Another Finish

I have another UFO finish!  UFO # 9, my table topper, called "Summer Breeze".  It was a kit and I've had the top done for a while.

I did some curvy lines on this topper.  I love the look of them, it reminds me of a waterfall.  I'm ready to quilt the little quilt I made from the pattern "Moondance."  I'm thinking I'm going to use the same technique.

I did quilt 2 other quilts this weekend too.  First one is a "Charm For Charity" quilt that we do at the local quilt shop, Cut Up & Quilt.    This is part of the Quilts From The Bluffs outreach to the community.  We take 99 five inch charms and create a quilt.  We meet once a month in the evening and in the afternoon.  We cut squares, make kits, sew or finish quilts.  They go together very fast and make a nice quilt.  I just did a cross hatch corner to corner.

The last quilt I "quilted" I didn't really quilt, I tied it.  I'm not a big fan of tying quilts, but this one called for it.  I used the 6.5 inch ruler as my guide and at each corner, tied the quilt.    

A bonus, I had a decent size box labeled "Crochet Thread" in my closet.  Since I don't really like to tie quilts, I'm keeping one ball of white and one of beige.  The rest are going to Goodwill. (I've never really tried to crochet with that small of thread and since I really love quilting, I probably never will.  So it needs to go.)

Catch Up

I'm playing a little catch up today.  I've been working on Nicki's quilt and it is done!  I was taking picture for you as I went, just wasn't getting it posted as I should.

This is how I created the square spiral:

 I used a Clover chaco-liner roller to make the lines.  It fits right up to the ruler and lets you make a straight line.  

 The lines are a little hard to see. 

All done!!

Finally

Finally, I started quilting Nicki's quilt.  It took me a long time to decide what to do.  Then yesterday I had the idea to check and see what other people have done.  So I Googled "quilting on a BQ quilt".  Love all the images of these quilts.  You'll have to check it out.  But lots of them haven't been quilted yet.  Or they did what I did the first time and stitched in the ditch.  But I wanted to do something different with this one.  I did find one that inspired me.

First I stitched in the ditch a big grid to keep the quilt stable while doing the other quilting.  So using painter's tape that is one inch wide, I started taping my quilt.  The space between each strip is the width of a yardstick.

In the big blocks I'm going to do a square spiral.  I'll show that to you when I tape that part.

Ten More

I have ten more "Hard Tack and Coffee" blocks done!  Only 60 more to go!

I've been work on this as a leader and ender.

I am amazed at how much a quarter inch seam takes out of the piece.  Look at the difference!  The HST are one and a half inch square and finish 1 inch square.  This is one of the smallest things I've ever sewn.  And I've never really been into miniatures that much, but this has been fun.

Saturday Fun

My sister came over on Saturday and we had fun sewing together.  She cut out 5 pillowcases and got 3 of them sewn together.

A pretty floral

Where's Bart?

Raccoons!

 I worked hard to finish up 10 more blocks for "Hard Tack and Coffee".  They need squaring up, but came out the right size.  Woo Hoo!

It's always fun to sew with someone else.  And it inspires you so!  Now I need to dig through my stash and see if I can come up with some pillowcases.  Love the look that they add to the bed and the room.

P.S.  Did you notice how I happened not to mention that I didn't do any quilting on Nicki's quilt?  Guess what my goal is for this week.

Goals

On July 7th I set a goal of having "Everything But The Kitchen Sink" quilted and the binding on.  I did get that done but I didn't set a new goal last week.  So I need to set a new goal for this week.

This week I plan on quilting and getting the binding on Nicki's quilt.  I seem to get stuck and I really wanted to start a new project.  Which I did end up doing.

I bought a new pattern on our Shop Trip called "Moondance" by Villa Rosa Designs.  I had some fabric in my stash that has been drawing it to me for a couple of months now.  So I'm thinking I need to get something made up and donated to Quilts From The Bluffs.

The Pattern

The Fabric

It's going together very fast.  I need these fast projects to help me feel I am getting something done.

As Promised

As promised, pictures of "Everything But The Kitchen Sink".  It's a free pattern from RJR Fabrics.  The only change I made was to frame my star blocks with more reproduction fabrics vs using the white called for in the pattern.

It was a little windy, but I did get a picture!

Close up of the quilting.  Jeanine of "Threads of Faith" longarm quilting services, quilted this for me. 

So glad to have this one done! 

Cutting And Sewing

I had a great time with Jean yesterday, cutting and sewing.  Also a little chit chatting.  I got my magazine autographed. :-)

Jean had a quilt she designed in "McCall's Quick Quilts" August/September 2014 issue.  It's her third time being published!  I'm so excited for her.  You can also find other patterns by her at Craftsy.

Jean did lots of sewing and I did lots of cutting.  I have all my half square triangles cut for "Hard Tack and Coffee"   Each bag has 40 HST and I have one package (on the left) of blocks that are ready to sew.  Today I want to finish getting the bags of blocks all cut and ready to sew.  Then I can just grab a bag of 10 blocks and start sewing!

Yay For Progress!

Yay for progress!  I have 19 Hardtack and Coffee blocks done! I have 200 chevron blocks and 20 pinwheels blocks for Celtic Solstice.

I now have to start cutting more half square triangles for Hardtack and Coffee blocks.  But I couldn't find my Easy Angle ruler!  Achhhhhh.  So a friend has let me borrow her ruler until mine shows up.  Thank You Jeanine!  

The weather has been beautiful and today was amazing.  Worked in the gardens this morning.  Picked lots of lettuce and basil.  Yum!  Also saw these two little guys resting in the shade of a bush this afternoon.  One is hidden by the other.   I love seeing the babies.

First UFO Off The List

I forgot to post about my first UFO off the list, my twist bag.  These bags are addictive and I can see me making more of them in the future.  They would make a great market bag.

I also love that we live on an acreage, the wildlife we get to witness is just amazing!  

I have to share this one with you!

Doe and her twins.

Ten

I have 10 of these little guys done!  I may have to set some weekly goals for me this summer.  I really need to be cleaning out some closets besides sewing.   But the sewing is so much more fun...

Iowa Quilt

I've been busy working on my Iowa Quilt.  I bought the kit last year at Cut Up & Quilt and I want to get it put together before this years All Iowa Shop Hop starts June 1st.  I'm a little over half way done.  This is the pattern.

I'm making the Lap/Twin size and I'm loving the way it looks!

Decision

I made a decision.  I know which UFO I'm going to start with.  Kitchen Sink.  I love 1930's repro fabrics as they remind me of my grandmother.  She made so many quilt from scraps and from feed sacks.

I made all these little nine-patch blocks at a Retreat last summer.  And now they are ready to be made into bigger nine-patch blocks.

Just so you know, I haven't given up on Celtic Solstice, I'm going to be sewing on it as a leader and ender.  Love that you can make another quilt while working on your main project.