YesterYear Challenge

Today is the scheduled sewing day for those old projects that have been neglected and packed away.

Christine has set up a great monthly challenge to pull them out, dust them off & get them finished!

Here's how my day went:

I couldn't wait to get home from soccer today.

My plan was to get started on my Cinnamon & Nutmeg quilt as soon as I got back from soccer.

I cleaned the kitchen table off.

I got out my fabric strips.

I got my mat, rotary cutter & rulers.

I set the ironing board up in the kitchen & plugged in the iron.

I pulled out my notebook that has all of my instructions in it.

I was ready to go!

And then, I started reading...

I thought I would have to cut a few things before I started sewing...

But, NO!

I had to cut...

...and cut...

...and cut some more!

Four hours later,

I have cut:

40 large diamonds.

10 large half-diamonds.

20 large triangles.

93 sashing diamonds.

18 sashing triangles.

12 sashing half-diamonds.

And 50 of my 216 total sashing strips.

I guess I need to pay more attention to the instructions from now on.

Did you ever wonder why they always say: "Read all instructions before starting the project?"

Now I know!  

I think I knew it before, but I'm a slow learner.

Maybe this is why we often have so many unfinished projects laying around.

So, since I have 4 whole bobbins wound, I am going to get busy on Kerrington's quilt (which has been sorely neglected since soccer started).

I might even work a little on all those blocks that are cut but not assembled for my Sow Along with Randy.

Just heard the Whippoorwills!  

I love to listen to them at night!  

So glad they are back!

'Night, y'all!

WIP Wednesday...Sort of...

Well...

It's Wednesday.

I have several Works In Progress.

So, I am going to link up with Freshly Pieced  for their WIP Wednesday.

There are so many "irons in the fire" around here that I just don't know where to start.

I haven't actually managed to do much sewing/quilting but that doesn't mean I don't have any ongoing projects.

I have signed up to participate in several different blog activities.

First, I signed up for the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

 (I really need to learn how to put a button here!  Any help would be greatly appreciated!)

Then, I signed on to participate in the Red, White & Blue Blog Hop hosted by Jane & Madame Samm!

Here's a little peek at some of what I am tossing around...

 You'll have to come back in July to see what I finally decide to do!

I'm also signing up for May's YesterYear Challenge hosted by Christine over at Quilt Monster in my Closet.  You can join in...on May 5th, I will be working on my Cinnamon & Nutmeg quilt.  It's not really old, but I did start to collect the fabric in February 2009.

 And speaking of my favorite Quilt Monster, I won a table topper from Christine!  

During the Table Topper Blog Hop, I told her that my favorite of her table toppers was I Heart Love Notes!  

And her Mr. Fantastic chose me to be a winner! 

You can still hop over and see all of Christine's table toppers.  They are beautiful!

And Madame Samm has them all collected here.

I'm also getting my ugly fabric ready for the In the Bag Ugly Fabric Quilt Challenge.  I have been emailed my swap partner's information and I'm really excited to get our fabric swapped and start trying to figure out what to do with the new "uglies"!

You can visit my partner at her blog Kinda Quilty.

Well, the kids are begging for the computer so they can get their homework done, so I'm gonna be a good Mommy and let them get busy...

Have a good one!
         ~K

WIP Wednesday 4/18/2012

I will be linking up with Freshly Pieced for today's WIP Wednesday. 

I'm trying desperately to get back on track with my blogging. 

Today I will be cutting all of my Sow A Long blocks...I am Sow far behind right now...but we are going to fix that today!

I did manage to FINISH the Fun & Done!  

Updates on my other WIPs:


Morgan's Sampler (No Progress)

Kristi's T shirt Quilt (Progress!)  I have all of the shirts stabilized and cut into oddly sized squares.  Now to start shopping for fabric to put it all together. 

Kerrington's Quilt (Progress!)  The 4square blocks are pieced and trimmed.  The alternating 5" squares are cut.  And the first 5 rows are stitched. 

Craftsy BOM (minimal progress) I have the paper hexies cut out and about half of them basted.  They are in a small travel box that goes everywhere with me.  I also need a trip to the quilt shop for more background fabric.  *Happy! Happy!*  Love shopping for my Kansas Troubles stash!

Cinnamon & Nutmeg (No Progress)

Bags (3) (No Progress) Still trying to get the final finishing stitches in.

Table Runner-a hand quilting project (No Progress)  But I have been thinking about it a lot!
( I was going to put up a picture, but it appears that my computer has the protective pseudo-card stuck.  The last time this happened it took me a while to get it un-stuck.  Hopefully I can get it removed by tomorrow...)

Jelly Roll Jive-a hand quilting quilt-sized project (No Progress)

Pinwheels in my Garden (No Progress)

Guild Placemats (Not started)

Connecting Threads Perfect Points Class (did the first lesson...but then nothing)

FPPFTT (Progress!)  Finished the first lesson.  Printed the templates for the second lesson.

Scrappy Plates (No Progress) I do have all of my supplies, though.


I've got to get busy if I'm going to make any kind of progress on those Sow A Long blocks!


Have a good one!

                            ~K

WIP Wednesday 3.21.2012

It's Wednesday...and that means linking up at Freshly Pieced.

I haven't gotten much done this week (quilting-wise).  Like most everyone else, we are enjoying 80 degree days and lots of outdoor work that needs to be taken care of.

I've only managed to do a little work on my BOMs, but I did manage to get my Kindle Tutorial up...my biggest WIP is now a finished product.  

Check it out!  And leave me a link to pictures if you make any.  

I'd love to see how they turn out!

Here is the list of all my current WIPs (including the BOMs)

1. Cinnamon & Nutmeg  No Progress
2. Prairie Paisley HSTs  No Progress
3. Jelly Roll Jive  No Progress
4. Fun & Done  No Progress
5. Pinwheels in my Garden  No Progress
6. Morgan's Jelly Roll Sampler  Progress!  7 Blocks finished
7. Kristi's T Shirt quilt  No Progress
8. Craftsy BOM  Progress!  March blocks finished
9. Barrister's Blocks SAL  Progress!  2 more blocks finished (now I'm only about 12 blocks behind)
10. Hand-quilted Table Runner  No Progress  This one is getting added since it was just returned to me.  It was part of an Apprenticeship Projects Exhibit at my local university.
11. Kindle Sleeve Tutorial  FINISHED!!
NEW!  11. Kerrington's quilt  NEW!  Pressed, cut and waiting to be pieced

Enjoy the Day!!

WIP 2/29/2012

My big finish for this week is a Kindle sleeve.  I was just messing around with some scraps and had that wonderful Ah-ha moment that resulted in a lovely little sleeve for my beloved Kindle.

I have a Quilt Monster friend that is pushing encouraging me to do a tutorial, so I will be adding that to my WIP list.  Because this was not the intended final product, I have to try and remember just exactly how I got to this lovely little sleeve.


So, here's my update for the week:


1.  Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Progress!  All of my fabric is cut.  I can start sewing whenever I want.  This one is going to have some new techniques for me (cutting on an angle) and I always hesitate on new when I don't have another person standing right there to blame double check what I am doing.  It has been way too long...planning to start sewing this week.

2.  Prairie Paisley HSTs: No Progress

3.  Jelly Roll Jive: No Progress

4.  Fun & Done: No Progress, BUT I am committing to work on it every weekend.  This weekend it will be Saturday since the hubs is working OT.

5.  Pinwheels In My Garden: No Progress

6.  Jelly Roll Sampler:  Progress!  Blocks 1, 2 and 3 are completed.  Block 4 is cut and on the mini design board (I need to make some more of these).  Thanks! to Bee in my Bonnet.

7.  Kristi's T Shirt quilt: No Progress (I need to get more stabilizer.)

8.  Craftsy BOM:  No Progress (The new lesson should be up tomorrow.  I hope.  Foundation paper piecing.)


9.  Farmer's Wife: Progress!  I only made one block of the "Big Dipper" because I wasn't crazy about it.  I got out my stash and found some other fabrics to use.  I've chosen some blues, browns and golds for the next 3 blocks.  Plan to get those cut and pieced this weekend as well.

10.  Satchel for 2:  No Progress...on either one...I thought I would do some finishing on the first one while I was in Baltimore, but had so much fun with the hubs that I didn't get a single thing done.  The 2nd one is still waiting to be pieced.

And I found these little lovelies when I dug into my stash...not sure what to do with them yet.

Finally, here are a few pictures of how I was treated on my birthday...

My wonderful first born made this beautiful cake for me...

...and even decorated the batter...

...and yes.  That is a blow torch used to light ALL of the candles!

Linky Party!!

I almost forgot about Quilting by the River's Linky Party!

I would love to put the button right here on my post, but I'm afraid that I haven't made it that far in my understanding of the world of blogging...so, you will have to go to the button on my side bar or you can just click Quilting by the River.

I haven't created a special blog for this Linky, but please check out my posts from this past week.  I've managed to create a Kindle sleeve that I am just giddy about!  I have it on my to-do list to sketch out the details of this project.  I want to make one for everybody I know that has a Kindle.  I am so proud of myself! Of course, the fact that I was intending to make a mug rug is not important any more...

Today I am doing lots of cutting and not much else.  I have cut the 4th block for Morgan's Sampler and about half of my strips for Cinnamon & Nutmeg.  54 down, 44 to go.  After that, if there is time before the kiddos get home, I will cut the next 3 blocks for my Farmer's Wife.

As soon as I figure out how to post pictures from the cell phone, I will give you a peek at my birthday weekend in Baltimore.  We had a great time and came home to a lovely birthday cake (made & decorated by my No. 1 daughter!), several home made cards and pictures, a box of French Mints and some time with my sweet kids, Mom & Dad, my other Mother (MIL) & my niece and nephew.  What a great night!

Let me know if you prefer the larger print...my old eyes kinda like it better, but I will have to make an effort to remember to enlarge the text before I publish.

 

WIP Wednesday

The only finish I had this week was the Satchel for 2 bag that I made on Friday for FNSI.  Well, actually it isn't completely finished since I am taking it with me this weekend to stitch up as we travel.

Current Projects:

1.  Cinnamon & Nutmeg (No Progress, although I did get my sashing fabric picked up.)

2.  Leftover Prairie Paisley HSTs (No Progress)

3.  Jelly Roll Jive (No Progress)

4.  Fun & Done (No Progress)

5.  Pinwheels in my Garden (No Progress)

6.  Jelly Roll Sampler (Progress: Block 1 assembled.  Blocks 2 & 3 cut and on design board.)

Sampler Block 1

Sampler Block 2

7.  T Shirt quilt (Progress: Shirts washed and cut.)









8.  Craftsy BOM (Progress: Ripped stitches and re-assembled Balkan Puzzle block.)






 9.  Farmers Wife (NEW Linked to Randy's Sow-along.  Blocks 1 & 2 completed.  I am making 2 sets of these and maybe a third in batiks.)

10.  Satchel for 2 (NEW Cut 1 pocket, but couldn't seem to process the scrappy fabric with the pattern instructions.)

FNSI: Satchel for Two

I've nearly finished the Satchel for Two.  I just have to close the opening left for turning.

  

I started cutting fabric around 430 yesterday and sewed until the older kids came home from a late movie.  (They went to see Woman In Black and really liked it.)  They got home after 1130...so that means it took me approximately 7 hours to make this bag.

  

 While I was sewing this was going on in the kitchen...

 ...I just love this little guy!  It makes me so proud to see them reading on their own.

I also found another stash of small HSTs.  These are Fig Tree Quilts Urban Indigo fabrics and a really cool tomato red (that I can't find anywhere...dangit!)  I now have 3 boxes of small (about 1 1/2 inches) HSTs.  They don't really go well together, but I'm sure that in no time, I will have more.  I really like star patterns & pinwheel patterns  and both of those seem to contribute to my collections.

Well, I need to get off my duff and head out to the Quilt Shop...I need to get crackin' on this Cinnamon & Nutmeg!

WIP 2-15-2012

This is my first blog linking to WIP Wednesdays with Freshly Pieced (there is a button on the left sidebar).  I hope it works...

I am currently working on 4 active projects with a plethora of fabric collections waiting for inspiration to strike.  Here they are in order of "Why isn't this finished yet?" to "Will I ever get this done?"

 This bag needs the lining stitched closed and it will be finished.

This is the "Fun & Done" that I started in November 2011.

The "Fun & Done" has been modified at least 3 times now.  During the class, I decided to make it full size instead of the throw that it was designed for.  When I got it back out to work on last month, I decided that I would make 2 throw sizes for the twins.  I spent most of a day removing the 10th block from each of the five rows, which was not easy because of the way it was pieced together.  I figured that I needed two more rows to finish the first quilt and was happy at the thought of having one quilt completed.  Then Darren came home and he said he liked it too well to give it to the twins.  So, I am back to making it a "large" twin (it covers a full size bed)...but I refuse to try and add those five blocks back on!  So, it is about half way done.

This is my 2nd Jelly Roll Jive...I need to post pics of the first one...This one is basted and waiting for me to start the hand quilting.  I have not hand quilted anything so this is a pretty intimidating project for me.  It's ready...I'm not.

This is not a great picture, but I finished piecing this top in 2009.  It is a Kansas Troubles pattern called "Pinwheels in my Garden".  I used a KT jelly roll and yardage to make this one.  It is queen size and has some borders that are not visible in this picture.  I love this one and have backing fabric and everything...I just can't make up my mind on the quilting process.  I'd like to hand quilt it, but it would probably never get finished (...like I'm making progress on it now, as it sits in the bag...).  I'm afraid of the sticker shock if I ask for custom quilting, and I really don't want a standard stipple for it.

On Monday, I cut the center fabrics for my Cinnamon & Nutmeg quilt.  Yesterday, I stopped at the quilt shop and picked out the sashing and cornerstone fabrics.  I am excited to get going on this one since it has been sitting around the house for about 3 years.  I just love the colors!


Lots to do today...maybe I can squeeze a little quilting in before going to the grocery store...