Saturday, February 28, 2015

How lucky am I?

I just got this in the mail this afternoon.

 
I almost forgot about it, but when I opened the package which was like opening a Christmas package, I had all this Aurifil thread.
 


 
If that wasn't enough, there was a little charm pack of fabrics in there, too; and this great little pattern.
 
 
How did I come by this great little package?
 
I posted a comment on Bunny Hill blog and my name was one of seven that were drawn to win this.
 
I am so excited.  Like I commented on her blog....the thread colors are "yummy" and I do love Aurifil thread. 
 
If you would like to visit her blog, you can do it here
 
I am so excited and can't wait to get started on this adorable mini quilt.  It's in keeping with my Christmas UFOs that I am still working on.  Little did I know that I would still be working on Christmas projects well into March.  I will definitely be prepared for Christmas 2015 this year. 
 
Thank you, thank you!!!
 
 

Friday, February 27, 2015

Overachiever and/or Obsessive/Compulsive

Probably a little of both.
 
I started out this month trying to finish four projects at once. They were on the UFO list and so close to being finished.   They are now all ready for the long arm, but there they sit because I pulled out another UFO to have something to work on by "hand" while watching TV at night. 
 
Well, I got obsessed with this "hand project".
 
 
This is just the center of my hand-pieced, 1 inch thimbles. 
 
Thank goodness all the rows of this thimble quilt were completed back in 2006, but because I was so concerned about perfection when putting the rows together and that was just not happening at the time,  I just put it away for a later date.  Well, that later date was February 2, 2015.  I figured if it was going to get done, there was not going to be perfection, so I just DID it.  
 
Somehow, I got it in my head that charm quilts had to be 2000 pieces.  I now know that is not true, but what can I say. 
 
Back in 2006 I bought this rubber stamp....
 
 
along with these ink pads.
 
 
The darker ink for the lighter fabrics and the white ink for the darker fabrics.
 
I gleaned fabric from my stash and several friends' stashes and even picked garbage during a retreat just so that I would have 2000 different pieces of fabric. Not an easy feat. 
 
I have some left over thimbles and a bunch of little squares to cut out more if I so desired. 
 
 
 
I DO NOT so desire.
.
Next step for this quilt is to find a border fabric. The top and bottom will be straight stitched, but I am thinking I will be doing applique for the sides as they are kind of zig zaggy.  I did not want to trim them straight for fear I would cut off my knots and then have some unraveling happen. 
 
For now, this quilt is going to be set aside while I get back to some of my other UFOs.  When, I find my perfect border fabric and start applying  that to the thimbles, I will report back.  I AM on a mission to get this one done......THIS YEAR!!!  I think 9 years is long enough to be sitting in the cupboard waiting to be finished.
 
Happy Quilting. 
 


Sunday, February 8, 2015

Feeling energized.....

Things are moving along here. 
 
I am two rows away from being half way with the thimbles quilt. 
 
 
As a reminder, these are 1" thimbles and the rows have been together for some time.  In fact, on going through some old photos, I found that these rows have been done since 2006.  Egads!  If that doesn't make one want to get busy on some UFO's then I don't know what!
 
Also, I finished the jelly roll quilt. 

 
I feel like I have my own baby quilt with that minky on the back.   It was so warm and toasty working with this on my lap while applying the binding. 
 
I am going to have to keep a close eye on this one though.  Already my daughter saw it and kind of gave me the doe-eyed look and an "aaaaahhhhhh" sound coming from her telling  me that she  would like THAT and then my grandson who LOVES soft things said he wanted it.  Yup....going to have to keep a close eye on this one. 
 
One side note for  this weekend.  Kudos to my three grandsons for all winning ribbons and trophies for their Pinewood Derby in Boy Scouts.  They were all very excited.
 
 
Have a great week!
 
 
 


Monday, February 2, 2015

In overdrive......

Could I just work on one thing and get it done?  No!
 
Went over my UFO list and there were so many things that seemed so do-able because they were almost done, that I thought I would work on 4 or 5 things at once.  Of course when you do that....nothing gets done quickly. 
 
I have been working on so much, I don't even know if it is worth trying to post pictures of all the progress here in one post. 

My 9-patches.....
 
This was going to be a quick and easy project, but I ran into a snag. 
 
Sewn together.
 
 
Pinned...
 
 
quilted.....
 
then washed and sewn into next Christmas's stocking
 
 
Lining is made and all I needed to do was to crochet a cuff, but darn, I have ripped that cuff out numerous times.  Don't know if it is the pattern or if it is me.  So, it got set aside for another day.
 
One of the other projects was my jelly roll quilt. 
 
 
Actually, this was made with a "twice the charm" and I had to cut each fabric in half so that I could do the jelly roll race.  This has been in my stash for eons.
 
Purchased some fabrics at a 60% off holiday fabrics sale  and put these borders on the quilt.
 
 
As of last night, this one got quilted with a sand colored minky and now it is ready for its binding (which is made).
 

 
I'll save the three other quilts that are going on the long arm very soon for another post.  I spent time getting the scrappy pieced backings made and just need to get the batts cut to size. 
 
But since I chucked the crochet project for a little while, I needed something to do with my hands in the evening in front of the TV. 
 
Now...I hesitate to even bring this up for fear that I will stick it away again for years since I made the rows several years ago. 
 
I felt the need to say that I "hand pieced" a quilt.  What do I choose? ...a charm, thimble quilt.
Don't ask me where I got the idea that a charm quilt had to be 2000 pieces, but here is my progress.
 
 
These are 1" thimbles and I have had the rows sewn for a very long time.  I put it away when I felt that I couldn't meet up my seams perfectly  when it came to putting the rows together.  Well, if I am going to get this done, I have to set aside perfection. 
 
I am telling myself if I can do two rows a night, I could have this top done in less than a month. 
 
Ok....that's it for this post.  I have three more quilts that will be going on the long arm very soon and will share those with you as they come off the machine. 
 
Wish me luck on those thimbles.  After getting back to it, now I want to see it finished. 
 
Yup....definitely in overdrive.   
 


Michigan quilters, take note

  Come see us at our first Quilter's to Quilter's sale.   Don't know what that is?  Well, it will be 28 quilters/vendors selling...