Third 2013 UFO Finish

After seemingly endless hours of quilting, I've finished my third UFO for 2013. This quilt began in September 2011 during my month of the One Block Over group. I offered a tutorial for making wonky-cut stacked blocks, giving each quilter a fat quarter to use as a color-guide. Though the top's been put together since last September, it's taken me this long to make it a finish.

Binding is two different colors - orange on the sides and Kona medium gray on the top and bottom. I used my favorite machine-sewn mitered corners method of attaching binding. I always like to encourage quilters who sew binding together with a start/stop joining on a side, to give this better (in my opinion) method a try. My tutorial for it is here. 

Other than calling this my "One Block Over" quilt, I don't have a name for it.

Suggestions? Thank you for your suggestion, Nancy! I named it "Balancing Act."

53" X 67"

Batting is Quilter's Dream Request Loft Polyester. Layers were spray-basted together using 505 Spray and Fix.

All quilting was done while sitting down at my Pfaff Grand Quilter. Threads are YLI variegated orange-yellow, and medium gray.

As I typically do, to use up every fabric, I incorporated test blocks and wrong-sized blocks in the backing. This same backing fabric is what each block-maker received as her fat quarter gift.

Now it's on to another UFO as Tropical Storm Andrea is keeping me close to home today. But I don't mind a bit! Sewing, and writing an article for American Quilter magazine are keeping me happily busy. I hope your day is going swimmingly too! Linda

Slow-go UFOs

No new UFO finishes, but progress is a good thing.

Though I've stopped doing hand appliqué because it's such a slow process (for me), I've vowed to finish the hand appliqué UFOs I've started. This 20" x 20" Hawaiian appliquéd palm fronds piece was begun in 2008. Finished as either a wall hanging or pillow, it will find a place in our Florida palm tree-themed home.

20" X 20"

However, it will remain a UFO for a while because I've run out of the exactly-the-right color (894) Mettler #60 thread, and can't buy it locally. (sigh) I'm so weary of having to mail-order everything.

My UFO Bonnie Hunter "Roll, Roll Cotton Boll" (RRCB) mystery quilt was offered in December 2010-January 2011. I haven't touched mine since then, though I had even pieced the last border's parallelograms before putting it away! Happily, it didn't take long to complete the top that measures a whopping 86" x 101".

The weekend was spent rearranging my sewing room so I could pin-baste.

Besides RRCB, I basted this 55" X 70" UFO (no name yet) from 2011 when I was in the One Block Over bee. Would you believe... all my safety pins are now in quilts!

Because I had an I'm-tired-of-moving-around-this-pattern-and-fabric moment, I sewed this skirt one afternoon last week. The pattern was a bargain purchase (like $1) from Fabric Recycles, a Kansas City business that operates on the concept of buying, and then reselling, perfectly good sewing and quilting fabrics, notions and supplies. The store was the recipient of 70 quilting and craft books I divested myself of before moving last year.

My skirt was made from one yard of home dec fabric. Like it!

Now back to those UFOs and re-rearranging my sewing room for some time-consuming FMQing. Linda

Great Granny Along Finish

I borrowed a neighbor's newly landscaped yard to take pictures of my finished Great Granny Quilt. One of these days, our yard will have a palm tree or two, so I won't have to go far to take outdoor photos. 

58-1/2" X 72-1/2"

Do you remember to make labels for your quilts? Along with basic information, the Great Granny Along badge was the perfect addition to my label. What's not so perfect is the photo my camera produced. That splotch in the middle, over the word "September" is a permanent mar that no amount of lense-cleaning can remove. Guess that's what happens when one has a seven year old 6.1 megapixel camera that has taken thousands of photos, in four countries.

A new I-Phone 5 is in my future! An I-Phone camera has 8 megapixels. I couldn't be more excited about getting it since this will be my very first smartphone. (Yes, I've been living in the 20th century.) Unlimited US talk and text, with Internet capabilities?! Being able to call friends during the week?! The phone comes at a high price, and I don't mean the cost of the phone, service and data plan. T-Mobile is charging $200 to be released from my contract. Not a happy camper about that!

Making progress on my UFO list, here's a quilt top finish.

55" X 70"

It's made from blocks I requested from quilters who were in the 2011 One Block Over group. Here's where to find my block tutorial. I'm feeling pleased that last September was my month, and I've got the top put together just (ha!) one year later. I anticipate doing some creative quilting in the gray background, and already have a couple designs in mind.

On Friday I'm going to QuiltFest Jacksonville. I think it will be a good time, hanging out with quilters, and seeing the kinds of quilts Floridians make. What I'm having a difficult time admitting is that I'm going on a "Senior Adventures" bus trip! (Who? Me?!) Linda

Blocks for This and That

In the five days I've been at home since our Florida trip, I've spent some time at the sewing machine. Yay! I also spent two days sewing with Hope Quilters (read about our day here).

For myself, I played catch-up on the November 25 release of the third block in the Bloggers' BOM. Pink is outside my comfort zone, and putting these particular colors together is a first, but definitely fun. It's an unusual block, don't you think? I'm making two each month since they're only 8" X 8" when finished.

These two 12" X 12" star blocks have been sent off to join other star blocks to make a quilt for a special someone who's having health problem. 'Nuf said.

Martha Washington Star

Broken Star

Upon request, and following certain guidelines, back in August I made and sent this 12" X 12" Single Wedding Ring block to someone who was going to sew collected blocks into a quilt as a wedding gift for one of my blogospheric buddies. I haven't heard a word about the status of that quilt and that makes me feel disappointed. Should I be? Update: The new bride has received the blocks; it was never intended that a quilt would be given to her. She - Shannon at Pieceful Kwilter - will post about the blocks when she has a chance. She's a busy professional longarm quilter - understandable given that it's pre-Christmas, giving time.

I've also been crazily sewing tiny 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" squares into these cute nine-patch blocks - only 72 of them needed for my Friendship Medallion quilt. It does seem to be taking a long time.

Linda

Little Finishes and Stumbling Progress

Happily, I've been spending productive time in my sewing room. The October birthday cake for Megan in One Block Over progressed from this picture...

... to the applique on the left,

to the finished piece (o' cake!) on the right.

 

I drew, stitched (with Cosmo floss), and pencil-colored this owl for my J-O-Y wallhanging.

If he looks a little googly-eyed, it's because I copied him from this Holiday Hoot fabric.

10" X 10"

My favorite print for binding is a stripe. And where is it more appropriate than on a Christmas piece.

The Blogger's Block of the Month comes out on the 25th of each month. After making one 8-1/2" (unfinished) block in September, I decided that each month I'll make two so I have enough to make some sort of quilt when it's finished. Here are both of the September blocks.  

And here are my interpretations of the October block offered by Vickie Welsh.

As far as progress goes on my Friendship Medallion quilt, it's been two steps forward and three steps back! The steps to make round 5 of this medallion quilt were:

Cut out 36 pink rectangles from 36 different prints. - Check.
Cut out 40 red rectangles from 40 different prints - Check.
Cut out 152 white squares. - Check.

Sit down to sew together 36 pink rectangles and white squares. - Check.
(It was most enjoyable to sew while listening to an excellent audiobook, The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Berry.)
Press pink and white patches. - Check

36 pink and white patches

Now sew 40 red rectangle and white squares. - Check.
Begin to press red and white patches.... Oh No! They're all sewn together wrong!

They were supposed to have looked like this!

The 40 red patches in the above photo are those I completely re-cut out and sewed to make patches that could be arrange in a zig-zag pattern. Argh! Why do I do this when I know better? I know better. I know better. Apparently it takes a lifetime, to figure out simple stuff like this.

Not only am I stuck with 40 incorrectly sewn red and white patches, I have this big pile of sewn (before they were cut off) half-square triangle squares that are the remains of both the correctly sewn, and incorrectly sewn patches. That's 232 squares that I haven't even bothered to press.

Between the rectangle patches and these squares, I'll have plenty of piecing to do for the back of this quilt because I'm just too frugal to waste perfectly good fabric. Besides, it will be a good punishment for so badly messing up what should have been an easy-to-sew round. Linda

A Whole Lot of Not Much

Did you FNSI last night? I've got it in my head that everyone pronounces it "fin-see." Am I right?

FNSI is the monthly Friday Night Sew In hosted by Bobbi and Heidi. It's a superb idea for anyone who wants to: 1) squeeze some me-time out of each month for sewing and quilting; 2) know she's not sewing alone. Just think of all the quilters out there doing the same thing, at the same time you are! and; 3) as a bonus, has a chance to win a really nice gift by simply showing off what you worked on that evening!

Though I was in my sewing room for most of Friday, I don't have much to show for my efforts. Too much cutting, and too much flitting... from one project to another. None of them are finished.

3-1/2" X 5-1/2" rectangles for part 5 of Friendship Medallion quilt.

The cake slice needs some more decorative sprinkles.

The October 6-1/2" X 6-1/2" birthday block requested by Megan in our One Block Over group.

Inspired by Selvage Blog, my friend Michelle and I have decided to make Homeward Bound blocks into pillows. I'm not sure which Metro Living Rings print I'll put with my selvage squares, but I'm leaning toward the green.

With my newly won book Word Play Quilts, I'm making a little Christmas wall hanging. The blank space in the lower right is where I'll put a little embroidered owl like the one on the Christmas print.

It was fun having Michelle join me for some late afternoon sewing. After she left, I was back at it on my own. There's no reason these projects won't soon be finishes. Thank for the Fin-See motivation, Bobbi and Heidi! Linda

OBO Catching-Up

I'm wearing out my excuse for not getting much done in the past month - that of being away from home - but I'm hard back at sewing now.

It's nice to renew my friendship with my Bernina. Up first was sewing past-due quilt blocks for the "One Block Over" (OBO in this blog title) bee. The February, 18-1/2" X 18-1/2" (unfinished) block I made for Michelle in California, challenged me because I nearly ran out of the Tula Pink "Parisville" fabric she supplied. I had to be creative, cutting and seaming some pieces to get strips long enough for foundation string-piecing.

These were scraps left after sewing and trimming Michelle's block.

Michelle's 18-1/2" X 18-1/2" Parisville block

While sewing Michelle's block, I had a sewing machine issue. I'll blame the machine for snatching up threads from a nearby, unused spool, and wrapping it around the fly wheel. After much mumbling, I managed to snip away all the choking threads. 

The March block, a 9-1/2" telephone book foundation pieced hexagon, was for Victoria in New York. It was a fun block to sew. For appliqueing the center circle, I found that a piece of lightweight paper behind the circle helped keep the stitches nice and flat.

I'm glad to have these off the to-do list, until April that is! How fun it will be to see these blocks sewn into quilt tops.