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.

What I’ve Accomplished This Past Two Weeks

This past week I have been busy finishing the second memory quilt top.

I’ve also been busy working on my Gypsy Wife Quilt blocks and have made several more blocks to use as fillers. I still have some larger blocks to make as I am enlarging the quilt, then I can begin putting my top together as I plan to vary the layout of the blocks some and am still thinking about the layout.

I’m having fun with this quilt, choosing from my scraps left from other projects, and Fat Quarters that I had laying around. This is a great quilt for playing with color and design ideas. I have made several changes to the setting blocks and added a few blocks to the quilt that were ones I liked, I only eliminated one block front he quilt as I did not like the design. I may still go back and add it in before I layout the top. I plan to make extras of a couple of other blocks that I really liked in different color ways of course as this will help me with enlarging the quilt.

Stay tuned for more progress on the Gypsy Wife and I would love to read your comments on my colors and block choices.

Have a wonderful quilt week!

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. 

Memory Quilt

I received a huge box of pajamas from my best friend in May of 2018, after her mother passed away. I had told her to send me some shirts and such and I would make her a memory quilt.  She also requested one for her sister, which I am working on currently.

I had a pile of pajamas of all different fabrics; knits, fleece, satin, and such. I picked the Cozy Quilt pattern Circle Back as it reminded me of the circle of a mother's arms and love.

I started with deboning the pajamas so I could cut them into sections.  Then I began pressing interfacing to each section and that took a long time. Once I have the fabric section prepped so they were roughly the size of a fat quarter I began cutting strips and sub cut them into pieces so I could begin stitching them the background pieces. That took the most time.  Then I started sewing and there were like 168 pieces of pajamas and roughly the same for background pieces to sew together. It took me quite a while to get them all together. Once I had that done the blocks went together fairly quickly in sections and then the sections were sewn together to make the 16-inch blocks. I trimmed them to 15.5 inches as they were not perfect due to the fabrics being used which often slipped, especially the satiny ones.

Once the blocks were together the top center when together easily. I then had to start with interfacing the fabric that I choose for the inner border. I had to piece it in sections and sew them together to get border lengths so there are quite a few seams in that border.

Once the three borders were attached and the quilt was pressed I boxed it up to send it off to my awesome quilter Shirley Jackson for her to apply her magic to the quilt.

When it returned home I trimmed and bound the quilt so I could have it done to hand carry to Los Angeles to deliver it to my oldest and dearest friend when we embarked on our twelve-day cruise to Alaska.

I know she will love it and be surprised when I hand it to her as I wanted to deliver it personally, rather than mail it to her.

You might think there is a lot of red in this quilt and there is for a very special reason. Red was her mother's favorite color.

Here is Theresa with her quilt. She was surprised and she did love it! She loves it and is very happy to have gotten it.

Now I will continue to work on her sister's quilt, which I am using a different pattern, or rather a variation of two patterns to make.

Saying Good-Bye before I was dropped off at 3 terminal for my flight. She was at terminal 5.

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.

Busy Week of Quilting

Crazy Anne 2

This week I have been busy in my quilting room. I finished binding one quilt, worked on my Gypsy Wife and started binding the memory quilt, while also working on the second memory quilt.

I finished binding Under Cover in Houston early this week and started in on the binding of the  memory quilt, which will be revealed next week.  Under Cover in Houston is a quilt I started in the 1990s or early 2000s when Debbie Caffery was still living in Alaska. She designed the pattern and taught the class. I love her patterns and she is a wonderful instructor.

 I took it as mystery class.  For those that are unfamiliar with quilt mysteries, you know what fabrics and how much, but not the pattern design, just the name. In this case, we needed a light, a dark and a couple of medium prints if I recall correctly with set amounts of each. Prior to the class, you are given cutting directions and sometimes some pre piecing directions as well. You show up to class with your fabric cut and any pre-piecing completed and are given the first step or if there was pre-piecing the second step and you go to work stitching away. As you finish each step you are given the next step and this continues until near the end of class or until someone is near the point of finishing. Then there is the big reveal. The instructor then brings out their finished quilt to show you.  Every quilt is different since no one knows what the quilt will look like. My quilt is different even than the designer’s as I decided to set mine on point, rather than in rows.

I picked my fabrics to go with my background fabric as I wanted it to be fun.

One of the things I always like about mysteries is that no one could copy the instructors color way. Too often in quilt classes, there are multiple people who copy the instructor's colorway and all the quilts look the same or very similar. There was only one time I came close to that and it was because the colors were the colors of the person I was making the quilt for.

I attached the binding to the front of the memory quilt and have been working on hand stitching it down off and on this week. I have about one and a half sides done. The label is on and I hope to have it finished before I head down to Los Angeles for my cruise on the 22nd.

I have been working on the second memory quilt, which is for her sister. I am doing it in a variation of a log cabin. I started with a center block and have been adding logs around the outside. I have several more to add before I will be done, though it will be a smaller, lap size quilt. I have to interface almost all the pajama fabric as it is knit and then piece the logs to the centers, so it takes more time than just cutting and piecing.  I am not sure if I will finish it before I head out in a week. Please forgive the toes, but with all the interfacing because these are knit fabrics it keeps curling up on the edges.

Today I wanted to relax so I pulled out my Gypsy Wife blocks that I had previously cut out and also cut out a few others to go along with them.  Over this last week, I pieced the From the Heart block, two Crazy Anne blocks, the star block, and a couple of other blocks I am adding to the quilt as I am enlarging it to fit my bed. I believe I have most all the blocks pieced for the quilt, except for the filler blocks, though I may add a few more blocks to enlarge the quilt once I start playing with the layout and piecing the sections together.

Crazy Anne 1

Heart Block

My Extra Star

The Star Block

I also have pictures of the infinity scarves I made last week. This is a gift for my friend to keep her warm when we are at the glaciers.

I apologize for being late getting this out. Life got in the way and I forgot to transfer my pictures until now, so I could post.

Wishing you a quilty week,

Wanda