October Stash Report and Goals Update

October was a busy month. Some of what I worked on was behind the scenes, productive but not featured on the blog, including prep for a quilt show entry. Other projects were also moved along nicely: The "found" UFO was completed and donated. Another UFO was quilted. The Checkered Garden blocks have become a flimsy, and I'm making progress on several other quilting or piecing projects. 

The "Found" UFU

The other project that was quilted, Cut and Shuffle Leftovers, no new photo yet

The Checkered Garden top turned out nice; it's ready for me to find a backing and quilt it. 

For social sewing, the Double Four Patch Chain has been laid out on the wall, numbered and kitted up. I started assembling the blocks at the most recent social sewing day. I like the light chain against the dark fabrics. 

I figured out something I can do with the many unused cut pieces from DJ2. Since the DJ pieces are 2-1/2 by 6-1/2" and there are 8 of each fabric, I can make tall nine patch blocks from them. More blocks will be needed which means more cutting. This will either turn out okay, or will be a mish-mash. We'll see.

Now that the weather is cooler, I got back to the SID walking foot quilting on the the Kaffe Gradient project. I'm using invisible thread on the top and purple thread in the bobbin, and I ran out of all the purple threads I had. I finished the rest of the diagonal quilting and got about half of the horizontal quilting done. 

As I said, a busy month. I was gone for a few days and had a chance to shop at my favorite Pensacola fabric shop, so some stash enhancement occurred. 

October Stash Report

IN this month: 6 yards (6 yards from A&E Fabrics, Pensacola)
OUT this month: 9-1/2 yards (Checkered Garden top, est 5-1/2 yards. Backing for Cut and Shuffle Leftovers quilt, 4 yards.)

IN YTD: 93-3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 109-3/4 yards 
YTD Net change: 16 yards out 

Goals Update

October Recap

1. Piece backing for teal DJ2. Quilt it during my next long arm reservation on the 16th. If possible, bind and finish it. Change of plan due to availability of club batting; I pieced a backing and quilted a UFO for donation instead, the Cut and Shuffle Leftovers project. 

2. Assemble the Checkered Garden blocks into a top. DONE

3. Bind the Found UFO quilt and donate it. DONE

4. Assemble the Triangles (formerly with coins) into a top using the newly purchased fabric for sashing. No, not touched. 

5. Make progress on the walking foot quilting on the Kaffe Gradient quilt. Progress: Finished all the diagonal quilting and got about half of the horizontal quilting done. Ran out of purple thread for the bobbin. 

6. Continue planning for future projects, either something long-term and complicated, or several easier projects for donations. Yes, I have a project kitted up for social sewing and an idea to use up leftover DJ parts.

Other: Developed a plan for using up the unused DJ cut parts and started piecing blocks. 

November Goals

1. Piece backing for teal DJ2. Quilt it during my next long arm reservation on Nov 8. If possible, bind and finish it. 

2. Find or piece a back for Checkered Garden, request batting, and quilt it on Nov 29.  

3. Get purple thread and make progress on the walking foot quilting on the Kaffe Gradient project. 

4. Bind and finish the Cut and Shuffle Leftovers quilt. 

5. Continue piecing the DJ Leftovers project. 

6. Continue piecing the Double Four Patch Chain at social sewing. 

7. Work on piecing the Triangles project.

8. Work on planning future projects.

Looks like November is going to be pretty busy, too!

Link up: Alycia Quilts 10/30 and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 11/2

Scrappy Four Patch Chain

Behind the scenes I've been prepping a new project to take to social sewing. A while back I made a lot of light/dark four patches, and now they're on the wall with dark squares, in an Irish Chain layout. 

I'll clip these pieces in four-patch batches for blocks, number them, and kit it all up to take along. First, though, I need to replace that busy rust print that calls too much attention to itself. 

My husband saw this on the wall and said he really likes it, likes the colors. He rarely comments on my quilts. My recent ones have all been much brighter than this. 

This will be a donation quilt for Hospice, 56 x 72". They often need quilts for men, and while this does have light pink in it, the overall look is masculine. The pastels in the chain (leftovers from other projects) help give it a little liveliness and sparkle. 

I was hoping this project would help deplete my scraps and use up some of my older, duller, unloved fabrics. Wishful thinking, I still have plenty.

Link ups: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 10/19 and Alycia Quilts 10/23

The "Found" UFO, Finished

A couple of months ago I needed a project box for something, and I pulled out one that I thought was empty. Surprise! It had a partially assembled top in it. I had taken it to a retreat as my extra project in case I finished whatever else I was working on and still had time. The center of the top was complete, it just needed borders, which were cut and in the box. I guess I put the box back in the cabinet and forgot about it. The top was a quick finish.

I had a donated length of fabric that was perfect for the backing, so I prepped it for quilting when I could get a long arm reservation. Quilting happened at the end of September. Binding was added yesterday, and now it's finished and ready to donate. 

I used black thread for the quilting, a bold choice, but with such simple squares I wanted the quilting to add interest. Yes, it's just a meander, but it adds movement and texture. 

The backing was a donation to PCQ's Community Service Committee back when H. was the chair. She handed me a pile of black and white prints and said, "Do something with these."  The black quilting looks good on the back, too, like it's part of the print.

 

The colored squares in this quilt were left over from the Confetti and Streamers quilt in my blog header. That had to be 2012 or earlier. They sat in a baggie in my scrap drawer forever. Some of the black and white prints in the top were donated by Quilt Diva Julie, and the print with inspirational words was left over backing from an earlier charity quilt. 

This quilt measures 57 by 73" and will be donated to the local family services agency. We learned a few years ago that their teenage girl clients tend to choose quilts that include black, so most of the quilts I've made from the donation of black and white prints have gone to this agency. 

One last photo - An overcast and windy day here! 

Linking up with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 10/12 and Alycia Quilts 10/16

PS - for those of you who knew we were vacationing in Perdido Key last week, and were concerned about Hurricane Isaias, we cut our vacation short and flew home Thursday. At the time we changed our plans, the storm was predicted to make landfall at the Florida/Alabama state line, right where we were. We made it home with no problems. 

Checkered Garden Blocks Complete

I fixed the offending block I mentioned in my previous Checkered Garden post. Now I'm much happier with the blocks. This is the final layout, and I can sew the blocks together. 

The color is much closer to real life in this photo, too, compared with some of the earlier photos. 

Link up: Alycia Quilts