Finish! Charity Chop Quilt

It's always happy news to report a finish!  Especially when it is a long time UFO.  This is a charity quilt (destined for a Dane County foster teen that is 'aging out' of the program).  Many years ago, while sifting through my stash for a project, I realized there were some fabrics I didn't care for anymore.  I had used them a lot and wasn't too excited about them any longer.  The solution I came up with-- make large (15"?) nine patches and then cut them up in the 'disappearing' fashion.  Well-- I made those 9 patches right away and then they aged for several years.

About 3 years ago, I took the blocks to my January retreat and did the 'chopping' and re-assembly.  The top languished in my closet until this year.  The Finish-A-Long has really helped motivate me to complete some UFO's.

I did a little photo shoot of the quilt last week with my new frame.  Overall it worked out ok, but I need to fill the sandbags they sent, because even though there wasn't much wind, the quilt acts like a big sail!  After several pictures, the frame blew over-- but I thought the draping looked pretty cool and artistic!

Here is a close up of the quilting.  I did a free motion all over pattern that was pretty fun: big loop--outlined then a halo of loops around the original. 

This is part of my Q4 Finish-A-Long and I'll be linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday

xoxo,
Kristin

editing to add link to my original FAL goals post

Busy little beaver!

I've been a busy little beaver lately and have been doing a lot of sewing and sewing related things, but haven't had time to post about it all.

First up-- quilting.  Lots of it!  I spent a few days at my parent's house and quilted 3 quilts in 2 days! Speedy! Needless to say, I didn't do any complicated quilting!  All three quilts are charity, so the plan was quick, simple and hold the layers together.  I've got a lot of binding in my future and I'll post more/better pictures when I get these finished.

While at my parent's, I found out the Racine quilt guild (Lighthouse Quilters) was having their show that weekend.  I've heard about this every other year show, but have never been able to go to it.  It was impressive!  I ran into all kinds of friends that I know from my January retreat and many of them had quilts on display.  Here is a sampling:

Because I've been such a good quilter and have finished up quite a few UFO's lately, it was time to start a new project!  Last year, I did a pull from my stash to make Angela Walter's Variable Star, but never found the time to get it started.  The fabric was waiting patiently in a project bin, so now is the time to get it going.  It's a relatively simple, quick pattern and I'm almost done with all the stars! There are just four more partial stars for the corners and it is ready to assemble into a top. BUT-- I'm not thrilled with the orange star.  ☹ I might make something else for that spot.  And as long as I'm doing that, I might swap out the small blue/green one in the upper left, too.

Last, but not least-- I co-hosted another Late Night Sew Party at Blue Bar Quilts this week!  Wooot!  Sew.much.fun! This is the second party and I didn't take any pictures during the first one.  Next time I will do better and try to capture more of the action.  Notice a little somethin' somethin' on the wall there?  😊  It's my lion!!  We had pizza and raffles and I demoed paper piecing to several people.  This month's Mad Mod Block Lotto is paper pieced (shoot-- no pictures of the blocks!) and some people haven't ever done this technique before.  Next month's party is on Black Friday! Can't wait!!

xoxo,

Kristin

Linking up with Judy's Design Wall Mondays and Lorna's Let's bee Sewcial and Cynthia's  Oh Scrap!!

Finish-A-Long Q4 2017 - My Goals

Sliding in to the last part of 2017-- I have lofty goals!  It would be grrrrrrreat to quilt up a bunch of tops that I have waiting or close to completion.  Yesterday I spent a fair amount of time daydreaming about what I have to do and thinking about how I can complete it.  Finish-A-Long has been a big help in keeping me motivated to keep moving on my UFO's.

Here is my list:

1- Charity Chop Quilt (this quilt needs a better name!)
Right now, this is my top priority to quilt.  I'll do something simple on it, like a panto or an all over improv design.  Easy-peasy.  Before I can quilt it, I need to piece the back.  It seemed that everyone I showed the backing to said it needed to be it's own quilt.  Fine.  But now I need another backing!!  I will do something MUCH simpler for the back, but it will still be bright and a bit improv.

2- Kitchen Sink Rainbow Quilt
This is what was going to be the back of the above quilt.  Guess what?  Need to piece a back for this one, too!! =O

3- Galaxy of Stars
I've been working hard on finishing this top in September and I want to have it complete prior to my January Retreat.  Setting a goal for completion in Q4 would make sure it is done by January!

4- Hekla
I don't have a current picture, but the borders are pieced and waiting to be sewn to the center.  Finishing the top won't be hard-- can I get it quilted, too?

5- Legendary
This poor quilt was in time out.  I followed the instructions and used a slimmer vertical sashing in the Sasquatch row and then the row is 1/2" short!  Grrr.  I checked the website and didn't see any corrections for this.  At the late night sew night, I looked it over with some friends.  The fix is going to be to rip out the sashings on either side of 'squatch and add some wider sashings to make it the correct length.

6- Elephant Parade
I want to finish this quilt and I'm wondering if the best solution is to have someone else quilt it?  That would make finishing it this quarter realistic.  We'll see...

Six goals!  I've had that same count each quarter and each time I finished 3.  What will happen this quarter??

Linking up with Marci at Marci Girl Designs.

xoxo
Kristin

Flashback Friday Finish - My own bed quilt!!

Last December, I finished one of my oldest UFO's-- a quilt for me to use on my bed. True to form, I didn't do a final 'finish' post with pictures of the quilt at 100% complete.  I'm trying to improve and document all of my quilts when they are done.  I did write a nice summary of the journey of this quilt
here.  In that post, I said how I couldn't wait to snuggle under it and I am certainly happy to have this on my bed.

On Saturday, the Mad City Quilt Guild had a small workshop on photographing quilts.  A professional photographer talked to us about considerations in choosing how to display a quilt for a photo and the biggest take home message was to think about the light source.  Outdoor light is best and indirect, less harsh sunlight is good.  Having the light source angled from the direct plane of the quilt will show texture by creating shadows.

We all enjoyed our time and experiments with photographing in different manners and we are hoping to set up a recurring time, once or twice a year when we can use the guild's quilt stands and lights to take nice photos of our quilts.  A member of the community was clearing out a family member's estate and donated a stand and two floor lights to us, plus the guild had invested in a very large stand several years ago.  The location that the guild meets at has a spacious community room with a nice covered porch that is that ideal setting-- indirect sunlight and protection from the wind.

xoxo
Kristin

ps
linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish Up Friday

Finish-A-Long 2017

I've read about the Finish-A-Long for a while now and have followed many people that are participating.  Because I have several quilts that are either finished tops or not too far from finishing, I thought this might help motivate me to bring them to completion.  So-- I'm joining in on 2017 Quarter 2 Finish-A-Long!  Woo-hoo!

The rules are: I post a list of what I want to complete in Q2 to my blog this week and at the end of the quarter, if I've completed any of them, I post a summary and link it up to the Finsh-A-Long hosts.  Every finish qualifies for a prize!  It's worth saying again--Woo-hoo!

Here are my goals:

1- Lion Quilt: it's at the quilter's waiting for its turn.  I would love to get this back and have it bound by the end of the quarter.

2- Charity Chop Quilt:  The top and back are complete (Finally!!).  Can I find the time to quilt and bind this?

3- Pink Grey Triangle Baby Quilt x 2:  There are some babies in my world and I would like to complete 2 Thousand Pyramid quilts in pink/grey/black/white and gift these to friends.

4- Wonky Stars for Lutherdale: I would like to submit this quilt to the August Lutherdale Auction.  Can't do that without completing it!! =O

5- Elephant Parade-- this is where i get ambitious!! This top has been complete for a while.  Do I quilt it myself?  Or have it done by a professional?  It would be lovely to finish this up.

Oops!  I forgot an important top that I want to finish this quarter.  Editing to add the Pink/Purple XO top.

I'll be linking up with Jess at Elven Garden Quilts.  Wish me luck!!!

xoxo
Kristin

2016 - The year of the UFO?

Happy New Year! 



I'm very excited to start the year and have a great attitude about the next 365 days.  With the big change of moving last July, I am just now starting to feel settled in to my new home (and sewing room!!).

Project-wise, I'm not in the middle of anything right now.  It's a funny place for me to be!  I normally have something going and something queued up (or started before the prior project is complete!).

I finished Maize Maze in early December and hoped to quilt it over Christmas.  Due to technical difficulties with my mom's longarm, I didn't get to quilt it.  =(

I finished the top for Elephant Parade on the same day as I put the final borders on Maize Maze, so add this to the list of tops waiting to quilt...

Speaking of...  While at my parent's over Christmas, I pulled out two tops that are waiting to be quilted: My bed quilt and a civil war throw.  I didn't have a good picture of my bed quilt (it's been hibernating for years)!! And I don't know that I have any of this throw.  It was a kit that my Aunt Nancy gifted me several years ago.  I put it together super quickly and I have grand plans of quilting it in beautiful all over victorian feathers.  One little problem-- I'm not quite skilled enough to quilt it the way I want to.  =(  It looks like it will make a warm snuggly couch throw, perfect for this time of year.  I'm tempted to quilt it with a panto and 'git 'er done'.

I spent a good part of yesterday in my sewing room enjoying a commitment free Saturday.  I pulled out one of my UFO's, 'Cartwheels'.  I've been working on this for a few years now and I'm hoping to get the top complete.  I added the outer filmstrip border and just need to do one more border of lime green.

 

This list of quilts is just a portion of my UFO's and I'm hoping to finish more than I start this year.  All People Quilt is challenging us to make progress getting things complete and I'll use their chart, but I'm not sure I'll take part in the contest.

Thanks for visiting!  I'll wrap up by sharing a cute picture of Finn from yesterday.  The sun was pouring in the sewing room and he was very happy to sunbathe!

Crafty Goals for 2014

Frequently I write 'To Do' lists to help me keep on task with what needs to be done.  Does it help? Probably not, but it does feel good to be able to check things off!  I'll take a stab at a 2014 crafty 'to do' list:

Quilting:

Finish making scrappy boxes

I've got a good rainbow going, but there is a yellow slab that is ready to be constructed into a box and I still want to make a red, brown, black and grey box.  Whew.  This list isn't starting out well...

Finish Sylvie's Quilt.

I wanted to have it done for her for Christmas but it wasn't meant to be.  Hopefully I can have the top done at my retreat?

Quilt my bed quilt

I'm stuck with this top.  I want it to be quilted very well and that has me frozen.  I don't want to disappoint myself!  I know, I know...just dive in and quilt it so I can use it.

Quilt my civil war-ish top

Hmmmm.  I can't find a picture of it...
I'm dying to do beautiful flowing feathers and I have another case of fear of messing it up.  I wish I could quilt frequently, so I would have more confidence (and practice!)

You know, basically I want to quilt anything that I have completed as a top!

Star BomB

Mariner's Compass wallhanging

Finish piecing and then quilt:

• Catvent 
• Cartwheels
• Modern Illustrated top 
• Asterisks

Re-Discover my Dear Jane

Knitting

Much simpler!  I want to finish the world's cutest baby tank and then make a small dent in my yarn stash, so I can justify adding any new luscious yarn.  I'm out of storage space right now!

I'm sure there are other things that I'll be inspired by this year and will be distracted...excited to work on!  If I could complete this list I would be incredibly satisfied.  =)