Getting it Done Update

Oh dear.  I was a bit too ambitious for this short month, as well as distracted, for Judy's Getting it Done challenge.  Well, there was some movement on the list of four things for February, anyway.  The list included:

• Complete custom quilting on Caramel Blues quilt ==Not done. I did, however, buy the matching threads and think about how I wanted to finish this project off.
• Complete Pinwheel Garden quilt for Shoppe==Not done.  I did, however, make sure the batting and backing were ample enough for the top, and washed the binding fabric.  I may even have made the binding--I can't remember!
• Complete 10 wool applique blocks==Not done.  Two were finished for the month and some of other block pieces cut out of wool.
• Lay out Picnic blocks and assemble top==The layout and switcheroo portion was done.  I have sewn together five rows but have seven more to go.

Greenpiece BOM wool applique block.

For March, the above four items are going to be carried over.  I think I'll go downstairs right now and get set up to pin baste two quilts that have been hanging around, including the Pinwheel Garden quilt.  Then I'll prep a bunch of the wool applique blocks.  They do stitch up pretty fast! 

Getting it Done January report, February goals

January's four Getting it Done challenge goals were reached, with a couple of tweaks:

1.  Finish chevron tablerunner.  The quilting was done today and the binding attached--but I'm calling it DONE.  I used Heather Mulder Peterson's tutorial for the odd angles on the runner and think they will turn out nice; I'm going to try her fast hand stitching method for sewing down the binding on the back. 

2.  Make heart block tablerunners for Shoppe sales.  I changed from tablerunners to mug mats instead, but this job is DONE.
3.  Trace at least 4 designs for Greenpiece wool applique blocks and cut out of wool. I ended up tracing 18 designs and beginning the stitching on the wool appliques, so am calling this DONE.
4.  Do unsewing on Mystery quilt back and repair to correct length. Despite a couple of missteps along the quilt backing is now the correct size, so this job is DONE.

Four for Four and feeling great about that!  

Now for February: 
1.   Complete custom quilting on Caramel Blues quilt.   (This poor quilt has been on the UFO list for two years and is 2/3 finished.)
2.  Sandwich, quilt and bind Garden Pinwheels quilt for Shoppe sale.  (I made the flannel backing last week and have the binding picked out already.)
3.  Complete 10 wool applique blocks.  ( I plan to stitch away while working my shifts at the Shoppe--it is a very slow time of year for gift shops.)
4.  Lay out Picnic blocks and assemble top.  

These four things should keep me busy but still allow plenty of other stitching to be fit in. Setting these goals down in writing gives me focus on moving these projects along.  Deadlines, even self imposed, helps a lot!

Ongoing GID

Although yesterday was supposed to include a trip to the Getty Center with my mom and visiting Cousin Florence, somehow I tweaked my back/hip and had to cancel.  I think it happened the night before, when I was simultaneously trying to lift and lower a  heavy pillow to the floor while twisting, balanced on my other elbow, and scooting back under the covers.  Bad idea.  As sitting and bending were painful and I didn't want to spend the day in bed, standing was all that was left if I wanted to get anything done.  So I set up the light box on my raised cutting table and got to tracing the wool applique blocks for the Greenpiece BOM that is on the Getting it Done challenge list.

On the GID list I wanted to get at least four designs traced, but since I was already doing the job, I finished the remaining 18 blocks' worth of tracing onto freezer paper.  Some of these pieces are tiny!  I'm doing the simpler ones first to build up my skills. 

I proceeded with the buttonhole stitching on the poor lonely butterfly block that has been prepped for awhile, followed by prep of the second block with Roxanne's glue.

I got as far last night as the background flower and two leaves on the second block.  I do enjoy this simple embroidery work! These pics were taken with my new smartphone since my dumbphone stopped working suddenly and had to be replaced.  The camera is very good and I'll enjoy using it, especially for the closeups that my regular point-and-shoot did poorly.  That will also mean one less thing to carry in my purse!  Today my back/hip is better and I plan to attack my sewing room redo.  I'm hoping for a less cluttered look and better organization at the end of the next few days. 

Ups and Downer

Flitting from project to project results in a mixed bag of things to share.  First, I got the inner borders attached to the modern pinwheel quilt.

 

Inspector Mini approved this stage of the assembly without comment.  I'll be hunting for an outer border fabric tomorrow at the Road to California show.  I'm thinking a larger print of some sort.

 

It was very slow at the Shoppe today so I got the binding all stitched down on one project.  I settled on  "Toy Sink" as the name for this wall hanging made from leftovers of my Kitchen Sink quilt.  

 

Today I also finished the buttonhole stitching on all the pieces for this wool table mat that has been making the trip to the Shoppe for several weeks.

 

I purchased the Primitive Gatherings kit while in Cincinnati at the International Quilt Festival nearly two years ago.  There were supposed to be small dark squares as a third layer to this design, but when I was working on the buttonhole stitching on the plane ride home, it was so turbulent that I put away the small squares in a baggie and quickly made these giant cross-stitches through each remaining pair of squares.  I used DMC Perle cotton in size 8 in two different greens.  At first I was removing the cross-stitch but then decided I liked how it was even more primitive looking, so let it be.

 

This homespun from the kit has been ironed on and fray-checked per the instructions, then black thread will be added in a buttonhole stitch all the way around.  Nearly done!

 

However, for the Getting it Done challenge, as another downer in the ongoing saga of mistakes with the quilt backing for Judy's Mystery Quilt, I removed the SIDE border instead of the BOTTOM border.  This is what happens when you don't unfold the quilt but instead leave it on the hanger, thinking you have it folded LENGTHWISE, when instead you have it folded CROSSWISE.  Sigh.  But, while there will be some resewing happening, I fortunately didn't cut anything! 

Forward

Forward is a destination I'm aiming for this year, in more ways than one.  In that vein, several quilt projects in play are getting due attention in rounds:

On the Getting it Done challenge, the four items of the month were:
1.  Finish Chevron tablerunner.  Not yet completely done, but well on its way.  Today I pieced batting and got the backing cut, sandwiched and pin basted, and quilted in the cream chevrons.  I consulted with the recipient (DD Elaine) a few days ago for a quilting plan and we both decided to keep the colored chevrons unquilted.  I will attempt stippling in the red border with cream thread as she requested, but may not like it very much--we shall see if it stays or if I go buy red thread!

 

2.  Make heart block tablerunners for shoppe.  Done.  I opted for mug mats instead and have a small pile for sale at the Shoppe; however, none have yet sold.  January is a very slow month for sales everywhere, though, so I'm not particularly concerned.

3.  Trace at least 4 designs for Greenpiece BOM applique and cut out of wool.  Not done.  Tracing is on the agenda for tonight.

4.  Do unsewing on Judy's Mystery quilt backing and repair to correct length.  Not done.  The project did get pulled out of the closet and given a once over review.  I sure wish I had made notes for myself as to the repair process!  As I recall, the backing is about a foot short, which will make for some unattractive repairs since it is a pieced border with cornerstones, but hey, this quilt is for ME, who can overlook those things!

So one item is complete, one is 2/3 complete, two others incomplete, and it is 11 days from the end of the month.  Doing okay so far but need to step it up this week to make the deadline for this challenge.

Other progress was made on the Picnic quilt.  The remaining block pieces had been cut and stacked to the side of my sewing machine at least six weeks ago.  As of this post, only nine more blocks are waiting to be sewn.

Since this photo double the number are now complete.  Next will come layout and stitcheroo, yay!

Binding had been attached to the mini Kitchen Sink quilt but I forgot to add triangle corners for hanging, so that was done today as well.

All ready to stitch down the binding, then I can call it a finish.  I bought a small package of the Clover binding clips and do like them.  Maybe I should call this "Toy Sink" or "Bar Sink" for its mini status :).  Any votes?

Task List making on a daily basis is a habit I need to return to--it really helps me with that forward motion.

Getting It Done/UFO Challenge 2012 Update

Judy over at Patchwork Times has a new format for making progress on projects for 2013, called Getting it Done.  It's a bit less formal than committing to a list of 12 UFOs for the year, although I did enjoy that as well.  For the new format in 2013, at the end of each month we select four things we want to make progress on in the next month.  So, for January my Getting it Done list is:

1.  Finish chevron tablerunner.
2.  Make heart block tablerunners for Shoppe sales.
3.  Trace at least 4 designs for Greenpiece wool applique blocks and cut out of wool.
4.  Do unsewing on Mystery quilt back and repair to correct length.
 *****************************************************************************

In reviewing my list of 12 projects for the UFO Challenge 2012, I'm quite pleased with what got done. My total score was eight finishes out of twelve, which I am feeling really good about.

#1 Judy's Mystery Quilt.  February's pick.  Needed borders, backing, and quilting.  The top was completed rather quickly since it just needed borders, but I had a more complex idea with the backing which was a FAIL due to miscutting my focus fabric for the center of the pieced back.  That part was rescued but then I again had a FAIL when cutting the side borders, making the quilt at least a foot short.  So that project has been resting ever since.  Progress was made, however!

 #2 Caramel Blues Quilt.  May's pick. A 9 patch swap project.  Needed borders, backing, quilting.  The borders, backing and sandwiching progressed fine.  I am now stuck on custom quilting, having started and then removed stipple quilting in variegated thread in the hourglass blocks.  I need to match the thread to the cream background in the hourglass blocks.  I'd estimate the quilting is 2/3 finished in the center; borders will be next.  Again incomplete, but progress made!

#3 Cheddar and Cinnamon Quilt.  July's pick.  This was the only project on the list that had no progress on it--other than to wash the backing fabric, which I don't even remember what I chose!  The top was completed in the 2011 UFO Challenge from another pile of 9 patch swap blocks. 

 

 #4 Any Witch Way (2).  Swapped for #11, September's pick.  These projects were also on the 2011 challenge list and I had made free-pieced letters for the witches names for one of the two tops; both centers were complete.  One witch quilt was completed and given to my daughter (apparently I never took a photo of the completed quilt).  The other had the names completed, attached, and borders as well.  So, 1 for 2 on that month's pick!

#5 Patriotic Fields Doll Quilt.  January's Pick.  The project needed hand quilting and binding.  Though not completed on deadline, I did eventually put the last stitch into the hand quilting in April, and the binding followed shortly thereafter.  I won a blue ribbon at the County Fair on this quilt (though it should have been hung vertically not horizontally!) 

#6 Yuletide Blessings Quilt.  October's pick.  This project only needed quilting and binding.  It was finally finished as of 10/31/12. I don't have a photo of the completed quilt for some reason but have it hanging over my recliner for the season.

 

#7 9 Patch Quiltbuddies.  August's pick.  I smartly only assigned myself finishing the top from the pile of blocks and selected setting fabric for this very large quilt.  The 9 patches were from a swap several years ago with an online group and I got the zigzag setting from Quiltville.com.  The borders were sewn that way in sort of a mistake but I went with it!  It was completed 9/1/12. 

#8 Greenpiece BOM.  December's pick (previously swapped for March's pick).  The Moda BOM quilt I fell in love with and my hubby bought for me. I had only gotten a few month's worth of the pieced blocks made.  Now it is the month end and while all the pieced blocks are now complete, none of the wool blocks have yet to be! These are the most recent finished blocks: 

#9 Tablerunners.  Swapped for #8, March's pick.  Two small tablerunners from designer Heather Mulder Peterson. Finished by deadline!

 Party Time runner.

Baby Boxes runner. 

#10 Jewel Box Quilt.  April's pick.  Additional blocks were needed to complete the desired setting--many of the blocks were from another swap from several years ago.  I finished this quilt on June 28 and gave it to my boss as a gift, renaming it Jollas de la Mar (Jewels of the Sea).  The quilt is about 65" square but looks rectangular due to the offset layout.

#11 Quiltbuddies Christmas Block Swap.  Swapped twice to make it November's pick.  A pile of swapped blocks and a sketch turned into a completed top by deadline, 11/30/12.  Not the best photo, however!

#12 Double pink and brown/tan 9 patch blocks.  June's pick.  Another 9 patch swap block project.  I had selected a pattern called "X's and O's" from an APQ mag, downsizing it to a tablerunner.  Each large block was 18" or so. This was completed in early September and given to my sister in law as a housewarming gift.

All in all, many happy hours of sewing and quilting represented here (and a number of not so happy hours unpicking and recutting!).  I enjoyed the number picked reveal each month, though I felt free to swap more than once!  Thanks, Judy, for the UFO Challenge. I look forward to the new challenge format this year.