I'm caught up! I just finished Day 6 of the " Glad Tidings" SAL. Click here if you want to join in.
Tomorrow another clue comes out. In the mean time, I'm working on the Sew Along from "A Quilting Life". I'm almost done with the last block and will be putting it together soon. Plus I really need to get going on Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt. Sew much fun!!
Quilting tools help us make beautiful quilts and help the piecing process go faster and smoother. And one tools I've been using recently is a "Mini Simple Folded Corners" ruler by Doug Leko of Antler Quilt Designs.
The corners on most of the blocks for "Glad Tidings" have been small and I'm not saving the Bonus Triangles as they will finish smaller that I want to keep. (I save HST that are 1.5 inches and bigger.) This little ruler has made the job so easy. Instead of drawing a line and stitching, I just use the ruler to cut off the corner section and sew my quarter inch seam. Easy Peasy!
More progress was made on "Glad Tidings" yesterday. I'm almost caught up! I'm just starting Day 6. This is Day 5 results:
Busy, Busy, Busy! I've been sewing. Trying to stay up to date with Bonnie Hunter's Chilhowie mystery quilt, here is Clue number two all completed. However, I still have part of Clue number one to finish and I haven't even started on Clue number three! But that's OK.
Starting Jen Daly's "Glad Tidings" Sew A Long. I really love the looks of this wallhanging. I'm using a charm pack of "Swell Christmas" by Urban Chiks.
Week 38 of Project 52 will be to work on some string blocks. I have a number of blocks done, but I want to get more done so I can create a quilt top with it.
I also have some foundation pieces cut to make Bonnie Hunter's String X quilt. (Those are the two blocks you see on either side of the Art Bin.) You can get that free pattern here. And I have a ton of sting pieces in my sewing room. It's time to give them a place to live. A couple of summers ago, I cut up a bunch of muslin I had from making stuffed animals and dolls back in the day. I cut enough of those strings to make 3 String X quilts. One got made right away and the other two have sat in the bin waiting for their turn.
With Thanksgiving this week, I'm thinking I will make this Project last 2 weeks. I have a lot of cooking coming up.
Week 37 will be a blue bird pincushion. I don't have a pattern or a picture, it's about half way done, so I'll show it to you later this week.
I did make great progress on Week 36's Project, Sister's Choice.
I also completed a little wall hanging kit from 2009. Woohoo!
Week 36 of Project 52! Wow! Am I slow to get this added! This week I am working on "Sister's Choice". This is a free pattern offered by Bonnie Hunter and you can find the pattern here.
I'm ready to set it together as the blocks are done. But first I need to decide if I'm adding sashing or not. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
I went to a Retreat a couple of weekend ago and I made these pincushions for all of us.
What do they say about good intentions? The road to Hell is paved with good intentions? Again I didn't work on my braid. I did some sewing on my 3 Fat Quarter table topper, as I would like to get that one to the finish line. It's almost there. All I have left to do is add the border, find a backing and get it ready to quilt.
I did pin baste another table topper and a small quilt this week, neither of which are part of Project 52. So forward progress was made, just not as much on Project 52.
One beautiful apple! We've been picking apples and I will be busy processing apples this week. Not sure how much quilting will be happening because of all the apples we have.
Another off the wagon quilt that I worked on instead of my Braid quilt is this Mary Engelbreit quilt.
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I used a yellow green thread for quilting just in case, but I love the way it washed out. I will be using these markers again. A little PS, I bought this kit around 2008. It has finally made it to the finish line!
I have some side notes on projects I've been working on that are not part of Project 52. First up is my Easter quilt.
This pattern is from Villa Rosa and it's called "Honor". I really like this pattern for those fabrics you don't want to cut up. I bought the fabric years ago when Prairie Stat Quilts was open in Elk Horn, Iowa. It's so nice to have this done! Woo Hoo!
I kind of fell off the wagon this past week/weekend. I didn't even work on my braid quilt even though I had good intentions. I did however, catch up on my BOM quilt I was making with a group of friends.
The quilt we are working on is called "Rise Above" by Charisma Horton. You can see the pattern here and Charisma has a link to her shop if you want to buy the pattern.
The fabrics I am using are by Tula Pink called "Curiouser and Curiouser" and I have been having so much fun fussy cutting and deciding on which solids to use with the prints.
Back to the braid this week!
Week 35 of Project 52 is "Texas Braid" by Bonnie Hunter. This quilt pattern is in her book, "Adventures in Leader & Enders."
Week 34 of Project 52 is my last "Doug The Bug" pincushion. I will have all four of them completed by the end of this week!
These are the first two that I did round.
Here's a little update on Week 32 of Project 52. I did complete all of my pinwheel blocks.
I've also been working on a couple of other side projects. I know I would get more of the Project 52 projects completed if I just concentrated on them, but other things come up. Like I have a Retreat soon and I am making some little thing to give to my fellow Retreaters. That's important too, right?
Week 33 of Project 52 is another "Doug The Bug" pincushion. I've made 2 previously and I will have one left after I complete number three.
One at the finish line - "Lil' Sky Diamonds"! WooHoo!
Week 32 of Project 52 is "3 Fat Quarter Table Runner" by Tony Jacobson.
I don't have 3 full fat quarters, I'm going to play with some leftover fabrics and see if I can make a nice Fall table runner with them. I've made this pattern before. You can see it here.
Back to Week 31, I did get the quilt all cut out. I ran into a problem with the strips, they were 42 inches long, not 44, so I couldn't get as many of the cuts out of the strip as the directions told me. So I added some batiks from my stash. Hope it doesn't look too mismatched as my batiks don't read solid.
Week 31 of Project 52 has had some progress. I cut all of my background strips and I'm ready to cut into the jelly roll.
It's so pretty, how can you cut into it?
It's time for Week 31 of Project 52! I have a a "kit" I put together of a jelly roll, pattern and background. The pattern is called "Lanterns" by Purple Pineapple Studio.
When I went to look for the pattern at the website PurplePineappleStudio.com, the pattern wasn't there. There is another pattern listed that is similar called "Beacons". My goal this week is to get this cut out and ready for sewing. And if I get some of the sewing done, great!
Momentum is building as I make progress on projects. That always gets me excited to make something else or keep going on the bigger projects.
I finished making the Quick Trip top, pieced a backing and now I need to cut some batting so I can pin baste it next week when I have a big table. I didn't think to take a picture of the finished top. So next week when I have it all basted, I'll take a picture.
Next up is "Lil' Sky Diamond" . This top was completed back in April but it took some time to find backing in my stash but I did! (I wanted to use a whole piece of fabric as the are so many seams on the front of the quilt.) I just finished quilting it and made binding for it. I'm ready to sew the binding on and then stitch it down. Taking it to the finish line soon!
Week 30 of Project 52 is going to be a "Quick Trip Around The World". This has been a little kit in my stash and is based on a quilt by Eleanor Burns.
I hope this is really a Quick Quilt. Fingers crossed that I can figure it out.
Keep On Keeping On. I picked up my Bernina so it's time to get my next Project 52 picked out!
I follow a blog called "A Quilting Life" by Sherri McConnell and she has a Block of the Month that I have been working on since January. But I got behind in July(no surprise there) and before you know it, it's August. So July's block is cut out and I have started sewing on it. I want to get this caught up. Here is June's block:
The Fabrics are from a small Fat Quarter Bundle called "Cold Spell" batiks by Laundry Basket Quilts.
I have a Project 52 update today. I think I have all of my fish school blocks completed! WooHoo!
I also went back to my first post about Project 52 and discovered I was putting too much pressure on myself. As time went on, I started thinking I needed to complete each project. But if you check this out, you will see all I needed to do was work on the project for only one week. Whew
That being said, I still would really like to complete these Projects in a weeks time. LOL But, slow and steady wins the race. 🐢 But I do need to get myself back on track and work on Projects. I really am trying to not start any new projects. We will see how strong my will power is.
Now to figure out which week I really am on and get myself back on my Project track. Wish me luck!
I'm trying hard to get back on the wagon. I fell off the Project 52 wagon when I got sick Fourth of July weekend. (If truth be told, I was starting to fall off before that time.)
I got my Bernina taken in yesterday. Check that off the list.
Set up my Featherweight to use. Check that off the list.
Finish sewing fish blocks. Not checked off yet, but soon! This is the little stack of pieces that I have left to sew!
Now to decide which Project 52 item is next to get to the finish line
I made some pillow cases recently, one I gave away already so I don't have a picture of it. But I do have pictures of the others.
First one up is a Paw Patrol pillow case that I will give to a Relay For Life group.
Yesterday I pin basted my CharmTablemat. It's a free pattern from Country Threads. And it uses only one charm pack. I have a number of charm packs and have been looking for patterns that use only one charm pack. and this one was perfect for this charm pack.
I have nothing new to show for the last couple of weeks. I ended up sick over The Fourth Of July and grandkids didn't come visit. I'm hoping for a visit soon!
I did try doing a little sewing last week and I ended up with a thread caught in the uptake workings. So now I need to take my Bernina in for a cleaning, oil and fix. Always something, right?
I had been working on my patriotic kit and it made it this far before the thread got caught. It's ready for the borders.
I'm still working on Project 52 projects, but in a different way. Yesterday I had a chance to sew with some friends before my Sampler Class. I found a patriotic kit in my stash so I pulled it out and started working on it. In between I am working on my Project 52 project, Fish School.
I know I won't complete this little quilt before the 4th Of July, as I have cleaning and cooking to do before a visit with the Grands. But I have a great start on it and should be able to get it together fairly fast. And I completed about 8 fish blocks. The school is getting bigger!
Another update for Project 52 Week 24, I now have the center of the quilt put together! Woohoo!
I still have two borders to add, but it is getting closer.
More boxy pouches were in my future. I made 14 more boxy pouches, so time taken away from Project 52 again. LOL
These go together so fast and make such nice gifts. Plus, they use up about 1/2 a yard of fabric per pouch, so a great way to use some stash.. Especially since I like to buy fat quarters.(A fat quarter for the outside and one for the inside.)
Week 29 of Project 52, Fish Blocks
Plus, July 1st Bonnie comes out with a new challenge. I love using leaders and enders.
Just a little update to Project 52, I'm still plugging away! Slow and steady. I'm almost done with making Jump Ring blocks from the Bee Joyful layer cake.
I was lamenting how long these blocks were taking me to complete. Yes, I am trying to make it for a King size bed, but the blocks have lots of stitch and flip corners. Plus I'm adding an extra stitching line so that I have bonus HSTs. But a friend pointed out that if I really wanted to make progress, I really need to work on only Project 52 items. And they do have a point. That being said, I'm working on a bunch of Boxy Pouches right now. LOL Oh well, there's no real deadline and I was making myself nuts trying to complete big projects in a weeks time.
But I am turtling my way along, slow and steady.
I finished a quilt that is not on the Project List. An extra quilt that is complete and ready to live in it's forever home.
Update on Week 24 of Project 52, this is a slow project. It is two layer cakes of Deb Strain fabric, "Be Joyful". The pattern is called "Jump Ring" from MSQC's book Block Volume 1 Issue 4.
