Happy New Year and Monday Meanderings 1 - 6 - 2020

Isn't it weird to be typing 2020?  When I was a kid 2000 was unfathomable.  So how could it already be 2020?  No matter, I wish a wonderful, quilty 2020 for all.   

I'm right on top of my fabric usage statistics this month -- I really wanted to see how I did this year.  I did use more fabric than I brought in!  YEA. 

2019	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
Dec	5.625	55.830	4.750	66.625	10.705

Here's how it compares with other years.  Not bad -- I used more fabric than I brought in.  That's always good.  I'm surprised I didn't have more finishes based on fabric used.  It's probably because I didn't do much for two months and I'm making smaller quilts now. 

Year	Fabric In	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
2010	65.000	70.250	13.000
2011	186.500	72.000	114.500
2012	113.545	108.970	4.575
2013	100.710	103.015	2.305
2014	108.250	79.750	28.500
2015	66.205	77.150	10.945
2016	83.375	55.375	28.000
2017	118.625	108.125	10.500
2018	85.375	94.250	8.875
2019	55.830	66.625	10.705

Here's some more photos of Christmas presents I made this year. 

Here's Ellie with her new purple sweater.  She was more than willing to pose for me with it on. It's slightly big on her which is great in my estimation.  Now to decide what to do with the rest of the purple yarn.  It was given to me and there is quite a bit more left. 

Next up is the reading pillow I made for Sophie.  When I realized I had a great piece of fabric with Harry Potter I knew it had to be included in the pillow. She's a huge Harry Potter fan.  The embroidery design is from Designs by JuJu.  The directions were featured on a You Tube video.  I used a 17" pillow form.  You can't see the handle in the picture but it's there to carry it around.  Plus the front section is a pocket.  I don't know if Sophie will use it for more than decoration on her bed.  I'll have to remember to ask her at some point.

That's it from me today.  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie

Monday Meanderings 1 - 29 - 2018

Yikes, how can we be 1/12th done with 2018. (Or at least almost 1/12th done.  Don't count on me for super math skills.)  I worked hard this week to complete the goals I set for myself last week.  I considered myself successful although one item is being moved to this week. 

I finished the sweater that has been a UFO since the 1980s (think early 80's.) To truly appreciate this sweater you have to go back to a post I did in 2015, Knitting UFO Revival. I'll wait for you; done yet?  Well, some of my worries were spot on.  For the most part the stripes lined up pretty well.  Except, er, somehow the left sleeve and front has an extra row than the right sleeve and front.  Never noticed it until I was burying yarn.  Go ahead, count them.  7 rows on the sleeve and 7 rows on the left side.  Luckily the 7th row on the front was only a partial row so people aren't going to notice the extra row in the front.  

The sweater is a bit tight at the bottom and big at the top.  The sleeves are definitely big from the cuff up.  I think I must have gotten the neckband a few rows too many. After staying up half the night last night I was able to bury all the loose threads and sew on 11 buttons, which don't stay buttoned all that well.  I'm done with it.  I'll probably leave it in the studio to put on when I'm chilled.  It is definitely a warm sweater.  So a few things about this:  The pattern is hitting the recycling bin asap.  I not only did NOT run out of the main yarn I have a complete skein left.  These buttons don't stay closed well.  I'm too tired of this to do anything else on it.  I still really like the color although this pic isn't showing the color all that well. This sweater is an acrylic yarn but way thicker than the current yarns I've seen at local stores. Anyone have an idea for a one skein project? 

TRUTH -- I have another unfinished sweater with a poinsettia on the front.  I can do about 2 rows of it and then I have to stop because it is such a pain to keep the various yarns straight.  Maybe I'll try to work on it next fall-winter.  But definitely not now!  

So, what is your oldest UFO?  I've got some mini blocks from the same time as that sweater mid 1980s.  I was on Prodigy and the quilting group had lots of exchanges. Some day, maybe I'll do something with them. But don't hold your breath.

Because I don't want anymore UFOs, I finished making the backing of the alphabet challenge quilt.  I had to figure out the math (see note at beginning) to see how I could use all the leftover pieces of doggy fabric and fabric from the bag I was given. Believe me, I do not want to add any of that fabric to my stash. Here it is before I sewed the rows together. 

I made this with multiples of 8" (finished size) fabric.  It's a little busy but I'm tickled to use up some of my own fabric, some of which is 20 years old. (And of course, I still have a piece or two of that despite my best intentions.)  The navy fabric that looks like it has white dots on it came from the brown bag.  The rest are dog prints or dog paw prints from my stash.  The center bright blue print has a few cats along with dogs on it -- just to spice the whole thing up.  I'm hoping to get this quilted this week. 

Here's the goals list from last week. 

January 22, 2018

Get borders on Alphabet Challenge√

Make backing for Alphabet Challenge quilt√

Finish up sweater√

Make more half triangle squares and string blocks√

Take small border off charity quilt√

Cut out Taps quilt hasn’t happened yet

And this week: 

January 29, 2018

Quilt 1^st Rainbow Color Challenge Quilt

Cut Out Taps Quilt

Pick a new project, preferably a UFO to work on

Make 10.5” string blocks for Covered in Love

Quilt Alphabet Challenge quilt

Now it's time to get on with this week.  Here's where I'm linking up with: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, and Moving It Forward. As always I hope you can take some time to see what's going on around the Internet -- we all need new projects, don't we. (wink, wink!) Today I'm going to my Monday stitching group, where much of this sweater was worked on. I've some repair work to do and then I'll get back to hand quilting a couple of quilts.  (yes, at one  time I thought hand quilting was perfectly acceptable. What was I thinking?)

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings January 22, 2018

I've finally recovered from my fun weekend with my sewing buddies.  We spent a lot of time hanging out in the studio and sewing.  This week, I spent a lot of time down there but I don't have a lot to show for it.  So instead I'm sharing bits and pieces of progress.  I've signed up to take Jamestown Landing with Bonnie Hunter in February.   I'm not sure why I signed up except she's a great gal to be around, I like her quilts and it will be good to get to know some of the gals in my new guild better.  (If you live near Fredericksburg and you want to attend check out Virginia Star Quilters.) 

But, do I really need another big quilt?  Well of course I do. We bought white bedroom furniture when we moved this last time. (Honestly, 40+ years with our original furniture -- we'd gotten enough value out of it!) I have several queenside quilts but nothing looks perfect with it.  So, Jamestown Landing got another reason to participate.  

Jamestown Landing is in String Fling by Bonnie Hunter.  I've looked at it many times but wasn't moved to make any big quilts.  But with this event I thought, why not. I already have the book.  I could make a dent in my fabrics (or so I think!)

But here is one of the BIG drawbacks. 

Yep, 840 half triangle squares.  Unless I decide to make it bigger....  Last time I took a class with Bonnie Hunter one of the gals had already started the quilt.  Hum, we wouldn't be getting a top done in a day with 840 of anything. So I decided to borrow from that gal's bag of tricks.  I've been making triangles for a month or so.  I even opted to buy the multiple Accuquilt die for the triangles.  I can cut 72 triangles at one time.   Here's where I am at with that. 

Yes!  I've already got 220 finished.  Here's how I keep track:  When I've made 10 units I then do a big basting stitch to keep them together.  Right now I'm storing these in a plastic box that scones came in.  At some point I'll probably have to find another box. I'm betting it will take several of them to keep the final amount together. 

I'm also making some string blocks.  I think this is a cherry tomato box.  It fits the strings perfectly.  I'm trying to keep my strings mostly whites with a few creamy colors thrown in.  I do like a crisp white and turquoise quilt.  I need to count and stitch these in groups of 10 too.  

I feel comfortable doing both of these blocks since I've taken a Bonnie class that used these two blocks.  I am looking forward to seeing her new rulers. 

My sewing time has been spent trying to get the quilts on my goals done (or at least more progress made.)  Check out how well I did on last week's goal.  The one thing I really didn't make enough progress on is the sweater.  It's almost done.  I bet if I just gave 3 hours of uninterrupted time to it I'd be wearing it.

I still need to sew the sleeve seams, knit the top band and bury all the loose yarn joins. I guess I'll make the commitment to actually spend the time this week.  I love the color of it and I like cardigans.  It's time to finish this one up! Do you knit sweaters? 

Here's my goal list from last week.  I really did move a lot of different projects ahead. 

January 15, 2018

Bind balloon quilt√

Sew together Alphabet Challenge quilt√ need borders

Put borders on 2017 Rainbow Challenge top #1√

Keep working on sweater (a UFO since the 1980s!)√

Keep working on half triangle squares√

And here's what's up for this week. 

January 22, 2018

Get borders on Alphabet Challenge

Make backing for Alphabet Challenge quilt

Finish up sweater

Make more half triangle squares and string blocks

Take small border off charity quilt

Cut out Taps quilt

That's it for me now.  Please take a look at the linky parties for Monday that I link up with: Oh Scrap, Monday Makings, Moving It Forward Monday, and Main Crush Monday. I'm off to do some surfing. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie