Thursday, January 31, 2019

Ugly Fabric Challenge II

Last fall a group of us in one of my online groups decided to do another Ugly Fabric challenge and I picked the fabric. Now I know that for some the fabric is not something they would consider to be ugly. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.  The fabric I picked I am not even sure how it ended up in my stash. To me, it looks like a baby's bib after they have eaten when it is spattered with food.

Last time we did this I made a purse from a pattern I designed.  The floral was the ugly fabric that was sent to me.

This year's fabric is below:

I spent a lot of time thinking and looking for fabrics to use with the challenge fabric and trying to figure out what to do.  I saw a quilt with hearts and decided that would work, but I knew I had to find a pattern or design a pattern that would work with my 1/8th of a yard of challenge fabric, so I sat down with paper and pencil and began sketching out multiple designs. I finally came up with the design you see below.  I am not sure if there are others out there that have come up with the same pattern, but mine uses 2.5" strips. I made a test block using fabric strips left over from a quilt I made my niece.
After I figured out the number of strips I would need I went shopping for fabrics that would coordinate with the ugly fabric.

I pieced six hearts and have thought of using two of them on the back of the quilt or seeing if I can find more of the peach-colored fabrics I used to make a couple of other blocks and make another baby quilt.

I pieced the quilt top using 2.5" strips and the few squared I had left of the ugly fabric, plus two squares of the lightest color as cornerstones. The background is scrappy white on whites.  


I added the borders and pressed the top.  It is 50" square and will be put aside for the next time I need a baby girl quilt. It came out very nice and I am sure someone will love it.


Because I had the two extra blocks I had to go in search of a fabric that would work to make two more hearts that would coordinate with the first two and after a false start I found this fabric and was able to make two more hearts and then complete a second quilt top.  




It was more peachy or coral and the lavender in the hearts on the heart block and in the ugly fabric went well with the lavender that I used for a border.  I like both quilts and they will make great baby gifts next time someone I know has a girl.



I enjoyed this ugly fabric challenge and hope to do it again in a couple years. Who knows what bright ideas I might have for what to do with a FQ or straight 8th of fabric.


Monday, January 28, 2019

Weekly Update January 28

This last week I was subbing every day so did not accomplish as much as I would have liked to have accomplished, but still feel that I did pretty well-moving things forward and making progress.

I had two extra blocks from the ugly fabric challenge and bought more of one fabric I used and two others that complemented it so I could make two more blocks to finish the top. I actually tried to do this without having the blocks with me and bought fabric that would not work as the colors were too far off. So back to the quilt store, I went, with the blocks in hand this time. I bought fabric that works and more of the other fabrics I had bought, plus a border fabric for the new colors that also works as the third fabric I need to complete the blocks. I cut the fabric for all six blocks and began piecing them. I have two almost done and will hopefully finish up the top this next week since I am not subbing until Friday. I would love to also finish the third top. All three are roughly 45 to 50" square and will make great baby gifts once they are quilted. Hopefully, someone will have a girl as the colors and pinks and peaches or corals.  I will try to include the fabrics, but I cannot show the finished blocks or tops until January 31.




I also started on the Gypsy Wife quilt. I joined the 2019 Gypsy Wife Quilt Along on Facebook and have picked a bucket of scraps of various sizes and a few straight quarter yards of fabric to use to make the blocks in bright colors. I am still debating on my strips for the background.  The pattern is by Jen Kingwell.  I have been looking at it off and on over the last couple years debating if I wanted to do and since a friend is one of the admins, and that helped me make my decision.

I made one block from the Gypsy Wife Quilt. It is called Colour Wheel.



I finished a quilt this week that I am planning to mail today after an appointment.  It is a surprise gift for someone and there are actually two quilts in the box, one for her and one for her husband. Neither knows they are coming, so I am excited to hear their reaction and to post pictures after they are received. I always request a picture of the recipient with the quilt, so hope to get those posted also once I receive them.

Here is a sneak peek of the back of the quilt I am sending. 


Look for my post on January 31st with the Ugly Fabric Challenge Quilt and if I get it done, I will have both pictures of the quilts that include the Ugly Fabric.

Have a Quilty Week and for those of you in the storm areas, stay warm and safe.

Monday, January 21, 2019

Weekly Update January 20

This last week I completed my first finish of the year.  I finished the binding and the label on a baby quilt for a dear friends new baby boy. I need to get it in the mail soon, as the baby arrived January 2nd. It is her third boy.


It is a scrappy quilt made from a jelly roll that I bought at Back Yard Fabrics in Kentucky a few years back. If you ever get the chance you should stop by her store. I loved my visits there. May need to go back that neck of the woods again, just so I can stop in there.

I am also working on binding a quilt for a gift. which I hope to finish this next week so I can mail it and a quilt I finished before Christmas off to the recipients.


I spent time this weekend finishing my Ugly Fabric Challenge quilt top and working on the memory quilt for a friend made with her mother's pajamas. I cannot reveal the Ugly Fabric Challenge until January 31st, so stay tuned for that picture in another week or two.  I am also not sharing pictures of the memory quilt until it done so the pattern will be a surprise for my friend. 

On Saturday I finished piecing four blocks and put four blocks together with sashing. I have two additional blocks I had already pieced that I am planning to either use on the back or combine with something else to make another quilt. I have to see if I can get more of the fabric that I used in the blocks to complete a second quilt as I do not have any more of the colors used in those two blocks. Sunday I added the borders to the Ugly Fabric Challenge quilt which you can see under my needle, but you can't see much other than the colors I used with the print.

I also worked on completing all the subsections of the blocks for the memory quilt on Saturday and completed one block, so that I now have two of the sixteen blocks completed. Sunday I finished piecing 10 blocks and have six blocks that need one more seam, and then I have to press them all and trim them to size.


One block will go in the center of the scrappy quilt I making for her sister from leftover pieces of her mother‘s pajamas. I am trying to decide on the border. I’m going use red minky on the back. Red was her mother's favorite color and I used the silky red pajamas as the focus fabric in every block.

I am making progress on my goal of moving my UFOs forward this year and plan to continue to do so every month.  Any progress is positive.

My goal for this next week is to finish binding the one quilt, finish piecing the blocks and put the top together.  I also need to make labels for two quilts and finish two pillowcases. Once I get that done I will have four quilts ready to mail and can contact the quilter about quilting the memory quilt.

WIshing you all a great quilty week.  Hope you have scheduled in some quilting time.



Sunday, January 13, 2019

Honesty about my UFOs!

 I have decided it is time to be totally honest regarding my UFOs this year. I have made it my goal to work on them and try to move them forward and complete them this year.  At the moment I have two memory quilts I am working on that are not UFOs, one I am currently piecing and one I am working on cutting out. I do have one or two new things I plan to start including the Gypsy Wife quilt, but I really plan to spend the majority of my time focusing on completing my UFOs.

To be totally honest listing them here on the blog is taking a big step toward making progress because I believe if I share with others it will help to motivate me to make more progress on completing them. I have them listed in a composition book by categories. I chose my categories several years ago and every year or two I start a new quilt journal, listing my projects that are not completed and adding in new ones as I start them. I divide them into categories.

Hand Applique:
I have ten projects in this category and they range from small wall hangings to a large quilt. One I take with me when I travel and am making slow progress on it. Another I need to cut out more pieces to complete the border, a third one has all the blocks pieced but needs the leaves appliqued on to each block. I am slowly making progress on these, but I cannot do handwork for an extended time due to issues with my hands.

1) Mouse Pads
2) Cherries
3) Wild Berry Vines
4) Batik Leaves
5) Apple Quilt Leaves
6) Tulips
7) Hawaiian
8) Pumpkin
9) Morning Glories
10) Chicken

Embroidery:
I have five projects in this category including a beaded tree wall hanging. Two of them will someday be large quilts.  Again I cannot do as much as I use to so they are what I consider to be long term projects and I just hope to move them forward and finish a block or two this year.

1) Red Winter Wonderland
2) 2012 Aurifil BOM
3) Snowmen on Blue
4) Birds
5) Beaded Tree

Embellishment:
I have one quilt that I need to finish the embellishments on and finish the binding to be done.  Again this is all hand work so it is slow going.

1) Flip Flops

Block of the Month:
I am working on Fancy Forest and have to finish the owls and the hedgehogs. I have the thistles cut out and plan to add bears to the mix, which are also cut out. I pull this one out randomly to finish a block and would like to complete all the blocks this year so I can decide if I want to make it into one large quilt or several smaller quilts.

1) Fancy Forest - a) Owls, b) Hedgehogs, c) Thistles d) bears

Hand Piecing:
This category has a friendship star quilt I started years ago when I was teaching my students to hand piece a block as part of a math project. They each made a small wall hanging and hand quilted them.  I also have a couple of Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts in this category that are done in different ways and an English paper pieced star quilt as well as a few blocks for my No Cats On My Quilt Sampler.

1) No Cats on My Quilt - a) Hexagons, b) Tumbling Blocks, c) spools
2) Friendship Star
3) Grandmother's Flower Garden - a) stamped, b) English Paper Piecing
4) English Paper Pieced Stars

Paper Piecing:
This category has 5 projects, one block for my No Cats On My Quilt, a Mariner's Compass quilt that I need to finish one more block and then decided if I want to make more. I also have my Tottenville Toads and Iced Saw Blades that I have just one or two blocks done on and need many more, as well as my curved Flying Geese quilt that needs several more blocks made.

Tottenville Toads
1) No Cats on My Quilt - a) Trees
2) Mariner's Compass
3) Tottenville Toads
4) Iced Saw Blades
5) Curved Flying Geese








Machine Piecing:
This is a big category. I have 21 projects I have started in this one. Several have all the blocks done and simply need me to put them into rows and complete the top, while others have one block done or have the rows pieced so they are all in various stages. One or two also fall into the Hand Applique or Paper piecing category, like the apple quilt and the No Cats On My Quilt, so they are counted twice.

1)Voices of the Past - all blocks completed and layout designed
2) Purple Saturday Sampler - blocks done
Voices of the Past
3) Yin Yang - one block done
4) Valdez Mystery - one block done, all blocks cut out
Valdez Mystery













Flower Power

5) Flower Power - in progress
6) Argyle Beauty II - 6 rows pieced, need to pick the border
7) Wandering Star - one large block is done, sections of small blocks partially done
Black Tie Mystery
8) Black Tie Mystery - three sections done
9) Snowflake Rag Flannel - needs three more blocks cut and quilted.
10) Apple Quilt - all blocks are done, needs applique
11) Bryce's Bunny - needs last border (center pieced by my youngest son years ago)
12) Pin Wheel Stars - needs a few more blocks bordered
13) Memory Quilt for Theresa - in progress, blocks all partially pieced
14) Memory Quilt for Sonseeah - blocks partially cut out
15) Black and Cream Quilt - some blocks completed
16) Mom's sweatshirt Memory Quilt for me - sweatshirts are cut apart
17) Hockey Quilt - in pieces
18) Nine Patches on Point blocks done
19) Lover's Knot Table Topper II - center complete, strips cut
20) Two-Step Jelly Roll Challenge - 81 blocks complete
21) Screwed up Fall Swap Blocks - 16 blocks done
22) Ugly Fabric Challenge - 2 blocks complete, 2 blocks partially complete (due January 31)
23) Fall Swap - 14 blocks received, need to make one of my blocks and set on point.

Needs Borders:
I have 5 quilts that are in need of borders at the moment. One I have done the Seminole border strips and need to double check the length before attaching
Tiffany

1) Tiffany - borders pieced
2) Single Granny Square - need to piece borders
3) Red, White, and Black Buggy Barn Hearts - borders cut
4) Flower Basket - needs borders


Other Projects:
I have 13 projects in this category ranging from a Professional Tote to an elf, to pot holders and table runners and pillowcases. I have a box of pillowcases cut out that I pull out and make randomly to donate.

1) Professional Tote - cut out, quilted, and partially pieced
2) Sew Together Bag I - cut out
3) Sew Together Bag II - cut out
4) Butterfly Purse - hand quilted
5) Space Purse
6) Alaska Tote
7) Log Cabin Tote - 1" strips cut
8) Elf - partially put together
9) Amish Doll Dress - Need to find this one as the doll is made.
10) Pot Holders - I have a bunch cut out that I pull and make randomly for gifts or donation
11) Mystery Table Runner -
12) Orphan Blocks - a) stars, b) red and cream pinwheels - not sure yet what I am doing with them.
13) Friendship Star Table Runner - needs backing and quilting
14) Pillowcases - two cut out and ready to piece (these are a gift.)

Topsville:
I have 5 tops awaiting quilting, that I need to find or piece backs for.

1) Good Night Sweetheart - need to piece backing
2) On the Road Again - needs backing
3) Northern Nights - needs backing
4) Stack and Whack - debating if I will quilt this or send it off has backing
5) Bonus Table Runner form my July Mystery - needs borders and quilting
6) Memory Quilt for Theresa
7) Memory Quilt  II for Sonseeah
8) Buggy Barn Hearts

Hand Quilting:
I have two tops in this category and pull the smaller one out as a take along project.

1) Snow Boarder - partially done
2) Slice and Dice - partially done

Quilting:
At the moment my quilter has seven of my tops. One is done and the rest are waiting for her to complete them so they can come join my binding pile.

1) March Winds
2) Winter Quilt
3) Christmas Star Swap - next up
4) QMU Christmas Star Swap
5) Small Dark Waters of Kauai
6) Small Light Waters of Kauai
7) Waters of Kauai - quilted and waiting to be sent home.  This one has arrived home safely and is awaiting binding.
8) Memory Quilt for Theresa

Needs Binding and Labels:
Daisy Days
This is my largest pile. I have 36 quilts ranging in size from wall hanging to queen waiting on a binding. Some I will hand stitch the binding down on and the others I will do by machine. They all need labels as well.

1) Red and White Stars Swap
2) Log Cabin - binding made
3) Flip Flops of Summer - binding attached to the front, needs embellishing
4) Barbara's Antiques - binding attached to the front
5) Undercover in Houston - binding attached to the front
6) Daisy Days - binding fabric selected
7) Braid
8) Eight Point Stars - binding attached to the front
9) Twenties Treasure - binding attached to the front
10) Pink Saturday Sampler - binding made
11) The Substitute Teacher Lap Quilt
12) Crazy Hearts
13) Blue California Confusion
14) Red, Cream, and Blue Mystery - binding selected, just need to find the rest of the fabric
Red, White, & Cream Mystery
15) Red Saturday Sampler
16) Undercover in Houston III (apples on white) - deciding on binding
17) HST Stars
18) Shamrock Wall Hanging
19) Bryce's Lizard Quilt - binding made (my youngest son pieced this one in third grade.)
20) Joel's Attic Windows - (my oldest son pieced this one when he was in about seventh grade)
21) Shopping's Done Lap Quilt
22) Hearts and Houses Wall Hanging
23) Baby Girl Strip Quilt
24) There's No Such Thing As Too Much Fabric  Wall Hanging
25) July Mystery Baby Quilt
26) Blue and Yellow Friendship Star
27) Pajama Party Mystery
28) Run to the Border (dark green apples)
29) Lady Bug
30) Buggy Barn Black and White Stars
31) Pick Up Sticks II
32) Baby Boy Strip Quilt - this one needs to be done as the baby has arrived.

Simply an Illusion
33) Fall Tree Mystery
34) Undercover in Chicago
35) Granny Square Baby Quilt
36) Simply an Illusion
37)Waters of Kauai
38) March Winds
39) Winter Quilt
40) Christmas Swap
41) QMU Christmas Swap
42) Theresa's Memory Quilt
43) Small Dark Waters of Kauai
44) Small Light Waters of Kauai

I have one more quilt in this category that I need to finish the border on and get it in the mail and one more quilt that I need to start this year, but I am waiting on her color choices.

Part of the issue with my quilting was getting behind when I was traveling back and forth to Tennessee a few years back, doing a ton of substitute teaching, and a broken wrist with tendon damage that stopped me from quilting or at least severely limited my ability to do handwork. This year I have cut way back on my subbing and have been very careful not to fall on the ice.

If I counted right I have 200 UFOs, as some are listed in more than one category and I only count them once. That does not include any new quilts I may start.  Some of these are very small and just need a few stitches here or there, others are large and need all the blocks sewn together, or simply need me to pick a sashing to finish the top.

My plan is to move forward or complete one UFO per month this year at a  minimum. That will reduce them some and some months I would like to complete two or more.

Last year I completed finished 15 projects, so I am sure I can get at least that many, done this year.  I have one that needs a label and one I am working on binding at the moment so those will be my first, two finishes of the year. I am off to work on binding a quilt this afternoon, maybe I will get my first one done for the year today.