It’s taken me all month, but cutting the fabric for the Blue Disappearing 9-Patch is now complete. Next up pairing lights to darks so I can start sewing.
Author Archives: Pam
What’s On My Design Wall
Progress is being made on the Blue Disappearing 9-Patch. I finished cutting the light squares a week or so ago. This past week I started working on the dark squares. 39 sets of 4 matching squares. I just hit set # 20 of the dark squares. My goal is to get at least the 9-patches made this week. We’ll see if I can make it happen.
Check out what others have on their design wall over at Patchwork Times.
The Best Laid Plans
At the end of the year, I compiled a list of quilts that I wanted to finish in the first quarter. Of course I listed EVERYTHING on my UFO/WIP and To Be Quilted list as well to cover all the bases. Then I went beyond that and listed several kits (some purchased, and other I put together from stash) that I was considering for the year.
Friday afternoon I realized I couldn’t lay my hands on the finished section of my Star-A-Day quilt — the one which ideally I should have finished this past September and that I’m only 1/3 of the way through. After work I went over to the LQS where a retreat was going on and the ladies oohed and aahed over the single tiny star I had with me. While I was there I spent time tracing and cutting out a couple of stars. But when I came home I was determined to find the wayward section. I did – it was in a box with fabric I’ve pulled for additional stars — more or less right where it should have been, but the box is not labeled and there’s other stuff in it as well.
Anyway, before I found it I tripped over a few things. The leftover backing from the Eeyore quilt. I was looking for it before Christmas and couldn’t figure out where I put it. The section measures 44″ x 70″ so it’s nearly big enough to be its own quilt. I think another 6″ to 10″ to the width and it will be ready to quilt. So, add this to the list of quilts to be finished this year, possibly this quarter. Of course since I know where it’s headed I want to get it done “now”.
Then I found a bundle of brights with some Caterwauling and Cool Cats fabrics. Last summer I was trying to figure out what to make with these fabrics and bundled them together. I think I’ll use them to test the new pattern I’m writing. It won’t be exact as the pattern just calls for 5 fabrics – a focus/border, background and 3 other fabrics, but for the initial test, this will work just fine – just as soon as I settle on a background fabric. This is another get it done “now” projects.
So, 3 new quilts are added to the list for this year: the music quilt, the initial test quilt and then the test BOM when the fabric arrives.
It’s no wonder my WIP/UFO list is so long.
Stash Report
There’s no change in my stash from last week, however, I missed two stash reports. The first weekend of in January I purchased the fabric for the center square, binding and pillowcases for the Disappearing 9-patch (is anyone besides me getting tired of me going on about this quilt?). Of course since I’ve not been sewing, there is no fabric used.
- Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
- Fabric Used Year to Date: 0 yards
- Fabric Purchased Since Last Report: 3.25 yards
- Fabric Purchased Year to Date: 22.75 yards
- Net Fabric to Stash: 22.75 yards
My goal this week is to at least get the 9-Patches made. We’ll see if it happens.
See how others are doing with their stashes over at Patchwork Times.
Radio Silence Is Over
It’s been a long 2 weeks. I’d love to say the silence was because “I was busy sewing and here’s what I got done” but alas, that’s not the case. It’s been a combination of things – the crud, reading, back out of whack, working, and my hosting server had issues.
Have you ever heard someone say “Could you repeat that? I didn’t have glasses on.” Well apparently for me “My blog and e-mail are down, I can’t sew.”
During this ‘down time’ I’ve read The Bone Labyrinth by James Rollins, Started reading Volume 2 of The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, and read a ‘stack’ of romance novels — most if not all of them by Grace Burrows on — my phone.
The crud has run its course, the chiropractor re-aligned my back, I couldn’t find anything I wanted to read the other night, and the blog and e-mail are back up since I changed to a new hosting provider.
I’m getting back to the quilting. All of the light squares for the latest Disappearing 9-Patch are cut, and I’ve started cutting the dark squares. Friday evening and Saturday morning I worked on my Star-A-Day quilt and this afternoon/evening I’ve been playing in EQ designing a quilt for the LQS to use as a block of the month.
Up next – get the Disappearing 9-Patch done, work on the instructions for the BOM and get my sewing machine into the shop! I need it to working to finish up the Cream and Green Swap quilt and the Compass Lone Star. I’ll use my Mini Ultra for the D9P.
2016 Finish A Long – Q1 Proposed Finishes
I nearly missed the announcement. The 2016 Finish-A-Long has moved – or accurately – expanded. This year there are 9 hosts since there are so many of us participating.
Last week I put together my list of proposed finishes for the quarter over on my new “2016 Finish Along” page. The cool thing about this finish along is that you are not penalized for not finishing everything on you list. So, this year, I’ve picked a few projects that I want to finish this first quarter (2 UFOs & 3 new projects) as my primary goal. Then to cover all the bases, I’ve listed all of my tops that need quilting, all of the projects I’m still piecing, and a few PIGs I’m considering working on this year.
In the past I’ve participated in UFO challenges. Most start off by having you pick 12 UFOs you want to finish, then they are numbered and the host picks a number from 1 – 12 and you work on that UFO for the month. I find that doesn’t work for me, as I may need to work on UFO # 2 for a deadline and the challenge # for the month is # 8. Even when it doesn’t matter what UFO you work on — or when you work on them (do them all in November) I still don’t have success.
Last year I picked 10 UFOs for one challenge – no prompts just bring them in finished by the end of the year. It was my choice if the goal was a completed top or a completed quilt. There were 5 quilts and 5 tops on my list. I only finished 1 top and 3 quilts which were on the list, because from the time the list was made (mid-January?) to the end of December I had other quilts pop up that became a priority. The good news is most of them were on my UFO list so the end results is I have fewer UFOs going into 2016 than 2015 which was the ultimate goal.
I’ll link my main page to the Linky, but here are my primary goals for this quarter.
- Green & Cream Swap
- Compass Lone Star
- Shirting Disappearing 9-Patch – this one will be “Blue”
- Squedge Ruler project – hopefully a 12″ x 30″ table runner
- Turquoise and Green Strip Twist
Unfortunately the 1st two quilts are on hold until I get my machine out of the shop. I guess it would help if I would get it into the shop. In the meantime, I’ve been cutting up shirts for the Disappearing 9-Patch.
What’s On My Design Wall
It doesn’t look like much yet, but it the shirts for the new Disappearing 9-Patch that I’m making. I’ve pulled all the shirt fabric and now need to start cutting my squares.
See what others are doing by hopping over to Patchwork Times.
Stash Report
I started off the new year with a trip to the Goodwill Outlet store where I picked up all of these shirts for $7.12. I’m guesstimating there is about 19 1/2 yards of usable fabric. The thrift store run (and the one I’ll make later today) is to gather more shirts for yet another Disappearing 9-Patch quilt. I’ve already started pulling shirt pieces from my stash to cut the squares. This one will start with 39 unique 9-patches.
- Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
- Fabric Used Year to Date: 0 yards
- Fabric Purchased Since Last Report: 19.5 yards
- Fabric Purchased Year to Date: 19.5 yards
- Net Fabric to Stash: 19.5 yards
Do I have any goals for the stash this year? I want to work from my stash. Limit my purchases to what I need to finish what I’m working on and not buy fabric just to have something new to work on. The exception to that rule/goal will be if I’m buying fabric for a quilt that I’ve been commissioned to make — the shirt quilt is an example.
Looking at the first five projects I have lined up, with the exception of the Disappearing 9-Patch and the Turquoise & Green Strip Twist, I think I have everything I need to complete them – well, except for batting.
Hop over to Patchwork Times. to see if other took advantage of New Year’s Sales.
A New Year – A New List of Goals
Happy New Year!
It’s a new year, so time for a new list of Quilting Goals and plans on how I’m going to accomplish them. Although not every blogger who hosts a quilt-a-long/finishing party/goal setting linky has posted, these are the ones I’m planning on participating in this year.
- Sunday Stash Reports – hosted by Judy over at Patchwork Times.
- Design Wall Monday – also hosted by Judy over at Patchwork Times.
- UFO Busting 2016 – with Vicki at Field Trips in Fiber.
- UFO Parade – host by Aunt Marti at 52 Quilts.
- Various Challenges – hosted by Shelly over at Prairie Moon Quilts.
- 2016 Finish Along – this year it was hosted by Adrianne at On the Windy Side
I totally failed to get my December finishes sent into 52 Quilts last month – 4 quilts and a set of 7 pillowcases. They are all on my 2015 Finishes page if you want to see them.
Here’s my starting point:
There are 22 Tops waiting to be quilted. The list can be found HERE.
There are 30 Quilts in Progress. That list can be found HERE.
Then there are the kits I want to consider for this year.
- Tuscan Sun BOM from Jo-Ann’s from my Mom’s Stash
- May Pole – bought to make bags
- The Night Before Christmas – bought because I fell in love with the sample
- Triangle Frenzy
- Squedge Ruler Table Runner(?)
- “August 2013 Quilt A”
- Turquoise and Green Strip Twist
- Another Disappearing 9-Patch – this one with Blue centers
So, the count as of January 1, 2016:
Starting UFO Count: 52
New projects started this month:
Projects finished this month:
Current UFO count:
The Last Finish of 2015
This is the last finish of 2015. It’s my pink and black 4-Patch Stacked Posies. The top has been hanging in my stash of tops since 2007 waiting for the right time to be quilted. The time has come and I found both the batting and backing in my stash.
The length of green matches perfectly the green in the focus fabric – although it’s tough to tell in this lighting. It shows up better in the pillowcase.
I used the pantograph A Little Bit Of Fluff. The top thread is a Cotton/Poly T40 Variegated thread in Primary Explosion. I used Omni in a Green Turquoise in the bobbin. The batting is Soft & Black — a discontinued batting by Warm and Natural. Even though the batting is polyester, the quilt still shrunk a bit — it was 52″ x 68 prior to washing and now it measures 50″ x 64″.
This quilt was on my 4th quarter list for the Finish Along simply because I listed all of my UFOs. It brings my total finishes for the year to 18 quilts and 30 pillowcases and my UFO count is down to 52 – 22 tops to be quilted and 30 projects in pieces.
Now off to stitch the label onto the quilt — I got so excited that the quilt was finished, I missed the last step! At least the label is already made.
