UFO link up

Whoop, whoop. I have an almost finish. Maybe that was too exuberant as it is still to be quilted.  I found out about a co-worker expecting while at work Friday ( I think I had known and forgotten). So Saturday I looked through my partially completed tops to find something that would finish up fast.  And there it was, one of Bonnie’s Streak of Sunshine free pattern tops I had done in a transportation theme. All it was missing were the borders. Surprisingly, given my previously slow border making, these went together quickly. Of course it is only a baby quilt and only needs one WOF for each side. Plus it had a theme  which simplified picking fabrics. And while checking it over, I realized it was missing boats so that make the final border choice simple. The darker blue interior border is a space-themed fabric which echoed the colours of the interior well.

The rest of the weekend was spent working on the En Provence mystery, so I didn't get back to this until yesterday.

This is me trying out the basement stairwell as a basting wall. It might work but I was leery of the pins I use scratching up the drywall. For the tryout I only used painters tape.
Fortunately, we are having incredibly mild weather this week, so I opened up my shed and used the basting wall I set up in there.  I was even able to work out there with no heater on and the doors open it is so mild.  Now I just have to get it quilted.
The hold up is an internal debate over the quilting pattern. I have used a diagonal line through the blocks on this pattern in the past and not been thrilled with it. Right now I'm thinking of  either doing an edge to edge squiggle or quilting a quarter inch away from the seams but can’t seem to make a choice. 
So while I’m thinking it over, I’ll link up with Jo over at the Country Junction and see what everyone else is doing.

Final Monday Link up

Oh my, I had such good intentions last weekend for my final link up. I spent all Sunday during Quiltcam getting my blocks finished. All 16 completed, ta da. That was such a great feeling.  I only had three incomplete and three partially incomplete to finish off. Then it was the last set of tri-recs to tidy up, done.  Now, if I could only get the sashing strips together.
And that’s were it still sits. Almost a whole week and no further forward. But it is the last night to link up so I must take a picture of what I have and be content with that. Although I am not content. But a hectic week and a possible case of food poisoning have hampered my efforts at getting more done.  So “no whinning”. It is what it is and possibly further along than last mystery, without further nattering here is is.
 
And now off to link up with Bonnie at Quiltville before it closes.

A few finishes

Most of my finishes lately have not been of quilts but I have been sewing and getting stuff done. Done is good. Quilts done would be better but there are other things that quilts to make.
First was a teapot cosy. This was a project from the group I joined at the village seniors centre. It is listed as a quilting group but so far the three days that I have attended (only meets monthly, the first Tuesday) the projects have been a wreath; a Santa pillow; and now the tea cozy. They did have a small bit of quilting on the last two. Here’s the cozy.

Another finish was a pair of placemats, using a novelty panoramic fabric that I had bought some time ago.


Then some new covers for the couch cushions. My sister sent me a book on ideas for making things out of shirts and also sent a Facebook link to making these covers. The book and link used both the front and back of the shirts but I had a bunch of fronts that I had saved to make aprons. So I pulled them out and paired them with some of my big novelty nautical fabrics. 
The credit for my increased productivity would be the new sewing area in the basement.  I’ve gotten two of my machines set up down there. I was just focusing on getting the Janome in place but then while doing the tea cozy, I realized that I need another machine often if I have the Janome set up for quilting, or binding. So I rearranged things so I could set up my Featherweight in her card table.

 The ironing board is behind me which means getting up to go iron but that can be a good thing.


Still some work to do on making it an efficient sewing room but it already is proving it's worth it. Most important now  is getting my design wall back up. It is scheduled for a repair as  the grommets on each end tore out while it was hanging in my bedroom. 
Now off to see if I can get some actual UFOs done. There being no shortage of UFOs in stock down there. And to link up with Jo over at the Country Junction