.  It's a pain to do but really makes the blocks fit nicely. 

I've started working on a small horizontal panel that I want to make into a senior quilt.  The guild prefers senior quilts at 40" x 60" approximately.  The panel is 24" (barely including the green section) by maybe 22" or so.  I was thinking of putting some 6" maple leaf blocks around it but they were too big.  So consulting with Beth and Sharon we came up with some ideas. Sharon suggested building up the width and then dealing with length as if it were a row by row. Beth and I liked the Villa Rosa pattern I have that might work. Here are two "maybes." 

 

I grabbed some squares from my 2.5" container to make some stacks of colors. Um, need to be more careful with colors.  And really, do I keep that fish square in?  It is the right colors but it will stick out just like the beige one below it does. 

I decided to try a strip of fabric and then add the squares. (2.5" unf. sqs.) Unfortunately I only have a fat quarter of that strip.  I may order a yard or so as it really works with the trees in the panel.  I might try bigger squares -- say 3.5" unf or even 4.5".  

Do you have a preference?  Or other suggestions?  I've got a whole folder on my computer dedicated to pics of panel quilts.  It turns out most of the panels are bigger with the length longer than the width. I messed with the photo and it seems a lot brighter in the second picture than in real life.  On the other hand, you can really see what it is.  I was given two of them but I didn't find the second one when I pulled this one out. Maybe I gave it away.  I know I didn't make anything with it! 

My goals for this week have been curtailed.  I started with about 6 or 7 items but realized I really want to get another top quilted.  Evidently, I didn't curtail that list. So I pushed some of the ideas to the side.  We'll see how I do. 

8/26/24

Quilt pink & turquoise Picket Fence top

Finish sewing snowballs together

Try some 3" squares on panel sides. Make decision on which size to use and cut them out. 

Keep working on grands’ ornaments 

Cut out another quilt kit or two

I made a couple of 6" Maple Leaf blocks to try on the panel.  It doesn't matter if I use them or not as they are being used at the October retreat as an opportunity block.  I'm either ahead of the game for the retreat or I'll put them to use on the panel at some point. Here are the two I made:

I had started a whole quilt of 8" Maple Leaf blocks using my Go die.  But I put those away for a while. I've got a trip to Sharon's planned for mid September so maybe 8" Maple Leaves may be kitted up along with the whole panel project to work on there. With retreat in October I'm going to need a goodly number of kits for both events.

My neighborhood has a craft group that meets twice a month.  I try to go when I can and I like the project.  Last week it was a cute pumpkin.  Here's a pumpkin patch --  some of the examples and the ones we made.  Mine is on the left side that is bright orange with orange and yellow polka dots. I brought supplies home to make two more so eventually I'll have a cute display for the dining room table. The big black thing is also a pumpkin but it was so big it overpowered the little pumpkins.  

I've been stitching everyday this week.  Yea! 

W/ending 8/25 — 238 days in to 2024. 

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/Aug = 24/24 days
• 15 minute days/2024 = 229/238 days
• Success rate = 96% 

Friday I posted my fabric ins and outs for June and July. I'm happy to report I've used 50.35 yards of fabric more than I've brought in this year!  Amazing.  I guess when I started quilting more top I used more fabric even though I often buy fabric for backings. Note- I only count fabric used in finished projects, blocks that I give away for whatever reason, or fabric given away. I do count my scraps by weighing them and converting them to yardage. It all adds up!  It definitely motivates me to finish a top so I can count the fabric as used! 

This week I'm linking up with Life in Pieces, Oh Scrap!, Design Wall Monday, and Monday Meandering.

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie