The Goal Is In Sight

Frolicking along, still LOL.  This last tidbit of construction is a doozy, taking a good amount of time.  Today I will work on half blocks.  I think I have used my seam ripper more with this quilt than all others combined!

Working towards a finish:

• sew half blocks
• sew sashings
• sew sashings to blocks
• sew blocks together
• sew 2 half blocks to row of blocks
• sew sashings to other sashings
• attach sashings to row
• And repeat many many times

Last week I had this laid out on the floor

And then I had a corner!

And then I had another row with the sashing unattached.

And then I have two halves, which happened after I snapped this photo.  I am getting excited as I progress.  The quilt is saying cheese.  Interesting color combination I have, probably not the best, but I used up my stash and am happy with the black as it gives it an old timey feel.  I like eclectic and old timey.

I am seeing, as I progress, the saturation of the pinks and the blues/purples be so close together they get washed out.  But my quilt is not the only quilt affected.  I noticed some of Bonnie’s blocks are like that.  So, I am deeming it ok and am putting those blocks on the left.

I am told when looking at a quilt, you read it like a book starting very briefly on the left, but mostly you look at it dead center and your eyes carry you to the right.  So all the “ugly” blocks are staying on the left.  The next one I make, I will make sure that does not happen.  I have more “wisdom” now.  Each mystery teaches me something, this one especially.

I noticed when I joined 3 block row with 5 block row, one of my sashings was turned.  NOT FIXING IT.  I am feeling amish at the moment LOL.  The old saying goes the amish would purposely put a mistake in a quilt because they know god is perfect and man is not.  After watching “Oh God, you Devil” with George Burns playing God years and years ago, I formed my own opinion, God is probably closer to human.  George Burns pointed out several animals with the knee caps on backwards:  cows, horses, cats, dogs, etcetera.  That line always cracks me up and does make you wonder.  So I am going AMISH STYLE with this one.  If I catch the mistake before it is sewn into a row, I will fix it.  If I don’t, it will be perfectly imperfect!  These things used to bother me, but I let it go.  I so enjoy the process differently than years ago.

I have not worked on anything else since last Friday at my sewing table.  I do look forward to moving on!

Agenda for today is making Shake N Bake chicken drumsticks from scratch for supper.  Interested in the recipe?  It is offered free on my other blog thecookbookproject.wordpress.com. 

Click here for the shake and bake mix recipe.

….oh and of course I will be sewing too!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!

 

Frolic is coming together!

#Frolicquilt by Bonnie Hunter is starting to resemble a quilt.  I got all the pinwheel blocks sewn.  This was marathon sewing Sat and Sun in between cooking and laundry and vacuuming.  Then this evening I had 7 to go, two of which lost parts LOL.  So I went through the scraps created and matched up and got those checked off the list.  The pastel part of the quilt I am really not liking, but, I am in love with the black aspect.  It really makes the secondary block pop.  I am liking the ease of this going together so well.  And I may just do this scrappy colorway for each block and revisit this again with a better color scheme.

I am manic to get this done as it is taking up so much work space I cannot work the 365 blocks and am a few days behind.  Do you ever have creative episodes of manic sewing?  I am sew focused and enjoy those days when I am enabled!

The optical illusion of the central block with the chain-link white and black fabric has a neat looking floating out of block experience!

Sashing neutrals cut, tomorrow will be working towards cutting the blue squares.

That last reveal clue was a doozy.  Those of you sewing along, it is gonna take some time to get it done.

In social media I have read up on this quilt and lots of ladies have just dropped out because they did not follow instructions.  The key instruction is explained by putting the raspberry on top of the blue when cutting pieces for the flying geese wings and the central pinwheels.  If you failed to follow instructions this would not go together correctly, and it would not be a matter of just ripping and resewing, it would be getting all new strips of fabric and starting over.  I did struggle with remembering to place the raspberry strip on top right side down.  If you worked this in batiks, it would not be a problem, nor with solids or homespuns.  And on another note, the instructions were clear but took me several reads to comprehend, because I did not mark my clues by their number and I did not use the assigned color, it confused the situation that much more.

Perhaps this weekend will showcase a few rows of completion.  That is the goal I am aiming for.

TTFN (TA TA for Now!) and thanks for reading my blog!

Orange Dream Big!

A lot has been accomplished in the quilting dept this week.  I have kept up my 365 blocks.  I am certainly enjoying petting fabrics and taking my time trying to figure out what dark dark, goes with a medium dark, or a medium light LOL.  Continuing to crank one of these out per day.

I am even taking pleasure in spinning those seams!  Not all blocks end up with this, but it sure is enjoyable to see if you can make it pretty on the back too!

Here are a lot of the 365 block a day blocks together.  I looking forward to start sewing these together, but I have heard that does not occur until sometime in April.

This is kind of sparkling, and as simple as some of these are, they are magnificent when paired with other blocks.  It is looking a bit more complicated, but if you just take it one piece at a time, and then one block at a time you do not get overwhelmed.

And Frolic was finally revealed yesterday.  I posted this two weeks ago, and I guessed right!

With as much going on at the eye of my needle, I just had to get one of these stitched up, made a couple actually.  I worried about my quilt looking like an easter egg and being really washed out with pale colors.  Turns out my worry was for nothin’!

These go together so easy.  I still have a bit of cutting to do.  These will work themselves into blocks in the coming weeks.  I can’t wait to get this to top status!

Thursday, I was in a funk.  I was in a fowl mood, and no matter my thoughts they were negative.  I chose to not talk much to coworkers and decided before the morning was even halfway that I needed a good does of quilting at the big machine.  I made those arrangements and got going.  I had not a plan, and my improv free motion quilting, was just that FREEEEEE.  I felt so free doing this.  It made my mood improve.  Gosh, I just need to do this as much as possible.  A good dose of color each day is good for a quilters soul and keeps the blahs away!

Fire flapping, fish scales stacking, flower swirls, feathers, lines, leafy vines, and a tad of meander, I just really needed this.  It has been three weeks since I stood at the machine.  I got the top half of the flower almost done.

And today I brought home 3 large bags of fabric!  FREEEEEEE!!!!  My bosses wife decided that the pile she thought she would get to, years have passed and the children are now older and it is just sitting there not getting used.  Gifted to me, I need to make her something, any of you have ideas?  More than a mug rug, less than a quilt.

So I have some lovely large pieces of fabric added to freshen up the old stash.

Truth be told, I would have loved to receive this before frolic, but it looks like now, I will not have to buy backing fabric.  I will be trying to work this into the stash drawers and totes over the weekend.  I had just worked the stash down to where I could rummage through without making a disaster area.  Back to the fabric disaster status, always ongoing LOL.  I’ll take it!

And sweet goodness has arrived, the weekend!  Batteries charging……

May your weekend be ever so charged!  Thank you for reading my blog!

Clue 8, are we done yet?

As no surprise, clue 8 of the Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt, Frolic was released Friday.  It took me many reads of the instructions to ensure I was proceeding correctly.  This years mystery of sewing part of clue 4 with clue 7, then pairing with clue 8 and combining sets with some sewing is very confusing.  Gosh I hope I did it right.  I suspect the reveal will be next Friday.  I am ready to get this over with.  I only anticipated to be sewing through new years day.

Here are the 25 bundles of pinwheels and matched sets.  I am not showing my other 16 pairs un-sewn sets.  I suspect we will be using our neutrals and cutting large triangles to inset for the on point placement of these blocks.  We shall see if I have quilters intuition.

What I have been doing everyday except for the one day a week that I sew the Frolic mystery clues, I am enjoying doing the 365 quilt block challenge, sewing those seems.  Right now it is nothing too complex.  Easy 4 patches and just squares.  I went ahead (or should I say back) and have been enjoying the harder blocks too.

These blocks are all 3 1/2 inch unfinished.  Fun to play with value and fabrics with the advice of the BOM or bill of materials.  When you don’t have a gob of fabric to choose from, you have to get creative.  I am loving the chandelier fabric!

And then there is this INSANE block of flying geese, or as some say a very political block.  You have the right wing, the left wing, and the majority!  HA!

The flying geese measure 7/8 by 1 1/4 inches…..Notice how wonky they are!  This block is so small that I deem this acceptable.  Do I wish it was better, yeah.  But, as I work through these blocks, I will figure out a thing or too as I go.  The back side, the way I pressed, you have a 1/4 inch seam, a 1/4 inch gap, and then another 1/4 inch seam….ridiculous!  I am enjoying the challenge!

No quilting happened at the big machine this week.  My intentions were to go on Thursday.  Thursday, my alarm clock of 28 years decided to die, and leave me an hour late to work.  I made up my time, rushed home, cooked.  By the time everything settled down it was 7:30.  I had been on my feet all day.  I caved in to just prop my feet up on the couch and rest a bit.

You know, Thursday, it was almost 70 degrees.  The next minute there were tornado watches, and today the front came through (which I thought would be more thunderstorms).  But I will be danged, it snowed and sleeted this morning.  Been a good while since we have seen the white stuff here.  It was nice while it lasted, a minor inconvenience to drivers/conditions.

Perhaps I will get to quilt later today.  The garage will be extremely cold, so the heaters will have to fire up.  We shall see what the day brings.

There is not enough time in my days since I went back to work, work is such a succubus of time!  Every time I turn around, I have to rush to the next task at home before something gets hosed up.  If I didn’t have hungry mouths to feed, my evenings would be much easier.  Too many demands, not enough arms and legs.

Well, I am off to put my keister up to the fireplace.  I am cold in my drafty old house.  Stay warm and dry, readers, and thanks for reading my blog!

 

Playing with Frolic

Well, ladies and gentlemen, if you are any good at math, you can somewhat deduct what fabrics go with what sets in this Frolic mystery quilt.

I have played with the ones that are divisible by 41.  This is what I have ended up with.  I am hoping that this block only lacks neutral (blacks) with just squares to go and then we will be done.  This quilt will probably have an amazing border or other blocks.

I have stacks and stacks of blocks.

I have laid out other blocks, my colors are very muted up close.  Perhaps when everything is sewn together and gazed upon across the room it will be visible.

I had not planned a mid-week post.  But I got so darn excited with the frolic layout, I just had to SHARE!

And humming right along on the 365 challenge.  Each day this week, I have sewn the required block plus added one in that I downloaded back in Dec.  Glad I did that as the 3 1/2 inch blocks are very easy and do not take long.

 

Hopefully this weekend I will have either a short youtube video uploaded or another dream big panel quilted.  I can’t wait to start on this one, it is orange!

Look for my next post this weekend, and thanks for reading my blog!

Two quilts at a time

I have never done this before, it is uncharted territory for me.  I am currently working Bonnie Hunter’s Frolic mystery quilt as well as another completely different quilting (massive) project.  Clue 5, 6 and 7 from the mystery have all been released in the last 7 days.  This is a gob of cutting and sewing.  Now that I am back to work, my plan is to sew like the dickens.

Clue 5 is done and in the shoebox.  Which, I had to start another, it all just will not fit.

And then I added Clue 6 which I got done after midnight on new years, yup I rang in the new year, listening to townsfolk (rednecks) shoot their guns and fireworks whilst pressing my foot on the pedal making my sewing machine hum through the fabric.

And here is clue 7, in work.  I have much to go and will enjoy catching this up over the weekend.

Yeah my expensive wooly mat is scorched.  It was not me.  It was an unsupervised adult, perler beads, my good iron, and my daughter.  I reckon it was accidental, but boy I sure was mad.  Enough time has lapsed that I really don’t think about it, until I snap a photo and it glares at me through the lens.  It still works well and this is on the edge.  Cosmetically damaged, yes.  Utilitarian-ly unaffected.

I have just these pinwheels done.  My pinks and blues are diminshed to the point of worrying while cutting specifics matching, that I will not have enough.

All the while this is all going down, I am working the 365 quilt block challenge.  These blocks are fun, and I have enjoyed most of them so far.

This little tree block brought me great pleasure to sew.  As small as these pieces are, it ended up being accurate!  No trimming!  Yay!

This is a dark 3 inch block.  Let’s think about that for a moment shall we?  Let us count the pieces.  28 pieces…….I am thinking of a song.  Patsy Cline anyone?

 

This is extreme piecing!  It is almost like an olympic event for us quilters.  To get to the finish line, it is quite the celebration to complete/compete with yourself!

These were easy, not sure about these darks.  I can omit or redo if I so choose.  In the grand scheme of things, tbd….to be determined.

This block I ran out of the solid, and had to improvise.  It is only supposed to be two colors.  But I used up some scraps, and ultimately, that is IDEAL!

And I saved the Buggar for last!  Let’s count the pieces in this one…..41 pieces in a 6 inch block.  Let’s count the y seams……TWENTY.  I am not gonna lie.  This was started on completely different fabric.  I ruined much.  I kept ripping (the good thing about small pieces….doesn’t take long to rip).  And I realized no matter how many times I was going to sew it, it would not turn out.  I had made a cutting error.  And then on top of that error, an error in cutting the next pieces.  So, I ran out of those scraps to keep it cohesive.  I re-started with completely different fabrics.  I still struggled with this one, but it went together better.  Guess how long this 6 inch block took?  SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS!  Do I regret it?  No.  This was actually the final block for the 365 challenge.  I believe the difficulty level you work up to, and for me, I just dove in.  Not the best, but I did cross the finish line…er…well sort of.  Does it look finished to you?

The last 4 y seams where the stripes meet the neutral on the outer border, one on each side, is left unstitched.  I pressed it where it should be sewn.  I cannot grasp how to make this seam.  So I will probably hand stitch it.  It won’t take me long.  I bet I could get away with no stitching, the pieces are small enough that catching it with the seam of the patchwork when sewn all together will relieve the issue.  If any of you have heard of 365 block challenge horror stories, this will be one of them.

Do not let this scare you away.  The harder blocks, she usually gives an alternative.  This is why it is called a challenge.  It challenged me, a seasoned quilter.  It will continue to challenge me.  I will grow because of this and perhaps learn something new, all by myself with no help.  THAT is sometimes the best way to learn, the hard way!

It is certain that the weekend will fly by.  No doubt that time will become the harasser again.  One of these days, time will be on my side.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read my blog!

A Finish and a New Start!

I got the binding sewn on the antique wedding rings quilt.

You can call this one done!  A lovely way to finish out the year, with a finish!

Using light and darks within the same color family really makes the rings sparkle!  Here is what I managed for the back.

Could I have done better for the backing?  Yes, but that would require a purchase.  I would much rather use what I have on hand.  I look forward to its yardage replacement.

Here is some quilting, but I specifically chose a panto that would lose itself in the top, as I want to showcase the top, not the quilting.

I got the side leaders sewn for my quilting machine.  They are not photogenic by any means, but will be worth their weight in gold.  If you are interested in making these, there is an easy instructional video on youtube, just click here.

And…….er……I started another project! In the midst of Frolic!  I must be crazy!  I am somewhat ashamed, as I have many projects going right now, but gosh I need to be challenged.  After quilting for years, the challenge is just not there for much of what I do.  I don’t want to sing the song, “The Thrill Is Gone”.  That would be the end of my hobby.

So, what did I start this time you ask?  Have you heard of the 365 quilt block challenge?  Amazing what you end up with if you stick with it.  In one of my previous posts,  I noticed the lack of red in my strings and overall fabric stash.  I am doing this challenge in reds.  I am going scrappy, so low volume neutrals with some sort of reds or pinks.  One of these blocks will probably be a redo and not make the cut.  But so far I am enjoying this challenge.

Here is my favorite block so far.

What is so challenging you might ask?  These blocks are only 6 inch blocks finished, and 6 1/2 unfinished.  If you count the pieces in these pictures you will see over 50 pieces.  To top that off, measurements are given in off, meaning you trim as you go.  Because I know how to get accurate 1 1/2 inch blocks (unfinished hst’s) using the ruler method, I am recalculating fabric cuts and figuring out what I need to cut from that.  So far so good.  These blocks were rounding out the end of the challenge and probably harder blocks.  But after a little research, alot of these blocks are like this.  Not sure if this is the most intense or not.  Will I be able to keep up?  Nope.

What I can keep up with is saving the pdfs to do as time permits.  Right now with time off, I have plenty of time to work what I can.

I found this video of the 365 block challenge on youtube and thought I would share someone else’s color way/perspective!

Fighting a migraine today.  I went for years with NO headaches.  Then all of a sudden bam, I get one, about once month.  I hope this is not a hormone thing.  I am thinking my brain is throwing a temper tantrum for caffeine.  The light streaming through the windows hurts today.  Talking today, makes me grimace.  The first day is always the worst.  It will slowly fade.  I will continue to sew as I can focus on something other than the throb.

I am so enjoying the leisure of time off!  Nothing is rushed, no anxiousness.  Inner peace, or if you are a quilter, “piece”!

I would like to take the time to thank you, my readers.  You have read along this year, and I sew appreciate you.  It means a lot to me!  I hope you have learned a thing or two and will continue to join me in my quilting journey!

Happy New Year!  Cheers!

Frolic Clue 5

I was excited to see clue 5 from the quiltville mystery went up early.  Although not feeling well I pushed through and got the clue done.  I laugh at my whimsical fabrics I sewed together yesterday.

There were solids and prints, pinks and blacks.  Horseshoes, flowers, cheerleader equipment, bows, dots, bars, baseball logos, chandeliers, mermaids, bees, pigs, and hearts.  None of that character goes together, but because they are all in the the same color family, it works ever so randomly for a nice scrappy look.

My fun is over this week for frolic, everything is now in it’s shoebox.  I will start a second shoebox when clue 6 is completed.

I am getting good use out of my binding clips.  I have had them since Sept.  Have used a few periodically.  I was not a fan before I purchased, but I am using them more and more and they have come in handy during counting.  Pervious years I would count, count, count some more and recount, still to find I needed 9 more blocks.  This year, stacked in 10, then clipped, and easy to count.

I have the binding attached to the antique wedding ring quilt.  I must say, I probably need to go buy a lottery ticket.

I cut what was left on my belly bar of my quilting machine after quilting, hoping I would have ample fabric for binding (I usually make way too much binding because I am scared that I will run out).

This is all I had left after making the two ends join!

I have two sides hand stitched and I cant wait to show you this one.  The binding is the backing on this as well.  This fabric has backed two quilts and bound one.  I really got this to stretch further than I ever thought I could.

This weeks Goals:

• Making side leaders for my quilting machine (have the canvas now….thanks Mom!)
• work more on sewing strings
• finish hand stitching the binding on the antique wedding ring
• take outdoor photos of antique wedding ring
• start quilting the orange dream big panel

I only have off a few more days before I have to return to work.  Gosh I love time off like this.  This helps to mend my tired soul.

I would like to take the time to recap my progress for the last 12 months.  I have made ALOT of quilts!  A few other projects slipped in too!  Some customer quilts are shown as well.

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I like to find new info on youtube about quilting.  I filter my search for posts within the last week.  I came across this one and thought I would share.  After watching this, I will be adding a button quilt to my bucket list as I was very taken by it.  Enjoy watching, thanks for reading my blog!

Running Strings!!!

With the finish of the frolic clue from last week, it left me at a pause for the holiday.  I am the kind of person who tries to sew a little every day.  With time off from work, it has left me with a gob of spare time.  I wanted to sew so bad, but hated the idea of trudging a new project out in the midst of working frolic each week.  So UFO here I come.  I have actually worked on 2 of these this week.

Using the panto Etched Lace, I got the antique wedding ring quilt quilted.

Image Compliments of itsawonderfulmemory.wordpress.com

Foggy and damp outside today, so probably no pictures in the near future, but that will give me a chance to get it bound for another finish this year, making my tally of 23.

I am in disbelief!  This will make 23, this does not include one I did for a client, or the three I quilted for my mom.  I will probably never meet that number again.

So what else did I work on?  The string project is in my way, and so I delved into it.  Got a row done.  I am very pleased with my improv.

It started with drawing out this block on paper using a compass.

This progressed to these.

The layout ideas are endless!

I have this much done so far.

I will need to get a brush to fuzz the chenille edges.

Made a gob of these to frame the row.  I used my Nancy’s Notions catalog, and man my string pile is diminished by a whole gallon baggie.

I was able to cut these down and get two slices from each page.

I have noticed that my strings (or things that I have sewn previously) there is very little red.  Perhaps in the coming year I need to work on more red stuff.  I try to stay away from red.  I am not sure why.

I will pack all this back up, ready to stitch on Friday when the next clue is released.  I am to get a bit further on this.  Perhaps a second row of flowers?

Well I am off to hustle.  Hustle?  Yeah, it got to get my butt in gear and tidy up around the house.  I have been lazy the last few days.  The dishes are calling my name.

Be looking for a post this weekend about the next clue for frolic.

Thanks for stopping in and reading my blog!

Frolic Mystery Clue 4

Aaaaahhhhhhh, I have been waiting for this day, for 363 1/2 days.  Christmas break!  Time Off!  This wonderful day fell on the very same day as clue 4 was released from Bonnie Hunters Mystery Quilt along.

I cheated a bit and read it while I was at work and then dreamed the rest of the day of being in the comfort of my home, sewing until my hearts content.  And then I would snap back to reality and drudge on for the remainder of my day.

Boy did the work day go ever so slow!  I used to complain about the time going slow right before a holiday.  The older I get, the more time speeds up, so I will enjoy the slow day much more than the whirlwind fast day as most days have become.

I am keeping up with this mystery.  So far the clues have been less brutal than previous years.

I will continue with this clue until I get it done.  My colors are subs.  My lavander is my dark blue.  My light blue, is my light blue.  My whites are my aquas.  My pinks are the raspberry, and my blacks are the neutrals.

After doing some figuring in my head, it would appear that this may be a block setting on point.  We shall see.  I can never figure this out ahead of time.  My quilters puzzle is just that, at the end a puzzle.  And then even after the reveal, I get confused LOL and have to re-read the instructions over and over.

Slow and steady.

After just an hour I have some sets completed.  More to come….

Incidentally I am storing my clues from previous weeks in a shoebox.  That shoe box is over half full.  With this weeks clue, it will fill up.  I have another shoebox.  This may be the year for 2 shoe boxes full of pieces.  (Note:  Clumsy children have knocked this over with a confetti of fabric blocks all over the place, it was fun trying to stack it back the way it was.  Like unpackaging the orginal packaging when opening, it will never go back quite right no matter how hard you try)

Christmas is almost upon us!  Last minute shopping tomorrow.  Then off to wrap.  A little christmas music for the season.  This is my favorite song!  There is something about Burl Ives!  Not sure if he reminds me of my Grandpa that played Santa Claus, or if his voice was similiar, or if it was at that time in my life of 4 years where I could remember all of these things at the same time.  He died when I was about this age, so maybe that is my brain’s way of keeping him with me through the holiday.  Great Iconic voice, for the most memorable time of year for a youngster.

You will probably not read anymore new content from me until after Christmas, so here is wishing you a wonderful holiday!  May you be warm, in good company, and feast beyond capacity!!!

Merry Christmas from Myquiltprojects!  And thanks for reading my blog!