THE DONE DEAL

My quest to de-stash some of my fabric really went well this week.  I found a fast and easy pattern and it is really pretty made up.  So Block A with 13 of them went fast.   

I did mis-calculator on fabric and found I did not have enough of the green to do 12 Block B's.  I was not completely sure about the addition of this second fabric, but I had no choice in the matter.  

In the end the quilt came out just perfectly.  So much so that I am tempted to make another with this pattern.  The size is nice 50 by 50 inches.  

And I have a finished quilt top so I am going to link up with.

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WILD HONEY AGAIN

I made this runner just a week or two ago in a different fabric.  I really like the pattern and I needed a gift for a friend that I worked with for a number of years before we both retired.  She and her husband are coming to dinner in a week or so and a gift needed done right away.  [You can see my first project done in this pattern on my Featured Post]   

I got the first block done and then realized I did not want to spend a ton of time quilting the runner in the same spiral that I did the first runner.

Blue painters tape makes wonderful straight line quilting runs.  I was reminded of this by a fellow blogger.  I usually use Frixon pens, but they do not show up well on the dark fabric I used for the centers of my blocks.  

The quilting went fast and really nice and straight.  

And the gift is done.  I love the gold block, so used that fabric for the binding.  Each blocks quilting was done in a color to match the outer fabrics.

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FABRIC STASH REDUCTION

I have a LOT of fabric.  It is somewhat out of control.  Many of my fabrics are years and years old as well.  Not always what I want to sew with these days for myself.  I have decided I must do something to reduce them.  This is just the front view of two of my closet shelves.  There are 20 piles total on just these two shelves.  Time to do something.    

I belong to a quilt guild that has a charity program that gives over 200 quilts each year to various agencies.  I plan this coming year to make as many top out of this stash in-between doing some things for myself, family, or guild challenges.  Plus it will keep me busy on something that I do not have to keep.  I have enough quilts already for our personal use.  The nice thing is I do not have to quilt what I finish for the program.  All they require is a top and binding.  

So for the start of my first top.  I selected a pattern from Sunday Morning Quilts by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison.  I only needed three fabrics, but it does look like I will use up all three completely to finish this 50 by 50 inch quilt.  I did discover one thing about this pattern.  I had to draw out my own individual blocks instructions to make the 10.5 unfinished block sizes.  There is not an exact pattern to make each block, and each one of them is different in their layout.  Graph paper really worked well.  I drew out 11 different layouts and that should set me up to make the 25 blocks I will need.  

Row one done.

And now two rows done as well.

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Drunkard Path Block

I have been working on a project I saw on Stitched in Color some time ago.  These 4.5 inch Drunkard Path blocks were pretty time consuming.  Plus as they are scrappy it takes a ton of time crawling through one's sash to come up with the combinations.  

But finally this week I got it all laid out on our bed and it was ready to sew together.  Yes, four blocks sewn together to make an 8 inch completed block.  And there are seven blocks in a row and eight rows.  If you do the math that was 224 of the little buggers.  And no, I don't have any idea why I decided to do this, but I am really happy I did.  I love it.  

And here it is and it is off to the quilter.

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THE ZOO QUILT

All three of my daughters and their friends are well beyond the baby years, but I still end up now and again making a baby quilt for one of my or their co-workers or one of my daughters suddenly needs a baby quilt for some one.  My supply has been depleted over the last couple years so it was time to make a couple and set them away for Just In Case situations.  

I purchased this fabric some time ago.  It is a Moda called  Savannah.  Along with the panels I bought the fat quarter brick of fabrics that go with them. 

I put together 15 of these 10.5 inch blocks.

And 10 of these blocks that were 8 by 10.5 inches.  Some of these blocks had two animals and others like this one three.  

They are just too cute.  

It didn't take long to get a good start on finishing the quilt top.  

And the top is finished.  It will go off to the quilter as soon as I get the back sewn together.  

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QUILTING THE UFO

I started this project in February 2013, some things take a while to finish!  I am not sure why I set things aside for so long, but this week I decided it needed to be quilted and finished.  There was no particular reason for not quilting it, as I like it.  I just didn't!!!!

Not being a free motion quilter I went for straight lines.  I drew lines with my frixon pen, once sewn they just are gone with a hot iron.  

A here we are.  I did diagonal line quilting on it and I am pleased with the results.  And another UFO done.  

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Wild Honey

My VBF Brooke a week or two ago showed the start of a project with a pattern called Wild Honey, a free pattern by Sharon Holland.
Now Brooke made it really easy for me, we had purchased the fabric together last year while I was out for my annual visit and quilt shopping sprees, so I didn't even have to figure out what fabrics to use. 

Quilting my own projects is a real challenge for me.  I don't free motion despite a 5 day class a couple years ago.  I know practice, practice, practice, but that isn't much fun.  So I used this circular quilting instead, and I think it works perfectly for this runner.  

Plus a little straight line quilting between the blocks. 

And the finished project.  I love that gold fabric!

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Is It Really to Late to Make This?

At the very last minuet I have decided to make a pumpkin table runner.  Hurry hurry did not work out well.  First pumpkin upside down.  Really!!!!  The good news was I was able to unstitch all the appliqué, which I did with a hem stitch and save the backing with a press and correct it  

The second block worked out from the beginning much better.  

And before I knew it four blocks done.  I think I will be making a 10 by 40 inch runner.  So if I hurry more carefully I think I can finished it.  

And things went much better at the end than they started and it is ready for the table.  

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Cat Rescue Quilt Fundraiser

On of my daughters is involved in cat rescue.   They spay and neuter stay cats by trapping them and eventually retuning them to their colonies.  They also have regular feeding schedules for the colonies.  I help out by offering some fund raising items to assist with vet bills and food.

I happened to see this really cute free cat pattern on a blog and decided I should make a runner to help out with one of their fundraisers.  

 You have to admit that this little bird insert in of the borders of the runner was just too cute to omit.  

Now cats need whiskers, but this just didn't work out so well, so I pulled out all these itty bitty stitches and made a change. 

And decided this was more like it.  My 12wt thread whispers made more of a statement.  

And the finished project.  It will go up for auction in the next week on their fundraiser site.  

However, everyone knows there are not only black cats.  So another for a future fundraiser is in progress. Black cats, orange cats and grey cats.

And here they are, just ready to hand stitch the binding.  

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