Threw in a Scrappy Carolina Chain block in as leader/enders

I threw in a Scrappy Carolina Chain block as leader/enders, between sewing other things.  This is the first block, made completely from scraps.  

When I am cleaning up from other projects, buying scrap bags, or getting donated scraps from others, I cut them up in usable sizes.  Usually 2" strips, 2" squares, 1 1/2" strips and 1 1/2" squares.  The pieces to make this block all come from 2" strips.  So while I am processing the scraps, I will usually have a couple of quilts I want to make in the near future and cut the units I need for them too, while the scraps are on the cutting table.  Cuts down on processing the strips a second time later.

I did another batch of samples and even pieced together the strips that make up a larger strip, to go through my daughter's quilt backing.  I only need to add the last black border to it to finish it off, and add it to the backing.  All of these strips also come from my drawer of 2" strips.  Having things cut up as you go makes it much faster to get things together and made up.

I would not have had to make this extra piece/spacer, if the manufacture had given us the 108" wide backing that the salvage says it is.  It was actually only 103" right off the bolt and once it was washed, shrunk down to only 96".  That is 12" short of what I thought I was getting.  

Good thing I noticed it before I loaded it onto the longarm.  Also, a good thing my daughter was willing to accept a pieces backing.

I've been so busy this month, that I haven't made as much progress on my February's American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge, as I would have liked.  Some progress is better than none, but would have preferred more.

I think I will keep this one out, even after they announce the quilt number for March.  This is the only one out of the twelve months, that is handwork.  The rest are all pieced or paper piecing.  I can work on the piecing work and make quick work of it to complete it in the month.  When I need a break or want to relax with some handwork, I can try and finish these three panels.

Hope everyone is keeping busy.  You know what they say....busy hands keeps you out of trouble.

A bunch more progress on To Grandmother's House We Go

I am still making some progress on my February's AP&Q UFO challenge quilt.  On Thursday I did the first house in the distance and started on what I assume is Grandmother's house.

On Friday, right after work, I sat at the machine and fished the rest of the blocks that make up the two rows.  Things were going so well, I had time to add the two sashings (top and bottom) to each row.

After dinner, in the evening before bed, I got a lot of Grandmother's house done.  I basically only have two windows to do and the shadows on the side of the house left to complete it.

Unfortunately, today Monday I am still sitting with the same amount complete.  I haven't been able to work on it these past couple of days.  Later today, after spending some time with my family, on this family day, maybe in the evening I can side and do more.

Happy Family day everyone.

Slowly moving along on my handwork

On Tuesday I had some time to sit and sew.  I had to finish some binding on some samples to take with me to my mom's place on the weekend.  She is going to help me get them done.  I put the binding on the one side by machine and she is going to tack them down by hand.

When I finished doing the binding, I still had a bit of time before bed.  I am not doing too well with my handwork.  It is a slow process and it does take time, but I will keep plugging away at it.

The stitches are tiny and the picture is intricate.  The last time I did handwork, I made it across the centre with a few lines representing the snowy field.  Now I am just getting started into the main part of the picture.  These are some bushes and trees.  Next time I sit and sew on this, I will be starting the buildings.

Though it is slow going, I am getting excited, because I am officially over half way done on this panel.

YAY!!

February's BOM by Whirls n Swirls are done

Well, I am getting a bit better.  At least this month it only took me until the middle of the month to get the blocks done, instead of like January, where it took me almost to the end of the month to do them.  Yay for me!

I am still determined to do all three styles of quilting. The more I learn and the faster the better.

February's block of the month is a friendship star.  This first picture is going to be for the traditional style of quilting.  January's block is the first block and beside it is February.

This next picture is going to be for the modern style of quilting.

This last picture is going to be for the freehand style of quilting.

As you can tell, I didn't get to the quilting part yet.  I had to finish up some samples first.  I have the backings pieced together to each other, to do them all in one pass.  This next weekend will be more renos at my mom's home, but the following week I have some time.  I hope to get to the quilting, or at least practicing the different motifs.

I will share the quilted blocks with you when I get them done.

A little more progress on February's AP&Q UFO challenge

We are almost at the middle of the month and I can tell already, that I am not going to finish this months UFO challenge quilt.  I am making progress though.  The picture below is starting to take shape.  I have the left hand side of this panel done and I am almost to the centre if it with the horizontal lines that represent the snow on the ground.

I've also worked on some of the blocks and cutting the stripes that go between the blocks and the panel.  Other than attaching the blocks together into the row, this row is complete.

Time permitting I will continue to work on this, though February for me has been fully booked, for the next three weekends, so the only time I have to possibly work on this is during the weekdays.

I am plugging away at it and enjoying the process, as there is no rush.  I'll keep you posted on how far I make it along.

Enjoy your weekend everyone, I will finish my tea and off I go.

Finished quilting the old maid's puzzle NICU quilt

I am still doing some odds and ends.  Nothing much to post about, so I thought I would share this cute little NICU quilt I finished back during the Christmas holidays.  These units were leftovers from a Drunkard's path quilt I am making.  I have all the blocks sorted into sets waiting to be assembled.

With the left overs, I was able to make this little NICU quilt with more units to spare.
  

I used this quilt to practice a new to me quilting pattern.  Not sure what it is called, but it reminds me of a lightbulb with clouds.  To quilt it, you start off with a paisley design, and you echo it.  After you've done this you would make loops like small written "e" all the way around the paisley, you echo that.  It looks a bit like a flower.  Hard to describe, but enlarge the picture and you will see what I mean.  It is not difficult to execute and makes for a nice all over design.

The colours are soft and the backing is the same as the border.  This little quilt is trimmed, binding made and sewn on by machine, now just waiting for me to tack down the binding by hand and add the label.  I seem to always stall at this stage.  I am hoping my UFO challenge list will help with is.

Finished quilting the circus panel quilt

This was a black and white panel, that was given to me by a friend, to make up for a charity quilt.  I felt the back and white was just not interesting enough.  So one night, I sat down with a big box of Crayola wax crayons and started to colour.

If you are going to do this, make sure that once you are done colouring, that you iron it, to melt the wax to the fabric.  You'll also want to make sure that you use a scrap piece of fabric between the crayon and your iron before you start to melt the wax.

It turned out nice.  I like it much better.  It's more cheerful.  After all it is for a child.  I quilted this during my Christmas holidays and just haven't had the time yet to trim it to size and put the binding on.  I am going to use a solid black for the binding to match the thick black lines of the pictures.  This quilt measures approx. 30" X 40" and I quilted it using a pantograph pattern called Nightlight.

   

I though I would also throw in this next picture of my progress on the embroidery for the quilt, To Grandmother's House We Go.  I did a fair amount on it this morning.  My eyes are not quite seeing straight after a full day on the computer for work, so I think I will call it done for today.

You'll have to excuse my shadow through the picture.  I didn't notice it until now, while I am writing up this post.  I have one more Christmas tree at the bottom left hand corner to do, and I will make my way to the middle of this panel to a house.

That will be for another day.

February's American Patchwork & Quilting UFO challenge

The February's American Patchwork & Quilting UFO challenge number is #9.  For me that is my To Grandmother's House We Go.   I've shown this one recently.  The pattern is from Crabapple Hill, called Over the River and Through the Woods.  It finishes at 51.5" X 57.5".

Since my last post, this is where I left off.  I started the bottom embroidery panel, in the left hand corner.  I felt I'd gotten a fair amount done at the time.  Though when I think about the fact, that what you see below, is approx. three evenings work.......maybe it isn't all that much.  I'm still proud.

I had put this project aside, as I had other deadlines, and I had to work on January's challenge too.  

While I worked on January's challenge, toward the end I would think about what the next number would be.  I thought of a lot of my UFOs, in turn, and what I would have to do to finish each of them, but the one I didn't think about was this one.  I don't know why, but I never even thought that this one may get chosen next.

When I opened up Facebook and saw that they announced the February's number was #9, I was kind of nervous to look at what my #9 was.  Well, imagine my surprise when I saw it was this one.

My original plans for this morning, of getting my blood work done and running around, getting errands done before work, didn't work out, as my car wouldn't start, so on to plan B.  But.....I didn't have a plan B.......so I figured, that was a good enough excuses to sit and stitch. Greatest stress reliever!

This is the progress I made in the one sitting.  I finished most of the branches for the trees in the corner.  It is looking great.  It is amazing the transformation.

Yesturday, when I first noticed the announcement, I pulled out my project box and took out the pieces.  During my breaks and my lunch from working my full time job, I assembled three main blocks and two flying geese blocks.  The picture below, shows what I have on my design.

Four of the inner sashings have been rouge cut, the blocks have been added and the panels that I traced, but didn't start yet are on the wall too.  As I work on things, they will get added to the wall, or assembled to each other.

The blocks themselves won't take long at all, but the handwork........well.......that is going to take some time.  A lot of time.  Handwork is always slow going.  I am not worried about getting this quilt done in February.  I don't want to rush it and forget about enjoying the process along the way.  So long as I get some progress on this, I will be happy.

I have a busy schedule for February..........we'll have to see just how far I can get.