Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Challenges

A New UFO Challenge

Jo over at Jo’s County Junction is hosting “finish a UFO before Bonnie’s mystery quilt starts challenge”. One could argue that I have already picked multiple UFOs as part of my Crazy  Challenge II. But I think I’ll use Jo’s challenge to set aside Tuesday to work on Sew Scrappy, a Evelyn Sloppy her book 40 Fabulous Quilt-Cut Quilts and then post my progress on Wednesday.

The quilt is in 2 piles. The one on my desk:

sewscrappydesk

And there’s more of it in a project box near my design wall:

sewscrappybox

Now back to the rest of the UFOs!

 

 

Ready to Bind

sbsreadyforbinding

September Recap / October Goals

September was a very productive month for me. Crazy Challenge II seems to have gotten me going.

Over the month I pieced 3 quilt backs. They are for the Green Disappearing 9-Patch, Aiming for Accuracy, and Nifty Thrifty.

Sept_Backings

Seven pillowcases were made – I still need to make the one to go with Nifty Thrifty.

Sept_CasesAnd I finished 4 quilts – Out of the Blue, the Orange Disappearing 9-Patch, Nifty Thrifty and Diamond Links.

Sept_quilts

 

For the block count over at Prairie Moon Quilts, I’m counting 20 blocks which went into the Aiming for Accuracy backing. That brings my block total for the year to 584.

UFO Busting 2015

Now for the UFO Busting Report. I’ve dropped below 60 UFOs!

  • Projects In Process September 1 – 63
  • Projects Completed – 5 (I’m counting the extra pillowcases I sent w/Out of the Blue as a project)
  • New Projects started – 1
  • UFOs re-purposed – 0
  • Projects in Process September 30 – 59

So, what’s on tap for October?

  • Piece the last shirting back
  • Complete SBS swap block quilt
  • Complete Orange Crush*
  • Complete Aiming for Accuracy*
  • Complete at least one Disappearing 9-Patch

Bonus: Complete Sew Scrappy top, 2nd Disappearing 9-Patch, Compass Lone Star or Green & Cream Swap

*The Pink & Brown quilt and the Black & White Strip Twist might be substituted if they are needed in early November, pushing the listed two quilts out to November.

Diamond Links

DiamondLinksFrontDoneDiamond Links was the 2007 Mystery Quilt on the Yahoo! Group apocketfullofmysteries owned by Dorothy Young. It’s been a top so long and I’ve gone through a couple of computers I’m not sure I even have the pattern any more. Unlike more recent mysteries where I pull from my stash, most, if not all of the fabric was purchased specifically for this quilt.

A couple of people have commented on the border fabric.  It is Pattern # BTR-4407 from Blank Quilting with a copyright of 2006. The pillowcase fabric is Masquerade IV by fresh designs for Henry Glass & Co. Pattern # 9246. I bought it while back as well.

I rented time on a long arm back in January 2013, but ran into some issues and brought the quilt home. Where it sat and sat and sat. It hit the Crazy Challenge II list as a wedding gift so I needed to get it done. I finished the quilting on my DSM, the used ‘Susie’s Magic Binding’ to quickly bind the quilt.

The quilt also has a bit of ‘back art’

DiamondLinksback

and of course pillowcases.

diamondpillow

A couple of notes on the pictures. Turns out there wasn’t a good place to prevent shadows. I guess I’ve got to get out earlier in the day for shadow free pictures. Cropped out of the first picture, but visible in the second is the temporary hanging sleeve — I simply pinned it on for the pictures.

  • Top Started: January 2007
  • Top Completed: 3/18/2007
  • Quilting Started: January 2012
  • Quilt Completed: 9/30/2015
  • Batting: Warm & Natural
  • Thread: Superior Threads King Tut #40/3 Color # 978 “Rosetta Stone” on the top and Black Bottom Line in the bobbin
  • Measures 74″ x 91″ after washing

This quilt is on my list for the 3rd Quarter Finish Along – but only because I included everything on the list. I’m sending it to Aunt Marti for the UFO Parade, but since I didn’t get the picture until after 5 it will be in next month’s parade. It’s also being sent in for the 2015 UFO Busting over at Field Trips in Fiber.  It is part of my Crazy Challenge II which started August 15th.

Getting Ahead of Myself

sbsswaptop

 

Diamond Links still needs binding (it’s made!),  but I pulled out my Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler Swap top as it is part of the Crazy Challenge II and needs to be done by the end of October. Fortunately I have the backing already seamed, binding is made (although I’m having second thoughts) and have picked a thread (or maybe not).  All that is left is for me to get batting and start the quilting.

The quilting gets me every time. I really shouldn’t say “every” as sometimes, I know exactly how I’m going to quilt a top. But I’m stymied on this one. Continue curves in the chain and either feathers or a cable in the borders depending on whether I quilt it on my DSM with my walking foot or rent time on the long arm. But the pieced blocks – I have no idea. I hope someone comments either here or on my Facebook post that triggers an idea so I’m not trying to get this done at the last-minute.

Now I’m off to finish up Diamond Links.

What’s On My Design Wall

diamondlinkstrimmed

 

Not really my design wall, but it’s what I finished up after watching the eclipse last night.  This is Diamond Links and the quilting is complete. So, up next is binding. Since it’s been a couple of years since I started the quilting, I have no idea what I was planning on using for the binding, but I’ve decided to do use the red inner border fabric as a faux piping and the border fabric as the binding.

Here are a couple of the pics I took of the moon last night.

moon1

moon2

Don’t forget to check out the links over at Patchwork Times.

Nifty Thrifty

niftythiftywashed

Nifty Thrifty is a Bonnie Hunter pattern found in her book Scraps and Shirttails.

Quilt Statistics:

  • Top Started: 3/3/13
  • Top Completed: 7/19/13
  • Quilt Completed: 9/21/15
  • Recycled Fabric Used: 12.181 yards – front, back and binding
  • Batting: Hobbs Tuscany 100% Unbleached Cotton & Bleached Cotton
  • Thread: Coats Machine Quilting 100% cotton 30wt. Article V34 color 309A – Camel
  • Measures 69″ x 78″ after washing

This quilt is on my list for the 3rd Quarter Finish Along – but only because I included everything on the the list. I’m sending it to Aunt Marti for the UFO Parade. It’s also being sent in for the 2015 UFO Busting over at Field Trips in Fiber.  It is of course part of the scope creep for my Crazy Challenge II which started August 15th.

Orange is the Ultimate Favorite Color

OrangeDP9washed

I gave this Disappearing 9-Patch the name “Orange is the Ultimate Favorite Color” as that is what my nephew is fond of saying.  When asked, he says “I have 2 favorite colors, red and yellow, which make orange, which is my ultimate favorite color.” The quilting is simple – diagonal lines.

ORANGEDETAIL

Quilt Statistics:

  • Top Started: 5/19/15
  • Top Completed: 6/5/15
  • Quilt Completed: 9/5/15
  • Recycled Fabric Used: 8.7 yards (front & back)
  • Purchased Fabric Used: .968 (orange)
  • Batting: Hobbs Tuscany 100% Unbleached Cotton
  • Thread: Coats Machine Quilting 100% cotton 30wt. Article V3 color 880 – Autumn
  • Machine Quilted on my DSM
  • Measures 62″ x 77″ after washing

This quilt is on my list for the 3rd Quarter Finish Along. I’m sending it to Aunt Marti for the UFO Parade. It’s also being sent in for the 2015 UFO Busting over at Field Trips in Fiber.  It is one of the original quilts on my Crazy Challenge II which started August 15th.

Out of the Blue

outofthebluewashed

The top for Out of the Blue came about a few years ago as a desire to get my orphan block box closed. A few weeks ago I was asked if I had something I could quilt quickly for a 7-year-old girl and immediately thought of Out of the Blue.

I finished the quilting on it and got it bound last week, but it still needed a label, threads trimmed, washing and the pillowcases for the girl’s siblings made. Now that all of that is done, I have a good picture of the quilt.

Quilt Statistics:

  • Top Started: 7/19/13
  • Top Completed: 8/3/13
  • Quilt Completed: 9/17/15
  • Yardage Used in Top and Binding – other than Orphan Blocks: 1.825 yards
  • Yardage Used for the Backing – 2.667 yards
  • Batting: The same batting I used in Dancing Flowers — I’m not sure what it is other than a black batting.
  • Thread: Superior Threads Omni Thread in Green Turquoise # 3092 top and bobbin
  • Measures  45-1/2″ x 58-1/2″ after washing

This quilt is on my list for the 3rd Quarter Finish Along – but only because I gave in and listed EVERY UFO. I’m sending it to Aunt Marti for the UFO Parade. It’s also being sent in for the 2015 UFO Busting over at Field Trips in Fiber.  It is of course part of the scope creep for my Crazy Challenge II which started August 15th.

 

 

Pillowcases – Group 1

4casesQuilting was interrupted when my printer ink arrived to make pillowcases. Huh?

For these cases we wanted printed labels.

caselabel

Appliqué

The labels were inserted into the cuff via reverse appliqué. I had the process down to a science by the time I got to the 4th case…which will come in handy when I do the next set of 4 + 1 later this year.

My stash surprised me again. With the exception of the ‘superhero’ fabric, it all came from my stash. The ‘superhero’ fabric was originally in my mom’s stash, then mine, then my sister’s before I reclaimed it last weekend. Now I’m off to trim thread from Out of the Blue so I can wash it and the cases. They all need to be mailed this weekend.