It Only Took Four Years

 Four years ago, I joined in a number of Covid sew alongs. Aunt Daisy was one of them. Originally I was going to make the king size quilt. Last year I decide to break up the blocks into two quilts. I also decided to add a border to both quilts. Presenting the larger Aunt Daisy quilt...

It measures 92 x 121 inches, which is very close in size to the original king size quilt. I had to move the furniture in order to get pictures.

It was easier to let Bella give official kitty approval than move her. No, I'm not going to quilt it myself, it is way too big for my Loft frame. Can you find the two turned units? One would be easy to fix and other not so much. They don't bother me so they are staying. Now I need to find backs for both Daisy quilts.

I have gotten in the habit of having a leader ender quilt. It is usually a simple easy to piece scrap block. My current leader ender project blocks are almost complete so I need something new.

One of Angela's fabric hauls had a large number of signature blocks - actually family history blocks - in a rail fence format. They weren't her colors and she wasn't interested in them so of course I took them. I've taken them all apart over the past couple of months and tossed the family history sections. There are 348 2.5 x 6.5 pieces in about 30 different prints. Above is the block I plan to make with them.

Dilemma

 
Project Quilting released their second challenge yesterday: Scads of Plaids. Again, I have an idea. I even pulled some plaid flannel scraps. But, again, I'm not going to participate. I just don't want to start another project without some finishes occurring first.

And I have one!

Ta Da!!! The small Aunt Daisy top is done! Hahaha, small is a bit of a joke...it is 70 inches square. And yes, I know three of the units are turned the wrong way, and no, I'm not going to fix them.

The large Aunt Daisy top is half done. Putting these together is a bit of a challenge since the seams don't nest. And it is heavy! But I'm so close. 

I loaded a panel quilt on the frame yesterday. I also picked up seven quilt tops, some with backing and binding fabric at the Q4K meeting.

I previously had almost all the donation quilts tops finished...note to self, don't tell JoAnne I'm running out donation tops to quilt. I am going to try to mix a few of my own quilt tops in with these.

This is one of the tops I picked up...don't know the pattern name but I really like it. Love the fabrics used.

Overwhelmed Again

 

I really did plan on participating in last week's Project Quilting challenge. I spent a day working on the design but when it came time to actually making it...there wasn't a flat surface that didn't already have something on it. Ironing board - nope. Cutting table - nope. Juki - nope. Dining room table - nope. Babylock - nope. Even the recliner had two projects next to it. With way too many projects in process already I decided I should skip that week's challenge.

So what did I do. I finished all the binding on the table runners. Two have been gifted. I'll save the last one for next year.

I finished trimming all of these little blocks and laid them out on the small design wall. 

I been wanting to make this pattern for a while. Don't ask me why I decided on using 1.5" unfinished blocks.

I laid out both Aunt Daisy quilts on the design bed. They are so scrappy I didn't have to fuss too much.

I also decide on scrappy pieced borders for both quilts. Borders and binding have been cut and pieced.

Above are the pieced borders, binding, and my current leader end project ready for pressing and the next step.

I have a Quilts 4 Kids meeting this Friday but don't have anything ready to donate.

I pulled out this project and laid it out on the big design wall. If you think I should move something, let me know. It's not going to get done before Friday.

There is still nothing loaded on the quilt frame.

Doesn't she look neglected? Doesn't she look like she is starving? Poor abused Bella is on a diet.

I walked into and out of the kitchen about 4:30 p.m. This is the look I got. She wanted her evening treats. Not until 5:30!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Mine was nice and quiet. Quiet being the key word.

I feel like I've been doing lots of sewing but there isn't much to show for it.

I finished putting together the table topper I showed last month. I think I might try quilting flying geese in the open space between the actual flying geese...that should be interesting.

I quilted Stephanie's star quilt. Don't know if it shows but I used a very light green thread.

HAPPY DANCE!!

All the Aunt Daisy blocks are sewn! Sixteen 28-inch square blocks with 49 4-inch units in each - Yikes! no wonder it took four years to finish the blocks. As I've mentioned before I'm not going to make the king size quilt. I am going to make a queen and a lap quilt. Both will still be pretty large.

I did chase a squirrel.

I made three Christmas table runners. Four fat quarters and quilt as you go, so they were very fast and easy to make. One has the binding sewn down, the other two still need hand sewing. They were not gifts so no hurry to finish.

I'll be blogging a bit more over the next three months. Project Quilting kicked off today. So excited. This week's prompt is A Clean Slate. I have ideas, and I think I've settled on one.

Happy December

 Can you believe in 23 days it will be a new year! Wow. I know it is cliche' but this year sure went by fast. Almost as fast as the last month. I was looking at my camera to see what I've been working on or finished and there wasn't much, even though I feel like I've been doing a lot.

I spent a lot of time quilting this quilt that was donated to Q4K.

I did a lot of ruler work and different background fillers. Such a cute quilt. I wish I had the pattern.

I quilted two not so cute quilts for my guild. Not even close to cute. 

Again, so ugly I didn't take pictures of the finished quilts. I think it is just the luck of the draw as I have seen some very cute quilts made and donated by guild members.

Another quilt donated to Q4K:

Flannel top, pieced flannel back.

I've been doing some sewing also. I only have three more Aunt Daisy blocks left to make. 

I have the worst memory. I have a partially made star quilt, it has all the fabric / charm packs needed to finish it. I don't remember where it came from.

Three stars were made, two were partially made, and three others were so off in their size due to trimming and piecing that I took them apart, trimmed them to a consistent size and remade the blocks - smaller. I was going to make more stars but decided today to sash the five blocks that are made and finish it similar to the blue and tan quilt I made (and still haven't quilted) last February.

I've also been working on a table topper for my niece. This was the original plan.

But I like Plan B better.

Except I have to buy more of the background fabric.

So, as you can see, I've been busy but I don't have much to show for it.

I do have to show off the Christmas banner Angela made me.

So cute! 
 

Happy Birthday Mom!

 My mom turned 90 yesterday! The past two weeks have been filled with family visiting - that's my excuse for not doing much sewing. ;o)

I finished the little black cat.

I'd like to add a little more quilting, but I couldn't think of what...maybe a couple of bats?

I also quilted my crumb wall hanging.

I couldn't think of anything for the background fabric so left it unquilted...it will probably stay that way.

Here is the quilting from the back.

As you can tell, neither quilt has the binding sewn down. I'll work on that this week while I listen to an audio book.

This start is made up of broken dishes blocks I've be sewing as leader-enders.

I think I'm going to add to it round robin style. So far it is made from just scraps. I have no idea what I'm going to make for the next round - I need to decide soon as I need a new leader-ender project.

 I'm going to post early (9 p.m. versus midnight), otherwise if I start sewing again tonight I might forget.

I finished quilting the birdhouse quilt.

This is another quilt top that was donated to our Quilts 4 Kids group. I used one of my favorite pantographs. It has already been donated back to the group.

I quilted another quilt that came from my quilt guild. Sorry, not sorry, no picture. That quilt was ugly! Yes, dark brown, green and tan go together but not if the dark brown is the scariest sheep/shepherd pasture scenes ever made, with a solid green, and the tan was a Christmas print with carousel horses. I quilted it, put binding on it and will return it to the guild next Monday with the hope of never seeing it again.

Not much sewing occurred until last Saturday. It was another sew day. I finally finished the last pouch / purse I was working on. 

I think it turned out cute except that even after double checking it, I still managed to twist the handle.

Angela's Brightly top is done.

Maybe not...I think I'm going to add a small border. What do you think?

While not much sewing has occurred, I have been playing with EQ8

First up, Four Patch Stars. The inspiration for this little quilt was the Moda Blockheads 6 block 21 by Vanessa Geortzen. Jacob's Ladder is one of my favorite blocks.  I made the blocks bigger and plan on using just three fabrics.

Not the most original design but creating it in the software gave me all the dimensions I needed and yardage. These are the two primary fabrics.

The background will be a white tone-on-tone.

The second quilt I designed is Four Patch Stripe (my titles are so very boring). 

Good ole Microsoft Photos elongated the picture. The inspiration for it was a Keepsake Quilt kit / pattern. Their's had a vertical strip going down the length of the quilt that I did not like, plus I resized the blocks. Those are the fabrics I plan on using.

I'm trying really really really hard to finish a bunch of stuff before I start working on these. But I really really really want to make them NOW.