Two more UFO tops done

The many checkerboards were connected with the large HSTs -- with a wonky star in the middle of where they came together.  Below the star and to the right you can see that not everything is really a checkerboard.  I used up some already pieced larger squares as well.  And a nine-patch is to the upper left of the star.

Here is the whole thing, currently hanging on the kitchen wall.  Not bad, I figure; and since there is very little "girly" about it, probably can go to a boy.

For the last three days I have been finishing a top that was started inn a Bonnie Hunter workshop last March.

I think I made 12 blocks during the workshop, and then continued on with leaders/enders.  They are all now together, except one which went into the orphan box.  I just finished the borders.

Since I started this project earlier THIS year, I don't count it as an ancient UFO. . .but  I set myself the goal this year of finishing my new starts (except three), so I needed to finish up this one.

I'm adding these two to the bag for Margaret's Hope Chest. I will drop them off on Wednesday, and they will take care of quilting and distributing them.  Maybe I can get one more top together for them by Wednesday.

Sara

Gratitudes:

* Charlie is on a mission trip to New Orleans for five days.  Glad he is able and willing. 
* Women's Chorus mini-concert last night went well
* leftover pizza for lunch

Checkerboards and process

Next UFO that was calling to me:  I've got eleven of these 64-patch units.  Not the right number to make a bed quilt.  So I'm looking for the basket of four-patches I make as leader/enders, so I can make a few more while I cogitate.

I've also got 10 of these HSTs, which are the same size as the four-patches.  So I added them along one short side of the six checkerboard blocks that were already sewn together:

 And I have some other odd 4.5" blocks in a drawer.  Here are some examples.

I'm going to see if I can utilize a few of these as well.  Maybe I'll get a lap or twin sized quilt out of these!

Sara

Gratitudes:

Doctor says my Blood Pressure is responding well to medication
Another sunny day
Financial gurus request that we come in THIS WEEK to talk did not mean we were bankrupt, just that they were changing companies. Whew!

Martha's Baby Quilt Re-Bound

Binding is now what I consider a "normal" width.  And since there was no label on this old, old quilt,

I got out a fine-line marker and wrote on the back edge "Made for Martha Homeyer 1973 by her Mom. ReBound in 2010."

I added four hearts in a blank white block to match those I had added sometime between then and now.  So now there are equal hearts on each half of the quilt.
Tho' there are some very worn spots where some of the seams meet in the middle, I am not going to do anything about them.  This has been a very well/much used quilt in 37 years, and it has been chewed on by dogs.  I think it can just go on to being "used up" in the future.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Sunny, sunny day
Remembered to turn clock BACK last night
My dear Charlie collects the trash every Sunday night and takes it out to the street

Saturday Progress on UFOs

I completed the outer ring of this quilt top this morning.  It is 45" square, which might be a good size for a baby quilt.  As I try to imagine how to quilt it, I can see that the large muslin areas would be a good place for some decorative/impressive quilting.  But that's not something I'm much good at.  I'm going to lay this aside for a day or two to decide if I'm going to try quilting it myself, or hand it on to someone else.

Now for a change I'm looking at this problem:

Two examples of the edge of my daughter's quilt, made in Oakland, CA in about 1972 -- my very first quilt ever.  I found it at her house with this "eaten" edge.  I'm going to re-bind the quilt, and make a few other "corrections".

Clearly I had turned over the edge of the backing and made it the front binding.  It is very puffy, and as I ripped out the seam, I found out why:

DOUBLE batting!  Well, what did I know back in 1972?  Not much.

So this is my afternoon project ; opening up that seam, cutting off the excess and re-binding with fresh but matching fabric.

And listening to Don Giovanni on NPR from Houston Opera.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Left by Charlie to sleep late this morning

Dianne in a good mood after her knee repair

Rigoletto this evening

'Nother UFO

I don't know what this block is called, but it is made of one large HST and five small HSTs.  It looks a little like a Chinese hat to me, if you put the long diagonal line downwards.   I had nine blocks in a bag along with many small HSTs  and some uncut fabric.  First step:  make the rest of the fabric into more blocks!

Now I had enough blocks for a medallion-style center.

While making the additional blocks I decided to make "some" of them with the large HST facing the opposite way, making more of a basket-style block.  Two of them were yellow, and they went in the center of the medallion.  I had four left of the darker blue, so, obviously the place to put them would be in the outer corners.

Now I am fooling around with the 36 extra small HSTs and a few squares to make a line from corner to corner.  This will REALLY use up all the remaining fabric in this bag.  With some additional muslin. . . .

Sara

Gratitudes:

Good quilting progress today

WBLU kept me company with classical music

Snow "showers" stayed in the air, not on the ground

Needed More Borders

My unconscious mind had something to say during the night:  "Another set or borders."  So this A.M. I found a medium blue and a medium green fabric to enlarge last night's "finish".  Now it is really ended at 54" x 70".

This is an example of how one project can create more projects.  The centers of these log cabins were leftovers from a long-ago blue and white quilt top.  About two years ago I added the wonky log cabin strips in blue and green.  That was probably on a day I needed to do some "mindless" sewing [and use up some strips and strings]. Last year I had some leftover white strips, so I started putting the blocks together with uneven white sashing, but didn't get very far.

Therefore in one form or another this has been a UFO for at least three years.  Thank goodness I can now release it!

Sara

Floating Log Cabins

Today I finished putting these Crazy Log Cabin blocks together with unequal sashings.  These nine blocks made a square quilt top, which doesn't seem the best for covering even a child's body.  So after not too much thought I made a large checkerboard border for two sides, which should make it more of a rectangle.

I have lost any enthusiasm I had for this when I started it long ago.  Therefore I am going to fold it up and hand it on to Margaret's Hope Chest for them to quilt and give to some kid who needs it.  I'm calling it a "finished" UFOI for me, because I'm getting it out of the house!

Now to get ANOTHER UFO out of the closet and onto the machine so I can think about it tomorrow.  I haver joined Finn's challenge to finish UFOs before the New Year.  I'm claiming I will finish FIVE, which is one over two a month.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Got down on the floor and up again at exercise class with no help
Keeping my focus on UFOs
Out for a Chinese dinner

Election Day accomplishments

As I began clearing off the bed in my sewing room, I found some two-patches leftover from a previous zig-zag baby quilt.  Rather than hide them away (as I probably should have done), I used them with some other scraps to make a checkerboard.

Today I added the borders, including this "wild" batik outer border.  I'm not madly in love with this project, so I am going to hand it on to Margaret's Hope Chest for them to finish.  I know they will find a happy recipient.

This afternoon I located the little top I made from the scraps of Peter and Lynne's quilt, Emerald Forest.  Lying near it was a leftover piece of green polar fleece -- ah ha! -- a perfect backing AND batting.  Since Tuesday is my "dedicated to quilting day", I rushed back from voting [rather than running some errands] and quickly quilted this one and even got it bound.

I also found on the bed a set of FQs I took to Florida two years ago and augmented, but never had started a project.  I also found a book about FQ projects. . . . but I managed to NOT begin anything with these treasures.  Instead I laid them aside and looked for a particular UFO I had been musing about.

That True UFO is finally on the sewing machine for the next time I get in there.

Nevertheless: I am glad to be ready to get those two projects away and out of my sewing room!

Meanwhile Bonnie Hunter has announced the start date of her next mystery: Nov. 19.  I'm uncertain about participating.  He quilts are labor intensive, and I want to keep working on my UFO goal for this year.  Well, I can always start in the new year.  And she does intend that we use everything from our stash - something I also want to keep working on.

Sara

Gratitudes:

No real line at the polling place

Lots of sun out my window as I was sewing

Charlie panfried some yummy talapia for dinner

BIQR Floor Quilt #2

Finished the quilting on this one by doing some free motion in the blank places [after outlining the stacks of coins].  Then I made binding that started with 1.5" width strips, which meant that rather a tight fold was needed to cover the first stitching [I do that first one from the back.].  Caught the label in one corner of the back of the binding.  Finished size is 18" x 16".

Now what on earth is that size good for?

Well, anyway I finished the last assignment that Gwen gave us.

Sara

Gratitudes:

An excellent cantaloupe for breakfast
Kept the knitting on the right needles today
Marti recovering from surgery

Circular Socks

After reading about two-socks-at-a-time from both Mary Johnson and Judy Liquidara, I decided to try this method during the time Charlie took his turns driving to and from St. Louis.  Above you can see the book from the library and how much progress I made.  I took their advice and followed the instruction VERY carefully at the start, and then I got cocky.  Seems I really canNOT do three things at once.  I can knit and I can listen to the radio, but knitting and being in a serious conversation with give and take was too much for me.  Twice I found that I had three segments of the four on ONE needle, which is really not OK.  Then when I tried to "fix" my problem, I made it worse.

I've learned my lesson:  ALWAYS check that I am using the two ends of the SAME needle.

Tonight I am trying to knit and watch the World Series.  We'll see how well I do with that distraction.

Today I added three mini-blocks onto the Chinese Coins floor quilt from BIQR.  This is as big as it is going, since I have used up all my scraps from the floor!  Now to get it sandwiched and quilted.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Helpful sectional rehearsal last night
Jo's poem about October
Homemade pesto-pasta for dinner