Design Wall Monday

This will be my last post from Hawaii as I fly out later this evening (6 hour difference from the East Coast).  I have been busy here with several projects, knitting a bathmat from t-shirts:

I also was working on ripping out the scrappy star blocks as I do not like the sashing or the border I chose for it.  I was in a big rush to just finish this UFO and just grabbed fabrics to complete it and I just plain don't like it.  At the moment, I only have been able to rip out 1 block (see upper left of photo) but I am sure I will be able to finish this project in the 23 hour trip home!

I also have been working on my Postage Stamp blocks.  When I arrived here, I had to make a trip to downtown Honolulu to purchase a quarter inch foot for my daughters machine.  I made one row without the specialty foot and it was over an inch off!  I really got several of these blocks done while I was here!

 

And just to show that it hasn't been all sun and fun while I've been here in Hawaii, here is some of the wildlife I have been traumatized by . . .

giant freakin flying roach on the stove . . .

gecko in the girls playroom

Huge snail

Check out what other quilters have on their Design Walls at Judy's Patchwork Times!

Ripppppppping!

I will be leaving Hawaii late tomorrow evening to return to Ohio and thought I had better work on one of the many projects I brought along!  This is a completed top that I just couldn't bring myself to  quilt because I hate the setting - - love the blocks, but the sashing and borders just don't do it for me.  Before leaving for Hawaii, I found a picture in American Patchwork Magazine I think with this same type of block and I really loved the setting they used, so here I sit ripping!  It will be so worth it!

There are big bugs here in paradise . . .

For those of you who have been verbally abusing me for my being in Hawaii . . . it's not all sun, fun + games!  Saturday evening I went into the kitchen to clean up after putting the twins to bed for the evening.  There was 1/2 of a veggie burger pattie on a plate on the stove and there was something on it . . . a freakin huge bug.  I almost ran screaming from the room, but the thought of this thing being loose somewhere in the house forced me to keep it together.  I quickly grabbed the microwave cover and slammed it on top and then quickly realized that there is a hole in the top so I was looking for something to cover that with.

 Earlier in the day, there was a gecko in the girls play room.  I was able to capture him and release it in the backyard, but this bug is really creepy and did I mention freakin huge?  It is now Wednesday, it is still alive and still on top of the stove under cover where it will remain until my daughter arrives home and probably has to pay someone to come in and remove it . . .  I'm sure she thinks I was joking about waiting for her return to take care of this, NOT!

It's a bit after noon . . .

It's half past noon and the girls + I are still in our jammies!  I thought we might go to the beach this morning, but the time got away from me . . .

Perhaps we will go to Ala Moana Mall to check out what's new at the Disney Store!

Hit the Goodwill Store yesterday and scored some t-shirts to knit a bathmat for 99 cents each! 
Thought I might go back again to pick up some white ones too.  There is a method to my madness as my favorite restaurant, Bravos, is very close by and the pasta w/marinara has been calling me!

Design Wall Monday

I am leaving in the morning for Hawaii again, so I thought I'd better post something before I leave!  I have been doing a lot of longarming, including a couple of quilts for myself.  I recently got a new computer and have been unable to install my printer and then this morning when I went to download my Design Wall photos, I realized that the camera software is not installed . . . I have wasted hours looking for the software, and then decided to just take pictures with my phone, so that will have to do for today's post!  Two days ago, I began this project:

I must be out of my mind, I am not packed and I am starting something new - 1.5 inch squares collected from a couple years of Internet swaps!  This is four blocks.  I decided that it was easier to construct them into 12 x 12 blocks rather than into rows.  At first I thought I would sash or frame each block, but then decided that I like the all smooshed together look better!

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

Design Wall Monday

Well, the UFOs are beginning to stack up.  Two weeks ago, I began to prepare projects to take on a 4 day Quilt Retreat.  While rooting through boxes, baskets and bags looking for the missing fabrics I needed to complete several projects, I came across several more UFOs.  I have now run out of hangers to hang quilt tops on . . . it's getting pretty ugly.  I ended up taking 11 projects with me and completed 7 of them, so I am excited!  I am going to be burning up my longarm quilting these 7 tops! 

I finished the quilt top on the left for myself.  Both of my daughters saw it and said they'd like one too, went back to look at what fabric I had left and I have enough to make 3 more if I purchase some more background.  So guess what's on my Design Frame today?  I saw this quilt on Ruthie's blog a couple of years ago before leaving on a trip to Hawaii.  I printed a picture of her finished quilt and took it with me while fabric shopping in Hawaii.  It turned ugly as I purchased so much fabric that I had to add another duffel bag to our luggage . . .

Here is another project I took on Retreat with me.  It's an Alphabet quilt and the blocks are from an online swap.  I had to re-piece a couple of the paper pieced blocks, sash all the blocks and then I found the pencil fabric I used in the border at an Amish Quilt Shop. 

Two of the 11 projects I took with me I thought would only take less than an hour to complete, like the finished quilt top that had and upside down block - - it took me 3 hours to fix that one.  The other one had two rows sewn on upside down - that took an extraordinary amount of time too, but I got it done.  I was beginning to feel that I wasn't going to have much to show, but by the time we left late Monday afternoon, I had 7 projects that are now ready to be quilted!  Usually after Quilt Retreat I don't unpack my machine for a week or two, but this time, I unpacked it as soon as I got home and continued working!  

Check out what others have on their Design Walls at Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

On my Design Wall is a One Block Wonder project from last year, or perhaps the year before, oh heck, it was from April of 2008 - are you smug now?  What is even more sad is that there are still the same number of blocks on the wall.  If I can cut up the rest of the fabric, perhaps this could be a retreat project for this weekend, but first I have got to locate the fabric . . .

Alright, while searching for the OBW fabric, I came across some additional blocks that I've already made a top from.  The top is ready to be quilted, but needs backing.  So I am going to make a scrappy pieced back from the leftover border fabric and leftover sashing fabric and the unused blocks!

Still searching for the OBW blocks and have now realized that I do not know where the book is either - found another completed top and some yardage that may work for the backing!

Well, I am giving up on the remaining fabric + the book.  Guess I'll work on these additional UFOs since I've got all of the pieces/parts for them.  Check out what others have on their Design Walls at Patchwork Times!

Stash Report - Weeks 1 - 4

I stopped counting my UFOs when I reached 53, so I have resolved to start working on them!  This will be the year of BB+B (backings, binding + borders).  Unfortunately, my stash does not have enough "big" pieces for quilt backings or borders, so I will have to go shopping.  Since I returned from Hawaii, I have already completed 2 UFOs, so I am on my way.     I am going on a Quilt Retreat this weekend to Amish country, so hopefully I can pick up some wide backing there as we have a couple of excursions planned!

Used this Week: 6 yards

Used year to Date: 6 yards

Added this Week: 3 yards

Added Year to Date: 3 yards

Net Used for 2012: 3 yards

Check out others stash busing efforts at Patchwork Times!

Design Wall Monday

Well my Design Wall is a bit different today as I am working on completing 2 UFOs for January. The weddings rings is quilted and I am now working on cutting out strips for a scrappy neutral binding. The blue polka dot binding is already sewn on the ducks, it just needs to be tacked to the back! I chose these two UFOs to work on because I had the backing for them. It is a sad state of affairs when you have so many UFOs hanging from the rod in the closet that the rod breaks from all the weight and falls to the floor . . .   Edited to add link to Wedding Rings pattern:  http://www.seamsndreams.com/product.php?productid=60&cat=15&page=2

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

I'm home . . .

WOW, it's been a long time since I've posted . . . We reluctantly returned home from Hawaii almost a week ago - it's taken me that long to recover from the 5 hour time difference.  Had a fantastic time and may very well be returning in March for a few weeks. 

Today I fired up the longarm as I loaded a quilt yesterday - that was an ugly scene - it took me 3 tries as I kept loading the backing on incorrectly.  I quilted a UFO  from almost 8 years ago.  I got the binding sewn on today too and just need to tack it to the back and it'll be done.

JudyL mentioned on her blog a few weeks ago something about Pinterest - Oh My - it is totally addicting.  I have been on there for days pinning all kinds of stuff.  I love it - you must check it out.
Ta ta for now, more later!

I'm making progress!

 Well, I have completed 3 more customer quilts and there's just one more left to get done before we leave for Hawaii on Wednesday!

This one belongs to Carolyn and it's a Stack 'n Whack.  I remember when she was piecing this top way back in 2002!  I need to work on some of my UFOs as Carolyn is way ahead of me in this area!

 This one also belongs to Carolyn!  I am so envious that she's been so productive lately!

This is another customer quilt that I was able to complete in about an hour as it's only 46 inches square!

Stash Report - Weeks 44 - 46

I am finding it rather hard to believe that 3 weeks have gone by since I last posted, but I've been down for the count with a sinus infection + pneumonia.  I am feeling better now, but I'm still easily  pooped out.  My sewing cave is located in the basement.  Stairs have been a major issue since my breathing has been compromised by the pneumonia, so I haven't been downstairs in weeks.  I finally ventured down late last week and was able to finish a quilt that's been on the frame since mid-October!  Yesterday. I loaded another and finished it up this afternoon, so I am feeling better!  Unfortunately neither of these quilts resulted in any of my stash being busted, so the figures remain the same.   

Used this Week: 0 yards

Used year to Date: 84 yards

Added this Week: 0 yards

Added Year to Date: 40 yards

Net Used Year to Date: 44 yards

We will be leaving for Hawaii in a few weeks and will not return until January, so my hopes of busting 100 yards have been dashed - but there's always 2012! 

Check out the progress of others at JudyL's Patchwork Times!