Last quilt of 2010

This will be the last quilt on the frame for 2010.  I am hoping I can finish it before we leave Thursday morning for Connecticut...

The quilt was made by my friend Jean for her daughter Amy.  Check out those mitered outer borders, they are a work of art!  Jean found the pattern in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Quiltmaker.  It's called Michigan Crossroads by Edyta Sitar of laundry basket quilts.

Design Wall Monday

Hope everyone is having a quilty day!  I don't have anything on my design wall at the moment, but that will be changed by the end of the day!  Last night as I was glancing through the 2011 Feb/Mar issue of McCall's Quick Quilts, I came across brilliant sunset . . . a scrappy quilt made from vivid batiks!  Guess it's time to break out the bulk of those batiks I purchased in Hawaii and an Asian Legacy roll-up by Robert Kaufman  - Yeehaw!!!!

Check out what everyone else has on their Design Wall and be inspired at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Final 2010 Stash Report - Weeks 51 + 52

Well, there hasn't been any change in my report for the past 3 weeks with preparing for the holidays and all, but I ended up this year way better than the 2 yards net for 2009 . . .

In 0 yards

YTD 112 yards

Out 1 yard

YTD 169 yards

Net used 57 yards

I will continue participating in the 2011 Stash Report Program as it has really helped me be aware of what I am bringing in and it has also helped me to curb my willy nilly purchases! 

Check out how everyone else did with their stashbusting at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

2011 UFO Challenge

I am going to be participating in two UFO Challenges in 2011.  I have so many UFO's, that I have decided to split them up into two categories: UFO's that just need perhaps just a border or two plus the quilting and the other UFO list will contain quilts that need a lot more work and perhaps even a couple from my Quilt Bucket List that haven't even been started yet!  So without further ado, here are the 12 quilts that are "almost" done:

UFO No 1 is the Just Ducky Quilt - it just needs quilting and binding.  The backing and the binding are going to be the blue/creme polka dot and the binding is even sewn together and pressed, ready to be attached!

UFO No 2 is called Fiddlesticks and needs just one large border and then it's ready for quilting!  Unfortunately, the fabric that I had already cut into borders I ended up using in another project as I had forgotten that that's what the fabric was for, so I am going to have to go shopping for a border replacement.  I think these fabrics were from Moda's Kansas Troubles line, so I am not concerned with finding a suitable replacement! Please ignore the man sitting in the chair . . .

UFO No 3 is named Now & Later.  It just needs to be quilted and bound.  This is another quilt I had fabric "put aside" for the binding, forgot about it and then ended up using it in another project . . . are you seeing a pattern here?

UFO No 4 is a smaller piece that I plan to use as a table topper!  I purchased it in Vegas when my husband was there on a business trip!  The circles and stars are made from wool and it was my first time working with wool on a quilt!  This one just needs quilting and binding too!

UFO No 5 is called Pineberry Trails, and believe it or not, I do have the fabric for the binding - sometimes I amaze myself!  This one might just be about 10 years old and that's sad, because I really like it, and the top has been done all that time too . . .

UFO No 6 is from an online block exchange.  It's a disappearing 9-patch and I really like it.  At this point in time, I am leaning towards just quilting and binding it without a border, but time will tell . . . Sophia was just begging to be in the picture, so here she sits perched on my ladder saying "cheese" - she is such a little ham!

UFO No 7 is named Raspberry Jam made from one of my favoritest Moda Collections - Santuary!  It's all those soft, romantic, muted colors and it makes me happy to look at it!

UFO No 8 is my variation of JudyL's Scraps Ahoy.  It was a lot of fun to put together with scraps from my stash.  

UFO No 9  is one I finished just last month and it's called Wedding Rings.  It just needs quilting and binding made from the scraps I used for the rings!

UFO No 10 - The name of this one is Connect the Dots.  It was another of JudyL's projects . . .

                                           UFO No 11 has no name. It was a Mystery Quilt in June of 2010 and it's another of JudyL's Quilts.  I have yet to decide on borders for this one though . . . 

UFO No 12 is from a Quilt Guild Retreat several years ago.  The block is named Bouncing Betty!

Another one done!

Isn't this a cute wallhanging?  My friend Jean made it for a Christmas gift. 



I think this will be the last project before Christmas for me as we are leaving before sun-up on Saturday to spend Christmas with our children and their families.  We will be staying at the Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor just minutes from Washington, D.C.  While there, we will all be visiting the ICE Sculpture Exhibit of We Froze the Grinch!  I can hardly wait to go with all of our granddaughters!

Design Wall Monday

I got four of the eight blocks together for Judy Niemeyer's Glacier Star and they look incredible.  This is not how will be set in the quilt, but I love this setting!

I am also working on the LQS BOM too.

Check out what others have on their Design Walls at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Stash Report - Week 50

This past week has been rather quiet and I've been working on things that have already been accounted for . . .

In 00000

YTD 112 yards

Out 00000

YTD 168 yards

Net 56 yards!

Check out how everyone is doing with their stashbusting at JudyL's Patchwork Times!



Design Wall Monday

Thursday was the first class for the Judy Niemeyer Glacier Star Quilt . . . and it was so exciting!  Homework is to get 8 blocks done before the next class and since our entire family will be spending a week at a resort for Christmas, it's going to be tight!  I can hardly wait to see which block we will work on next!  My BFF Joanne is taking this class with me, so be sure to check out her blog when she reports on DWM too!

Check out what everyone else has on their Design Wall today at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Stash Report - Week 49

I've had a pretty busy quilting week!  I got caught up on the LQS BOM - 4 blocks done!  I bound a quilt that's been waiting since perhaps this past Spring, and I finally started the first class on Judy Niemeyer's Glacier Star!  It's been a really good time too as I feel great satisfaction that I have been working on those old projects, but have also started a new one too!  Now if I can just keep up the momentum!  Thankfully, JudyL will have a UFO Program in 2011, so that should keep me on track!

In 000000

YTD 112 yards

Out 15 yards

YTD 168 yards

Net 56 yards!

Check out what progress everyone else has made with their Stash Reports at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Design Wall Monday

On my design wall today I have the wedding rings quilt, again.  The backing and the binding are all ready, but I have yet to add a patchwork border of background fabrics.  I have two sides on the design wall and the other two are on the table waiting to be attached.

Check out what everyone else has on their design wall at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Stash Report - Week 48

 I have been busy with the monumental task of cleaning/reorganizing my sewing room and made some progress this week and was able to eliminate one of the IKEA Towers so I could move the ironing station to the other side of the room so I could put my machine at the window, and more importantly, pull the leaf up so I have a larger sewing surface!  I hope I don't regret this decision with winter coming on . . . Now the design wall is a little more accessible, all I have to do is shove the chair out of   the way for easy access! I got the backing and binding together for the Wedding Rings, so there's not too much busted this week.  Really wanted to be sitting on top of 100 yards busted by the years end, but it doesn't look to hopeful at this point in time, although Last year at this time I was 15 yards in the hole, so 43 yards is looking pretty good!  


On the stashing busting front -

In:  0

YTD: 111 yards

Out: 7 yards

YTD 154 yards

Net 43 yards Busted!

Check out how everyone else is doing with their efforts to bust stash at JudyL's Patchwork Times! 

Harley Quilt is quilted!

Just finished another customer quilt for Jean! All that's left to do is to tack the binding to the back and it's done, done, done! I started out quilting this one with a flame pantograph and thought I would go blind after the first row trying to follow the flames, so I got brave and free handed the rest of the quilt. I used a variegated Signature trilobal poly in reds, yellows and oranges - it was the perfect color for flames. I hope the Harley rider loves this gift!

Design Wall Monday - Not!

It's very sad, my wall is bare naked, but it will not remain that way for long!  I have some longarm business I need to attend to before I can get into piecing! 

I did want to show everyone the top I finished from last weeks DSW!  I just need to add one row of background all the way around and then make binding from the leftover rings.  I was afraid that if I put on a border with fabric/s from the rings, it would take away from the quilt, and I don't want that!  What are your thoughts?

See what everyone has on their Design Wall at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Crown Royal quilt done!

Just finished quilting a customer quilt and all I can think about is a drink - - of Pepsi! 

I have a quilt from another friend that I will be loading momentarily, and that one is a Harley Davidson quilt.  I am excited to not be in a time crunch to get these done as I believe they are both Christmas presents!

Stash Report - Week 47

Stash busting was going great until I went to Country Fabrics, the Mennonite quilt shop yesterday . . . you see, I am taking a class in Judy Niemeyer Quilting and I need fabric for the quilt we will be making - Glacier Star.  And the sad facts are, I did not even purchase all of the fabrics, I still need another yard or two, or perhaps three . . .  yes, that's the story and I'm stickin' to it!   The quilt pictured was made by Quilters Market in Arizona.

I did finish a top, but the fabric has already been accounted for - bummer!

No to worry though, I did begin a new project, Bonnie Hunter's Mystery, Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll!  Although I have not yet begun to sew, all the fabric is pulled, and that's half the battle.  I am sure I will have some progress to show tomorrow on DWM.

In 12 yds

YTD 111 yds

Out 13 yds

YTD 147 yds

Net 36 yds

Check out how eveone else is doing with their stash busting efforts at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Took a class today . . .

                                                                      Today my friends Joanne, PJ and I took a class from a friend of ours, Sue Wilson.  Sue is a Certified Instructor of Judy Niemeyer Quilting and she's doing a time study for the quilt that she will be teaching.  There are only 6 of us in the "by invitation only" class being taught in her home studio which is located right on Lake Erie.  It was really overcast today, so all you can see is gray . . .

We especially enjoyed wandering into her studio.  It was large, the lighting was awesome and the views of the lake were gorgeous from the studio too!

This quilt will not be available in stores - it is an exclusive pattern available only to her certified instructors or certified shops, and I think Sue said that there are only ten (10 teachers and 10 shops) scattered throughout the states + Canada. We don't meet again until the beginning of December, so I have plenty of time to select fabric for the quilt. I have pretty much made the decision to use batiks, now I just need to determine a color scheme.

anywhooooo, are you anxious to see the quilt that we will be making?  The name of the pattern is Glacier Star.  This first picture was taken in Glacier National Park and was made by:  Quilt Gallery in Northwest Montana.

This bright quilt was made by Quilters Attic in Tennessee and this quilt is not necessaily the colors I want in mine, but the vibrancy is there and that's what I'm looking for!

My machine is back!

I got a call this afternoon that my machine was ready to be picked up - - but I was without a car :(  so I had to wait until someone came home with a vehicle and I was on my way!  Nothing was really wrong with her, she just needed a spa treatment: cleaning, fine tuning, etc!  I am in the process of getting her placed back in the cabinet and cannot wait to get started on my projects that have been on hold since last Wednesday night when she went down!

Design Wall Monday!

Well, I only have 2 more blocks to complete before Wedding Rings is done!  This is not the way all of the blocks will go though as I have some rearranging to do once they are all done.  Could not stand being without a machine, so I broke down and dragged out my old mechanical/non computerized Bernina 830 from the 1970's - but it's a workhorse.  I am just having a bit of trouble with my quarter inch seams though . . .

Check out what everyone else has on their Design Wall today at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Stash Report - Week 46

Well, as you can see by the picture, I am STILL without a machine, so I was unable to get anything finished . . . but I did get a lot of stuff cut out!  I am hoping that I will have my machine by Wednesday, so next week I should have some figures to post!  I am seriously contemplating breaking out Madison's Hello Kitty machine, I'm just sayin'

Fabric in 0 yards

YTD 99.014 yards

Fabric Out 0 yards

YTD 134.375 yards

Net 35.361 yards

Last year at this time, I was 9.5 yards in the hole, so if I can stay out of the Quilt Shops, I should be looking real good at the end of this year!  Check out how everyone else is doing with their stash busting at JudyL's Patchwork Times!

Machine down . . .

See the gaping hole in the top of my sewing cabinet?  Turned on my machine last night and a skull and cross bones screwdriver and wrench appeared on the screen . . . it can't be good.  So early this morning, I took it in for service.  She was going to try her best to get it done for tomorrow morning, but I haven't heard from her, so I am assuming the worst.  Withdrawal is a terrible thing . . . it's sad, very sad.

Design Wall Monday

 

Well, I have been busy this past week on a couple of customer quilts, but I still found  made some time to work on some of my many ongoing projects!  First pictured is my progress on JudyL's Connect the Dots.  I completed Step 1 in record time and then when Step 2 was posted, I had to go backwards as those darned 36 half square triangles were a bit too small, so I had to make them all over again.  Now I will have to find another project where I can use the 36 that didn't fit . . . anywhooooo, I am now working on the last step, step 3!  I have been toying with the setting a bit, the picture on the left is how Judy made hers, but I felt I wanted to go the opposite way with that Irish Chain block . . . I am still undecided, but am leaning towards Judy's way!

I finished a few more blocks on the Wedding Rings Quilt too!

And I also have the 3 borders cut out for Judy's other quilt, the June 2010 Mystery.

Check out what everyone else has on their Design Wall at Judy L's Patchwork Times!

Stash Report Weeks 44 + 45

Since we were in DC last weekend, I've combined last weeks report with this weeks and if I hadn't gone to Amish country last week, my report would have been stellar, but I fell off the wagon once again, but not too hard...

Fabric in 7.750 yards

YTD 99.014 yards

Fabric Out 17.250 yards

YTD 134.375 yards

Net 35.361 yards

I'm still doing better than at this time last year (Net 8 yards) 

Check to see how everyone else is doing busting their stash at JudyL's Patchwork Times!



Another one done!

Just finished the binding on another one of Jean's quilts!  I quilted swirlies on it like you'd find in frosting on top of a cupcake! This is such a fun quilt! 

we left, we're back, I'm toast

 We left for DC Friday morning with our 3 granddaughters.  My husband had to be in court Friday morning, so we killed time at McDonald's and left around noon when he was through.  The drive was pretty uneventful, thank goodness as my daughter packed the girls DVD player, but no DVDs . . .

We made a pit stop in Hagerstown, MD at the Prime Outlets for a quick run into the Children's Place and snagged several bargains from their clearance racks.  

A couple hours later, we arrived in Alexandria at our son + Erica's place! They just moved into a cute brick home with a gorgeous backyard on a cul-de-sac. Our newest granddaughter was there too! She's gotten so big since we last saw her Labor Day weekend. It's hard to believe she is 4 months old now.  Her name is Olive and she's with her Grandpa!

We went out for breakfast Sunday morning and my son had a big breakfast and then ordered a banana split for dessert. He was not sharing with Sophia, so she took it upon herself to find a spoon and dig in! Yes, I have trained her well when it comes to ice cream.

My friend Jean finished this lap quilt before we left for DC, so I had to get it on the frame as soon as we returned.  It's Día de los Muertos fabric.  Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a holiday celebrated by many in Mexico and by some Mexican Americans living in the United States where families remember and honor their deceased loved ones Oct. 31 - Nov. 2, in connection with the Catholic holy days of All Saints and All Souls.