Category Archives: Challenges

Nifty Thrifty

September 27, 2015 3:16 pm ⋅ Pam

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.

Posted in: Bonnie Hunter, Challenges, Finish-A-Long - 2015, Nifty Thrifty, UFO Busting - 2015, UFO Parade - 2015

Orange is the Ultimate Favorite Color

September 26, 2015 11:16 am ⋅ Pam

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.

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.

Posted in: Challenges, DP9, Finish-A-Long - 2015, UFO Busting - 2015, UFO Parade - 2015

Out of the Blue

September 25, 2015 6:50 pm ⋅ Pam

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.

Posted in: Challenges, Finish-A-Long - 2015, Out of the Blue, UFO Busting - 2015, UFO Parade - 2015

Pillowcases – Group 1

September 24, 2015 11:14 pm ⋅ Pam

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

For these cases we wanted printed labels.

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.

Posted in: Challenges, Pillowcases

Diamond Links

September 23, 2015 12:35 am ⋅ Pam

Diamond Links is a Dorothy Young pattern that I started in 2007, but didn’t get the borders on until 2012. It was also in 2012 that rented time on a long arm to quilt it, but never finished. I only lacked 2-1/2 to 3 rows, plus the borders — which I was planning to quilt on my DSM. So, here we are 3 years later and I’m gettin’ it done.

I didn’t have a really good plan on how I was going to quilt this quilt, so there are ‘chains’, ‘continuous’ stitching and a bit of stitch in the ditch for traveling. The yellow pins are marking the rows where I’ve finished the chains and continuous stitching. I still have to figure out the traveling stitches, possibly something for the white square between the red chains and of course the borders.

My goal is to have this finished by the end of the week, but it may be more realistic to set the goal for the the end of the month.

Posted in: Challenges, diamond links

Calling It Done – Nifty Thrifty

September 22, 2015 12:33 am ⋅ Pam

I’ll get a better picture after I get it washed, but for now I’m calling it done.

Next up — either the other shirt backing or Diamond Links.

Posted in: Challenges

Ran Out of Steam

September 19, 2015 11:47 pm ⋅ Pam

After 6 bobbins, I ran out of steam. I’ve wound another 3 and think I’ll have enough to finish up the quilting, but given it’s nearly midnight I’m calling it a night. But I did find a solid green shirt which will yield enough 2-1/2″ strips to make the binding.

Posted in: Challenges

Thursday Night Quilting

September 17, 2015 11:51 pm ⋅ Pam

I’ve bounced between Out of the Blue (hanging off shelving) and Nifty Thrifty the past two days. Wednesday I started sandwiching Nifty Thrifty and got the backing spray basted. I even rolled the top onto the 1 x 6, but walked away at that point to work on the binding of Out of the Blue. Tonight I spray basted the top of Nifty Thrifty, then finished the binding on Out of the Blue.

Once I finished the binding, I cleaned the machine, changed the needle and wound 6 bobbins so I could begin the quilting on Nifty Thrifty. I’m doing simple cross-hatching so I don’t think it will take long. I hope to have the quilting done so I can take it with me when I go hear Bonnie Hunter on Sunday, although it won’t be bound. I have no idea what I’m going to use to bind it — maybe the red that I used in the Red Disappearing 9-Patch?

Posted in: Challenges, Nifty Thrifty, Out of the Blue

Frankenbatt & Challenge Creep

September 16, 2015 12:19 am ⋅ Pam

I have managed to piece together an 80″ x 88″ batt from my batting scraps. Since this is Hobbs Tuscany 100% cotton (bleached & unbleached) batting I’ve ‘saved’ $18.

As for the Challenge Creep, Out of the Blue is quilted and the binding is attached. I still need to stitch it down, clip miles of thread off the back, label and wash it. But this is not the only ‘creep’ on my challenge. There are at least 6 maybe 7 pillowcases not associated with the quilts to be made and the SBS Brown & Blue Swap quilt got added to the list. I really hope that’s it. My notes indicate that both the binding and the backing are made, but not counted in my stash report. I’ll have to dig it out in the next few days. I need it sooner than the rest of the quilts, but after this one will be shipped off.

Posted in: Challenges, Out of the Blue

6 of 19

September 12, 2015 11:37 pm ⋅ Pam

That’s task #6 of the 19 needed to get the 12 quilts completed by the end of the year for the Crazy Challenge II. This is the backing for Nifty Thrifty. Given that some of the tasks are going to take longer than a week (finishing the Green & Cream Swap and the Compass Lone Star come to mind) and there are tentative plans to travel in November, I need a couple of quick finishes.