Next in line...

I'm working on an old UFO...one that I really love. Years ago I taught a class and sewed up a class sample. I made a few extra blocks as I taught how the blocks went together. I usually use solids to test blocks then when I get enough, I make a solid scrappy sampler quilt. But these were all in blue and white so I saved them for a two color quilt.

This block below is what I stitched up today after taking apart a block I didnt like.

I think this was "cups and saucers" block....usually a nice design but just too bold in solids.

It took a while to reconstruct such a big block but I'm so much happier with the new one. 

This was the start of the quilt center. 

It needed 4 more stars then I needed to add a 2" border all the way around because I needed the center to become a 36" square. 

I figured i could use my leftover class blocks in the four corners of the next border....but what about in between?

Do you like EQ? I have to say it sure makes it easy to see what a quilt will look like. I tried out a few different ideas...couldn't decide...so i put a poll on Instagram. The quilters voted this design as the favorite.

So this what I'm working towards. I need to make a dozen 12" blocks to finish the next round then 3 borders.

Shouldn't take too long.

Oh, and I finished the flannel squares quilt top. It's off to the longarmer. 

Joining the FINISHALONG2020 on IG

Have you joined in the 2020 finish-a-long? With my long list of UFOs, I really need the push finish-a-long gives. 

This one, below, is going to be first to finish up. It's not the oldest. I started it when Henry was a baby and now he's 5-1/2. This quilt needs to go on his new bed, a queen size. His twin bed will be passed down to little brother Charlie, along with his doggie quilt...maybe...

I've just finished the 9th and final block. After those are sewn together I'll start the border. Maybe I can get this finished in the next few weeks and have a January finish. 

Working on UFO #1

My News Years resolution was to get 15 of my UFOs done this year. I have 29 on my list (listed on my UFO page here on my blog). The pile of UFOs has decreased over the years from 40 ...my all time high🙈

For January, I would like to complete #1, Henry's flannel squares quilt.

I worked on it for a few hours today and can see progress. The blocks are 24x24"...I need at least 9 for a 72x72 quilt. I now have 7 done. 

These bobbins came in handy today as I was sewing the sub-blocks. I ran out of bobbin as I was chain stitching. It's so nice to have this huge supply of prewound ones! It was my Christmas present from Lisa...one of my favorite gifts every year (I always request this, don't always receive it).

So my sewing room is going to be in the basement...I have a huge window facing east for good light but it's on the back burner for now. Al and I need a building break for a little bit. We'll be heading to Florida soon so we'll wait till we're back before tackling the basement. In the meantime I'll be sewing here in the kitchen.

             
I started this quilt for Henry, about 4 years ago and since then have changed my color preferences. The 4 blocks that were done seem too dark now so I'm making the next 5 blocks lighter and I will alternate darks and lights. I hope it works the way I'm envisioning it. Otherwise I'll be UNSEWING a bunch and inserting more lighter pieces.

These are the lighter ones below...there are still darks but not as many. And I've pulled out the brown...I have too much of it....Replacing it with navy and dark greens.

Here's the 7 blocks on my "design" floor. I still see too much brown. I'll make the last two blocks then decide if I need to "delete" some or remake a block. 

The main thing is, the quilt is getting worked on and will be finished SOON.

So that's my 1st New Years resolution. The second is to limit my sugar intake. My family has a history of diabetes. That really worries me. I KNOW I have a sugar addiction and I also know that if I don't consume it the cravings go away. SO, I'm trying REALLY hard to stay away from it. Wish me luck!

Hope all of you are enjoying a wonderful 2020 and doing well with your own resolutions! 

Happy New Year, All!!

Well, we made it! Finished the house by Christmas...moved in, unpacked some and had family here for a Christmas Eve dinner.
Daughter Jenn helped with dinner bringing this delicious blueberry dessert and her famous dinner rolls.

Daughter Lisa made her annual gingerbread house...a lighthouse this year! It was HUGE and the boys loved it. Not sure how she got that up here in one piece (she lives 4 hours from us).

I made dinner but Al helped by barbecuing steaks and chicken. The only cookies I made were these Spritz...requested by my daughter.

Christmas day was even easier and relaxing...Al took us out to dinner to the Grand Traverse Resort. 

So now we are in the house, finishing details like staining doors and handrails, adding cabinet knobs, doing touchups to walls and trim, caulking and adding shelves where needed. 

I'll be dragging out my sewing machine pretty soon. On Instagram, I posted my UFO list and my New Years resolution to cut the list by half. Let's see if I can! I'm also trying to cut my sugar intake. Two VERY difficult resolutions for me. 

Here's to a wonderful new year!!!! I hope you all have much success with all your endeavors. Have a happy, healthy, successful 2020, everyone!

Home for Christmas

As some of you know, Al and I are building a home (again). We had hoped to be in by Thanksgiving but had a few delays...BUT we WILL be in for Christmas! Our moving truck is scheduled for Dec 18th...plenty of time to unpack, put up a tree, bake cookies..

Right now we're laying hardwood. I've become an old pro at this. This is the third house we've done it ourselves. Only hiccup is, as we get more practice, we're also getting older and these old bones don't want to be kneeling on the floor hammering away at wood. I could barely get up off the floor today😬

We started by the master bedroom so that the carpet guys would have a place to put it up against. 

Now we're working towards the fireplace, kitchen and stairs. 

I wore out my carpenter/hubby. Slamming that hammer against the nailer is hard work. 

But the end is within sight. We need to be done with flooring, stair treads, a porch railing, garage railing, address needs mounting and a few other little things, in 9 days! And have the rental packed! Gonna be close...

Time marches on...

This past month has been hard...Dad is moving out of the family home and into a senior apartment, his decision.

The house is just too large for him.

Since mom passed away, he's been slowly giving her stuff away and BOY did she have stuff! Mom loved Lladro and Old Country Rose china... She loved crystal and Fitz and Floyd. So much stuff!

One of dad's solutions to who gets what, is to give items back to the giver. He gave me back the quilts I made her...there were 4. 

One was put in the casket with her because she was always cold...it was a flannel lap quilt. 

The second was admired by my daughter so I gave that to her. 

The third was always on the guest bed where my brother's stayed and he liked it...so that went to him. 

And the final one was this Eleanor Burns pattern, Magic Vine variation. 

It was used on mom and dad's bed for years. I gave this to my sister. 

This was made/finished in 2008 and is one of the few labeled quilts. The flowers are all appliqued and it was my first attempt at FMQ (sort of). 

It was fun to go through all these old memories but also hard....end of an era. That house was always the Holiday house...jammed with decorations, food and family!

Time for the next generation to take over. My daughter will be hosting Thanksgiving this year. And once our house is finished, we'll be able to have Christmas there.

With these two monkeys, it should be a fun party!

A final finish for 2019

After a long day of building shelves and trimming at the new house, I came home and finished the binding on my Kaffe quilt. So it's DONE! Another UFO to check off...I'm thrilled!

This quilt will be mine. It's sooo soft. I can't wait to be in the new house, cuddling up with this one.

These are all log cabin blocks (8") that I made using my Creative Grids Log Cabin ruler. It's a good one one. You all know how I love my rulers😉

Packing this guy up and then packing up my machine and all my sewing stuff. 

Al and I have too much work at the house...there won't be any spare time for sewing. 

Working on quilts and our house

Almost finished! The quilting on my Kaffe quilt is done. I just did simple lines...in the ditch. I didnt want to take away the softness of this quilt. I don't know if it's the pellon cotton batting or the Kaffe fabrics but this quilt is softer than usual. It feels SO good!

I was afraid if I quilted too much it might get stiff. All I have to do now is bind it. 

Al and I are SUPER busy finishing up the house. We do the finish trim, the painting and laying the hardwood. We also have a few plants to get in before the snow flys. We're waiting for the driveway to be poured so we can plant bushes near it. If that's not done in the next few days then the plants will have to be buried on our other lot until spring. I can't put it off much longer. 

Al trimmed out this set of windows in the greatroom. They look SO good! 

The cabinets are being installed as we work on the trim. Things are coming along!😀

Kitchen tools as quilting tools?

I'm working on my Kaffe log cabin star quilt ...getting the quilting done. I decided on straight lines. This isnt the fastest way but I've been dying to do this to a quilt and this one is a great one to try it on. There are plenty of lines to follow and it's not too big... 72" x72"

Where there aren't lines, I usually mark with a Hera marker...but I can't find it (same story, different day😉)

So I dug around in the kitchen (that's where my temporary sewing room is) for something that would create a nice line but not cut or snag the fabric. 

This little butter spreader works perfectly! I was able to stitch about 20 lines before it was time to get to the new house. I'm landscaping the one side where they've finished siding.

These colors are so ME...I'm really enjoying quilting this. Oh, and I decided against invisible thread on top...my old eyes just can't handle it. I couldn't see to thread it and then it broke and jammed...pulled it out, got out my aqua Aurifil.

So ....it's going to be slow going...a little here, a little there, as time allows. I sure hope I can finish by the weeks end. 

Basting my Kaffe log cabin star

I'm doing the Finish-a-long this quarter and have completed 2 of the 5 projects I had hoped to finish. This will be the third, if I can get it quilted and bound in the next few days.

I layered it and taped it to the floor last night...this afternoon I pinned it. Tomorrow I will start quilting. I'm undecided on what type of FMQ I want to do on it. I've used swirls on many quilts and really love the look. My favorite would be just straight lines back and forth but I think that might take too long. Either way, I'll be using an invisible thread on top and a teal on the bottom. 

My next project is...

This UFO is now a finished top. Next up...basting and quilting.

I spent part of yesterday trying to find the fabric i had put away for the border and backing of this quilt. I started this one...hmmm....no idea. It's pretty old. I drag it out every so often because I like it and want it finished but I can never decide how I want it finished. Well, I never did find the border fabric but I had enough of this feather fabric to squeak out a small border...3". 

So this afternoon I added that on and am calling it good.

I found ONE of the backs I bought for this quilt. I know I also bought a Kaffee that was on sale at Rainbow's End quilt shop...35% off. Can't find that but this dot will work. And I did find this 1/2 yard of Kaffe stripe..it'll be perfect for binding. 

So Saturday or Sunday I'll start basting. Tomorrow, Friday, is grandson day. No time (or energy) for anything other that play!

Here's our other WIP....siding is going on...stone is coming any day. Drywall is going up, cabinets are ordered and ready for delivery and the electric company is hooking us up (finally!!).

Seems like we'll be in by Thanksgiving!🍂🍁