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!

Wrap up and Expectations

This is the time of year that wraps up figuratively or literally!  Whether it is gift wrap or reflection of 2019, it is wrapping up.

Last year, in reflection, I was a brand new longarmer.  Now I have a skill set, and love every sweaty or freezing moment in the garage with my purple longarm.  I always worried I would quilt myself right out of quilts.  That has not been a problem.  I think there are 2 waiting.

The biggest success of the past year is my Stars Upon Thars, an improv quilt that started out with a completely different idea.  The quilt seeds took root and grew in a totally different direction.

Another success was the mystery quilt called good fortune.  I went black for my neutrals and am still in awe that this one decision made such a huge contrasting impact.

My nemesis for the first few months was tension.  The tension dragon is tamed.  My biggest failure of the year, not working on my UFOs.  Tsk TskTsk.  I have about 5.  Two of these will be amazing when finished.  Will 2020 be the year?  YES!  I aim to finish what I started many moons ago.

So what will I be working towards in 2020?  Finishes of course!  My list…

Two of these are ready to quilt.  Two of these need to be made into a top as the blocks are sewn.  And the string quilt will progress because the scrap bucket always runneth over!  One of these is my ongoing hand stitching project.

And on another completely different level, There will be an exciting announcement sometime this year but can only say, the “Lords Supper Quilt” is coming to town.

In addition, I have started the latest Bonnie Hunter Mystery called frolic.  These pieces will be in my next top somehow, lol.

A coworker has announced a baby is on the way.  These things come in threes.  I suspect I will be making 3 baby quilts.

This year, every week I would set goals and try to meet or exceed my goals.  There were only a couple of times goals were not met.  So, I am carrying this over to a yearly goal, the big picture.  Will I have all of these completed next year?  No, but if I get more half of them done, it will be a good year.

Quilting JetGirl is having a planning party.  Do you have a plan for the upcoming year?  If you don’t, it might benefit you to hop on over to her sight and read what others are planning.  There may be a trick, tip, or advice that you need.  Click here to see the linky party and what others have planned for 2020.

Time off is just around the corner, and I aim to due some damage to my stash.  Let the diminishing begin!  Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!

 

 

 

Frolic Clue 3 and a Tote Bag

Stress, holidays, an abscess, tooth extraction, poddy training, quilting, headache, exhaustion, and sewing.  These words are a summary of the past week.  Glad it is behind me.  A loved one is a tough cookie, as I hate to see anyone suffer in pain.  It physically pains me.  Enough dwelling on my summary, we all made it, eh?

I wish clue 2 in the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt would have been drawn out all week.  Working just one project to cope with life is much easier than having chaos of one project after another.  Therapeutic, but with anxiousness.  Anxious to be done with something on the bucket list.  Anxious to be done before clue 3 is released.  Well the anxiousness is calmed.  One project finish, and a new project started.  The new project is all by hand,  slow and steady.

First share is the finish, a new purse!  I have been in desperate need of a new handbag for quite sometime.  Now that I am forced to wear magnification for the simplest of reads, I have this bulky spectacle housing (eyeglass case) to carry.  This overcrowded my bag.

Don’t get me wrong, I held out for the right freebie pattern to come along.  And I think I have achieved success.  I did some modifications.  I think it  added nicely to the bones of the pattern.

This is called the 6 pocket tote.  It is easy and easily done within an evening.  If you click the link you can see their version and compare to mine.  The difference between the 2?  Bosal foam, and wider set straps.  Because I used bosal for a nice formed foundation, in retrospect I wish I would have made longer handles than the pattern.

The brown pvc vinyl I had used previously to make a wallet.  Might as well make the purse to match.  The teal fabric is old.  There was a fad back about 15 years ago to make pillowcases.  I made one with the intention of making another.  One was enough, 2 never happened.  This became the foundation of my bag.

I like that the pockets keep my pen from going to the bottom.  I also like my keys can go into a pocket for easy fetching, my phone too.

As discussed in my last post, I got a new template and had to try it out!  Let the hand quilting/stitching commence.

And now Frolic clue 3, I managed a small pile this evening.  I am looking forward to working more on this.  But first, I am going to clean up after tote/hexagon/clue 2 tornado.  I have made the biggest mess.  My productivity has come with a price.

Cheers to more of clue 3!

I am hopeful for some cleaning, some rest, and some piecing.  Am I going to stress over this?…..nope, not gonna.  I am going to make myself slow down and enjoy my own pace.  Will I be done in a week’s time?  Time will tell.

Thanks for stopping in and reading my blog!

Stained Glass Stars Upon Thars

A photo opportunity happened!  With an even bigger photography surprise.  More about that in a minute.

The skies were clear, the temperatures mild, and an overall beautiful, blue sky day.  And I had time, so I enjoyed the rays and managed a few photos.  I must say, Stars Upon Thars said cheese big time!  A very photogenic quilt.  It just twinkles with the play of neutral and color.  This is the first time I viewed it outdoors within the natural light.  Saying I am pleased with the results is an understatement.

Have any of you made a quilt, and after completion the quilt looked completely different than before?  I am seeing this with eyes that could not see it captured before.  Not sure what this phenomenon is?

The orginal plan for this was completely different.  I wanted to make a lone star quilt.  But the equality of sides of the angles of the stars was not for that.  These are more le moines stars.  Not the original plan, and improve as I went.  Those of you who voted on layout, thank you, thank you, thank you!  It ended up with stellar results!

The quilting was laborous and I am glad I took the time.  Some of my lines are imperfectly straight.  I am still on a learning curve with the straight rulers.  Sometimes my machine wiggles when the hopping foot catches a thicker seam.

There are some extremely old fabrics in this quilt.  The once 49 patch blocks, now 81 patch were made up of polyester double knit (yeah I know, yuck), silk, satin, feed sack, shirtings, flannel, and barkcloth.  I scoured my stash for some older looking fabrics and married them to make this work.  Above if you look, the sides are wacked off.  These hand sewn 49 patch blocks were pieced by hand.  And were very wonky.  Not sure if the quilter was new to hand piecing, or just didn’t care.  Her stitches looked like she had been doing it for a long time.  Perhaps it was an eyesight thing.  I know I can have eyeball on the cheek syndrome sometimes.

I wish I could make oodles of money and sell the pattern, but there is not one.  These are constructed using the parallelogram die for the accuquilt.  I started this quilt at the begining of June, while helping my Mom when she broke her shoulder.  It has some good memories, not only with the time I spent with her, but with all the scraps I consumed for the stars.  Most of thesee have been used in other quilts.

Whether it be a memory of the former quilt, or the person I gave it to, or the memory of the fabric and where the fabric came from.  The pink back ground around one of those stars is my grandmothers fabric.  She has been gone since 1996.  It has played nicely in other quilts.  And I had a smidge left.  A memory of her, and the fact that she got me sewing at an early age.  All of you Grandma’s out there, she bought my first full size machine for me when I was 10, for my birthday.  Start them early, on whatever it is that they want to make.  They will steer themselves through the years and get much enjoyment out of it.  Was I too young?  Maybe for the patience of it.  But with experience came patience.  Now if I sew something wrong, there is no frustration or urgency to fix it, it just gets fixed.

Here is all the photos I have taken over the last several months of my progress in slideshow fashion, 92 photos, most of these for the couple of tutorials while making.

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And I have saved the best for last.  Yesterday, while putting this on the clothes line and taking pictures of the front, I swung around to the back to try to get a picture of the whole cloth look on the backside.  Because I used muslin and it is a very light fabric, I could see the top through the fabric from the backside.  The bulkier seams showed up as dark lines.  This really looks like a neat piece of stained glass.  A nice surprise for the season.

And that reader/friends, is why I do this blog.  I surprise at every turn of the needle and fabric.  Thank you for reading along this year during the Stars Upon Thars construction.  I have enjoyed bringing it to life before your eyes.  I hope you will continue on and enjoy my future posts of whatever it is I am working towards.  I really appreciate all the comments and likes.  A nice wind beneath my wings.  Thanks for flying with me and reading my blog!

 

Frolic Clue 2

Frolic, Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt, clue 2 was announced yesterday.  It is an easy clue, and I aim to have it completed today.

I am well over halfway.  Here are my raspberries and neutrals.  I LOVE my loud neutrals.  I find loud neutrals make it seem even more scrappy.  If you don’t believe me, see for yourself on last years mystery.

Notice the loudness fades in the distance.  You can only appreciate it up close.  Most quilts are viewed across the room or standing atleast 6 ft back.  The second quilt is a disaapearing 9 patch with the corner fabrics in black.  I love to put black into my quilts.

You have to be very careful when substituting fabrics.  The key is contrast.  If I would have went with the dk blue as Bonnie suggested, it was too dark.  That is why I am going with pastel colors.  That should really make it pop!  Or not!  It is a mystery, eh?

You know, I certainly miss the traffic to my blog.  Usually this time of year everyone is gung ho and wants to sew sew sew and see the pretty pieces in the link up.  This year, I cannot link up.  I do not have instagram.  And deem it not worthy of just this mystery quilt and the traffic associated.  I am not sure of a way around this.  I was told not to send pics on mats, they will be deleted, and not uploaded to facebook or instagram.  But then I see one of her posts and pieces are on a mat.  Go figure!

I do have a finish, the stars upon thars is all bound up, ready for a photo op.  Hopefully today!

I have purchased the new missouri star hexagon tool for hand piecing.  I am very excited about all the ideas swarming in my head about this.  Hopefully I will get to play a little with it over the weekend.

I need to get my keester busy and get something on the longarm.  I have three quilts needing quilted.  I need to start sewing backings so I can make that happen.

It has been a week.  Glad it is behind me, only for another to present itself however it chooses.  That scares me a little as the recent things that seem to happen to those around me.  I hope to report back next week all is good.  Thanks for reading my blog and happy trails!

 

#Frolic Mystery Clue 1

The last 5 days have been a blur.  I am always rushing about during a normal work week to get all the things done that need to be done.  When you have a full day off, things in that category go smoothly and less rushed.  My goodness the time has flown by so fast.  I must have been having a blast.  I am looking forward to Christmas break.

Wednesday was my first day off.  I got the house picked up and cleaned (only for it to need it again the next day, ha!).  Did a bit of quilting.  Thursday I cooked a thanksgiving lunch, and we are still eating leftovers.  I also finsihed quilting the stars upon thars quilt.

Please check out my last post to look at all the photos of the back.

Friday was the release of the Bonnie Hunter Frolic Mystery Quilt Clue 1, easy 4 patch units.  If you are interested in following along, you can click on her Frolic tab at quiltville.blogspot.com. She gives concise instructions and fabric colors and amounts.  Fabric colors are only suggestions.  I am not totally following her suggestion.  I am crossing my fingers that I am doing the right thing.  This will be my fourth mystery.  I change something up every time.  Everytime I am in awe of what I have made.

I have sewn these on and off and finished those up today.  I smile at the fabric I am using.  I have cheerleaders, alphabets, flowers, butterflies, pigs, solids, stripes, and plaids.  My favorite fabric was the Quilt Across Texas fabric 2011 that I found at my local quilt shop.  It was a perfect match.  How suited for this Texas based bluebonnet Frolic mystery eh?

After cleaning up from that, I set out to make binding for the Stars Upon Thars, which is now being hand stitched.

I grabbed my scrap 2 1/2 inch wide scraps of recently used stuff in my stash, and have accomplished a very scrappy binding.  I have only stitched about a 12 inch span.  I will be working on this all week.  I aim to have a nice photo by next weekend.

I am off to do the last of the few chores of laundry, and then ahhhhhh, the couch is calling my keesters name!   Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!