What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

No change in the numbers. 

Work was really busy this week, and I had a few late nights.  The beach runner is quilted with a goal of finishing it this weekend.  Many other projects wait in the wings, and continuing to buy things doesn’t improve that.  Of course, that didn’t stop me.

The patterns came from the thrift shop and the DVD from the free table at Guild.

The cross stitch booklet is a Hallmark pattern book from the 1980s.  I had no idea they published cross stitch charts.  The quilt pattern intrigued me with its three sizes ...

When my numbers change, they change big.

I finished K’s quilt this week.  I can’t post pictures until she sees it at the end of the month.  No big usage because a lot of the fabric in the top was hers.

Yesterday was my Guild’s annual fabric sale.  I needed to replenish light fabrics in blue, green and yellow.  I also looked for binding for the beach runner and border fabric for a UFO.  I found fabrics for both and a whole lot more.

I also picked up a Nancy Halvorsen panel.  I love the whimsical nature ...

Happy Mother’s Day!  Do something nice for yourself today.

No change in the numbers.

I finally came up with a quilting plan for K’s quilt.  I’m about half way through the quilting.  I’d love to get the quilt finished this week.  I don’t like that I have to keep it a secret. 

I’m also looking forward to working on other projects and starting the paint chip challenge.  As a reminder, this is my paint chip.

In addition to the beach runner, I also started working on this UFO from a class several years ago ...

No change in the numbers.

I started quilting the beach runner this week.  It’s not complicated and shouldn’t take long.

I moved back to that project because I can’t figure out how to quilt K’s top.  I’d hoped something would come to me while basting it, but not so much.  I browsed several of my quilting design books, and nothing jumped out at me.  I’ll spend a little time every day auditioning designs until an idea steps forward.  One always does.

Fabric Added: 1.375

Fabric Used:  4.625 yards

Net Fabric Used:  3 ...

Tra la! It's May!
The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when ev'ryone goes
Blissfully astray.  

 I did say, "Rabbit, rabbit!" first thing today but I also remember listening to Julie Andrews sing  The Lusty Month of May on our Broadway cast LP* of Camelot.   

(*LP -- yet another archaic term from the 1960's.)

No change in the numbers.

Work continues on K’s quilt.  All the components are made, and I am sewing the top together.

I also basted the beach runner and REALLY want to start quilting it.  I pulled some coordinating threads.

I hesitate to start quilting because I won’t want to stop until it’s done.  The other quilt has a deadline.  I sometimes struggle with finishing projects on time and don’t want to get in a crunch situation.  My work days don’t always go as planned and evenings can be a bad time for sewing.

We ...

No change in the numbers.

I have no idea where the week went, but I don’t think I spent much time in the sewing room.

When I did, I worked on K’s quilt.  A few people in the group look at the blog, and I don’t want to spoil the reveal with pictures.  I admit using some of those tiny HSTs.  That surprised even me.

I also pulled backing and binding for the beach runner.  The backing is a nice pale blue floral.  It’s rainy and overcast outside, making the fabric look gray.

Fabric Added: 1 ...

No fabric out this week.

Girls day out yesterday.  We stopped several places that sold fabric.  I don’t usually buy fabric at quilt shops (I know, I know, if we don’t support them they won’t be there), but yesterday was the exception.  I love a good scrap bag, and this one was screaming at me to take it home and make a table runner out of it. 

The bag contained a section of panel, coordinating fabric and neutrals.  What’s not to love?

The trick will be fitting it in between my challenge projects and still making ...

No fabric in this week. 

I’m counting out the fabric for the striped quilt.  It’s quilted and bound, although I’m still adding the pink squares.

I REALLY didn’t want to add those squares.  Once I finished the binding, I just wanted to be done with it.  I tried to ignore it, but those squares make such a difference.  The quilt needs them.

I’ll finish adding them this week.

Fabric Added: 0

Fabric Used:  4.625 yards

Net Fabric Used:  4.625 yards

How did you do this week?

It's a flimsy!  

I auditioned a couple of red/green prints for the border but nothing looked right (or I didn't have enough) so I used the background.  

64" x 72".  6 yards in all.

Here's a closeup.   

Several people have commented on how small the 9ps are.   I cut 1-1/2" strips and the blocks are 3-1/2 (3" finished).   I don't think that is that small.  Maybe it's all the practice I had with the mini-9p swap I participated in for so many years.

# # # # # 

Stash report, March.  Fabric in:   ZERO   Fabric out:  91-1 ...

No change in the numbers.  Maybe next week.

My OMG for March was to finish the striped top and get it basted.  It was a good month in the sewing room, and I quilted it too.

I started the binding, but don’t expect to finish the quilt this month.  Once I bind it, I’ll decide if I want to add squares between the lozenge blocks.  I intentionally left them off because I didn’t want to quilt through them in dark thread.

I’m linking to Stories from the Sewing Room to share my OMG progress.

Hard to ...

No change in the numbers.  There was opportunity to buy but no motivation.

I had a Guild meeting yesterday with Jane Sassaman as the guest speaker.  She gave an interesting talk on her journey as an artist.  I enjoyed the opportunity to study her quilts up close.

I also turned in my charity quilt and the red, white and blue blocks.  With that challenge finished, the guild announced a “paint chip” challenge.  It’s something I did years ago in a different group, and many other quilt groups/Guilds have done it since.  Here is the paint chip from my ...

No change in the numbers.

My local library had a book sale this week, and I picked up this book.

I doubt I’ll ever make a quilt from it.  I bought it because it belonged to a woman I knew from a Guild I was in many years ago.  Her name and contact info were written in the front.  She was such a nice person and an amazing quilter.  Inside there were pages of hand written notes describing a quilt she designed.  It had to go home with me.

In the sewing room, I added borders to the striped ...

No change in the numbers.

The center of the striped top is together. 

Next comes the borders, which I’ll keep simple.  There’s a lot going on in the blocks.  I auditioned several striped fabrics, and it was chaos.  I’ll save those fabrics for another project.

I also picked the backing fabric, although I may be a little short.

Fabric Added: 0

Fabric Used:  .75 yards

Net Fabric Used:  .75 yards

How did you do this week?

The Stay at Home Round Robin is quilted and bound.  Hooray!  

I've scheduled a quilt a month with Barb.  Whether I take something from the box of flimsies or create something new will depend on the month.

STASH REPORT, February ...

No fabric in this week.  Some of the striped fabric in the orphan box went into the fabric recycling bag.  There were pieces of questionable quality upholstery fabric I was never going to use.

I sewed the first column of the striped quilt together.

I made no effort to match seams.   I’m happy that the blocks were all about the same size.  I went into it thinking that might not be the case.  With two more columns to go, there is potential for a renegade.  I’m hoping to get the top done soon.

Fabric Added: 0

Fabric Used ...

No change in the numbers.  There was opportunity, but no need or desire to add to the stash.

I now have 20 striped blocks made, and today is decision time.  I need to choose a setting to determine if I need more blocks.  I also need to decide if I’m going to donate the quilt, which will have a bearing on size.  I have no idea which way it will go.  It depends on what the quilt has to say about it.

I have plenty of fabric left to make more blocks if needed.

Fabric Added: 0

Fabric Used ...

No change in the numbers.

I sewed and trimmed more striped blocks this week.

I’m not sure if the setting I planned still works for me.  No worries though, as there are many other ways to set them.

I’m not sure about the lone yellow block either.  I need to add more yellow and green, or it will have to go.  So many decisions when you don’t follow a pattern.

Fabric Added: 0

Fabric Used:  .375 yards

Net Fabric Used:  .375 yards

How did you do this week?

No change in the numbers.

I sewed more stripe blocks this week and trimmed a few to check that the pattern will work out.

Squaring these up was a bit of a puzzle.  My ruler that was long enough wasn’t wide enough, and the one that was wide enough wasn’t long enough.  It took a couple tries with a two-ruler set up to work it out.

I really hope this quilt is worth the effort that’s going into it.

Fabric Added: 0

Fabric Used:  .375 yards

Net Fabric Used:  .375 yards

How did you do this week ...

I did a double take when I typed February.  How did that happen?

No change in the numbers.

This week I finished a piece I stitched last fall.  It has been gifted, and I can now show it here.

It’s a pattern from Hinzeit, which came with the charms.  They do not name their patterns.

Now my work table is all cleared to start sewing striped pieces together.  I figured a size for the triangle pieces that should accommodate cutting variations.   I’ll find out when I start sewing.

Fabric Added: 0

Fabric Used:  .375 yards

Net Fabric Used ...