Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Challenges

More Finishes

February 13, 2023 9:52 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

First up is my Black & White 4-patch Stacked Posies quilt.  The quilt top was finished in 2008.  I even started quilting it after my sister got her long arm.  Then I ripped out a bunch of the quilting. I finally pulled it out late last month.

Each block is quilted individually with the same motif, the sashing is quilted with another motif and the borders were quilted separately.  Given my thread color – Mercury – the quilting is not very visible, and an edge-2-edge design might have worked just as fine.  On the other hand, I learned a lot.

  • Quilt Top started: Spring 2008 and finished 9/8/2008
  • Quilting Finished 2/5/2023
  • Before Washing 60 2/4″ x 85 1/4″
  • After Washing 56 1/4 x 79″
  • Thread Glide 40wt in Mercury

This is quilt is on my 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge list.

This is Spider Webs.  A few years ago at a quit retreat, a quilter made Night & Day, a Quilt in a Day quilt. That particular pattern has odd  cuts, which can be used to make SpiderWebs. She didn’t want the extra pieces and gave them to a friend, who in turn passed them to my sister.  My sister put the center together.  While we were in San Antonio, we picked out the border fabrics and backing.  I added the border, quilted and bound the quilt before sending it back to my friend.

 

  • Start: unknown
  • Finished: 2/5
  • Thread: Glide 40wt in Biscotti – 2+ bobbins
  • Quilting Motif: PR105298 – Alpine – Grande with -7 row gap
  • Before Washing : 49 3/4 x 57 1/4

 

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Stacked 4-Patch

Another Quilt?

January 23, 2023 10:30 am ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅

Well, it’s not bound yet.

Over the weekend I updated the software on my longarm. So between that and wanting to remember how to setup a separate border, I pulled out this Stacked Posies quilt from 2008.

In addition to having a separate border, each block and sashing is quilted individually. If you click on the picture the quilting becomes visible.  In retrospect, given the thread color I used (Glide 40wt Mercury) and edge-2-edge design would have worked just as well.

This quilt is on my 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge list. As soon as I get it bound it will be the 4th quilt I’ve knocked off my list.  That leaves me just 12 quilts tops waiting to be quilted.  We won’t talk about the # of quilts I’m still piecing.  Those can be seen HERE.

 

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Longarm, Stacked 4-Patch

Quilt # 3 of 2023

January 20, 2023 6:00 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

This is Princess and the Pea.

I won the panel at a guild auction back in 2019. That year the retreat mystery quilt started with a panel. If I remember correctly, I brought the panel and a bunch of fabric that I thought would go with the top.  After I got the borders on it, I folded it up and it’s sat in the To Be Quilted pile.

This quilt was put on the 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge list because I  knew that the January program at Quilters By Hearts’ Desire was Panels and Cheaters. This even worked into our new monthly lesson on borders, as the first lesson was Coping Borders.

When it came time to bind it, I opted to use the same fabric as I used for the backing. It’s black and has multi-colored swirls on it.

Quilt Stats

  • Started 4/13/2019
  • Finished 1/16/2023
  • Glide 40wt in Amethyst
  • E2E – Radiate with Pearls
  • Legacy 80/20 batting
  • Size before Quilting & Washing 48 1/2 x 64 1/2
  • Size after Quilting & Washing 46 x 59
Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Princess and the Pea

Quilt #2 of 2023

January 18, 2023 10:39 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Quilt #2 is the 2022 Quilters By Hearts’ Desire Pizza Box Swap quilt.  Last year we each put a length of background and  focus fabrics, plus some FQs of coordinates in a pizza box.  We made the first block, then at each meeting someone else took the box home.  We don’t meet in December, so we received our boxes back in November with 10 additional blocks.  I made a 12th block then put them together to make this quilt.

The blocks are set together with a 6″ wide sashing and corner stones giving the illusion of alternate blocks.

The quilt is custom quilted with several different quilt designs.

  • Outer border – Alienfleur Border & Corners
  • Inner border – ABM HFzag drop
  • Setting Triangles – Anne Bright Hippie Double
  • Setting Corners – Anne Bright Hippie Single
  • Pieced Blocks – Anne Bright Hippie 4 Block
  • Blocks formed around Corner stones – Sweet Dreams BD 2013 003
  • Triangles formed in sashing – Kalediscope

At this point I must give a huge shout out to Capri, the System Administrator  on the Innova AutoPilot Mach3 Owners FB group and owner of Bear Paw Quilts.  I posted in a panic Saturday morning about something weird in my file when I opened it to resume quilting. She spent nearly 2 hours on the  phone with me working through fixing the issue, then teaching me what I needed to do to finish the quilting. She also suggested the quilting motif for the blue sashing, which still needed to be quilted after I finished the computerized quilting.

I’m not sure it shows well here, but it is Point to Point curves from corner to corner.

I took the quilt outside before I bound it and all of the great texture can be seen.

Quilt Stats

  • Started 1/9/2022
  • Finished 1/16/2023
  • Quilted with Glide 40wt in Cool Gray 7 – 4 bobbins
  • Legacy 80/20 batting
  • Top before quilting and washing 73 1/2 x 91 1/2
  • After quilting and washing 67 x 86 1/2

 

For the label, I created a document in Word and printed it onto printable fabric.  I moved the blocks out of month order, so the label reflects the block order and includes the name of the quilter, the block they made and the month they made it.

This quilt is on my 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge list.

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Machine Quilting, Pizza Box

First Finish of 2023 – Donna’s Log Cabin

January 17, 2023 6:00 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Earlier this week I put the last stitch into the log cabin. This is the quilt I’ve made for my cousin.  We decided on a log cabin and when I asked about colors, the answer was blues, greens, peaches, yellow. I pulled all of the fabric from my stash except for the center squares, a Dan Morris fabric, and the binding, a Kaffe Fassett fabric.  I even had the backing in my stash.

The blocks have a 2″ center square and 1″ logs – 4 ‘dark’ and 4 ‘neutral’, so they finished at 10″.  The quilt before washing was about 101″ square (clearly my seam allowance needs work).

  • It is quilted with Glide 40Wt thread, top and bobbin, in Strawberry Blond.  I used just over 4 bobbins.
  • The pantograph is Fresco Feathers (LQPanto0398)
  • After quilting and washing it measures 91 1/2″ x 95
  • Legacy 80/20 batting
  • Started 9/20/2022
  • Finished 1/15/2023

 

This is one of the 12 quilts on my 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge list.

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, log cabin

Time to Quilt

January 12, 2023 8:50 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

I have lofty goals for the rest of the week. Finish binding the log cabin quilt, bind Princess and the Pea, quilt and finish the Pizza Box quilt.  First up is the Pizza Box quilt.  Ruby finished quilting her Pizza Box quilt last night and then I loaded my quilt.

Thread was picked. It came down to Cool Gray 7 or Zaffree. I think either would work, but have chosen Cool Gray 7 as it is the same color as the lines on the background fabric.

Now to figure out how to quilt this!

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Pizza Box

A Little Bit of This and That

January 9, 2023 9:23 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

I had grand hopes of having my Chilhowie top finished, the Log Cabin finished, and perhaps even the Pizza Box top quilted.  But the last few days since I checked in I’ve done a little bit of everything so nothing is finished.

Bonnie released the final clue to Chilhowie.  The clues will only be available for a short time — my guess is the end of January 2023. Anyway, I need to make 4 more blocks and corresponding border and sashing pieces to finish the top.

When I get the Chilhowie top finished, I have the backing for it. I found it in my stash while digging for binding.

 

Binding was the challenge on the log cabin. The original plan was to carry the center fabric to the border.  I had been warned off using a yellow for the center, for fear it would leap out, but it doesn’t. However, I was afraid the yellow border would, so I dug through my stash and came up with these options.  Each of them had their advantage and disadvantage, but none were “right”. Facebook was evenly divided. So I went to my LQS to see if I could find the “right” fabric. It was suggested that I use the backing fabric and I was just about to walk out of the store when the “right” fabric was spotted.

 

This Kaffe Millefiore. It’s darker than the yellow so will “frame” the quilt nicely, but at the same time it’s lighter than my previous choices.  Finally, it has all the colors.  After my running around over the weekend I started working on the binding. However, in my haste to finish it up missed spots when machine stitching it down.  I’ve got to take another look at it.

In addition to finding the backing for Chilhowie, I found another 3 Yard kit.  I think this was a ‘contest kit’ at the Quilted Cow. They called it ‘Anthony’, but I’m calling it Dragonflies & Flowers. I am adding it to my WHIMMs page.

Today it the last day to post about the results of the Final Countdown tasks. Here’s my recap.

Day 1 – Choose something you can finish quickly and do it  Big dreams, but I finished my pillow – a UFO from 2008.

Day 2 – Clean out a storage area – I got all the books put up which were stacked in the “Quilt Studio Annex”. As I look at the before and after pictures, I realize that I had already started putting the books up and when I took the before.

Day 3 – Take a project inventory and devise a plan. Since my Quilt Tops and Quilts In Progress (aka UFOs) were already tracked, and I had my UFO Challenge List defined, I decided to work on my PIGs and WHIMMs and what that means to me. I’ve added two tabs at the top of my page. I spent a good bit of time digging though my stash cataloging my projects.  I still haven’t found everything.  Earlier I wrote down “Bubbles – 4/23/22 Have a collection of FQs, now need pattern”. I have no idea what this is, but I’m sure it’s bagged up together and when I find it I’ll add it to my WHIMMs page.

Finally, I’m gearing up to begin the next phase of renovations.  My contractor and I have decided to tackle the den next.  I’ve narrowed down my paint color to one of the 2 purples that nearly blend into the sheetrock.  The paneling will be replaced with sheetrock.  The doors will get trimmed out, ceiling accent lights will be installed and replaced, and new flooring and base board trim will be installed.

 

 

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Chilhowie, Final Countdown, House, log cabin, PIGS, Pizza Box, WHIMMs

Mid-Week Review

January 4, 2023 1:42 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

The Log Cabin is Quilted! Now to get it finished by Monday.

 

While the longarm was running, I had 2 projects going on.  I was stitching on Chilhowie.

And compiling my PIGs for The Final Countdown Challenge.  As mentioned yesterday I have a lot of PIGs. Much in the same way I divided my UFOs into WIP and Tops, I’ve decided to divide my PIGs into 2 categories.  PIGs or Projects in Grocery Sack will be those projects and kits that I have all of the fabric for the top and the pattern. The second list will be WHIMMs – Works Hidden in My Mind.  I’m defining those as projects aren’t quite complete — a stack of fabric I plan to use together, but haven’t decided on a pattern or maybe I have the pattern and some of the fabric. It might not be the ‘true’ definition of a WHIMM, but it is my interpretation. These are just some of the PIGs I have. I’m still looking for some that I know I have.

Finally, while I was digging around looking for my PIGs, I found some clothes that Betsy can wear.  These were my clothes. The blouse was worn with a red velvet jumper when I was about 18 months old. It fits Betsy nicely.  The blue jumper it a bit big.  My best guess is I was about 5 or 6 as I know my sister had a matching dress and my brother had a matching romper. Somewhere there are pictures of me wearing both outfits.

In the background you can see my Christmas present.  My Den cabinets were installed before Christmas. I’m not sure what’s next on the remodeling — my bedroom and bath or the den.  They’ll more or less be back to back along the hall bath.  I need to reach out to my contractor and get him going again.

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Betsy, Chilhowie, Final Countdown, House, log cabin, PIGS, WHIMMs

Design Wall Monday

January 2, 2023 1:50 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

 

On this first Design Wall Monday of 2023, I have a quilt top finish. This is the log cabin quilt I started piecing at the quilt retreat in September. When I packed up after the retreat half the blocks needed 3 logs and the rest just needed two logs. I got those added last week and started piecing the top New Year’s Eve.  I had the first half finished about 4 minutes before the clock struck midnight, ringing in the new year. The 2nd half of the top was finished by 11:30 PM on the 1st. Up next is the quilting.

This is the backing I’m planning on using. Now to figure out the quilting design.

As I was assembling the quilt my Rivanna HST were getting created.  At last count I had 11 bags of HST. I still have a few more of this combination, then it will be on to another fabric.  I have 2 more fabrics prepped.

 

I’ve stitched a bit more on my Faux Applique. This is a direct result of the Final Countdown Challenge over at Prairie Moon Quilts.

Chilhowie Clue 6 will be worked on this week. It’s simple enough, but I ran out of bobbin thread the night I was working on it, then got caught up with the log cabin.

 

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Chilhowie, designwall, Faux Applique, Final Countdown, Leaders & Enders, log cabin, Rivanna

2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge

January 1, 2023 10:26 am ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅

Happy New Year!

Over the next few days I’ll update my list of Finishes, Quilts in Progress and Tops to be Quilted, but today I’m listing out my 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge quilts. My list was created and turned in at our December meeting.  The goal to finish all of these quilts by our meeting December 4th, 2023. So here’s the list:

  • Mom’s Sweatshirt – Started in December 2008. My goal now is to have it finished by September at the latest, preferably May.
  • Black & White Stacked 4-Patch – Started this in Spring 2008. I started the quilting on it, but needed to rip it out since the border wasn’t lining up.
  • Christmas Row Quilt – This was a block swap I did in October 2008. I want to have the quilt finished by July.
  • Fairy Frost Sunset – The top was mad in 10 days in September 2010. It’s time to get it quilted.
  • Auction Strings IV: Turquoise & Cheddar –  These are the last of the blocks I bought at the auction in September 2018.
  • Princess & the Pea – The retreat mystery quilt started with a panel. I got it quilted last month, then realized I don’t have binding fabric.
  • Christmas Star Swap – These was swapped in April 2019. I have a plan and the fabric on how I want to set these blocks. My goal is to finish by July.
  • QBHD 2022 Pizza Box – We finished the swap in November, my goal to to take it finished to our next meeting on January 16th.
  • Athena – I started this quilt last January.
  • Donna’s Log Cabin – I started this quilt at the September retreat. All the blocks are finished and I sewed the last seam of the 1st half of the quilt just before midnight.
  • Rainbow Challenge – These squares were swapped during the year. I started doing “something” with them in October. I have a plan.
  • Chilhowie, the 2022 Quiltville Mystery – My plan is to keep up with the rest of the clues, but I will lengthen the top.
Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Athena, Auction Strings, Chilhowie, Christmas Row Swap, Christmas Star Swap, Fairy Frost Sunset, log cabin, Moms Sweatshirt, Pizza Box, Princess and the Pea, Rainbow Challenge, Stacked 4-Patch