Last post of 2012

Good bye 2012 and hello 2013 in less than a few hours. I hope you will be a better year for me. I just finished an UFO and now to rearrange the sewing room.

Design Wall Monday

I was able to finish the pink quilt this past week. As it's a gift it felt good to get done. The only other thing to get done for Christmas is a scarf and need to getting working on it. I feel ahead of the curve of gifts to make. Since I have some UFO's that need to be finished, I decided that I need to finish them before I would allow myself to start something new. My goal was to start in January but I'm jumping the gun and pulled out a mystery Block of the Month from 2011. I did it with four other friends and we were suppose to work on it together. As they keep stalling I called and said we need to get this done. I finally said I'm going to get my done and when they decided to work on theirs I'll help. They were okay with that. Well last night the blocks were put on the design wall and once I played with them I enough to make a way I was pleased with. I added the setting triangles and started sewing the rows. I found it interesting that they had you cut the setting triangles big but didn't tell you. As the store is out of business there is no one to call and ask.

Design Wall Monday

Still the same quilt top on my design wall but it's now about half way done. I am right on schedule to have it done by the first of December. I just love how it's coming out.

What's on my needles?

This is my first post for this subject. Last year I saw someone making this scarf for a gift. As my sister and brother-in-law are huge SF Giants fan I decided to make one for my sister. As I felt the scarf came out to wide I decided to make them both one. It's easy to do and should be able to make them both by Christmas. I am using Cascade 220 and when done the scarf will have fringe.

I actually have more done on the scarf but no new pictures.

Design Wall Monday

I have been working on a quilt for a friend's daughter who is 7 and loves pink. I forgot to take pictures along the way like I like to do. So today remembering it's DWM, I took pictures. I have not counted the total different picks but I'm thinking close to 35-40. Plus there will be close to 500 2 inch squares of while when all is said and done This picture is all the extra squares that have been cut waiting to go into another quilt.

This picture is progress being made. Some times I get working on it and can not stop making the 9 patches. I have a system of doing this so it's actually going pretty quickly.

This is what it currently looks like. I am trying to do a row or two a day. If I get more done the better.

Design Wall Monday

It's only a few weeks later and a new block is on my design wall. I am still plugging along on two of the projects from last post but I did take a class this past Friday. The class was taught by Linda Ballard and it's her Now You See It, Now You Don't pattern. I want to work on it but really need to finish up a few other things first plus they are closer to being done than have only one block completed. I can get them off the list that way too. I also need to use my design wall and it's covered with other projects. As always I enjoy taking a class from Linda.

Design Wall Monday

Okay I realize it's Tuesday but I was busy yesterday and didn't get this posted. I've been working on class samples and trying to get a top done I started a while ago. Progress has been made on my Nine Patch and Snowball and the Disappearing Nine Patch. The Class sample is done and to the quilt store.

The one on the left are the first 4 rows of the nine patch and snow ball, the middle one is 3 blocks sewn together of the disappearing 9 patch and the next one is a start of another disappearing 9 patch sewn as a class sample.




This is the finished product of the class sample. It's done with a charm pack and 1 yard of dimples.

Design Wall Monday

I have decided I really need to spend time in my sewing room if I every want to finish something. What a concept huh? I thought the sewing elves would help me out but I was wrong. In trying to figure out something new to teach, I decided to do a disappearing nice patch. If all goes well were will be 30 blocks. So far I have 28 cut out but I might be able to get 2 more out of the scraps.

This is the nine patch block all sewn together.



This is after it was cut in half both vertically and horizontally then resewn together.



Well back to sewing I go.

Design Wall Monday

I actually have something to post. While it looks like the top I posted several weeks ago, it's not. That top is finished and was sent to it's new home where my cousin is loving it. Even though scrap quilts are hard for me I decided to make another one. This one has purple in it where the last one did not. A friend was cleaning out her stash and gave me some maroon fabric and I will piece it for the back.

Design Wall Monday on Sunday

Very long time no blog posts. I haven't had anything to post plus I was in a slump of quilting do to shoulder problems. I finally had a reason to sew again. A relative was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. I know she will be okay but it still hit me hard. I decided to make her a quilt as quilters do. I called my friend and quilting buddy, Kerstin to ask her advise on what to make that was quick but nice. She had just made a quilt for her daughter's friend who was getting married. This is the quilt that has inspired me. I knew the colors would be perfect plus I liked the pattern. It's not easy for me to cut so she offered her scraps and to bring my fabric and she would cut it out. I love the look of scrap quilts but it's hard for me to make them but I did it. I just kept telling myself I can do it. The top is now done, again thanks Kerstin and waiting for her to quilt it this week.

Design Wall Monday

This pass weekend I taught the Lil' Twister class at my local quilt store. It was the first class of the year for me and I had nine students sign up. The best part everyone showed and enjoyed it. For one person taking the class it was her first quilt class. I told her I was honored as I was.

I had a a charm pack of Valentine looking fabric so I made yet another example. I do not need it I ask my quilting friend to quilt it so we donate it to your guild's monthly mini. These are pictures of the various stages of the top being made. I can not believe I forgot to take a picture of the top completed. I will have to make sure I ask my friend to take one and then again after it's quilted.

Stash Busting Report

It's that time of the week to report how the stash busting is going. Mini group was at my house this week, one person was making something out of western fabric. As it was scrappy, I offered her my western scraps as I knew I'd never need them. She took them and other pieces I offered her. I figured between what I gave her and another friend I am 1 yard less in my stash. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I did pull fabric from my next project but can not count it as it's not been cut out. That's when I count it.

Used this Week: 1 yards
Used year to Date: 59.25 yards
Added this Week: 3.75 yards
Added Year to Date: 5.75 yards
Net Used for 2012: 53.75 yards

Design Wall Monday

This is one of my first quilts I made over 10 years ago. It is on my design wall so I could take a picture of if. I was the newsletter editor for my old quilt guild and this was a mystery quilt I'd put in the newsletter. I did it a few months before and after the renewal of dues so if someone one wanted to finish the quilt they needed to renew their dues. Not sure if it worked or not.



As I did not report my Stash Busting yesterday, I thought I'd combine the two. More for my records than anything else. Still going down.

Used this Week: 6.25 yards
Used year to Date: 58.25 yards
Added this Week: 3.75 yards
Added Year to Date: 5.75 yards
Net Used for 2012: 52.75 yards

Design Wall Monday

Several years ago President Obama for this to be a day of service in honor of Martin Luther King's birthday. I spent today with 3 other friends working on quilts for a local children's shelter. It was a team effort as I ironed, one cut out and still another sewed and the fourth person sew on labels of already completed quilts that will be donated next month. A total of 15 tops were cut out using Mary Johnson's Quick Strippie pattern she has so graciously posted on her website as a free pattern. One top got completed and two more were started.



This is only some of the fabric that was cut up for the tops.

Stash Busting Report

Still doing good. Gave a friend 5 yards of Halloween fabric I just didn't want plus 4 yards for Christmas from my stash. Next week might be different as I was a quilt store today and got fabric for a back that was on sale and matched the front of the quilt.

Used this Week: 9 yards
Used year to Date: 52 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 2 yards
Net Used for 2012: 50 yards

Stash Report

So far so good. I pulled lots of fabric to be used next Monday for our day of service a group of us will be doing. As it is no longer in my stash I am counting it this week. I also did a class sample for an upcoming class at the end of the month. I actually have a sample in the store and this is just showing using yet different fabrics. I did add 2 yards but with what I pulled out of my stash I am doing so good.

Used this Week: 43 yards
Used year to Date: 43 yards
Added this Week: 2 yards
Added Year to Date: 2 yards
Net Used for 2012: 41 yards

First post of the year

New year new quilting goals. My main goal is to reduce my stash yet more this year. Last year I started to keep track but fell off the wagon for some reason. I have more fabric that I will ever use plus I keep seeing new stuff I want. I did go into a fabric store today for a zipper and walked out with the zipper and no fabric. Very proud of myself.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: 0 yards