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.

Pillowcase Marathon

December 16, 2015 10:39 am ⋅ Pam

On the Crazy Challenge II list there is an entry for 4 pillowcases and 1 pillowcase. It’s listed as 5 pillowcases on the 4th Quarter Finish Along List Well, I counted wrong and it should have been 7. I made these assembly line fashion and each has a label inside the cuff saying who it is for.

As I recently got 3 quilts far enough along to know what fabric I had for pillowcases, I made these 3 cases as well.

I would like to say I’m done with pillowcases, but I have either 4 or 5 more to make – just as soon as I get the quilts far enough along to know what I have to use for the cases.

Posted in: goals, Pillowcases

What’s On My Design Wall

December 14, 2015 12:08 am ⋅ Pam

The design wall proper is empty, but the Crazy Challenge II is progressing. The Red Disappearing 9-Patch is done. It just needs washing and photographing. I’ll wash it as soon as I get the pillowcase made.

The hardware quilt is done. I’m so glad I couldn’t find the extra backing fabric. I love the pop of red. I need to get this quilt labeled and it will go into the wash when I finish the pillowcase. BTW I finally found the extra backing fabric. I had decided it was too dark for the neutral box and not dark enough for the brown box and it ended up in the yellow and Halloween box.

This Black and Pink 4-Patch Stacked Posies quilt is a hug quilt. I need to finish cleaning up the threads, make the label and finish the pillowcase, then it will go in the wash. I think Butterscotch is trying to tell me something. I know I’ve stopped for the night. The pillowcases will be finished up this evening.

I re-evaluated and realized I needed two more pillowcases for a total 7 not associated with quilts. These are cut to size, but before I can put them together, the inside of the cuff will get a label and I need to make two more labels. Maybe Tuesday?

So, what’s left?

That lime green needs to be made into a backing for the Black and Bright quilt. The quilt needs to be put on the zippers and I have to figure out how I’m going to quilt it on Saturday. That’s got to be Wednesday’s project.

The Cream and Green hanging to the shelves and under the lime green needs to be finished, as does the Compass Lone Star on top. They will need labels and pillowcases of course. I think these two will be necessity get pushed to next week.

And the mystery quilt? I think I printed off the instructions and put them with the fabric — but at this point, I’m not sure. But clearly there is no more work on it until after the first of the year, and possibly not until February. I’ve been given two commissions for quilts which need to be done in January.

If you don’t hear from me, you’ll know why. I’m buried under quilts!

Check out what others are working on over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Challenges, designwall, goals, UFOs

Stash Report

December 13, 2015 2:33 am ⋅ Pam

I ended up buying 2 half yard pieces of fabric this past week because I guessed at the color — it was on sale for $5 and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get out since I was working Saturday. The color was way off and I finished up around Noon. After a stop at the box store for thread, I grabbed scraps from the quilt and headed across town.

No peg board fabric – didn’t surprise me, the fabric is at least 3 and possibly 5 years old. No green – that fabric is at least as old if not older, but found one the same color, but it wasn’t right. Ended up with an red-orange that is perfect.

On the usage side of things, binding for 3 quilts – the Red Disappearing 9-Patch, the Hardware quilt and the Black & Pink 4-Patch Stacked Posies. I also pulled a backing from stash for the Black & Pink quilt.

So, here’s the yardage tally.

Fabric Added Since Last Report 1.0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 220.465 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 4.727 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 154.437 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date: 66.028 yards

See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

What’s On My Design Wall

December 7, 2015 10:03 am ⋅ Pam

This past week has gone by in a blur – lots of errands and not much time at the sewing machine. The good news is I have finally finished the quilting on the Red Disappearing 9-Patch and I have the binding cut. This means I now have two quilts to bind as the Hardware Quilt still needs binding — and I don’t have those strips cut.

While I had the cutting board cleared, I made one set of clue 2 of the mystery quilt. I started with just a single headless goose, using the Companion Angle ruler, which came out OK. But then apparently the next 3 I cut wrong as they almost have their head. I finished up the set using squares and the stitch and flip method – which I think I’ll use going forward.

Looking at this week, I have 2 evenings of activities which will limit my quilting time, so I doubt I’ll get much done on the mystery – I’ll have to focus on getting the Crazy Challenge quilts done.

See what others have on their Design Wall over at Patchwork Times and how others are doing on their mystery quilt over at Quiltville.

Posted in: Allietare, Challenges, designwall, DP9, goals

Stash Report

December 6, 2015 12:16 am ⋅ Pam

Try as I might, there has not been much quilting going on at my place. There simply has been errand or household chore which simply could not be put off any longer. That’s not to say NO quilting has taken place. 12 more lines of quilting on the Red Disappearing 9-Patch and it will be time to bind it. All this is to say, no fabric has been used this past week and I had that backing + purchase on Wednesday.

So here are the numbers:

Fabric Added Since Last Report 12.875 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 219.465 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 149.71 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date: 69.755 yards

See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

Maybe Today…

December 3, 2015 1:46 pm ⋅ Pam

Maybe tonight I’ll get to sew.

Since I took the Hardware Panel quilt off the long arm Saturday, I haven’t even turned on the sewing machine.

Sunday was our 30th wedding anniversary, so we went out to dinner.
Monday I ran around after work to see if I could find a backing for the Black and Bright quilt that I liked and was willing to pay for. I object to paying LQS prices at chain stores. When I got home there were some computer classes I had to finish.
Tuesday more running around after work looking for the backing, grocery shopping and a stop at the library.
Wednesday I thought I’d be smart and run to the LQS during lunch. Score! A fabric on clearance that will work. Sure I’ll have to piece it (2 seams) but it’s a better option than trying to stretch the fabric I originally had picked out. The green is nearly a perfect match in color to the sashing in the quilt top.

But still no quilting after work. Some computer work came in that had to be done – but I did flip through the library books looking for quilting ideas. I have no idea on how I’m going to quilt the quilt. I’ve got until the 19th to figure it out.

Posted in: Uncategorized

What’s On My Design Wall

November 30, 2015 12:09 am ⋅ Pam

This morning I have a little bit of several things in the works. I started Allietare, the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt — because clearly I don’t have anything to work on — 😉 Although I had all of clue 1 cut out, I only got 1/3 of them made since I got a chance to use the long arm.

This is the Hardware quilt which I quilted on Saturday. It still needs binding which is on my list for this week.

The Red Disappearing 9-Patch is maybe 1/3 quilted – I set it aside – I thought briefly – to work on Allietare and I haven’t gotten back to it. It too is also on my list for this week.

Hopefully I can get these two quilts finished up by midweek so I have plenty of time to finish up the rest of the Crazy Challenge II quilts.

I’m linking up with Patchwork Times for the Design Wall Monday post and Quiltville for the Allietare link-up.

Posted in: Allietare, Challenges, designwall, DP9

Stash Report

November 29, 2015 7:58 am ⋅ Pam

The LQS has an awesome sale going on. Even so I wasn’t going to buy anything any — but they have select wide backings on sale for $5.95. I needed one more backing for the Challenge Quilt II quilts. The plan was to create a pieced backing from shirtings. But for $12, I could save myself a lot of time — and I had access to the long arm Saturday. So, I bought 2 yards of this fabric. The report will show 4-1/2 yards as I converted the measurement to 45″ equivalent.

The quilt still needs binding, but it’s quilted, excess batting/backing is trimmed, and the threads are trimmed.

This week I also got around to making the pillowcases for Nifty Thrifty and the Green Disappearing 9-Patch quilts — I opted to split the green “yardage” – I think I had 15″, so these pillowcases have a narrower cuff than I normally use.

The report:

Fabric Added Since Last Report 4.5 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 206.59 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 5.517 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 149.71 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date: 56.88 yards

See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

Orange Crush – The Blog Post

November 26, 2015 3:56 pm ⋅ Pam

The time change and weather has not bode well for getting good pictures outside. I’ve put off this post waiting for a good picture, but have decided if I don’t record details now, I’ll forget them.

My Orange Crush was started April 1, 2008 — well at least that’s when the first clue was released. I finished up the top 7 months later on November 4, 2008. The quilt top needed to age – waiting for the perfect occasion to gift it. I quilted it on October 26, 2015 using Superior’s So Fine! #722 “Crikey!” in the top and pre-wound SuperBobs in white for the bobbin. The quilting pattern is Curley-Q, a pantograph by Aimee Mahan. The batting is Hobb’s Tuscany 100% Bleached cotton. Finally I bound it using Susie’s Magic Binding. After washing the quilt measures…well shoot, I don’t have that information in the spreadsheet. I’ll have to come back and add it before it is gifted.

This was an October 31, 2015 finish – pulling it out of the washing machine that morning in time to be included in the November UFO Parade Aunt Marti’s 52 Quilts. It was also counted as a finish for the UFO Busting Report sponsored by Vicki over at Field Trips in Fiber. It is one of my finishes for the 2015 Finish Along off my 4th Quarter List and finally it is one of the Crazy Challenge II quilts.

I didn’t mention it, but the backing is the same Kansas City Chiefs fabric that I used for the pillowcase.

Posted in: Challenges, Finish-A-Long - 2015, Out of the Blue, UFO Busting - 2015, UFO Parade - 2015

Sew Scrappy Challenge Quilt – Week 7

November 24, 2015 9:51 pm ⋅ Pam

Last month I said that on Tuesdays until Thanksgiving I am working on my Sew Scrappy quilt as part of Jo’s “finish a UFO before Bonnie’s mystery quilt starts challenge”. Sew Scrappy is from Evelyn Sloppy’s book 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts. I don’t think I have any Bonnie Hunter quilts in pieces, but I want/need to finish this one and I’ve been stalling for 3 years. Monday I got it washed and hung to take a picture. These days it is too late to take pictures outside after work, so I hung it on my shelves. It has also been delivered.

The quilt measures 69″ x 83″ after washing. All of the fabric is Kansas Troubles, including those really light pieces. As I was working on the quilt, I’d pick up a light piece then go check the selvage to make sure it really was KT fabric.

The batting is Hobb’s 100% Cotton Tuscany and I used Cairo-quilt in Military Gold thread in both the top and the bottom. It blends so well, I had a hard time telling where I had quilted! There was one spot that I added a bit of quilting to after I got home.