December Goal

I need to set a reasonable goal for this month, so I am planning to piece a top from these fabrics.  And guess what?  It's for US!  

Linking up with ALYoF at Fiber of all sorts!

November's Goal Met! -- "Otherness"

 I have to say this was a fun goal to work on, and I'm glad I finished it.  It was outside my comfort zone, but something I want to do more of.  The little art quilt I started for my sister last April has been pinned and basted for a long time.  I had tried to do a little free motion quilting on it and hated it so much I ripped it all out and threw it into a pile of "stuff!"

Starting over, I decided to take it one section at a time and see what happens.

Straight-line quilting gets a little boring, but it sure looks good!

Once I had the binding on it still needed a little something so I dug out the BeJeweler I bought and never used.  (I have tons of tools, notions, and rulers that have yet to be removed from their original packaging.  I bet other quilters never do that!)

That was fun!  It's a good thing I'm not a sweatshirt gal or I might have been up all night BeJewelling away.

I did "just enough" to give it a little pizzazz.  

I call it "Otherness" which is a word I came across in a novel and loved.  It perfectly fits my sister.  I can't wait to see this hanging in her home. 

I am linking up with the ALYoF November Finishes Party at Fiber of All Sorts.   My original goal was #66 and my finish is #41.

November Goal -- Dee's Wall Hanging

It's nearly 11:00 at night on the 7th of November, and I need to set my ALYoF goal for this month before midnight.  It's a good thing Hubby reminded me or I would be popping up in bed in the middle of the night remembering, then realizing it was too late.  

I started this little art quilt for my sister's new apartment back in April.  It's about time I finished it.  

I need to keep this short and to the point and get myself to bed.  I'm not normally up this late!

I'm linking up with Fiber of All Sorts and their November Goal Setting Party. 

October's Goal Met - Eloise's Baby Quilt

Another goal met.  Hooray for me!  Even with that "inconvenient" broken arm I'm 9 for 10 so far this year.  My goal for this month was to make a baby quilt with brights and lots of pinks.  I had everything cut out and organized and was getting ready to spend a few days in a motel in St. Louis by myself, so I took my machine with me and planned a mini-retreat -- for one!  I set up my machine and got busy.

In the short time I was there I had a doctor appointment and a birthday party to attend, but I did get most of the blocks made and started putting them together.  The bed made a decent design wall.

This quilt needed something fun for the backing so I stopped at Hancocks of Paducah on my drive home and got a Robert Kaufman print by Valori Wells called "In The Bloom" and some batting.

I think the fabric designers are making the selvedge edges even prettier than they once did since quilters are using them for so many projects.  Look at these  cute flowers.  So much more interesting than just plain old dots!

When I got home, I cut out the hearts.  Instead of appliquéing them onto the top, I just zigzagged around them after it was quilted.

Hmmm, I don't know how I got those two yellow strips so close together that they made an upside-down "T."  So much for moving carefully from the design wall to the machine.  A little too random looking for me!

I had thought to make the binding scrappy or from the backing fabric, but after auditioning both options I didn't like the way either one would look, so I made a bright aqua flange first.  Another Robert Kaufman fabric, this one by Patrick Lose.  What is it with me and flanges lately?  

I'm so happy to have completed another sweet baby quilt for another precious little one.  

Baby Eloise Beatrice is sure to love it! 

I am linking up with Fiber of All Sorts and their ALYoF October Finishes Party.  My goal was #48 and my finish is #43.  

I'm also linking up with Quilting is More Fun than Housework.  

October Goal - Pink!

My goal this month for A Lovely Year of Finishes is a baby quilt for a little one who made her way into the world two days ago.  I want to have it completed quickly because, as you know, every baby needs her quilt.  We weren't told Baby's gender ahead of time so I wasn't really able to start until now. 

I cut out about a hundred 2.5" by 6.5" colorful strips along with ten 6.5" squares and pulled a bunch of pink charms.  I'll be spending a few days in a motel by myself this week so I'm taking my sewing machine along for company.  

I think I should be able to do something with this, don't you?

I am linking up the October Goal Setting Party at Fiber of All Sorts, where my goal is #48.

Also linking up with Quilting is More Fun than Housework.  This is definitely a scrappy project.

September Goal Met - Liam's Baby Quilt

This month it was touch and go, but I finished my September A Lovely Year of Finishes goal with a whole day to spare.  Whew!  I was beginning to think I should have set a simpler goal - maybe just make the top and not the entire quilt.  

This quilt was not on my Projects List for the year until my sister asked me to make a baby quilt for a special friend.  Baby's room is navy and grey so I chose a Herringbone pattern from a website (Newly Woodwards) I found through Pinterest.  She shares an excellent tutorial there. 

Normally I trim off all the dog ears from my half-square-triangles on my cutting board, but I trimmed them this time as I sewed and let them fall onto the floor. I just had to take a picture. 

I almost always press my seams open for more precise piecing. 

I actually remembered to use the double pinning method when I sewed the rows together so the corners of my HST's match well.  It helps to pin on each side of the seam when your design is graphic and you have high contrast pieces.  

I've only done straight-line quilting once before, and it was on a quilt with lots of prints so it didn't show up as much as on this quilt with all solids.  It is a lot harder than it looks! The walking foot helped, but it's far from perfect.  

Last night I got to sit and relax while stitching down the binding.  Ahhh, my favorite part.

So Baby's quilt is done and my goal is met.  I am a happy girl.

I am linking up with Fiber of All Sorts for their ALYoF September Finishes Party.  

Another UFO Finished

When I broke my arm earlier this year my goals were definitely set aside, and I wondered if I would get much done for the rest of 2015.  I am happy to report that I am definitely back on track.  That's thanks to Hubby, I must confess, who "talked me into" keeping the cleaning ladies we hired when I was unable to do much of anything, being one-handed and all.  

I just completed my fifth UFO for this year, bringing my total number left to finish down to seven.  I know, right?  There IS light at the end of the tunnel.

Using this Moda jellyroll I started a quilt in April of 2013 at a retreat and shared it in this blog post.  I made 13 blocks and then I lost interest in it.  That usually only happens if the project is not intended for a specific someone.  That's how it becomes a UFO!

I was motivated to finish it because I wanted to give the quilt to my sister-in-law, April, for her 40th birthday.  The blocks went together fairly quickly.  Deciding on a layout seemed to take longer!  I'm sure I rearranged the blocks at least a half-dozen times. 

My friend, Shirley (Custom Quilting by Shirley Jackson) did a beautiful job quilting it for me, using the "Willow"pantograph.

I wanted April's name in the title so with the help of friends (in other words, people who are actually good at naming quilts) I called it "Under the April Stars." 

I am so happy with the way it turned out.  It's one of my favorite quilts!

It was definitely a surprise for April when she received it in the mail last week.  (Partly because her birthday was three weeks ago!)  She was pretty excited when she called me.  Knowing someone really loves a quilt you made for them is so encouraging.  It makes me want to get the next one finished and delivered!

Sewing Up A Storm and August Stash Report

I can't make up for all the lost sewing time my broken arm caused, but I have been sewing up a storm lately.  I'm getting lots done, but storms do leave a mess in their wake.  This is what my sewing room looks like today .....

Even my treadmill has quilty stuff on and around it.

All the recent sewing has made a little dent in my stash.  This is the first stash report since before my accident.  Even though I lost some sewing time this year I feel confident I'll make my stash-busting goal to use at least 100 yards.  

April through August

Fabric Added in August  -  5 yards

Fabric Used in August - 20.27 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date - 7 yards

Fabric Used Year to Date - 88.89 yards

Net used in 2015 - 81.89 yards

September Goal -- Navy and Grey

I have several goals for this month, but we're only supposed to share one goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes.  That one goal is another baby quilt.  I know I've made quite a few already this year, but that's one project I never grow tired of.  Besides, those babies just keep being born!  This particular baby will be coming home in October to a navy and grey nursery.  I plan to add a bright white to make a variation of a chevron quilt and use a fun geometric print on the back. Here are the fabrics .....

I am linking up with the September Goal Setting Party at Fiber of All Sorts.

August Goal Met -- Chance's Baby Quilt!

I am so happy to have completed my goal for this month.  It was for a precious little guy - our newest great-nephew, Chance.  It was fun to sit and hand quilt the first few weeks of August as I worked on this special gift.   I did some basic outlining in the blocks, a diagonal grid in the center, piano keys in the outer border, and some wavy lines in the small yellow border to give it a little interest.  

It finished at 41" by 43" - large enough to be used into the toddler years.

My friend Penny made a sweet (and very fitting!) label for me.  She sure does nice work!

The new mother, our beautiful niece Ashley, was surprised when the mail was delivered a few days ago.

She put it to good use right away, and I think young Chance approves!

I'm linking up with Fiber of All Sorts for their ALYoF August Finishes Party.