Design Wall Monday: Happy Labor Day!

Here's hoping everyone has an enjoyable -- or just restful -- day planned!

A quick check-in today with updates to the last few DWMs.  There's been no addtional work done on the "Alaska BOM" or my HSBFF's gift quilt.  I also still need to satin stitch down the appliques for the "Whoo Is It?" Halloween banner (and for anyone new here, pictures of all of those can be seen in the last post).

What I did get done is work on these two:  first up the "Sparkle & Shine" top is finished!

 You can see the original pattern here - scroll down to #18

While doing so I also got some more of the border strings leader/endered for my "Magic Cube" project:  

DH and I don't have any formal holiday plans so I'm hoping today to maybe get the backing made up for "Sparkle" as I already have the fabric pulled and a plan for that.  

The other thing finished is the quilting on the Halloween 9 Fat Quarter Disappearing Nine Patch quilt!

Okay, hard to see it here as I can't seem to catch it in good enough light to really get a good look at the stitching.  But know that it is fun and in two shades of orange!  

Another attempt but still can't see it all that much better.

Connecting Threads Essentials threads on the front and Aurifil on the back. 

The binding fabric is already picked out but still needs to be cut and sewn into strips.  Ooh and if there's any leftover after I'm done, I've got a new place to park it!

Recently I ordered some of these Binding Spools.  I've always wanted to try some and knowing that someone (or ones, plural) are binding the two QOV tops I sent down a couple of months ago to the guild I belong to with my MIL, I wanted to bring gifts for those intrepid volunteers.  I found these on Etsy and thought they were reasonably enough priced to get a tester set and a couple of extras for the gifts.  Then after setting them up, I loved them so much I bought another set to organize the rest of leftovers I had.  

Before getting these I stored my binding leftovers like this:

The new Spools are so much neater and easier to thumb through to see what I have.  As I wrapped them onto the Spools, I also pulled a couple of the binding scraps out to add to the string work I'm doing and now have some ideas for using some of the rest to bind some future mini quilts.  Now I can pass all the empty toilet paper rolls I was using over to my DH to make campfire kindling starters! 

It's our last week before we'll be heading down to see my MIL in North Carolina so I don't know if I'll get to post while we're away.  I do hope to be able to make up one last post with these last two completely finished before we go!  Enjoy your holiday off!!  

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"!! 

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.  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!  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 is 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!       

To Do Tuesday: Back from NC and the Start of March

 Well, we are back from North Carolina and the fun of attending Quilt Con in Raleigh.  I was also able to get to attend a meeting of the Tar River Piecemakers Quilt Guild, my MIL's guild that I also joined as a member last year.  

When we returned, I was surprised to see that not much remained of last weekend's Northeast blizzard which we thankfully missed.  I had hoped that being away would be a lot like being home during a blizzard --- a good time to get some focused quilting done!  That's not quite what happened but I'm joining in anyway with everyone linking up for "To Do Tuesday" hosted by Carol over at "Quilt Schmilt" to review a few of the things I did get to while I was away.

Before we left, the list of things on my last "To Do Tuesday" report was as follows:

1.  I will continue quilting "Modern Twist" until we leave then it will travel down with me and I will continue work on it down there.

It traveled down with me but we were so busy on the trip that I didn't even touch it while there.  

It's in the bag on top and there's also another project inside the box.

However, I did get to longarm another UFO but more on that in another post.  Since The Quilted Forest has picked the next UFO number for March (#7),  I've decided that like last month, I'll make another "UFO Challenge Executive Decision":  I'm slotting in the UFO I finished as my February UFO project and moving "Modern Twist" (again!) into the new March UFO slot.  Hopefully this time I will get it done once and for all.  

One of the lectures I attended at Quilt Con was "Modern Machine Quilting" given by Christa Watson.  In it she talked about and showed examples of quilts that were free-motion quilted in ways that veered away from traditional stitching aesthetics.  The patterns stitched on them focused on using Geometric motifs and/or using multiple contrasting stitch elements (aka "graffitti quilting") or even combining handwork with machine work.  

From what she showed I did get some ideas about how to approach something I wanted to try on this quilt so maybe this will be a chance to put some of that lecture inspiration to work!

2.  I might still try for at least cutting out the next "Alaska" BOM blocks but that will depend on if time permits before we leave.  Worse come to worse, work on this project will wait until our return.  

And so it has!  So I am hoping to cut the next block this week.  Once again I have four to make so want to do an easy "one block a week" production schedule.  

The good news is that I have a few pieces of the parts I need for them already cut, leftovers from previous cutting sessions.

After this, I only have two more blocks to make for the center of the quilt and a big bunch of border blocks so I can make an enlarged version of "Alaska" that I have a picture of.  I had printed it out from Edyta's blog at some point but can't seem to find it there now.  

Having missed working on blocks last month this means I'm a month behind schedule but I am looking forward to putting all the blocks made to date up on the design wall together after I finish the ones for this month.  Then I hope I can stay on track from here on in and get this to a top by Summer's end.  

We are scheduled to go back to my MIL's in September so I'm thinking now that this may be one of the quilts I'd like to take and try to longarm on that trip.

3.  Working on the layout of the QOV top will likely be another "take with" project but I may start some of the cutting for the other parts before we go.

Unfortunately I didn't get any work done on this layout that I had pulled fabric for before I left.

However it turned out that it was a good thing I didn't!  When we got to NC,  I got more information about the grant that the Patriotic Bee of the Guild got for their Quilt of Valor efforts.  The grant has allowed the Bee to purchase fabric in bulk that members can now "shop" and be given for the purpose of making a QOV design of their choice.  

So I was able to pick up two sets of fabrics.  I got the two additional fabrics I needed for adding to the layout to use for the background and for the borders.  I also got a tone-on-tone that may replace the print I had picked out for framing the assorted prints in the center.  I also picked up two prints to  add to the fabrics I had already pulled and give me some additional options to make the choices for the final layout.  

The second set of fabrics I picked up were for another design I wanted to do for the QOV ministry:

"Freedom Stars"

I had hoped to get this completely made up while we were there so I could leave the top with my MIL to give to one of the Bee leaders.  However I only managed to get the squares for it cut out, the star points pieced and I purchased a little more fabric to fill out the color balance in the layout.  I managed to get four rows sewn up while the longarm was stitching out sections of the UFO I worked on.  So now I will have to mail the top back down once I finish it.  I am hoping I can also get the second one made up as well so I can mail both at the same time. 

The way it works with the Patriotic Bee is that when you make a top you submit it along with $20 and one of the Bee members provides the backing and batting for it (which was also purchased in bulk with the grant) and will quilt it up.  When the quilted quilt is returned to you, you are responsible for binding it and then resubmitting it for awarding at the guild's annual November Veterans event.  

Since we are due to go back to NC in September and if I can send the tops down early,  I am hoping they will have been quilted by then and then I can do the finishing work on them during that trip.    

4.  Continue the "Year of the Horse" cross stitching and hopefully complete it before we leave.

While I didn't get it done before we left, the good news is that I managed to work on stitching about 3/4s it while we were in NC.  Then I was able to finish the last of it on the drive home during the stretch from North Carolina to about halfway through Virginia.  After that I took over the driving from DH until we reached Maryland.

I've already picked out the fabrics I will use to "fully finish" it so am hoping that can get done this week as well.

5.  Continue stitching the first "Hexie Snowflake" block to its background.  The rest will be packed up to travel.

Before we left, I still had about half of this block left to stitch down to its background:

This is another of the things I didn't get to either before the trip or during the drive down.  However, once there, I found time to finish up that block:

I also got about half of the papers pulled out of the next block while we were in NC and finished pulling the rest of the papers on the last leg of the drive home after DH took over the driving again.  I worked on that during the stretch from Jersey to The Bronx.  DH took the day off from work yesterday so while we cleared out the DVR, I got the block pinned to its background:

So now it's ready for the final stitch down.  I was able to purchase something at the Quilt Con show that I'm hoping will help with an issue I had stitching the first block down:  

When I had worked on the first block, I used a thimble on one of my fingers on top but found it cumbersome to use one on the fingers underneath.  However doing so would really help to avoid the pricks to them and developing callouses on those fingers.  I knew of these pads but had never purchased any prior to this for the hand work I've done so was all too thrilled to see that Colonial Needle had a booth at the event.   

Colonial also had the "Sixth Finger" stilletto at the booth that I used to remove the papers on the first block:

"Sixth Finger" vs Cuticle Stick

I had forgot to bring mine with me and although useful, they've gotten quite expensive since I purchased mine years ago.  I really didn't feel I needed a second one so had to go find a tapered cuticle stick (which surprisingly wasn't easy!) to help pull out the papers on the other block I brought down.  It was not as efficient in doing the job as it is thicker than the stilletto but I like the small size and plan to keep it in my little portable EPP supplies bag.

 6.  Make up the accompaniment to the gifts for my MIL and her friends.  

Okay this is another one I never got to but no matter, my MIL and her friends appreciated the gifts I gave them!  

The thread racks had been "free gifts with purchase" when I ordered some dies from Accuquilt back in December.  The funny wood "Quilting Decision Die" had been something I saw in a Facebook ad and came all the way from Norway!!  In addition to what you see it also says things like "Start A New Project" and "Buy Fabric".  It was a "Buy One, Get Three Free" special that I couldn't resist since it provided the perfect number of gifts for my trip.     

I had hoped to make little zippered pouches for the dies for everyone but as usual that intention became a victim of "More Ideas Than Time" syndrome!

7.  The "something special" I wanted to make for myself for the trip will have to travel down with me and it's still a question if I can get to that one while away!  

Nope, didn't get it done before traveling or in time to wear to the Quilt Con show.  Quilt Con is well known for the maker fashion parade that happens at the event each year and I had big hopes to join it.  I had purchased this pattern a while ago and found a sweatshirt the perfect size that my youngest son had left when he moved out:

However, before the show I was only able to get it prepped for adding the charm squares to it and we were too tired after attending the show days for me to work on it and try to get it finshed before the last day.  So this one has come back home with me (along with a charm pack purchased at Quilt Con to add to the ones I pulled from my Charm Square Scraps Stash) and I will try to get it done as a Spring project or at the least before the end of the year.    

8.  Lastly, I have no choice but to get the packing done for the "Mini Quilt Retreat" for our trip as it's almost time to go!

Well of course that did get done, and here is all the stuff I took plus the "additions" that came back home with me!

So the plans for this week is to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9.  Work on two other projects I cut out while away (more on that in another post!).

All in all it was a good trip!  Whether or not you are in the Northeast and had to suffer through the latest storm,  I hope you had some productive sewing days during last week.  I look forward to catching up with everyone linking up for "To Do Tuesday" this week at Carol's "Quilt Schmilt".  I'm expecting March to bring in a parade of pretty pre-Spring projects!