Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

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.

Letting Go

January 3, 2021 8:37 pm ⋅

I found two more UFOs that I’m letting go of.  The top is a set swap of blocks passed to me 12 years ago. I’m giving them to my sister.

The second set of blocks are from a BOM my mother and I participated in back in 2004.  When she died, my sister was not quilting, so I got all of the quilting related stuff from her sewing room. My intention was to finish this quilt and give it to one of siblings. Now that my sister is quilting I’m giving it to her to finish.

Although  I cannot count any of the projects  I’m giving away as finishes, I can remove them from my personal count. I essentially divide my projects into 3 categories: Tops to Be Quilted – which includes those tops quilted, but not bound; Works in Progress (WIP) – which includes those tops I’m doing quilt as you go; and Projects in Grocery Sacks (PiGS) – which includes things like sweatshirts, bags and a couple of stacks of fabric searching for a pattern.

So, the count as of January 3rd, 2021 is as follows:

  • PiGS: 25
  • WIPs: 38
  • TBQ: 23

Yes, that’s 86 projects.  My goal for this year is to reduce that number.

  • 350 Challenge = 15
  • Easy Breezy = 92

 

 

Posted in: UFOs

Sorting Through the Quilt Tops

January 2, 2021 1:38 pm ⋅

This morning I started working on the piles of fabric stuffed here and there.  So it follows that I pulled out all of my quilt tops, right?

It all started with me trying to answer the question, where can I put these backings.  The green at the top left I purchased this past summer with no idea what I’m going to use it for. But at 75% off you don’t worry about things like that.  The blue floral next to it I purchased for Shimmer, which is still in pieces. The peach is the left over wide backing. There are also several other leftover pieces.  They are just too big for me to put them into the scrap users system, but the really can’t live here. On the right is my Wonky Broken Dishes and backing. That needs to be one of my next quilts that I quilt, so I left it out.

I’ve sorted and reorganized my quilt tops.  This box contains completed tops and the backing fabric. I’ll have to make the backings, but I won’t have to worry about it being used for something else before I get that far. 10 Tops.

The second box contains this pile.  On the left 2 Quilts with their wide backings, a pillow top sandwich that I’m machine quilting, 2 vintage tops, nearly cut off is Baubles and Beads. It’s backing is either in the project box or wrapped on a bolt on the other shelf.  I’m not sure if I’m going to use the background fabric or the plaid that I bought for Atomic Starburst.  The right pile is backing which is not matched up to a top.  I just remembered I have the backing I originally bought for the RWB Wonky Broken Dishes that I need to put in this box.

In these boxes I found some Sunbonnet Sues which were given to me. I’m passing those along to my Guild.

There was also this partial “backing”. This was the left over backing to Eeyore.  As it currently measures 44 x 70, I think adding a more inches to the width and I’ll have a new quilt top.

Finally, I’m taking this quilt center off my list of UFOs by passing it along to a fellow Guild Member.  It was passed along to me in 2009. The blocks were from a block swap if I remember correctly. It’s just not me.

Now, to get the binding on the quilt.

 

Posted in: Final Countdown, UFOs

Quilting in 2021

January 1, 2021 11:39 pm ⋅

The first day of 2021 saw me assembling 1/4 of the wedding quilt I’m working on, piecing 4 sampler blocks and completing 3 Easy Breezy blocks as my leader/ender project.

As for my quilting plans for 2021, as with years in the past, I’d like to cross a few quilts off my UFO list. With 40 quilts in progress, 20 tops needing to be quilted, and 1 which needs to be bound, I could work on a different quilt each week and still have a few left over.

As for challenges, I think I will participate in Prairie Moon Quilts 350 Blocks Project. The 2020 challenge is wrapping up and the 2021 challenge will begin mid-month, but our block count begins today.   I’ll try to remember to put the tally’s at the bottom of my posts.

Tomorrow I think I’ll tackle that binding that I picked out for my 3rd Task.

Edited:  I was looking for some challenges and this morning (Saturday) I found Finished (or Not) Friday at Alycia Quilts. So, I’m linking this post.

350 Challenge = 15

Easy Breezy = 92

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Leaders & Enders, Ruby's Sampler, wonky dishes

2020 Final Countdown, Task Three

January 1, 2021 2:04 am ⋅

The 3rd task of the Challenge is Take stock/organize/deal with unfinished projects.

I’ve kept a spreadsheet of my projects for the last 12 years.  The thought was the numbers would go down.  And I suppose they have to a certain extent. Today I updated the Tops to be Quilted and Quilts in Progress tabs. But I don’t think that’s really what Shelly had in mind.

As I was comparing the spreadsheet to the blog, I found 1 or 2 projects, I’m going to pass on to my sister, and a couple I’m going to pass to one of my Guilds – when we are able to meet in person again.  But the most tangible thing I’m going to tackle is getting the binding on this quilt.  I quilted it in October, so it’s time.  Check back in the next few days to see if I get it done.

Easy Breezy = 89

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Final Countdown, Moda U

The Final Countdown, Task Two

January 1, 2021 1:12 am ⋅

Task Two  of the Final Countdown is clean up the fabric storage and stray fabric piles. So why didn’t I post this on Wednesday?  Because I was trying to decide which pile to tackle.  I have 4.

Up first, primarily large backings loose on the fabric shelves.  They really don’t have a home, which is why they are on top of the boxes.  But those boxes are full after my buying spree when a LQS went out of business this summer. The boxes themselves are in pretty good order since I misplaced a piece of fabric after that buying spree cleaning up.  All the boxes were emptied and the fabric refolded and sorted.  I think all that is left to refold is the KTQ box and the 30’s reproduction box, but given they have their own boxes, there is no hurry to do that. As for the backings, maybe in the box of tops even though they don’t have tops yet?

Another obvious choice is the longarm.  In the foreground is a bag of scraps which will be given to a Guild Member who makes them into pet beds for the local shelter. The bag of brights contains the fabric and blocks for the Mississippi Quilt Association BOM I’m doing.  There are 2 more blocks to go. I suspect that bag will just get moved around the room to get it out of the way until the top is done. The KTQ fabrics will shipped off to my SIL for a BOM as soon as I have the first set of pattern written up. With any luck that will be next week. Looks like there are a couple of Christmas fabrics which I might be able to squeeze into the Christmas box. The pile of batiks is for one of the quilts I’m currently working on.  It will get moved around until the top is finished.

What I really needed was a challenge to clear my sewing table. There’s another backing, parts and pieces of a quilt top I finished, some of the blocks for the batik quilt, and way under there is the leftover fabric from Frolic that I’m going to use to make the backing wider. It’s been sitting there for months.

 

Of course, what really needs work is the area in “the hole”.  I’m not sure I can even identify what all is in those piles from the picture.

 

I think we have until January 7th to complete our tasks, so maybe I’ll make the most of this 3 day weekend and knock a few of these piles back into submission. Look for an update next week.

 

Easy Breezy = 89

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Final Countdown

2020 Final Countdown, Task One

December 29, 2020 7:18 pm ⋅

 

Shelly over at Prairie Moon Quilts has hosted the Final Countdown for many years. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve participated, but I thought I’d try it again. Maybe I will be the catalyst I need to start documenting my quilting again.

Task one – Clear off your main work surface. Yes, that is a current picture.  I had a head start since part of my Christmas was a new cutting mat.

As you can see, it wasn’t too bad. The box was put back on the shelf, the bag of pieces slipped into the drawer, the rulers put away, and the pipe cleaners & snips put in a box with the rest of the wreath supplies I’ve purchased over the weekend.

This is the wreath I made this morning.  I have stuff for Mardi Gras and Easter wreaths as well.

Now the next step is to finish this section of the wedding quilt. Then it will be on to making more HSTs.

Easy Breezy = 86

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Final Countdown, Mesh Wreaths, Quilts, Wedding Quilt

A New Month, A New Quilt

December 1, 2020 10:46 pm ⋅

What’s another project when you have more projects in progress than you can count on your fingers and toes? I’m a member of the Mississippi Quilt Association and they are doing a Quilt-A-Long since every meeting this year has been canceled. It’s a simple 12 block beginner sampler, and the hope is many of them will be shown at the June Gathering next year.

Earlier tonight I was reminded I elected to participate and decided I needed to get in gear.  The first 4 blocks were sent out last week. Given that I tend to go scrappy, and that I doubt I could round up enough fabric from my stash to use 3 or 4 fabrics through out the quilt, I started looking for the border to base my color choices on.  I found the stripe in the center of the picture above. This is the second time I pulled this fabric to use as a border. Maybe this time I’ll actually use it. I’ll use the bright white as my background fabric.

 

The first block is Uneven Nine-Patch.

Work on the #mqaquiltalong is not preventing me from working on the lavender and seafoam quilt.

Progress is being made. 1/4 of a gazillion HST are sewn into Broken Dish units, 1/4 of a gazillion HST are cut and ready to sew.

Easy Breezy = 83

Posted in: Uncategorized

The Quilt Top is Complete

November 27, 2020 12:13 pm ⋅

Yesterday morning I hung up 1/2 of the quilt top on my shelves and spotted one broken dish unit turned. Fortunately it was on the first row and easy to fix.  When I took it down and hung up the second half and also discovered a turned block, this time on the last row. Now that the top is complete I can contemplate the quilting while I work on the batik version of this quilt.

But first a reminder.  Make notes, especially when you aren’t planning on cutting into the fabric immediately. Last month my sister bought these Kansas Troubles fabrics and gave me great notes.  Turns out she made a sticky note for everything she was buying.

Unfortunately I did not take good notes.  I had a note card indicating how many FQs I needed and total yardage needed.  But when I got to the shop, I ended up calculating on the fly based on what I was purchasing.

Oh, did I mention I’m working from my own pattern?  So, I did the math on the fly, added in yardage for a couple of pillowcases and binding in either lavender or seafoam and came home with my fabric and washed it.  Now 8 weeks later, I’m not sure how I was going to handle my neutrals. Can I find the note card visible on the stack of lavender fabric? No.

So, here I sit. The color strips are cut for the HST.  I purchases 1/2 yard cuts of all but 5 of the fabrics — more bang for my buck than purchasing FQs.  Last night I pressed everything and cut them into FQs. The lavender and seafoam yardage is clearly my choices for binding and pillowcase cuffs.  It’s the neutrals I’m struggling with.

I need strips for HST, and squares.  Per EQ I need 11 1/2 yards of neutrals.  7 1/8 yards for the squares and 4 1/2 yards for the HST. I only have 10 1/2 yards, which is supposed to include yardage for pillowcases.  Clearly my math was wrong. I’ll figure out something…..

 

 

Easy Breezy = 82

 

Posted in: Uncategorized

What I’ve Been Up To

November 25, 2020 9:26 am ⋅

This month has flown by, or dragged by, I haven’t made up my mind yet.

On the quilting front, I quilted 4 quilts for a customer.  I’m doing edge-to-edge computer driven quilting for hire.  My customer was thrilled with all of the quilts I’ve done for her.  The top 2 are the Minky backs.  Depending on who you ask Minky is a bear to work with, or it’s not.  I suspect it has to do with the quality of the Minky.  This is from Shannon. It is WONDERFUL. It’s also hot, so I was asked to not use batting. The 2 tops came out just fine.

I’ve also been playing with pouring acrylics.  The vase and painting above it were done at the same time.  Then I did the painting on the right.  Finally I attempted to do some Christmas ornaments, but the paint didn’t stick to the inside of the ornaments.  I’ve since painted them on the outside with mixed results, but I haven’t taken a picture yet.

There’s a new quilt shop in town — Stashworthy Fabric.  It’s on the north side of town — about 35 minutes from me.  They had been open for about a week when I stopped in.

As for my quilting projects, I’ve been working on a “gazillion” red/neutral and blue/neutral HSTs.  I finally finished them, and have started assembling my broken dishes units. If I’ve counted right, the red ones are made, and the blue ones are partially assembled.  I am concerned though as I came up with an extra blue/neutral HST.  Does that mean I need 3 more or have 1 extra?  Of course since I’ve already thought I had all I needed who knows for certain.  I hope to finish this quilt top tonight or tomorrow so I can start working on the “real” quilt — which needed even more HST as it is large.

 

Posted in: Uncategorized

It’s Mystery Time

November 1, 2020 6:47 pm ⋅

It’s that time of the year.  Bonnie Hunter has released the colors and yardage information for this year’s mystery quilt “Grassy Creek”.  So I thought I’d review my Bonnie Hunter quilts. Over the past 12 years I’ve made nine mysteries: Orange Crush, Old Tobacco Road, Carolina Christmas, Orca Bay, En Provence, On Ringo Lake, Good Fortune, Allietare, and Frolic. In the picture above Good Fortune is not quilted, I’m not sure why I don’t have a finished picture of it.  Frolic is not quilted as I need to prepare a backing.

Millennium Pyramids – Oklahoma Backroads – Sister’s Choice

Strip Twist – Texas Braid – Ocean Waves

Fun With Bricks – Playing With Jacks – Spoolin’ Around Leader/Ender Challenge

If you’ve followed by blog, you know I don’t just do her mysteries.  There are a ton of free patterns on her website and she has 7 books.  I’ve heard her speak 7 times (assisted with the quilts twice) and taken have 5 classes from her (Texas Braid, Blue Ridge Beauty, Carolina Chain, Garden Party, Jamestown Landing)

Happily Scrappily Irish – Scrappy Trips – Jared Takes A Wife

Nifty Thrifty – Strip Twist – Dancing Nine-Patch! (setting only)

Carolina Chain – Tumblers – Narragansett Blues!

Not included in the group pictures is Blue Ridge Beauty and Star Struck.  I forgot about them until I listed out my classes. I sent these tops to a women who quilts them and gives them to a VA group.

I also have a few BH quilts in progress.

Another Strip Twist – there’s probably enough blocks for 2 quilts, Garden Party, Pineapple Blossom, Jamestown Landing, this years leader/ender project Easy Breezy, and I’m using the Dancing Nine-Patch setting on some crazy blocks.

I think these are all of my Bonnie Hunter quilts, but it doesn’t include quilts I’ve make using tips and tricks I’ve learn from her.

Posted in: Bonnie Hunter