Quilters Accountability 5/26/10

Well, it's the final week of the Spring Finish!!!  Time to get those last few projects done for reporting on Monday.  The good news is that I am thisclose to another finish and hope to get at least one more done before deadline. 

Last week's goals:

1.  Finish the quilting and bind the Charming Log Cabin quilt.  Almost done.  The quilting in the center is finished.  Unfortunately I couldn't get great shots of it.  Hopefully when the quilt is completely finished I can get some better ones.

The top and bottom borders (with the squiggly "Princess Woo" fabric) are grid quilted and will then have a (traditional) scallop edge cut into (out of?) it before binding.  I will finish the grid quilting on the bottom edge tonight.  Even though it's simple to do, it is a bit tedious and therefore time consuming. I still have to decide on the binding (it will probably be the blue stripe on the bias) so I'm not expecting to tackle that until tomorrow or Friday.

2.  Layer and quilt the Dino Sports2 quilt for charity donation.  Didn't get to this one but......

This week's goals:

1. Quilt last border of Charming Log Cabin quilt, bind.
2. Layer and baste Dino Sports 2 quilt, quilt, bind and make a pillowcase.
3. Add border trim and outer borders of Paisley Crumb quilt, layer to backing, quilt and bind.

The Dino Sports 2 quilt and  pillowcase (on the left) will be donated to the Basics Quilt Gather (click the button on the sidebar for details) charity drive when completed.  I am expecting it to be quick to quilt since I'm not planning to do anything fancy with the stitching or finishing.  I decided to throw the Crumb quilt into the mix this week as well.  It too would be simple to finish because the blocks will only be outline stitched.  If I can get these two done (whether by the Spring Finish deadline or after), I will only have one flimsy from 2009 still left to quilt and that means I will feel alot less guilty when I start some new projects!

While I put my nose back to the grindstone, you can head over to Bari's to see what everyone else got done this week. 

This Just In.....

I just found out that Amy of Amy's Creative Side blog (formerly Park City Girl) is once again hosting the Third Annual Bloggers Quilt Festival! 

Click the link above or on the sidebar to go to Amy's site to view the quilts on display or link your own!

This has been great fun the last two years to both view and participate in.  Since I just found out, I'll have to figure out what and if I want to post.  Note: The deadline for adding your link is next Friday, May 28th but the links can be accessed for viewing even after the Festival is over. 

So what are you waiting for, get over there right now!  Trust me, you'll really enjoy it.

Quilters Accountability 5/19/10

Sorry for the late post but I NEEDED to finish up an important part of last week's goals -- mentally, I just didn't want to take it into the next week.  So without further ado.....

Last week's goals:

1.  Construct clamshell binding, attach and finish detail quilting on Vintage Treasures quilt.  Today I finished handsewing  the backing to the binding edge so for the most part this project is in the can for Spring Finish!  I still have some detail stitching to finish but I'll do that tonight or first thing tomorrow and do a detail post on the whole project later.

2.  Start and complete the quilting on Charming Log Cabin.  The quilting was started but I'm not sure I like the stitch pattern I chose.  I need to look this one over, decide on the continued course of action and finish this up next week.

3.  Finish the last two blocks of the Pioneer sampler.  Done and now all the blocks for the sampler are done (last two are in the bottom row, right).  And I finally found a border fabric too (underneath the blocks).  I was supposed to be making these with two other quilters but one has gone down south for the summer and the other hasn't started hers, so I don't know if I'll move forward with this (after the Spring Finish challenge is over, of course!) or hold the finishing until the Fall.  We'll see.

So once again, keeping it light for the next week:

1. Finish the quilting and bind the Charming Log Cabin quilt.
2. Layer and quilt the Dino Sports2 quilt for charity donation.

That's it for now, dinner is waiting!  If you've already finished your dinner, check out what's on other quilter's "To Do" lists at Bari's blog.

Quilters Accountability 5/12/10

I checked in last week for Jacqui's Spring Finish Mid-point at her blog, Tallgrass Prairie Studio.  I thought it was going to be a "linky list" but you only needed to leave a comment so I did that and didn't post to Judy's Design Wall Monday even though the UGRR blocks were done by then.  Almost everyone had at least one thing on their Spring Finish list done and many people had completed multiple projects.  There will be a lot of cleared decks for the summer!

As always, this week some things got done but never as much as hoped:

Last week's goals:

1.  Finish the quilting on the Vintage Treasures quilt, get the clamshell binding made and finish the quilt.

The quilting for the most part is finally done.  I still have to do detail stitching on the inner border corner square blocks and I want to add a filler design inside the half moons on the large red corner triangles.  But all that can be done after the binding is prepared and partially stitched on.

I am scheduled to go to my mother-in-law's house on Saturday for a quilt session.  When I go, I am expected to bring something to work on, so I'm hoping to get the clamshells made and attached so I can do the final hand stitching of the backing to the edges while there.

2.  Work on next two UGRR/Pioneer blocks (one from each).  Done, but instead of doing one from each sampler, I made the last two blocks from the Underground Railroad sampler so all of those blocks are now finished.

Blocks completed this week: Carpenters Wheel (first row, fourth from left) and Crossroads (second row, second from left)

3.  New priority: Start (and complete?) the quilting on the Charming Log Cabin quilt.  Nope, but now that the Vintage Treasures quilting is done, this will be priority this week.

In fact, I already have a stitch pattern in mind and it is an "all-over" design so I am hoping to get that one quilted over the next two days and maybe get to bring that one to my mother-in-law's for binding too.

So keeping the goals light again this week:

1. Construct clamshell binding, attach and finish detail quilting on Vintage Treasures quilt.
2. Start and complete the quilting on Charming Log Cabin.
3. Finish the last two blocks of the Pioneer sampler.

Check out what everyone else has on their list for the upcoming week at Bari's.  Let's keep that momentum up!!!

Quilters Accountability Report 5/5/10

Whew!  This week seemed to go so fast!  Got some things done but as usual not as much as hoped, although there were some good reasons for that.  The weekend was lost to sewing because Saturday, I attended the Northern Star Guild Quilt Show in Somers, NY.  It was my first time attending this show and a guild show.  It was great -- so great that even though I made a point of bringing my camera and making sure it was fully charged, I was so busy looking at the handiwork on all the quilts, I forgot to take pictures!!  There are a few pictures on the guild's website (here, and hopefully they will be posting more in the future) and by other attendees (here) . 

The best part was I got to actually meet a fellow blogger whose blog I have long followed, who was "working" the event, won some ribbons and took pictures!  You can see Renee's photos of the event and her show entries at her blog Quilt Artistry.  We met because as I passed one of her quilts I told one of the ladies I attended the show with (probably a little too loudly), "I know that quilt!  I read her blog!, and hearing me who should come around the corner but Renee herself!  My congratulations to her again for the ribbons she won at the show.

The show was also great because Susan Cleveland, famous for the "Piping Hot Curves" technique was a guest lecturer and gave a great presentation of her quilts which showcase her techniques, including the ones that have won awards at the major shows.  If you have not seen her quilts in person you absolutely must!  Her work is phenomenal and I was particularly floored by her "Pretty Flaky" quilt (scroll down this page), a Feathered Star medallion with decorative stitchery, ribbon work (!), snowflake setting square blocks created with a bleach and freezer paper resist technique (!!), a pieced dogtooth curved border (!!!) beaded accents and a beaded piped binding (!!!!).  Like I said truly phenomenal and she even allowed us to go up after the lecture for a close up look at the quilts (including touching)!  She was a sweet and funny lady and if you ever get a chance to hear her lecture or take a class with her I urge you to do so!  Also if any of you use WonderFil thread, she was asked by the company to select colors for a collection of 12 wt decorative threads that are available on her website now and will be in quilt stores either later this month or June.

My quilt show purchases were pretty light:  I brought a scrap sampler of Cherrywood fabrics from The Quilters Alley, who recently secured regional retailer rights for Connecticut.  Most of Ms. Cleveland's quilts used the Cherrywood fabrics which I have heard alot about and loved the sueded feel of.  My only other purchases were a book and a fat quarter pack of light batiks.  Sunday my husband and I had to do the monthly run of the warehouse club stores and with that and a little more shopping the weekend was shot. 

So checking the list from last week.....

1.  Finish the quilting on the Vintage Treasures BOM, get the clamshell binding made and finish the quilt.  A little was done but not much.  Will spend the rest of this week on that with hopes to finish it by the end of this weekend.

2. Work on four UGRR/Pioneer blocks (two from each).  Done!  Worked on those (the four blocks vertically on the right in the picutre) before the quilting which is probably why they got done. 

3.  Try, once again, to work on two Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks. Nope, and think I will skip it this week for my new priority.

4.  Restart my sons on sewing strings together for their "Denim Blue Lagoon" quilts and cut string pieced and denim triangles for the blocks.  Nope and not sure I will get to it this week either because I've got another new prioirty.

So the list for this week is...

1. Finish the quilting on the Vintage Treasures quilt, get the clamshell binding made and finish the quilt.
2. Work on next two UGRR/Pioneer blocks (one from each).
3. New priority:  Start (and complete?) the quilting on the Charming Log Cabin quilt.

I'm going to need to try to stay on track this week because the midway check-in for the "Spring Finish" is Monday.  Hop on over to Bari's to see how everyone else is progressing.  Let's hope it's a good week for everyone!

Quilters Accountability Report 4/28/10

 Checking In.....let's see how I did this week:

Last week's goals were:

1. Finish quilting and bind the Stashbuster Quilt.  Done!
2. Make up the blocks promised for Bumble Beans House Gather -- the deadline is April 30 so got to get moving on those. Done, but less than planned and harder than I thought!
3. Work on at least two UGRR/Pioneer blocks (one from each).  Nope, but maybe I will work on these after posting.
4. Work on two Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks (might be a long shot).  Nope, knew it was a long shot.
5. If I get the Stashbuster done as quickly as I hope, continue the quilting on the Vintage Treasures BOM and (maybe?) have the quilting completed by the next post.  Extra time spent on the house blocks nixed that!

So the good news is that I did get my Stashbuster quilt finished and I am very happy about that.  It is my first Spring Finish finish and another completed project for 2010.

                         Front                                                                                                               Back

This was a project that started as a stashbuster challenge by Judy Laquidara at the Patchwork Times blog (2/23/09 post).  While I do like the quirky funkiness of my finished quilt, I've got to say that it looks quite different from her original design (which is now available on her site as a free pattern called "Out of the Bag").  Judy works only in tone-on-tones and designs her quilts the same way.  Her finished quilt and most of the ones by the quilters who participated in the challenge reflect that.  My stash has mostly prints so that's what I worked with.  My fabric choices and the limitations thereof forced me to eliminate the float for the center blocks and the inner border that were features in the original design.  But in the end it got done and all but the backing and binding fabric from stash.

This top had been finished since last year and was also on my list for last year's Spring Finish challenge.  So this was long overdue to get done.  My hope at the time was use it as quilt stitch practice and since that goal is the same this year, I still got to do that.  I did freehand Fans (on my DSM) for the first time.  A great all over fill (that's why it's a classic stitch pattern) and not that hard but I will say that if I use it again, I need to use a smaller repeat -- I used an 8" repeat which made it hard to keep the arcs evenly curved and spaced as they got to the larger half rounds.

                          Quilting Detail

The other thing I got done this week was to make the blocks promised for the Bumble Beans Basics House Gather.  I thought this would be a simple block to do so I didn't rush even as the deadline (April 30th) was looming.  Well, it's a good thing Victoria posted that she will still be accepting blocks even after the deadline (the deadline is for a chance at a give-away) since these took me waaayyy longer to do than expected.  I seemed to have a complete block (no pun intended) when it came to doing these.  The first block I did was 1/4" too narrow (they are supposed to finish 10-1/2" square).  I made adustments to some of the cutting specs but still managed to sew the next block too small, sewed parts together wrong or decided to change elements at the last minute.  I wanted to do ten blocks but I admit I reached the limit of my perseverence, so will mail these five out tomorrow.  The good news is that these blocks, along with those submitted by others, will be made into quilts that will be donated to a housing charity in my borough (which is why I refused to completely give up although I was tempted to many, many times).   The other good news is that she is arranging with the organization she is working with to agree to accept completed quilts for future donations (for details see here) and I have a top and back ready that I hope to quilt and donate.

The three other blocks I made that "weren't quite right" went into my "Orphan Block Bag" so will one day become part of a scrap quilt or journal cover and won't go to waste! 

So for next week I need to.....

1. 
   
   Finish the quilting on the Vintage Treasures BOM, get the clamshell binding made and finish the quilt.
2. 
   
   Work on four UGRR/Pioneer blocks (two from each).
3. 
   
   Try, once again, to work on two Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks.
4. 
   
   Restart my sons on sewing strings together for their "Denim Blue Lagoon" quilts and cut string pieced and denim triangles for the blocks.

And when you are finished here, check out what everyone else has planned for the coming week at Bari's Quilter's Accountability Report --- or even better post your own!

  

Quilters Accountability 4/21/10

Well, as promised I'm posting to Bari's "Quilter's Accountability" linky.  I have lurked the site before and admired the fortitude of everyone who has posted each week.  I'm hoping to gain some of that resolve -- I signed up for Jacqui's "Spring to Finish" challenge again this year and this time I'd like to make the FIRST deadline since last year it took until the SECOND deadline for me to get anything done!  We have six weeks (until May 31) to finish whatever UFOs, pending projects or interesting "new loves" we wish to get completed.  I know that keeping a weekly "To Do" list will help this process and perhaps insure that I will have something to show when we hit the May 10 halfway check-in.

Ironically, the first project I am working on is one that was on my list last year!  It is the quilt that I made when Judy Laquidara of Patchwork Times had her first Stashbuster Quilt-A-Long (the quilt design is now called "Out of the Bag" and is posted on her site here).  It was also my introduction to blogging since you needed to post your finish to participate in a finishers giveaway. The quilt has been layered since last year so I'm hoping this week to get the quilting done.  This was originally meant to be a project to practice my quilt stitching so I am finally getting to do that by trying my hand at free-form Baptist Fans.

So my goal list for the next week is as follows:

1. Finish quilting and bind the Stashbuster Quilt.
2. Make up the blocks promised for Victoria's House Gather -- the deadline is April 30 so got to get moving on those.
3. Work on at least two UGRR/Pioneer blocks (one from each).
4. Work on two Sylvia's Bridal Sampler blocks (might be a long shot).
5. If I get the Stashbuster done as quickly as I hope, continue the quilting on the Vintage Treasures BOM and (maybe?) have the quilting completed by the next post.

I'm already feeling like there will be finishes this Spring!