2022 Update of Progress

 I have been subbing since school started back up in January and have not accomplished much this year.  I did complete a couple of tops for donation and a baby quilt. 

I am hoping that now that school is out and my long-term sub job is done I can get some more sewing done this summer while working on the house and doing some remodeling.  I am also still working on putting my sewing room back together and washing every piece of fabric I own before putting it back in my sewing room unless it is a precut. There is a lot of fabric and I still have a lot to wash and fold. I did not realize how much fabric I have until I packed it all up.

I moved pretty much all of my precuts and kits up to my sewing room and have them organized for the most part, there may be a few more hiding downstairs in a bo I have not unearthed yet. I still have to figure out where I am going to put the rest of the fabric and my batting.

I am also going through all my UFOs and trying to decide if they are worth finishing or if I want to repurpose them into smaller quilts. I may do that with some and there are a couple that I simply need to bind or attach the borders so I can finish the top.  I have one I need to piece the backing for and it will be ready to send to the quilter.  I have others I think I will just let go to someone else.

I did finish getting the bindings made for two king-size quilts  and trimmed them last week. I have the binding attached to the front of both and ready for me to hand stitch down in the evenings when I complete the one I am working on as a gift for a friend.

I also started attaching the borders to one quilt that I am doing multiple borders on, it will have two one-inch black borders, two 2 1/2" borders on either side of the Seminole border that I have already pieced, followed by the outer border.

I have also been busy working on attaching interfacing to the backs of the tops my niece selected for the memory quilt of her mother that I am making for her. I have all of the pieces ready to cut and piece.  

I also interfaced the shirts I have set aside for a memory quilt of my mother. It was the first time that I have pulled out the shirts and not cried, in six years.

I have also been busy helping my husband go through everything in one bedroom in preparation to pack up the room so he can start painting, stripping the ceiling, and pulling the carpet to put in new vinyl flooring. We have purged a ton of trash, recycle/burn, and donated about six bags of stuff. He is now packing things up and moving them so he can start the next stage.

Hand Applique:
I still 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/X-Stitch:
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

6) Under a Quilt

7) Hufflepuff

8) Starry Night

9) Harry Potter

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

1) Flip Flops

Block of the Month:
I have a couple BOMs that are in progress.

1) SLH BOM

2) QC BOM - Ribbon Candy

3) Celestial Stars (not started)

4) Fancy Forrest (all blocks done)

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 - I have four blocks completed and need to decide if I am done or want to make a few more blocks to make the quilt lager.
3) Tottenville Toads
4) Iced Saw Blades
5) Curved Flying Geese

6) Wicked Wahini



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, border/sashing fabric bought

Voices of the Past

3) Yin Yang - one block done, plan to continue making blocks
4) Valdez Mystery - one block done, all blocks cut out - top done, needs to be quilted.

Valdez Mystery

Flower Power

5) Flower Power - in progress
6) Wandering Star - one large block is done, sections of small blocks partially done

Black Tie Mystery

7) Black Tie Mystery - three sections done
8) Apple Quilt - all blocks are done, needs applique done
9) QMU 2020 Samplet
10) Alaska OBW
11) Black and Cream Quilt - some blocks completed
12) Mom's sweatshirt Memory Quilt for me - sweatshirts are interfaced
13) Hockey Quilt - in pieces
14) Two-Step Jelly Roll Challenge - 81 blocks  four baby quilt tops done.
15) Screwed up Fall Swap Blocks - 16 blocks done

16) Floral OBW

17) Farm House Chic 3 yd

18) Simplicity 3yd
19) Breakfast Club

20) Star Swap

21) Royal Ensemble

22) Gypsy Wife (blocks done)

23) Memory Quilt - for Danielle

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) Flower Basket - needs borders

3) Bryce's Bunny - needs last border (center pieced by my youngest son years ago)

4) Wonky Two-Step 1

5) Bermuda Sunrise (Need to order hand-dye fabric)

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) Floral Braid 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) Lake Tote

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) Bonus Table Runner form my July Mystery - needs borders and quilting

3) Two-Step 1

4) Two-Step 2

5) Wonky Two-Step 2

6) Pinwheel Stars table runner

7) Cookies's Star

8) Valdez Mystery

9) Emergency Vehicles baby quilt

10) Race Car baby quilt

11) Peach Log Cabin Quilt

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

3) Skier

Needs Binding and Labels:
1) Winter Solstice

2) Burgundy and Gold Squared Stars

3) Peach and Blue 3yd quilt

4) TQR Mystery 1

5) Blue and Beige Squared Stars

6) QC Mystery

7) Batik

2022 FInishes:

1) Salsa Hot Pad Runner

2) Six Salsa Hexie Placemats

3) Six Salsa Hexie Potholders

4) Two face masks

2021 Projects

 My goal this year is to finish several small projects and to move several UFOs forward.

So far this year I have finished

Two Pot Holders

Three 5-Minute Runners

Two Lemon Hexie placemats

A Kitchen Scarf

A Hot Pad Runner

Four Hexie Hot Pads

I also finished putting together the Fall Quilted Cow Mystery to which I need to add borders. 

I started and finished my Winter Solstice quilt.

I plan to make Hexie placemats to match the hot pad runner  and another hot pad runner to go with them.  If I can get more of the fabric I want to make Hexie pot holders to match.  I am also working on a Jenny Kingwell’s BoHo Heart quilt and looking at fabrics to possibly start a Spiral Lonestar by Jan Krentz.  My other goals for this year include moving several of my UFOs forward. I have a couple quilts I am looking for backings so I can send them toe my favorite quilter.

I am enjoying spending more time with my quilting and have been working on designing quilt patterns also.

Happy Quilting!

Early June Update on Quilting Progress

I worked on finishing my Granny Square quilt. It will make a nice baby quilt. I added three inner borders on the Granny Square and an outer border. It has been mailed off to the quilter.

I worked on piecing the rows for my Argyle Quilt. These blocks were left over from a quilt I made my niece Lauren several years ago and were just waiting to made into a top.  I still need to finish this one and figure out a border for it, but I have moved the quilt forward which is always the goal.

I also finished the top I was making using my leftover 9 patches from a past quilt. I set them on point, added sashing, and set them on point and did a narrow inner border, along with another border of the white and a wider outer border of the sashing fabric which I love. This is also mailed off to the quilter.

I included a few other quilts in the box for her to quilt for me and have put the pictures below.  We enjoyed our cruise and are now busy packing up the living room so that my husband can strip the popcorn ceiling, then we will paint. While he is busy stripping the ceiling I plan to hide in my sewing room and work on moving other projects forward, as I am not helping him with that part of the project.

Memorial Day Update

This week I spent time working on things around the house, like getting my living room ready to pack up as we are planning to strip the popcorn ceiling and paint starting next month.  I also spent one day at the quilt shop sewing with a friend who was up from the lower 48 to take care of her house and visit her son and daughter-in-law. She lives in Oregon, maintains a home in Alaska, and travels the lower 48 in her motor home spending time in Arizona and Florida each year.

I am also working on booking hotels for my son and me for this August when we drive down from Alaska to the lower 48. He is moving down to attend grad school.

As I posted on Friday, I finished the second memory quilt top and quite a few blocks for my Gypsy Wife quilt, so I moved on to a few other projects. On Friday I pressed four quilt tops to send to my wonderful quilter.

I pieced the backing for one quilt and added borders to my Buggy Barn Hearts bed runner.

I also found/purchased sashing and borders for a couple of other quilts and started putting them together.
I started with these 9-patch blocks that I had set on point. They were left over from another project and sitting in my UFO orphans box.

I picked a bright pink to sash them. I discovered in the process that the blocks were not all the same size so I set them on point again and trimmed them all to 13.25".

 Then I sashed them and set them on point.

I like how the quilt has turned out and need to find a backing so I can add this one to the box of tops I am sending my quilter.

I am deciding if I want to add borders or just finish it as is. Currently, it is about 40" square. I am debating if I want to add an inner border of pink and an outer border of the white or just a pink border.

I plan to use my time this week to make a few more blocks for my Gypsy Wife quilt and to move some other projects forward, including binding a few more quilts. I will be offline for a couple of weeks and unable to do any quilting, but I will try and get some hand work done during that time. I will post an update again next week before I go offline.

The Second Memory Quilt

I’v spent more time in my sewing room this past week and have actually gotten further on some projects than I thought. I made progress on a UFO and on my Gypsy Wife quilt blocks.

This last weekend was devoted to UFOs, one of which is the second memory quilt. This one is for my friend’s younger sister. It is also made with the pajamas. I started with the extra block I had from my friend’s quilt that I went around log cabin style. Please excuse my toes peaking out on the left side.

I am added a border of four patches all the way around the quilt. I then added a border of the background.

The inner border is another knit from the pajamas and the outer border is from my stash. 

 I want to thank my neighbor for holding the quilt up so I could take a picture. THat’s her feet peaking out on the bottom of the quilt. The wind kicked up out on the deck last night when I was trying to take a picture, and I hope to get a better one later this week.

I need to find a backing and send the quilt off to the quilter. The quilt is roughly 60” finished. A nice lap or throw size. 

Finishing Off a Few Things

I am finishing off a few things this week so that I can mark them as done!  One group I am in has been doing a two week finish things up the challenge of sorts to get us motivated to get-er-done.  I have finished two quilt tops and am working on finishing more before Monday, including the memory quilt for my best friend from high school.

I discovered that some people were finishing pillowcases and post them as finishes so I threw in a couple of those that I needed to finish as well.

I am working on binding a few more quilts while I am at it and hope to top off my rain gauge soon.

This Weeks Quilting Report

This week I subbed four days so did not get as much done as I would have liked, but I did make progress.

I completed one quilt, almost finished binding another, and got the binding attached to the front of the memory quilt as well as the label.

I finished the binding on my July Mystery.  This quilt is one I designed and shared as a mystery with a group of friends last summer. I also have a mini quilt or table topper that I shared from the scraps. I still need to border and quilt it.  This quilt was quilted by my wonderful quilter Shirley Jackson.

I also finished the two infinity scarves I started last week.

My goal for next week is to finish the binding on Under Cover in Houston and work on binding the memory quilt and my Gypsy Wife quilt.

March Wound Down and April Sprang into Being

March was a slow month for me quilting wise as I was gone for a week and subbed about three full weeks so my quilting time was minimal.  I did make some progress though.

I completed the memory quilt top for my friend Theresa and sent it off to the quilter. It returned and trimmed it and cut the binding.  No pictures until I deliver it later this month.

I worked on binding Under Cover in Houston, an old Debbie Caffery Mystery, that is not quite done but will be done this month.

I also trimmed eight other quilts and cut binding for five of them.

I bound "No Such Thing as Too Much Fabric" and added a hanging sleeve to it.

I also pieced and pressed the binding for another quilt and started to attach the binding to it.

I made two infinity scarves using the leftover minke backing from trimming one quilt.

I have to pick the binding for the four other quilts that I trimmed and get to work on binding them as well as the rest of those I trimmed. Since I only completed on binding in March I have to complete three in April to stay on track as my goal is to get two bound a month so I can move the ones I have waiting into Donesville.

The Last Two Weeks

I apologize for not posting last week but when I woke up on the 11th I was wiped out and felt like I had been run over by a truck. I ached from head to toe and had no energy, just climbing the stairs wiped me out. I had subbed all week doing testing and fighting the crud that was going around the school I was at. It hit me like a ton of bricks on Saturday morning and I was out for the count for about four days. All I did was lay on the couch and veg.  I did not have the energy to do more than about 10" of hand stitching on a binding. I spent a lot of time just laying on the couch and doing nothing.





Over the last two weeks between subbing every day for the one week, two days the next week, and a day of appointments and errands, and being sick, I did not accomplish much, but I did make some progress.

I picked the fabric for eight pinwheel blocks and actually cut out and pieced the 36 HST for the eight blocks. I pieced one heart block and worked on binding Barabara's Attic. I also cut out six other blocks and pieced a total of eight blocks for the Gypsy Wife quilt.

I should add that I am using scraps and small pieces of fabric less than a quarter or a half yard from my stash for this quilt. I did buy a couple of quarter yards to add in a little more color, but almost all of the fabric comes from my small pieces scrap box or my fat quarters.  To prove I am using up fabric this picture shows all that I had left after I made the block at the top of this post. This is all that remains of this fabric. Originally, I had bought a couple yards of it and used it in a couple of quilts in the past. I think I had maybe an 1/8th of a yard when I started on the Gypsy Wife if that. This is all that remains of the fabric. I think I can get a one-inch square out of that larger scrap.  It would work in the center of a block.  The other scraps are going in the trash.

I trimmed the blocks for the memory quilt.

I also had a few quilts come home to roost that are waiting on bindings.

March Winds

Winter Quilt

Christmas Star Swap

QMU Christmas Star Swap

Waters of Kauai

This next week I am not subbing except maybe a half day for one teacher so my plans are to work on putting the memory quilt top together, to finish the binding on Barbara's Antiques so I can have my second finish for February, and to piece some more blocks for the Gypsy Wife.  

Wishing you all a happy quilting week and good health.

Gypsy Wife and Twenties Treasures

This week I spent time cutting out more blocks for my Gypsy Wife quilt, including a few to substitute in for a block that does not speak to me, Nurse's Cross and a few to add to the quilt as I want to incorporate some additional blocks to increase the size.  I also pieced one 6" finished heart block to substitute or add to the quilt since I am modifying it some for me.

I also pulled out a quilt to work on hand stitching the binding down and have been making progress on it.  This morning I completed the binding, though my fingers were going numb today.  It is an old Debbie Caffery Mystery from the mid to late 1990s called Twenties Treasures.  I used Doreen Speckman's Provence Fabric line.  It is a little busy for me when I look at it now because I cannot find anywhere to rest my eyes, but I still like it.  The quilt was quilted but Shirley Jackson, my awesome quilter.

To quote myself from a blog post from April 25, 2013, "I made a mistake in this quilt but was consistent in every block.  I did so well that when we laid the quilt out at class, even Debbie did not notice that I put one set of points facing the wrong way on every single block.  I already had the rows sewn together when I noticed it. Debbie told me that I had made it my own.  I gave it my own unique twist. I may add one more border if I have enough of the blue fabric."


My Aunt and Uncle also received their quilts, which I could not post previously as they were surprise gifts. My cousin Janie sent me these pictures of them with their quilts.  They loved them.