Latest Work in Progress

This is my latest work in progress, it is a pattern I have been drooling over for a while. The pattern is Match a Patch Stars for the December 2012 Fons and Porter For the Love of Quilting magazine. Liz's is done in a blue and cream but I didn't want another blue quilt plus I had this red in my stash.

 

The stars are what I call a planned scrappy sawtooth star. I still have a bunch to go I think it says I need 50 of these and 49 of the quarter square triangle. I am getting a little more sewing time now that I am only scheduled 25 hours a week and I am not so tired when I get off work. I do  have some other things going and my do some switching back and forth. There is really  no  rush on any of it except maybe the baby quilt and it will be ok to be a little late.

Hope everyone finds the time to sew a little this week.

Door Wreath

Wow, I just realized I went the whole month of February without posting. I worked a lot of hours that month and was just tired, both body and brain. I didn't do a whole lot of sewing, it seemed I had a short attention span. But this week I was off on Tuesday so I got to spend the day with my quilting buddies and that made me very happy. I carried the makings for this wreath for Michelle and put it together while visiting with the girls. It was very easy, I had strips of fabric cut 1" x 8" plus some rick rack and ribbon cut the same lenght. Then just tied them on a metal ring, added the metal K and ribbon loop for hanger. It felt good to finish something, maybe I should do more small projects, but probably not (I might loose my spot as UFO  queen).

 

I have also been working on this black and white disappearing nine patch. I am going to add to the right and bottom to make it more symmetrical then add a white border with applique flowers in black and white. This applique idea will keep this an ongoing project for a while.

I have also been working on these blocks (Bonnie Hunter pattern) with the intention of putting them together for a baby boy quilt.

 

Before I started the b/w disappearing nine patch I was working on this. It is a pattern called Ginger Belle by Miss Rosie.  I also started started another top by a pattern in the Fons and Porter magazine.

 

No picture of this one yet but you can see what I mean about a short attention span. I have yet to work on the UFO challenge, At least I found a little time to post this  morning, just hope I haven't lost all my followers. I promise to do better in the future. Until the next time happy quilting or crafting.

 

 

 

Finely off the wall

Working sure has interferred with my sewing time but I finely got Easy Street put together this week end. I still have the borders to do but I have made the decision on them and started cutting. I am using the gray as an inner border and a  purple tone on tone check as the outer border. It is so big I will have to do some creative piecing for the back. I have nearly 7 yards of one fabric that I thought I would use but will have to add something else to make it big enough. Work and I are adjusting so maybe I will be able to work in more sew time in the future.

For those in my stitching group, I am working Tues. so won't be able to make it. The number for February is 3. If anyone can take pictures of January's number 5 finish  please send them to me. I will try to call you all Tuesday morning to relay the UFO number for those that don't read this in time. I did not even touch my number 5 but guess what number 3 is Easy Street and no I did not even look at my list before I pulled the number. This makes me feel so much better being able to swap these around, I thought I would be so far behind I would never catch up, but now there is hope.

Got a long day ahead of me but the rest of you have a great day.

Christmas Party

Yes, I know it has been a while since my last post. Two reasons, first I have gone to work at Hobby Lobby in the fabric department. I just happened to ask the lady in fabrics if they were hiring and she said she was retiring in Jan. 2013 so yes they really needed someone with fabric experience. But let me tell you it is WAY different from working at the quilt shop. Hiring right here at the Holiday season was not a good idea either, very long hours, but I guess since I needed a job I needed to jump at the first opportunity. The second reason I haven't posted in a while is that when I did get time to sew I was working on Christmas presents that couldn't be shown. Now I can share a few with you, just not all yet.

 

These are all miniature quilt blocks. I gave these plus a table  stand to my stitch group. I couldn't decide who to give each one to so I just tossed them out and let the grabbing begin. I really enjoyed making these and each one I loved better than the last or at least I thought so at the time. In the end I would have had a hard time picking my favorite. I do hope to make more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope everyone is happy with their gift. More later about all the other goodies. I should have gotten a picture of the food it was wonderful and Pam's home was decorated so nice, thanks for hosting the party Pam.

Design Basket

Not much has changed this week on the design wall. Before Thanksgiving I worked really hard finishing some Christmas items, still need labels, and I made some Christmas pillowcases for nursing home (see yesterdays post) . I was trying to get everything done so that I could start the Easy Street mystery with Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville.com. Above is all 192 4-patch units from step one. Now I have to wait another week for next clue. I  have 3 other Christmas gifts I have decided to make and one is a pretty large project. Since I had a good bit left over from the plaid quilt I made for Donna I thought I would make another for a guy on my list. I just have to make it bigger. I have all the blocks made and am putting it together now
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I also got inspired looking at a slide show on Bonnie's blog and tried this block. It will use the same yellow in all blocks. What do you think? I hope to make a few more this week after I get the plaid done to see if I really want to go with this blue and yellow theme.

I am also compiling a UFO list for 2013. If you want to see what others are working on go to Judy's Design Wall Monday at Patchworktimes.com .

stash report

Morning all, I don't  usually do a stash report because I usually work with scraps or pre-cuts so it would be hard to figure yardage. However this past week I decided some of my old Christmas fabric needed to go and in a big way. I had been making quilt as you go place mats but using 2 inch strips takes a while to use up yardage so I made pillow cases. Donna's mother is in a nursing home and they play Bingo on Fridays so a sent these 7 pillow cases there to be used as prizes. I hear they were a big success so I will make more.

Each pillow case uses 1 yard and 2 inches of fabric so for this week fabric used is 7 3/8 yard.

I do have to admit to 1 yard in, purchased to make a pillow case for my niece. Needed fabric to match
quilt she got at graduation.

Black Friday

I gave up the big shopping day a long time ago so I count my blessings not having to get out in that mad crowd. However I have been looking forward to this day because the next Bonnie Hunter mystery begins. This is the 4th mystery I have done with Bonnie and this year it is called Easy Street.
Anticipation had me waking up at 2:45 but good sense prevailed and I went back to sleep but only until 4:57 and I had to get on up then. I was very disappointed that it was not on line at that time. So I checked on my Farmville 2 because there won't be much farming done once I can get started on Easy Street. The first step was finely available a little after 6 am and the first step was making 4-patch units from background and gray.

 

My backgrounds are like Bonnie used, black on white. I think I will have enough variety.

 

I cut my strip sets.

 

I need 192 4-patch units so that is 384 of these 2-patch units.

 I thought I had the 384 pieces here but wait, my math brain apparently does not work before 9 am.

 

I am piecing the 4-patches and putting them in stacks of 25. The problem is I am running out and not half way there. It seems when cutting the gray I was thinking I could bet 20 out of each WOF and since I was using mostly fat quarters for the black on whites I would cut the strips in half, so I cut 10 strips and 20 of the background. WRONG this only gave me the 192 plus a few extra 2-patch not the 384 I needed for the 192 4-patch. Back to the cutting mat. I am awake now, have had coffee, breakfast and a shower so maybe my math will be right this time.

I am sure there are some that will complain about the lack of constrast in these 4-patches but the other colors to be used in the quilt are lime or  apple green, turquoise and purple. I am sure these will make those colors pop.

Here is my tub of those fabrics, still need to pull a few more purples. If you would like to do the mystery too, go the Quiltville.com and check it out.