What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Another month down, another project finished. I met my goal last month of sewing a shirt. I’ve done well this year finishing my OMGs, which has kept my projects moving.

There are quite a few changes in the list this month.

Project One: I’m still stitching My Sewing Treasures by Bobby G Designs.

Project Two: I started working on a UFO I picked up off the charity table at Guild. Whoever started it including a picture of what the planned quilt would look like, but I’m not going there. I’ll sew up all the pinwheel pieces ...

My Guild (The Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild) does a thing called “adopt a box.”

The guild has a supply of fabric used to make quilts for a local battered women’s shelter (Safehouse). Member can browse the tables of fabric and take whatever they want to make a Safehouse quilt. We’re talking a lot of fabric to choose from.

Rather than rent a storage unit to store the fabric between meetings, member are asked to take a box home and bring it back the next meeting. Members’ homes become the storage facility.

I’ve taken boxes off and ...

No fabric in this week. I ignored the sale at one of my favorite quilt shops.

I finished Pumpkin Patch for 1.5 yards out.

I can’t wait to hang it this fall. It was fun to piece and fun to quilt. I’m pleased with how it turned out.

I’m on to the next project, a quick garment. That doesn’t leave much of a window for choosing whatever comes next.

Fabric In: 0.5 yards

Fabric Out: 7.875 yards

Net Fabric Out: 7.375 yards

How did you do this week?

The new month came quickly, leaving me scrambling to figure out the next projects. So many choices, limited time.

I met my goal last month of finishing the Pumpkin Patch top, and then finished the quilt shortly after. The next project on the mindless list is a quick sew.

Project One: I’m still stitching My Sewing Treasures by Bobby G Designs.

Project Two: I haven’t worked on the band sampler. I’m debating if I stitch the rest of the bands or just the final colored band to balance it out.

Project Three: I’m sewing a simple ...

We are half way through the year! How are you doing on your goal?

No fabric in this week except some wool scraps. I gifted a small piece of fabric to someone that needed it for a project. I’m not counting the wool because I don’t count less than an 1/8 yard either way.

I didn’t finish quilting Punkin’ Patch in time to count it this week.

I washed the fabric for my next project, a shirt.

The fabric is a rayon/polyester double gauze in the color green pepper. It is a true green. I ...

For my June OMG I chose to finish the Punkin’ Patch top. This is a scaled back version of a pattern by Bonnie Hunter.

This picture shows the finished top. I’ve already started the quilting and hope to call it a finish soon.

Fun fact, the green inner border fabric is the last of a fabric I bought to make my second pieced quilt, way back when I started quilting. It was such a great fabric with the various greens and the swirls giving it movement. It’s still one of my favorite fabrics.

Linking to Elm Street Quilts ...

No change in the numbers.

I started quilting Punkin Patch and hope to finish it this week. It’s not a large quilt, and the pumpkins are already quilted.

I chose the next mindless sewing project, a shirt out of some double gauze I bought a few years ago. I also chose the next not so mindless project.

I pieced the blocks ten years ago and stamped leaf and various other shapes on them. I also stamped leaves on fabric pieces and pieced some blocks I didn’t stamp. I’ve always thought of this as The Wall Quilt, but ...

No fabric in this week. I used a small amount tying tomato plants in the garden.

Punkin Patch is a finished top. This is a smaller variation of a pattern by Bonnie Hunter.

I chose backing fabric and hope to get it basted today.

I haven’t given any thought to the quilting design. Bonnie quilted straight horizontal lines on her bed size version, which added interesting texture. I don’t think I’ll get the same effect on my much smaller quilt. I’m open to the possibility though.

Fabric In: 0.5yards

Fabric Out: 6.125 yards

Net ...

This week I was determined to make progress on Punkin Patch. I worked on it faithfully through the week and sewed all the blocks together.

I originally planned to add a checker board border, but it overwhelmed the quilt’s center. I auditioned a few other misses and decided on a narrow green inner border with a not much wider background fabric border.

I wanted to add those yesterday, but life got in the way.

Our family jokingly refers to this summer as the summer of no sleep. I’ve personally taken stupid tired to a whole new level.

My ...

No change in the numbers.

A lot of life happened this week. I did not spend much time in the sewing room.

I didn’t have as much done as I thought on the pumpkins. I managed to get three of the blocks together, minus the background spacers either above or below the pumpkins. I hope to make a lot more progress this week.

Fabric In: 0.5yards

Fabric Out: 6 yards

Net Fabric Out: 5.5 yards

How did you do this week?

The months go by so fast, summer especially. It’s a bit harder to fit in creative time around all the outdoor activities.

I finished my goal last month of quilting Open Dialogue, and then finished the quilt a few days later.

Project One: I’ve stitched about half of My Sewing Treasures by Bobby G Designs. It’s still in the frame crooked.

Project Two: I haven’t worked on the band sampler. It’s patiently waiting its turn.

Project Three: I want to sew some clothes again. The next item will be a shirt, although I haven’t ...

No change in the numbers. Somewhere along the line I became the slowest quilter ever.

This week I basted Open Dialogue and started quilting it.

There will be one more motif at the bottom, and I plan to outline them. After that it’s free motion filler.

I feel fortunate any week I spend time in the sewing room because some progress is better than no progress.

Fabric In: 0.5yards

Fabric Out: 5.25 yards

Net Fabric Out: 4.75 yards

How did you do this week?

I’m sitting here watching the rain pour down wishing for a warm sunny spring instead of whatever this is. On the plus side, the weather encourages me to stay inside and sew.

I finished my April OMG, the Margo Handbag.

I have too many projects going again. No more adding projects to the active rotation until I finish a few.

Project One: I’ve stitched about 25% of My Sewing Treasures by Bobby G Designs.

Project Two: The band sampler will return from time out once my Guild demonstrates the stitches for the next two rows at the meeting ...

No change in the numbers. A small miracle given I visited two quilt shops this week.

I started piecing the pumpkin blocks, but didn’t make much progress. Ironing all those scraps took considerable time.

I had a lot more orange scraps than I thought I had. Although I planned on a smaller quilt, I expect I could piece something much larger and not run out.

Fabric In: 0.5yards

Fabric Out: 5.25 yards

Net Fabric Out: 4.75 yards

How did you do this week?

I finished the Margo Handbag this week for a yard and a half out. No fabric in.

I’ll post a picture and pattern review in a few days.

I enjoyed having something simple to sew at night so much that I pulled out all my orange fabric scraps and a background

to make some version of this pattern by Bonnie Hunter

that I posted about here.

Looks like it will be me, my iron and YouTube later today.

Fabric In: 0.5yards

Fabric Out: 5.25 yards

Net Fabric Out: 4.75 yards

How did you do this week ...

I’ve been looking through old quilting magazines to give myself a break from screen time. In the Sept/Oct 2017 issue of Quiltmaker, I saw this Bonnie Hunter pattern.

Interesting, but I wouldn’t want a bed quilt of pumpkins. Maybe a table runner? No, one row is too narrow, two rows didn’t appeal.

Maybe a wall hanging or topper, three rows of five pumpkins. Much more interesting. The pumpkins can be sewn from scraps, always a plus.

I’m not a fan of the grey background. Blue would be nice. Black on white prints might be better ...

It took some effort, but I finished the sew-in piece using the Victoria Findlay Wolfe technique. It decided it wanted to be a pillow after all.

The front and the back are different.

The technique isn’t as hard as it looks, but all the partial seams make it a bit fussy. I don’t see myself doing it again, but it stitched up fairly fast. I enjoyed making it and am pleased with the finished project.

I used all my batting scraps to stuff it, which cleared valuable shelf space in the sewing room. That was the best part ...

I added some filler strips and triangles to finish the sew-in top to something rectangular. Then I took it to Art Quilt Group. Those ladies always have the best idea.

I brought it home, squared it up, pulled backing, chose thread and pressed everything.

Weekend plans include quilting it and working on the finish. I’m keeping the plan for it a surprise.

I’m really excited about this project and can’t wait to finish it. The project is my June OMG, making the finish a priority.

I finished piecing the sew-in top as instructed and ended up with this.

Now what?

According to the instructions, I should square it up. That puts a lot of scraps back in the scrap bin, which is exactly where I don’t want them.

Maybe I could add fabric in all the empty triangle spaces and see what it tells me to do next. It feels a little plain to me. Maybe a pop of color would help?

If you have ever made a pattern like this, leave me a comment and tell me how you finished it. Borders? Facing ...

Nothing changed with the numbers.

I intended to finish piecing the braid top yesterday, but it didn’t happen. Maybe I can finish that today.

I have made a lot of progress on Digging Out.

With my other projects, all I’ve made is a mess that I have to move out of the way to work on other things. Business as usual, more or less.

Fabric In: 4.25 yards

Fabric Out: 2.25 yards

Net Fabric In: 2 yards

How did you do this week?