Lovely Year of Finishes - January

I have met my January goal of using the improv blocks made during a class at Quiltcon 2013.  It measures 52 x 58 and is quite warm.

I thought I would try out something new for the quilting.  Its a jagged type of FMQ and it didn't turn out the way I saw it in my mind.  Not bad, just not what I imagined.  I am not sure I will use this again.  Perhaps, I shall call this a learning experience.

Linking today to the Lovely Year of Finishes January party.

Has the Time Finally Come?

When I first started quilting many years ago, I was on fire.  I quilted every pattern I saw, including a scrappy Storm At Sea quilt.  It was not made with paper piecing or with templates, but I just cut the pieces using the pattern's measurements.  This quilt stressed me out and I think it is the reason why I now avoid angles!

When my sister saw it, she loved it and said she wanted one.  I was so happy, I immediately agreed, but I was burned out on triangles.  For over 10 years now, she keeps asking me when is she going to get her quilt.  I keep telling her that I will make her any other type of quilt, but she always says no.

Last year, I thought I would try again and use a Storm at Sea paper pieced block that I found on the net.  But, I could not get the pieces to line up correctly. 

Last night was the first Friday Night Sew In (FNSI) of January and I tested a paper pieced Kaleidoscope blocks using scraps.  These lay flat and are 6.5 inches square.  

Now, I am just wondering if I can make a whole quilt using these blocks because they are a bit time consuming to make.  Oh well. She has waited over 10 years for this quilt, what is 10 more a few years more.

Design Wall Monday - Jan19

The blocks for the Hip To Be Square challenge are completed and it can no longer be contained on my design wall.  There is another row of blue blocks that make up the far right column.  

It started out as a 4x4 block design, but I wanted something bigger and changed it to 5x5.  The color choice was determined by my scraps and I could have easily kept going with blues and reds.  I learned that the saying is true - if you don't like the fabric, you haven't cut it small enough.  There are some fabrics that I no longer like, but I am amazed at how well the blocks look with so much pattern going on.

Also, this month's theme at Le Challenge is "dots".  I started pulling from my stash, but then realized I had too many dots to go through everything.  I decided on this pile of dots from my scraps.  Right now I am thinking maybe it will be a mug rug.

Linking to Design Wall Monday and Oh Scrap.

Design Wall Monday - Jan 12

Just when I thought I had made a serious dent in my scraps, I found a bag stuffed with blue scraps and 2.5 squares (sigh).  I had no idea what to do with these fabrics, but then found the Hip to Be Square Challenge.

At first I started randomly sewing the blue squares together, but thought it needed something more.   So I added low volume squares to form a plus.  Then I thought I would add more colors.  I am not sure where this is going yet, but I have plenty more scraps to work with.

Linking today to Design Wall Monday and Oh Scrap!

2015 Finish Along - Quarter 1 Intentions

I am hoping to keep up the momentum from 2014 and continue to increase my finishes in 2015.  So I am joining the 2015 Finish-Along and listing my ambitious goals for Quarter 1.

(1) Tilt.  Poor Tilt, this top was completed in 2012 and was my first attempt at machine quilting.  I ran out of thread, bought new thread, then used that for a different project.  The quilting is 75% complete and I think it really is time to finish this quilt.

(2) Happy-Go-Lucky Hexy quilt.  My car project from Christmas 2013 travel has been a top for awhile now.  The hand quilting is about 10% completed.

(3) Lime Spider Web.  I finished my red spider web in the Fall of 2013 and loved it so much I started another one in lime.  Spider Webs are a great scrap busting project.  It is so great, that I currently am out of scraps.  70% of the blocks are completed.

(4) Idea Pouch.  I think I bought the buttons for the enclosure, I just need to find them and sew them on. 

(5). Scrappy Happy Houses.  I keep on making these houses because they use up a lot of scraps and look so cute!  My current stack of blocks can make 2 and 1/2 quilts, so my goal would be to make 2 house quilts.

(6). Improv Circles.  This mini is 26 x 27 and is bound, but I have always kept it in my WIP pile.  It never seemed finished to me.  I want to display this as a piece of art, and my goal is to try and find a way to mount this piece.  I recently found a tutorial that showed how to mount a quilt to a wooden frame.  So I may try that, if I can find that tute again.

(7).  Texas Quilt.  The top is 50% completed.

(8).  Improv blocks from Quiltcon 2013 class.  Top is completed, just needs quilting.

(9).  City Sampler Tula Pink blocks completed and need to be made into a top. 

(10). Pink Greek Cross quilt blocks completed and need to be turned into a top.

(11). Lolly scrap quilt.  All the strips have been cut from yardage since I am not using a jelly roll.
(12). Hip To Be Square Challenge.  The stack of blue scrap squares are cut 

(13).  The Proverbial Quilt was completed in 2012, but I couldn't figure out how to quilt it.  I really like the fabric and would love to finish the quilt.  Most likely I will not get to this project until later this year.

This sounds like a lot of projects, but maybe writing them down this on a list will motivate me to start moving.  Hoping I will have some Quarter 1 finishes to show.

Design Wall Monday - Jan.5

Its the first Design Wall Monday of the year and I have a design wall!  Yes, no more using the floor. Over the holidays, I moved some furniture and created a design wall.  

The first project for the design wall are these blocks that I made during an improv class at Quiltcon 2013.  I sewed them all together, but then put the project away.  I never felt right about this piece because the blocks were lost when sewed together.

So I got out the seam ripper and threw them up on the design wall.  They look so much better now that they have been set free.  First up, I think that I will reinforce a few seams and then press the blocks.  

It may be ambitious, but I think that finishing this project will be my January goal for the Lovely Year of Finishes.

Hello 2015!

Goodbye 2014 and hello 2015!

2014 was an interesting time for me, sewing-wise.  If I had to choose a word to describe last year, it would be "focused" or maybe "determined".

The first quarter of the year was spent pattern testing.  Then in the Spring I walked into my sewing room and had a horrible, depressing moment.  I had to admit that my stash, scraps, and WIPs were out of control!  I mean, it hit me hard when I realized that my stash could outlive me!  And add to that feeling a bit of buyer's remorse when I wondered if the Janome 8900 was a good purchase for me.

I decided to slay that stash monster and get organized.  I participated in every quilt drive and block drive I could find and also made tote bags and pillow cases for charity.  My Janome no longer taunted me as it got seriously used for much of last year.  Sometimes it seems like I didn't make a dent in the stash, but I have a feeling that I did.

My goals for 2015

• Have fun at Quiltcon 2015! 
• Be more intentional with my color choices on my projects.
• Take better pictures (Ugh! I know, I know this is an old goal...but it is time to tackle it).
• Take some time to practice more FMQ on quilt sandwiches
• Explore improv quilting
• Total blog redesign

I haven't chosen a word for 2015 yet, but I am thinking it will be "flow."

Linking today to Finish it Friday and Whoop, Whoop Friday.