Some Finishes

 

Feelin’ good.  Got some projects finished.  Every project done takes a weight off my shoulders. It will be a long time before they feel weightless!  Hopefully I’m headed in that direction.

First finish:

Bonnie Hunter’s latest mystery “Grand Illusions”.  I’ve named my version “Karate Stars”  My lovely granddaughter, Lydia wanted in on the picture.

This is the back of the quilt.  I had a large piece of one of the blues I wanted to get out of my stash, so decided on a pieced back.  Also kept me from having so many left overs to cut up into usable pieces. I’m going to try to make it a habit to piece more backs, especially since I’m running out of large pieces to use for backs.

Next project done:

Not quite my style, but I wore it last night when I took Lydia to her ballet class.  I was so layered up due to the cold, that it didn’t show.  I bought this iron on chrystal motif several years ago to put on a T-shirt for my daughter.  She was into the skull and crossbones thing at the time, but not the bling.  So it never got done.  Came across it Saturday while looking for something else and decided to do something with it, just to be done with it. Another weight off my shoulders. If worse comes to worse, I can always donate it to Goodwill.  Maybe someone would come along that liked it.

Jammin’ jars.  A nice little Sunday afternoon project.  They just need to have fat quarters put in them and then two of them will be part of my Christmas in March gifts to friends.  We are just slow about getting our projects done for gift giving.  There is just too much else going on at the Holidays.  They were fun to do and am considering making them for Christmas for bee members, depending on what we decide to do for our Christmas exchange.  We have been doing fat quarters and this would be great packaging.

This week I’m working on finishing the M for Murder Mystery BOM.  

BOMs and Saturday Samplers

 

Busy Busy this weed trying to keep up with my ever growing new projects.  I said only FOUR Sat. samplers, BOMs, quilt alongs, mysteries, etc. at one time.  Had my 4, then just couldn’t resist doing the Quiltmaker mystery.  the clues are only every other month. What could be the harm.  Then there is Michele Foster’s A4AII fixing to start.  This is her 4th year in a row doing a Quilt Along.  I’ve participated in the past 3. Doesn’t seem right not to do this one too.  I said participated because I only completed the first top.  The last 2 are still waiting for the borders to be put on.  One the borders are done and the other, the border blocks are made, just not sewn in to a border row.  I hear my guild is doing a mystery this year too.  We had so much fun with last years.  So that makes me up to SEVEN!  At least it’s not TWELVE!  That’s how many I had going on at one time last year.  And of course one of my New Year’s resolutions is to FINISH all of them.  Think I still have 5 to go.  No wonder I never get any UFOs finished.  I’m too busy trying to keep my current and not so current projects from becoming UFOs.  No more UFOs.  Finish all my current projects. 

So….What I have been doing this week.  Current projects.

Vacation Time by Pat Sloan February block.

Pickleweeds Quilt shop Saturday Sampler and Tiny Stitches Saturday Sampler for February. Glad to see a little more color in the Pickleweeds block.  That purple or what ever it is isn’t a very pleasing color.

Threads of Time block 1.  This is the new BOM I started this month.  There are 4 blocks in different colors and 40 flying geese to make each month.  They are 8” finished blocks.  I’m still working on the flying geese. I nearly have them half made.  Doing them as my leaders and enders.  I’m now working on the QM Mystery.  lots of work there.  I’ve finished one section and am working on the other two.  They are basically the same with the exception of one fabric.  I’ve got that part of the section done. 

My Trip To The Grocery Store

 

Grocery shopping is definitely not my most favorite thing to do. But someone has to do it and that would be me. Everything went fine until I got to the check out and than the gripy old lady in me came out.  The nice check out girl hung my bottled cokes over the edge of the buggy.  Then the bag guy showed up to help. 1st mistake, he decides to take the bottles off the sides of the buggy and set them in the buggy where my groceries need to go.  That got him a dirty look from me.  Then he puts the bagged lettuce and spinach in the bottom of a cooler bag and then shrugs his shoulders and pushes the orange juice that I got out of the cooler aside.  I had to tell him I wanted the juice in that cooler bag, making him have to repack the bag putting the juice, milk, and canned biscuits in.  So he thinks he’s through.  I have to ask/tell him to put the lettuce and spinach in on top of the other stuff.  This just did not make me feel like a nice sweet person.  I have yet to figure out how to politely refuse the offer to carry my groceries out to my truck.  I can do that.  I have a nice buggy to push them out in.  When I get home I have to carry the bags into the house without assistance, so why do I need help with the easy part?!

On a happier note, I have been working on my block of the months  and mystery quilts.

The Pickleweeds Quilt Shop Saturday Sampler block 2. Done in time to go Saturday and get this months bock and start a BOM that they have going on.  It is a rather ambitious project.  Think there are at least 2 blocks every month and 40 flying geese to make.  I’ll know more Saturday.  It was the colors that hooked us.

July blocks for the Vice Versa BOM.  These are the last of the blocks, now just have to get around to getting them into a quilt top.  The second block is the  Jan. Vacation Time BOM block that Pat Sloan is doing for 2015.  I just printed out the Feb. block this morning. 

The Bonnie Hunter Grand Illusion mystery quilt is on the frame waiting for me to find time to quilt it.  I see it is still a mystery, all covered up.  I have a cat who likes to get on my quilts while on the frame. That freed up my design wall for the M is for Mystery BOM.

All the rows are put together, now to sew the rows into a top.  The bottom 2 rows are pinned together and waiting for me. Hope to make this next week’s project.

My poor design wall is falling apart.  I have more sheets of insulation to make a new one.  I’m just feel that is a project to procrastinate over for as long as possible.

New Year’s Resolutions and Word for the Year

 

New Year’s resolutions, I remember two of them, the usual, exercise and loose weight.  What were the rest of them?  I’m sure I have them wrote down somewhere incase I want to check to see if I’m accomplishing any of them.  I have been pretty good about getting on the tread mill so far, but no luck with loosing weight yet.  My word for the year is “focus”  I sure need to concentrate on that.  It is a good word for me, but “speed” would be an equally good one.  There is never enough hours in the day.  I’ve slowed down so much I only get about 1/3 done that I need/want to do. 

But I have accomplished a few things.  Keeping up with my blog hasn’t been one of them.  I’m still doing the Saturday Sampler from Tiny Stitches and enjoying it.

These are the blocks for October and December.  Seems I was so happy to have finished November and January blocks that I forgot to take pictures, but they are also finished. Now hints are being dropped for the new one starting in June.  Paisleys she says!  How mean I say!  I love paisleys, in fact I’m trying to finish up a quilt top that has paisley prints. No pictures though.  Anyway, starting a new SS in June wasn’t on our agenda, guess it is now.  We just started a new SS at Pickleweeds Quilt shop in Douglasville, an hours trip between the 2 shops. At least we can do both on the same Saturday. Unfortunately we have to leave at 7:00 a.m. to be to the first one by 8:00 a.m. in order to be back home in a timely manner.

This is the first block for Pickleweeds SS.  the 2nd block is done, but of course absent minded me didn’t take a picture, unless I forgot to down load it from my email. 

I have finished a few tops from last years SS, BOMs & Quilt A longs.

The first is Purple Sage which I’ve renamed Purple Haze,  The second one it Retro Kitchen, which I’m naming Grandma’s Kitchen. My granddaughter says that is me in the center block.  Guess the gray hair was the give-a-way. I did get one of them fancy designer Kitchen aid mixers.  Only mine is red. I’ve used it once so far.

This is the Globetrotting BOM. Haven’t decided on a name for it yet.  I’m planning to do Pat’s Vacation Time BOM for 2015. Think I’ve made the January block. 

I’m still working on several other 2014 projects.  Maybe I will complete them by July.

These are the Oct, Nov and Dec Aurifil Blocks. There is a really cute setting for these blocks, but will probably finish some of the easier ones first.

This is Delightful Stars with the first 3 borders on.  The blocks for the fourth border are pieced, just need to get them sewn together and on the quilt.

Right now I’m working on this:

The Grand Illusion Mystery by Bonnie Hunter, parts 2 & 3.   Actually I’m a lot farther along than this. In fact I’m working on the borders.  Borders seem to be my hang up. Have 3 quilt tops that all they need are borders.

Yes, we had a lovely Christmas at our daughter’s house this year!  So odd, but so nice not to have all the cooking and clean up to do.  We put up a live tree this year.  That was because dear daughter ran off with our artificial one.

 

We had to go buy an Angel for the tree top too. Again, ours seemed to be atop  another tree.  Lydia wanted the doll on top of their tree instead of the star her Mom was planning on.  Think I will get some more garland next year. This was a fir tree and I would like to get another if I’m in the mood this year.

We ( Jean, Nancy & I) went to Tiny Stitches Grand Re-opening (they moved to the building next door to the strip mall they were in).  These hot pads was one of the demos they were doing.  I made these for my daughter to use at Christmas. I also made more, 2 for me and 2 for Christine. They are easy enough to make.  I plan to make some for Thanksgiving. Well, I need to make placemats and a table runner too, for that matter.

Dora, Brittney & I went to Sam’s Club yesterday.  We don’t go often so it is an adventure.  Hope I got some good deals because I sure did some damage to the wallet. 

Slowly Making Progress

 

 

If I get any slower, I will be standing still.  Some days it seems like I’m doing that now.  I am seeing a little progress in getting caught up on my current sewing projects.  I’m glad to see some of them reaching a conclusion. 

The EVQG Mystery Top is completed.  Yeah!  I’m quite pleased with the way it turned out.  I did scrappy with a color scheme.  The pattern is  from the Nov. 2007 McCall’s Quick Quilts magazine.  I haven’t looked to see if I have that magazine or not.  Sure would like to see what the original quilt looked like.

All the Purple Sage blocks are made.

It will be an on-point setting.  I’m impatiently waiting on the finishing directions to be posted. I had hoped they would be ready today.  The blocks are on my design wall and I would like to finish the top before moving on to something else.  The last thing I want to do is take them down this close to the end, so my hands are tied as far as working on something else.  No room on the design wall for any other projects. 

 

The four patch blocks for the 2nd border on the Delightful stars top are all made. Just have to sew them together, but would like to but them on the design wall to try to get an even distribution of color.

Here it is with the 1st plain border.  I want to get the 4-patch border on before deciding what color to use for the other pieced border.  I’m not doing it scrappy.  That was just a little too much for my mind to grasp.  Just couldn’t see it turning out well.  I’ve really enjoyed this quilt a-long and hope Michelle will do another one next year. This is the 3rd one of her quilt a-longs that I have done.

 

Almost forgot to take a picture of the September Saturday Sampler block when I finished it this afternoon.

I’m ready to go get the October block.

Sewing Time

 

Finally finding time to sew.  I’m trying very hard to get caught up on all my current projects.  Making a little progress, but not enough.  I’m currently working on our guild mystery. have it put together and the first border on.

I have all four sides of the 2nd border pieced.  Maybe I can get them attached today.  This is turning out very nicely.  I’m glad I decided to participate. 

 

I decided to start another Saturday Sampler.  A group of us go down together to Tiny Stitches in Marietta. It is a lot of fun.  On the way home we stop at Dunkin Doughnuts and sit and chat. 

 

Here are the June and August blocks.  Can’t figure out why I didn’t take a picture of the July block. We had 3 choices for the color way, blue & yellow, red and Kaffe Fassett.   I decided to go with Kaffe.  Aarin, Jean and Nancy decided to do the blue and yellow.  All the choices are lovely. When we were down there on the 3rd Saturday, I couldn’t resist getting a couple of mug rug kits.

I think these are just adorable.  They are from Stitches of Love.

 

This is the second set of Scrap Busting blocks that Pat did.  I just do 5 each time.  I’m trying to use a color scheme so I can make a quilt using all the blocks, instead of a small lap quilt each time.

 

I’ve been working on some of my on-line BOMs and have gotten caught up on 2 of them.  Still 3 months behind on the rest.

This is the Aurifil blocks so far.  I guess it goes for the entire 12 months.

 

 

This is Pat Slone’s Globetrotting BOM.  All the blocks are made.  I’m just waiting on the finishing instructions.

 

I’m glad some of these projects are winding down.  I’m going to try not to get involved in so many next. year.  I’ve had my hands full trying to keep up with so many and not let them turn into UFOs.  I sure haven’t had much luck at working on my UFOs this year. I’m fighting to keep from acquiring any more.  Think I will have to be satisfied with that for this year.  Hopefully I will have better luck with finishing up more of my “old” projects next year. 

Road Trip

 

 

The Row by Row Experience shop hop was a good excuse to take a road trip on Saturdays in August.  I really enjoyed it, but now it is time to wind down.  I didn’t get to do all the Georgia shops that I would have liked to, but we did get to visit many new to us shops in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.  The first trip took us to five shops in NE GA.  The first stop was Intown Quilters in Decatur, and then on to Georgia Sewing & Quilting in Buford, Betty Sue’s Quilt Shop in Flowery Branch were the people were so friendly.   We also found the people very friendly at Annie’s Pretty Pieces in Hartwell and lastly, we just did make it to Thread Bear Fabrics in Cumming before closing time.

The 2nd Saturday found us heading to Tennessee where we again visited five quilt shops. Our first stop was Ready Set Sew which carried Janome sewing machines and was a nice shop.  Our second stop was Spools, the home of the Bad Ass Quilter’s Society.  I like the atmosphere and will stop there again when I’m up that way.  Next, we headed to Pins & Needles and was very disappointed to find them closed and no sign telling us why, although there posted hours said they were open on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.  I hope that whatever reason that kept them away wasn’t too serious.  It looked like a nice shop from what we could see through the windows.  We moved on to Bernina Sew N Quilt Studio where they had there demo machines on sale.  It was so tempting to buy a new Bernina. At least I know to head to Chattanooga when I do get ready to buy a new machine. Our next stop was Chattanooga Quilts in Ooltewah with lots of old time charm. 

 

Here are Jean and me in front of Hyderhangout: Quilt Fabric & More in Cleveland, our last shop of the day.

We stopped for some good Barbeque before heading home. 

The third Saturday, Jean, Nancy and me headed to North Carolina.  We stopped at the Fabric Center & Quilt Shop in Blairsville, GA on the way north. 

 

We stopped to enjoy the scenery along the way.  We finally arrived in Franklin and A Stitch in Time.  Our next stop in Franklin was Deb’s Cats N Quilts where we found lots of stuffed cats, but no real ones.  It was a nice shop and well worth a return visit.

Next we visited Bless My Stitches Quilt Shop in Murphy, NC.  We ate at a retro diner that had real malted milk shakes.  It sure did bring back memories of my younger days.

The fourth Saturday started with Jean and Mine’s first stop being the Comcast Cable office.  From there we went to The Stitchery in Rome, GA.  She has some really nice fabrics.  I couldn’t resist getting a FQ bundles on clearance.  We then moved on to Douglasvill,e to a wonderful shop, Pickleweeds Quilt Shop.  We kept wondering why we hadn’t heard of it before now,  It is worth the drive.  On the way home we stopped at a little fruit stand advertising “the world’s best peanuts”.  I have to admit they are pretty good.

There is one more Saturday this month, but I’m pretty well shopped out.  Unless Jean and Nancy really want to go, I’m through,.  It will take me awhile to get all the rows made that I’ve already collected.  I don’t know if I will have one large quilt or two smaller ones.  It has been fun and maybe next year I can get to some of the ones I wasn’t able to this time.

May BOMs Finished

 

Can’t say the same for my Quilt A Longs.  I’m behind on them and getting further behind by the minute.  I didn’t make it into my quilting studio for the past two days.  Today a lady is supposed to bring me a quilt to quilt for her and the Quilty Fun quilt is still on the frame. I’m waiting for more fabric for the “Never Enough Chocolate” quilt A Long and I’m two weeks behind on “Delightful Stars” because of issues with Comcast email.  It seems they have taken a dislike to the Quilting Gallery and won’t let the emails through.  I requested a change of email address for the emails to be delivered to and now have my missing patterns, but haven’t had time to even think about making them. 

Still deciding on fabrics, but getting close.  Think I will go with the fabrics in the blocks on the left, but waiting on another with black background to replace the one with the green in the blocks on the right.

 

This is clue (month) 5 of the M for Mystery.  I especially love the blue paisley fabric that came this month. I want to add some to my “paisley” stash.

 

After nine blocks I really am regretting some of my purple fabric choices.  That’s what comes from working from my stash and refusing to buy more fabric.  Use what is in my stash or forgo the project.  I’ve lighten up a little on that plan.  Although I still think it is a good way to operate. 

 

May Vise Versa blocks.  I so am loving this BOM.  It may be partially due to the colors I picked.

 

So far the May block is my favorite.  This is another scrappy project.  So far I’ve been able to dig through my scrap bin for fabrics. 

 

These plastic molded chairs sure have held up well.  Think I’ve had these for around 20 years.  The one Lydia is sitting in was here mother’s when she was little.