Design Wall Monday--2/13/17

A few things on--and off--the design wall:

 

 Our Guild is 5 years old this month.  The challenge was to create a block with five things in it.  I chose Tri-Recs blocks.  I used my new V-Block ruler to trim them to perfect size. 

 DD Erica sent this pic of the Star-Crossed quilt in use. She wrote of her cat, "Lucy likes it" :)

Yesterday I finished the quilting on the Baby Flying Geese quilt.  I like it so far.  I've also prepared the binding so it will go on soon.

Another Guild project--gone wrong.  I sewed the smaller colored squares to the wrong size background.  I suppose this will give me "design opportunities" to finish the top!

A few minutes of stitching late Saturday afternoon produced another finish--Poinsettias and Pomegranates is finally done.  Only 6 years in the making!

See more Design Walls on Judy's Patchwork Times. 

Progress on UFOs, etc

Over the weekend I got through prepping the backings and tops for two quilts, the UFO picks for January and this month.  I set up a table on risers in the garage and both were spray basted, a process that involved a great deal of walking around the table, pulling and clamping, and smoothing, as every quilter knows.  There was also some swearing, as I once again proved my advanced ability to bungle MATH for quilts by shorting the batting, and also drifting one layer crookedly despite multiple measuring tape checks.  Sigh. I'll just show the one that came out well, lol.

Thank goodness my sister Kathy had brought over another can of 505 spray the day before, as I ran out of my can on the very LAST section I needed to spray of the second quilt.  Isn't that typical?  No quilting has begun as yet, but soon!

The last stitches were taken for the border of this cross-stitch UFO.  There are some small pomegranate motifs to add to each corner and very few detail stitches to the center and this will be finished.  I did struggle a little with the border as the number of stitches in the side borders is different from the top and bottom.  Nothing a little unpicking and restitching couldn't fix.  Love it!

 DD Erica sent this photo of the finished Star-Crossed quilt in its new home.  She included the rug that inspired the colorway, and I think it looks great with the pillows I made her several years ago.  I've asked for full length quilt photos when she gets a chance. 

And now, some grand-baby spam.

Hunter and big brother Cove playing in Hunter's crib a few weeks ago.  They will have their shared birthday later this month.  Can't stop time from making them older, but love spending any minute we can with these darling grandsons. Hunter is not yet walking, but may in the next few weeks.  He's a really fast crawler, though :)

Finally, I must apologize for doubling the photo of the Venice scene art quilt in nearly consecutive posts.   #mindlikeasteeltrap  I do really admire that quilt a lot!

UFO Challenge 2017 monthly update

Today is the day we report on our progress for Judy's UFO challenge.  The pick was #3 on the list for January, which was my modern Row Robin quilt. I started with an unfinished quilt top and aimed for a finished quilt by month end.  I posted the finished top and backing HERE.  Alas, I didn't get a full finish.  However...

...I did construct a Frankenbatt for the quilt and it is ready to be spray basted.  That will probably take place before this weekend, along with the pick for February, which is #9. On my list #9 is this Flying Geese baby quilt top.  It needs a backing, quilting, and binding.  I last worked on it in October 2016 so it's a pretty young UFO, lol. I got stalled at the backing because the intended yardage I purchased,  without bringing the top, did not match--so annoying.  So first step will be to choose a new backing.  The white background is an Architextures print so I may find a coordinate in that line.

I'll probably quilt this with my walking foot in some sort of straight line design.

Meanwhile, I had put aside the Row Robin to finish another quilt, my version of Star-Crossed from APQ April 2016 issue.  I finished the quilting and binding Sunday and delivered it to DD Erica on Monday night.

 So happy to have this crossed of the list! I didn't get a photo of the whole quilt because we met to celebrate the 98th birthday of my mother in law at her senior home.

Here she is smiling up at her grandson Nick.  She's shrunk a bit but he's 6'4".  We had a lovely time surprising her with cake and ice cream and my husband read her all the birthday cards.  Nearly 100 and doesn't use a walker or cane, amazing.

Slow Sunday Stitching

Some assorted slow stitching will take place today.  I do love cross-stitch and there are some beautiful designs out there.  This one comes from Beehive Needleworks and is a pincushion with a separate needlekeep with two of my favorite things, Poinsettias and Pomegranates. I started this years ago and am determined to get it done soon.

Since this photo the bottom border stitching has been "crossed" and I started on the brown basket for the flowers.  I may end up framing this instead of stuffing it.

Also going under the needle will be stitching down the binding for my version of the Star-Crossed quilt from APQ April 2016 mag that I am making for DD Erica.  She has been getting impatient for me to finish.  I was stalled at the quilting stage as the front is a bright cream and the backing is a purple shot cotton with a gold overlay design that I didn't want to have white thread ruin.  Finally yesterday I was able to work out a smoke invisible thread in the bobbin and thicker top thread in white.  I made the final decision to abandon FMQ in favor of simply straight line grid quilting the remainder, having already done so in the chains.

I used the Hera marker to mark all the quilting lines and that worked perfectly.  The binding will go on in a few minutes and I'll get to hand sewing it down on the back.  Hmm, needs a label too!

Linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

Design Wall Monday--11/28

Off my design wall is a couch quilt for DD Erica.  I had all the blocks made by a couple of weeks ago but didn't get the chance to assemble the top until the day after Thanksgiving.  My sewing room (our former family room) had been cleared out to make way for furniture moved from the living room while we had tables and chairs there for Thanksgiving crowd of 21.  We had a great time as always and enjoyed all the family togetherness. Grandsons Cove and Hunter were very popular, naturally. 

It was so nice to just open my sewing desk Friday morning and get started assembling the rows.

The pressing instructions for this quilt (Star-Crossed, APQ magazine April 2016) ensured that all seams nested.  I only had one block where I pressed one seam wrong and otherwise everything matched up well.  These 16" blocks make a fast quilt top. 

DD Erica came over Sunday morning to help me pin it.  QC was provided by Mini. 

She takes her job pretty seriously, lol.

Quilting commenced after a trip to the garden shop on a very windy afternoon.  It was nice to sit in the warm house and quilt straight lines.  Not sure what I'll do in all the white background as yet, probably something very simple, using invisible thread, I think.

This beautiful flower arrangement my brother gave me on Thanksgiving has opened and looks wonderful with the lilies blooming.  Love the color mixture!  See more Design Walls on Judy's Patchwork Times.