Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Carolina Christmas

March UFO Challenge is Met


Admittedly this pink and blue quilt is listed as #7 on my UFO Challenge list, but I did say there may be occasions where if a quilt needed to get bumped up, I’d swap #s.  So, I’m swapping #7 for #1.  It just didn’t seem right to use my bunny quilt to meet this month’s challenge since it wasn’t list on the UFO Challenge tab — although it was on either the “tops to be quilted” or “quilts in progress” tab at the beginning of the year.  Anyway, this quilt got bumped to the front of the line so I could practice quilting dragonflies.

For the backing, I used a piece of vintage fabric I got from my friend S when she was cleaning out her stash a year ago.  Come to think of it, the blue & white hearts came from her stash as well.

The quilt is approximately 39″ square.  I  used Warm & Natural batting, King Tut # 993 (white) in the top and Bottomline  in the bobbin.  The binding is stitched down by machine — I can’t think of any binding I’ve done by hand.

Now on to the next quilt – Dragonflies.

This is the first of the seven quilts I need done by the end of June. Here’s a closeup of the quilting.  My dragonflies were various sized and going every which way.

I opted for King Tut # 978 – Rosetta Stone in the top.  I wasn’t gutsy enough to use the bright thread.

White thread in the bobbin.  So essentially you can’t see my quilting — which at this point is a good thing.

After washing the quilt measures 57 x 68.  I used Warm & Natural batting in this one as well.

What’s on My Design Wall

Currently the remaining Poinsettia Star blocks are on the wall.  Other than using fabric from my stash, I’m not positive how I’m going to finish this into a baby top.

Using 4 of the Fox and Geese blocks I made this baby top:

But the big news is I’ve finished my Carolina Christmas top – just in time to take to the Guild meeting and show Bonnie Hunter in person!

This top is approximately 59″ x 85″.  If the weather is decent later today I’ll try to get a straight on photo.  Who knows, I might have the 2nd baby top done as well.

Check out other design walls by following the links at Patchwork Times.

What’s on My Design Wall

They are not sewn together, but I have most of my Carolina Christmas blocks sewn.  I keep flip-flopping between making the large square quilt, or making two smaller quilts.  Today, I’m leaning toward the latter.

Check out other design walls by visiting Patchwork Times.

Carolina Christmas – Poinsettia Stars

The Poinsettia Star blocks are made – the 2 x 2 — 16″ blocks that is. Well, except for one. I seem to be missing an individual star block. I don’t know if I miscounted or if it’s here somewhere in the sewing room.

Carolina Christmas – Part 5

I’m still plugging away on my Carolina Christmas. I’ve just finished piecing the last of the Fox and Geese blocks.

Carolina Christmas Part 4


A few minutes ago I finished Part 4 of Bonnie Hunter’s Carolina Christmas. I think the next steps are making the blocks from all the parts and pieces I’ve made so far.

Since this quilt has no deadline – well, I’d like to get the top done before I meet Bonnie when she visits the quilt guild in May – I’m going to set it aside and put Part 5 on my list of things to do in February. In the meantime, I have another UFO on my design wall, but I think even that is going to get set aside for a few weeks.

This morning I decided that I’m going to make my mom a quilt for her 70th birthday next month. This is the same quilt I didn’t make last year about this time because I didn’t think I could get it done timely and would end up with a UFO on my hands. Well, I’m motivated this year, so we’ll see how it goes.

Three Days into the New Year and Procrastination Has Started


It’s only January 3rd, and I’ve already started procrastinating — and I’m not talking about the laundry or other housework — that’s ongoing. I’m referring to getting those last few seams done on the Double Wedding Ring or putting borders on Ladder to the Stars.

I’ve finished the HSTs for Carolina Christmas Part 4. I don’t have the 2 1/2″ squares cut that are needed to finish this part. To help combat the procrastination, I’m not going to cut them until I finish the DWR top. There’s only 9 4-patches, 23 3-patches and 2 2-patches to finish seaming (see, anything to avoid working on it).  I think I’ve narrowed it down to 3 things.

  1. I’ve worked on this quilt on and off (mostly off) for 20 years and it will be sad in some ways to see the top finished — never mind that I’ll finally get to start quilting on it.
  2. I made the mistake of putting it on the bed before I finished those 4-patches to see if I need to make it bigger. As a result I’ve “seen” the finished top and I’m ready to move on.
  3. I’m not able to simply use a 1/4″ seam.  Each seam has to be measured to see what is going to best work for the particular patch I’m working on.

Truth be told, it’s # 3 which is really holding me back.

As for why Ladder to the Stars is not getting done it’s because if I work on that, I’m not working on the DWR.  Anyone see a theme here other than me?

Well, I said the DWR is # 1 on my Accountability Challenge so I that will be what I work on next.  Right after I get something to drink, read a chapter or two in my current book and perhaps shoveling some snow off the driveway.

Oh , I’ve got a problem.

Carolina Christmas – Part 3


I’m happy to report that I’ve completed Part 3 of Carolina Christmas, and I’m just over halfway though making the HSTs for Part 4. They are all cut out, and just need to be stitched and pressed. Then I’ll need to cut the background squares for Part 4.

I’ve been making the bonus triangles on both this quilt and Oklahoma Backroads. I figured it out and I’ll have 376 pink and white HSTs and 640 light/dark HSTs finishing at 1 1/2″. Since the box is nearly full, I’ll need to figure out how to use them.

What’s On My Design Wall? – 12/28


Another week where I am recycling an old photo. There’s nothing on my design wall this morning.

I finished Raising Cane yesterday and I don’t want to start anything new. Not that I don’t have plenty to work on. My goals for the rest of the year are to get the borders on Ladder to the Stars and finish the rest of those seams on the DWR. I’m not sure what’s up with the DWR.

So last night, instead of doing either of these tasks, or even working on step 3 of Carolina Christmas I was playing with WordPress to see if I would like it better than Blogger. I like the idea of pages and with WordPress I can upload PDF files. So this may be my last Design Wall post from Blogger.

But I will not work on it any more until I get the DWR ready to baste! Keep reminding me of this. I really want this quilt on our bed by the end of November.

Check out what everyone else has on their design wall this last week of 2009 over at Judy’s blog.

Raising Cane – A Dorothy Young Mystery Quilt


This morning I added the borders to Raising Cane.

Originally, I had a beautiful butterfly print for the border, but it just wasn’t working when I finished the center of the quilt. Then I remembered a stripe fabric I bought that didn’t work for it’s intended purpose. It was perfect. The top now sings.


While I was debating the border, I finished up Part 2 of Carolina Christmas.