UFO Bust Report - Wonky NY Beauty

Another finish this week - aaahhh! This quilt started out as an exercise in my art group. The exercise was foundation piecing. I don't like the colors I used and I didn't do a good job of foundation piecing. See what I mean below.

I'm not really sure what happened but there are several places like the one above that didn't get sewn all the way during piecing. I tried to fix it with the quilting.

I used hot pink Signature 40 wt. thread on the sun and rays. I used a blue variegated Signature 40 wt. on the rest. I also learned that I don't like pebbles done with variegated thread.

It doesn't look too bad in photos or from a distance, but up close, YUCK. Oh well. It's done.

Hop over to Susan's to see what the other Little Green Quilters have done this week.

Jelly Roll 1600 Quilt

The other day Susan of Blackberry Creek Home Arts posted about another fast, easy jelly roll quilt. I saw the pictures on her blog and followed the link to the directions for the Jelly Roll 1600 quilt.

It sounded so interesting, I had to try it myself. You start by sewing 40 2 1/2" by width of fabric (a jelly roll) strips together like you are making binding. Here is my looooong strip.

Then you start sewing. Go to the directions for that information. And this is what you end up with.

It is larger than I expected, about 48" by 60". On the directions page, they have a short video of a race a group had to make this quilt. One lady finished in about 35 minutes! I don't know if this included sewing all the strips together into one long strip though. It took me about 2 1/2 hours yesterday afternoon/evening to make my version. I started around 2:00 pm and finished about 7:00 pm but obviously I wasn't sewing that whole time. I made dinner, ate dinner, dealt with the piano tuner, did a little work, yada yada yada.

But wow, this turned out really cute and was super fast! If you need to make a top fast, I highly recommend this one. A jelly roll makes this even faster since most of the cutting work is already done, but you could cut your own 2 1/2" strips by width of fabric from yardage. You need 40 for this size quilt. These would make great charity quilts.

Productive Weekend

I quilted two smallish projects over the weekend. The first was my Little Forest Quilt Along project.

I outlined the trees and then pebbled the background. I'm making good progress on this project! In addition to getting it quilted, the label is made and sewn on, the hanging sleeve is made and sewn on, and the binding is made and attached to the front. I'm still hand sewing it down to the back. I should have it finished this week though!

The other project I quilted is a UFO and I'll show you that one Friday. It's finished!!

This isn't a sewing project but it is an unfinished sewing room project - my husband hung my glamp over the weekend! It is hanging over my cutting table.

I can finally see to cut at night! He also securely attached my design wall to the wall. There are still a couple more little sewing room projects I need him to finish up - changing the outlets and hanging a bulletin board. So far I am happy to report that my room is staying organized and fairly cleaned up. It isn't possible for me to be creative and neat at the same time, but I am putting things away as I finish with them. Having a place for everything is the key to this phenomenon.

Pockets to Go

I finished the other cube from the Pockets to Go pattern. I blogged about the 6" by 6" by 5" h cube here. This is the other one that finishes at 12" by 4" by 5" h.

It is sitting at the back of my cutting table and holds rotary cutters, scissors and small rulers. I am using the smaller one to carry hand sewing supplies around the house.

Noodle Surprise Blocks

I'm late in posting this morning because I've been sewing. I wanted to show you my blocks that I made using the method I posted about yesterday. Below is just half of the blocks.

I'm calling this quilt Noodle Surprise right now.

I could make two baby quilts since it's a good baby size right now with just half of the blocks. However, I think I'm going to use all the blocks and try to do something interesting in the border. From each strip set I was able to cut four squares and still have some left over. I'm going to use the left over in the border somehow. Probably some kind of piano key border. I doubt I have enough to go all the way around though so I'm going to have to supplement with something else. I'm not in a hurry to finish since I have no real plan for this quilt. Right now it is just a fun design opportunity.

I have no UFO Bust report today. Go over to Susan's, Blackberry Creek Home Arts, to see what the other Little Green Quilters have done this week.

Easy Jelly Roll Block

I saw this the other day on Caroll's blog, Attic Window Quilt Shop. You should click over and see her version because it is very cute!

You start with some 2 1/2" strips. These are from my stash.

Pick a couple and sew them into a strip set. I used four strips, but three or five or whatever will work.

Measure the width of your strip set. Mine measured 8 1/2" so I cut 8 1/2" squares from my strip set. You need two squares to make the blocks. I didn't take a picture of my cut squares because I was so excited to sew them together! Now go over to this short video by Missouri Quilt Company to see how to sew your squares to make the blocks. It's like magic. The video is only about four and a half minutes. Trust me - this is four and half minutes well spent! I'll wait for you to go watch then come back and see my blocks.

Welcome back! I made one set of blocks last night and played with them.

block 1

block 2

block 3

block 4

Isn't this cool! Each of my blocks measures 5 5/8" (unfinished) so when I sew four together I will get a 10 3/4" unfinished block (or 10 1/4" finished). I think I like block 1 best so I made another one this morning. Here is what two blocks look like.

I've got the rest of my strips ironed and sorted. Guess what I'm going to do today!

I think this would make an awesome charity quilt. You don't have to use a purchased roll of 2 1/2" strips. Just cut 2 1/2" strips from yardage in your stash. Or do a 2 1/2" strip exchange in your guild or bee or with friends.

Modern Monday Quilt Along

Jenifer of Forty-Two Quilts is hosting a new quilt along. Actually it's two quilt alongs in one. There is Modern Monday and Traditional Tuesday. It started this week so it's not too late to get in on the action. The first blocks were posted this week, Block 1 of Modern Monday and Block 1 of Traditional Tuesday.

I am participating only in the Modern Monday QA. I made my first block yesterday.

My color scheme is gray plus a color. For this weeks block I used medium gray and raspberry. I have a few grays I plan to use along with whatever color I feel like using each week. I am considering making two blocks each week and switching the colors for the second block. For example, my second block 1 would have a raspberry background and a medium gray cross. I'm not sure I want to make this quilt that large though. However, I could make two quilts or make it reversible. It's just the first week so I'm not too worried about making that decision just yet.

My art group also met yesterday. Below is what I accomplished.

It doesn't look like much I know. But just wait. The little picture is my inspiration for this project.

Finished Little Compositions

I finished up the little compositions last week and just had a chance to photograph them this morning.

I made up a fourth one that I didn't show last week. You can go here to see them in progress. My guild is doing a pin cushion exchange for our Fall Retreat instead of our usual fat quarter exchange. Most people in my guild don't care for the improvisational or wonky style I have been experimenting with lately. So I made the fourth one for the exchange.

In other news, I did finish painting all three radiator covers I showed you yesterday. I will take a picture of them (or at least one since they all look pretty much the same) in place but they are too heavy for me to move by myself and the husband has already left for work. I've got one more to do but that will happen later in the week.

Today is also Art Group day! Again, later this week I'll show you what we play with today.

Painting

Not much sewing for me lately. My current project is painting radiator covers. A few months ago I hired a local carpenter to make radiator covers for 5 of our radiators. I told him that I wanted to paint them so he made them out of MDF. It paints beautifully, but they don't paint themselves.

These two go in the living room. I primed them yesterday. I hope to get two coats of paint on them today. The dining room one is also in the garage and primed, just not in the picture. If I get these three painted today then I will have only one left to do. I hope to be finished with this job this week.

Also on today's agenda is to teach my neighbor how to paper piece. She is recently retired and a new quilter. We are trading quilting lessons for piano lessons. I teach her to quilt and she teaches my son piano. So far she has made a baby quilt for her first granddaughter

and she is currently making a table runner for her dining room. She has been unhappy with her accuracy so far. I keep telling her that she is learning and that accuracy will come with experience. But I know how frustrating it is to work on something and have it not turn out the way you envisioned or the way you think it should. So we are going to give paper piecing a try.

Winner of the Intrepid Thread Gift Certificate

I consulted Mr. Random Number Generator this morning and he says that Jen is the winner of the $20 gift certificate to The Intrepid Thread. Congratulations Jen! I've sent you an email already. Jen's winning comment was, "I follow your blog too :)"

Thank you to everyone who entered and signed up to become a follower! There were 246 comments/entries on this giveaway post! That's a lot of comments for my little blog as 20 something is my non-giveaway comment record.

UFO Bust Report - Puzzle Quilt Finished

I finished the Puzzle Quilt this week. Yay!

It turned out very cute, if I do say so myself! And the backing fabric is just great.

You probably will need to click on the photo above so that you can tell that the print is puzzle pieces. I bought the fabric online so I didn't know exactly how large (or small) the printed puzzle pieces are. My original plan was to quilt this from the back by outlining the printed puzzle pieces. Well...those pieces are about 1/2"! So on to quilting plan B which was just to meander. Nothing special but it was good practice for me since I hadn't done this pattern on Hattie yet. I plan to give the quilt away to a charity so I didn't want to invest much more time in it but still do something appropriate for the piecing pattern. The finished quilt measures 52" by 68".

And then there were three! I've only got three projects left on my UFO list! I was going to start on the Spring Panel but I couldn't find it. Then I started having a vague memory of giving it away. After a day or two I realized that I quilted it up about 2 years ago and gave it away as a gift but never took it off my list. So yay for me because that means I get to cross two things off the list this week.

Head over to Susan's blog, Blackberry Creek Home Arts, to see what the other Little Green Quilters have been up to this week.

The giveaway winner will be announced soon in a separate post.

Little Compositions

Earlier this week I pulled out my solids scraps for some play time. I'm experimenting with some color palates. (Click on the images to see them larger.)

gray and orange

gray and green

white and green

These are each very small, about 4" square. When quilted they will become pin cushions.

Editted to add: I almost forgot to remind you that today is the last day to enter my third giveaway. Go here to do that. I will draw a winner using random.org first thing tomorrow morning and then notify the winner via email and everyone else via tomorrow's blog post.

Overachiever

I got a bit carried away over the weekend and did more than I needed to for the Little Forest Quilt Along. The assignment was to cut out all my trees and sew together half of them. I cut them all out and then sewed them all together!

They are so cute I couldn't help myself. Plus the boy was gone both afternoons over the weekend and I couldn't let that opportunity go by. I might not get to sew next weekend. One never knows.

These are the templates I used to make the trees without a seam down the middle.

I bought this template set in San Diego 10 years ago. It makes the "tree top unit" in two sizes, 3" finished squares and 4" finished squares. It took me 8 years to actually use them! Once I did I couldn't believe I had waited so long. These are easy to use and make accurate units.

For inquiring minds: my tree tops are 4" square and my trees 4" by 6", both measurements are finished sizes.

I added a few more trees to my original design to get it the size I want. When planning I was thinking that my trees would finish at 6" square, but this is not the case. No worries. I just added more trees to either end of my original design. If you don't remember what my original design was, go here for a refresher.

I'd also like to thank everyone for entering my giveaways last week. You can still enter the last one. I won't pick a winner until Friday. Go here to enter. I usually respond to every comment left on my blog, but I have been overwhelmed by the volume of comments I have gotten and am still getting on those posts. Don't get me wrong, I love getting them and I have read every one. However, it just is not humanly possible for me to personally respond to every comment left on the giveaway posts. I sure have enjoyed picking a winner and making someone's day though! It is as much fun as winning myself, just in a different way.

Sewing Weekend and the Second Winner

I had an unusual weekend. By some stroke of luck I managed to get the boy playdates on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons at someone else's house! I can't remember the last time that happened. And the husband was preoccupied watching football both days. So I got to sew both afternoons.
First I took a picture of the napkins I made last week. These will be a gift.

Then I finished up these zipper pouches. I need to make a few more as these will also be gifts.

I did make something for myself. Check out this really cute cube.

The pattern is called Pockets to Go by Atkinson Designs.

As with all Terry's patterns this one is very well written and easy to follow. If you make one though be forewarned that getting the binding on is a challenge. The reason it is such a challenge is that you put Peltex between the layers on the bottom and all four sides so that it will stand up nicely. Unfortunately this also makes it difficult get under the needle of your machine to attach the binding. I followed the pattern and attached the binding to one side by machine and to the other side by hand. You just need to take your time with this step and follow Terry's directions. It does work but it requires a lot of sew, stop, adjust, sew, stop, adjust, sew, .... I think the end result is well worth the struggle! The cube I made is about 6" by 6" by 5 1/2" high. The other one finishes at 12" by 4" by 5 1/2" high. I haven't made one of those yet. It is on my list though.

I also quilted my puzzle quilt and am working on the binding. I hope to have it finished by Friday for my UFO bust report.

Now let me congratulate the winner of the second giveaway, Becky. She said, "This looks like a great quilt. I'd love to have it! Thanks for sharing with us!" So check your email Becky.

There is still plenty of time to enter my third giveaway for the $20 gift certificate to The Intrepid Thread. Go here to do that.

Third Giveaway and Winner of the First Giveaway

Last week, as I was thinking about my giveaways this week, I was racking my brain trying to come up with a good third prize. Then the mailman came and brought me this.

Of course, it was in a very secure postal envelope when the mailman delivered it, but I didn't take a picture of that because I just tore it open without thinking. I love it when shops wrap your purchase like it's a gift! It's just so fun to receive a present in the mail, even if it is something I paid for.

So what's inside you ask?

Fabric of course! This is two half yard bundles of Dazzle. Here are better photos of the fabrics.

These came from The Intrepid Thread, one of my new favorite online shops. Julie, the owner, has fabulous taste! My LQS is never going to carry such modern prints. It just won't sell well here to anyone but me. So I was thrilled when I discovered Julie's shop. In addition to Julie's great selection, she has great prices to match.

As I was fondling my new acquisitions, it came to me. I want my third giveaway to be a gift certificate to The Intrepid Thread so that one of you can experience the joy of getting a wrapped bundle of fabric goodness in the mail from Julie. So that's it. Today's giveaway is a $20 gift certificate to The Intrepid Thread.

Julie is actually sponsoring today's giveaway. I contacted her about purchasing a gift certificate and she suggested that she just sponsor the giveaway instead. Works for me! Thank you so much Julie!

So how do you enter? (1) Leave me a comment, any comment. As a suggestion, you can go over to The Intrepid Thread and then come back and tell me what you would buy if you win, but any comment will suffice. (2) Become a follower of Julie's blog, also called The Intrepid Thread. Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did or that you are already a follower of her blog. While you are over there you should sign up for Julie's newsletter too. You won't regret it! (3) Become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment telling me that you did or already are. (4) Blog or Tweet or Facebook this giveaway and leave me a comment telling me that you did.

I will draw a winner on Friday morning (Sept. 16th). I will notify the winner by email and post the winner on the blog on Friday. Be sure that I have a way to contact you if you win. If you are a "no-reply" commenter and do not leave your email address in the comment then I will just draw another name. International commenters are welcome too.

The winner of Monday's giveaway is Scarlett. She said, "Stephanie is on my 'top ten favorite people' list! They don't come any nicer! I know her from when she was in Ohio for a few years...I'm from Columbus, OH." Check your email Scarlett and send me your mailing address so I can get your pin cushion/thread catcher in the mail to you.

There is still time to enter my second giveaway. Go here to do that. I'll draw a winner of the second giveaway on Monday, Sept. 12th.

A Finish and the Second Giveaway

I finished up the charm pack charity quilt earlier this week. (Click on the images to see them larger.)

The backing doesn't really go with the front but it was in my stash.

I won the charm pack from Sandy over at Quilting for the Rest of Us and the rest of the fabric was all from stash. The quilt will go to charity but I'm not sure which one just yet.

On to the giveaway! Today I have for you a kit with pattern included. It is a very nice kit, just not my style.

I was going to take the kit apart and keep some of the fabric then give the rest away. However, I decided that the pattern was nice and the fabrics really needed to stay together as a kit for someone to make up the pattern. Just not me.

You'll probably need to click on the above image to be able to see the quilt on the label. The pattern included is to make this quilt. Of course, you are under no obligation to make the quilt. If you win this it is yours to do with as you please.

Edit: The pattern says that the finished quilt measures 36" by 47"

To enter you need to leave a comment. Any comment, but if you are struggling for something with some substance to say, please tell me how you would describe your quilting style. For me, I'd say my style is eclectic. I like traditional quilts, modern quilts, and art quilts and I enjoy making them all. I love to look at applique but I don't really enjoy doing applique.

If you'd like to blog about this giveaway, feel free. You can have a second entry if you do so, just leave a separate comment telling me you blogged it. And while we are at it, if you want a third entry become a follower or tell me that you already are in another comment.

I will draw a winner on Monday morning (Sept. 12th). I will notify the winner by email and post the winner on the blog on Monday. Be sure that I have a way to contact you if you win. If you are a "no-reply" commenter and do not leave your email address in the comment then I will just draw another name. International commenters are welcome too.

There is still time to enter my first giveaway for the pin cushion/thread catcher.

Go here to do that. The third and final giveaway for this week is coming up on Friday. It's a really good one so be sure to stop back by.