A Winter Quilt and Two More Snow Friends

Snow Flurries quilt is trimmed, bound with hanging triangles. Thankfully, the weather on Wednesday was partly cloudy and Mr Busy was available to hold my quilt for me, so I could photograph it. 

 This one looks suprisingly like a photo I have of the unquilted top. But as you can see from the next photo the binding is done.  

It looks a little wavy, but it was just breezy and I had my quilt holder stretching up and over the fence top. 

Here is the back, showing the hanging triangles. And a peek at the blue sky and fluffy clouds. 

  There is a sparkly snowflake button holding down the bottom point of the triangle. Do you use these hanging triangles or do you sew a sleeve the whole width of the quilt?
And in the spirit of transparency here is the entire back with the inset white strips to make the backing big enough for my long armer.

Olie and Leena will be joining Sven on my wall next winter. I usually hang these small narrow hangings in the space near my front door. However now with 3 that sort of go together, I'll have to decide just where they will reside. I may have to hang them all in a row and leave them up from November through March or April!!!

I am participating in the APQ 2018 UFO Challenge. You can read about it at their website, All People Quilt.  My UFO for April was to complete SVEN.

He was done early, so I decided to finish his friends Olie and Leena for April.

This is what they looked like the 1st of April. I needed to spray baste the layers together, and really wanted to do it outside. But the weather just did not cooperate. It has been cold, snowy and windy. Sometimes just one of those, but lots of days all three!  Ugh!  So I bit the bullet, covered my cutting table, turned on a fan and sprayed them quickly in my sewing room. Then I set to work to buttonhole all the applique down and get the binding and hanging sleeves on them. And lastly, finish the button eyes, embroider the mouths and add the other embellishments.

Now, meet  Leena and Olie.

Leena has a crazy quilted stocking cap, button eyes and blue and purple fringe on her scarf.

 I may add to her bangs, but I will look at if for awhile before adding anymore stitches.


Olie's top hat has a greenery backed star and some holly leaf buttons, also two color fringe on his green scarf.

The pattern suggested that the leaves should be embroidered. I was not confident in my ability to free hand the leaves, so I raided my stash of vines and silk flowers and found some silk ivy leaves. I think they look fine.

So two or maybe three finishes for this Friday. I will link up with Crazy Mom Quilts, Finish It Up Friday and  Busy Hands Quilts, Finished or Not Friday.


Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Sunshine scrappy week one!

I worked on some scrappy slab blocks for April. I did not think I had much yellow, but when I started digging, I found quite a bit. Then add in the scraps from some fellow quilters and Voila!  I had a good assortment.

My blocks looked like this in the middle of the week.

I added a couple of rounds yesterday.....and I decided to join in with Carla's Blog Hop 30 Blocks in 30 Days!  I had the yellow out and I had almost enough yardage of some white on white pin dot. So I picked 2 blocks and cut and sewed.  The large block on the left is Chunky Pinwheel and the middle one is Topsy Turvy.

Funny story: I started to do the alternate method to the Staggered Block. I did not have the blog up on my laptop (it was upstairs) and I thought I had jotted down enough directions that I could do it. Ummm, not so much. When I cut the block at the 5 1/2 mark, I had one set of 5 1/2" strip and one that was only 5" .  So I went back to the blog and looked for a block that I could use the 5 1/2" side in another configuration. I found Topsy Turvy. I could take the strip of rectangle apart at one seam and add 2 5 1/2 " squares.  It worked. See the yellow with red dots! In the middle.  Where there is a will, there's a way!

My plan is to go back and make blocks 1-7 in the other colors of the RSC18. So I will make 2 blue, 3 purple, 2 or 3 lime green , 3 yellow and so on. I have a chart - sort of, so I can make all 30 blocks using the 10 colors in the Rainbow Challenge. I will probably add in a neutral and a dark( black or brown). I'll wait and see how they all play together.

I really needed an extra project/challenge  don't you think?!!!!!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

I'll be linking this post up to So Scrappy Saturday.

Spinning my wheels

It seems I have been spending lots of time in my sewing room. But nothing completed to show for it. Does that ever happen to you?

This week I finished the piecing on the 5 yard quilt I was working on last week. I added the pale gray 4 1/2 " borders and wanted to decide on the backing. I ordered a wide backing with these wonderful words several weeks ago, not knowing what I would do with it.

But when I finished this quilt for my daughter, I knew that this was the perfect backing. I laid it out and realized that because it was directional, I would have to order more of this fabric . So this week, I ordered more fabric. When it arrives, I will piece the backing and get it ready to go to the long arm quilter.

I got started on my April OMG . I trimmed the batting and backing and tried to square up this quilt. I am not sure what happened, but when I tried to trim it by squaring up the corners as I was taught, some of the edges were way narrow. I  knew it I trimmed them that way, the 1/4" seam allowance would not be sufficient when I attached the binding. I thought, I worried, I weighed different scenarios. I decided to add strips of fabric where needed. Luckily, I still had all the leftover fabric. I was able to cut some 1" strips and add them to the edges of the places it was too shallow. I did not take photos, but it worked. If you look carefully at this corner you will see a tiny sliver of matching fabric that was added to the edge. I wish I knew how to add arrows and such to my pictures!

Wednesday, I got the binding attached at a sew-in with friends. It really helped having 8' banquet tables to lay the bulk of the quilt on. I will continue to hand sew the binding to the back as I watch TV or Netflix or Amazon Prime....actually I worked on it Thursday while stitching with some other friends. We meet every Thursday to do hand sewing. Embroidery, binding, even some knitting or crocheting gets done, while we chat and chat and chat.

And I started on the Yellow or Gold slab blocks for the RSC18 challenge for April. These are in various stages of completion. My basket of yellow has plenty of pieces still in it.

And I cut the setting squares and triangles for Rick Rack Nines from Bonnie Hunter's book, Adventures in Leaders and Enders. Making scrappy nine patches has been my leader and ender project for the last 2 years. My design wall will not be big enough to hold all the blocks. This is the beginning of 8 rows. there are 15 rows. The quilt will be 102 x 102 with borders!

OOPS  the bottom right has too many scrappy squares!  Glad I took this photo!

I have started to put it together. I have the left bottom corner triangle sewed to the first row and the second diagonal row is added to that.
This could be a problem....already there is an error in the lay out! But at least I noticed it before it is sewn. This quilt is put together on the diagonal as you can see.  Bonnie suggests doing 1/2 to the diagonal middle and then the other half, then joining the long seam at the last. It will be a while. I have made a copy of the layout chart in the book, so I can have it close to me at the machine. There is a pattern.

I will be linking this post to Myra's Finished or Not Friday, at Busy Hands Quilts  and
Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

I know all of  these are not finished, but I will be done with the binding before Friday is over.

I have to get groceries today, go to the library and I have a hair appointment . I woke up to 3+ inches of snow AGAIN!  Blaaah!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

April OMG One Monthly Goal

Those of you who read my blog know that I have been working on this particular quilt for a loooong time. It  is a Crabapple Hill pattern, called Snow Flurries. It was a Stitchery Club project hosted by our local quilt store at the time. The owner of that store passed away in June of 2013, her daughter and husband tried to keep it open, but could not make it work. So The Quilt Nook closed in mid 2014. I think I have been working on it off and on since 2009!

This pattern has embroidery, regular piecing, paper piecing. Also included in the supplies was embroidery floss, beads and crayons. Finally all the embroidery was finished, the center was pieced. Then I tackled the large paper piecing border. This should have been easy. My friends all said, " it's a piece of cake!"  Not so for me.........I am not sure why, but I struggled. But I persevered!  Then the top was done. My friend Lynn offered to quilt it for me. Hers is done and I like the way she quilted her own.

Picture taken 7-22-17

I had purchased yardage for the back but had to add a strip of white to give it the extra 4" around that the long armer preferred. Then it sat for a bit. It was the holidays, every one was busy...you understand.

My lovely friend took the time to quilt two quilts recently for me. In between travelling to  Minneapolis to attend her young granddaughter baptism, (for which she had made a christening gown out of her own wedding dress),  buying a new house, selling their old house, and making 2 trips to ND to attend family gatherings. she is a "gem".

The binding is made.

 So my OMG for April is to trim the batting and extra backing, square it up and attach the binding by machine, then hand sew it down. I will add 3 triangular hanging sleeves to it also. I am sure I  will be hanging it , not using it on a bed. After the binding is on, it has to be beaded. But that is for another time!!!

I apologize for the indoor pictures. But I don't have a quilt holder available. And there is brown icky slush outside.  One of my projects this summer, is to get a photo spot set up. 

I'll be linking this with Elm Street Quilts  OMG  April Goal Setting Link Up.

I also will be linking this post to Super Mom No Cape Stitchery Monday  Here is a better close up of some of the embroidered snowflakes. Of course, these are without beads or glitter!

 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Chicks Challenge #1 Teal/Black 5 yard quilt

Almost, but not quite!

On March 18th, my local quilt group (Quilting Chicks) had our semi-monthly reveal day and die roll.
I showed the Space Ship Quilt and matching pillowcase that was my #6 challenge. Then Nickie rolled the die for the project that will be due/revealed in May.  She rolled #1.  My number one is a black and teal quilt that is to be ready for the quilter. It is fabric that I purchased in Sheridan, WY in May of 2016. It was still in the bag from the shop with the receipt.

I got the fabric out and the 5-yard pattern. I wondered if I could cut the large motif fabric to highlight the larger medallions. But because they are not quite far enough apart to do it in way that would not waste lots of fabric....I would need more yardage. The selvage was intact, so I hit the internet. Every site I checked was sold out of the large print. It is Isabella by WilmingtonPrints .  Some had small yardage of the coordinating fabric but not the one I needed.  So I cut as well as I could . I don't think it looks bad at all.

But note to self:  If you might want to fussy cut, be sure to buy 2x as much fabric as you think you need.

Then I wondered about the light gray I purchased for the center of the #2 blocks. So I cut fabric for 5 blocks and put it up on my design wall. I even cut some while on white from my stash for alternate frames for the focus block. I did not like the white at all.

Then I was really flummoxed. So I made a special post to only my quilting friends...and they weighed in. The majority of them like the black in the center instead of the light gray. (Sorry for the out of focus pic)

So I went with that.

I am liking it. This one will be for my daughter. She is not really into lots of flowers etc, so I think this will suit her.

Now the top is done, the inner teal borders are on. 

I am not sure about the gray print for the  4 1/2" outside border. 

How about the gray swirls. Does it look too light?  I thought of the black as the binding, but now I think is it too stark. I don't want to buy more fabric and most of this line is sold out on line anyway. I'll have to come up with something completely different for the binding.  Oh Boy!!!  I am frustrated!

Well, so here it is.   Finished or NOT!  I'll link up to Myra's Finished or Not Friday.  
and maybe Crazy Mom Quilts, Finish It Up Friday if her link up  is still open. When I checked just now at 8:15pm Friday, MDT the link up was already closed!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Oh My Heck! It's Spring, Mother Nature!

Did someone make you mad?

When I awoke this morning at 6:30am ( thanks to the cat!) , this greeted me.  It wasn't snowing then, traffic was moving slowly, the plows had not yet been by in our neighborhood.

 


Schools are closed today, but the City Government is open. Now 45 minutes later is it snowing again. One to three more inches is forecast.  I am anticipating a Snow Day/ Sew Day here.  I am working on a 5 yard quilt for a special person. My family is not aware of my blog and I do not think my friends have discovered it either. That is my decision.....so I don't think anyone will know if I show the progress here.

I did post these pictures on FB a few days ago to just my local quilting friends. Asking for advice about the color of the small center block in the teal/grey block.

Sorry this one is so "fuzzy".

The black centers won out!   Even Mr Busy preferred the black center. So I began. I finished cutting the fabric and spent several hours Saturday and Sunday afternoons piecing.

This is what it looks like this morning.

It is noon and still snowing off and on......but it's expected to be 40 tomorrow. It will be gone soon.

And I got this quilt back from the my quilter.  Snow Flurries need to be trimmed and bound. The binding is made and ready to be stitched on. This is always a big project for me.  I struggle with wrestling the mass of the quilt.  So it takes me awhile.

I supply the batting to my long arm quilter. So there is extra to trim off. It will be enough to make a baby quilt or maybe a table runner or two. I usually measure it, fold it and put it back in the original packaging, with a note of the size.  That way I remember is it cotton, wool, or 80/20 blend and I can tell of there is enough for a particular project.  How do you keep track of your batting extras?


Stay Busy and Stay Happy

OMG March 2018

March 2018, my One Monthly Goal was to complete 6 blocks for Covered in Love .   If you want to read more about that event, check out Kat and Cat Quilts and click the Covered in Love tab at the top of her page or scroll to the bottom of her March 15th post entitled Cuddly Cozy Patchwork Quilts
and click the link.

The current 2 month goal for that block drive is to make blue , any and all shades of  blue- one solid and one print, 12.5 inch Hunter Star  blocks.

I picked some blues from my stash.

Then I picked 3 different solids and 3 prints. I'll make 2 of each color combination.  The block is made from 1 large solid and 1 large print square and 8 each smaller half square triangle .

 After drawing diagonal lines on each of the lighter small squares, I sewed 1/4" on either side of the line.  Before pressing these open, I used my Quilt in a Day(no affiliation) square up ruler. I really really like this ruler. It makes squaring up HST's so easy.

I finished the 6  12.5" squares with no real trouble. ( I did have to unsew 2 blocks because I can't seem to follow a simple diagram and turned the hst upside down!)  Then  I laid them out to see how they looked all together.

I decided that I needed to make 8 blocks instead of just 6. I went back to my blue stash and made two more.  Eight blocks are done.

 I will be linking this post to the March OMG Finish Link Up at Elm Street Quilts

Stay Busy and Stay Happy