Weekend Finds

It was a rainy cold weekend and I decided to stay home.  I continued to work on my strip donation quilts.  Two have been delivered and three more (the ones on the right) are ready.  The three on the left have batting and the backing and quilting is happening soon.  My goal was to have these done in 2 months.  I'm on track.  Find the story about these quilts HERE.

In addition, I bravely opened my tub full of UFO's.  I really hate to have UFO's so I attempt to finish everything I start because if they go into the UFO tub, they may never see the light of day again.  I wrote a post about this a couple of years ago HERE.  So, I am committed to finishing these projects.  Hold me accountable please.

#1  I think this is a quick finish

#2  One of the three patterns from Wildfire Designs on my list.

#3  I started this about 15 years ago.  I keep putting it off.  I really like the pattern and I still like the fabrics so.... I'll try to finish the top.

#4  A quilting project

#5 I took the class for this lovely at the 2018 Road To California Quilt Show.  I really love it and would like to finish it, the top and the quilting. 

 #6  Another Wildfire Designs Pattern.  

#7 A wall quilt from Wildfire Designs.

# 8  I only finished 8 Splendid Sampler blocks.  I need to figure out what to do with them.

I'm giving my self 6 months but I give myself permission to extend the goal date.  

Linking to: Design Wall Monday,  Linky Tuesday, Let's Be Social, Midweek Makers, NTT,

Donation Quilt #1

Earlier this month I posted a process for making your strips equal 1600 inches for making a 1600 quilt from scraps.  You can find that process HERE.  I've pieced, quilted and bound the first one and handed it over to my daughter Helen, who is the manager of our Long Term Care facility.  I have 8 more to go.  

Just a note, yes she is old enough.  She has a very youthful appearance.  Both of her little munchkins were hiding behind the quilt when the picture was taken.

Linking to: Oh Scrap,  Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, WOW, Let's Be Social, Midweek Makers, Brag About Your Beauties,

November OMG

If you've paid any attention to my blog, you may have noticed that I have really old quilts sitting in my UFO box.  The OMG challenge has motivated me to get them out and finish them.  The latest find is a quilt I started about 8 years ago.  Kim Diehl visited our town and taught a couple of classes from her book, "Simple Traditions."  Kim Diehl has a great technique for machine appliqué so the quilt projects in her book can go pretty quickly. This UFO is a quilt I made from the book after I took the class.  I had the idea to add a lovely appliquéd border and so this top sat for a very long time while I thought about the border and then forgot about the quilt altogether.  When I pulled it out, I decided that if the quilt was going to ever be done, it just had to be quilted without a border.  If the appliqué hadn't happened for 8 years, it most likely never would.  

I started the quilting about 6 months ago but this is as far as I've gotten.  You can see by the lines in the right of the quilt, I started another pattern that I didn't really like, so I tore it out.

November is a busy month so we will see if this one gets done.

Linking to:  Oh Scrap, OMG, MCM, Monday Making, Scraptastic Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop 

Jelly Roll Fun

I am working on my first OMG challenge.  It's a challenge for me because I have to get the thing done.  Find the quilt HERE.  After putting together all of the blocks, this is what I had left.  There isn't enough to make another row, so I guess it's time to put a border on the thing.  I don't have a lot to work with, but let's see what I can do.

I played with these fabrics and was able to put together a little border and am ready to start quilting.  

I was digging in the dark corners of my fabric stash, looking for just the right fabric for a backing for the pansy quilt, when I found this sweet little jelly roll.

I haven't made a jelly roll quilt for a long time and I wanted to cut it up right away and start sewing but I wasn't quilt sure what to make.  I was browsing my favorite quilt blogs to get an idea and came across Katy Quilts post, Finish It Up Friday-Twist and thought, "That's what I want to do!"  

I cut some strips and started sewing, because that's how I do things-no pesky paper and pencil for planning.  Sometimes things even turn out.  

When I sewed the block together I realized I hadn't quilt figured out how to make the block, which is usually the case.  I grabbed my seam ripper, but stopped.  I decided that I would just leave the block as it was and move forward.  I'm not sure what the finished quilt will look like but here goes.

Notice the sweet berry print on the white fabric.  It's perfect for this project.

Honestly, I've never seen a bad jelly roll pattern so whatever happens is good, right.

Linking to:  Oh Scrap,  MCM, Monday Making,  Sew Cute Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Finished or Bit Friday, Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop, Show Off Saturday Let's Bee Social, 

Quilt Finish

       Where does the time go?  Almost exactly a year ago, actually a little more than that, I published a post about the set up of my new John Flynn Quilt Frame, using this quilt as a sample.  Find the post HERE.  I FINALLY finished the quilt, binding and all.  I have to admit, I didn't complete the quilting on the frame.  I found it to be too cumbersome and limiting.  I was a little disappointed because it was a spendy item.  I probably won't use it again.  The frame is good, and may work well for some, but it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.  Quilting is not my favorite thing to do anyway.  I am a 'get er done" quilter.  Stippling and straight row (walking foot) quilting are my friends.  Maybe I expected the John Flynn Frame to make me a better quilter.  I don't think it works that way anymore than buying more organizing supplies makes your space more organized.  Sigh....

Linking to: Oh Scrap, MCM, Moving Forward Monday,  Sew Cute Tuesday, Linky Tuesday,  Midweek Makers, NTT, Whoomp There It Is, Show Off Saturday, 

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Strip Your Stash Quilt

Last week in a moment of boredom, I went to Craftsy , to see if there was a quilting class that might interest me.  I ended up on the 'Sale' page and found the perfect class, Strip Your Stash with Nancy Smith.  I have so many scraps, and many I've already cut into 2-1/2" strips.  I generally do the 1600' technique to make sheets of fabric to use as backing for wall hangings or backgrounds for appliqué quilts.  I've also made aprons out of pretty batik strip sheets.  Nancy Smith's class offered a different technique for making sheets of fabric from strips.

I thought it would be fun and it was.  Nancy is very thorough in her explanation of the techniques she teaches.  She also explained one interesting strategy for picking out fabrics for strips.

Her strip technique uses 2-1/2" strips, and it also uses 3-1/2" and 1-1/2" strips.  I had some fat 8th's left over from a quilt I made a couple of years ago.  Rather than use Nancy's strategy for picking out strip fabric, I decided to try to match these focal fabrics.  I found these fabrics at Kapaia Stitchery in Lihue on the island of Kauai about 5 years ago.  If you ever go to Lihue, you must stop in this shop.  There are lots and lots of fun Hawaiian fabrics.

I rummaged through my scrap fabrics and found some fabrics to use with the Hawaiian prints.

 I ended up with this long sheet of fabric.  It's pretty lopsided isn't it.  I think next time I will use my walking foot for the entire process.

 I cut the sheet into strips and auditioned them on background fabrics.  I liked this tan color the best.

I sewed the strips to the background strips. 

And put a border around it.  

 Again, I will use my walking foot next time.  I think this top is a little dull yet but I bet with quilting, this could be a nice looking quilt.  Nancy Smith gives great directions for 4 different quilts made from these strips.  This is not one of them.  The class was really fun and I recommend it for anyone who has scraps to burn....and what quilter doesn't.

Linking To:
Fabric Tuesday Linky Tuesday WIP Wednesday Let's Bee Social I Quilt Needle and Thread Thursday  Can I Get A Whoop Whoop No Rules Weekend Blog Party Fabric Frenzy Friday #28 Sew Darn Crafty Scraptastic Tuesday