Wednesday, March 29, 2017

March projects and Finishes



It's nearly the end of March,  and I have some finishes!  I also made progress on a few other projects this month.   I'm linking to Judy's blog... patchworktimes.  Check it out to see what everyone else is working on

First, the finishes.... 

It wasn't my March UFO,  but It is a completion...  This is on my 2017 UFO challenge list. 

This quilt had it's beginnings as a medallion for a Round Robin I was involved in with some internet friends in 2010.   It came home to me in August of 2010.  It had some issues with laying flat,  and I wanted it to be bigger.  So it got folded up and placed in my UFO pile, waiting for inspiration and the patience to work on it.  Now we fast forward to the present.  

As I was sorting out my UFOs in early January,  this one  came to my attention once again.   I really do love the homespun fabrics and overall design elements my friends added as they each worked on it.   I decided that even though it wasn't my March number,  that if I was going to finish it this year, I had some work to do to address the fact that it was not square, and did not lay or hang straight.    I took a course of action to fix it, and then once it was to my satisfaction,  I decided it needed one more border.    I blogged about this process  at the end of February ... http://scraphappydenise.blogspot.com/p/1-and-fellows-this-was-internet-forum.html

Finished!  
"Life is Good"    3/27/2017

I worked on the border while I was at our guild retreat earlier this month and got the final border added.  When I brought it home and showed my husband the progress I had made, he mentioned that he would like it to go to our good friends, Ted and Cindy.  We have stayed at their cabin in Island Park, Idaho, which is about 15 miles from the entrance to Yellowstone Park.   Since it was out and ready to go,  I decided to go ahead and get it pinbasted and start on the quilting.   

Homespun fabrics are soft and loose,  so I decided to do ditch work, to stabilize the seams and keep them from morphing over time.    There are lots of seams in this quilt!  Many stops and starts, but it paid off.   The final results are great!  Since I wanted the quilt to be soft and cuddly,  I did not want to put too much quilting into it.    It measures 65 x 82"
Hobbs 80/20 for batting helped create the soft, snuggly effect.  


Back of  "Life is Good" 

The back was pieced with more homespuns, and the leftover four patches from the border.  Once again,  I over estimated while cutting and stitching,  but I used them all! 

WIN!  No orphan blocks were created in the making of this quilt.  


Homespun Lap Quilt  - finished! 

I also finished quilting and binding this lap quilt for our guild's "Comforting Quilts" project.  This is made with some leftover bits from my  orphan bin purge in January.   it is 46" square.   Our Guild has a need for this size for several groups who use them in pallative care units in our city.   This size of 45" approx. finished, is large enough to help cheer up a bed,  be used as a topper for extra warmth, or to be used when sitting in a chair.  It's a great way to use up leftover blocks and bits.  They will ultimately go to the families of the recipients.    


I did a simple ditch stitching on this one as well,  and added some straight lines in the two larger borders to keep it stable over time.   The backing for this was the same that I used on the Fall colored Lap I finished in February.  (With 2 yards and some creative piecing, I backed two 46" laps, and a 24" doll quilt.)    These were done with smaller pieces of batting from my batting bin, stitched together.
   
24" doll quilt 

This little doll quilt was 4 more orphan blocks from my bin purge.  It measures 24" square, and will go to the Toy and Joy Foundation that wraps dolls and teddy bears in quilts before giving to children for Christmas.  

My March Progress on Other Projects: 

Marble Madness:   I blogged about this quilt here in February  http://scraphappydenise.blogspot.com/2017/02/marble-madness.html


Marble Madness II -  Waiting for bottom zig-zag border 

At retreat this month, I got it all assembled, until I ran out of border units.  I have added the final borders.  It's been pinbasted, and is ready to start the quilting.   Since I've entered into our quilt show in early May... There is no time like the present.  I have a plan! 


Quilt of Valor:  

I have a blog post explaining the whole story here   
QOV  Stars and Geese
still needs final borders... 

Got the top assembled at the retreat,  but the border fabric had been given to me, and I decided to wait until I could pre-wash it at home prior to adding the final borders.   The fabric is now pre-washed and waiting....   The color catchers were very dark, so I am glad I made that decision.  This quilt has a lot of white space. 



6 comments:

  1. Love your Round Robin! It was worth finishing! I have a Round Robin row by row ufo that I've been working on. I hope I finish mine as well as you have done your's!

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    1. Thank you Laura! I feel it was well worth the time and effort to fix the issue it had, and love the final result. I have 2 row robins to finish, and another round robin in the drawer.... along with too many exchange blocks that are stacked in bins. Good luck on your project.

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  2. Your Round Robin quilt is great; all that work paid off. It's perfect for a cabin and I'm sure your friends will love it. I love your QOV and other quilts, too -- you've gotten so many lovely projects finished!

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    1. Thank you, Rebecca Grace! It feels especially great to get some of these well aged projects out into the light of day.

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  3. I've been doing an orphan bin purge this year as well! I've finished three baby quilts so far, and have a few more things to go. It feels so good to use them up!

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  4. Life is Good turned out beautifully, definitely worth the extra effort to deal with those issues. Lots of fun stuff in the works. Good luck with all your goals for this month and 2nd quarter.

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