3rd Quarter Finish Along Check In

The Bad News?  Despite the long list I hoped to complete for the 3rd Quarter, I only managed one finish.  The Good News?  It's a gift for my neighbors that I am very happy to be able to finish and give!



This was #4 on the 3rd Quarter Finish Along List I posted here.  It's now dubbed "The Mack's Morning Catch" from the pattern "Morning Catch" by Rochelle Martin of Cottage Quilt Designs from her book "Man Cave Quilts".  

I did it up in batiks taking the fabric cues and color scheme from the pattern but added the bobber and tackle box applique from the book "A Star "4" Every Season" by Kansas Troubles.  I also changed the names of the fish used in the pattern to the types of fish in our local waters.  While the fish applique at the bottom was also made from a batik, the others were cut from regular quilting cottons.  The words, fishing rod and bobber were made from Windham hand-dyes leftover from another project and some Cherrywood fabrics from sampler packs that I had purchased at a quilt show a few years ago.

Some detail shots:

My favorite fish....

 although these came out pretty good too.

 The "fishing line" is pearl cotton couched on to the top.

The tackle box is made of a brushed cotton plaid and flannel from my scrap stash.

You can really see the quilting on the back which is also flannel.

      
It took me a while longer to complete than I thought it would and it's been hard to get good pictures because it has been cloudy the last few days.  But I needed to get this done if I was going to make the quarter reporting deadline!

This wasn't the only thing I worked on this quarter.  They don't rank as a finish (which is why I'm not reporting them separately), but I was able to move #2 on my 3rd Quarter list, the two Civil War Repro lap quilts, to the flimsy stage:

While I'm still in quilting mode, I'm hoping to get these quilted up over the next week (although knowing me, it will probably will wind up taking a few weeks).

Now that I've checked in, it's time to go see what everyone else got done! If you want to see that too, head on over to Katy Cameron's blog The Littlest Thistle and see all the other lovely quilted goodness that was completed this quarter!

September Update

The blog has been quiet but the sewing machine has been busy! I finally got this quilt, which is a secret gift for my neighbors, to a top.  I need to get this finished because I have a lot of other things besides this to finish up for the 3rd Quarter Finish-A-Long finale that will be linking up at the end of the month.

The quilt I'm making for them is Rochelle Martin's "Morning Catch" from her book "Man Cave Quilts".  Here's what's been happening all month:

Starting the layout and choosing fabrics for the sections (it's all batiks):

 

Establishing the final layout:

Adding the  fish appliques and "fish words" (I changed the pattern's words to ones that represent what people fish for in our area).  The word fabric is a hand dye leftover from another project, the fish are various cotton and batik prints and all were fused on with the edges finished with zigzag stitching:



 

Adding the final border:

The rod applique and the fishing line (couched pearl cotton) are part of the original pattern design.  I added the bobber and tackle box which I got from the "Summer Star" quilt pattern in the book "A Star "4" Every Season" by Kansas Troubles.  Some of the solid fabrics used for these are more of the hand dyed project leftovers, the rest are from a couple Cherrywood "Grab Bags" I purchased at a quilt show a few years back.  The tackle box fabrics are from my flannel leftovers/stash: 

 

 

Finished top viewed from either direction.



 

I already have backing and batting in house so hope to get this layered and maybe even quilted this weekend.  There is also a market bag that's going to be given with this gift which should be quick to cut out and make up as well.  I also need to go through the batik leftovers because I have another quilt (this time a surprise for my DH) that I hope to add some of these fabrics to. 

 

It is chilly today so feels good to be able to stay in and sew.  Hope you have plans for a very quilty weekend too!

August Update, On to September!

The Design Wall is finally EMPTY!!!

With the long weekend, I finally got the borders on the two lap quilts so now all the Civil War repro projects are flimsies and I've managed to whittle down a significant portion of that stash:

Kaye England's Re-Piecing the Past:

Kaye England's Civil War Legacy:

and the CW mini quilts:

Top left:  Inspired by Judy Rothermel's "Hummingbird" in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting. March/April 2004 but using the piecing techniques by Sue Bouchard of Quilt In a Day and the Lazy Angle Ruler.
Top Right: "Reproduction-print Table Topper" from the American Patchwork & Quilting website.
Bottom:  Kathleen Tracy's "One Patch Doll Quilt" from her book "The Civil War Sewing Circle".  I've also got more scraps cut to make the "Soldier's Cot Quilt" from the same book which after displaying it for awhile, I hope to be able to donate it to the Home of the Brave Quilt Project.  
 
When I had finally cleared the wall, I also took an opportunity to throw up the blocks I have accumulated towards my "Scrappity-Do" scrap quilt.  I was encouraged to do this when I saw that Deb of the Stitchin' Therapy blog is also using up her scraps right now to make these blocks.  I been using up my stash and scraps to do all of the recent repro piecing but I've also tried to put some of my scraps towards other projects.  I managed to add a lot of additional blocks to what I had already pieced and these blocks made great "leader/enders" along the way:

Hmm, compared to hers (and the pattern sheet I'm using) mine are really looking a little dull!  The good news is that this lets me know that I need to try to add more color and bold fabrics to my blocks as I go forward and use stuff from other projects.  

For now, I plan to take a break from the repros for a short while before trying to finish them all.  I have a project that I had hoped to get done last week (because the repro projects were supposed to get done much earlier in the week).  It is a project from my 3rd Quarter Finish Along list and is a gift for my neighbors.  I'm hoping to knock it out and then get to quilting all the repro projects.

Speaking of the Finish Along, we're in the final month before reporting and I haven't gotten anything on the list finished!  After such a great second quarter, I'd hate to completely flame out for the third.  So September had better be a big finishing month or I'm toast!

Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend and are ready to get back into the swing of things and the start of school for those of you with kids still at home.  I think the Fall is going to busy for me and not just quilt-wise!  Here's hoping that I can continue to whittle down the Phd (Projects Half Done) list and still get some big finishes done by year's end.  Geez, thinking about year's end already?  Where has the time flown?   Happy quilting to all!

My List for the 3rd Quarter of the 2014 Finish Along

I'm making a list and checking it twice so for the 3rd quarter of the 2014 Finish A-Long let's see if I'm going to be naughty or nice!  Katy Cameron of the The Littlest Thistle blog  is our host this year.  I did pretty well last quarter and have another ambitious list of things I'd like to get done over the next three months.  However, it is Summer and the challenge will be to try to keep up the pace even as activities or just the desire to just "chillax" tempt me. 

So still on the list from the previous quarter are:  

1.  Spring Fling

The plan last quarter was to get this done as part of a plan to freshen up my bedroom for Spring along with the Fabric Gal quilt that I did finish.  I'd still like to get this Jan Patek wall hanging done because I have another wallhanging that you will see later in this list that I want to be able to hang in the Fall.  

2.  Civil War Lap Quilts

I started off last quarter with these two partial sets of blocks....

 

...and during the quarter I got one of them to this:

My hope for this quarter is to finish both of these or at the very least get them to the flimsy stage.  The blocks are for two lap quilts featuring Civil War reproduction fabrics.  Both are from quilt patterns by Kaye England, one from her  "Re-Piecing the Past" Craftsy class and the other from her book "A Civil War Legacy".  I now have one block left to make for the "Legacy" quilt and scrappy sashing to piece for both.  The border, backing and binding fabrics for both are already in house.  When finished, these will be added to a gallery of reproduction quilts I have made.

3.  Civil War Chronicles

Another addition to that CWR gallery (and to be displayed on my bed) will be this quilt when it's finally quilted. This was one of the projects I worked on during Sinta Borland's BOM Rehab when she hosted it on her Pink Pincushion blog in 2012.  Now I need to "Quilt Whisper" the completed top and tackle the big challenge of quilting it.

4.  A Gift Quilt and Tote Bag

As noted in the last quarter these are the fixins' to make a a fish-related quilt and produce-related market bag that will be a gift for my neighbors.  It will also be a chance to make a pattern from an (e)book ("Man Cave Quilts") so it will also be my July (or August or September) "Let's Book It!" project whenever I do get it started. 

New to this quarterly UFO list are a lot of projects I'd like to get done in anticipation of Fall:

5.   Heart & Home Wool BOM

 

As noted with the earlier "Spring Fling" project, I have this similar PhD (Project Half Done) that I'd like to try to finish up for display in the Fall when that season comes around again.  This is another of the projects I worked on during the Pink Pincushion blog BOM Rehab session in 2012.  Half the blocks are done and I would like to put it to bed (or actually above my bed!) once and for all.  

6.  Autumn Double Wedding Ring

This is one of the last of my "bucket list" projects and I did a lot of work on it in 2012.  All that's left to do is add the applique borders and quilt it.  Of course, none of that is as simple as it sounds which is why it's been sitting for so long!

7.  Denim Blue Lagoon Quilts

These will be heavy winter quilts for my two sons' beds.  They are also an attempt to do some String Quilting" so if I make any progress on these I will also be linking it up to the String Thing Along.

8.  Hallowe'en 1902 and Midnight Silhouette

The original plan was to layer these two seasonal quilts by Blackbird Designs back to back for some reversible Halloween fun.  But now I'm thinking they might get made up separately instead.  We'll just have to see what happens "When the Cold Wind Blows" (you BbD fans will get the reference).

I also STILL have a big and long overdue volunteer commission project and two Quilt of Valor mystery quilts (my first attempt at QOV) that I also want to work on.  But those projects are not part of this list.  Once again, I'm hoping that keeping myself busy but focused in general and being able to bounce between different projects will keep me fresh when I'm stumped on (or tired of looking at) any particular project. Here's hoping that the progress of the last three months will inspire the next three!  

Good luck to everyone joining in for what we all hope will be a very productive three months!

Check in for the 2nd Quarter Finish-A-Long

It's check in time for the the 2nd Quarter Finish-A-Long!  At the start of the year, I had not planned to participate in any "finishing challenges" but then at the last minute decided to sign up for this one starting with the 2nd Quarter.  It has turned out to be a good decision because I got a lot done!  I had nine projects on my original list and managed to finish six with one of the entries on the list comprising of three different (now completed) items!

Here's what got done this quarter (with links to the full post on each finish):

#1 from the pledge list was my Peach Mini Quilt:

#2 Fabric Gal

I also linked this one up for the May "Let's Book It!" Challenge at Vrooman's Quilts and even won a pin!


#6:  Liberty Hall finishing up as Sweet Land of Liberty

This was also my entry for the Spring Bloggers Quilt Festival

#7 Let Freedom Ring, another mini and the companion piece to "Sweet Land of Liberty"

And last but not least #9 from the pledge list: the Journal Covers which comprise three different finishes:

Journal Cover III

Journal Cover IV

Journal Cover V

 

 Those last two are also my featured projects for the June "Let's Book It!".

I think the finishing percentage was greatly helped by the fact that most of these were smaller projects.  But a finish is a finish!

I didn't get to much on the rest of the list (and they will probably make another appearance on the 3rd Quarter list) but progress was also made on one:  Item # 4 on my pledge list was to finish the two lap quilts I'm making in Civil War Repros.  I did get the blocks completed on one of them and made some progress on the scrappy sashing needed for it:

So all in all a good quarter and hopefully a momentum that will continue for the rest of the year!  Do you have some UFOs you'd like to work on and need some incentive and support on that journey?  Then head on over to Katy at The Littlest Thistle blog and make your pledges to join in for the 3rd Quarter!

Catching Up On June - Part 3: What I'm Working On Now

As noted in the previous posts, I'm trying to get a few more projects on my 2nd Quarter Finish-A-Long list done.  Well, at this point I'll probably only get one more completely done but I'm going to push to also bring a few others to their next level. These projects have me diving back into my Civil War reproduction stash!

The project most likely to get finished is the last of the three journal covers I proposed to finish for the quarter.  It is a relatively small project and is being made up from a pattern in Lori Smith's "Fat Quarter Quilting" book.  So far I've got this much done:

O.k., it doesn't look like much right now but there will soon be four more pieced blocks and some applique added to those borders.

The other 2nd Quarter projects in process are the finishing up of the blocks for two Civil War reproduction lap quilts.  Both are made up of samplers by Kaye England.  The one I've been working on so far is from her Craftsy class "Re-Piecing the Past".  At the start of the quarter, I had three blocks that needed to be finished (the ones on the bottom right).  Now all the blocks for this are done.

This is how the blocks will be laid out:

Next step is to work on the pieced scrappy sashing that will fill in the spaces between the blocks:

However, I may interrupt the sashing work in favor of finishing the four blocks left to be made for the other lap quilt.  I'm hoping to get to those either tomorrow or Friday.