Someplace Special...
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
October Stash Report & Goals Update
But first, here's what's on my design wall today:
A scrappy baby quilt top. This is made from some of the scraps I picked up at the scrap scramble at retreat, plus some leftovers from Ben's baby quilt, leftover backing from something else, and bits of partial FQs from stash.
This will be a donation, either as is (top only) or finished quilt. Meanwhile, it was fun to pull some prints together and play with them. I may have to do this kind of playing more often.
Since it's a finished flimsy, I can count the fabric used in my October stash report. October was an excellent month for finishes and therefore for fabric out.
October Stash Report:
IN this month: 7-1/4 yards (from Sew Me STL swap, scrap scramble, and donated by other members; binding for flannel quilt)
OUT: 19-3/8 yards (Backing for flannel quilt - 2-1/2 yds (plus shirt parts); Binding for flannel quilt - 5/8 yard. Solstice flimsy, 7-1/4 yds. Sew Me STL swap, 7/8 yds. Nine Patch Stars QOV flimsy, 6-3/8 yds. Scrappy baby quilt top for donation, 1-3/4 yds)
IN YTD: 102-3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 127-7/8 yards
Net Change: 25-1/8 yards OUT
Best year yet for stash usage since I've been keeping track!
Goals Update:
October Recap:
1. Assemble Nine Patch Stars QOV top at Sew Me STL. DONE
2. Make HSTs for donation quilt at Sew Me STL. Done - Assembled as many as possible given the available cut pieces but ran out of lights. Cut more lights and finished the HSTs later.
3. Cut and work on sashing strips for Solstice Challenge blocks. DONE. Made all the sashing strips, made nine patch cornerstones, and completely finished the Solstice flimsy.
4. Make one Dresden block and one Checkerboard block for the red project. DONE
5. Work on WIVSP hand piecing project. Stitched more than an hour of hand sewing.
6. Bind Gary's Flannel Quilt. DONE
7. Add borders to Original LCT top. Not done.
8. Keep up with bee blocks. DONE.
9. Work on improv project from Jean Wells book. Not done.
Other: Made scrappy baby quilt top
Wow, having so much time to sew at Sew Me STL helped me get a lot accomplished this month! The Nine Patch Stars top was assembled at retreat and the sashings for Solstice were started. Then later this month the entire Solstice flimsy was completed. And Gary's flannel quilt came back from the quilter and got bound. It's been a very good month for finishes!
November Goals:
1. Plan and write tutorial for Sew Bee It bee block for November, to hand out at Nov. 11 meeting.
2. Write and post tutorial for Nine Patch Stars QOV.
3. Make one Dresden block and one Checkerboard block for the red project.
4. Add borders to Original LCT top.
5. Work on WIVSP hand piecing project.
6. Make one scrappy donation top to play with fabrics & use up stash.
7. Keep up with bee blocks.
8. Work on improv project from Jean Wells book.
Looking forward to another productive month in the sewing room, but I'm sure I can't top October for finishes.
Link ups: Small Quilts & Doll Quilts
Em'sScrapbag
Love Laugh Quilt
A scrappy baby quilt top. This is made from some of the scraps I picked up at the scrap scramble at retreat, plus some leftovers from Ben's baby quilt, leftover backing from something else, and bits of partial FQs from stash.
This will be a donation, either as is (top only) or finished quilt. Meanwhile, it was fun to pull some prints together and play with them. I may have to do this kind of playing more often.
Since it's a finished flimsy, I can count the fabric used in my October stash report. October was an excellent month for finishes and therefore for fabric out.
October Stash Report:
IN this month: 7-1/4 yards (from Sew Me STL swap, scrap scramble, and donated by other members; binding for flannel quilt)
OUT: 19-3/8 yards (Backing for flannel quilt - 2-1/2 yds (plus shirt parts); Binding for flannel quilt - 5/8 yard. Solstice flimsy, 7-1/4 yds. Sew Me STL swap, 7/8 yds. Nine Patch Stars QOV flimsy, 6-3/8 yds. Scrappy baby quilt top for donation, 1-3/4 yds)
IN YTD: 102-3/4 yards
OUT YTD: 127-7/8 yards
Net Change: 25-1/8 yards OUT
Best year yet for stash usage since I've been keeping track!
Goals Update:
October Recap:
1. Assemble Nine Patch Stars QOV top at Sew Me STL. DONE
2. Make HSTs for donation quilt at Sew Me STL. Done - Assembled as many as possible given the available cut pieces but ran out of lights. Cut more lights and finished the HSTs later.
3. Cut and work on sashing strips for Solstice Challenge blocks. DONE. Made all the sashing strips, made nine patch cornerstones, and completely finished the Solstice flimsy.
4. Make one Dresden block and one Checkerboard block for the red project. DONE
5. Work on WIVSP hand piecing project. Stitched more than an hour of hand sewing.
6. Bind Gary's Flannel Quilt. DONE
7. Add borders to Original LCT top. Not done.
8. Keep up with bee blocks. DONE.
9. Work on improv project from Jean Wells book. Not done.
Other: Made scrappy baby quilt top
Wow, having so much time to sew at Sew Me STL helped me get a lot accomplished this month! The Nine Patch Stars top was assembled at retreat and the sashings for Solstice were started. Then later this month the entire Solstice flimsy was completed. And Gary's flannel quilt came back from the quilter and got bound. It's been a very good month for finishes!
Nine Patch Stars QOV Top
Gary's Flannel Quilt
Solstice Flimsy
1. Plan and write tutorial for Sew Bee It bee block for November, to hand out at Nov. 11 meeting.
2. Write and post tutorial for Nine Patch Stars QOV.
3. Make one Dresden block and one Checkerboard block for the red project.
4. Add borders to Original LCT top.
5. Work on WIVSP hand piecing project.
6. Make one scrappy donation top to play with fabrics & use up stash.
7. Keep up with bee blocks.
8. Work on improv project from Jean Wells book.
Looking forward to another productive month in the sewing room, but I'm sure I can't top October for finishes.
Link ups: Small Quilts & Doll Quilts
Em'sScrapbag
Love Laugh Quilt
Friday, October 27, 2017
Finished Solstice Flimsy
A picture-heavy post...
The finished top:
I enjoyed making the blocks each week as the patterns were released.
Some favorite blocks:
This block, not part of the series, was a test when I got my
new Studio cutter last spring. I see more blocks using these
units in my future since they came out so well.
Since I don't have an immediate need or purpose for this top,
I'll add it to the growing to-be-quilted pile.
I have enough of the olive sashing print to use for binding, so I'll
put the print away with this top, to be ready when the time comes.
A question for those of you who keep track of your stash usage:
How do you account for fabric that was used for unused blocks and related parts that didn't make it into the finished top? I have at least seven 12" blocks and several 6" companion blocks that were not used, but the fabric has been used in them and is no longer available as stash. How to account for it?
Linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Friday Finish at Crazy Mom Quilts
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Christmas Tree
You may remember that back in July I participated in the "12 Days of Christmas in July" blog hop hosted by Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. My contribution to the blog hop was the Christmas tree wall hanging I made for my son.
His home doesn't have space for an actual tree, and with three cats and a toddler, a real one isn't wise anyway. So a wall hanging on which he can hang real ornaments would solve the problem.
The plan was to give it to him at Thanksgiving, but due to his work schedule he doesn't think he'll be able to come for Thanksgiving. He was here this past weekend, so I gave it to him then. He really, really, really likes it.
It occurred to me that there's still time for anyone who wants one of these to make one before the holiday decorating season. It's actually pretty fast and easy.
Here's a link to the tutorial, if you're interested. It's easy, pieced in rows and straight line quilted.
Then stitched loops are added to hang the ornaments.
His home doesn't have space for an actual tree, and with three cats and a toddler, a real one isn't wise anyway. So a wall hanging on which he can hang real ornaments would solve the problem.
The plan was to give it to him at Thanksgiving, but due to his work schedule he doesn't think he'll be able to come for Thanksgiving. He was here this past weekend, so I gave it to him then. He really, really, really likes it.
It occurred to me that there's still time for anyone who wants one of these to make one before the holiday decorating season. It's actually pretty fast and easy.
Here's a link to the tutorial, if you're interested. It's easy, pieced in rows and straight line quilted.
Then stitched loops are added to hang the ornaments.
When I posted this in July, a lot of people commented that it would be great for a nursing home resident's room, or a dorm room. Now's the time to start making one so it'll be ready to decorate for the Christmas season.
If you make one, I'd love to see photos. I hope you like your Christmas tree hanging as much as my son likes his.
Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts
Monday, October 23, 2017
Sashing and Cornerstones
After retreat last week, the Solstice project looked like this:
blocks with sashing sewn into rows.
Since then I made 30 little nine patches for cornerstones.
The rest of the sashing strips are sewn but not all cut to length.
I used up all I had of the light fabric in the sashing,
so I found something else for the cornerstones.
It's used elsewhere in some of the blocks,
so it still looks fine with the rest of the quilt top.
Goal for this week: get the rows all sewn together for a finished flimsy.
Link ups:
Friday, October 20, 2017
Gary's Flannel Quilt
A Cozy Finish...
My husband's birthday is coming up and this is a secret, so don't tell, OK? 😉He whines that plain cotton fabric feels cold. He says his cotton quilt feels cold, even though it's been washed a dozen times and it's all soft and snuggly. He likes flannel. He wears flannel shirts. He'd have flannel sheets on the bed year round if I'd let him. He insisted I use flannel for the backing of our grandson's baby quilt.
He also whines that our grandson has more quilts than he has. He requested a flannel quilt with flannel on the back and wool batting. Okay... That would be warm, at least.
He's getting a flannel quilt for his birthday.
I've been saving worn out and frayed shirts for awhile, and many of the plaids used in this quilt are shirts that he got lots of use out of. The light background and some of the darks are store-bought flannels that I bought in Paducah last spring.
My friend Dar who blogs over at Dar's Patchwork Garden quilted it for me in a Baptist Fan pattern. I was afraid the ravelly fabrics would fray at the seams, but the quilting is dense enough to hold the seams, I think. I really like the texture the quilting and the wool batting give it.
A few more pictures, just because -
Don't you just want to touch it?!
And of course the back is flannel, too, with more repurposed shirt parts.
That light red plaid - That was a favorite LLBean shirt that he wore for over 25 years. We have a photo of him and our son taken in 1989 when DS was six, and DH is wearing that shirt. It was a sad day when that shirt had to be retired, but it was well loved.
This quilt is pretty heavy. The fabrics are heavy, and there are a lot of seams in the piecing. The wool batting doesn't add any more weight than a cotton batting would, but it's drapier. It was breezy when I was taking photos, and as heavy as this quilt is, it still got blown around a bit. So I think it'll be soft and snuggly enough. Not to mention, warm...
Think he'll like it? His birthday is in mid November. I'll let you know what he thinks after I give it to him.
Link ups: Confessions of a Fabric Addict
My Quilt Infatuation
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
More from Sew Me St. Louis
Sew Me St. Louis (STLMQG's retreat) was so much fun! Since I've been home I've been able to unpack and regroup, sort out my fabric haul, and take stock of where I'm at with my projects.
Swap fabrics:
We had a secret brown bag swap. Each participant brought a coordinating half yard, fat quarter, and fat eighth in a generic, anonymous brown paper bag. Bring a swap bag, take a swap bag, participation was optional. I participated but didn't think to take photos of the fabrics I gave. My friends got a kick out of my very enthusiastic reaction when I peeked into the bag I received. Oh, yeah, these are so me. Thanks again, Kristy! I don't know who got the bag I gave, but I hope she likes it.
The highlight was the scrap scramble. We all brought baggies of usable scraps, dumped them in a pile, and dove in to take what we wanted.
From the pile I took the magenta print in the photo below and the strips and scraps on the right. The green FQs here were from our prez Kristy who was destashing and brought unwanted fabrics to share.
Also from the scrap scramble, I scored this batik. Yes, really! Someone didn't want it and brought it to give away. No one else wanted it either - STLMQG quilters aren't into batiks - but I love it. There's 4-1/2 yards here. Pale batiks are hard to find and there's enough here for background for a whole quilt top, or I could use it for backing for a batik flimsy in my to-be-quilted pile.
I was able to get all the projects that I brought with me accomplished. Whoo-hoo!
First, this QOV flimsy. All the 6" blocks were already made; I just had to lay them out and assemble the top. The hallway floor worked great for laying out. This top is shown sideways on my design wall for the photo. It's actually 60 x 84". Super easy and a great scrap buster. I'll post a quick tutorial soon.
I also got the sashing strips made for my Solstice Challenge blocks, and joined the blocks into rows. Still need to make the cornerstones before I can join the rows together, but this is good progress.
I also got a bunch of HSTs sewn. They're just HSTs so they're pretty boring at this stage. I ran out of lights to combine with the darks that are already cut, so I'll have to cut more. Then I'll figure out a layout for them all later. It'll be a donation project and all the fabrics came from stash.
All in all, it was a fun and productive weekend!
Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts and My Quilt Infatuation
Swap fabrics:
We had a secret brown bag swap. Each participant brought a coordinating half yard, fat quarter, and fat eighth in a generic, anonymous brown paper bag. Bring a swap bag, take a swap bag, participation was optional. I participated but didn't think to take photos of the fabrics I gave. My friends got a kick out of my very enthusiastic reaction when I peeked into the bag I received. Oh, yeah, these are so me. Thanks again, Kristy! I don't know who got the bag I gave, but I hope she likes it.
The highlight was the scrap scramble. We all brought baggies of usable scraps, dumped them in a pile, and dove in to take what we wanted.
From the pile I took the magenta print in the photo below and the strips and scraps on the right. The green FQs here were from our prez Kristy who was destashing and brought unwanted fabrics to share.
Also from the scrap scramble, I scored this batik. Yes, really! Someone didn't want it and brought it to give away. No one else wanted it either - STLMQG quilters aren't into batiks - but I love it. There's 4-1/2 yards here. Pale batiks are hard to find and there's enough here for background for a whole quilt top, or I could use it for backing for a batik flimsy in my to-be-quilted pile.
I was able to get all the projects that I brought with me accomplished. Whoo-hoo!
First, this QOV flimsy. All the 6" blocks were already made; I just had to lay them out and assemble the top. The hallway floor worked great for laying out. This top is shown sideways on my design wall for the photo. It's actually 60 x 84". Super easy and a great scrap buster. I'll post a quick tutorial soon.
I also got the sashing strips made for my Solstice Challenge blocks, and joined the blocks into rows. Still need to make the cornerstones before I can join the rows together, but this is good progress.
I also got a bunch of HSTs sewn. They're just HSTs so they're pretty boring at this stage. I ran out of lights to combine with the darks that are already cut, so I'll have to cut more. Then I'll figure out a layout for them all later. It'll be a donation project and all the fabrics came from stash.
All in all, it was a fun and productive weekend!
Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts and My Quilt Infatuation
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