February "Get it Done!" list

This is my February "Get it Done! List.... this is a spin off from the UFO challenge that Judy Laquidera at Patchwork Times sponsored previously.   This year, we are listing some things we want to accomplish each month... they don't have to be UFO's necessarily.....  since I participate in several swaps and group projects... I am listing the group an swap projects separately from the list of personal goals I want to meet.   Here is a link to my January list.... with all my progress noted in red... 

My February List..... 
 
Swap and exchange items:
1.  make  7 and send off 6 Baby Bunting  Blocks for swap stitched & ready to mail
2.  make 7 and send off 6 weathervane blocks for swap ready to start stitching... all fabric cut... 2/28... I'm running late!  AARGG, 
3.  send  strips for  strip swap -  last set mailed 2/15   
4.   QOV flying geese for borders of project
5.   finalize paper piece star to test block for QOV
6.   Birthday block for birthday swap = stitched and ready to mail - 2/16
7.   Stocking stuffer exchange gift = stitched and ready to mail - 2/16
8.   pink and White quilt auntie blocks = stitched and ready to mail - 2/16
9.   gray, green and purple quilt auntie blocks = stitched & ready to mail - 2/16


 Charity  projects:

1. mini quilt for guild raffle project

2. make something for silent auction


 Personal projects:

1.  finish top of wolf quilt... (needs borders)  sandwich, pin baste and quilt.
2.  quilt mystery top from the quilt and needle... (A quilt for all seasons)
3.  work on paper pieced table runner UFO.
4.  Design wedding quilt tops for Katy and Chris. done with the design process.... and fabric selection and purchase is complete!  Ready to start stitching 2/28. 

 Handwork project:

1.  Work on antique wool string blocks  Quilting nearly done on border and sashing areas. 2/28

I did pretty well with my swap / exchange list in January... but didn't finish any of my personal projects on the list.... hopefully this month will be a better month for finishes. 

Wool scrappy blocks..... a work in progress

This is one of my latest works in progress.... this will be a long-term type project, as I will be doing hand work, and had quilting. 

About a year ago, my step-daughter  JoAnn, called to say that they had found a box of old quilting stuff in her grandma's things as they sorted through them to move her to new living arrangements.   The box simply said.... "Ada's quilts".   Ada was  her grandpa's mother.... I think I have that right... I have JoAnn doing some research for me.     JoAnn, said I could have the box, which had some old fabrics,  some misc. quilt blocks, etc.... she only asked that I might make something for her mom. 

The box arrived in June.... and I spent several days looking at all the goodies inside....some patchwork blocks, some  tiny cotton scraps and bits.... some old upholstery bits,  some vintage fabrics, a couple of old dresses that were cut out, started, but not finished (lots of yardage there, you know?)..... and then there were these....

       32 of them!   wool and wool blend suiting...   and they had great stitching on them. 

They look pretty awesome, all laid out next to each other, and there would be enough for a large lap quilt,  but I've looked at them several times now,  and I've decided that they have family history to them.  They are antique, yet look contemporary and cool at the same time.   I'm going to make some table runners,  enough so that JoAnn's mom can have one... JoAnn will get one,  and there will still be enough blocks left to make each of our three grand kids one that will be gifted to them when they are ready to set up their own homes.  Since they are 17, 18, and 21.... I don't have decades to do this... so figured I should get working on them. 

I will need to finish the embroidery on several of the blocks...  so have gone hunting for wool blend thread and have found similar colors and weight to what Ada used originally.  Since these blocks will not all be together in the same project, I think what I found will pass. 

Ada was not a great patchwork sewer,  (most of the finished blocks in the box are not of great quality or consistency).  She was, however, very precise and consistent in her herringbone stitch!    I  will most likely have to use some Tiger tape to be halfway close to being able to match her handiwork.

I love to look at how folks used what they had on hand.... look at the back of this block.... there is a pocket in the middle of it, with the bulky part cut off,  must have been a shirt or blouse. 

 This one is completely different....

 I'll post my progress here.... 

January 2013 "Get it Done !" Challenge

This is my January "Get it Done! List.... this is a spin off from the UFO challenge that Judy Laquidera at Patchwork Times sponsored previously.   This year, we are listing some things we want to accomplish each month... they don't have to be UFO's necessarily.....  since I participate in several swaps and group projects... I am listing the group an swap projects separately from the list of personal goals I want to meet. 

My January List..... 
 
Swap and exchange items:
1.  make and send off 7 Streak of Lightning Blocks for swap  --  stitched 1/13
2.  make and send off 7  Dutchmen's Puzzle blocks for swap  --  stitched 1/13
3.  cut and send black and white strips for swap - fabric washed... 1/13 = cut   
      and addressed 1/15  mailed 1/16
4.  cut and send January strip swap strips. (lavendar and purple) cut   
     and addressed 1/15 (early returners)second batch mailed 1/28
5.  1 navy blue star and four flying geese units for QOV project stitched 
6.  QOV flying geese for borders of project
7.  paper piece star to test block for QOV. made first mock-up 1/8.... tweaked
     pattern 1/9
8.  make 10 Lodge blocks then piece top for Pine Ridge Reservation.  completed top 1/17
9.  Christmas gift bag for swap... need to mail by 1/30 completed and mailed 1/29

 Personal projects:
1.  finish top of wolf quilt... (needs borders)  sandwich, pin baste and quilt.
2.  quilt mystery top from the quilt and needle... (A quilt for all seasons)
3.  work on paper pieced table runner UFO.
4.  Design wedding quilt tops for Katy and Chris. sample EQ designs sent to
      Katy 1/7 for feedback

 Handwork project:
1.  Work on antique wool string blocks= sorted, and started table runner #1

Pirates for Preston

This is the quilt I made for Scyler's little brother Preston.   *see previous post

 

The economy blocks are 9" finished.... and seemed like a great way to showcase the novelty fabric I had left over after I had cut the borders.     This is some fabric that also came from deep in my stash.... I found it on a clearance table for 50% off the clearance price  about 4 years ago.  the backing is a coordinate print.   

 

  

 



 

I quilted it simply... stitched in the ditch around each fabric, and stippled the borders.   This was a fun, quick quilt to finish. 

 

 



Hearts Galore!

This little quilt is actually one of Jess's mystery designs from The Quilt and Needle  .  It was last
December's mystery quilt called "Foreshadowing" .   I chose to make the smaller quilt, since that is the size I normally gift to others.   I did add a top and bottom border to extend the size to my normal 45 x 60 approx size for youth.

This was a fun quilt to do... and Jess's designs are always fun to do.... I am always amazed at how her mind works to put blocks together.  

Hearts Galore 

I had purchased the two heart fabrics about 16 years ago, when my 17 year old granddaughter was just a baby.  I never did get her something made with this fabric.... so it got put to use with some bright fabrics that coordinated with the  prints.   This picture does not show how bright the prints are in real life... (my phone camera does not have a flash..)   Below is a picture of my fabrics before cutting.

 

I had the top completed  the weekend of the mystery last December, but its been waiting for a recipient before I started to quilt......   I used my Janome 7700 to quilt in the ditch to help set off the dimensional look of the fabrics being stacked.  Then kept with the heart theme to add more interest in the squares.  I alternated the hearts in the mid border region.... but it's hard to see, and then did a free motion  simple large stipple on the end borders. 

 

I love the backing fabric!  I found that on sale..... and it's a perfect fit for the top fabric, don't you agree?

 

This quilt is going to a 5 year old who is the granddaughter of a friend.  Her daddy has been clean and sober for almost 3 years now, and was just granted legal custody of her and her little brother.  Their mom is still struggling with treatmentt and drug abuse.    It only seemed right that these two darlings had something to snuggle with.  I'm so glad they get to live together again. * they've been separated for the last year.     My next post will have the quilt I made for her little brother.

It's a Girl!

I have made a quilt for every niece and nephew for the last 25 years..... so when Victoria (Tori) Rae Adams came into this world in September.... it was not at all a question as to whether I was making her a quilt or not... it was just a question as to what I was going to do......

Work was crazy busy this fall!  I had a hard time wrapping my head around what I wanted to make for this bundle of joy.

Then... while digging through the clearance bins and JoAnns on a 50% off already clearance day,  I found a bolt  this fabric.....  there was enough for borders.   At the price of $1.50 a yard.... I bought it.  Thinking I would use something different on the back.    But a trip to a second JoAnn's later that same weekend... I found another piece... which had just the right amount for a back!  

I usually try to avoid "infant" looking prints when making baby quilts... but this was such a cute print..... and the proud parents were super happy to be adding a baby girl to their family..... big brother Liam is now 4.   I had plenty of the right coordinating colors to do something in the center....

And I decided to keep it really simple!   Large 4 patch blocks..... but it looks so sweet and girlie.....  I also like the serpentine stitch for baby quilts... I know it catches all the seam allowances, making it very sturdy and washer friendly. 

 

 

Quiet Solitude

It seems like it's been forever since I had a finish to report... I may have to start posting more posts about progress..... 

With time off from school,  I've had a chance to do some stitching!


Quiet  Solitude

This finish is for a friend of ours.... who has done a lot for Mike.  Mike wanted to find a way to thank him for his friendship and help.   What better than a quilt?    Mike chose the panels I used from my stash..... and they were actually the set that I liked the least.... they were so brown and dull looking.   

I found them on a clearance bin.... and they had been flat folded,  with one of those plastic tag thingies, which had ripped holes in the part of the fabric that connected the panels..... since I was planning on cutting them apart anyway, it was no big deal...... cost of the 6 panels was about  $1.oo each!   I love a bargain!.    I had a deer print to use with it, made by a different manufacturer, so it is more  green... and the green is bluer than the green in the panels.     Trying to find the right green in my stash was challenging.. but I found one that was just right!   

I decided that I needed to bring the green out in the panels, so chose the 9 patch sashings and cornerstones......  the more sashings I made, the better the panels looked up on the design wall! 

 

 

I had wanted to use a small inner border... but all the rusty pieces I had were either too red... or too orange... I just didn't have the right piece in my stash to work with... so after auditioning a whole bunch of fabric that still needs to be put back, I decided to just do without. 

The large 16 patch blocks in the corners of the borders was a fun treatment to use.....    

The quilt is definitely a "guy" quilt.... for sure!   It has been inspected by the inspector...

 

This  should find it's way to it's new owner by the first of the year.....