April Goal for ALYoF

It's already time to set my April goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes.  I've been careful not to make my goals too easy this year, and so far I'm three for three.  It feels good to get things done.  This month's goal is a big one with plenty of work and when finished it will be another UFO checked off the list.  It's time to finally finish the Quilted Village!  

I just completed the center portion of the quilt and got all the houses attached.  

The center turned out to be quite a challenge because it was way too small.  I ended up having to figure out how to add borders without ruining the look.  I added flanges to some of the borders to make it more interesting, and now I think it's just perfect. 

This week my focus was to finish hand embroidering all the birds.  

Now it's ready to baste.  My goal for April is to finish this quilt.  I need to baste, quilt, and bind it. 

I'm linking up to the Goal Setting Party at Fiber of All Sorts.   

Hoping for Another "Lovely Year of Finishes"

A new year, new motivation, new goals.  I didn't complete as many of my goals as I would have liked in 2014.  Sometimes it was because I set a way-too-complicated goal.  Sometimes it was just that life got in the way.  It is time to start again.  I am setting as my goal for January -- Finish this quilt. 

I started it in 2011 when a friend of mine had a 50th Birthday Party/Quilt Retreat.  She chose the pattern and I shopped in my stash.  (I can't convince Hubby that this means it didn't cost a penny!)

The pattern is called "Root Beer Float" by Hyacinth Quilt Designs.

The blocks were fun to make.

It didn't take all that long to put together.  I even made the binding ahead.

I really have no idea why this ended up in the UFO stack.  It just needs to be quilted and the binding put on.  So that is my goal for January.  

I am linking up with Fiber of All Sorts for the Lovely Year of Finishes January goal setting party.

December Goal Accomplished

Ending the year with another "Finish" feels good.  It feels even better knowing I have kept a promise to my nephew, Josh.  He asked me a little over a year ago to make a wall-hanging based on the 1980's video game, The Legend of Zelda.  Last month it was all basted and ready to go.  




















I made it my "Lovely Year of Finishes" goal for December to complete the quilting and to get the binding on it.  So I set to work -- quilting!

Here are some close-ups of the quilting from the back --

I set to work again -- binding!

This is one of the quilts that actually looks just as good from the back as it does from the front.  It almost looks like a second quilt.

So, now that it's finished I need to figure out when to get to St. Louis to give it to Josh.  I think it should be sooner rather than later.  He seems pretty happy with the photos, but I bet he's ready to see the real thing and hang it in his home.

I am linking up to Fiber of All Sorts for their December Finishes Party.  I was Goal #20 at the beginning of the month.

December Goal for "A Lovely Year of Finishes"

This is my last opportunity this year to set a goal with "A Lovely Year of Finishes."   In August I started working on a Legend of Zelda wall-hanging for my nephew and talked about it here.

Recently I got the backing put together, using up a lot of odds and ends of whites in my stash.  It's interesting how different they all are.  I've decided that from now on I'm going to buy one brand of white --- and buy it by the bolt!

Then I found some black batting in my sewing room and got the quilt top basted.

I've been having fun quilting it this week.  Instead of doing an all-over stipple I've been playing a little bit with the designs.

When I finished quilting the "Potion" bottle something about it bothered me.  The more I looked at it the more I realized I would have to rip out some of the quilting.   The problem was I had quilted in the black area where I was supposed to be able to see through the bottle.  That would never do!  It looks much better now.

So, my goal for this month is to finish the quilting and put the binding on the Legend of Zelda Quilt.  That will not only be a finish, it will also be getting a UFO checked off the list!

I am linking up with Fiber of All Sorts for their December Goal Setting Party.

July Goal for "A Lovely Year of Finishes"

Setting a goal at all for July is kind of scary since I will be out of town for about half of the month.  I've been really motivated lately so I'm going for it!

My grandson, Noah, is ready for a new quilt.  I asked him what kind of quilt he wants (Never do that!  Just ask what color they like!) and he said he wants a lacrosse quilt.  I thought, "Oh no, where will I find lacrosse fabric?"  Then he added the fact that he also likes the University of North Carolina.  Yikes!

Well, Quiltshops.com to the rescue once again!  First, I found these cool prints from the "Sew Sporty" collection by Dan Morris for RJR Rabrics. 

Then I ordered some of this Officially Licensed Collegiate Print.

Figuring out how to use these prints together was the next bridge to cross, so I just started doodling.  I have no idea if I saw this idea somewhere or if it's out of my own head, but I decided it would work.  I thought that adding this black-on-navy print would work well.  It's "Nature's Basket" from Moda.  The other fabric will be used for the backing.

I got one block made and everything else cut out to take to retreat with me.

I wasn't really loving the fabrics together in the block, but the more blocks I made and laid out on the floor, the more I liked it.  Once they were all stitched together I decided it actually looks pretty cool.  I love the way the blocks seem to float on the quilt top.  Now it needs a dark border and it will be ready to baste.   

So, as far as goals for July go ........ I would really like to get the final border on, baste it, quilt it, and put on the binding.  In other words -- finish Noah's quilt. 

Wish me luck!! 

I am linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes Goal Setting Party for July at Fiber of All Sorts.  

June Goal Accomplished, and Then Some!

I decided to make it easy on myself when I set my June goal (Goal #18 at Fiber of All Sorts) since I haven't accomplished much so far this year.  Not only did I accomplish my goal of getting a baby quilt top put together, but I put two tops together AND finished both quilts!  Two things helped motivate me -- going to a retreat, and the fact that both babies had already been born. 

I wish I could remember where online I first saw this idea.  It's the easiest baby quilt ever!  Starting with 5" squares I made the star......

......then surrounded it with more squares.

I had bought some great backing fabric at Hancock's of Paducah with help from my friend Shirley.  I just love this Michael Miller fabric, "Monster Mash".  Can you see the little baby monster?  Too cute!

I basted both quilts at retreat and started hand-quilting one of them.   I had some great colors of quilting thread from which to choose, and with Angela's help decided on purple.  (Yes, I do have a problem with decisiveness!)

I got both quilts hand-quilted in 10 days, so I am now suffering from a flare-up of tendonitis, but it was well worth it.  I just love these quilts.

The quilts are on their way to their new owners, baby Grant and baby Seth.   

Now I am wondering if I can get the next baby quilts (for twins due in the fall) actually finished before the babies are born.  What a concept, huh?

Since I completed my goal I am linking up with A Lovely Year of Finishes.

March Goal for "A Lovely Year of Finishes"

It's time to set another goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes and see if I can get it done this month.  My sewing room now has brand new wood floors and a fresh paint job, and the furniture has been moved back in, but I haven't yet unpacked all my "stuff."  That's why this goal is being set according to what I could get my hands on, and that would be my Dutch Treat quilt which I started in January of 2006.  I had to learn reverse appliqué when I started this project, and this is the first block I made.

I added embroidery to each of the blocks, working around the appliqué, and unlike the original pattern I used a plain alternate block in order to showcase the quilting.  In June of 2007 it was progressing nicely as a top.

Once it was all put together, including the borders, and then basted, I started losing interest.  For one thing, I had backed the alternate blocks with muslin since the appliqué blocks were technically two layers, and I wanted the look to be consistent.  Secondly, I took some bad advice and basted it using a wool batting which makes it incredibly heavy when added to the double layering.    Another reason for the loss of interest is the fact that we no longer have a Queen bed on which to display it, just a King and two Twins.  The quilting looks nice, though.

There are 255 blocks in this quilt and I quilted 231 of them before setting it aside for the past four or five years.

My goal for March is to hand-quilt the remaining 24 blocks.  That's about one a day so it should be doable.   So.  We shall see.  

I am linking up with Fiber of All Sorts for their March Goal Setting Party!

February Goal Accomplished

I wasn't sure I would be able to accomplish my goal this month with the house in such a mess and the sewing room packed up and stored in the garage.

Everything is getting more disorganized and sawdust covered every day!

But, progress is actually being made.  Only a few more days and I should be able to start cleaning and moving things back into all the bedrooms and the Sewing Room.  I doubt I will be able to convince Hubby that the Sewing Room is the top priority though, when we have been sleeping on a mattress on the Living Room floor for the last 18 nights!   This is what the Sewing Room looks like this morning --

It will be so nice when everything is back where it belongs, and I can find my sewing machine again.  (Errr, I mean, when I can start cooking in that mess of a kitchen again!)  That quilt in the background is covering a big pile of "stuff" and the bathroom (on the left) is completely full of fabric, etc. packed in plastic bags!  When I saw how much fabric I have I decided I'd better start putting out more quilts than I have been.  My stash looks like a lot less when it is stacked neatly in cabinets!

My February goal with A Lovely Year of Finishes was goal #135, and I am happy to report that I did, indeed, finish it!  I basted and hand-quilted my QRC quilt.

Still not ready to reveal the message, though.  It needs binding first.  I just hope I can get to my sewing machine before the end of March!

I am linking up with the February Finishes Party -- at Fibre of All Sorts.  Can't wait to see who else made their goal this month!