Author Archives: Pam

I made my first quilted item as a visual aid for a math project in 7th grade. Over the next 25 years quilting was hit or miss, but quilting took over all the other crafts I've done in 2003.

January UFO Challenge Met – Part 2

January 30, 2011 11:07 pm ⋅ Pam

Over on my UFO Challenge 2011 tab I have two lists. The first list is for quilts I will consider “done” when they get to the “Top” stage. The second list is for quilt tops which will be considered “done” only when they are quilted and bound. Thus my announcement on January 25th that I had met this month’s challenge. I had finished UFO #6 off the first list.

Well, I’m happy to announce that I’ve finished Three Sisters’ Choice. As in quilted and bound.

After washing, where is scrunched up beautifully, it measures 53″ x 74″.

I hoped to have the quilt off the 2nd list to show tonight, but I rapidly ran out of time. My husband hung it so I could photograph it. There’s a pillow case to go with the quilt.

Check back tomorrow to see if I finish the second quilt.

Posted in: Charm Challenge, UFO Challenge 2011

Stash Report

January 30, 2011 12:10 pm ⋅ Pam

This was a really good week. I prepared the backing and binding for Three Sisters’ Choice and the backing for the Mystery Quilt and made a pillow case. So lots of fabric out. No fabric in for quilts, but I did purchase three yards of fabric to make some pajamas. Since it’s cotton and the extra fabric will end up in my stash, I’ve decided to count it in.

Fabric Added this Week: 3 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 5.25 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 7.29 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 14.267 yards

Net Stash for 2010: -9.017 yards

Check out other results by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

All Ready to Sandwich and Quilt

January 26, 2011 10:11 pm ⋅ Pam

I’m too tired tonight to sandwich the quilt, but I’ve prepped the backing, made the binding, found a piece of batting the right size and wound two bobbins. I see quilting (instead of piecing) in my future.

Posted in: Charm Challenge, UFO Challenge 2011

January 2011 UFO Challenge Met

January 25, 2011 12:48 am ⋅ Pam

Three Sisters’ Choice is now a top. It’s come along way from a pile of pieces with no design (or good name) in mind to this finished quilt top.

The name is derived from the fabric designer, Three Sisters, and the block, Sister’s Choice. I don’t see where I have any other choice but to call it Three Sisters’ Choice.

Earlier today I rooted around in my yardage boxes, and found 4 yards of a peach fabric which will make the perfect backing.

The fabric was originally intended to be either the framing or sashing around some 4-patch Stacked Posies blocks, but I used the 4-Patch fabric back in October or November to back the Row Quilt I gave my brother and his wife for Christmas. There is enough of the border fabric for binding and the cuff of a pillow case. All I have left of the rest of the fabric is 2 – 2″ strips WOF of the green and a pile of trimmings. I’m going to have to be inventive for the body of the pillowcase.

Posted in: Charm Challenge, UFO Challenge 2011

What’s on my Design Wall

January 24, 2011 6:30 am ⋅ Pam

This weekend I was on call for work, so I spent some quality time with my sewing machine and completed the center of my 2008 Charm Challenge quilt which is UFO #6 for Judy’s UFO Challenge. Now I’m working on the borders.

I had 13 1/2 inches of the green fabric and 7 inches of the peach. Needless to say my options were limited. I managed to mangle the math, but I think it’s going to be OK. The inner peach border will finish at 1/2 inch, the middle green border 1 inch and the outer border 3″. The finished size of the quilt will be about 54 x 76 — a smaller than the 60 x 85 I try to aim for.

Another evening or two, and I’ll have this quilt top finished and off my UFO list and on to my “to be quilted list”. I do hope that whatever # Judy draws next month, it’s something I can finish without much thought. #2 or #7 would be good numbers for February.

Check out what others are working on by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Charm Challenge, designwall, UFO Challenge 2011

Stash Report

January 22, 2011 11:42 pm ⋅ Pam

This past week the border fabric for my UFO#6 – Sister Choice blocks came in. Just in time so I can finish this quilt top, meeting January’s UFO goal. The purchased fabric was off set by the fabric I used in the mystery quilt. I’m about halfway through writing those instructions. That’s something else I need to get done by the end of the month so I have time to test them. Good thing there’s another weekend in this month.

Fabric Added this Week: 2 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 2.25 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 2.347 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 6.997 yards

Net Stash for 2010: -4.727 yards

Check out other results by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

Return of the Leaders/Enders

January 22, 2011 11:58 am ⋅ Pam

Or, how I solved two problems at once.

I’m a big fan of Bonnie Hunter and her Scrap User’s System. I really like Leaders & Enders. I’ve used these two systems to get rid of my scrap basket, waste less thread and make more quilt tops. I have one quirk (ok, many, but only one I want to talk about today) which I haven’t been able to overcome — I don’t like sewing leader/enders unless I know where the patches will end up. I haven’t been able to just make light/dark 4-patches and throw them in a box to be used in some quilt yet to be identified. As a result, when the new year started, I didn’t have any leader/enders sitting by my sewing machine when I started working on UFO #6.

Although I have a lengthy list of UFOs which are still in the piecing stage, there is nothing which mindlessly lends itself to Leaders & Enders. So, as I worked on my Sister Choice blocks for the UFO Challenge, I tried to keep the chain going. It wasn’t entirely successful, but I wasn’t clipping thread tails every 6 or 12 inches either.

Now I’m sewing the blocks together into rows.

There’s no getting around it, I’ve got thread tails much more frequently and it’s driving me crazy. I’ve got to find a Leader & Ender project.

I pulled out my 2″ Brick and Block box. It’s stuffed.

Look at all of these 2″ x 3 1/2″ bricks.

Next, I visited Quiltville.com to look for a pattern.

I found Fun with Bricks! It uses 2″ strips sewn together and subcut into 3 1/2″ squares. I’ll just sew two bricks together — and worry about the 3 1/2″ light square later.

So there is just one question left.

When do I count my Leader/Enders as a new start?

Posted in: Bonnie Hunter, Fun with Bricks, scraps

Mystery Quilt Top Done

January 20, 2011 11:27 pm ⋅ Pam

Just a peek. Over the last couple of nights I’ve been working on a baby quilt that I’m writing a pattern for. It will be the retreat mystery quilt in April, so I can’t show it until then. Now off to type up the instructions.

Posted in: 2011 Mystery Quilt

The Year of the PIGS – Question # 2

January 19, 2011 6:00 am ⋅ Pam

Jill’s Year of the PIGS Question #2 is:

Give some stats on your PIGS!

What is your oldest and how old is it?

Light Up The Holidays – a kit for a table topper that I purchased in October 2007. I think this is one of those “What was I thinking?” purchases. One of these days I’ll get it put together. It is not high on my priority list.

Do you have a list of your PIGS and is it current?

Yes. I have a spreadsheet which lists all of my UFOs/WIPs, PIGs, Quilt Tops, Purchases, and Fabric Usage. There are 11 PIGS on it.

Light Up the Holidays
Cotton Theory Table Runner
Maypole Charm Purse and wallet
Tulips baby quilt
Wildflower Serande Gallery of Stars
Cranberry Wishes Bag
Janelle Turning Twenty (or Crazy 8s)
KTS 4-Patch Stacked Posies
The Night Before Christmas
Magnolia Table Topper
Laurel Burch Christmas Wall Hanging

How many PIGS and UFOs do you have?

11 “true” PIGS – projects I haven’t started.

36 UFO/WIP – 9 of them are inherited, found at estate sales, or otherwise not started by me. Click HERE for the full listing. Pictures and more information about my three oldest UFOs can be found in this post.

39 Quilt Tops – only one of these was found at an estate sale. Click HERE for a listing with links to pictures of the tops. My oldest pieced quilt top waiting to be quilted was completed in September 2006. It is my Christmas Crazy 8. I have the backing and binding fabric, so it’s just a case of getting in gear and getting it quilted.

Posted in: PIGS, UFOs

The Blocks are Finished

January 18, 2011 10:58 pm ⋅ Pam

This will stay up until this weekend to let it simmer. I keep swapping blocks around to try and distribute the dark blocks and keep the 5/4 peach pattern. I really hope the dark border fabric I ordered doesn’t overwhelm it.

Posted in: Charm Challenge, UFO Challenge 2011