Design Wall Monday - January 31, 2011

Not to much of interest on my design wall as I had very little time to sew in the last week (other than yesterday). I did manage to get these three heart blocks sewn during the week. these are the block of the month blocks for February's guild meeting. Thought since they are so quick and easy to sew that I would make 3 to up my odds of winning all the blocks.

Also on the design wall are two blocks made from Bonnie Hunter block pattern called Twin Sister as the blocks are made two at a time. When cutting the Christmas Ribbons quilt I way over cut on purpose and will be using the left over bricks to make these. They are larger than the pattern called for but I like this size.

On the agenda today will be loading and quilting on an almost queen sized customer quilt. Had nothing but problems loading the backing so I sure hope the rest of it goes more smoothly.

During times when I sit down to rest my back and legs I hope to sew the rows together for my Christmas Ribbons quilt.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - January 30, 2011

I had a busy week but it sure doesn't show in my stats. I did some sewing but most of it was with fabric already counted in past reports. I did quilt 3 smallish customer quilts and a charity quilt this week plus several appointments so I definitely kept busy.

My stats for the week are:

Fabric used this week: 1 yard
Fabric used YTD: 36
Fabric purchased this week: 0
Fabric purchased YTD: 24.5
Net fabric used in 2011: 11.5

My biggest problem this week was no internet for close to a week. That definitely was not fun. At least we live close to a library with free wifi so I was able to check email once a day anyway.

I wasn't able to post Design Wall Monday last week so that is what was on my wall at that time.



This is my Christmas ribbons quilt. It is still in the same shape, all the blocks done but none of them sewn together. Maybe I will get to those this week.

Here also is the charity quilt I quilted this week. It was put together by two ladies in my day time guild. I don't know the ultimate destination for this donation but know it will be somewhere locally.



I hope you had a successful stash busting week.

Kathie

How do you define frustration

First off I am not into high tech. I don’t have a smart phone or a blackberry, just a standard cell phone you can make calls on when you need to. I do a slight bit of online shopping but not all that much. I don’t have a twitter account and only check facebook rarely and the only reason I even have an account was that a high school classmate of mine (from the early 70’s) got me to join. I don’t play on line games and don’t feel the need to have my nose in some sort of technology at all times.

All that being said I have to admit I am addicted to the internet. I belong to four yahoo quilt groups, I blog and I send emails to several friends and family every day. As I am writing this (to be posted later) I have no internet. We had it off an on this weekend. Verizon DSL was called and after checking lines etc. they told us we needed a new modem. Ok, trip to Best Buy to pick up a new modem and a new router (big bucks). Everything was successfully installed. We were back on the internet, BUT no improvement. In fact in the evening it got worse and worse and now nothing.
I hope that at least not being able to check email every couple of hours will mean that I get more done on my customer quilts and housework but I doubt it. Think I will probably just spend that extra time fretting about being out of touch!


Finally after all week we now have out internet back. I have not done very well so far this week on stash busting as most of the week has been spent with various appointments, daughter being home from school (snow day with no snow!!!) and customer quilts.

Hope to have some pictures etc. to post tomorrow.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report

I used up a lot of fabric this week but I also went to both Joanns and a quilt shop so ended up down a little on my net usage.

I purchased fabric for two backings, binding for a quilt and pieced of beautiful batik fabric “just because.”

Here are my current stats:

Fabric used this week: 8.75 yards
Fabric used YTD: 35 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 11 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 24.5 yards
Net fabric used in 2011: 10.5 yards

This is my most recent project. I got the wicked easy quilt quilted this week and it is now awaiting binding. I used JoAnns Soft and Bright batting on this one. I had not tried it before but like the results, it gives it just a slight more loft than warm and natural. It is polyester but does not pull apart, bunch etc. I just quilted huge tear drops so it was quickly done.

UFO #6 Done!!!

Number 6 was pulled this month in the UFO challenge I am participating in over at Judy L's blog.



On January 1st when the number was pulled this was the state of this UFO. These were part of a row robin I participated in probably about 8 years ago.

As the month progressed I added strips between the rows and borders and finally got it quilted and bound. It is such a good feeling to get something totally done that has been sitting for so many years.



I also wanted to show this picture. My husband grabbed one of my orphan blocks from some long ago project and made a case for my kindle, isn't this cute? What do you do with your orphan blocks?


kathie

Hospice Quilt #8

I was given this quilt saturday for our next delivery to Hospice House. This pretty floral was pieced and quilted by Julia. It was fun to look and see which of the fabrics are in my stash also.

Not much quilting/sewing going on here over the long weekend. I did make some more pieces for the Christmas Bricks (retitled Christmas Ribbons from a couple of comments made) but thats it.

After a quick errand this morning I am going to quilt the customer quilt on the frame and then hopefully seam a backing for one of my quilts. Assuming I get the fabric washed this morning that is.

Kathie

Design Wall Monday - January 17, 2011

This is what has been on the design wall the last few days. I cut boat loads of the rectangles with my Accuquilt GO and then started putting the blocks together. I think I have about half the blocks done at this point. I have been just calling it Christmas Bricks but I might have to come up with a better name.

I need to cut more black strips to continue but life has got in the way of sewing the last couple of days. I hope to get some time to work on this later today after I get home from a doctors appointment.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - January 16, 2011

I did go fabric shopping this week but only for black fabric for a Christmas Bricks quilt that I have in process so some of that has already been used.

Stats for this week:

Fabric used this week: 10 yards
Fabric used YTD: 26 1/4 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 3 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 13.5 yards
Net fabric used in 2011: 12.75 yards

This week I got the sashing and border on my Twin Sister quilt, half of the blocks made for the Christmas bricks quilt and UFO #6 quilted and the binding partially done.

Kathie

Finally Friday

It is finally friday and my husband will be home from travel so I am looking forward to that.

At Sandi's suggestion I used teal for the border of my Twin Sister quilt. I had this piece in my stash for a number of years and never used it. In fact it has a hint of purple and a little gold in it so it was just perfect for this quilt.



Now that the top is done I will tuck it away for awhile until I get time to see if I have any backing fabric and get it pieced.

Chores on the agenda today, then loading a customer quilt and then either continue working on my Christmas bricks or start piecing a backing for my patriotic tumblers quilt.

Kathie

Midweek Update

I didn't stay at the guild meeting on monday night but I did run into Kathy V in the parking lot (one of the binding fairies)after dropping some things off and she gave me this quilt back. It was pieced by Carol, quilted by myself and bound by Kathy V. Nice teamwork. This will go in our next delivery to Hospice House.



This was from a kit made out of donated fabrics.

I have had this next quilt top for awhile but found a backing that would fit and decided to get it quilted today. Just did simple swirls with red/white and blue thread. I might save this one back till the next time we donate quilts to wounded soldiers.



Kathie

Design Wall Monday - January 10, 2011

My Twin Sister quilt (Bonnie Hunter block) is what is currently on my design wall. I made the 12th block yesterday and then put on the dark purple (my daughter's suggestion) sashing. I have no clue what I am going to do for an outer border fabric so I might put this on the shelf to "age" a bit before I take it to a quilt shop to try and find something (nothing in my stash is appropriate).

I have an appointment this morning and then some chores to do when I get home but once I hit the quilt room I hope to finish getting my UFO loaded on my frame and start quilting it.

Have a great week.

Kathie

Sunday Stash Report - January 9, 2011

Fabric both added and used this week. I purchased fabric twice, once for borders and binding for my UFO #6 quilt and yesterday purchased a piece of fabric to use as sashing for the twin sister blocks I have been working on.

On a good note I also used the amount of fabric I purchased plus. I made two backings for quilts, put the borders on the UFO and also cut the binding. My weekly stats:

Fabric used this week: 11 1/4 yards
Fabric used YTD: 16 1/4 yards
Fabric Purchased this week: 5.5 yards
Fabric purchased YTD: 10.5 yards

Net fabric used in 2011: 5.75 (in the black, now will see if I can keep it that way all year).

I made good progress on UFO #6 Row Robin Quilt as part of Judy L's 2011 UFO challenge. I now have the top done, the backing made and the binding cut. Now to get it on my frame.



Enjoy your day.

Kathie

On the Agenda

I ordered a new GO die and it is in so I will be picking that up today. After chores etc. I also hope to get my UFO #6 loaded on the frame today (pieced the backing yesterday) and maybe cut a charity kit.

We are starting to do more kits at both of my guilds and I have tons of charity fabrics here. The problem is that it is hard to find things to go together. I did pull two fabrics yesterday that I think I can add a fabric of my own to and make a nice kit. I will have to see what else I can come up with. I have 3 bins of charity fabric here and would definitely like to get rid of some of it.

Kathie

Friday

Well I ran my first guild meeting wednesday as President and I think it went ok. I didn't stumble over my words to often and with notes in front of me I didn't forget anything I wanted to say.

I planned on sewing that night but instead spent the evening in the express care clinic getting my daughters knee x-rayed after an after school injury. Just a sprain but needless to say she is not performing with the dance team at tonights basketball game. I was sorry to see her disappointed as she had a mini solo but things happen! Hopefully she will be able to dance again next week.

I quilt my winter roses quilt yesterday and put the binding on it this morning.


Mary from the Heartstrings yahoo group I belong to is trying to get one quilt a day quilted for the rest of the month. I am using her as inspiration and trying to get one quilt a week or more quilted till the end of the month. Some of these are tops I have already made for next falls craft show, some are charity quilts and also in there will be my UFO #6 from Judy L's challenge over at Patchworktimes.

In addition to putting the binding on the quilt this morning I am spending the afternoon trying to get a backing pieced for the UFO quilt. That is always my downfall. I get tops pieced quickly but then I get lazy about getting the backings done as I want to use what I have and not buy yardage unless I have to.

Kathie

Challenge Quilts

Do you do challenge quilts at your guild?

Lots of times the colors to be used are not my taste or would go in my house so if I sew along with a challenge lots of times they end up being donation quilts.

I found this little wall hanging the other day that I did with one of my local guilds several years ago. I never even put a hanging sleeve on it as it clashes in about every room in my house.

I thought instead of just getting rid of it I could open up my husband's treddle machine and use the little quilt as decoration. Not bad.

Kathie

Midweek Update

It isn't really midweek but since I am going to not be home a good portion of tomorrow I thought I would post my update today.

I have been working on my UFO #6 from Judy L's UFO challenge the last couple of days. I now have a big portion of it done and only need to add an outer border, I picked up fabric for that this morning at Joanns.


I had partially loaded a quilt on my frame last week but then ended up sick so instead of being my last charity quilt of 2010 it became my first of 2011 when I quilted it this morning. This strippy batik quilt was pieced by JoAnne from a kit I cut from donated batik fabrics. The colors are much nicer in person.



I was definitely wondering last night where have all the years gone? Mandy and I spent a portion of the evening on line getting her signed up to take her SAT test. It just seems yesterday she was still in elementary school!!!

kathie

Design Wall Monday - 1/3/2011

Gee, first design wall monday of the new year and I have nothing on my design wall!!!

I did have the UFO for the UFO challenge on there most of yesterday as I rearranged the rows, started adding strips etc. but it is now all on my sewing table.

I did want to show what was on my design wall right before that. I have been slowly working on Twin Sister blocks (a Bonnie Hunter pattern, I believe was from the July/Aug Quiltmaker Magazine).


Instead of sewing just the blocks together like she had I decided to sew 4 of them into blocks. I am still working on that and will then decide how to set them. My daughter suggested this straight set with dark purple sashing and I think that is a great suggestion. I also thought of maybe putting them on point and putting alternating solid blocks with them. Not sure at this point and will put this project on the back burner for now while I work on this months UFO.

kathie

Stash Report Week 1 - January 2, 2011

I did manage to use up some fabric the beginning of the week on the patriotic tumbler quilt but bought just as much fabric. I bought a couple of deeply discounted fabrics. On a yard plus of Christmas fabrics and the rest patriotic. I don't think it is enough to make the whole backing for the tumbler quilt but can toss in some other patriotics and make it a pieced back.

Weekly stats:

Fabric used this week: 5 yards
Fabric used YTD: 5 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 5 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 5 yards

Net fabric used in 2011: 0 yards

I have been under the weather a big majority of the week so really have not go much sewing done.

The #6 was selected in Judy's UFO challenge on New Years so I dug out UFO #6 yesterday.



This was from a row robin that I was involved in with a several internet buddies several years ago.

So the challenge is to have this totally done by the end of the month. The lady bug blocks had buttons sewn on them so I sat last night taking those off. I will decide once it is all done if I want to sew them back on.

Today I will at least go through my stash and see what fabrics I have that might work with this. I am thinking maybe 3 strips between each pieced strip. Maybe a dark blue middle wide strip with a yellow narrower strip on each side of the blue.

Kathie