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May 12, 2023
wonky courthouse steps finish from Making A Lather

My Friday finish is an older UFO from the strings bin. Wonky courthouse steps was inspired by a Bonnie Hunter pattern. This is the second one I have made. Once, I pull out the strip bin, it is hard to stop. I made a third one as well. All of them I have sewn on my singer treadle.

61 x 67


I used a sheet for the back and quilted free form swirls. I used scrappy pieces for the binding.


I finished the first one in 2021 here. No two look alike when using the string bin.

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May 1, 2023
new project from Making A Lather

My 5 quilts project needs a lot of cutting. I needed a portable machine piecing project for sewing away from home, that doesn't require a lot of thinking. I opened a new box, and everything is already cut. I have over 400 strips cut and ready to make a Bonnie Hunter rectangle wrangle quilt from her scraps and shirt tails book 2.  Rectangle wrangle is an older 2018 UFO, that, I know I want to finish. It looked simple enough.

I need to make a million strip sets - easy



I need to  sew them into a tube and sub ...

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April 24, 2023
quilt border debate from Making A Lather

When I finished hand me down top, to be honest, I just wanted to be done. I had worked at it with intent, and, I was losing motivation. I really thought I would skip the cool border that was in the pattern and just add a plain border. I let it steep for a few days, and, I realized part of why I started the quilt, was the border. But, 5 rows? really?

I decided to go for it. I have enough fabric, and, I tend to make bed size quilts, and, I started the quilt with the border as ...

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April 21, 2023
hand me down top from Making A Lather

 I have been working on the blocks for hand me down in an effort to make rows and join rows. There was minimal matching with the every other block layout.


so fun

I finished the rows at an open sew at the library. Ooo I like it. I am not sure about borders. It is a bout 74 x 74 as it is. I think I will let it rest a bit, and see I want to finish it. 


Hand me down is a Bonnie Hunter pattern found in her first book.





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April 12, 2023
hand me down progress from Making A Lather

Sew excited to see progress on my Hand me down quilt Ufo. All the blocks are made, and, I am sewing each star block to its partner. I liked the star blocks individually, but, they look so nice, as every other block. My goal for the month is to have a finished quilt.



 I discovered I was 2 hourglass blocks short for the quilt. I just used a few extra flying geese for the center. Now, it will be a "made you look" quilt LOL

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April 3, 2023
April one monthly goal from Making A Lather

I opened an older ufo called hand me down  last month and have been making flying geese and star blocks. I am nearly done with the blocks. Each block is so different and fun to see, when I finish it. All of them are made from recycled shirt fabrics. I want to make finishing this as my one monthly goal for April. I cut this quilt in 2018, and made the hourglass blocks, before, adding it to the ufo closet.

ugly library carpet


April tends to get away from me, so I will need to stick to it. We have ...

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March 22, 2023
fun stars from Making A Lather

It was so exciting to start making the blocks for an older Ufo called hand me down.   I didn't pay any attention to matching fabrics. I wanted to see how different combinations would work. I must confess, I didn't wait until all the flying geese were done... I just couldn't.

so fun


Back to flying geese, more still to do.

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March 21, 2023
flying geese from Making A Lather

Geese are flying here, as I make the units I need for an older Ufo called hand me down. This is top of my list to finish. But, making flying geese takes a lot of patience and time. I decided I wanted them accurate, so, I went with the deb tucker's instructions and template called wing clipper. They are much more accurate, but, I have more fun if I "fly" by the seat of my pants with rectangles and squares. haha


Still, a few every day and the number I need keeps shrinking. I look forward to making the ...

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March 13, 2023
hand me down ufo project from Making A Lather

I have started working on a new UFO ( hand me down) for my 5 quilts project. I had 2 finishes last week, and, that means it is time to choose replacement projects.

As always, when I open a box that has been in the ufo closet, I need to assess what is there, versus, my notes. My notes said everything was cut. I don't think so. And, it took, some sleuthing to figure out that I cut the flying geese pieces to use deb tuckers ruler and wing cutter. Now, where did I put that?

2018

The alternate squares ...

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February 18, 2023
go fish from Making A Lather

I have made HSTS for fish school/ kismet in pink for the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy. hmmm

When I said I was going to keep the rainbow projects simple this year, I may have reduced the projects tooo much. Time to reconsider for the year.



I am actually finished with what I need for this year's rsc projects in pink. I looked around and found an older ufo in pink and brown, that, I am going to see if I can move forward until the end of the month. I don't have plans to finish it ...

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January 21, 2023
A Couple of Recent Finishes from TheEclecticAbuela

 December was a month when I got little done but, I'm trying to make up for it.

Here are two quilts I finished so far this month.

The first is Rolling Waves (82" x 82"). The pattern is from a free, downloadable ebook available HERE. I used only two fabrics for the top (a difficult thing for this scrappy quilter!). The back is a patchwork cheater's cloth.

Rolling Waves (82" x 82")


Rolling Waves (backing and binding detail)

The quilt is hanging straight down from the fence, but the use of different sizes and shapes of blocks gives ...

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go fish - blue from Making A Lather

Last year's quiltville leader / ender challenge was fish school. I did cut all the strips I would need for the triangles according to the rsc color of the month for the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy.. This year, I plan to cut the triangles and sew them into fish school blocks. These are the blue for the month of January. Eventually, I will use them in a quiltville quilt called kismet.


I am also cutting the sashings for an older ufo quiltville garlic knots. The blocks are made, but, there are these pesky sashing and border pieces that ...

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January 20, 2023
dotty bow ties finish from Making A Lather

 Dotty bow ties is done. My first finish for the year is the first quiltville leader/ ender challenge from 2011 - 2012. This year, when the new leader/ender was announced, I decided, rather than start a new project/quilt, I would go back, and actually finish the ones I have already started. I have started each new challenge over the years, but have finished two.

72 x 72

12 yards of fabric 

I used as leftover dotty fabric for the binding 

I used 2 larger pieces of pink for the back. I free motioned circles on the longarm.

If I ...

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December 30, 2022
dotty bow ties almost top from Making A Lather

 I only have 2 more rows of dotty bow ties to add to the quilt. I am almost there. hooray


It is time to prepare for next year's phd progress projects. I had to chuckle when quilting Gail said if you have at least 12 UFOs, make a list. It guarantees my participation for many more years. How many? I fear, longer than I will live at this point. Is any one honest about the number of UFOs? I tell my friends one number, and my lists say another, and then, there is the husband number.... oh well, just ...

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December 26, 2022
dotty progress from Making A Lather

I did a little Christmas sewing, and, I have three rows together of dotty bow ties. I have a few more sashings made for adding more rows.


It was a cold, quiet holiday. I had most of the food bought early, so that was not a problem. We spent the- too cold to do anything (-10) - time watching Christmas movies. It was fun. We didn't get to see our family. bummer. It was too dangerous for this old couple to be out and about. We are now at a balmy16 degrees with a slight dusting of snow and a ...

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December 19, 2022
bow ties progress from Making A Lather

Dotty bow ties has been sewn into foursies. There are 8 in each row, so I am getting closer. I plan on adding sashings between rows.


My quilter friend Linda made this great  scrap quilt during our Friday sew. It uses 2 1/2 inch squares. She says it is a pattern in the scrap school quilt book. If there really was such a quilt as a scrap buster, this would be a good candidate.


Hope everyone is busy with Christmas plans and happy times.

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December 17, 2022
bow ties from Making A Lather

I have been working on an old ufo, leader and ender challenge. It has every color in it. I started making little bow tie blocks for the 2012 quiltville leader/ender challenge. It has been on vacation a long time. All the blocks of 4 have been made, and I sashed each one on the side.


This week, I made twosies.

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December 14, 2022
crazie mazie from Making A Lather

I haven't started a new quilt. I am just cleaning up the odd scraps near my sewing machine. The fact that the little string blocks are the right size for quiltville's newer pattern crazie mazie is purely a coincidence. Sometimes, a girl, just has to make string blocks. The mess, and the need for no thinking sewing combine, and, string blocks are born.


These are quick, cute little 5 inch blocks that use the smallest bits. I have finished a couple of big quilts lately and I am giving myself a reward.


And any pieces that are too ...

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December 12, 2022
5 quilts December 12, 2022 from Making A Lather

 last report 5 quilts November 16 , 2022

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another.

1. rhododendren mystery - Bonnie hunter - 

finished 12/22

2. Boho heart - it is quilted waiting on binding

3. dotty bow ties-  all the blocks are done and first sashing on them

4. circa 1880-  More about this here.  no progress

5 - frolic mystery - back and binding - re-ironed - frame  finished  11/22

Making a 5 quilts report has been good for staying on track ...

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December 9, 2022
Mystery quilt finish from Making A Lather

This quiltville mystery quilt has had it's share of mystery. I lost the blocks for Rhododendron mystery quilt after they were all made. Luckily, with a little sleuthing, they were found, and I decided to add this quilt to my 5 quilts goals. In November, the top was ready for borders, but, the corner pieces were missing. It was ready for quilting by Thanksgiving. I made this my December one monthly goal. If I wanted to make the new mystery - Chilhowie, I needed to finish this one.

90 x106

25 yards

I pieced a pink and floral ...

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