Difference of Opinion

After church today I began another Neonatal quilt, as usual made of leftovers from another project.

I have 36 of these 3", pink and white 9-patches left from Bonnie Hunter's Double Delight. I'm hoping to get three baby quilts from them.

I hung up "Difference of Opinion" to get a better photo, even tho' I see there are quite a lot of wrinkles still.

What do you think of the "lean" of the right hand column? Will it just look like a mistake?

Or is it enough to look intentional [which it was]?

Sara

Gratitudes:

Concert in Saugatuck went well

Warm bed on a COLD night

Hot tea for breakfast

At Home Quilting Retreat

Even though I was not free to go AWAY on retreat, I have been working at home.

This project is a continuation of "project improv" which started a YEAR ago, so another UFO to work on-- Pink/Orange Liberated Log Cabins. I have now finished 15 blocks, including this one with a heart in the middle.

After I have quite a few made in a "wonky" fashion, I thought I should make ONE that was a REGULAR Log Cabin. Probably put that one in the very middle of them all to show where they came from.

Oh, yes, one with a House in the middle.

When I had enough, it was time to put them all together with some white sashing and a narrow border.

When I had all the columns made, I thought, "But why have all the columns standing right together? Why not. . . .one column falling away, or tipsy?"

Now that I see it, I wish I had been even MORE daring and made the sashing even more wonky.

I have folded it all up for the time being while I think about creating a backing. Should I use up some more of the pinks and oranges? Use one backing fabric? Hmm.

Sara

Gratitudes:

House is clean

Sudden decision had us out to an "anniversary" lunch at Marco

Getting this quilt top finished

Stay at Home Day

While I am waiting for the other charity quilts to be quilted and come back from Catherine, I made two pillowcases. The red one is made to match the red and white Zigzag that was finished just at the end of 2009.

The one on the right is made of the fleece that I used to back my first finish of this year, the 9-patch and snowball Xmas quilt.

And here is each quilt packed into the pillowcase, ready to send off!

I am a member of the Libquilters group, which is having a two day stay-at-home retreat. I got out four pink and orange Log Cabin blocks I made about a year ago as part of "project improv". Right with them were some more pieces, ready for more logs, and there were also more logs! So today I made four more blocks so far. I think there will be four more, hopefully by the end of the day.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Tuesday is my "No Errands, Stay At Home Day". Makes me happy.

The bed in the sewing room is slowly re-appearing.

Rehearsal last night preparing for our concert in Saugatuck Saturday.

Flannel Waste Triangles

Today I took the "foursies" of flannel waste triangles that I put together a few days ago, and I have been seaming away. It is six blocks by nine, so forty intersections to match through the machine. O my gosh, was it really that many? No, it was eighty, two intersections per block.

And here's view of the end result. I decided to set them randomly rather than any of the several "organized" sets that I tried first.

Now I am adding a three inch border in a green plaid. The top will be put away until the backing I ordered on the internet arrives, and the time to take this over to Catherine's.

My next task is to cut all the scraps up into useable sizes and clean up the mess.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Making plans to visit Sue in Richmand.

Watching some ice dancing on TV

That the logjam in Haiti is getting a little better

Shoo-Fly quilt DONE

I was able to finish the binding yesterday before the Bee meeting. So, it's DONE.

This is my take on the "Your Way" mystery our Bee did during 2009. Mine is larger than most of the Bee member's versions since I wanted it to cover the queen bed, not be a throw.

I'm thinking about putting this one in the Guild Show in October. Mostly because it is wonky and not many like that are shown here. But also because I am pretty proud of it!

This is my #2 UFO completion for January, so I made my goal this month.

So after that excitement, today the box with the Christmas 9-patches and Snowball blocks was still out in the sewing room--- and I thought, "Why not just get these finished off?"

This one, the LAST one, is mostly green. And now the blocks are all sewn together! It comes to 60" X 96". Pretty long.

I stalled out on the backing, until I realized that the flannel waste triangles might be just the thing. Make a reversible quilt.

Those flannel blocks are NOT completely sewn together, but they might just be the next thing I work on. I did make a diagram of my plan for them.

Meanwhile I am spending time squaring up the waste triangles from the Snowball blocks of all three Christmas quilts. Why? Well, I needed a "hand" project I could take to the Bee meeting last night. And once I was started, I again thought, "Better finish this up while it's OUT." They are coming out to 3 3/4", which is odd indeed, but I don't want to lose that 1/4 inch. Just call it my "Personal Precision/Peculiar Measurement."

There are 200 of these which will need to be thunk about.

How to put them together?

When to put them together. DARN, I think I just created another UFO!

Sara

Gratitudes:

Charlie will go with me to Elk Rapids for Gwen Marston Retreat in October

NPR news and classical music while I sew

Secret Sister gave me a Dorothy Sayers mystery she had liked

Rams Christmas quilt

Here's my first UFO finish for 2010. It had mostly blue Christmassy fabric in the 9-patch and snowball blocks. It's meant for a boy who likes Scooby-Doo.

The back is polar fleece lauding the St. Louis Rams football team. Clever Catherine copied the ram symbol into the quilting design. The binding is made of various blue scraps of previous bindings.

Now I am putting together the "waste" triangles from the flannel Square-in-a-Square blocks. The original squares were so big that these cut-off corners are 5.5". For a first step I have joined them into "foursies", each triangle pointing the same way. There are 38 of these. I think with just making two more of the plain four-patch I will have enough to make a twin top 60" x 90".

But I am putting this aside in order to get the binding on my second UFO for January. And I need to get this done so I can take it to Show at the bee meeting tomorrow night.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Breakfast with friends

Some sun again today

Leftover pork roast from Peter for dinner

Thinking about Binding

I've been taking a short break from the quilting business, but now I'm readying myself to put the binding on two quilts. When I get that done I'll be able to say I have finished my two UFOs for this month.

I was betwixt and between on the red print or the solid black [right side of photo] for the "Your Way" quilt, but I like the black best, and it's MY quilt! I think the black will fade out and let the interior of the quilt be the star.

I'm also dreaming up something for my Secret Sister this Thursday. Our bee has decided to challenge ourselves in the "odd" months to only give something that is "low" or "no" cost---like an FQ from your own stash. I'm hoping we get lots of creative ideas from watching one another. [Can't tell you my plan or it wouldn't be a secret.]

Sara

Gratitudes:

Sang "Rosa Sat" to ourselves at chorus in honor of MLK Day

Sunshine! We have a lot of clouds in western Michigan.

Grape diet soda, recalls my youth

Slept late while Charlie went to jury duty

Quilts out and in

Working last night and today I completed this top from old flannel blocks, and put a border of green paisley. I picked up extra-wide muslin for the back. [But boy! I don't want to go to JoAnn's on a Saturday afternoon again.] This will be for a lady who needs a quilt.

I left a total of FOUR quilts with Catherine Martin for her to work on next. Whoopee, I'm making progress on the UFOs!

I picked up two from her that she had finished. This is a side view of my version of the "Your Way" mystery that Spoolspinners did last year. Now to get it bound before our meeting on Thursday. I'm still trying to think of the right name for this one. .. "Falling Shoo-Flies"?

I took the rest of the afternoon off. . .just reading a book and wondering what project I will take up next.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Catherine is so helpful with her quilting designs

Leftover chicken was plenty for dinner with pasta and zucchini

More reading after dinner

Sashing done

I used some "soft" blacks for the cornerstones. That is, they are not DEEP black, but have modest white prints toning them down a bit. I didn't want the cornerstones to really stand out, just be a little noticeable.

The outer sashings have no cornerstones.

This is a square quilt, right now about 84", which is wide enough for our bed, but not long enough to tuck under the mattress. My current plan is to wait until it is quilted, and THEN add another 12" of length to the bottom edge. This additional piece will not be quilted, but will give me a "tuck under" that will hold the quilt in place. My mom used to do this to blankets that were too short.

Furthermore, I also have the back almost completed. One more really long seam.

Company for chili tonight, so I need to leave the sewing room and work in the kitchen.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Catherine says pick up two quilts tomorrow

House smells like chili

Charlie's night to cook, so he'll do everything else

Snow melted off the front walk, so we don't have to shovel

"Design Wall" Bed

Dianne provided me with the matching green fabric so I could add another thin border to match the sashings she had used. So now I think this top looks much better. On to making the binding strips and sending this off to Catherine for quilting.

I have gone back to working on Bonnie Hunter's last mystery, "Carolina Christmas". [ I went with Black instead of Christmas Green.] I have the blocks sewn together into "foursies", and now I am working on the sashing. Bonnie didn't suggest sashing, but these blocks are a little to busy for me to put them slam-up-against each other. I have the cross-wise sashing attached.

I laid them on the "design wall" bed to consider whether or not I want to use cornerstones where the sashing meets. Right now I'm thinking black cornerstones.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Smell of fresh bread baking

Good stretching at exercise class

Light covering of new snow refreshes everything

UFO progress 1 & 2

All the batik strips were sewn together, cut into 6" strata, and then re-sewn into a rectangular bargello. Not so many seams! The bargello-ness of it is not easily visible, but quilting design may bring it out.

The inner border is a great green to go with all these colors, and the pink leopard batik may or may not be an excellent choice. At least it is different from my usual choices.

I seamed together two widths of polar fleece for the back [and batting in one] and this is all in a bag together to go to Catherine for quilting.

#2 for January: the pineapple top that Dianne passed on to me about three years ago as a "problem". Since then it has languished. Somebody did not really great work putting these appliques on. Today I added the tropical print borders and cornerstones. I think this is as far as I am able to take this one. It can only be improved by quilting, so this too will go to Catherine.

Actually, these two may be the February UFOs since I may not get them back from Catherine for a while. Nevertheless, I am safe because she already has two tops of mine which I should get back this month at our Bee meeting.

At this point I can allow myself to work on something "new", if I will really finish it by the end of June, or I can pick another already started project.

Hmm, the Carolina Christmas or those flannel Square-in-a Square blocks?

Sara

Gratitudes:

Sunshine on the snow

Der Rosenkavalier on the radio

Shrimp in the freezer for dinner

Fingerless Mitt

Oh, yes, here's the fingerless mitten.

The yarn is "sorta" the colors from the movie New Moon, which is currently a big hit with teenaged girls. I was told by a knowledgeable person that they are partially a hit because of the movie, AND also partially because it allows girls to "text" while keeping their hands warm.

And about the EYE: I have had two months in which the doctor said the tests meant NO injection was necessary. Have to go and be tested every four weeks, may not have to have the injection every four weeks.

Bad Eye!

This is the eye that went to the doctor yesterday and didn't pass the examination.

According to Dr. Gindzin there was a little bleed again, so "you are going to get a little poke."

The injection to the underside of my eyeball wasn't as bad as the first OR second time. And Charlie was there to do the driving, stopping to buy a Subway sandwich for supper. But I did go right to bed and sleep for two hours, and I didn't go to the sewing machine last evening at all.

I guess the "good" result is that I finished another fingerless mitten while sitting in the waiting room for two hours.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Reunion Group Xmas presents

Holiday lunch with the Lectionary Gang

Handwork that I can SEE even when eyes dilated

First UFO decision of 2010

I have been sewing together some of those not-so-first-class batik strips I showed on the blog. I have now a possible 1/4 of the quilt top. I may just leave them as strips, or I may "bargello-ize" them. I'll see how I'm feeling about it when I have finished four strip sets.

I am getting my impetus from a family in need that my daughter's family adopted in St. Louis. Two kids didn't have beds, but were sleeping on the floor, so Marti's family bought them beds. When I asked her about bedding, she said they couldn't afford to do any more! Well, what I meant was, "Do they need quilts?" She didn't really know, but her husband immediately said, "Quilts would show love, that somebody else cared about them."

OKAY! I find that to be a marching order. It may take me a few weeks, but I can see a UFO or two that need to be finished SOON.

And Finn, who give the challenge on finishing UFOs for the end of 2009, has graciously asked if she can join ME in the Two a Month UFO Finish goal for 2010. Well, gosh, of course she can! She has inspired me for two years. Glad to have the company!

Anybody else want to take this on as a goal? Got some flimsies that need a push?

Sara

Gratitudes:

Usually Blogger adds photos pretty quickly and correctly
Leftover pork-fried rice, so dinner will be easy
Going to see "Blind Side" after supper

2010 UFO problem and solution

I remembered an old UFO that I had taken no photo for my UFO album. So to be "complete", I went looking for it. I knew just what cabinet it was in, under a pile of clothing patterns. When I got there, that project was something else. A different UFO I had forgotten! So I kept looking , and I found FOUR undocumented UFOs.

This is not good. I am not happy about this.

#1 At the top we have poor quality batiks, already cut into strips.

They were marked down at Walmart, and in a roll. I thought I could make a

quick Lasagna quilt with them--or something else with strips. I made a quilt with SOME of them. But there is enough left for another.

The colors aren't bad together.

#2 we have the Block of The Month at Hancock's Fabric store from 2004-05. It commemorates the Lewis and Clark expedition. I finished most of the blocks, and have all of the kit. I don't like the look of the design, and I thought I could improve it.

#3 we have the 12.5" flannel Square-in-a-Square blocks from a swap in 2004. I have 36 of them finished, and more parts. The blocks are HUGE. But they would make a big quilt, and somebody could be kept warm.

But. . .how to put them together? Do they need sashing? Should these be made into the BACK of a quilt?

#4 there are the Waste Triangle HSTs from the corners of those Square-in-a-Square blocks. And some matching plain squares. Enough to make another quilt top.

And #5 there is the Bonnie Hunter Caroline Christmas Mystery for which I have finished the blocks, but not decided what layout to use to make them into a top.

As I said yesterday, I have about 30 UFOs--now 35.

I have GOT to get rid of some of these UFOs, or finish them.

Here's my plan:

1.] Finish or get rid of TWO every month for the next year.

2.] Finish or get rid of every NEW project I start January through June.

3.] Finish or get rid of every new project but 3 that I start from July through Dec.

[This is because some projects just can't be completed before the end of the year for various reasons, such as it is a Bonnie Hunter Mystery.]

To help me keep track of all this I am going to have to put lists on the sidebar of my blog. Haven't quite figured what I want there yet.

I think this will mean not very many NEW projects this year. I'll see if I can keep to this plan.

Sara

Gratitudes:

A holiday morning to sleep in

Dinner with Bob, Lynne and Peter in Holland

Bright full (almost) moon tonight shining on the snow

Back is improving, only a few twinges today