Category Archives: Athena

Athena is Finished

October 2, 2023 9:11 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

It’s been a busy few days. Saturday I made an appointment to go to Ritzy Quilting Company with Ruby, my SIL. The shop is owned by a friend and we were looking at her website when Ruby spotted some fabric that she thought would work well with s floral she got from an estate a few weeks ago. I needed a green to go with my lily fabric for a 2nd quilt from the fabric, and while I was there I picked up some additional fabrics to go with it for a 3rd quilt.

I used the 2nd green from the left in my Chain Link quilt and will bind it with this fabric as well. I have plans for 2 more of these quilts. They go together quickly, but I found it hard to ‘square the quilt’ when it was quilted.

While this quilt was being quilted, I made binding.

One of these days I’m going to learn that I plan to get more done that I have time for. I’m going to try to get the Auction String IV bound today, but the Orange Lily quilts will have to wait until later. After I get back from the Quilt Guild meeting tonight, I have to go into cleaning mode as I’m hosting Bunco next Monday. After Bunco, I have the President’s Challenge to get done by the following week for my other guild. At that point, I have a sweater sleeve to knit so I can get my sister’s sweater finished. Hopefully that won’t take more than a week or 2 so I can get back to quilting. I have 2 more UFOs to finish by December 4th, and I’d like to get one more quilt made from the Lily Fabric. I think I still have 6 1/2 yards left.

So back to Athena.

It is quilted using Glide in Buttercup. The quilting motif is “Sports”. I enlarged the E2E design to 20″ tall. There is less than 2 bobbins of thread in this 57 x 71 quilt. I started the quilt on 1/26/22 and finished it 10/1/23. The quilt pattern is Athena from GE Designs Stripology 2, but I switched up the colors a bit. Instead of a 2 color quilt, I made mine 3. I had purple strips and squares, neutral strips and yellow squares.

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Athena, Chain Link

Keeping the Momentum Going

September 28, 2023 12:33 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

Since I’ve gotten back from the retreat, I’ve kept the momentum going. There are 4 more quilts on my 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO list and 2 of them are one step closer. My goal is to show them Monday night at the meeting. First up is Auction Strings IV. For this one I used Strawberry Blond thread and Overlapping Crop Circles. The backing is a wide back I picked up in April. The binding is cut (turquois with a cheddar flange) and needs to be made.

LSU Athena is next on the list. For this quilt i used Buttercup thread and a sports motif quilting design. Originally I planned to use the LSU fabric as the outer border, but I like the tiger stripe better, so the LSU fabric ended up on the back. I have enough fabric to make a pillowcase to go with this quilt. The binding will be in the tiger stripe with a purple flange, just to make it easer to stitch down.

The most recent top is the Orange Lily Garden Lattice.

It is ready to load on the longarm as soon as I get the backing pieced. Since I have so much of the lily fabric, the backing will be the same as the main fabric. After cutting the backing, I counted folds. I think I still have 7 1/2 – 8 yards of fabric left. I have another quick quilt in mind, but before I can start it, I need to get the bindings on all of these quilts.

And because I sat down to write this post on the 27th, a picture of my babies. Butterscotch (R) and Gracie (L). Today was their ‘gotcha day’ anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been 9 years.

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Athena, Auction Strings, Butterscotch, Garden Lattice, Gracie

Weekend Quilt Retreat

September 25, 2023 9:01 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

This past weekend was Brandon Quilters annual retreat at Lake Tiak O’Khata. A great time was had by all.

After I had committed to attend the retreat, I found out that I needed to work this weekend. Fortunately it was for just an hour each Friday night and Sunday morning and I work remotely, so it didn’t diminish the fun too much.

The first project I finished was Auction Strings IV. This is the last of the string blocks I purchased at auction back in 2018. I just needed to add the setting corner squares and the borders.

I pulled Athena out next. This is from GE Designs Stripology 2. Shortly after I moved to Mississippi I started this quilt, but it got put away after the work on the house started in earnest. I had 16 of the 48 blocks made, but all the fabric cut. It is made by piecing strips around a center square then making 3 diagonal cuts through the block. The pieces are then mixed up and sewn back together again. Then the trimming begins. One that’s done, the top comes together quickly. I put it away at this point, as I forgot I had not bought, let alone brought with me the inner border fabric. I did make a run to a LQS and purchased fabric for the border, so I hope to get it finished this week.

I always bring way too much with me to work on, so I had to choose what to work on next. My rainbow charm swap or something new. I picked something new. All of this fabric came from the estate of former guild member. It went together so fast. I plan to get the border done on this quilt this week as well.

Posted in: Athena, Auction Strings, Garden Lattice

2023 Brandon Quilters UFO Challenge

January 1, 2023 10:26 am ⋅ Pam

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

July 2022 Road Trip Fabric

October 26, 2022 2:05 pm ⋅ Pam

While in Kansas City, my SIL and I did a quilt shop hop of our own making. I knew I wanted to go to Hunters Quilt Mart in Centerview, Missouri since the batiks were on sale. I am making Bonnie Hunter’s Rivanna in batiks on black. I picked up 18 of the batiks at Hunters and more at other shops during the week. Since I’ve been home I’ve brought my total count up to 30.

The pictures are sorted by ‘quilt’, not shops and are not in the order I visited the shops. The Magnolia, gold, cream and gold & green piece I found at Hunters. I think the dark green, almost black I found at Stitch On in Lawrence, Kansas and the bottom green on green was in the bucket I won at the Guild meeting! It’s going to be the backing. As I look at this picture I think I have an extra fabric.

The stripe in the middle I found at Missouri Star, which is where I picked up the pattern Quartered Stripes. The purple fabric I bought on a whim while I was at Hunter’s. Later that week we called and ordered the rest of the bolt as we discovered it works so well with several fabrics we picked up.

The final stack of fabric is from a variety of shops and are not for specific projects. The solids were on the clearance rack at Hunters. the FQs I bought at Mes Amis in New Orleans. The black on white I found at KC Maker Studio.

Tuesday we stopped in at Show-Me-Quilting in Raytown, MO specifically to pick up a couple of things I ordered on line — the book and blue fabric in the left picture. I picked up some cork to use in bag making and found fabric on clearance for the quilt, binding and backing. Of course now that I look at the stripe, I’m not sure it will work well for the Quarter Stripes quilt.

Purchased at Mes Amis, the tiger stripe will be the backing to the purple, yellow & white Athena I’m making. The green backing I picked up at Missouri Star to make tablecloths. I’m not sure where I found the red buttons. I purchased it for the centers of a log cabin quilt, but then opted for another fabric.

I love these waterlilies and dragonflies. The prints I picked up at Missouri Star, there’s that purple again from Hunters. I’m not sure where I picked up the pink/lavender.

At Prairie Point Quilt and Fabric Shop in Lenexa, Kansas I picked up fabric to make a blouse and the pattern for a bag. The bag fabric came from KC Maker Studio off the clearance rack.

Notions from Mes Amis, KC Maker Studio and Missouri Star, thread from Hunter’s Quilt Mark, and the barn wood star from the grocery store in Hamilton, Missouri.

I’m happy to report that the tablecloths are made.

And I’ve started on Rivanna. I’m using it as my leader/ender project. Lots of HST, so I’m working on them one color at a time. 3 down and 27 to go.

Posted in: Athena, Butterscotch, Leaders & Enders, Rivanna, Road Trip, Stash

Athena Is Kitted

February 4, 2022 9:47 am ⋅ Pam

The fabric for my interpretation of Athena is cut and ready to stitch. I’m happy to report that with the exception of the 4 pieces I bought before I started, all fabric came from my stash. I will need to purchase the border, backing and binding fabric. At the moment, all the pieces are gathered up and in a bag to be worked on later. My brother will be here next week and there will be no sewing for me – except maybe hemming the sheers for my windows.

Posted in: Athena

Food, Fabric, Fog, and Finishes

February 3, 2022 12:21 am ⋅ Pam

Food. I made something new earlier this week. Beef Stir Fry. There was a package of beef in the freezer pre-cut into stir fry strips. I’ve not been successful with making Chinese food, but thought I’d give it a go. I used the Easy Beef Stir Fry recipe from Spend with Pennies and served it over rice noodles and garnished with sesame seed and the scallion tops. My vegetables were mushrooms, red bell pepper, broccoli, snap peas, onion and carrots. I will be making this again. I didn’t think to take a picture of the meal, but Sherbert was ready to eat.

Fabric. First up the fabric for my version of Athena by GE Designs. I’ve pulled all but 4 of the fabrics from my stash. Of course, I haven’t cut the purple, so I don’t know if each piece is big enough for what I need. I can work from strips since all my star points will be purple and I’m using the yellow as the accent.

Fabric Part 2 I will be recovering dining room chairs in the near future. I’ve purchased this stripe fabric for the two arm chairs from a local shop.

This purple will be for the side chairs. This was a special order at the local shop (15 yards!) and I only need 2 yards. After searching on line I found an on-line source where I could by it by the yard and sent for a swatch. I don’t know if it’s the exact fabric, but I like it, so have ordered it.

On the way home fog was rolling in.

Finishes is used for the alliteration, but it’s really Window/Floor Trim that is needed to Finish my front rooms. The windows are only about 10″ off the floor. This is the combination I’m considering in the living room and dining room. My brother will be here for 2 weeks starting Monday to help me with the trim work in the house, so I need to hurry up and make a decision.

Posted in: Athena, House

New Floor, New Quilt

January 27, 2022 9:39 pm ⋅ Pam

Tuesday the flooring guys were back. The hall, office, and front 2 bedrooms now have flooring. Now to get the baseboards in so the painters can come back.

Saturday I went to the local quilt shop for their ‘Sew What’s New’ event. They had class samples and sale prices. I had no intention of buying anything and came home with Stripology Mixology 2 and the Creative Grids Flying Geese ruler. I went back and bought the Stripology XL Ruler, and now I have started my interpretation of Athena.