Monday Meanderings 8 - 8 - 2022

I got a lot done this week, mostly on Sunday. The rest of the week I did little bits of sewing and a very small bit of cleaning up my cutting table.  But, I spent more time reading and/or listening to books.  Overall it was a good week.  First up, how did I do on my goals last week? 

8/1/22

✅Start center block for Halloween quilt - traced design, need to buy a background. 

✅Make more blocks for August UFO - blocks sewn in rows. Border fabric a possibility.

✅Start Melodic Mystery -  All cut out 

✅Bind Picnic Time - finished and hanging in the living room

✅Work on grand’s Christmas ornaments - second one started while I figure out how to finish first one. 

I was very happy with all that I accomplished last week.  Here's what's up for this week.

8/8/22

Finish new charity quilt to top stage

Sew August UFO together, add borders, figure out backing

Make August BOM from A Quilting Life & RSC blocks

Quilt one of my quilts 

Work on grand’s Christmas ornaments

Here's my version of a small wall hanging called Picnic Time. I added the border on the left and the bottom to make it a little bigger than just pinwheels and watermelon. I haven't added the seeds in the watermelon nor the antennae for the lady bug.  (Truth -- I may never add them.  I used a fusible adhesive and I think it would be difficult to add the hand embroidered seeds. I might try a black Pigma for the antennae.)  It's hanging on a small holder between a window and a French door in the great room.  

I spent a bit of time trying to decide how I wanted to put the August UFO Challenge blocks together.  My ideas were: 

Layout 1 -- I made an additional block after I realized I was one short.

Layout 2 -- basic furrows. 

And finally the layout I decided on.  It's furrows but 5 across and 7 down. 

The blocks are already sewn in rows.  The "borders" are actually the same fabrics but the light was better on the left side. There's pinky purple in some of the blocks too. 

This quilt is planned for donation to my local guild.  I believe they donate quilts to seniors and look for about 35 x 44". This will come close to that size.  And, if I can keep the width under 40 inches or so one width of fabric will work for the back. 

After I got this UFO Challenge quilt to rows stage, I gave myself permission to start a new quilt.  I have had these fabrics pulled for several months but was so busy trying to keep up with my monthly UFO challenge that I didn't try to figure this out.

I came up with a variation of Happy Blocks. (You can find the basic pattern at Mary Quilts.) Ha! I didn't come up with this at all.  It's exactly like Mary's directions.  I just made it smaller. By the end of the day I had made 4 blocks. Yes, it is really that easy. 

I also finished my fabric usage stats - stash busting July month. Not a bad month.  I did go a little bit wild buying fabrics but I also finished a large quilt, a small quilt and gave a bunch of blocks to Virginia Star Quilters. So, I'm still using more fabric than acquiring this year.  We'll see how it goes for August. I want to buy a couple of wide backs.... 

2022	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out  Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
July	12.000	71.25	13.00	82.75	11.50

Time to link up to some great Linky parties. Take some time to check out what quilters are working on these days through these links.  

Oh Scrap!

Monday Making

Design Wall Monday 

To Do Tuesday 

That's it for me tonight.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

What Have I Been Doing Recently?

Sorry, that isn't a rhetorical question.  Several days have gone by without doing a lot, or so it seems! The one thing I can show you is the charity quilt I just finished quilting for Virginia Star Quilters, the local Fredericksburg guild to which I belong.

The quilting design is a built in simple stipple.  I used a light green So Fine on it front and back.  The back is a overall floral design mostly in blue but with a little light green.  Surprisingly, I can hardly see the thread on the back.  And, it isn't really obvious even in the light squares on the front.  

I have two more tops to finish for them as soon as I can.  I'm hoping I'll have another one to show on Monday and later next week I can finish the 3rd one.  They hope to distribute them in early December. 

I've decided to start a new quilt. I hear you all saying, but what about the ones you just started --- such as the Cheese and Crackers quilt using your 30s fabrics?  Here's the problem with working on that one.  It needs to be laid out on the design wall which is currently filled with a commissioned T Shirt quilt.  My design wall is big but not big enough to hold both quilts!  So, a new start.  Here's the fabric pull. 

It all started with the cute dalmation fabric.  I received it as part of the novelty fabric bundle I bought on SewItsForSale.IO. You can sell and buy sewing items on it.  I'm sorry to say I tend to buy more than I sell.  (Although I have a few items I should try to sell!) The rest has been pulled from my stash.  (Oh how happy I am to use some stash!)  

The pattern I'm using is called Nest. It's available free from Martingale's blog at https://www.shopmartingale.com/images/marketing/freebies/2016-09/Nest-free-quilt-pattern.pdf  It is from the book Fast and Fun First Quilts by Sara Diepersloot. You do need to log in to access it.  Don't forget to look at the other free patterns available.  The Nest block finishes at 12". Heck, there are only 3 seams in the block. Can you say fast finish? I'll be using this as my leader ender for the T Shirt quilt. 

After a couple of days of cold weather (as in freezing overnight at least one night) it has moderated and we should be in the high 60s today.  I'll be out walking the neighborhood again to take advantage of the good weather. 

I'm linking up with Finished or Not Fridays, Beauties Pageant 106, and Whoop, Whoop Friday. I'm going to spend some time to see what folks are working on.  It's amazing all the wonderful projects you see. Hum, maybe too many as I keep saving ideas for later use! Not the best idea for working through what you have but it's fun. Grab a cuppa and relax while you surf. 

 Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

To Do Tuesday -- Wednesday Morning Version

Amazing.  By Saturday I was pretty much done with my goal list from last week. So I vegged a lot over the week. I finished 2 books. I put away some of the fabric that was strewn across my cutting table. Here's how I did on my goals... 

10/13/2020

Finish labeling quilts and mail✔️

Add more details to landscape quilt✔️

Quilt customer’s quilt✔️

Read a book✔️

Start looking for fabrics for baby quilt✔️

And this week's goals...

10/19/2020

Update long arm computer and attend Zoom class 

Start stitching Cheese and Cracker together

Buy baby quilt fabric and cut out pattern 

Make 8 to 10 snowball blocks and decide on sashing and cornerstones

Embroider grandkids’ Halloween shirts — only 2 as the older girls aren’t interested this year.

The computer program that runs Ruthie had an update released several weeks ago. I had way too many quilts that needed to be finished under a time constraint for me to start the process. I'll be downloading and installing the program tomorrow so I'll know what the instructor is talking about when describing how pantographs work with the new program when I take a class Wednesday night. 

Here's the picture of my newest quilt project. 

I was inspired by several bloggers who were using their 30s fabric to make quilts.  I actually have had this pattern and the background fabric stored with my 30's fabrics for years.  In fact, I think I pulled the background fabric and pattern out last year.  But seeing others use their 30's recently I decided to give it a try. 

Fast forward to when I was ready to start a new project, ie, today. I was happily cutting away and on the last 3 strips of 26, when I realized I had cut the strips 5" instead of 5.5".  Can you say, smaller quilt?  I don't think it will make a huge difference to tell the truth.  But I do need to measure some things out to make sure every thing will fit together.  Thank goodness for rectangles! As I was figuring away I realized I could make it smaller but then I would have to refigure the border.  Um, no thank you! I've already checked to see I have enough fabric and cut all the strips. Now I need to look for patterns for 5" strips.  Sounds like a charm pack in the making. (And lucky me, I bought my pattern when it was only $7.00.) 

I'm also hoping to make some more Snowball blocks so I can begin putting the quilt together. Here's what I've got so far.  (Or at least what I want to put into this particular quilt.) I just slapped the blocks on the design wall.  But I see I need to move around the last 3 blocks of row 3.  They look too much alike. I'll cut some more and then fuss with the arrangement when they are all done. I'm so happy I have the Accuquilt die for this pattern.  It is SO easy to cut out multiple blocks at the same time.  It may be harder to decide what fabric I want to use than to cut the blocks. 

I'm done for tonight.  I've got a lot on my plate for this week.  Hopefully I'll move everything forward!  I'm linking up with To Do Tuesday, and Midweek Makers.  Enjoy surfing the blogs posted to these linky parties. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

One Monthly Goal January 2019

It's taken me a bit of time to figure out what I wanted to work on for my January goal.  After much thought and knowing I should get UFOs knocked off my list here's what I'm aiming to finish this month: 

Make all the blocks for my rebuilt log cabin twin size quilt. 

I currently have 32 blocks finished. 

Maximum blocks would be 63; minimum would be 54. I haven't decided how big this quilt needs to be to fit on one of the twin beds in the guest bedroom. Currently there's a quilt on the bed that is 72 x 90 1/2 that is an ok size although slightly big in both directions.  My blocks are going to be about 10" finished so I need to make some decisions. Or, maybe I'll trim the blocks a a bit smaller to make them fit better. Time will tell. PS These blocks haven't been rebuilt yet.  Stay tuned!

Personally, I'd love to get the blocks sewn together but I don't really see that happening this month.   

Christmas was a quilter's delight as both of my kids got me quilt related presents.  One gave me Stash Statement by Kelly Young.  I've been wanting that book since it was first published.  The other got me a bounty of fabrics.  Here's the first group of fat quarters.  Yummy colors and I've already picked a pattern and have started cutting at least for a sample block. First up the colors that have been selected for this project. 

And here's a picture of the pattern: 

It comes from the book Simply Fat Quarters by It's Sew Emma Patterns.  There are several additional patterns I'm considering for later.  But, first I need to get this one made and a couple of UFOs moved on to finished top stage. 

Back up and look at those gorgeous fabrics again.  The beige background is what I plan to use for my background in the block.  Notice the darker beige in the center --- I was thinking I might use that for the center square of each block.... but I'm not sure. Its a different color beige with a black stripe.  I have two other fabrics to try out. Heck, I have a big stash I can ponder to find the right color! I won't make my decision until after I get several of the block sections made. Hum, would it work to vary the center square in each block?  What do you think? 

Here's the small number of fat quarters that did not make the cut.  Still beautiful but I liked the way the top group played together. 

Time to get sewing or maybe cutting first and then sewing. 

I'm linking up with Elm Creek Quilts, Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I Have a Whoop, Whoop! and Finished or Not Friday. I'll check back with Sarah later to see if Can I Have a Whoop, Whoop! is posted.  Take some time to see what's going on in the Internet quilting world.  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

New Project

Yesterday I started a new project.  Sorry, no photos yet.  But I did use this pattern from Mary Quilts.  My quilt is using fussy cuts from several fat eighths that Kevin bought me for Christmas two years ago.  Ok, I never showed the fat eighths, sorry.  Anyway they were an entire line from Connecting Threads with a snow/winter theme.  In January I bought a bunch of fabric as go withs for the fat eighths.  Of course, I didn't know how I planned to use them so I've run out of some of the rails and have substituted but I think it will be fine once I scatter the substitutes through out the quilt.  This is going to be a baby quilt to be given to Quilts for Kids when I return the two kits I'm working on. 

Saturday was Brian's birthday and he, Jenny and Sophia were here on their way back from Jenny's recruiting trip.  So, knowing he loves cupcakes, I made some with his favorite frosting of Cool Whip and chocolate pudding.  I filled the cupcakes with a squirt of the frosting and then topped them with the same frosting.  My finale was a squeeze of the green creme de mint frosting I used on brownies for the Fourth of July party.  

I'm getting pretty good at this.  One problem though.  As I was squeezing the frosting out the pastry bag was falling apart -- frosting came oozing out of the side seam. No problem, change to another bag.  Except that bag fell apart too.  I had one more bag left and it lasted until I got all the little green flowers on it and fell apart also.  Good Grief.... just because the bags were from the early 80's they didn't need to fall completely apart!  


Tuesday I went out to lunch with Jennie, the baker next door, and a quick trip to JoAnns.  Needless to say, I bought a new pastry bag, just in case I decide to be creative any time soon.  
Happy Quilting All!