Sunday, January 20, 2013

Two plus 2 Round 2

Next up in the UFO battle - my Two plus 2 that I started at Sisters, OR in 2011. As of the beginning of the day, the center star was done. Many 4 patches later, it is up to the second round in this medallion quilt. The next round is another plain strip, then a bunch of 6" LeMoyne stars. This started with two jelly rolls and 2 yards of black, but more fabric is being added since the quilt is growing, currently at 50" square.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Cleaned up sewing room

It has been a while since my sewing room was built, but it has evolved since I last shared pictures, and mostly it is a mess. I was cleaning up for a small quilt group get together, so thought I'd take a few pictures while it is pretty picked up.
This spot hasn't changed too much, my Koala and my Bernina 200 reside here. There is a pull-down design wall that covers the window when I need it. I used it to keep the charms for the bag I just finished in order.
The center of the room has my cutting table/storage units. There are two on the left, back to back to create a large cutting area. You can see the drawers are mostly filled with thread, but also my Marti Michell templates, presser feet, and cutting implements. In back are open shelves with my rotary cutting rulers and file boxes. Underneath are the boxes with fabric for current projects.
By the outside door I have peg board that holds my quilting templates.
The table on the right is often covered with current projects, but somehow most of them are finished now and could get put away. It should be a space where I can prep for applique. Maybe I can get some of those projects back on track now.
The unit on the left is where my Bernina 630 normally resides. The back of the unit flips up to give me a large area when quilting my quilts. The drawers hold embroidery units and stabilizer. The top drawer is a mess, but holds extra needles and bobbins. Perhaps some drawer dividers are in its future. I open it and put a mat/board on it when quilting to help with the weight of large quilts.
I use the 630 a lot, maybe because the TV is right there! I can watch and sew at the same time. Fabric overflow is under the TV. Fabric overflow is everywhere. I really need to make and give away some quilts. I do, but more are in my future.
The white cabinets are supposed to hold all of my fabric. They are full, hence the fabric overflow. They do have bins inside, with labels, and are sorted. When I need something, I pull out a bin, then can fairly easily tidy things back up again. Except what I have pulled out of the bin for a current project. That goes into a smaller, project tote.

Charming Handbag

I bought a charm pack of Etchings to make a small handbag from the Charm Party Tote pattern by Penny Sturges. Of course, it keeps disappearing in my sewing room. So when I finally got around to trying to do something with these charms, I went online and found the Charming Handbag tutorial at the Moda Bake Shop. I pieced the body using the bits as leader/enders, then it just sat. This week I have been cleaning my sewing room, finished the top of the Civil War Chronicles, was all caught up on Grandmother's Choice (until this morning), so decided to finish up this bag before getting more stuff out (and deciding what to work on next ). It is lined with chambray, and is reinforced with cotton batting. I used the extra charms for pockets on the inside.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Grandmother's Choice BOWs 19 & 20

Old's Maids Ramble is a fussy block, I pressed seams open a lot to get it to lie flat, and it does! This was BOW 19 in Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice BOW.
then we had a nice easy one for BOW 20, Memory Wreath. I think I subconciously picked black fabrics for this one, see Barbara's post.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

flower Fairy baby quilt done

I have been collecting flower fairy inspired fabric for a while, so when the chance came to make a little girl quilt, I had just the fabric. First finish of the year, even before the Quilter's Album, which I thought would be the first. Must get back to that!

Civil War chronicles - Month 11 done

Months 1 - 11 are assembled into the center of this very large quilt. It is growing on me again.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Civil War Chonicles progress

Months 1 through 10 are now done, and I thought I'd share what the corner will look like, sort of. Month 11 will be another set of 6 3/4" blocks, which will replace 2 of the month 10 blocks in each corner. Then the border.
Right now I am obsessed with finishing this quilt. Cutting and piecing Month 11, which has more fussy cutting. Sigh!
I made a template for the side triangles, but haven't cut any yet. Maybe Sunday I will reach that point.

Another baby quilt (top)

A baby quilt with pink and brown? I think this fits the bill. Still to be quilted. This was designed around the fairy square in the middle, using EQ7.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

2012 Wrap-up

In 2011 I started way too many things, still working on getting those done! I started fewer things in 2012, and actually got most of them done, plus working on those 2011 UFOs.
1. Cornucopia of Thanks queen size quilt + 4 pillowcases to match (started and finished in 2012)
2. What little boys are made of (baby quilt) & Rain forest bag/tote (started and finished in 2012)
3. Sock Monkey snowball (baby quilt) & matching bag/tote(started and finished in 2012),
4. Noro striped scarf (started and finished in 2012),
5. Farmer's Wife sampler (queen/king, started in 2009,binding done in 2012)
6. Hugs for Marilyn lap size quilt (started and finished in 2012)
7. Opal Draco socks
8. knit towelette (started and finished in 2012),
9. red washcloth, knit (started and finished in 2012),
10. Owl snowball (baby quilt) & matching bag/tote (started and finished in 2012),
11. Nightgown
12. Civil War Christmas twin size quilt (BB CW BOW), started in 2011
13. 8 mug rugs (started and finished in 2012),
14. Christmas Greetings from Elm Creek Manor - large wall hanging, started in 2011
15. KnitPurlHunter KAL shawlette, not sure when I started it, but late 2011 or early 2012

2012 worked on, but not finished
1. Prairie Paisley Patchwork Party - finished top, at long arm quilters, started in 2008
2. Civil War Chronicles - a few more months done, 4 months to go, started in 2011
3. Album blocks - swap from 2011, made another 25 or so, for 49 blocks,
assembled and quilting underway, should be the first finish of 2013, started in 2011
4. Grandmother's Choice BOW - new Barbara Brackman BOW, up to date, only thing started in 2012 that is not done yet
5. Women of the Bible quilt - worked on border, UFO from 2005

I think I completed more than I started, the annual goal. And the first four on the second list will get done this year for sure. The WOBQ, maybe not, just getting more done on it would be good though! Other things I started in 2011, that I would like to finish are:
1. Stars for a New Day
2. Two + 2, a medallion quilt made with jelly rolls
That isn't so bad. I should get a few starts in there too .