As I mentioned on Monday, I started making this quilt in the early 90’s as a high school graduation gift. This was before quilting took over my life, so I didn’t really know what I was doing.
Today, it’s finished. It’s not perfect, but it’s done. I think I’ll call it Stars & Stripes.
Nothing at the moment. I finished up the quilt from last week and haven’t gotten anything else out.
That’s not to say I haven’t been quiting. I’ve made the next three Kansas Spirit BOM samples for the LQS, I finished the Pink and Brown quilt and I made a birthday block for a swap I’m in.
Currently, I suppose you could say my design wall is the ironing board.
This is a UFO from the early 90’s. It was supposed to be my husband’s godson’s high school graduation present. I never finished it. One of the QCC (Quality Control Cats) threw up on it. But don’t worry, he eventually got this quilt a few years ago.
Anyway, the front of this quilt is alternating squares of stars on a blue background with a red and white stripe. It seems I pieced the front and was going to do wide sew flip borders. The center section and the top and bottom borders were already sewn down, but there is no quilting in the center. I’m going to have to do some sort of ‘tacking’ to quilt it, as I’ll quilt more puckers into it doing anything else. I’ve got one of the side borders on and just need to fix a spot on the other borer and then I’ll be ready to do whatever quilting it’s going to get.
Part of me says rip the border off and ‘do it right’. But the part of me who wants it finished says just go with it. There’s nothing special about this quilt, but I’m sure it will keep someone warm this winter.
A year or so ago my friend S was going through her fabric and found this fabric. It was declared ‘ugly’, so I took it as a challenge to make a quilt featuring it. It is vintage – only 36″ wide.
I started collecting pink and brown FQs with no idea where this quilt would end up. Last fall I found an Windham Fabrics ad which showed a free pattern called Pathways to the Stars. I knew then I had found my pattern. It’s about 3/4 of the way down the page.
The picture is not very good, but I got the borders on earlier this afternoon.
I’m happy to report no new purchases this week, and that I actually got some piecing done.
I completely ignored the handquilting I should be doing to do a bit of piecing. A Kansas Spirit block was due to the LQS, so I got it done timely and then came home and made two more. So there’s one left to make.
I quilted Cherry Frolic, so used the backing and binding fabric I purchased last week, and I finally finished cutting the border for my Pink & Brown quilt. I also prepared the binding for the quilt so I move the ‘scraps’ into my stash and out of the project box.
Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 156.0 yards
Fabric Used this Week: 3.995 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 49.577 yards
Net Stash: +106.423 yards
This morning before work I finished sewing the binding down on Cherry Frolic. I would say that 99% of the time, I machine sew my binding, but always have to go back and catch some that I missed. It’s gotten better, but today I can say I didn’t have to restitch any of it, and I caught all the corners.
I have to give thanks to Judy over at Patchwork Times. She was lamenting her large pile of quilts which needed binding and her readers talked her into machine stitching them. Here’s the link to her binding posts. I followed her hints and the binding on my quilt turned out the best yet.
Today it’s “Cherry Frolic”.
My design wall is only 48 x 60, so only one quilt at a time can be up on the wall at a time. Ladder to the Stars came down Saturday night so I could throw together ‘Cherry Frolic’. This quilt is from 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts by Evelyn Sloppy and is called Fall Frolic in the book. Since I’m using the Oh-Cherry-Oh fabric line, mine is called Cherry Frolic.
Yesterday I got the blocks sewn into rows, so this evening I’ll work on getting the rows sewn into a top. Then Ladder to the Stars will go back up. I worked on the sashings a bit, and think I have them figured out, but didn’t get as far as testing my theory.
To see what’s on other quilters’ design walls check out Judy’s blog
On the QIAD Forum, there is a thread to list your monthly goals. By the time I posted them yesterday, my June goals had already changed. But here they are:
#1 on the list is still my nephew’s quilt, I’ve got 6 1/2 blocks left to hand quilt and then I’ll machine quilt the border. I don’t know if I’ll get it done by the end of the month or not.
#2 – a new project. I came home from the quilt shop with fabric for a quilt from 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts (Fall Frolic). I’m making the quilt smaller 5 x 6 blocks and I’ve used a charm pack and jelly roll. The blocks are made. I’d like to have this quilted and bound by next Friday. We’ll see.
#3 – Various blocks. I need to make a birthday swap block done, a Kansas Spirit block, and I’d like to make some of the star blocks to go with my birthday blocks.
#4 – Sashing for Ladder to the Stars.
#5 – I’ve got to write two sets of setting instructions for the Kansas Spirit quilt — or at least get them far enough along we’ve got a good handle on yardage requirements.
#6 – Simply because I’m looking for some handwork to take to Music in the Park, Theater in the Park and on our trip at the end of the month, I’ll work on my red work snowmen. I get done what I get done.
Wow. I’m exhausted just thinking about this. We’ll see how far I get.
I suppose waiting until nearly 10 PM does not make my stash report any better. My LQS had a sale on pre-cuts last week. I stopped by on Saturday to specifically to pick up my copy of Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler which I had ordered, but also picked up a jelly roll and charm pack. And backing and binding fabric. The fabric is Oh-Cherry-Oh by Me & My Sister for Moda.
I’m making a smaller version (40″ x 48″) of Fall Frolic from 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts by Evelyn Sloppy. I finished all the blocks yesterday and just need to sew them into a top now.
In addition to the fabric I purchased, a friend gave me a pretty purple FQ and I won a door prize – a charm pack of Symphony and a pattern.
So, without further ado:
Fabric Added this Week: 7.25 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 156.0 yards
Fabric Used this Week: 2.75 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 45.62 yards
Net Stash: +110.378 yards
With these two blocks, I’m halfway through the handquilting on my nephew’s quilt. I still don’t know if I’ll get it finished by the end of the month or not.
Judy over at Patchwork Times asked “What’s On Your Design Wall?”
This week it’s the blocks to my Ladder to the Stars. They’ve been made since early May, waiting for the paper pieced sashings. Paper piecing is not high on my list of fun things to do. When I designed this quilt using 12″ blocks, I had the size of the fabric for the gold points worked out to “a science”. I haven’t got that “science” figured out yet, so I’ve put off the sashings.
So, my goal this week is to figure out the paper piecing so I don’t have to think and get a few more sashings done. I am not going to attempt to get all of them done (80 total are needed) as I need continue working on the hand quilting on my nephew’s quilt and make this month’s Kansas Spirit block.
