Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Challenges

May’s Progress / June’s Goals

June 1, 2015 5:30 pm ⋅

Here it is the first of June and time to check on my quilting goals. Except for the Star-A-Day (my husband is calling Star-A-Week) I got everything done.

  • Finish the graduation quilt by the 16th – Donegradquiltdone-top-tweak
  • Finish Orca Bay – Doneorcabaydone2
  • Trace and cut stars for the Star-Every-Other-Day Quilt (I’m not even certain I can pull that off – we’ll have to see) – Didn’t touch!
  • Regroup on Sew Scrappy – Donesewscrappy-cut
  • Cut squares from my recycled shirts and associated solids for 3 different Disappearing 9-patches in preparation for the Retreat. – Donedw0525-2

Finishing Eye Fooler allowed me to add to my Block Count over at Prairie Moon Quilts.

  • 350 Block Report: 27 for a total of 151 – ahead of the year to date goal of 140

The UFO Busting Report with these finishes and starts looks like this:

  • # of Projects in Process May 1st: 63
  • # of Projects Completed: 2 (Orca Bay & Eye Fooler)
  • # of new Projects started: 3 (3 DP9)
  • # of projects declared orphans 1 (2011 BOM)
  • # of Projects in Process May 31th: 63

So, what’s up for June?

  • Complete the 3 Disappearing 9-patch tops
  • Complete the Sew Scrappy top
  • Finish Diamond Links
  • Make progress on the Star-A-Day quilt

Will I get everything done or get diverted by another project? Only time will tell.

Posted in: 2015 -350 Blocks, diamond links, DP9, goals, Sew Scrappy, UFO Busting - 2015

Another UFO Bites the Dust

May 28, 2015 6:30 am ⋅

ufo-kvqg

Actually, it is more a realization that this quilt will not get made — that and I wanted to clear a project box. These are the first two blocks of the 2010-2011 BOM that my guild was doing. I managed to print off the first 4 blocks, but then between a computer melt down and dropping out of the guild I didn’t get the rest of the patterns. So, I’m crossing this quilt off my WIP list and putting the two blocks in my Orphan Quilt Block Box. One of these days I’m going to have to make something with all of those blocks.

Posted in: UFO Busting - 2015

The Graduation Quilt Is Finished!

May 16, 2015 7:57 pm ⋅

The Graduation Quilt is finished and delivered.

gradquiltdone-top-tweak

gradquiltdone-border detail

 

  • Pattern:  Eye Fooler from Quail Valley Quilts
  • 16 3/4 yards of fabric in top, backing, binding and pillowcase
  • Batting: Hobbs 80/20 Black
  • Top Thread: Superior Threads So Fine! Color # 722 – Crickey!
  • BobbinThread: Superior Threads Super Bob – Black (nearly 2 size M’s)
  • Quilting design: AMPANTO03 Curly Q by Aimee Mahan
  • Quilting time: approximately 3 hours
  • Binding: Susie’s Magic Binding
  • Size before washing: 78″ x 96″
  • Size after washing: 74″ x 90″
  • Started: 2/18/15
  • Finished: 5/15/15

This quilt was on my UFO list in several challenges. I’ll add the links when the corresponding post goes live.

Posted in: 2015 -350 Blocks, Eye Fooler, UFO Busting - 2015, UFO Parade - 2015

April’s Progress / May’s Goals

May 1, 2015 7:20 pm ⋅

I hoped to have a picture of the finished graduation quilt top for today’ post, but I went backing shopping and came home with BRIGHT ORANGE fabric which will not go on the graduation quilt. It’s getting a dusty black.  So, between now and next Thursday, I need to finish the top, pin it and the backing to the zippers, figure out how I’m going to quilt it and decide on a thread color.

Orca Bay is not quilted either. But I know what thread color I’m going to use (purple on the top, orange on the bottom) and have the backing fabric.  I just need to decide how I’m going to quilt it, make the backing, and pin it to the zippers by the Wednesday after I quilt the graduation quilt.

The third thing I wanted to do in April was make 30 stars for my Star-A-Day quilt. That didn’t happen either. In fact, no stars were made in April.

What did I accomplish? 35 blocks towards the graduation quilt; 2 blocks toward my postage stamp quilt; cut 1-1/2″ charms for the PSQ swap; planted a container vegetable garden (cucumbers & spinach or carrots popped through the dirt today to go with the lettuce from earlier in the week); cleared out a bit of “junk” via Craigslist and Ebay (who knew the price of a vintage ashtray would be more than a few bucks?) ; and worked part of 3 weekends.

  • UFO Busting Report
    • # of Projects in Process April 1st: 63
    • # of Projects Completed: 0
    • # of new Projects started: 0
    • # of Projects in Process April 30th: 63

So, what’s up for May?

  • Finish the graduation quilt by the 16th
  • Finish Orca Bay
  • Trace and cut stars for the Star-Every-Other-Day Quilt (I’m not even certain I can pull that off – we’ll have to see)
  • Regroup on Sew Scrappy – I want to know where I am and what’s left to be done when I go to Retreat in June.
  • Cut squares from my recycled shirts and associated solids for 3 different Disappearing 9-patches in preparation for the Retreat.

In between all of this, I’m attending my niece senior presentation, working one weekend, going to her graduation, babysitting my garden and of course continuing to work full time (I’m taking 2  afternoons off to rent time on the longarm). I probably need to fit in laundry and cooking as well.

I promise to find a picture of something for my next blog post.  Thanks for reading this far.

Posted in: goals, UFO Busting

UFO Busting

April 3, 2015 12:48 pm ⋅

It’s time to link up with Vicki over at Field Trips In Fiber my UFO Busting Report for March.

# of Projects in Process March 1st: 67
# of Projects Completed: 0
# of new Projects started: 1
# UFOs trashed Tops sent to new homes: 5
# of Projects in Process March 31st: 63

I hope to finish at least one quilt this month. We’ll see  how it goes.

Posted in: UFO Busting - 2015

How One Quilt Top Becomes Two

March 10, 2015 9:38 pm ⋅

19-starstrucktop

4 or 5 years ago I made this quilt top from Bonnie Hunter’s free pattern Star Struck. It measures 64″ x 80″. My intention was to eventually quilt it and bind it in either red or blue when I got that far.  Last night I started packing up the quilt tops I’m sending to Vicki and I thought about this one.  It’s too big for the purposes of Country School Quilters, but with the removal of 4 rows it’s about right — 48″ x 64″.

starstruckI-redone

But now I have 32 “orphan blocks” and there’s room in the box for one more quilt top.

I dug through my neutral stash and made this ‘Boston Commons’ layout with the rest of the stars. – 3/4 of yard of fabric from my stash, no orphan blocks and two quilt tops for the quilters to give to the veteran’s hospital.

Starstruck II

It’s a win all the way around.

UFO Count (Quilts in Progress + Tops to Be Quilted):  63 down from 69 January 1st.

Posted in: Star Struck, UFO Busting - 2015

Another Red, White & Blue Sampler

March 9, 2015 8:41 pm ⋅

RWBSampler2-done

These are more sampler, shop hop and test blocks. I think I see a couple of left over blocks from a mystery quilt that I made incorrectly as well.  Now to package up the last three tops for Vicki.

This brings my current UFO (Quilts in Progress + Tops to Be Quilted) count to 64 from January 1st’s count of 69.

Posted in: UFO Busting - 2015

Stash Report / February Recap

March 1, 2015 10:26 am ⋅

gradquilt-pieces

 

A whole lot of fabric passed under my needle this past week – the majority of it at the retreat Friday and Saturday. Most of the units needed for the blocks for the graduation quilt  are made.  I still need all of the HST in both sizes and the triangle in a square units for the outer blocks. That pile in the top right corner is the start of the block assembly.

Stash Report: – Reported at Patchwork Times

Fabric Added Since Last Report 0.25 yards (FQ from the retreat)
Fabric Added to Date: 18.91 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0.75 yards (Orca Bay Borders)
Fabric Used to Date: 16.964 yards

INCREASE in Stash to Date:  1.946 yards

350 Blocks Report at Prairie Moon Quilts

I reported 23 blocks.  I counted the Orca Bay pieced border as 10 and I finished 13 stars.

orcabay-top

staraday-february

I have nothing to show for the UFO Parade at 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks. Orca Bay only made it to the top stage.

UFO Busting Link Up

  • # of Projects in Process February 1st: 66
  • # of Projects Completed: 0
  • # of New Projects Started: 1
  • # of Projects in Process February 28th: 67

 

 

Posted in: 2015 -350 Blocks, Eye Fooler, Orca Bay, Star-A-Day, Stash Busting Report, UFO Busting - 2015, UFO Parade - 2015

January 350 Block Report

January 31, 2015 2:17 pm ⋅

 

I thought  I was aiming for 31 blocks (which I missed) but I read over at Prairie Moon Quilts we only needed 20 this month.  So, what did I get done?

  • Two Christmas BOM blocks (which I forgot to photograph separately)bomblocks
  • A hug block which I forgot to photograph before sending it off
  • Six Alphabet BOM blocksBlocks 1-6
  • 15 Star-A-Day blocksstars-15
  • and fixed 16 String Geese (had to re-attach the “sky”) I’m counting these as 4.orcageese

So, for January, I have 28 blocks.  For February, I hope to get the Orca Bay top finished, start making blocks for a graduation quilt and get at least 28 more stars done.

Pop over to Prairie Moon Quilts and check the comments to see how others are doing.

Posted in: 2015 -350 Blocks

UFO Busting Link Up

January 30, 2015 4:11 pm ⋅

It’s the end of the month and time to report my UFO Busting Progress.

 

  • # of Projects in Process January 1st: 69
  • # of Projects Completed: 3
  • # of New Projects Started: 0
  • # of Projects in Process January 31st: 66

 

The three projects are Jewels in the Night — it just needed the binding stitched down;  Scrappy Trips which needed quilting; and Jared Takes a Wife which also needed quilting.
Additionally I worked on 4 other UFOs. I finished the Christmas BOM quilt top; the rest of the Alphabet BOM blocks; and made 15 stars for my Star-A-Day quilt (as of 1/29).  Finally, I’ve pulled out the Orca Bay box and have started attaching the sashing to the blocks.
Above all, I’ve managed to not start anything new!
I’m linking up with Vicki Welsh‘s 2015 .
Posted in: UFO Busting - 2015