Another January UFO finish

Finished the binding yesterday, so I have another UFO Finish for January.  I like this one, and I was not sure about it when I was putting it together.

 

Design Wall Monday

Judy L has us do a design wall report on Monday, but I was at appointments all day long, so I did not get to sew or post.

This quilt is too big for my design wall.  I've not finished the borders.  I had a bad couple of days, but I'm ready to work on it.  It is cold today, so maybe I can come home and do some work on the borders and get this ready to quilt.

I really like this Ann Smith Mystery.

Stash report

Judy of Patchwork Times has us doing a stash report each Sunday.  I have not reported in awhile because I've not had finishes, but this week was different.

Total Fabric Used:            12.26
Fabric Added:                     6.00  backing
Fabric Used this month     17.94
Usage to 100 yards            87.74

I also have fabric ready to donate, but I'm not sure how much to count.  when I was estimating while putting into bags, I came up with 80 yards, but when I weighed it, it is closer to 220 yards.  I think I'm taking a lower number.  220 yards does not sound right.  That cabinet would barely close, so I did find some fabric to pass on.  Now I need to reorganize and make room for the blues and whites to be easier to get to, maybe the blacks too.

So, that being said, come February I will have passed my 100 yards and will change my goal to 200.

Fabric give away

Well, I'm not sure how much I have to give away.  I have 10 bags.  If I go that 1 lb is about 4 yards of fabric, then I have about 57 lbs of fabric in bags.  That makes 228 yards of fabric.  I don't think that is possible.  There are a lot of things which I won't use very much.

Still working on Mystery UFO

This is getting bigger and bigger.

I have the pinwheels on the border, added a small white border, and almost didn't have enough fabric, but made it.

The first blue border is on.

I have the green border cut and ready to piece together.

I have the last blue border cut and ready to piece. 

I can't make it much larger or I won't be able to quilt it on my table.

I'm making progress, and it felt good to sew today.

I did get some cleaning done too.

 

cold and gray

I knew it was cold and gray outside, but I didn't think about having ice on the window.  Wow, I think I am not going anywhere today.  I had a lunch appointment, but I'm thinking not.

So, I started going through fabrics that I'll never use.  Tammy said she had a church group that would use any kind of fabric, so I'm bagging it up and will give to her in February when I see her! 

Six bags so far.

It's a icy day

Received a phone call at 0500 and it was saying schools are closed today.  Icy outside, so that means we can stay home and get something else accomplished in my studio.

 

I quilted this last night.  I used a brown thread and quilted flowers in an all over design.

Loading another quilt

Remember this one?  It is on my Samper Society UFO listing.  I need it done to be able to have one more finished.

 

I had a few hours today/  I had time to put the backing together and the batting together.

 

It was a nice event, especially since it is so cold out. 

 

 

Western Christmas quilt UFO done

As I was waiting at the doctors office, I finished another UFO.

This was a fairly new one, but I needed to get it done so it can be published in a magazine. :)

I can't show you the pattern, but it is really cute!

I did a quilting design to mimic this rope pattern.

So, this is a little to show the backing and the quilting pattern. 

 

 

When I can, I will show off my entire quilt.  I think this one is staying with me.  I love it!

 

That makes 2 UFOs done this month.  Not bad.

New quilt class

I've been invited by Gromes Sewing Co to teach a class. 

She loved the simplicity of these two quilts made from the same batches of 4 patches. 

   

Starting February, I will teach this in a two session class.

Since it is so simple, it should be lots of fun. 

 I should look to see if I could find any other ways to set the 4 patches.  Just for fun.  :)

Finished for the holiday weekend.

Guess I made progress.

Goals this weekend (sewing ones)

Started 4.  Cut some of the 2.5” squares needed for the baby clothing quilts
Started 5.  Go through a box or bag of quilting items and put them away or re-gift them. (just have lots of these to go through.
Half done7.  Hem uniforms - only 2

DONE 2.  Review quilting lesson plans for class they asked me to teach
DONE 6.  Make Flying geese border on star quilt  all the geese are made and only one more side to sew them on.

DONE 1.  Quilt Christmas quilt

DONE 3.  Gather samples for the quilting class to show the owners

 

 

Non-quilting goals

 5.  Make flyer for band event

 

DONE 1.  Plan USAF retired band event

DONE 4.  Clean off desk -- a never ending battle

DONE 2.  Laundry -- thDONE 3.  Help Ashley with her closete never ending battle

DONE 7.  Clean up and rearrange extra bedroom 

DONE 6.  Go through e-mails (150)

Update of to do list

Guess I made progress, but will continue to work on them tomorrow.

Goals this weekend (sewing ones)

Started 1.  Quilt Christmas quilt

Started 3.  Gather samples for the quilting class to show the owners
Started 4.  Cut some of the 2.5” squares needed for the baby clothing quilts
Started 5.  Go through a box or bag of quilting items and put them away or re-gift them.
6.  Make Flying geese border on star quilt
Half done7.  Hem uniforms - only 2

DONE 2.  Review quilting lesson plans for class they asked me to teach

 

 

Non-quilting goals

 

Almost done 2.  Laundry -- the never ending battle

Started 3.  Help Ashley with her closet

5.  Make flyer for band event

Started 6.  Go through e-mails (150)

Almost DONE 7.  Clean up and rearrange extra bedroom 

 

DONE 1.  Plan USAF retired band event

DONE 4.  Clean off desk -- a never ending battle

 

Weekend retreat for Stashbusters

I didn’t realize we were retreating this weekend on Stashbusters, but I’m happy for it.

I didn’t get to sew yesterday because of a band event, but we are not going to church this morning because of everyone feeling out of it and I don't have a Girl Scout Meeting today.

So, I’m cleaning up and planning in my studio.  I think I will stop planning and start doing!

Goals this weekend (sewing ones)

1.  Quilt Christmas quilt

2.  Review quilting lesson plans for class they asked me to teach
3.  Gather samples for the quilting class to show the owners
4.  Cut some of the 2.5” squares needed for the baby clothing quilts
5.  Go through a box or bag of quilting items and put them away or re-gift them.
6.  Make Flying geese border on star quilt

7.  Hem uniforms - only 2

 

Non-quilting goals

1.  Plan USAF retired band event

2.  Laundry -- the never ending battle

3.  Help Ashley with her closet

4.  Clean off desk -- a never ending battle

5.  Make flyer for band event

6.  Go through e-mails (150)

7.  Clean up and rearrange extra bedroom 

All the while I will be battling cedar fever and working on the rest of the house too.  If you don't know what causes cedar fever take a look at the link above.  Yuck!!!

Playing with new computer

My darling children from awhile back.  I was playing with the new computer.

Design Wall

This is the mystery I did awhile back.  I am doing the pinwheels around the border.

Another way to store scraps

I love this scrap saver idea.
I don't have room for more file cabinets, but I sure can see this working.
Had to share.

Small quilt group

I love these days.  I get so much done, and I also get to enjoy some company of my quilting friends.

 

Today Judy taught Lana how to clean out her featherweight machine. After that we all got to play around with fixing the tension on her machine.  She had been having trouble with it, so it was nice to work as a group to fix the problem.  After she was happy with her tension, Lana cut out a scarf purse pattern.  It is really going to be pretty.

 

Judy finished putting together a layer cake top. 

 

 That turned out so nice.

 

I worked on making bias strips for the vines on my eagle UFO.  This is actually the one for next month, but I'm sure it will be taking me lots of time to finish it.  Now to figure out what to add to the vine.  I'm not sure about just leaves or flowers.  I need to do some research.

 

Ann had this mystery last year, I think.  Maybe the NYE 2012 Mystery???  I wanted to finish off the pinwheels in the border of this quilt and life got in the way of me making that happen.  I made the flying geese for this top and bottom borders.  I now need to finish the side borders.

 

Now, I think I will be adding a thin white border, then a lime green border and another white border.  I hope to find a blue to make for the outer border.  That's the plan at this point.  We shall see what materializes.

I really like this quilt.

 

A new quilting friend came by and met the crew.  She works on Saturdays, so she might not be able to join in with us all the time.  Maybe we can get together at another time and work on some hand work.  She loves the Dresden plate pattern.

Overall, it was a productive day for all of us.

 

I would like to quilt the Christmas quilt and make more pinwheels, but I need to plan the Girl Scout meeting first.

HELP

I hate this stuff.  I now have a new computer with Windows 8 on it.  Oh my, that is so weird.  I also can't find the word programs to be able to get to any of my documents.  :(  I also had my blog taken over with my DD's gmail account and have not figured out how to get it back to my e-mail.  Any ideas would be appreciated.
It is warmer today.  That is a good thing.
I am about ready to go and load the testing quilt and get it quilt.
Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful day.

Tell it to the Stars Week 1

Judy is having us talk about our quilting life for those in our lives.  Here is her first question.  I figure I'll blog about it.

Question #1:   What year did you begin quilting? What made you start quilting?
I think I originally started quilting in 1986/87, when I was in South Dakota.  I was learning the Dresden plate and wasn't really interested in it.  That was before the rotary cutter and all had to be cut out with scissors.  I did start a queen sized quilt with calico prints.  That finally was finished in 2004.  I didn't really like it, but it was finished.  LOL  I didn't really start quilting again until I was in Los Angeles and friends at work were quilters.  I took a class at a community college with friends and learned that I really enjoyed the process.  From there I have been quilting more and more.  When I retired I bought a long arm quilt machine and can make my quilts start to finish in my own studio.

Sampler Society UFO progress

This was a block swap.  My Batik Stack and Whack is my first UFO in my Sampler Society UFO listing.  I don't know that I really like the process or the results.  DD decided I needed to add the white inner border and a black outer border.  I found the batik that was just big enough.  Now to find a backing for this and the other quilt.  At the time I finish these 2 quilts I will have finished 3 UFOs for the year.  I feel good on this.  I think this looks a little bit like Hawaiian.

Quilting Day & Stash Report

I can't show the photo of the quilt I was testing, but I really love it.  I used a western boot fabric and it will become my new Christmas quilt as soon as I get it quilted.  I'm excited that I finally finished a top.  The last few months have been difficult for me.  I did find that I need to relearn how to cut more precisely and that 1/4 inch seam needs to be perfected again.  That's what happens when you don't use what you've learned on a consistent basis. The link to Judy's blog.

Total Fabric Used:            0.64
Fabric Added:                  0.00
Fabric Used this month     0.64
Usage to 100 yards        99.36

First UFO done

This is Jo's Lantern from many years ago.  I went ahead and machine quilted it straight lines and bound it at the doctor today.

Scrappy Challenge

Judy L is having a scrappy Challenge where she is picking a block.  We work on our blocks and then once a month she will tell us to stop and put the quilt/item together.  Here is the link to her blog with the first block.

I'm not sure if I am doing this one or not, but I sure have lots of scraps I'd love to work my way through.

2013/2014

1. I would like to fling the things I don't want anymore.  I've actually been doing that for awhile now, but I have many unused items that need to be given to a home that will actually have a use for them.  Getting DD to do this too will be a chore, but worthwhile.

2. I would like to use a net of 100 yards of fabric this year.  I almost made it last year, but without sewing the last 6 months, that didn't happen.  As long as I allow myself time to be in the studio, this should be easy to meet with all my UFOs.

3. I want to finish 12 UFOs this year -- the 6 on my list with Sampler Society and another 6 from my cabinet.  Stashbusters is doing another UFO challenge this year, so I'll be joining in and trying my best to not be the Queen.  I'm ashamed to say I have 128 UFOs on my list, so it should be fairly easy to make it happen.  There could even be more than that hiding in here someplace.  It is way down from a few years ago, but it is amazing how many quilts those swap blocks are able to make.

4. I want to start quilting for QOV again.

5. I want to treat myself and my family better.  This one can go into so many different areas.  My word for the year is FUN, so I want to find fun in all that we are doing, even housework.  

Have a happy new year and sew on.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Want to wish Everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I actually sewed, but I can't show you what it is yet.

Wishing everyone a fabulous 2014.