Finished or Not Friday: Mini Quilt Retreat Edition

I've got two finishes for March to join in with everyone gathered at Quilty Girl Alycia's for "Finished Or Not Friday" this week! 

Once I was fully back from our recent trip to visit my MIL in North Carolina, it was time to sort through all the things I brought back.  Either I put them away or wanted to try to get some of the projects finished that were started during the "mini quilt retreat" that happened as part of our trip.

Bowl Cozies

In my quilt retreat recap,  I mentioned that I had the opportunity to cut out some bowl cozies using the Accuquilt Small Bowl Cozy die borrowed from a guild member.  

While away I was only able to get them started and get one to the point of being ready to be stitched around the edge for turning right side out.  The good news is I was able to work on them last week and get all of them completely finished!

The "feature" fabrics: three for "Yellowstone" and one for "Bridgerton"

The insides (or alternate side since these are reversable).

I was happy to get a chance to try the die before committing to buying it.  I've made a few cozies already as I have been making them for us and for friends and family reflecting our favorite TV shows.  

I had been using regular rulers and a few specialty templates to cut them out.  The "tumbler cut" of fabic I purchased for the "Bridgerton" one was small enough (9" x 14") that I had planned to try using the tutorial by Vanessa the Crafty Gemini since her method worked with that size cut --- the other methods I use start with a 10-1/2" square.    

The good news is that this die accomodated the smaller cut and boy was it way easier to cut both the fabric and batting at the same time when I used the die!  I should note here that Accuquilt also has another die that makes a larger bowl cozy but you have to have the Go! Big machine to use that one.  What I was interested in seeing was how the size of cozy the small die makes compares to the ones made with my original methods.  Turns out it's actually pretty similar!

Clearly the cozies hold a standard soup bowl about the same with the only diference being pointed versus rounded corners.  I will say that the cozies using my original method were slightly taller.  

However that might have been due to the fact that this particular one (and another one made at the same time) had been made from miscut starting squares and I had adjusted the depth of the darts to compensate.    

Since it seems to be pretty much the same result, I will probably keep the die on my Wish List and wait to see if a good enough sale on it comes up to make me abandon the tools I already have or if I get a rush of requests that make the quick cutting of the die the preferred way to go.    

I do have to laugh though:  a week or two before we left, my DH discovered the allure of bowl cozies!  He had seen me make them and had seen the ones I had made and gifted to others and the two I gave his mother when we visited her previously.  However he hadn't understood their purpose until recently when he was going to heat up a bowl of food and I suggested he use one of the cozies before putting it in the microwave.  

He was skeptical that it could be heated along with the food and I explained that it was because all the materials (fabric, batting and thread) were all cotton -- nothing metallic to mess up the appliance.  When he went to pull the bowl from the microwave he was immediately impressed and a convert!  He loved the concept (and not having to touch a hot bowl) and of course immediately said I should make more, LOL!  

I told him no worries there:  I already have fabrics (as well as a quilt top) for another of our favorite shows that has a new season coming out in June.  So his wish will be my command in about another month or two! 

Pulpit Tile  

Looking back through my project documentation files, this appears to be my third oldest WIP so it's a huge deal to now finally be finished!  

Front

Back.  If I were to make this today, I wouldn't stagger those side blocks!

So the story of this one is that in 2005 I wanted to finally try making my first bed-sized quilt (and since this obviously isn't it, you can see the first one that I actually finished here).  I figured the easier a quilt I attempted, the faster and more likely it would get made.  Looking for easy quilt designs,  I found a simple medallion design in a book I looked at while in a book store.  We were there with our oldest son waiting on the release of the latest "Harry Potter" book at the time.  

The quilt I saw had a large central field surrounded by multiple plain (as opposed to pieced) fabric borders and was made using Provencal-style fabrics.

And only as I wrote this post did I realize that I did eventually buy that very book!

The big book was pretty expensive and still being a relatively new quilter I didn't buy it.  Despite that I figured the design would be easy enough to figure out how to make especially since I had quilt design software at the time.  Yet before even drafting the design (rookie mistake),  I went shopping at a craft store I frequented that was my primary source for quilting fabric since they often had remnant yardage cuts of one to three yards at discount prices.  It was the kind of place that you never knew what you might find in stock when you visited.  

Luckily, I found all the fabrics you see in the quilt with the exception of the purple.  I bought what I thought was enough for each round of a medallion design but when I formatted it and calculated the yardage requirements for a quilt the size I needed in the Quilt-Pro software I used at the time,  I was discouraged to find that I didn't have quite enough of some of the fabrics and that I needed at least one more contrast fabric (preferably a purple) for it.

Later that same year,  I was on the McCall's Quilting magazine's website which now you can access their content through Quilting Daily (and who are having a site-wide sale this month for NQM).  I saw instructions for the "Jack in the Pulpit" block and recognized it as one I had downloaded and printed out when I first became interested in quilting.  When I pulled out that print-out,  I "re-discovered" that I had made notes about about how I could use that block in a quilt.  The notes also referred to using Quilt-Pro and when I checked,  sure enough I had the center of a nice quilt all laid out which I hadn't even remembered doing!  

Having combined the "Pulpit" block with a "Snowball" block, the layout created a "chained tile" look that I thought might be interesting with the "Provencal" fabrics I'd purchased.  Even then you were able to scan fabric images into designs and doing so it only took three fabric placement variations to come up with a scheme I really liked.  A quick yardage calc this time showed that I also already had enough fabric for it although I still needed that purple-contrast one.  

Back then when I needed a specific fabric or color like this,  my source was the City Quilter store (still around but online only now) and going there as usual they did not disappoint.  I found the purple calico there and now that the fabrics were all collected,  I assumed I'd start this one right away.  Of course as usually happens, other project priorities meant I didn't actually start the cutting for this one until early in the next year.   

I did get the top done although smaller than originally designed.  And then it sat.  And sat and sat --- for years!  Mostly because I had big ideas about how I thought this "should" be quilted and most of the ideas involved stitching complicated Feather Wreaths and the like (typical rookie ambitions).  None of those were things I had the skill to execute until many years later.  Even once I had them,  I now had other priorities so while I still liked the design, finishing it never seemed to get to the top of the "To Do" list.  

So when planning the recent mini quilt retreat and anticipating another visit with my MIL's longarm, this seemed like a really good candidate for that.  I figured those complicated stitch motifs would be way easier to stitch out using programmed stitch patterns and even better having access to a longarm frame meant not having to baste the darn thing by hand!

Of course, things didn't go quite as planned!  First of all we were pretty busy most of the trip so I didn't get to work on it until the last few days of our stay.  Before heading down to see her,  I had picked out a bunch of potential stitch patterns I thought would work for stitching in the two central blocks:

I did wind up using one of these in the border cornerstones.

However, that plan was quickly dashed because the throat space on my MIL's HQ Moxie wouldn't accomodate being able to stitch the 12" blocks in a single pass.  So plans changed to just doing a simple,  oversize all-over Stipple across the central field of the design.  So the first of this trip's "Longarm Lessons Learned":  consider throat space limits (on her machine, about ten inches) when planning to use block based quilting patterns.

The next issue I realized after I loaded the quilt onto the frame was that before we left home, I hadn't considered what thread I planned to stitch this with.  That really annoyed me because I knew I had both Wonderfil and Aurifil threads at home that would have worked better with it than the only one I brought that came closest:  Aurifil #5011.  My MIL didn't have either color of the other threads I would have liked to use or a suitable alternative in her thread stash.  Ironically she did have two quarter-full spools of the #5011 which did come in handy later on when I needed just a little more thread to finish up the quilting.  

Although the Wonderfil thread I would have used was available at the Quilt Con show we attended as part of the trip,  I knew I had two spools of it at home so really didn't want to purchase another.  Aurifil was also vending at the show but they didn't have the particular color I wanted in their booth.  Nor did I find it at the two quilt shops that carry that brand that we visited before I got to work on this.  We didn't have time for a run to another that might have had it.

So I started the quilting with what I had since it only really contrasted on the purple.  I picked two traditional-style stitch patterns for the two sets of borders.  The thread and pattern combination was fine on the outer border but the choice for the inner border was an issue:

While that "Rope" stitch pattern fit the "vibe" of the quilt, the fact that it's executed by backtracking (stitching twice) over the curves heightened the contrasting nature of the thread being used.  No bueno!  So I stopped the machine ripped all of that out and choose a new pattern -- one that did NOT re-stitch parts of it so kept the contrasting nature of the thread down to a minimum:

 "Longarm Lessons Learned #2":  When planning to quilt a quilt away from home,  make sure to pick out appropriately blending threads either before I leave home or early in our arrival so I have time to shop for replacements or alternatives.  Also be concious of how a stitch pattern stitches:  does it backtrack thus building up the density of the thread used and will that be an issue for the finished look?

More "Longarm Lessons Learned":  #3 happened when executing the border patterns.  I both revisited and got extensive amounts of new practice on lining up patterns to continue a stitch pattern.  What I learned (with help from this video and this one) is that you want to preferably break the patterns at or create a clear stopping/re-starting point.  

I also had some issues with the borders as I got down towards the bottom of the quilt.  It became evident that the inner border wasn't advancing completely square and straight.  For the pattern used in it that presented a problem in that I really needed it to be placed evenly between the seam lines.  So "Longarm Lessons Learned" #4 that I picked up from this video and this one was how to map out a skewed or uneven stitch area using the "multipoint" function in Pro-Stitcher and then use the "Skew" function on the Modify menu to fill the pattern in the misshapen space evenly.

Lastly, "Longarm Lessons Learned #5" was about clearing stuck threads in the bobbin race.  I learned that even partial hand wheel turns actually fully advance the bobbin race one rotation!  It's not something you can see unless you are sitting in front of the race as the handwheel is being advanced so you may need two people to do this one.  

I learned that when I saw a stuck thread but couldn't pull it out and the handwheel seemed stuck when I tried to turn it.  Then DH came in the room and when he "rocked" the handwheel,  I could see that the race did advance a full turn each time.  Continuing to do that, evenutally the race moved to the point where the stuck thread could be easily pulled out after which the handwheel went back to moving freely!   Whew, as I've said in the past, every trip is another learning session with my MIL's machine!!

Label fabric prepped with Bubble Jet Set and edges secured with thread and center secured with embroidery floss.

So I'm pretty happy with this finish!  First off because I'm glad to get another "oldie but goodie" done.  I also appreciate just how much of my own quilt history and experiences are wrapped up in the story of its making.  It is a perfect example of this philosophy:

Now I can go and check out how everyone else has advanced their personal quilt history by seeing all the makes that finished up or are in progress this week over at Quilty Girl Alycia's for "Finished Or Not Friday"! 

To Do Tuesday: Happy National Quilting Month!

There is something special brewing for this Merry Month of March!  It is National Quilt Month and on Saturday the 21st it will be National Quilting Day!  

To start the month's festivities off,  you should check out this Instagram post for an opportunity to get a free Missouri Star Quilt Co. pattern:

Next are some suggestions from the Quilt Alliance for how to plan to spend National Quilting Day:

Click the picture or the link to see the suggestions.

May I also recommend an excellent and very special podcast that my non-quilter son passed along to me:  Quilters Joe Cunningham and Luke Haynes and museum curator and textile conservator Olivia Joseph were interviewed about the "History of Quilting" on Allie Ward's "Ologies" podcast.  

Their discussions cover the various fabric, quilt and creative piecing styles used in quilting that have developed over the centuries.  They also discuss quilting's ever evolving position in the craft and art worlds.  My family is good about keeping their eyes and ears open to things related to this craft that I love so much!!

Before I can focus on all the craft month celebrations (well, I have already listened to the podcast),  I need to get back to the work at hand!  As always,  I am happy to join in with everyone linking up for "To Do Tuesday" hosted by Carol over at "Quilt Schmilt" and talk about the doings from the past week and what's on my agenda for the current one.  

The list of things on my last "To Do Tuesday" report was as follows:

1.  Trim and bind the UFO I longarmed while I was away.  

Done!  As usual I had hoped to get it done sooner but finished is better than timely! 

I still have to clip any visible basting stitches, trim some threads and bury their knots and apply the label I made for it.  Then the "Finished Or Not Friday" post that should have gone up last week can go up at the end of this one!

2.  Continue quilting "Modern Twist" as this month's UFO Challenge finish.  

Nope, didn't get to it since "Pulpit Tile" took longer to finish than expected.  But now that the other one is almost done,  I can go back to work on this at some point later this week.  

3.  Cut out the next set of "Alaska" BOM blocks and get at least one pieced together.  

Also done!  And the good news is that all the piecing in the block gave me the opportunity to do some leader/ender sewing with two other projects as well.

4.  Finish piecing the "Freedom Stars" QOV top.

Not totally done but definitely moved a little further along.  I've now got eight rows of the center pieced so only four more rows to go and then I can sew the whole center together.  This was one of the projects I used to leader/ender with the "Alaska" block and push the pieces for that project out from under the needle.  

I think that going forward this week, I want to try to do some 30 minute daily sewing sessions during which I can get another "Alaska" block done and hopefully the rest of the center rows for this completed as well.

5.  Continue working on the layout of the "Picture That" QOV top with the new fabrics for it that I picked up in NC.

Nope and until "Freedom Stars" gets done, this one will have to wait to get up on the design wall.

6.  Do the finishing work on the completed "Year of the Horse" cross stitch.  

Nope, didn't get to this one.  I did make the final decision on which of the fabrics I had put with it that I will use for the finishing step.  The floral will surround the piece in the front and the other print will go on the back.  I am thinking that I would also like to find some trim to add around the edges of it as well.  Sigh, another time when the loss of Joann's hits hard!  

I'm hoping I can get a chance to go to my local Michael's and see if they carry trim.  It's not something I ever shopped for there in the past so I don't know what they might have or if they even carry that kind of item.  

7.  Stitch the second "Hexie Snowflake" block to its background.

  I did start working on it but so far only have the center flower circle and three of those inner mushroom shaped areas on the left stitched down.  It will continue to be my nightly "news show" stitching for the rest of the week.

8.  Try to squeeze in some work on the "Charming Sweatshirt" I got started while away.  

Nope, didn't get to this and I don't think I will this week either.  This is going to be a project in "time out" for a while until I can get some of the other things done.

9.  Work on two other projects I cut out while away. 

The first of those projects were the Bowl Cozies I had die cut.  They are all now finished and the details will also be in this week's FONF report.

The second is the "Sparkle and Shine Log Cabin project I had rotary cut the parts for.  

This was the other leader/ender I used as I worked on the "Alaska" block and "Freedom Stars" QOV top.  This is a really big block once it's done!  

Even though it was simple sewing (just straight seams), with all the rounds to be stitched I was only able to get one block completed.  However, this too will go into the rotation for the "30 minutes a day" sewing.  With only nine of them to make,  I figure I can get them finished by month's end.  

So my plans for this week are to:

1.  Continue quilting "Modern Twist" as this month's UFO Challenge finish.  

2.  Piece another "Alaska" BOM block.  

3.  Finish piecing the center of  the "Freedom Stars" QOV top and possibly add the borders to complete it as well.

4.  If  the "Freedom Stars" top has been finished, re-start the layout of the "Picture That" QOV top with the new fabrics for it that I picked up in NC.

5.  Do the finishing work on the completed "Year of the Horse" cross stitch.  

6.  Finish stitching the second "Hexie Snowflake" block to its background.  

7.  Continue making blocks for the "Sparkle & Shine" Log Cabin project as leader/ender piecing.

I look forward to seeing what quilting projects everyone is celebrating in our special month when they link up for "To Do Tuesday" this week at Carol's "Quilt Schmilt".  Happy Quilting!

February Trip Review #2: The Mini Quilt Retreat

 My MIL is also a quilter so when my DH and I visit, she and I also have a mini quilt retreat!  Athough with all the projects I brought with me (and one picked up during the trip) this was more of a "maximalist-mini retreat",  LOL!!  This covers the two weeks we were there so this is your advance "long post warning"!! 

I've visited my MIL enough that I had often attended her guild meetings with her if they were scheduled during our trip.  As a result, last year I joined the guild as a "long distance" member!  As usual, I brought a lot of projects down with me as I can never be too sure what I will get to or feel like working on day to day.  So here's all the stitching and quilty doings during our stay: 

#1.  I had brought down the "Year of the Red Horse" cross stitch project I had been working on.  When I left home it was here:  

I was able to get everything including the numbers for the year (but not the orange highlights) and brown outer border line done before we left on Sunday.  I finished the highlights on the numbers and the border and center floral accents in the car during the the first half of the drive home.

Now it's ready for "fully finishing"!

#2.  I was also able to finish stitching down onto its background the last half of the "Hexie Snowflake" block I had set up before we left.

Pinned....

Stitched!

I actually brought all four of the blocks for this wallhanging project as I was hoping I could get them all done and bring them home ready to constuct the top.  Nope!  

After stitching that block, I only managed to get the papers pulled from half of the next block.  Part of the reason was that I forgot to also bring my "Sixth Finger" stilleto tool.  Ironically I saw one at the Quilt Con show we attended but at almost $20 I decided to try to just find a tapered cuticle stick to use temporarily.  That turned out to be hard to find too but eventually I got one from a manicure kit sold in Dollar Tree.

"Sixth Finger" Stilletto vs Cuticle Stick

Since it is thicker than the stilletto, it was a little harder to work the glued fabric loose from the papers  so it took longer to release them than it had for the first block.  As a result, I only got half of the papers in the second block out during our trip and then finished removing the other half in the car on the last leg of the drive home.  When we got back home was I able to pin it to its background so it's now ready to be stitched down.

#3.  We arrived on a Friday and the next day was the Guild's monthly meeting.  There was a great show and tell and some of the Guild members did a presentation on one of my favorite topics:  adding labels to quilts! 

After the meeting,  my MIL and I went to purchase a ruler table and foot for her Handiquilter Moxie longarm.

We agreed to go "halfsies" on the purchase.  I had brought down with me all the rulers I have that can be used on a longarm.  

The plan for this trip had been to try learning to do ruler quilting on her machine.  To facilitate that I brought my "Modern Bohemia" project with me as I originally had plans to ruler quilt it at home anyway.  

When we got back to her house, my DH helped us install the table onto the machine.  Later we took it back off the supports that hold it on the machine as my MIL had a project we needed to quilt but would be using programmed stitches for that.  

In the end, we never did get around to doing the ruler quilting lessons so it looks like those will have to be a project for our next trip down!

#4.  Long aside for a back story:  Each year "our" Guild (still feels a little funny saying that) does a member challenge.  Sometimes it's a specific project, other times it is making a quilt in a specific color or using a specific type of fabric.  Prior to us coming down, my MIL let me know that the Guild had announced that this year's challenge is to make a Log Cabin quilt.  It can be in any design of your choosing for presentation to the membership at the June meeting. 

This is right up my alley!  Every since buying the Accuquilt Log Cabin die as my first BOB purchase, I've been obsessed with the idea of making a lot of Log cabin quilts.  I think this block is one of the most versatile in quilting next to HSTs or Flying Geese.  I believe that you could spend your whole quilting life just making LC quilts and never make the same design twice.  Heck, you could make the exact same block layout but color it different ways and still have them all look different!   

So this was my opportunity to bring down two projects that I've long wanted to make.  

Years ago I regularly followed the blog of Elaine Adair and back in 2006 she designed a quilt called a "Rebuilt Log Cabin" (the one on the left).  I always thought it was such an innovative and unique looking Log Cabin design so of course wanted to make it.  However, this was also well before I had the Accuquilt die so while I collected red fabrics for the block centers,  I never really focused on all the other cutting that needed to be done for the rest of the blocks.  However, once I had the die, I planned to make it using scrap strip cuts like the ones stored in the box shown.  

Eventually, I discovered another design that also became a "want to make priority" that could use the same scrap cuts:  Carrie Nelson's (of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.) "Raise the Roof" (on the right).  I generally kept these two patterns sitting by each other as I believed if I had reason to make one,  I'd also start making blocks for the other.  So with the Guild Challenge in mind, I brought both patterns and the LC Strips box down with me figuring I'd see which I wound up working towards.  

At the Guild meeting they announced there'd be an open "Sit and Sew" session the last Saturday of our stay.  So I figured if I didn't get to these before then, I'd get a chance to sew some blocks up on that day.

However, I also had another "must make" priority LC design I've long wanted to do.  

From the American Patchwork & Quilting December 2020 issue.

In the spirit of Quilt Con, this one is a bright colored log cabin quilt made in what I like to refer to as "mod" fabrics.  The fabrics I put towards this came from the stash I built when I had decided to make the "Modern Boehmia" quilt referred to earlier.  I pulled some background prints from my stash to put with them for the lights.  I also added a bunch of fabrics purchased in 2024 when Keepsake Quilting had the Andover Fabrics "Century Black on White" line on sale which I thought would also work well for this.   

This project has been sitting in a project bag ever since.  When I did the Just Get It Done Declutter Challenge earlier this year,  I thought this would be an easy one to tackle in order to free up the bag.  So I also brought it along on this trip to add to the Log Cabin fun!  I should note that it is a little diffferent approach to LC as the blocks are pieced "Courthouse Steps" style and the "logs" are made using 2-1/2" cut (aka "jelly roll" but not pre-cut) strips. 

I figured the priority was to cut the fabrics for this project first but that wound up taking two days to get done.  Then busy with other things and interrupted by the four days spent at the Quilt Con Show,  in the end I only managed to leader/ender the center of one block before we went home.   I should note here that we got word the day before the "Sit and Sew" session that it was being canceled because the heating sytem malfunctioned at the meeting center they were going to hold it at.  

#5.  Also in the spirit of Quilt Con, I brought the pattern, a sweatshirt and charm squares from my scrap stash to work on a "Charming Hoodie" that I hoped to wear to the show.  I picked up some addtional supplies I needed from Hobby Lobby once we got down to my MIL's.  

However, even though I started working on it about five days before the show, I had to alternate focus on it with some of the other projects that follow.  So I only got the sweatshirt deconstructed and prepped for adding the charm squares to it.  

I did get another coordinating charm pack of tone-on-tone prints at the show so am actually happy about what they will add to this once I can get back to it.  

#6.  Another benefit of being in the Guild is that members lend out Accuquilt dies they have.  I've enjoyed making Bowl Cozies for a while now using square ruler cuts and templates to round the corners and cut the darts.  However, I've long wanted to try the Small Bowl Cozy Die to compare the finished size of it to the method I've been using before committing to buying it.  My MIL let the member who had it know and I was able to pick it up at the meeting we attended.  

I had brought fabric for four Cozies (three "Yellowstone" and one for "Bridgerton") and immediately cut them so I could return the die ASAP. 

I did get them all stitched to their batting.  I started the darts on one of them and got another one pinned and ready for stitching around the perimeter but that's as far as I got.  However, I plan to work on finishing them up them so I can add them to my next "Finished Or Not Friday" post.

#7.  For Black history month my MIL volunteered to make an "Underground Railroad Quilt" for a presentation at her church of the "Quilt Codes".  A few years ago she had borrowed the one I made and used it for a similar presentation and ever since has wanted to make one for herself.  Using the Eleanor Burns book as I had, she had been piecing it over the last couple of months but was having problems with a few blocks.  So when I arrived, we worked out the kinks on those and I helped her decide on the final sashing and border fabric.  

This was the first project to get longarmed on this trip.  We discussed potential stitch patterns to use and finally settled on doing "Baptist Fans" which I was familiar with from having quilted one of my quilts on her machine using that pattern two years ago.  This is when we took the ruler table we had purchased off the machine.  

The good news is that we spent the two days before Quilt Con getting it done which gave her time after our show days to trim the quilt and prep and apply the binding for the presentation that Sunday.  

Since Sunday we'd be at the last day of the quilt show,  my DH was given the task of delivering the finished quilt to the church and helping set it up for display.  The presentation was made by one of her church members and assisted by my MIL's friend (also a quilter) who had retired to her town last year.

On display at the church.

#8.  The day before the first day of Quilt Con, we went to the home of one of the chairs of the Guild's "Patriotic Bee" to pick out fabrics for "Quilt Of Valor" kits.  This is also the member who owns the Bowl Cozy die so I returned that on that trip too.  

The guild had been able to purchase fabric for members to make these quilts because of a grant they had been awarded.  It was my intention to get fabrics for two kits:  one was to fill out the additional fabrics needed for a pattern called "Picture That" that I plan to use with a panel I am donating.  

I was able to get the fabrics I needed and since I only brought the panel down with me, I'd wait until I got home to add in the other fabrics I have and work on that one.  

I also picked up enough fabrics to make another top called "Freedom Stars".  My hope was to try to get this one to a top before I left.  I got it all cut and partially laid out and where I could, I pieced the star points.

I did them as Flying Geese as it was also an opportunity to give my MIL a hands-on demo of the Eleanor Burns method I use to make them.  I had also brought down the rulers I use to trim them even more quickly than with a regular ruler so I could demo those too.  

She had also looked at the "4 at a time method" and wasn't sure she was doing that right either.  I had originally learned to do that method and only abandonded it because there was less cutting with the EB method and to get the exact size geese needed, the math for that method wasn't as simple as for Eleanor's method.  

However my MIL showed me a tutorial that gives a simple math formula for doing the "4 at a time method" with oversized squares so now I can go back to using this method in those cases when I need to use different colors for the two "sky triangles" and need to control where the colors are placed.

But back to the QOV:  I did lay out the squares I cut but as I got down to the last of them,  I was finding it hard to keep the variety of prints evenly distributed which left me with a few holes in the layout and kept me from starting to stitch the rows.  

It wasn't until our last Friday there that we went to run what was supposed to be a few errands and make two fabric stops.  Well that turned into a mini shop hop as we wound up making stops at four fabric shops but the good news there was that I found another print at one of them that depicted all the armed forces:  

It was perfect for filling the holes in my layout!  So as I completed the layout...

...and while continuing to work on longarming my quilt (the other  UFO --- details to follow),  the next day I did get to leader/ender this project a bit and get four of the rows stitched up before we had to leave.

And now they are home on my design wall!

  #9.  So the only big thing I actually finished on the trip was that I got to longarm the other of the two UFOs I brought:  a quilt I call "Pulpit Tile".  

A closeup of the different stitch patterns used around the quilt.

I pieced this all the way back in 2006 in my early quilting days.  Made with "Jack in the Pulpit" and "Snowball" blocks, it has sat for so long because after I made it I could never decide how to quilt it.  In my mind, I thought it needed very traditional patterns like Feather Wreaths and other advanced patterns that were definitely not in my wheelhouse at the time.  Then once I gained some of those skills, I had moved on to other styles of quilts so finishing this wasn't a big priority.  

It came around now because I thought I might be able to actually get this done simply using stitch patterns programmed into my MIL's longarm tablet.  I was also looking forward to learning to connect continuous patterns to fill borders which is something I really haven't done up to now.  On my last visit, I had taken a picture of all the stitch pattern screens so I could sit down and figure out possible designs to use for the blocks before I arrived.  

I had my choices mapped out but things went sideways (figuratively) once the quilt was loaded!  This was a doozy that didn't progress at all the way I planned.  Due to throat space limitations and not remembering to bring the right thread for this,  I had to change my pattern choices on the fly.  However,  as usual I learned a lot of longarm lessons.  I won't go into further detail here,  I'll also save that for the next FONF post.   

CODA:  I should note, I also brought two more things that I didn't get to work on:  I had my scrappy "Magic Cube" Shoo-Fly blocks to also use for leader/enders.  

Had I got to do more sewing they might have gotten worked on but the good news is that needing to work on the two QOVs at home now (and on deadline) means they will get done now!

The second thing was that during the December Accuquilt sales,  I had lucked up on getting two of the June Tailor "quilt-as-you-go" kits to make covers for the Accuquilt Go! machine.  

I got one for my MIL and one for myself and had gotten the fabric bundle of the Accuquilt fabrics.  We split the eight fabrics in it between us (she took the light/white/blue fabrics and I took the lime green and orange fabrics).  We both had to add two additional fabrics to our sets because the kit requires having six fat quarters to make the cover.  I added the white and grey and the turquoise prints at the top to fill out mine.  Both of us also made some cuts at the Accuquilt booth "make & take" station at Quilt Con that we hope to add to our covers.  So that too is another project for future sewing or the Fall trip back!

So a lot attempted but definitely not as many things finished up as hoped.  Our next visit in September will be quieter as the annual NC Shop Hop dates have been changed to May/June so we won't have that to participate in.  We will be coming in time for the guild meeting that month.  If DH and I come down on the Friday before as we did this time,  that will also lessen the impact on the rest of the time spent there.  And thus ends the maximalist-mini retreat report!