BOMS Away: Progress As the Year Draws To A Close

At the start of the year I had set an admittedly ambitious goal to work on four different BOMs with the plan of action being to deal with a different project in each week of the month.  Well the pandemic, the later quarantine orders and the resultant slew of online quarantine quilt alongs and new quarantine inspired projects quickly threw this "Squirrel Moment" quilter off course!   With the year now quickly coming to a close, I wanted to try to make good on at least some of my BOM goals.  I spent a lot of my quilting time in October and November focusing on bringing the BOMs up to date.  Here's how that went:

First up is my scrappy version of this year's AQS 2020 BOM "Twilight Flurries".  

This was my first chance to try making one of the annual American Quilter Society (AQS) Christmas Countdown BOMs.  I had liked their teal, dark blue and white color scheme and decided to expand it to a scrappy selection of blues across that color spectrum.  Adding an equally scrappy mix of whites to the scheme, I was hoping the resultant quilt could be used for holiday and winter decorating.  

This was an ambitious BOM to have started since it is comprised of twenty-five blocks, something I didn't really examine closely when I chose to do it.  Because I fell behind on the blocks in the early months of the pandemic, it's been a challenge to try to catch back up over the course of the summer and fall.  This is particularly true since I needed to have all the blocks done by the end of November or early December to even have a shot at finishing the quilt for Christmas display.

The good news is that I did mange to finish up all the blocks.  Here are all the ones I got done in the last two months:

I admit I've struggled with getting good contrast in the designs of these blocks because I also didn't factor in the small size (7" finished) of these intricately pieced blocks when I made both my purchasing and piecing fabric choices.  Another issue is that having gone scrappy, I'm concerned about whether my blocks will work in the original quilt layout -OR- if I would be able to come up with a different layout that will accommodate the scrappiness of the fabrics in my blocks -OR- if I could find a background print to pull all the blocks together.  So I am already prepared for the possibility that I might not be able to solve that riddle in time for this to be a holiday display quilt after all!  

However, that is not as much of problem as you would think:  the good news is that I compiled such a healthy project stash for this at the start that it has generated an unexpected wealth of projects for using up the Blue and White fabric leftovers.  So I may wind up decorating with the other quilts I'm working on from the leftovers and the BOM project may wind up not getting completely finished until next year!

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Next up are the last few blocks for the Joann Countryside Cottage BOM

The blocks for this BOM have been the easiest to make up because they are all from pre-cut kits.  Also helpful is that it is a traditional mostly-one-block-a-month BOM.  As a result, I was able to finish up just about all of the last blocks over the past few months:   

All that's left is the last one. It's an applique block that I am doing by hand applique.  

Pieces prepped and ready to stitch!

I had originally hoped to have this project be one of a group of Fall projects I wanted to tackle.  The coloring of this quilt fits right in that theme!  However, with everything else I was working on, it soon got too late to work on the rest of those projects this year.   I am still hoping to get this last block done and then finish the top next month.  At that point I'll decide whether try to get it quilted and finished this year or just put the top with the other Fall projects and work on them all in time for next Fall.  

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The "self-styled" BOM in the bunch was the one I call "Modern Bohemia".  Based on the "Bohemia" design by the Homestead Hearth ladies, I had hoped to have some fun with what I saw as "Mod" style fabric prints.  I thought this was also going to be an easy one to finish up early since it is made up of simple Churn Dash blocks, all of which I die cut the parts for.  I had done a few blocks before the pandemic hit and once I had finished up a few quarantine quilt along projects, I thought I could bring these blocks to a top by the end of June!  NOT!!!  At that point I was here:

However, I did finally get back in gear on them in October to the point that I was down to the last rows of blocks and some filler.  Of course that also takes into to account that at this point, I've decided to make this quilt smaller than originally planned.  I believe I have finished all that I am going to do so now I am here:

I have to review the block/color placements and then will sew all the blocks together and call this one a finished top!  I expect this one will have the best chance of getting quilted and finished up before the year ends. 

 * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Right off the bat, the BOM I was most excited about working on this year was my "Scrappy Christmas Figs".

This is another BOM that I'm working up in my own choice of fabrics and was a chance to stash a bunch of older Fig Tree Quilts fabric lines.  So the challenge here was to choose fabric combinations I think will work in the blocks and which will fit my vision of what I want the finished quilt to look like. Turns out that takes way more time than I expected it would!  It is also another BOM with two blocks a month for ten of the months (the last two are for making sashing cornerstone blocks and finishing) which can be be hard to accomplish in just one week.  

Once again, that was something I didn't take adequate notice of when I chose to do it so when I got behind on the blocks at the start of the quarantine period, it was that much harder to try to catch up and still meet a deadline of finishing the blocks by November or December.  As result of that and more "Squirrel Moment" projects I decided to start in the interim, this one has gone on the back burner so will not get worked on for the rest of this year.  So say hello to the first project on the 2021 project list!  

No wait, it's the second project:  the first is my Quiltville "Tobacco Road" mystery which I had been focused on sewing the center together when the pandemic and quarantine orders hit and still need to add borders to.  

Looks like 2021 will be as busy as 2020!! 

Linking Up to "BOMs Away" with with Lynette at What A Hoot Quilts and Kate at Katie Mae Quilts 

The New Quiltville Mystery Officially Started Yesterday!!

 Ahhh, another opportunity for 2020 to get back to normal again -- the start of the annual Quiltville mystery season!  This year we will all be taking a stroll down to "The Grassy Creek" with Bonnie Hunter!

As Bonnie noted in her post for Part 1, the one good thing about this pandemic is that it doesn't upend the ability for everyone to "get together" and join in on the mystery season.  Last year I mused about the many ways that you can participate in the mystery even if you don't think you want to make the actual mystery project!

At this point I have so many past mysteries still in progress, I hadn't planned to actively participate this round.  To date, I've still got:

• Double Delight --- To Be Quilted
• On Ringo Lake --- Need To Make Backing
• En Provence --- Need To Make Backing
• Tobacco Road --- Needs Borders
• Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll --- Piecing in Progress

However, that won't stop me from following along weekly!!  I especially look forward to the progress link ups where you can see what others are doing or how they have changed the color palette of the project.  

I will say though, I just reviewed the color picks again and I can see myself caving on this one in the near future!  Just not until I get at least one of the previous ones done though!!  So join in on all the fun between now and January.  It will be another great way to close out this year!

September Wrap up: The End of National Sewing Month and Mini Madness

September was National Sewing Month and for me it was a month for a bunch of mini quilt finishes!

"Lidia"

First up is a project in my continuing obsession with Edyta Sitar's Laundry Basket Quilts designs!  I learned about her mini log cabin quilt design when I saw one of her "Quilting Window" videos on You Tube.  She also offers it as a stand alone pattern and in her book "Little Handfuls of Scraps".   

I started piecing the blocks for it at the end of  July and the fabric for the block "logs" came straight out of the crumb bins.  The blocks were only two inches finished and the logs started out at 3/4".  I probably needed to block the quilt top when I finished it so the borders are a little wonky.  It didn't help that in order for it to fit the space I want to hang it, I had to make my borders smaller than patterned.  I fussy cut them from the stripe fabric pictured.  Making it with larger borders might have helped me square it up a bit more.  

What was cool was that I found a quilting motif for it in an unusual place. 

 A couple of weeks ago, I read a post by Rebecca on her Cheeky Cognoscenti blog about how she had received a bunch of old Quilters Newsletter Magazine issues from a guild member cleaning out her studio.  She had even found a solution to a piecing problem she was having in one of them.  I commented that I still love my QNM issues even though the magazine ceased publication back in 2016.  I have an almost complete collection of them and often find new things of interest or education when I thumb through them.  

It just so happens that the same week I finished the top for this project, I had received an old QNM back issue that I didn't have and found for sale on eBay.  It was a case of perfect timing since the issue from July 1976 (!) had the perfect quilt design for this little mini quilt!  Even better, all the gentle curves in the design meant it could be executed with a walking foot.  The only issue was how to mark it?  I took the "Golden Threads" paper template route although I used regular wrapping tissue paper to make my templates.

This project was another fun little Laundry Basket Quilts diversion and I look forward to getting it hung up and displayed. 

"Gertie"

 Next up is my micro-mini version of one of Carrie Nelson's Schnibble quilt designs. 

The original quilt is lap-sized and made from charm squares.  Mine is another mini pieced from the crumb bin starting at the end of  July.  This time I used 1" starting strips and scrap triangles (save those cut offs!).  Working so small, it was a bit of a challenge to sew together and I had to press the seams of the triangle squares and all the rows open.  That allowed it all to lay flatter given the tight confines of the seam allowances after the blocks and rows were stitched together. 

Ironically it was only after I had finished the top that I happened to read a blog post by Janet of the Rogue Quilter blog who is a phenomenal mini quilt maker.  Back in 2016 she made a mini quilt by using 1/2" finished gridded fusible interfacing.  If I had thought of that, it would have saved me a ton of effort!  And wouldn't you know it, I already have some here.  Hmmm, guess that means I have to do another one of these, you know for scientific testing purposes, you understand!  

This one was also quilted with a walking foot, this time using the freezer paper template techniques from Mary Mashuta's "Foolproof Walking Foot Quilting Designs" book.  I used the same technique last year on a baby quilt I made for a relative. 

The "binding" on this one was the backing turned to the front using a tool:  

"All In A Days Work"

Back in June, I had set up some hand work projects to work on while recovering from surgery.  I had started a wool piece that's been a "Hussy" (HSY = Haven't Started Yet) project for years.  

Well now it is finished:   The original penny rug pattern by Wooden Spool Designs was designed to finish about 16 inches in diameter.  For my project, I reduced that to 9 inches so it could be used as the header for a holder for my shopping list pads.  

Back in 2015 (which lets you know just how long this HSY has been hanging around!), I saw a similar penny rug design by Bonnie Sullivan called "Sunflower and Chickens".  I loved her idea to have some of the eggs on the tongues have "yolks" and decided to do that with mine as well.  And don't you just love when a plan comes together:  I had the absolutely perfect fabric in my stash to back it with:

I had always planned to make this penny rug design to hang in my kitchen because I have a few other chicken themed pieces in there and have long wanted to add more.  I have an old dry erase board for the grocery lists that has seen better days and I've been trying for a while to figure out a way to replace it.  Now I have it!  I'm thrilled to get this one done and put to use!

"The Purple Pineapple Mug Rug"

Ok, last but not least:  my best friend from high school is a grandma and faced with taking on the duties of homeschooling her kindergarten grandson.  He and her daughter live with her and her daughter works two jobs.  My friend works from home so it was easier for her to take on that task. 

 As have so many other parents during the pandemic, she is forced to learn how to manage her grandson's school days while juggling her own work.  It's an adjustment for everyone, particularly since it's the first structured school experience for her grandson.  From what she tells me, what they study in Kindergarten these days is way more advanced than it was in our day! 

Since she's working so hard to meet the challenges of teaching from home, I wanted to send her a little "pick me up".  I saw these at our local supermarket and just knew she'd love it!

Well, as a quilter if you send a mug, 'ya gotta send a mug rug right?  In a recent Skype chat with another friend of ours, she mentioned she liked purple so I rummaged through the stash and pulled as many purple fabrics as I could.  But what to make?  I've made a few mug rugs featuring inspirational panels from a June Tailor kit I have and still had some left so I started there.  

The kit has patterns to use with the panels but none would allow me to use as many fabrics as I wanted to, Lol!!  So I went looking for another design that could accommodate the panel AND a generous fabric pull.  As I was reading blogs,  I read about someone making a Pineapple quilt and I thought, that just might be the ticket!  Particularly since I knew I had this:  

Very early in my quilting journey, I wanted to make a Pineapple quilt.  Back then, most were patterned to be made by paper piecing the blocks.  I did start one using that method and quickly found that to be very tedious and that project is still a UFO (but will have its day in the sun again one day).

BTW, This pattern is in the June 2000 issue of QNM.

Eventually, I found out about the Pineapple Rule by the Possibilities/Great American Quilt Factory ladies Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith.  The sales pitch was that you could make Pineapple blocks without having to paper piece them.  When I got the ruler, I immediately made a test block.  That "orphan block" eventually became a journal cover.

Unfortunately, I haven't used that tool since -- that is until now!  Their method uses 1-1/2" strips.  Normally the block would start with a 2-1/2" square but the June Tailor panel I was using is 4-1/2" square.  No matter, that just meant less rounds of strips to sew to get to the 12" finished size!  

I kept this one simple: I only had four light fabrics so used one in each of those rounds.  I placed the medium and dark fabrics scrappy throughout the block.  Then it was a simple pillow turn finish (no binding!)  and some simple stitch in the ditch and stitching down the center of the logs and it was ready to be mailed out!

I  still have two AQS BOM blocks to finish up for September and I had another BOM project I had hoped to work on.  I guess they will instead be early October projects!

BOMS Away: Still Playing Catch-up

 

So last month's quilting fervor has subsided as September has started.  While I need to still finish up the mini quilts, I also wanted to stay on track with catching up on all the BOM block projects.  To that end:

The September block for the Joann Countryside Cottage BOM is done.

For the AQS Twilight Flurries BOM:

I finished the two remaining blocks (#2 and #9) for August (the first two can be seen here).

And made the first of four for September (#11).  I've already picked out the fabrics for the next block.  So I expect, at least for now, to stay on track for the month and make one block a week.  Oh, I also need to cut some of the scraps from these for the Spiderweb Tree Skirt blocks.  Then it's on to other projects!

Linking up with Lynette over at What A Hoot! Quilts

August Recap: What A Whirlwind!

In July I made my way back to the sewing machine and then in August, I amped it up a notch.  Well, maybe two notches, Lol!  So much tackled, a few things started and an important finish.  I'm hoping to approach September just a little less frenzied.

First off, my priority for the month had been to finish work on some zigzag machine applique while I still had Rhubye, my Singer 401 in the sewing machine cabinet.  I had hesitated working on the applique at the end of July because for some reason, I was under the impression that I had never done that on this machine before.  I wanted to check the stitch width and how stitched units that are layered underneath other units looked.  So  I did a scrappy test block first.... 

....and when that went fine then did the center applique for "Esther's Garden Box", a Kim Diehl "What Nots Club" pattern. 

I had purchased the "What Nots" kit to provide some extra fabrics for yet another Quarantine project I have brewing.  The good news was that I was able to get what I needed and will still be able to make up the whole kit project as well.  

With that successfully done, I then FINALLY stitched down the stars and word appliques for the "Hope" Quilt Along QOV top I finished back in June.

It was only after that I was reminded that I had actually done machine applique on this machine before!  Back in January of last year, I made a baby quilt for my DH's cousin and appliqued the child's name on it.  Yeesh!  My quilting memory must be shot because of this pandemic!  Or maybe it's just a side effect of project overload.

I was also hoping to get back on track with my BOM projects.  I  managed to bring the blocks for the Joann BOM up to date.  The Joann's were the easiest to do because they are pre-cut so made great leader/enders for other projects worked on this month.  They are now up to date through August.

I only got two of the four AQS BOM blocks I wanted to work on done.  

 In order to catch up on the AQS blocks, I need to make four blocks each for August - November to bring me back up to date.  I'm going to try to get the other two August blocks done by the end of this week and then attempt to stay on track for the rest of September. 

Die cutting the fabric scraps after making the AQS blocks, I also got a few more Spider web units for the tree skirt made up too.

But wait, there's still more!  Having done Edyta Sitar's Mystery 2020 QAL back in May, I am now officially in a Laundry Basket Quilts obsessive phase!  I am loving everything LBQ I see to the point that I have not one, not two but three projects planned using the scraps from all the blue fabrics I  purchased for the AQS project!  It would have only been two except that I saw another of her quilts that is in her book "Handful of Scraps" and wanted to add it to the Bucket List.  Just my luck,  I found someone selling a copy of that book on eBay along with Edyta's "Patches of Blue" book at a "couldn't pass it up" price.  I shouldn't have been surprised when the books arrived, to fall in love with some of the Blue and White projects in the second book.  A real problem when it's the color theme for this year's Christmas decorating and the AQS project.  So the third project got added from that book.

But it didn't stop there!  The plan is to work on all the blue and white projects through the Fall and finish up before the holidays.  However, the LBQ obsession could not be quenched and called for more immediate fulfillment.  What to make?  How about something small?  Well, I've also been dying to make a log cabin quilt.  That fire was stoked after using my Log Cabin die to cut the strips for the borders of Edyta's mystery quilt.  Then one day I came across her video for her little "Lidia" quilt.  Perfect! 

Even better,  I've been establishing a new mini quilt display space so making this would help fill it.  However, the pieces for it were so small I didn't need to use my stash of log cabin strips,  I could pull and cut what I needed from my overflowing "Crumbs" bins.  Another bonus!  

After joyously rooting around in the "Crumbs" for "Lidia", what should I see on the web but a Carrie Nelson "Schnibbles" pattern named "Gertie".  Who can resist a Schnibble?  It's  designed to use Charm packs (5" squares) for a lap quilt but I realized if I downsized it and used even more "Crumb" bits to make it, I'd get another little mini for the display space.  So this happened:

The blocks for Lidia are pieced and the border print is picked out.  My border will be smaller than Edyta's in order for it to fit the space where I want to display it.  All the HST Gertie bits are pieced and background squares cut so now I just have to sew it all together.

Edited to Add:  And you can see these two finished here.

It was at this point that  I could FINALLY swap out the 401 for a long deserved rest and swap in "Nova" the Brother 1500 mid-arm.  I thought it was going to be for trying to FINALLY  quilt one of my own projects but nope!  The pandemic curve has flattened greatly here in NY and things are opening up more and more.  So it shouldn't have been a surprise to get a call from the troop leader of the Girl Scout troop we had worked with back in December and January.  They were setting up a meeting and she wanted the quilt made from the finished blocks.  Yikes!  I had gotten the top, backing and label prepared back in March right  before we went into quarantine.  As a result, I held off doing the quilting -- or more honestly, switched my focus to mask making and all the quarantine quilt alongs and personal project inspiration that came in.

However, I was more than happy to have a motivation to move something to a finish and out of my quilt space.  So I decided on the final binding choice (picked from an assortment of fabrics that had been purchased for the EPP workshop I did in February) and got to work on that.

The backing fabric is actually 4-H fabric.

I quilted it much simpler than I originally planned.  I limited it to stitching in the ditch around the blocks and the only free-motion done was around the hearts in the fussy-cut sashing squares.  There was a lot of hand work to be done though:  Although I attached the binding completely by machine (sewn to the front and stitched in the ditch to tack it down in the back), I needed to hand stitch two 3-D applique motifs that were applied on top of the sashing and also tack down some of the motifs and trims that had been attached to the blocks so that they stay secured as the quilt is handled.  I also sewed on a hanging sleeve on the back since part of the original plans for the quilt was to make it so the troop could carry it as a banner in a parade.  

So the good news is that the straight stitch only machine now in the cabinet means I can quilt big quilts but still be able to piece things.  I'm hoping there can be a few more quilted finishes for September even as I continue to work on catching up on the BOMs and piecing some more quarantine projects.  Add to all of that two national political conventions and a couple of hurricanes and it really was a whirlwind of a month!