Friday Finish and Stashbusting

Can you believe it?  I have another finish.  It was done at the end of May so it seems appropriate that I also share my stashbusting stats for May.  Yes, it generally takes me a while to get the stats together and publish them.  This time I had lots of smaller bits of fabric scraps to measure and record from part of the group Jenny gave me.  So here's my awesome stashbusting statistics!

2021	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
May	15.875	37.500	19.250	61.00	23.500

I was so sure I'd brought in way more fabric than I used.  Well, surprise -- I used 3.375 more yards.  Even though I've had a big influx of fabric already in June, I've loaded a twin size quilt backing on Ruthie and will finish it and quilt it over the weekend and next week if needed. Between it and possibly one or two smaller quilts I should be able to use more fabric in June than I bring in.  I'll keep you posted. 

Here's the quilt I finished at the end of May.  It is a pinwheel quilt, kind of.  You start with 2 squares of fabric and follow some special directions to get two finished blocks. The closest I've seen to describing how the block is made is in the book "Sew Simple Pinwheels" by Karen Hellaby.  The major difference is the directions I have start with 2 14" squares, a light and a dark and you sew 8 triangles sets at the same time on the block. Then like in the book you cut the HSTs in half, trim them and sew them back together. The blocks finished at 11".  

Quite a few of the blocks were made by members of a group I was in and then sent to me so I couldn't count all of them. 

Pattern: Pinwheels (I was taught the block at a guild retreat but don't know the name.) 

Quilting Pattern: Ginger Star by Apricot Moon.

Thread: Omni Natural White by Superior Threads

Size: 56 x 67.5" 

The wind was blowing like crazy as I tried to get pictures.  I'm surprised I was able to get several while the wind slowed down.  Below is the back where you can see the quilting better.  All of these pictures can be clicked on and enlarged.  

I'm not exactly sure who will get this quilt but I'll be giving it to Virginia Star Quilters to donate to a veteran at some point. 

Next up, I've been making log cabin blocks with my Ombre Confetti fabric.  And I am tickled with what I've made so far! I think I decided to use 6 of the 9 ombre fabrics. You can look at Monday's post to see the 9 fabrics I have to use. 

Although I didn't take a picture I'm also making Positivity blocks at the same time.  I think I got 4 of those done. (Check out the top logo on the right  for a link to Preeti's Positivity Block sew along.)  I haven't been sewing as much as I usually do so I'm not really cranking out blocks.  I still need to cut the ombre pieces from the strips I cut but I have several of the white strips already cut to size.  I know I'll have to find some more white on whites to make the number of blocks I want.  Stay tuned for more blocks in the next few weeks. 

Are you ready to get your party on?  Here's where I'm linking up and hopefully you'll start some surfing by visiting some of these parties: Mid Week Makers, Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop, Finished or Not Friday, and Beauties Pageant. There are a lot of blogs to visit so let's go surfing now, everyone is learning how.... oops I got a little carried away with the Beach Boy's song Surfin' Safari. Need I say I'm a big Beach Boys fan?  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

PS -- Is it just me or have we always had an option to add fonts to the list of available fonts on blogger?  I bet I'll be choosing a new font every once and a while.  Darn, no Comic Sans which is one of my favorite fun fonts.  Remember let's surf the web for quilt blogs. 

Monday Meanderings 4 - 26 - 2021

 Need I say more?

On the last load in the drier yesterday hubby smelled smoke or so it seemed.  And, the drier didn't start up again. He also found some water that had leaked from the washer.  YUCK and Double Yuck.  This morning we decided it might be time to buy a new washer & drier. He did the research to find the best brand for our needs. We have a countertop over our w/d that we wanted to keep. So off to a big box store to check out the washer.  Um, except it wasn't a really popular model so it wasn't available to check out. But it could be delivered next week. Except, we wanted the drier too -- but it wouldn't come in until mid June. Laundromats flashed in my head.  In the end we decided to have them delivered at the same time. Pat would try to make the fix he'd found on You Tube.  Wow!  My hero. He succeeded making the repair on the "board." (Think computer board.)  So the drier works but we don't know for how long. I'm looking forward to June.  My take on the whole thing:  Washers and driers have really gotten big.  I thought ours were huge. HA!  Not at all compared to the gargantuan ones being sold now. Maybe our laundry has just gotten smaller.  No kids in the house does make a difference. 

I thought I'd share some photos of the patriotic top I quilted a week or so ago. I don't know who made it but it was quilted for Virginia Star Quilters.  It's being given to a veteran soon.  

And how about an up close of the quilting?

You can click on all pictures in this blog and they should enlarge.  I was not too pleased with this quilting design. I probably won't use it again.  There was a lot of back stitching, ie the design goes back over lines that have been stitched before it can continue quilting.  And, in certain places the lines of the stars didn't meet.  Will anyone notice?  Probably not. I shouldn't be surprised because that is exactly how the pdf of the pattern looks. I doubt I'll use it again.  I've got a lot more star options and I'll just use one of them.

I'm happy to admit I got all my goals done last week! Whopee! It was a short list but I knew each item would take some time. 

4/19/2021

Make April table runner✅ See it on Friday's post.

Bind Space Charms✅ Finished except the label.

Finish making R, W, B blocks, start sewing together ✅ Blocks are in rows.

I went back to some previous goal lists and added some of my unfinished projects to this list. I'm hoping I can finish a couple to the top stage.  And, maybe a new basket too. 

4/26/2021 

Sew RWB rows together. Do I border? 

Quilt and bind one of my quilts 

Lay out and sew 1 Happy Blocks quilt 

Continue working on green basket 

It's later than normal and it's time to wrap this up and add the linky parties.  If you have time I hope you will visit a few of my favorites:  Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, and To Do Tuesday. (I'll be back to link up to the rest of the blogs as they come available. I've even been succeeding at that!)  Happy Surfing! 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

 

Monday Meandering 4 - 19 - 2021

Monday is a good day to evaluate what got done last week and to decide what to do during this coming week.  Unfortunately my evaluation for last week would be, at best, a C if we were talking grades.  

Let's look at what I said I wanted to do. (I really did want to do them but even amid great plans sometimes things happen that mess up the plan.)

4/12/2021

 1) Sew Happy Blocks together Looked at them, laid one out but no sewing...

 2) Border Doggy Tumbler Didn't even look at this one! 

 3) Make new easy quilt✅ Made a new one (photo to come ) and

 4) Quilt and bind one of my quilts✅ Quilted it, binding to come

 5) Work on April table runner Planned a little of it! I know what I want to do I just need to do it.  

So, yea, not a whole lot got done on the list. Hold on, there is a reason not as much got done from the list. I was asked to quilt a patriotic quilt for a veteran.  (I'm saying it that way because the Virginia Star Quilters give quilts to veterans through various organizations. I'm not sure which group is getting this one.)  I was told to pick a design that was easy and loose.  I picked a nice pattern with stars and some flourishes.  Except it wasn't nice and easy.  It took forever to stitch across the quilt. Ruthie didn't like working on it and gave me fits.  It took a couple of days but it is done. I need to take some pictures to share and give it back to the guild.  I made a note not to use that pattern again.  I own several really nice, easy patterns to use on quilts for vets. 

Here's my plan for this coming week. 

4/19/2021

 1) Make April table runner

 2) Bind Space Charms quilt

 3) Finish making R, W, B blocks, start sewing together 

That's a shorter list than normal but making the table runner may take up all the time. I would like to get it done before Sat. 4/24 but my guess is it will be the following week. Time will tell. 

See number 3 above?  Here's what I've done on that one so far...

I made the four patches ages ago. Back then I did pick out a pattern to try to make but I was making changes. (The block is a 4.5" square and a 4 patch with a 4 patch and a 4.5" square underneath.)  First my 4 patches used 2.5" squares instead of 3.5" squares. I used multiple prints for the reds, blues and white 4 patches. I was "supposedly" making all the blocks the same.  Except, when I picked up working on this project after a couple of weeks off I was messing up sewing the initial blocks together.  After ripping and sewing and a little more ripping, I made a color copy of the quilt pattern to lay out the blocks. It is not an easy job. I may cut the picture of the rows apart and put one next to each row. I've still got 4 rows left. The pattern called for 3 differing blocks but I think I can do a nice quilt with the one block.  I'll keep you posted. 

I had a lovely day in Richmond today attending the Virginians Drive In Rehearsal.  The Virginians are a barbershop chorus to which Pat belongs.  Every other week a group of members meet at a church parking lot and sing from their cars using microphones and a radio set up that gives them the sound of the group singing in real time.  It was pretty cool.  It was such a nice day many of the folks stood outside to sing. I chose to sit in the car and truth be told I was singing along for most of the time.  I didn't get very far on the book I'd planned to read. We took the slow way home and stopped at a favorite barbecue place on the way back. 

It's time to link up to the terrific parties: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, and To Do Tuesday. Take some time to go "surfing."  It gets me into trouble all the time.  (i.e. I'll be buying a cool pattern I saw on a blog last week.) 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 10 - 14 - 2019

How can it be half way through October? (For purists almost half way through October.)  I'm pretty sure I won't be ready for Christmas considering how fast time is going by these days.  Unfortunately I like to spend time reading -- probably two hours a day minimum.  I may have to cut back to get all the things percolating in my head done. 

I spent time down in the studio this week but didn't get much done. Or at least much that shows. I didn't even get all my retreat stuff unpacked.  Sigh.  Here's another quilt I finished at retreat. These were a set of blocks that I'd made earlier in the year but put aside knowing I didn't need them as a quilt for a while.  They were a really easy project for retreat.  No deciding which block went where.  Just sewing blocks into rows, rows to rows and boom a top is done.  I don't think I'm adding borders to this one. 

My main decision making this quilt was to use some of my Accuquilt Go dies.  I like buying the dies but I don't always put them to use.  I have a 9" Qube which gives me a set of 8 dies. I've added a couple of companion dies that work with the 9" cube.  My latest one is a 4.5" bow tie die.  Here's my sample blocks.  They seem really small to me... I was going to make a sample with 4 bowties but I can't find where I put the turquoise fabric.  (Darn it, I have been cleaning up the sewing table....can't find the fab.) I've got a used die coming that has zoo animals on it.  Must try some of my appliqué animals -- Sea Life, a mommy and baby elephant, and now the Zoo Animals -- a monkey, giraffe and a lion.  

And speaking of cleaning up the sewing table -- I've actually made a little, tiny dent in the excess scraps and stuff on the table.  I spent maybe 10 minutes last night just cutting triangles or squares from the smallest useable scraps.  Ok, honestly, it didn't make a dent but at least it was a start.  I guess I need to spend more than 10 minutes. I did get some other scraps/pieces put away earlier in the week.  But I have a long way to go still.  Sigh.

I'm hoping to get at least one or two of my quilts quilted this week.  I've got the backings but need to prep them, replace a part on the long arm, and then I'll be good to get going on quilting.  We'll see if I succeed on at least one finished quilt this week. 

I'm linking up with these parties: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, and Moving It Forward.  I hope to spend more time on these linky parties than I have recently. I get so many good ideas!  I hope you do too.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Forward Progress

I've been tickled with my progress on my Red, White and Blue quilt.  I ran out of room on my design wall to layout the entire quilt.  It's sewn on the diagonal so that makes it just a little more "involved." I started in the top right corner and sewed rows together.  

So this was suppose to go into a post Wednesday or Thursday.  Um, didn't happen. After I get three or four rows done I start another section. See the baseballs near the middle?  That row is part of the third set of rows already sewn together.  Making steady progress! 

Meanwhile, back at the farm (um, the rest of the house) Pat's been putting in custom closets.  This one's mine. Yea! 

And the dogs have been learning about their new backyard and having an electric fence.  They are very unimpressed with both.  I think they would prefer their fenced acreage at our old house.  Sorry guys.  That postage stamp is your yard. 

One last thing in closing -- do you like to do quilt alongs?  I've joined one over Color, Creating and Quilting. Janice, along with Jen at A Dream and A Stitch are sponsoring a Shadow Block Mini Quilt Along.  The pattern was designed by Debora at Studio Dragonfly.  So are you up for making what Janice promises is an easy fast quilt?  Drop by Janice or Jen's sites to sign up.  The reveal date is Sept. 5th. AGH!, you say?  I checked the pattern out and it really will be quick to make and finish.  I'm thinking the hardest thing for me is to decide on what fabrics to use.  I just had a moment's inspiration.  I always give a donation to FCQ guild for a fall silent auction.  This would be the perfect thing to use for that and I would be done with it really early! Hope you'll join me. 

I'm linking up with Can I get a Whoop Whoop over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  I may come back tomorrow and see what else I can link up with.  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Monday Meandering 8 - 15 - 2016

Here's what's next to the design wall today.  These are the "secret" project I'm working on.  The grey (tan?) and blue is a note pad I put over the design so I don't give it away.  It's still secret.  I need to make 3 more and I'll probably make more than that.  These blocks are fun to make.

I'm still working on the red, white and blue quilt.  Many of the rows are sewn in diagonals.  I'm going to have to move all the rows up to get the bottom done. UGH.  I'm looking forward to getting this to top stage so I can move on to something else.  It doesn't need to be done until April or May so I can move it to the back burner once the piecing is done. (The sad part, to my way of thinking, is I have another set of blocks that need to be pieced on the diagonal that is waiting in the wings.  I'll probably do something else before I start that one.) 

I did pretty well on the goals again this week.  (Although, honestly, I didn't put much on the list last week!) 

August 8, 2016

Continue on the RWB project√

Make 4 more blocks for secret project “B”√ one's done, one's cut out

Finish “Believe” block from Christmas Favorite√

Work on the “Online Friends” piece√

Here's this week's goal. 

August 15, 2016

Continue on the RWB project

Work on the “Online Friends” piece

Work on another block from Christmas Favorites

Clean out “stuff” stored where new shelving is going

Finish the last 3 blocks for secret project “B”

I'll be linking up with Monday Making and Main Crush Monday. Take some time to look around and enjoy what folks are working on this week. 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Progress on the Quilt Front

Here's what I've accomplished on my red, white and blue quilt.  I've been dragging it to various away-from-the-house sewing time for several months.  Most of the blocks are finished.  Many of the white blocks have been cut.  I still need to cut the quarter square triangles on the very outside edges of the quilt. This one will be given to the TAPS program that helps families of servicemen who have died.    

I realized I have the whole quilt leaning a bit to the left.  Sigh.  It won't be in the end.  This is sewn in diagonal rows.  Some of these rows are sewn. I've laid out more of the blocks ready to be sewn on to the strips.  Unfortunately, I have 2 more rows to add the bottom.  Darn, I should have started this up higher.  Looking at this picture is a great way to notice mistakes. I've got one marked with a sticky note but I see I have a white block on the bottom left where I should have the red, white and blue block.  Will move that when I get downstairs again.  

Here's my lay out from EQ7. I used the Go! Diamonds Jubilee quilt pattern from AccuQuilt. I wanted a bigger quilt so I played around with it on EQ and came up with this pattern. I've still got a long way to go.  Unfortunately, it doesn't fit on the piece of flannel I was using to sew on it away from home. The rest of this sewing will be going on in my studio.  

Pat set up some shelves in the unfinished basement so I can go through my boxes and "stage" my stuff.  I still haven't found my 3 pairs of good scissors nor my 3 additional rotary cutters.  What I did find was a partially made little quilt called On Line Friends.  I fell in love with it when I saw it and started right in on it 2 years ago.  Evidently, it got pushed to the side for some reason.  I haven't been doing hand work at night so I thought I'd bring it upstairs and work on it.  It doesn't look like much here.  But check out the pattern below. 

Maybe this one can get done soon. 

That's it for now.  I'm linking up with Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?, Fabric Frenzy Friday and Finished or Not Friday. 

Happy quilting all!