Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

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New Quilts in the Queue

Actually it is two new quilts.  My last post had me picking fabrics for a sampler quilt (Quilt #1). This is my final decision — but I haven’t started it since it was a crazy week at work and I never made it into my sewing room.  I was able to play a bit in EQ. I’ve designed a quilt for a wedding gift for my nephew and his wife.  They requested whites and creams with a hint of sea foam and lavender as shown in this color palette:

So Saturday I headed to Quilters Haven in Olathe,  Kansas to look for batiks.

I seldom buy fabric in one go for a quilt – especially if it is going to be scrappy, but that’s what I did.   So this is Quilt #2. But before I start cutting into the fabric I want to make certain I have the pattern correct – not to mention have a quilt I can practice my quilting on when I get that far.  So I pulled red, blue and neutral FQs from my stash to make some practice blocks. Thus Quilt #3 – although it’s the one that is currently being worked on.

 

 

Fabric Choices for a Sampler Quilt

If you’ve read my blog or followed me on Facebook, you know that I’m a scrappy quilter, so only using 3 fabrics — the same 3 fabrics throughout a quilt is a challenge. Especially since until recently I didn’t have much yardage.  Now I have yardage, but very little in the way of prints that could be used for borders.

I think I found 4 maybe 5 prints with enough yardage, but then finding 3 fabrics to go with it was a challenge.  I came up with these 2 options.

Background –  Soft yellow, “Dark” – Fuchia, “Medium” – Turquoise

or

Background – Gray/White dots, “Dark” – Fuchia, “Medium” – gold/yellow

The plan is to use the black with gold sparkles as the accent border and sashing.

Now I’m wondering if the second set of fabrics works with either the butterflies or abstract print.  I guess I’ll be sleeping on this for a bit until I get the pattern worked out.

 

 

 

New Collage Pictures

Since I was up early this morning for a work thing, I worked on updating the collage pictures. I found pictures of all of the tops waiting to be quilted.

I found pictures for all but 5 of the quilts. I wasn’t able to locate 2 of the projects. I suspect they are in a bin under my longarm.  I’ll dig them out before the first of the year.

Updating the Blog

This blog has been neglected for the past few years, so tonight I updated my “Finishes”. Not all the pictures are great, there aren’t blog posts for every quilt and there are no dates listed.  But the “Finishes” are up to date.  “Tops to Be Quilted” has a current list, but picture is out of date. The “Quilts in Progress” has been updated in the same way.

Keeping Busy

A few more things have been crossed off the list — including the pillowcase for Narragansett Blues which I decided not to make. I planned to use the backing fabric, but since it bleed so bad….

As for the quilt, I mentioned I fixed the spot on the binding.   Here’s the quilt hanging in my living room on a temporary sleeve. There’s just barely enough space on that wall.

I finished the two Flying Dutchmen quilts from the February 2009 Lotto blocks.  Both of these quilts were give to Hope House.

Then I temporarily misplaced this piece of banner fabric.  This is what I am to use in my Suffrage Quilt.  Needless to say, I was in a panic trying to find it.

I suspected it got grabbed up and stuffed in one of my fabric boxes by accident, so pulled all of the “FQs” out of their boxes looking for it. I didn’t find it.

So I asked if any of my quilting buddies wanted to come help me look.  Karen said she’d come over.  That morning I found the fabric in the bag of stuff I needed to cut into strips. Karen came over anyway and helped me put all of this back together.  She boxed while I finished folding the cat FQs.

Then I got to work on the Suffrage Quilt.  I’m happy to report that it is quilted and just needs to be bound. I’ll show  picture of it as soon as I’m able.

A Smidge More Fabric

Instead of throwing away the fabric and batting scraps that are too small for me to use, I’ve started collecting them to give to a woman in my small guild who uses them to stuff dog beds for the shelter. After cleaning my space this week, I had 2 bags full. Since the guild is not meeting, I drop them off at Show-Me-Quilting, in Raytown. A smidge more fabric came home with me.

The red  on the top and the black on the bottom will be used with the crazy blocks I bought at auction a few years back. The dinosaurs and hexagons will go into kids quilts, and the dotted fabric goes into my stash.  Now to figure out where to store the fabric from the past two days.  At the moment it’s neatly folded and stacked on a chair. I’ve got to sew to use it up.

Speaking of using it up, I pulled down my Flying Dutchmen Swap blocks and have started the quilts. The blocks will be framed in gray. The sashing will be be pink with gray cornerstones. I’ll finish it with a grey border. That will be 8 yards plus backing out of the stash, and another thing crossed off The List.

I crossed off Fix Narragansett Blues. I didn’t catch the bottom right 3 pieces under the binding very well and it pulled out after washing.  This is the result of my fix. While crossing things off,  I crossed off the pillowcase I planned to make.

Easy Breezy = 68

Another Full Day

It was another full day. At this rate I’m going to need a vacation from my vacation.  After finishing my ‘frankenbatt’ I quickly loaded up the “Ugly” quilt on the frame and started quilting it. All but the last pass was finished prior to heading out to StitchOn in Lawrence, Kansas were I needed to pick up fabric from a Facebook Live order.  When I got home, I quickly finished the quilting.  I think the name of this design is Bamboo Shoots. I boldly used green thread in the bobbin as well.

I even got the binding applied!

While I was working on the binding, I loaded up the kitty/hearts/flower quilt, which I quilted with hearts and flowers.

I had just enough of the yellow star backing. This time I used a purple thread.

Here’s a closeup on the front.

All of this quilting and a visit to both StitchOn and another to Peddler’s Wagon.

and another to Peddler’s Wagon.  They only had 3 yards of the “wheat” colored fabric, which now that I think about is more accurately described as butternut.

That bottom piece is a beautiful border print.

My SIL asked me what I was going to do with it and have no idea. But I’ll think of something.

On, my Folder Corner Ruler came in today. We weren’t expecting it to arrive until  Saturday. It’s a funny story.  I ordered the ruler from Quiltville.com along with a couple of other things last week. I received a notice that the package was shipped within a couple of hours. The next day I check the tracking number and the package is in Florida.

I thought that was odd, since usually the packages go through Knoxville or Nashville on their way to Kansas City. The next morning, the package was in Jackson, Mississippi. That’s when I discovered I had the package mailed to my SIL! She popped it into the mail and it arrived 2 days early! So, later today after I get the binding on the kitty quilt, I’ll resume working on my Shimmer.

 

Vacation Squirrels!

 

I don’t have to go back to work until Tuesday, which is good because I’ve been distracted by a few ‘squirrels’.  First up, this lap quilt.  It’s a variation on Simple Simeon, a Villa Rose pattern. The top was first, then a pieced backing.

The binding is attached to the back, folded to the front and stitched with a decorative stitch.  I quilted it with a dragonfly pattern.

Squirrel!

Before I finished the dragonflies, I got distracted by some fabric in my stash.

I’ve had the cat and butterfly fabrics for a while.  The pink flowers are slightly newer, and the purple was bought for the border on the Log Cabin quilt.  I haven’t figured out a backing for this yet, but hope to have it quilted and bound before I go back to work.

Squirrel!

Monday or Tuesday morning I watched a video on what to do with your ‘ugly’ fabric. I like this better than I thought I would. I found backing and binding in my stash and made a ‘frankenbatt’. It should be finished tomorrow.

Squirrel!

A quilt shop about 30 minutes from me on the north side of town, is going out of business. I’ve not been able to get up there, but earlier this week I received an email. 75% off.  Since I was off, I decided to go to see if I could find anything.

Today’s adventures take me to 2 other quilts shops — the trip has been planned for a couple of weeks, but I may just have to swing back by the shop going out of business. I want to see if they have any of the ‘wheat’ colored fabric left. I bought 3 yards, but now I’m wishing I got more.

Squirrel!

I cleaned my sewing room, putting away the fabric which has been laying about as well as the fabric I purchased. There is still some on top of my boxes, but mostly backings.

With all of these squirrels, I have managed to cross a few things off The List.

Not only are Ruby’s quilts trimmed, she should have them this afternoon.

Easy Breezy = 66

Shopping via Facebook Lives

These days a number of quilt shops are doing Facebook Lives to bring the quilt shop to their customers virtually. Although it’s not a new phenomenon, there has been an uptick in the number of shops which offer this service.  The first event I remember attending was for First City Quilts in Leavenworth, Kansas the summer of 2019.  I caught the tail end of the event. That’s where I first saw Baubles ‘n Beads and knew I wanted to make it.  Now that I’ve started it is coming together quickly.

Stitch On Needlework Shop in Lawrence, KS offers 2 live events each week.  Monday and Thursday at 11 AM Central. Although it wasn’t a live event, a summer 2019 FB post is what drew me to the Radiance collection of fabric.  Just recently they showed Shimmer during a FB live. I plan to use the rest of my Radiance bundle to make this quilt.

I was recently introduced The Quilted Cow in Branson, Missouri via their FB Live Party in Your PJs.  That’s a lively hour or two.  Interestingly, it’s possible to not get everything you “order”.  The first party I attended I ordered a panel and something else, but by the time my order came up in the queue, they only had the panel.  I  have no idea what I’m going to do with this panel, but I do like the free pattern the designer has which uses 2 placemat panels and a couple of coordinating prints.

This past week, I ordered a few more things including this humming bird panel. I think I will just quilt this and call it done.

Show-Me-Quilting does their event a bit different.  Beth records the show and hosts a Watch Party where she answers questions live and you can request your items. This week I fell in love with this Ol Saint Nick panel by Hoffman Fabrics.  It was shown twice. I passed on it the first time, but the second time it was suggest that cutting it up and using it in an attic window block would make a cool quilt. I watched the Missouri Star video on how to do it and decided I had to have the panel. Fortunately there were still some left.

It’s time for me to stop shopping for a bit.

Over the past 2 weeks these items came in the house, mostly via a FB event.  The purple (or is it navy?) with gold dots is from Show-Me-Quilting. No idea what I’ll do with it, and after the trouble I had locating more of the Kansas Troubles Fabric I bought 3 yards.  Speaking of the Kansas Troubles,  I called Kansas Troubles Quilters and asked if they had any FQs of the fabric I needed for binding Cascade. They were able to find 2 Fat Eighths!  The rest of the items are from my 2nd Quilted Cow purchase.

I think it’s time to put down my mouse and get back to the sewing machine.

 

40 Day Challenge – Day 25

 

Alleitare is finished!  This was the 2015 Quiltville Mystery Quilt designed by Bonnie Hunter.  I finally got the border on it a few years ago at a quilt retreat and got it quilted before I went to Shipshewana 2 years ago. It sat in the To Be Bound stack because I didn’t know if I could do both a scalloped border and use Susie’s Magic Binding.  This afternoon I decided to just go for it.

Other tasks today included making another 6 Frolic blocks and delivering the quilt that needed the label.  Since I plan to make Frolic one block wider and longer 41 blocks and 16 side setting triangles. I now have 17 blocks completed. There will be more cutting of fabric before the top is completed.

  • A customer’s quilt – binding needs to be pressed, then can be attached and stitched down 6/6/2020
  • Allietaire – plan do do both scallops and a 2 color binding. 6/28/2020
  • Narragansett Blues 6/11/2020
  • Sister Swap # 3 – The binding is made just needs to be attached and stitched down 6/6/2020
  • Then & Now 6/7/2020
  • Baby 4-Patch Stacked Posies
  • Tablerunner – Finally figured out what I am going to use – 6/7/2020
  • The quilt with the striped backing needs a label and delivered. 6/28/2020
  • I’m behind on my Star Studded BOM. I have fabric for 7 12-inch blocks and 23 6-inch blocks as of 6/12/2020
    • 5 6-inch blocks made 6/13/2020
    • 2 12-inch blocks made 6/14/2020
    • 6 6-inch blocks made on 6/16/2020
    • 12 6-inch blocks made on 6/20/2020
    • 2 12-inch blocks made on 6/21/2020
    • 3 12-inch blocks made on 6/22/2020
  • The log cabin quilt needs to be quilted, bound and labeled. – 6/24/2020
  • The blue, black and white quilt is my Frolic the goal is to finish the top. Started with 5.
    • 3 blocks 6/26/2020
    • 3 blocks 6/27/2020
    • 6 blocks 6/28/2020
  • Although not quilting, there are 8 pair of pants which need to be shortened.
    • 2 pair hemmed 6/8/2020
    • 2 pair hemmed 6/9/2020
    • 1 pair hemmed 6/12/2020
    • 3 pair hemmed 6/13/2020
  • Bonus #1 – Pillowcases:
    • the customer quilt 6/6/2020
    • Allietare
    • Narragansett Blues
    • Log cabin quilt (2) 6/25/2020
  • Bonus #2: Pillowcases for quilts already completed
    • Christmas Crazy 8s
    • On Ringo Lake 6/16/2020
    • En Provence (2)
    • Carolina Chain
    • Good Fortune 6/16/2020
  • Bonus #3: Quilt, bind, label and make pillowcase (2) for Frolic.