UFO update

Happy to link up with Jo’s UFO challenge to report progress is being made on some UFOs. Specifically the 4 Patch Revisited has it’s first brown border attached.  Bonnie had done this as scrappy strips of all sorts of browns, I chose to go with a constant.
Mostly because I didn’t want to take the time to piece all those strips. This is called Sugar Dot and is old stash I’ve had around for several years. If I go back through the thrift store postings I probably would find that’s where it came from. ( yes from back in Jan 2014) There is still enough of it left ,I think ,for the next brown border. In the mean time, still sewing together the pieced checkerboard border.
And the second success story, the Irish Chain hand piecing project I was finishing for my Sister In Law, finished and ready to bind.






On this one I was only doing the outer red border. She was in full agreement with leaving the outer green border blank. I think I should stitch in  the ditch between the red and green to hold the batting in place, then on to the binding. Her mother had two strips of it already cut in the storage container but they are 3 inch strips. Not a size I’ve used for binding before, and measuring the remaining fabric, I’m not sure I would get enough 3 inch strips from it. So going to go with 2.5 inch, folded in half, sewn down and folded over, it will give a durable edge.
Now, do I dare machine sew between the borders ? Or should I go back to hand quilting it. That would be so tedious to have to keep moving the hoop but it would keep the authenticity of the quilt.

Monday Update

Here we are, it’s  Monday and time for another string challenge update.  And another week of no progress on the strings. Hardly any sewing this week at all, most of my time has been taken up with socializing either with family or others.  A big apology for my whiny post the other day, I meant to go back and erase it once I realized how petty it was but maybe I should leave it as a reminder to myself.  I wasn’t as upset about the fabric as I was about the people who had promised my son that they would come visit and then didn’t, even after repeatedly assuring him they were coming. Ranting about the fabric was a deflection, I was mad because some one was hurting my son’s feelings and I couldn’t do anything about it.

Back to the fabric, I did get a chance to nip downstairs yesterday and get it all ironed and folded in my preferred method.  And I figured out what I’m going to make with it. The idea to redo Pfefferneuse got tossed, then I considered Zuckerwatte . But flipping through String Fling looking for Zuckerwatte I passed by Talking Turkey. BINGO !
The only colours are red and neutral, this will use up a whole bunch of the reds.
Here they are all ironed, folded and labeled with size.



And then what to do with the blues, they are a great bunch and deserve their own project also.
The floral’s will go in Becky’s pattern, Elsa’s Garden although the blue and white floral is over 3 metres and could do something all by itself. The stack to the left are fat quarters, the indigo is a metre and the lighter blue is 2 metres.
So…Blue Skies
But first I have to finish something. Anything, just to have a finish, there are too many works in progress to dash off and start a new one . While I was in the sewing room yesterday, I got the first border cut for 4 Patch Revisited so that's a good place to start today.
First to link up with Jo:String Challenge

Drowning in fabric

and unable to sew a stitch.
My sister-in-law arrived Wednesday. This visit was the reason I was working so hard on the hand quilting project. I didn’t finish but got really close, only one side left in red border to mark and quilt. But it’s ok, she’s really not in a rush, as she has told me numerous times.  It did give me a chance to confer with her on the outer green border; quilting or no quilting. Her vote was don’t quilt just bind it off when I’m done with the red border. And we came to an agreement on the binding to use.  So very good outcome.

As a big bonus, she brought another load of fabric from her mother’s stash. Which I would dearly love to be sorting through, ironing,  and finding quilts to use them in. However, along with their visit, comes a string of dinners and social times. Which means, I can’t spread the new fabrics all over or sequester myself in the sewing room for hours.
It’s a real challenge.  But here’s some pictures of the fabrics I snapped as I was unpacking them.

Cat refused to let me get more pictures

  Blues

Blue/White floral

Various reds, much more vibrant ( bad light)

A lot of reds. In large size pieces, most at least a half yard, some even a yard. Off the top of my head I’m thinking another Pfefferneuse.  And a good many dark blues, as well as some florals. That blue and white piece might even be 3 yard. Oh, I so want to go iron these and look through patterns.
But we are waiting for company to show up, the house is cleaned, all fabrics tucked away from the main floor. 
Maybe I could just flip through a book or two…..

Strings ??

Well, they are still sitting in a heap, waiting for me to get back to them.  In the mean time, other projects continue to take precedence.  First and foremost, the curtains. I am halfway through,having completed 7 of the 15 required. The last 8 are kicking my butt. They all need to be the same length. Not just pairs, these will be hung in sets of four to cover wide windows. And rather than hang to the floor where a half inch plus or minus isn’t obvious, these are hanging at window sill height. Pressure much? Oh yeah.
I pulled out my cardboard layout helper finally to assist with lining up. Things might go a little easier now.
After getting this set up, hubby occupied the rest of my day with a visit to friends.
Once I get this posted I will get back to it. This is laid out on the dining room table and the light is best there in the daytime.
In between cutting curtains, I did some sewing on the 4patch revisited top. Enough that the centre section is assembled.
Next up, a brown border.  Bonnie did hers scrappy but I think I will take some of the browns I have pulled for Ringo Lake and find one of them with enough yardage.
As Leaders and Enders for webbing this, I was assembling bargello strips for the back of Checkered Past. It was an idea I had once I saw how long the top was. Using my UFO bargello in my Frankenquilt didn’t finish all of it. There was still a finished strip, several partial strips, and a whole lot of fabric cut for it. It is certainly a lot more work than just finding a couple big chunks of fabric but hopefully will clear out a whole container of 2.5 inch strips.
Enough computer time, back to the sewing while I still have light. But first to link up with Jo;String Challenge

Bucket List?

A random comment on a Facebook group yesterday set off a day long intense introspection.  Do I have a bucket list of quilts I want to do? Am I doing the quilts I want to make or just reacting to Mysteries and Quilt-A-Longs? What am I quilting for, my pleasure or fulfilling gift request/needs?
No clear answers yet but perhaps a clearer path of action.
I have a list of UFO, quilts I have started and not finished. That should be a priority. There is a lot invested in them by way of fabric, time and effort. A quick flip through my photo files pulled up 26 projects that need a finish. Some just need quilting, some borders,  others more piecing. So time to put some focus on these, before jumping into another.
There are certain quilts I have always wanted to do. Time to make a list of them and instead of participating in quilt a-longs do one of them.  I’m not sure I am ready to give up the mystery quilts but realistically I have hardly used any of the tops I’ve done in those. Most of them are still folded up in a plastic tote.
The  biggest reason for this soul searching is my retirement. I had to make a decision this week to either declare myself retired or go back to work. I haven’t been taking shifts all winter. My husband retired December first and I fell into staying home with him. Despite being classified as a casual employee, I was required to take a shift every three months and my time was up.
What this means in terms of quilting? Being more selective I guess. I have lots of fabric, tons of thread and even a good supply of batting. I should be able to keep myself amused for quite a while using it up.  I will be able to purchase more but until we see how things go as pensioners, time to be frugal and not jump at every sale.
This has been a very wordy post, time to think of a picture to illustrate this. So here’s a collage with a few of the UFOs I found and want to get done.

UFO update

Now that the retirement top is finished, I am working on a UFO. This one isn’t my UFO but another of the quilt tops that my Sister-In-Law asked me to finish for her. These were started by her late mother and the plan was for me to finish them so they could go to the grandkids. AKA my SIL’s daughters.
I finished one and gave it to her when they were here in October. The other one was hanging over my head all winter. The voice in the back of head kept reminding me that I needed to get it done but other projects keep pushing it down the priority list. Then my Brother-In-Law announced an impending visit and it jumped the queue.
The biggest reason I was putting this off ? Hand Quilting. This was 90% finished with an intense hand quilting, and I had promised to complete that.
And as per standard, once I stopped procrastinating and settled down to do it, not as bad as I thought. Two sides are now done, I turned the corner last night and am well on my way down the third. My big question now is what to do with the outside green border, and would it look too incomplete if I don’t do any quilting in it.
Well, lots of stitches to go before I have to reach my decision.
Now to link up with Jo's Country Junction


I almost forgot another UFO I've been picking away at, the Four Patch Revisited. It got webbed together just before we left on vacation and I've gotten 6 rows sew since coming back.

While working on this, I got to thinking about Jo's mission to finish every quilt in one of Bonnie's books . I can't remember just now which one she's working on but it inspired me to check out how many I had done in the book I had in front of me.  And it turns out I have a third of the quilts in Adventures with Leaders and Enders either in progress or finished. So... maybe I should make that a goal, finish all the quilts in one of Bonnie's books before I buy another one? Still thinking about it. One thing about hand quilting, lots of time to think.

BOM challenge update

I did get another block done of my Block of the Month challenge.  I worked on it before we went on vacation so had a head start.
It was pretty straight forward construction especially once I pulled out my Easy Angle and Companion Angle rulers.
I have another pattern pulled and will start working on it soon.
My focus for the recent week has been finishing the quilt I was doing for my hubby. I had intended it as his retirement present, but it wasn’t finished when he officially retired back in December. So then I thought I would give it to him on his birthday,which was this Tuesday.  I missed it by a day, and it was only the top but he was very pleased with it.
This is the pattern “Checkered Past” by Becky at Quilted Twins except, without the outer borders. I made a mistake and made too many of the shirt blocks, so I just stopped at the inner border. And see the pocket with the stain, that was actually one of his favorite shirts until I washed it with a pen in the pocket. Normally when making a quilt I would discard that piece, but seeing as it is for him I deliberately included it. ( I know it won’t run because I washed that shirt over and over trying to get the stain out) . There are several others, not as visible in the picture, that he was very pleased to see again.
Now I am working on the back for it.  But first I have to hem some curtains for my brother-in-law. I can’t believe I let him talked me into it.
Linking up with Jo for the BOM Challenge