Second Quarter Finish Along - #2016FAL

For this year's finish along, I did finish 4 quilts and 1 small project completely in the first quarter and then adopted two giant schnauzers, ages 7 and 8.   AKA 160 pounds of we're really sad and not sure we remember that we're well behaved dogs.   So that's taken quite a bit of sewing time.  



I did get pretty far along on most Q1 projects though so I'm relisting those and adding quite a few.

1. Birthday in Seville


2. Minkee Blue and Green Kid


3. Technicolor


4. Terrain HSTs


5. Cushion from the batting scraps


6. Testing of the Clams


7. Argyle from Turkey


8. Flying Geese Bits


9. Wayward Block Donation


10. Slab Quilt


11. Locket - Baby Size


12. Orange Baby - backing off cuts from Technicolor


13. Wedding Signatures - maybe, the wedding was this decade, I don't want to rush


14. Pouch for HW

I'm not always realistic but I like a good set of goals.   And added bonus, one of the dogs already has bonded and has separation anxiety to the tune of pulling the minkee quilt partially off the frame and chewing a side.   So that's a smaller quilt to finish now.  

I don't have all the pictures on my phone but here's 9 of them.   Will add more as soon as I'm home.



Linking up with Elven Garden Quilts

Jungle Links Quilt

Gifted on Friday and the baby isn't even 3 months old. That's practically on time, right?



I quilted different designs in each color link. Then straight lines through the gray light dots.



The green dots are a flannel that I had in my stash.



This quilt made possible through the generous support of Jim's garage.

Hometown Stars

I've finished this finally. I started it at the end of 2011 using a tutorial from Moda Bakeshop. It took me awhile to figure out a quilting plan since the fabrics were so busy. This has been in the works for one of my mentors for awhile. I backed it with a yellow flannel that just happened to match really well.



I really like how it turned out,









I used two labels on this one. One embroidered with recipient, date and my name. One a QR code that goes to this blog. I probably should have started this paragraph with "Nerd Alert".



This quilt made possible through the generous support of Jim's garage.

Jungle Links

A co-worker's wife is due any minute and while it has been impossible to get any useful nursery information from him, she stopped by the last day of work and mentioned monkeys on the walls. I got a great selection from Hawthorne Threads.

I used a block from Modern Blocks and managed to keep this one baby sized at a little over 41 inches square.




The book recommends flipping the bottom strip on the block to make them line up but I liked them offset. I also left off the pesky side strip and just put a 3 inch strip to sash. Hmm, and I cut the center squares larger. I guess i used it more as inspiration really.


I've got a green flannel for the back and probably will bind in hot pink. If my cold meds kick in then I might hike over to Pippi (my longarm) and get it quilted up today too. I suspect it will take as long to quilt as it will to load it.

Also I noticed that I blogged half as much this year and have 3 times as many followers now.  If I stop blogging altogether I would probably be crowned Empress of the World.  Since I'm not ready for that kind of fame, I will try to blog just enough to stay incognito.

Christmas Hot Pads / Trivets

I made these as a hostess gift in December. I meant to make more but got busy with life so these are the only two for now.

I pieced them directly to the batting and thermal layer, then straight line quilted with the backing on.

Front


And the backs

Circle-y Zippy Thing

I'd been meaning to try this headphone case tutorial for awhile and Sunday morning seemed like as good a time as any. I had a recipient in mind but when I pulled out a bin of scraps, this fabric begged to be used. I used my circle cutter to fussy cut the mermaid and then based my sizing on that for the rest of the pieces.




I used a pink scrap for the lining and tried to serge the inside edges but it turns out the serger doesn't like circles. So I just zig zagged the edges with the thread color in my regular sewing machine. It shows a little. Lazy usually does.



Anyway, it's been sent off as a back to school present although I suspect it will be pirated by a little someone.

Now I need more jump rings. And a smoother circle. Actually I have a few small changes planned for the next one.

I Mustache You to Have a Happy Birthday

My brother turned 40 last week so I made him a skull quilt from the Dare to be Square book by Boo Davis. Nice, right? Lots of scraps including bits from other family member's quilts.



But wait, there's more!! This is the quilt that has been making me giggle. Why?



Changeable facial hair!!!!!!








While I don't know many of the words, I also sang a lot of Jimmy Buffet's Pencil Thin Mustache while working on this one.  For those that want it stuck in their head - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGFRYI8ZfO4&feature=related

The backing is minkee and shows the diagonal quilting and the outline of the skull.



Super soft!


It ended up a nice 58 x 70 size.  And I also made a pillowcase to go along with it. To be really fancy, I used French seams.




Happy Birthday, Shad!

Second Round

It's the second quarter of the 2012 Finish Along at Quilter in the Gap. It's a long list but I'm coming off a vacation and feeling on top of the world.
Here's the quick list and I may come back and add fancy pictures of each project, I may not though so don't hold your breath.
1. Giggling project - it's a gift so I won't show much detail.





2. Arabella Modern Day Diamonds - it was on the list last quarter too but isn't quilted totally yet. Here's the progress
3. Mandarian Chinese Takeout - also from the list last quarter.





4. Chirpfest 2012 - here's a link to the top
5. Blue Greek Crosses - the initial blocks are here
6. Robot Strip Quilt - small quilt to donate





7. And the last is linked here. It's the first stack pictured. All cut and sewing was started but I'd like to get it finished for donating soon.

These aren't all the ongoing projects and of course I'll start at least a few more but that's what makes it fun. Oh and I'm hoping to build a new studio too. :)

Turtle Quilt for Heidi

Final first quarter finish pictures coming right up.

This is the quilt top i gifted on Christmas and then brought back home with me to finish. As I mentioned, I'm quite classy.


Heidi officiated at my sister's wedding last year and did a great job. My sister wanted to do a special quilt as thanks so I got to work. I used Prince Charming by Tula Pink mostly since the turtles were perfect for Heidi. The pattern is Crazy Nine Patch from Oh Fransson again.


I quilted it with what I'm calling currents with waves. It fits with the top pretty well. The backing took about 42 emails to pick. I tried doing a pieced back, started here. It went really wrong so is wadded up in the closet now.
I may rescue it someday. So then the emailing of flannel pics started flying up to my sister. We finally settled on this blue stripe by Valori Wells. The colors match much better than this picture shows but you'll just have to believe me on that one.


I sent it via the Carlos Bueno Express to SF where my sister stitched on the binding. It's been properly gifted now and she's appreciates it very much. Yay!

Coastal Bricks Complete!

I stayed up too late but the binding is done! Washer tomorrow and then off to her new home.
Cell phone pics below-







A little late for Finish It Up Friday but that just means that I'm ahead for next week, right?

Progress, Progress and More Progress

I made a lot of progress on projects this weekend. I finiahed a top, quilted three projects and loaded another on the frame. Be warned, phone pictures galore below.

First up, my completed top from a precut pack of squares of Wrenly. Or as I might name it, ChirpFest 2012.





I quilted sea weed on the second Going Coastal, I know I should branch out on the designs but when it works, it works. I pieced three pieces of flannel for the back of this one. The binding is ready for some hand stitching now.



The second bit of quilting was super custom and I can't show it for a little bit more.

And can I just say, hot damn, stippling is FAST. This is the flannel backing on one of those quilt tops. You know, the tops that find you because a friend of a family member hears you are quilting. It's been in a box for a few years and I decided it needed to move along. Of course it helped that I found the flannel for $2.50 a yard recently. And it might be a good one to try machine binding again.



If we hadn't been under constant threat of attack by the cats living in the house, I might have stippled this one to death as well.




According to my handy Excel spreadsheet, I am 56% done on this year's quilts. Nevermind that I haven't finished much.

Triangles Finished

I finished the binding on the triangles today. It's really scrappy with a minky backing. Some of the triangles are pieced since the scraps weren't quite big enough.




It's a decent size baby blanket that I'll stash away for a gift one day.



The quilting created asterisks on the backing which goes well with the overall patterns.



This is one of the projects I listed for the Finish Along. Just 5 or 8 more to go.

Binding Bias

I did manage to finish quilting the triangles today despite my best efforts to stay in house pants all day. My plans were foiled when we had to make sure no one in the house gets rabies so off to the vets we went.

Once out, I did make it over to the old house to stitch a bit.







Now I have to decide if I'm brave enough to try a bias binding on it. It was recommended at the guild yesterday and it does make sense for the inside corners.

Hopefully work will be settling down enough for me to get some more time at the frame soon. I've got 5 quilts ready to go with 2 more just needing finished backs.

I did finish a top yesterday so of course started a new one. It's coming together super fast.

Some Progress

It seems like every year when I figure out a goal (or two) for my sewing that I happen across others with the same general plan. Last year it was not buying fabric for a few months and there were plenty of people trying the same resolution.*
I've spent the last week or so focusing on not starting new projects since I ended the year with at least 15 projects in the works. The number may seem high but the urge to finish is pretty common on blogs this year. So I've updated my Excel spreadsheet and made some neat piles. I'm linking up to the Finish Along at Quilter in the Gap for the first quarter. Here are my projects to be completed -






It is kinda a mug shot setup with the front and side views but there are six projects there.

1. Summer Takeout
2. Arabella Diamonds
3. Sunkissed Jelly Roll Magic
4. Triangle Quilt, Triangle Quilt, Doing the Things a Triangle Can
5. Grand Bazaar
6. Origins HST (with the border fabric hanging in the back

The last two need backing fabric still.**

Oh and the turtle quilt top that I gave away for Christmas and brought back home to finish. Because that's classy.





However, my main goal this year is not to sew with any deadlines, I did enough of that in 2011. So we will see what gets done without pressure.

Oh and I will be starting a new project that makes me giggle tomorrow. Or next week.


*Please ignore the full shelves in the following pictures. I mostly succeeded.
**Again, can I say that there are not enough flannel choices out there?

Going Coastal Christmas

The giant quilt I made for my brother's family is getting lots of use already. There seems to be some confusion on sharing but these two seem to have come to an understanding.
Thanks to my mom, the binding was on Christmas Eve morning and we even had time to wash and dry just in time for present opening. Christmas was saved (actually saved about 42 times, so that's nice).
The pattern is a modified version of a pattern by Stitched in Color with a few extra rows at the bottom since I found it to be really wide but not long enough.  Easy peasy to adjust though.






I still really love that fabric and have a plan for another quilt here soon.

P.S. This was finished quilt number 17 for 2011.  I am a bit behind on blogging still though.

Starting at the Last Minute

Hopefully finishing before the last second.

I'm working on a new gift and needed a bit of muslin. Here's my go to fabric that use instead.



I have a ton of it and I use it to test ideas or line things but I'm afraid that as soon as its gone, I'll think of the perfect project that needs a bunch.

It's some of my only per washed fabric because we used it as table cloths for a 3 themed birthday years ago.

One of the Three

This could be pure genius or the start of a disaster. Guess I'll find out soon enough.

Quick Flannel Pillowcases

I whipped up two quick wintery flannel pillowcases today after completely rethreading the serger. It's important to whip up something after spending so much time on that chore. Otherwise what sticks in your head is that the serger is persnickety. Which it is but three super fast seams later, these cute kits (which showed up in a package today from Above All Fabrics closing sale) are now ready for Christmas.









P.S. also not on my list.