Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Challenges

Wonky Christmas Trees

June 28, 2025 8:37 am ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅

A few months ago I was asked to teach Wonky Christmas Trees at Ritzy Quilting for Christmas in July. As I did not make the sample quilt, I thought it best that I make a few blocks before I taught the class.  I pulled fabrics from my stash to make this small top.  It goes together really quickly.  I hope to get it quilted today.

This past week I also got caught up with the A Vintage Christmas Sampler QAL by Kansas Troubles Quilters.  I was slow to get started as I didn’t get the fabric kit until this past Monday. The HST on the far right are NOT part of the quilt – they were made with the cut off corners from the Square in a Square blocks and the Flying Geese.  I don’t often participate in a BOM or QAL where the fabrics are kitted as I don’t want a quilt that looks like hundreds if not thousands of other quilts.  This week Lynne “gave us permission” to use other fabrics outside of the kit for our blocks, suggesting we pull from our KTQ stashes.  This is something I planned to do if I had too many ‘oops’ and needed more fabric, but decided not to wait.  I have a whole bin of KTQ fabrics waiting to be used.  It’s hard to tell, but I used 3 different fabrics in the pinwheel blocks.

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler, Quilts, Wonky Christmas Trees

The Last 2024 Brandon Quilters BOM

May 29, 2025 10:09 am ⋅

I made 6 versions of the 2024 Block of the Month.  Each one has different fabric and layouts. At the last minute – Sept 2nd and I needed the quilt by Sept 9th – I decided to do one more simply with sashing and cornerstones.  I was on track until it came time for the sashing. Nothing was working and I didn’t want to buy more fabric. The blocks were put back in the project box and I went on my way.

This week I pulled out the blocks with the intention of finishing the quilt. The deep teal was purchased for another quilt and I didn’t use it.  I threw it upon the design wall and put the blocks up on it. It was perfect.  The border cornerstones are a design element born of necessity – I couldn’t figure out how to turn the corner with the print.

Butterfly Flight

  • 56 1/2″ x 70 1/2″
  • Glide 40 wt in Persian
  • 11 spi
  • Butterfly Kisses E2E
  • Pellon 80/20 Batting
  • Started 9/2/2024
  • Finished 5/28/2025

This quilt is on my 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO list and the MQA list.

Posted in: 2024 Brandon Quilter, 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, Butterfly Flight

Goals for the Week of May 26, 2025

May 26, 2025 11:18 pm ⋅

Last week I had three goals:

  • Label & Bind Compass Lone Star – Done!
  • Quilt, Label & Bind Dragonfly Dance – Done!
  • Move into the Kitchen! – In progress!

The 2 quilts are done – they can can be seen HERE.  The kitchen is still a work in progress, but I’ve cooked multiple times.  Friday night was pork chops, green beans, rice  & gravy. Saturday night my SIL and nephew came over and we had pork loin, green beans, mashed potatoes & gravy.  Then I had leftovers the next day.

So what are my goals for this week?

  • Quilt, bind & label my the Gunge 2025 Brandon Quilters BOM.

This got put away back in September as I was struggling to figure out the layout.  Actually it was more of a case of I didn’t like my fabric choices and I was stubborn and wanted to find a way to finish the quilt without buying any additional fabric. The sashing fabric was purchased to go with the Dragonfly Dance panel. I didn’t use it in that quilt, but it was just what was needed here.

  • Process & put away the scraps from the Grunge quilt.
  • Continue moving stuff back into the kitchen.

 

 

 

 

Posted in: 2024 Brandon Quilter, 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, goals, House

Two Finishes

May 25, 2025 6:04 pm ⋅

Or 3 if you count the kitchen.

I think it was Thursday that the vent hood was finally installed. There are a few touch ups that need to be done, but essentially, the kitchen if finished.  I love the backsplash behind the range.

My washer and dryer have been moved back into the laundry room.

And the plastic has been removed from the doorway.  Now I just need to get all the kitchen stuff back into the kitchen and give this place a deep clean to clean up the construction dust.

The first quilt finish is Compass Star. This quilt is 19 1/2 years in the making.  The plan was to use Quilt As You Go, but it is not my favorite was of quilting, I finally decided to get it done this year for my sister’s 60th birthday.  It was quilted by then, but it took a few more days to get it bound. I’ll deliver it to her in a few weeks.

This took 7 bobbins of Glide. I used Mercury thread.  Nearly 187,907 stitches. 4 different patterns.  Betty’s Border / Corner MI-120 in the outer border. The Corner in the corner of the Lemoyne Stars.  ST-025-8-pointed-star-w-frame.  This I split using the center for the Lemoyne Stars and the Compass Star.  I used the the frame in the center, then added a few stems to fill up the space. The sashing is “lola sash”, the yellow inner border had a flat curve. I can’t remember what I used in the triangles of the stars.

The quilt measures 81 1/2 x 81 1/2 before washing. Legacy 80/20 batting. The binding was stitched to the back and flipped to the front.

This project is completely wrapped up.  I’ve dealt with the scraps and have an empty bin.  It’s the 6th quilt on my 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO list and my MQA list.

The empty zipper bag is from my 2nd quilt finish this weekend.

Dancing Dragonflies.  It is now bound with both a hanging sleeve and label.

  • Started 5/11/25 – Finished 5/25/25
  • used just over 1 bobbin of Glide in Mint
  • E2E – Dancing Dragonflies
  • Measures approximately 37″ x 55″
  • Stitch count 61165 at 11 spi

Although not on a UFO list, ‘a panel project’ was on my 2025 goals.  All of the fabric I purchased when I purchased the panel has now been put away and the scraps dealt with.

This brings me to the W

The Stash Report.

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  82.58 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 1.46 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 77.7105 yards

Net Fabric Stash: 4.869 yards

I’m itching to just push fabric through the machine.  I just looked at my 2025 goals, and I think I’m going to attempt to finish the last 2024 Brandon Quilters BOM. It, and and Auction Quilt are the only 2 project left on that list. I can quilt the top when I get back from Kansas City and it would be great to have another BOM done before I go and speak to the Candlelight Quilters.

 

Posted in: 2024 Brandon Quilter, 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, Compass Star, DragonflyDanceWallhanging, House, Stash Busting Report, UFOs

What I’m Working on 5/21/2025

May 21, 2025 3:22 pm ⋅

On the quilt front I have 2 quilts I’m focused on.  Getting the Compass Star quilt bound and labeled and quilting my Dragonfly Dance panel.  It is going to hang in my breakfast room.

The kitchen is done except for installing my vent hood — and taking down the plastic into the den. This view is from against the range.

Behind that door is my laundry room. The washer and dryer is on the left side.

On the right is a counter for folding clothes with cabinets and drawers.  That’s my hot water heater behind the mesh and a broom closet below.

Here’s a view of the sink and range with the under cabinet lights on.

Here I just have the pendant lights on over my buffet.

This is basically the same view but with the ceiling lights on. The next picture is a collage of what the kitchen looks like before.  I think the new layout will be much more functional, not to mention prettier. Now to get moved in!

 

Posted in: 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, Compass Star, DragonflyDanceWallhanging, House

Goals for the Week of May 19, 2025

May 19, 2025 11:51 am ⋅

I did not hit all my goals, but I made significant progress.

  • Finish the Compass Star quilts — quilt it, bind it, and label it. -It’s quilted and trimmed.

  • At least piece the Dragonfly Dance Wall Hanging – Bonus if I can get it quilted and a hanging sleeve on it. — It is pieced.
  • Keep the tables cleared. –So far so good. 
  • Make a quilt hanging rod for the breakfast room.  – I thought I wanted to paint the rod the same color as the wall, but I think I’m going to pass.

So what on the list for this week?

  • Label & Bind Compass Lone Star
  • Quilt, Label & Bind Dragonfly Dance
  • Move into the Kitchen!

There haven’t been any pictures of the Kitchen since the floors were put down as it went from gorgeous to a mess.  But the appliances are installed & the cabinet pulls and knobs are installed.  Today they are painting more trim and doing touch up paint. Later this week the vent hood will be installed.  I need to do a good wipe down of the cabinets to get the dust out, then start washing dishes so I can put them away.

Posted in: 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, Compass Star, DragonflyDanceWallhanging, goals, House, Panels

Compass Star Quilting Progress

May 15, 2025 10:28 am ⋅

After a late start to quilting last night, I finished the Lemoyne Star on the left and got the one on the right quilted.  It takes about 20 minutes to stitch out the block and a sashing.  There are 10 start and stops in each block.  I can’t tell you how long it takes me to setup the quilting.  I do push pins around each of the setting pieces and sashing, then drop the motifs into position.  I don’t have to resize them each time, but I do have to adjust them to fit my block.

The quilting in the corners of the center did not fit.  So I used my morph tool and adjusted the first quarter until it was all on the background.  Once sized, I copied and flipped it for the other side.  My star is not centered, so there was still a bit of manipulation.  For the star points I cut out just one section of the pattern, dropped into my shape, then tweaked the size until it fit.  I pleased with how it’s working.  I do need to do a little fill work on the sides of the diamonds  there is about 3″ x 6″ which has no quilting in it.  I’ll roll the quilt back after I get the rest of the center quilted.

Tonight I’ll roll the quilt so I can do the middle Lemoyne Stars and the next two diamonds.  Hopefully I’ll get started early enough I can do the bottom 3 points as well.  My goal is to have the quilt done by Sunday night.

 

Posted in: 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, Compass Star

Progress on Compass Lone Star

May 10, 2025 9:43 am ⋅

Last night’s progress saw me get the inner border attached and the top 3 center stars attached to main body of the quilt.  Silly me — I thought I’d put the borders together mathematically. I failed to take into consideration that I was terrified to trim the center.  I finally trimmed two edges leaving the width of the fabric alone.  Now I need 2 7/8″ sashing instead of 2 1/2″ I originally cut sewed.  Easy enough fix.  I must have bought 10 yards of the backing fabric.  I have two 4 yard pieces and a piece of selvage that is 16″ wide and at least 2 yards long before I started cutting it for sashing.

For the inner border I’m using Hampton Road by April Cornell in yellow.  I must have purchased it in 2005, as I started the quilt in January 2006.  The first pictures I have of the quilt have a 1/3/2006 time stamp.  Hum…given it’s is laying on a white sheet instead of the blue batik, maybe I didn’t get the fabric until I had already started the quilt.

 

I do remember not wanting to start anything new until I had some of my UFOs under control. At that time I was keeping them on a paper list and split them into 2 categories — Works in Progress and Tops to Quilt as the number exceeded 100. I’m happy to report that the # of tops is now to 10 and the WIP is now down to 36.  This is now my 3rd oldest UFO.

I hope to get this WIP move to the Tops list by end of the day, so I need to get into the Quilt Studio.

Posted in: 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, Compass Star

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 5/7/25

May 7, 2025 10:43 am ⋅

Since all the binding is done, my current focus is the Compass Lone Star.  There has to be a better way to make those Lemoyne Star blocks, but I’m working with what I started with back in 2006.  Pieces are already cut and there’s been some assembly.

While I’m stitching these blocks, I’m making 9-patches as my leader and enders.

At Quilters By Hearts Desire a couple of years ago we had an ongoing color theory program and we swapped 5″ squares of a specified color each month.  I’m using my squares and some muslin to make these little 9-patches.  I have a vague idea of what I’m going to do with them, but I need to get them made first.

Both the Compass Lone Star and the Rainbow Charm Swap quilts are on my 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO list.  The star is also on my Mississippi Quilt Association UFO list as well.

In other news, my cabinet are painted and now they are working on the rest of the kitchen/breakfast room/laundry room. I love the color, but can’t wait to see it finished.

Posted in: 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, charms, Compass Star, designwall, House, Rainbow Challenge

Cross Another One Off

April 29, 2025 10:17 pm ⋅

This is Illusions, a ‘3-yard’ quilt that I made larger.  I don’t remember how much extra fabric I used, and I think I used all of the bubble and the orange.  I made the top at the Brandon Quilters retreat last fall, and quilted it November. It’s been sitting in the binding pile since then.

  • Started 9/19/24
  • Finished 4/29/25
  • Size 67 x 89
  • E2E Bubbles with no size changes.
  • 3+ bobbins of Glide 40 wt in Sand.

This quilt is on my 2025 Brandon Quilter’s UFO Challenge list.

 

Posted in: 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, goals, Illusions