It's a Snow Day!

Like most, here in the city we're buried in this:

For me, it was a great day to check out the winning quilts from the recent "Road To California" quilt show here.  There are some really gorgeous works, truly the best of the best and something to aspire to.  To be especially admired is Fairy Ernest who at the age of 88 entered and won first place for "Wall - Traditional Applique" for a beautiful hand appliqued Pearl Pereira design (and those of you who are familiar with her patterns, know they are not for the faint of heart)  --- you go girl! 

I was also glad to see that many of the entries had been started two, three, even seven years before (the earliest was the "Best In Show" by multiple award winning quilter Sharon Schamber which she had started in 2000).  This went perfectly with Lori's latest post at "The Inbox Jaunt" on esablishing your priorites for your UFOs.  She had also done a previous post on "what our UFO's say about us" and I took some time to add my answers to today's post and firm up my "To Do" list.

Lori's post was about establishing your "Top 3" projects.  After that it was time to play catch up on mine by:

• Fix things up in a couple of spots and add the label on this gift (it's already been quilted and bound since this picture was taken):

•  Attach the last strips for the January panel of my calendar quilt and start the February panel (this one is being done quilt-as-you-go):

 

BTW, if you don't know what a Calendar Quilt is then check out some that were finished or in progress when quilters hosted a challenge back in 2009.  You can get the instructions for making them in the book "Pat Sloan's Favorite Techniques" which can be purchased here or here.

• I also need to prepare to get back to quilting this gift:

I hope to (no, will have to) do detail posts on all of these.  Hope you are in and warm, toasty and busy where ever you are!

The mystery is over...over there on the design wall that is!

I hope it's true what they say: that what you do on New Year's Day is what you'll do all year.  Here's what I was doing on New Year's Day (and the 2nd, and the 3rd!) and certainly is the kind of progress I'd like to make all year.

I finished the blocks for Planet Patchwork's New Years Day mystery quilt (Case #136).  The mystery was titled "An Oldie But A Goodie".  All the Planet Patchwork mysteries have been designed by “Merry Meyhem” which is the alter ego of Merry May, a quilt designer and co-author of the book “Insiders Guide to Quilting Careers” with Linda Hahn.

This will be the last one Planet Pathwork will be hosting because the site may be closing down this year.  They are already in the process of closing down their web store but the final fate of the website has not yet been decided.  I really wanted to participate in it since I had participated in last year's New Year's event and the Day-After-Thanksgiving event in 2007.  Their website was one of the first I discovered when I started quilting and was a great information and tip resource in those early days.

While I am not planning on participating in any "official" UFO challenges this year, UFOs are still a personal priority for 2014.  Doing their mystery one last time is also a chance to focus on finishing up the previous mystery projects.  The 2013 project (Modern Twist) is still awaiting borders (and the backing is already in house) and the 2007 top (Check It Out) needs layering and quilting.  So my personal UFO challenge for this month (or maybe more realistically, for the year) will be to get all three finished as my own commemoration of the site.

My hope is to sew the blocks together and finish up this top today so I can go back to the quilting I have to finish on a panel for my friend and get back to work on the comission quilt I promised to do.  Just trying to keep 2014 moving!

2013 Year In Review Part 2 -- Early Finishes and Plans for 2014

In Part 1 of this post, I talked about my recent (since November) finishes.  As for the early part of this year, my other finishes have been detailed in previous posts and they included:

January: UGRR/Pioneer Samplers

March: Merrimac Dresdens

May: Brrr!

and the "Tribute" fabric line series all completed in June:
Valor

Tribute Mini and Star Spangled Runner  

Looking back I guess I really can't complain about my productivity but that also doesn't guarantee that the REST of the UFOs will get done either!

So what's up for 2014?  Well, the UFO fest must continue because I want (need?) to clear out some of the stuff sitting under my cutting table so that it can be fully functional (that is, be closed down when I need it to be).  My Double Wedding Ring  project is one of those gremlins under the table that comes to mind since it's one of my original bucket list projects and right now only needs borders and quilting.

More than a couple of my UFOs are TBQs (To Be Quilted) so I hope to sprinkle in more than a few those as well.

I'm realizing more and more that I am comfortable with doing the actual quilt stitching so now it's only the "quilt whispering" (deciding what to quilt where) that I have to get more confident about.  In a conversation today with Teri Lucas (check out her work and blog) at Hartsdale Fabrics a LQS, she gave me a lot of ideas and a challenge to try in the coming year to help loosen up my willingness to let my quilting get "Foot Loose and Fancy Free" (which just happens to be the name of one of her many classes, check out the details of that and all her classes here).

I am also only a few more projects away from completing my first "quilt gallery" in my home.  I've always wanted to create quilt displays around my home tied to a theme.  The UGRR/Pioneer Samplers and Merrimac quilt are part of a series of quilts I have done using Civil War reproduction fabrics.  In the TBQ pile (bottom left) is my CW Chronicles BOM a bed size top that once finished will be displayed on my bed.  The UGRR/Pioneer Samplers have been hanging at the top of my entry stairwell since they were finished in January.  Also in the works are sampler blocks for not one but TWO lap quilts that will be displayed on my couch.

I've got about half the blocks done for both and already have border and backing fabrics purchased so hope to get those finished in the early part of the year as well.  Lastly will be a couple more mini quilts as well as the "Soldier Cot Quilt" from Kathleen Tracy's book "The Civil War Sewing Circle".  Along with the Merrimac Quilt these will be displayed in the stairwell  that goes upstairs to our bedrooms.  I had hoped for this to have all been completed by the end of this year but now am shooting for a finish by June of 2014.

What's the biggest project on my "To Do" list?  Early last year a quilting friend and I initiated talks to do a quilted project for the Bronx division of the New York City Family Justice Center that aids victims of domestic violence. The plan at the time was to make three quilts for display in their offices.  The projects will include some fabric squares embellished by the clients of the office.  We procured some donated fabrics back in July and the embellished blocks were delivered at the end of August.  I was able to do some preliminary work on it but have not been able to proceed on it as the school volunteering and  holiday commitments got under way.  I realize now that the problem is that this is not something I can work on in between other projects, I'm going to have to clear the time and space to focus on this by itself if I am to move it forward.  So this will have to be a priority project for the New Year because I really want to deliver something wonderful for an important organization that is doing work for a very worthy cause.

But before all that can happen I have a quilt date tomorrow!  Tomorrow the Planet Patchwork website will be holding its VERY LAST New Year's One Day Mystery!!!!!   This website will be shutting down for good in 2014 so this is my last chance to participate in one of these.  They have held these Mystery quilts on either the day after Thanksgiving or New Years Day for years.  The projects are designed by Merry Meyhem, the alter ego of quilt designer Merry May and co-author of the book "Insider's Guide To Quilting Careers" with Linda Hahn.  I have participated in two previous mysteries, one last year and in 2007 so I really wanted to participate in this one last time.  The good news is that if what they say is true, the fact that I'll be at the machine at the very start of the year will be a good omen for how I will (or hope to) spend the rest of the year! 

This also sets me up for more UFO/TBQ quilting in 2014 since last year's mystery needs the borders finished (I changed the design of the original) and the 2007 one is TBQ.  I am sorry to see this website go since it was one that was very informative for me when I first started quilting.  However, the bonus for me was that I finally scored a copy of the "Dear Jane" book from the their store closing sale.  Doubt THAT will be added to my 2014 project file but definitely some "Janey" work will be in my quilt future! 

So that's it for me and 2013.  Here's hoping that you and yours have a joyous New Year's Eve and a healthy, happy, prosperous and productive 2014!!

2013 Year In Review Part 1 -- Recent Finishes

Once again I didn't expect to be this long from the blog but things have been both busy and stagnant since my last post in November.  But I wanted to close out the year by taking a moment to look back on what has happened and what I can expect for the New Year.

Getting Back To the Teaser

In the last post I had teased  this.....

Click on the picture to what the squares say up close! 

....and thought I 'd get back soon for a detailed post.  This STILL isn't THAT post but here's a look at the whole project:

I've used that white shoe cubby in my quilt space for years to store my fat quarters.  When we moved in 2011 and I set up my studio in our dining room, I felt that the box (which hangs over my cutting table) would need something to make it a little more interesting.  

Early in 2012 I saw this dresser when Monique Reynolds of the Monique's Stitches/Sew Fun By Monique blog did a guest post on Allison Rosen's Within A Quarter Inch blog.  I loved it and it reminded me of a project I had wanted to do for my old quilt space:  make curtains alternating selvedge string squares with panel blocks I had purchased from Block Party Studios (Note: the link is to their latest panel "What Quilters Really Think V" although my project used panels from versions II, III & IV).   

I was a little disappointed when we moved since the curtains wouldn't work for the dining room but when I saw Monique's dresser I realized I could retrofit the idea to my storage box.  The result is what you see here.  I leave it open on a day to day basis (I love to see my FQ's!) but can close the front down when the dining room space has to do its normal duties.  

I have two other projects planned for my quilt space which I hope to get to in 2014.  When they're done I hope to do a "my quilt studio" posting.  This year was a very special one for my little quilting space but I'll say more about that in that future post.

Another UFO Down

For the last two years my goal has been to clear out UFOs and WIPs.  Unfortuately, I've found myself bottled up lately when with the year rushing to a close, I realized that there was still a (too) LONG list of things I had wanted to have done before the year ended.  With Thanksgiving and Christmas and a spate of volunteering at my DS2's school I was pretty sure I wouldn't get to all of it.   But wanting to get at least something knocked off the list, I had gone back to working on another old UFO and managed to get it done at the start of December.

This is called the "Sage Sampler".  None of the fabrics are actually sage colored --- it's named after the color of the frame I put it in.  The blocks finish at 3" and was an attempt to work from a limited pallette of scrap fabrics.  Started way back in 2004, I had six of the blocks done and made the green Fleur De Lis applique in 2010 after I took a Hand Applique course.  Wanting to take as few old UFOs into the New Year as possible, I pushed to finish this one.  And now after all these years it is finally hanging in my bedroom as originally intended.  Hopefully for 2014 I can finish the three other quilt projects I have planned for that room as well as finally work on the wood I bought to make some quilt display ladders.

The Magi Were Better Gifters

Another thing I wanted to finish up were some projects for a friend of mine.  My friend attended her first quilt show with me earlier this year (although she is not a quilter).  It was the New Jersey Quilt Fest and will be coming up again in March 2014.  While there we went to a lecture by Kaffe Fassette and all the quilts from his last book "Shots & Stripes" were on display (and for a great review of the book see this post at the Quilt Inspiration blog).   My friend had particularly loved his "Girder" quilt.  At the time, I got the idea to make her a mug rug "snapshot" of it as a remembrance of attending the show.  Here it (finally) is (finished size  6-3/4" X 5-1/2):

The mug on the back  is a quarter size version of the "Big Mugs" block from the Dec '/Jan '14 issue of Quilters Newsletter Magazine and can be picked up from their website here.  Unfortunately, I still owe my friend two other gifts, a cat panel print that she purchased at the show that I am now feverishly trying to finish quilting up for Christmas for New Year's before her next birthday in February!  The other is a jewelry pouch I started years ago for her that is complete except for embellishment (I want to try some beading and couching) and binding (in more of those shot cottons!).  As I said, she'll definitely have it for her birthday at the latest (and hopefully THAT won't be famous last words!)

Well that's it for the recent finishes, Part 2 of this post will review the finishes from the beginning of the year and the additional things I hope to accomplish in 2014!  Stay tuned!

Back (Again) From the Abyss

Whew!  It's been a very long time since my last post.  I still haven't got to the point where blogging is integrated into my life well enough that I post regularly.  It seems it's always feast or famine with it.  But I'm back now even though I've also missed out on a lot.  But I am hoping to finish out the year with a bang rather than just whimpering!

When I last posted I had just purchased some long desired rulers, one of which I had hoped to use on a commission charity quilt project that I had signed up to do with another quilter.  I also had started the very big job of painting about half of our home and I had an upcoming week-long trip down south to three states.  Added to that my oldest son, having graduated high school in June, was still in the process of deciding whether to attend college or start working.  Oh and throw in that I had made a very big and ambitious list of projects to try to tackle for the Third Quarter of Leann's 2013 Finish-A-Long.  For some silly reason I thought all those juggled balls would fall neatly into place one by one.  The plan was that by September, I would be cruising, smoothly, to finishing up my own summer quilt work as well as the commission project.  After that I would move on to a few fall projects I wanted to tackle and then set up my "To Do" list for the final year end push.

Ha!  What's that saying: "Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh” (attributed to author David Milch).  In the end, only some things got done and none of those finished up as quickly or smoothly as expected.  When delivery of part of the materials for the start of the commission project was delayed, my need to focus on all the life stuff only delayed the start even further.  My son made his decision at the final hour (choosing to go to school) but then that added additional chauffeuring work to my daily schedule further changing the rhythm of my days.  So I am only now getting settled back into my little quilting world.

I can tease a picture of one project that did get done during this time and hope to do a post in the coming weeks about how it relates to bigger changes in my "studio" space.

Oh, before I leave, I also want to shout out the Fall Bloggers Quilt Festival hosted by Martingale author Amy Ellis that is going on right now at her website, Amy's Creative Side.  This is the wonderful biannual on-line quilt show that happens during the big Quilt Market weeks.
 

So first chance you get, go on over and check out what the entrants have posted for this round.  I've still got a couple more categories to check out too.  Don't forget to vote for your favorites!

Hopefully, I'll be back with another post sooner than last time!

More New Stuff For July

In addition to getting a NewFO quilt in July I also got some new gadgets too!  I'm a confessed gadget geek so had an opportunity to spring for some new rulers:

I've long wanted the Lazy Angle Ruler and finally decided to spring for it (a sale did help that along).  I wanted the "Lazy and Lovin' It" book too but it's pretty pricey so had to choose between getting it and getting the other rulers I also wanted.  The ruler comes with a small instruction book and I found a lot of free tutorials and videos using the ruler on the web.  Since I have no particular project in mind at the moment, I've decided to play with what I've got first and then see if I want to invest in the book for more options (or hope that I catch a future great sale on it too!).

I'm already a big fan of Deb Tucker's rulers (having used the Rapid Fire Leymoyne Star ruler in my "Valor" quilt and her Tucker Trimmer for projects in general). I've had to make Square In A Square blocks before and the math is never easy so the ruler will make short work of a great basic block. Also the SIS block is a great companion to Lazy Angle block designs since the points on it fall in the middle of each side.

I've also been admiring for over a year the designs of Jenny Pedigo (Sew Kind of Wonderful) the designer of the Quick Curve Ruler. She did a great Sampler Quilt Along last fall.  Unfortuately I don't follow the business blogs as closely as I follow the individual quilter blogs and since I only discovered the QAL recently, I realize I missed out on getting the ruler at a really great price at the start of the QAL!   However, right now the block for her "Metro Medallion QAL" looks like it might be great for a community service quilt I'll be working on soon so I sprung for that as well.

Re: the Quick Curve Ruler: after buying it, I happened to be surfing around and went to check out Cheryl Phillips at Phillips Fiber Art, a designer I haven't heard much about in the last few years.   I know her for her "Rings That Bind" DWR technique (when she appeared on "Simply Quilts") and also have her "New York Beauty" and "Mariners Compass" books. It turns out she also has a ruler called "The Simple Curve" ruler that's been out since about 2010.   It seems very similar to Jenny's ruler and is less expensive so if you are already a fan of Cheryl's tools, you might want to check that out as well. I downloaded her free "Simple Coins" quilt pattern to see if it'll also work with Jenny's ruler. 

So it's on to the dog days of August and all that entails!

Reporting in on the July NewFO

Well it's August and the summer is now officially winding down.  I had planned to spend July working on items from my list of 3rd Quarter Finish-A-Long UFOs but instead I just couldn't let go of the Red, White & Blue phase I was in for all of June.  I had hinted at it here and now I can present another patroitc NewFO for this year:

 

This is my version of the "Liberty Hall" wallhanging that was featured in the Summer 2008 issue of Fons & Porter's "Easy Quilts" magazine and also now appears in their compilation book "The Best of Fons & Porter: Patriotic Quilts" as (just) "Liberty".  I made mine a little smaller than the magazine version to fit the space I plan to hang it in.  Even better it was all done from stash! 

 

After the top and back were finished, the ensuing debate has been over the quilting or actually the batting.  I thought the elements in the center panel would look good done in the trapunto style.  I know how to use two layers of poly batting and prep for machine trapunto but the amount of detail would make doing that difficult.  But after looking at the description for a free-motion quilt class, the supply list sent me in a new direction:  using wool batting to get the "puffy" look I want.  

 

Fortunately it just so happened that I had some wool batting scraps leftover from my "Merrimac Dresdens" project and I was able to "Frankenstein" enough together to make the batt for this earlier in the week and finally got the layering and basting done last night.

And while I don't want to sit on this too long, I know I really need to get back to the Finish-A-Long projects so we'll have to see what wins out. 

The print I used for the center has many elements that to my mind symbolized "bountiful"  so my name for this wallhanging will be "Sweet Land of Liberty" from the song "My Country 'Tis of Thee".  As quilting serendiptiy would have it, the Summer 2013 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine had a small wool project called "Let Freedom Ring" (you can see a peek of it on the right in the picture).  Wool has become one of my interests and the project name happens to be the last line of the first stanza of the same song so I'm hoping to add this little project to the R/W/B list too!

Want to see more NewFO goodness for July?

Head back over to Barbara at CatPatches and see what other quilters fired up in July!