Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Author Archives: Pam

I made my first quilted item as a visual aid for a math project in 7th grade. Over the next 25 years quilting was hit or miss, but quilting took over all the other crafts I've done in 2003.

3rd Quarter Finish-Along

July 7, 2015 11:02 pm ⋅

2015 FAL at On the Windy Side

It’s time to link up our lists of what we plan to finish in the 3rd quarter with Adrianne at On the Windy Side. Normally, I’d go back and add the link to the July 1st post were I outlined a selection of projects from my WIP and TBQ lists. But with all that is going on around here, it’s entirely possible I’ll need a quick finish to say I’ve gotten anything done. Given there is no penalty for not finishing everything on the list, I’m just going to list everything that is in progress, plus a few PIGS.

Works In Progress:

UFO07-01

Quilted Sweatshirt, Just Takes Two, Sisters Swap, Compass Lone Star, Lee’s Christmas Blocks, Lilbet’s Garden, Hexie Hand Project, Hancock Stars BOM, Estate DWR, Faux applique, QIAD Flying Dutchmen Lotto, Sew Scrappy, QAYG String Blocks, Border Class Sampler, Mom’s Thangles BOM, ‘Twas Night Before Christmas I, Sheryl’s Churn Dash, Jane’s Hourglass,  Red DP9, Alphabet BOM, Redwork Snowmen, Lee’s Baskets, Blue Strings, Green DP9, ‘Twas Night Before Christmas II, Tumbler L/E, Candy Sunflower Seed, Green & Cream Swap, Star-A-Day, Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler, String HST, Postage Stamp L/E.  That’s 32.

Tops to Be Quilted:

tops0701

Whitework, 2008 Retreat Swap, Fairy Frost Sunset, Estate Dove in the Window, QIAD Christmas Row Quilt, Thangles II, Machine Quilting Sampler, Nifty Thrifty, Raising Cane, Old Tobacco Row, Mom’s Stacked 4-patch, Black & Bright Sampler, David’s DP9, B & W Strip Twist, ModaU Sampler, 2011 Retreat Mystery (small), Out of the Blue, AAQAL, Christmas BOM, 2011 Retreat Mystery (large), Orange Crush, Pink & Black 4-patch Stacked Posie, Diamond Links, B&W stacked 4-patch, Blue & Brown SBS swap, 2012 Retreat Mystery, Christmas Crazy 8, Stack-n-Whack, Scrap Patch Hearts, Baby B&M stacked 4-patch, Pink & Brown. That should be 31 tops.

Projects In Grocery Sacks:

newprojects

Squedge Ruler project, “August A”, the Hardware quilt and a Triangle Frenzy table runner. There are another 9 on my list – 4 of them could probably be broken up and put back into my stash, but I don’t see a hurry since I’m trying not to start anything new.  The other 5 are large projects and I don’t see me starting them any time soon. These 4 pictured are smaller projects and potentially doable over the course of a few days.

Works Hidden In My Mind:

This list fluctuates and doesn’t have fabric picked out – except in my mind. An example  is I really want to make a Trip Around the World set on point using 30’s solids and prints.  I’ve wanted to make this quilt for at least 20 years, but other than a few hen-scratched notes, I haven’t done anything about it. So, given the state of this list, they are officially excluded from the Finish Along.

So the above is my official 3rd Quarter Finish-Along list. The question is not will I finish everything — it’s a given that I won’t — but will I finish ANYTHING on the list. Since I’m doing my best to not start anything new if I get anything finished I hope the answer is yes.

Posted in: Finish-A-Long - 2015

What’s on My Design Wall

July 6, 2015 8:32 am ⋅

reddp90706

Hey, hey. There’s a change on my design wall this week. Ok, not much of one, but I’m not using the same picture.  Last week I took down the Sew Scrappy blocks as I made more progress on the Red Disappearing 9-Patch.  Show me the progress you say?

Reddp9pieces

Those 4 huge 9-patches will become 12 DP9 blocks.  The stack in the top right corner are 52 blocks waiting to go up on the wall.  I still have 10 more big 9-patches to sew together.  Of course my wall is not big enough for the whole quilt – 11 x 13 blocks – so I’m not sure how I’m going to lay it out.  May just sort the 4 matching blocks into 4 sections and make sure each section looks good.

I started the Tumbler leader/ender Challenge quilt on July 1st as well.  I’ve repurposed the strips I had cut for Rectangle Wrangle to cut tumblers using my Dresden Plate ruler.

dressdenruler

My tumblers are 2-1/2″ tall and so far I’ve got 12 pairs made. I want to be able to mix the colors up in the quilt and so far most the ones I’ve made are red.  My guess is that after the first of the year I’ll start sewing them into rows once I have ton of pairs made.  I need over 1100 tumblers for a small lap quilt and twice that many for twin.  I have 24 sewn together.

See what other are working on over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: designwall, Leaders & Enders, Tumblers

Stash Report

July 5, 2015 4:53 am ⋅

The only change to my stash report from last week is that I didn’t work on the stars.

No change on the fabric front.  I did a bit of hand stitching — have a new star to show for it — and briefly sat in front of the sewing machine to work on the 2nd DP9.

Fabric Added Since Last Report 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 181.805 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 48.173 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date:  133.632 yards

See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

The UFO Report

July 4, 2015 4:17 pm ⋅

graciequilt

Since this is the 4th of July, I thought I would start with a picture of my red, white & blue Ladder to the Stars and Gracie that I took this morning. Ladder to the Stars was worked on in several stages. Started in 2009, the blocks came together quickly, but then the pieced sashing required thought and it was nearly 5 months later before I got them made and the center of the quilt assembled. It was another 3 months before I got the borders on the top. Then it sat for 3 years before I got it quilted. It was finished in 2013.

The short answer to the June UFO report is that I started with 63 UFOs and I finished June with 63 UFOs. The only change is that one quilt moved from the Work in Progress list to the To Be Quilted list.  So I’m going to recap the first 6 months of the year.

January 1st I started off with 36 quilts in progress, I’ve started 5 new projects, declared 1 orphan blocks and finished 7 quilt tops bringing my total Works in Progress to 33 as of June 30th.

The year started off with 33 quilt top waiting to be quilted, those 7 quilt tops I finished were added to the list, I personally quilted and finished 5 quilt tops and donated 5 quilt tops bringing my total to 30.

So in summary I’m making progress I’m down 6 projects for the year.

Posted in: UFO Busting - 2015

June Recap / July and 3rd Quarter Goals

July 1, 2015 10:19 pm ⋅

I may not have sat at the sewing machine much in June, but I made the most of the time I had at the machine.

The smaller of the three Disappearing 9-Patches became a top:

davidsquilt

About 1/3 of the second DP9 blocks are made and 22 of the Sew Scrappy Blocks are done:

dw0615

3 Star-A-Day Blocks were made:

3Star-A-Day

That’s 165 blocks for the Prairie Moon Quilts 350 Block Project.

There is nothing to report on for the UFO Parade, but others had finishes in June.

So what’s on the agenda for July and the 3rd Quarter?  Well, more than I realistically can get done even if we weren’t still working in the backyard, aka “The Jungle”.

On deck are the following.

  • Finish the red DP9. What’s not on the design wall is sitting here next to the sewing machine.
     reddp9
  • The Green DP9 is currently my travel project — not that I have lots of plans for traveling.greendp9
  • Finish the Sew Scrappy top. All that is left is the rest of these blocks. I need 38 more, then I can start assembling the quilt top.
  • sewcrappy2I would like to get Diamond Links finished.  The last couple of rows and the borders need quilting.DiamondLinks
  • Finally, in July I’d like to get more stars made for the Star-A-Day quilt.

The rest of the 3rd Quarter goals for the 2015 Finish-A-Long include new projects (shh! I’m supposed to be working on my UFOs.)

newprojects Squedge Ruler project, “August A”, the Hardware quilt and a Triangle Frenzy table runner.

UFOs are on my list. These tops need borders, more blocks, or setting together (the orange and purple is Orca Bay and it was finished in May!)

nottopsyet

Candy Sunflower Seeds, Star-A-Day , String HST, Sister Swap Blocks, Alphabet BOM

And last, but not least there are quilts that are partially quilted.

quiltasyougo

Cream & Green swap, Whitework, Hancock Star BOM, a quilted sweatshirt & the Compass Lone Star

Along the way I’ll be working on the new Bonnie Hunter Leader/Ender Challenge – Tumblers.  I’ve already started by cutting a tumblers from my 2-1/2″ shirt strips that were previously designated at “Rectangle Wrangler” so this does not add to my UFO count.

tumblers

Well, I’m off to stitch a few DP9 blocks to say I’ve sat at my sewing machine today.

Posted in: 2015 -350 Blocks, Finish-A-Long - 2015, goals

What’s On My Design Wall

June 29, 2015 9:25 am ⋅

DW0629

Maybe it’s because I had two big finishes in May followed by a 3 day retreat. Or the work that we’ve been doing in the yard. But for whatever reason, I’ve not been sitting at the sewing machine.

My actual design wall has not changed in 3 weeks — unless you count 3 blocks falling off the wall (one more than last week). But I did get one of my Star-A-Day stars stitched last week (it still needs pressing). This one is # 114.

Check out the links over at Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

 

Posted in: Star-A-Day, Stash Busting Report

Stash Report

June 28, 2015 10:09 am ⋅

No change on the fabric front.  I did a bit of hand stitching — have a new star to show for it — and briefly sat in front of the sewing machine to work on the 2nd DP9.

Fabric Added Since Last Report 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 181.805 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 48.173 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date:  133.632 yards

See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Stash Busting Report

What’s on My Design Wall

June 22, 2015 6:59 am ⋅

dw0622

 

Don’t look now, but Star-A-Day # 112 & #113 have been completed.  For those keeping score at home, I will not have the top done by August 31st/Sept 10th. I would have to make 3 1/2 stars a day and I don’t see that happening. But, I might get it in gear and get a few more stars done this month.

As for my design wall, nothing has changed — except 2 DP9 blocks have fallen off the wall.  I have the next set of 13 9-patches stitched into rows, but have not managed to sew them into blocks yet. Perhaps this week.

Hop over to Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

Posted in: designwall, Star-A-Day

Stash Report

June 21, 2015 11:28 am ⋅

Again, I’m not sure what I’ve been doing, but it hasn’t been quilting – unless you count finishing a new star for my Star-Every-Once-In-A-While quilt. Actually yesterday I went to the Inaugural Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival with my sister and last night I attended Jazz in the Woods with my husband.

The show had a great quilts, great special exhibits and great vendors. I started to say that I spent nothing — I didn’t come home with any fabrics — but I did spend more money that I intended to.

I love my Martelli Ergo Rotary Cutters — so much that when I eventually break them by dropping them one too many times or simply wear them out, I throw them in the bottom drawer to cannibalize them for parts.   I’ve managed to accumulate 4 of them and the last one I’ve been fighting to the point that I’ve been using my 2nd favorite cutter and put my 3rd favorite in the travel bag.

Well, one of the first stops we made was the Martelli booth.  They told me to bring them in and they’ll figure out what I’m doing wrong, fix them if possible or simply allow me to swap them out for half price.  My husband called me to see when I was coming home and I told him about the swap. Great guy that he is, he offered to get the cutters and bring them too me!  He found all of them.

We looked them all over. I had 3 different versions of cutters – the original which couldn’t be taken apart for cleaning, 2 of the next version and one of the latest models (all work the same, they simply tweaked the design a bit). The newest one it turns out I’ve been tightening the bolt too much, creating a groove in it causing it to seize up. They GAVE me a new bolt and now the cutter works just fine.

Of the other three, I traded in the one that couldn’t be cleaned and the one that I had broken off the hook where the spring attaches.  I left the show with 4 cutters – but gave one to my sister to try out. That still leaves me with one for home, one for my travel bag and a spare. The spare may get traded in some day as it’s not in the best condition, but will work in a pinch here at home.

martelli

Oh, but this was supposed to be a stash report before I got sidetracked. I won a couple of mini charm packs — that the only new fabric and as I implied in the beginning no countable fabric used.

Fabric Added Since Last Report 0.365 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 181.805 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 48.173 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date:  133.632 yards

See how others are doing over at Patchwork Times.

 

Posted in: rotary cutter, Stash Busting Report

Squishie in the Mail

June 16, 2015 11:45 pm ⋅

squishie0615

I follow Aunt Marti over at 52Quilts.com and I participate in the monthly UFO Parade — some months.  Each month there is a drawing from the participating quilters and this month my name was drawn!

This is a wonderful prize pack — a pattern and the mini charm packs to make the little quilt, as well as a 2″ ruler.

Thank you Aunt Marti.

Posted in: Uncategorized