This 'N That

I've been wasting way too much time lately looking for 'things' in my sewing studio so I decided it was time to organize.

First were the wire shelves. I consolidated fabrics and batting. I organized the stencils into containers by size so I can find them easier. They may not look organized but they are much much better than they were. I need to label the fabric tubs so I can see which tub is which color but I know where the blue tubs are, all 3 of them. Labeling will happen this week.

Next were the white cubbies. The left side cubbie hold scrappy long term projects. The projects on the top of the cubbie are projects for this year, Garden Party, Fire Island Hosta Queen, the blue embroidered blocks and Tree of Life. (Here is a link to a blog that shows a finished Tree of Life quilt, this is an old kit from the 60's.)

The right cubbie holds supplies. Before the reorganization, they were intermixed with the scrappy projects. On the top are trays that I use when I prep projects. I used to prep more than one project at a time, that is why I have so many trays. The middle box is odd sized strips that are left from trimming. I have a scrappy strip project started that they'll be used in. (It needs to be moved to the left cubbie.) The right box/basket is EPP pieces. They will be reorganized into one of the empty blue boxes in the cubbie.

I never shopped often at JoAnn Fabrics but of course I stopped in when they actually dropped their prices during the foreclosure sale. I bought several cotton batts (should have bought more!) and a couple storage boxes. One of the boxes was for the Tree of Life  project. The storage boxes had a top divided tray that I didn't need for the 2nd project. I repurposed it to the right side of my sewing machine cabinet. That side was always a mess of clutter.

I don't know if the tray will stay this organized but it will certainly be better than it was. My mother bought that pin dish ash tray for me when I purchased my first sewing machine. It's a perfect pin dish, I'm still using it after 52 years.

What is especially nice about reorganizing is I have found 'things' I've been looking for. I found the decorative stitch card for my Elna. It and the Elna manual are safely stored in the bottom drawer of my sewing cabinet. The spools of lace that were stored there will be donated to the craft department at the relief sale.

I also found the Dancing Star blocks that I've been searching for ever since we moved here, almost 3 years ago!

For now they're displayed on the display wall while I decide if I want to finish this quilt. I think the blocks are very pretty but I have no enthusiasm to finish it. I'll mull it over until I need to use the display wall for something else. They'll probably end up being donated to the sewing box at the relief sale. This is where a lot of UFQ's end up.

Dancing Stars is a free pattern from Amy's Creative Side.

While I was organizing, I decide to wind bobbins so when I start sewing, time won't be wasted in winding bobbins.

The basic colors are covered. I always keep a few black, dark gray and blue just in case I need those colors.  

Next I need to tackle the bookshelves.

Last year I made an anniversary quilt for our oldest son and DIL so it would be ready when it was anniversary time.

I mailed the quilt last month and it arrived on the day of their anniversary. They texted a picture and to say thank you but since it was l0l* that day, they wouldn't be using it for a while. Totally understandable!

It was so nice to have this quilt completed and ready to send ahead of time.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, FM Mavericks, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Planning Party Update, 3rd Quarter Check-In

It's time for a Planning Party update and I'm posting my summer progress. Here is a link to the list I made in January of my tentative quilting plans for the year.

The Anniversary quilt was finished the first of August. This quilt is an anniversary (obviously) quilt that will be gifted next year. The wife loves purple!

In July, Tula Hexies was finished, machine quilted by me.

Several compassion quilts were also quilted by me. You can find links to them here, here and here.

Here is the largest of the quilts I've machine quilted. She's called Dots & Dashes.

Dresden Stars was also finished in August. Colleen Gall was the long arm quilter.

Dresden Stars and the Anniversary quilts were both started and completed in 2024.

Linking to Planning Party, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

The Anniversary Quilt

Back in January I posted a list of quilts I wanted to make this year. One of those quilts was an anniversary quilt to be gifted next year. It's finished!

She was quilted by one of the long arm quilters at Calico Point. I think all the employees know how to use the long arm machine. I don't know the name of this quilting design but I thought it would look very nice on this quilt, and it does.

I used a white backing fabric which shows the design better than the front side does.

She measures 94" square.

Here is a link to more information about the anniversary quilt.

Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

Planning Party, Spring Progress

It's March so it's time to see the progress I've made with the list I published in January. 

Tula Hexies is a flimsy, I'm planning to quilt her sometime this summer with my sewing machine. She measures 51" by 80" at this time which is as big as I can handle with my machine. I'm sure she'll shrink after she's quilted.

Dresden Stars is also a flimsy and measures 94" by 105". This quilt will be long arm quilted sometime but I'm not sure when. I'm also not sure who or where it will be gifted.

The anniversary quilt is pieced. I'll get it quilted sometime this year and it will be ready to gift in 2025.

Are you making progress with your 2024 quilting plans?

Linking to Quilt Plan Check In, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

The Anniversary Quilt

The Anniversary quilt is a flimsy, Plan B was a success!

Sunday was a windy day but I didn't realize how windy until I tried to take pictures. The quilt on the glider went fine. It's up against the wall so the wind doesn't blow there unless it's directly from the north.

The quilt hanging from the display line didn't go so well. You can see the farmer standing behind the flimsy tried to keep it under control. I took it down to try for pictures another day.

I was gone all day Monday so I tried Tuesday around oneish. Again it was too windy so I took the flimsy down and took a picture displayed on our bed. 

The farmer told me let's try again around 7 pm when the wind dies down. We did but it was still windy!

Wednesday morning I checked to see when sunrise was forecast, 7:45. I hung the flimsy on the display line and took the pictures at 7:55. Success!

Here is what the back of the quilt looks like.

After I took the picture of the back of the quilt, the flimsy started to slightly billow and float upward, the picture was taken just in time!

The border around the carpenter star is 9 patches, both kinds. Nine patches worked perfectly and the border looks like random squares which was the effect I was going for.

I pulled all the purples I had and strip pieced the blocks. If the fabric had purple in it, it went in the quilt. The turquoise (there are purple blotches on that fabric) adds a nice contrast to the purples.

I used the 5" Moda Love pattern for the carpenter's star in the center. I did buy fabric for the star because I wanted it to be a single color.

The outside border is a dark blue batik that has blotches of purple in it. I have no memory of buying this fabric but it was perfect for this quilt.

This flimsy measures 96" square. I'll get it to Lori sometime this summer for quilting.

Another project crossed off my 2024 list. Now I actually get to start a NEW quilt!

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Anniversary Quilt

I want to start a new quilt project in 2024 but again, I'm going to finish piecing a project started in 2023.

When I published my list of quilting projects for 2024 in January, I included a gift quilt to be made for an anniversary happening in 2025. Yes, I know that's a long time away but I don't like to be scrambling at the last minute, that's not how I work.

I am using the 5" Moda Love pattern for the center of the quilt. I haven't used a charm pack though. For the center, I purchased purple fabrics so the star would be the same color.

Since I had sewed the HST's at the November retreat, it was a simple matter to arrange the various pieces on my display wall.

Then I sewed the individual blocks together into the star.

The quilt is going to be a medallion style so borders were added. It measures 48.5 now.

I thought I had done the math correctly and it would work to add 8" finished log cabin blocks. I did not do the math correctly, log cabin blocks are NOT going to work.

I've come up with a plan B which I will show you next week. 

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Quilts Planned in 2024, Hopefully!

 Today I'm posting a list of quilts I hope to make, or at least progress along in 2024. This is just a list in the order I thought of them. They won't be made in this order.

The first quilt on the list is Dresden Stars which has been started. The plates are made, now the rest of the quilt needs to be sewn.

I started piecing this quilt at the November 2022 Jane Stickle retreat.

Dresden Stars is designed by Edyta Sitar.

A gift quilt (no picture) has been started and needs to be completed this year so it's ready to be gifted in 2025. I don't have any pictures to show you. I'm designing it myself but the center is the Moda Love star made with 5" squares so I'm guess I'm not really designing it, just merely adapting it.

I'm enjoying hand sewing the 2" hexie blocks which I've now named Tula Hexies. I'm not sure how large this quilt will be but I know it won't be a huge quilt, maybe a good sized lap quilt, 60" by 80"?

Hearts & Wreath is going into the hand quilting frame as soon as the marking is completed and the backing fabric pieced. I started appliqueing H & W in August 2021. 

Since the applique is finished on Hearts & Wreaths, it's time for a new applique project.  That's going to be another leaf border, this time on Blueberry Pie.

The borders have to be cut and then marked. (You won't see borders happening until Hearts & Wreaths is in the hand quilting frame and Tula Hexies is pieced.)

The pattern for Blueberry Pie is found in the Red, White and Sometimes Blue book but it's not called Blueberry Pie. You'll find it listed under Writer's Block. I thought the name was rather unimaginative so I changed it to reflect the blues used in my quilt.

The pattern in the book does NOT have an appliqued border, this is my variation. I might or might not add flowers.

The fabrics for Fire Island Hosta queen were purchased several years ago.  Can you see on the pattern it says 100" by 100"? I've never foundation paper pieced this large of a quilt, this will probably be a several years project.

At the November 2022 retreat, Judy Jansen sent a BIG tub of quilting magazines home with me with the specification that they be donated to the Sewing Box at the 2023 Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale. 

After the retreat, we had friends come for a quick, low key visit to see the new house. Linda is also a quilter and I showed her the tub of magazines. We spent all whole afternoon paging through the magazines. After awhile they all started looking the same so we took a several hours break then started in again. We actually went through the whole tub!

While Linda was browsing, she showed me a pattern and said it looks like me. She was so right!

The pattern is called Radiant Blue and is designed by Marsha McCloskey. Radiant Blue is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine. I had hoped to make this quilt in 2023 but it didn't happen. I certainly have plenty of blue fabrics!

I've also had fabrics pulled for Bonnie Hunter's Garden Party quilt for several years. Garden Party is found in Bonnie's Addicted to Scraps Book. Here is a link to quilts found in the book.

The Dancing Stars blocks are still hiding someplace in my sewing studio. I'm not actively looking for them, I'm more apt to run across the blocks when I'm not looking. If I do come across the blocks, they'll be sewn into a small quilt. Otherwise they can wait.

There are several compassion quilts that are pieced and ready for quilting and then donation. I'll quilt them sometime this year. 

The list is seven projects (I'm not counting Dancing Stars) which doesn't seem like many but several of them are very time consuming. I want to really focus on these projects and not get sidetracked by squirrels. I have decided I am not going to participate in RSC or the SAHRR this year.

What new projects are you anticipating starting this year?

Linking to Hugs & Stitches, 2024 Quilting Planning Party, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

After writing the above post, I remembered I purchased papers to foundation paper piece a pineapple quilt from Gigi @ Gigi's Thimble. I missed her sew-along in 2022 but I work at my own speed anyway. This project may sneak in this year, I think it would be a good project to take to retreats.

I wrote the above post earlier in December then I went to my sewing studio to do clean up. I kept thinking about the pineapple blocks so I pulled scraps and small pieces of whites then cut strips. I pulled out a tub that has leftovers of blues and other yardage pieces too. I spent several days cutting strips so there won't be so much prep work to do before retreat in April.

In the meantime, Bonnie Hunter started piecing pineapple blocks and showing them on her blog. I was holding out on actually piecing a block but when I saw this post, I just had to make one block, just one! I decided to make my center like Bonnie's but using blue.

The fabric used in the center is from pieces left from the border of Lady Jane.

Bonnie's quilt is so striking because she's using black fabrics. I don't get the same effect with my blues. I think I'll make the rest of the blocks like normal. This block will be placed in the orphan box.