WIP Wednesday

Today is WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Here are the first two blocks for the Sun Bonnet Sue baby quilt I am making.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

WIP Wednesday - The Road Trip Quilt Along Blocks

Like so many other quilters, I am trying to finish some UFOs this year, before starting any new projects.  These blocks were made during the summer of 2012, as I followed along on the Road Trip Quilt Along that was hosted by the Sewing By Moonlight Blog.  

There are 16 blocks that needed to be sewn together into a quilt top.  I never did get the North Carolina block made that I planned.  Its still on my quilting bucket list though! I found fabric in my stash that would work for the sashing and corner stones.... because another quilting goal for 2015 is to use the fabric I have on hand.  I have been so blessed by the gift of fabric from my sister, sister-in-law and the mother of a coworker/friend at work.

I started working on it Saturday, January 3rd, and I've made quite a bit of progress this week. 

It works for me to try to work on projects for 15 minutes each morning before work.  This time around I am also trying to do 15 minutes after work.  I can usually do this while supper is cooking or while waiting for hubby to get home.

I spent some time on New Year's Day organizing my sewing room and moving some things around.  I moved the sewing machine to another window and I like it much better there.  Before I looked out on the road in front of my house and now I can look out over the fields.  This time of year there are no crops out there, so I can see for quite a long distance.

This post is linked to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Wip Wednesday - Sail Boats

Here is my current Work In Progress, a sailboat quilt for Grandson Number 4.  His Mama is going to use a nautical theme in his room.

I remembered that I had done a sailboat block before, more than 15 years ago, in a couple of sampler quilts.  The pattern came from the book, Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel.  I still love that book, first published in 1982.

So I found my book and then figured out the rotary cutting sizes that would make the same block, instead of using the cardboard pattern pieces that I used "in the old days" before rotary cutting.

Ms. Bonesteel's beautiful version of this quilt.

My version of the quilt will have a white background.  I haven't decided on the border and binding yet.  As for the name for this quilt.... I can't get the name, "Blue Skies From Now On" out of mind.  The backing is going to be blue skies with clouds fabric. 

I plan to quilt swirls underneath the boats to give the look of ocean waves.

This post is linked to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Quilted

I finished the quilting of Lavender Kisses and its waiting to get its dark purple binding tonight.

The quilting on the front turned out ok, but the back is not as good.... But for the size of the quilt, I am pleased.

This post is linked to Freshly Pieced - WIP Wednesday

and to Fabric Frenzy at Fort Worth Fabric Studio.

WIP Wednesday

I've been muddling along in the sewing room, trying to make some headway, despite a crazy January!  Here's what's going on:

I've been wanting to try a "Wonky Star", aka "Maverick Star " using instructions from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville.  I think it turned out really cute.  These fabrics were a gift to me by a blog reader and these pre-cut 2 1/2 inch squares were exactly what the pattern calls for.  Hubby was concerned that the star points were not the same size.... but I assured him that's the way they are supposed to be.

I'm working on a Christmas Log Cabin quilt.  I have a container of all kinds of Christmas fabrics that I want to make use of.  So, I went through it and chose lots of fabrics that have a small print.  I won't buy any more, no matter what.  This quilt will be made with what ever is in that container..

I have the strips laid out to use in sort of a leader and ender fashion.

I'm also working on a purple/lavender quilt using the Lemoyne Star pattern, sometimes also called a "Star Flower".

These two blocks are on display for me to copy, to be sure pieces are in the correct place.

The post in linked to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced HERE.

WIP Wednesday

I'm linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced HERE.

My Jewel Box/Buckeye Beauty quilt top has been completely pin basted and sitting in the corner of my sewing room since this past February, 2013. 

So last weekend, after I finished sewing all the Christmas presents I intended to make, I set everything up for free motion quilting.  I put the folding table up to the left of the sewing machine, put the quilting foot on the machine and filled some bobbins. 

This quilt is really scrappy.  It contains every single kind of fabric you can think of, including a few Christmas prints.  I decided to quilt it with swirls, which might not have been the best decision, since swirls are much more time consuming that my normal puzzle piece meander quilting. 

So far I'm almost to the half way point with the quilting.  I would really love to finish it completely, binding and all, by the time this coming weekend comes to an end, but that might be a bit ambitious.  I should at least be able to finish it by the end of the year.

One way I manage to get some quilting done, even when I'm really busy with other things, is to quilt in 15 minute segments.  Sewing for one 15 minute segment out of each hour is slow, but steady.  It keeps me from getting too burned out with the quilting.  The swirls quilting is hard on my right wrist, for some reason, and quilting for long periods of time is not good.  After work, if I can quilt for a couple of 15 minute segments, I feel like I've made good progress for the day.

WIP Wednesday - Checkers Game Quilts

I've been working on some hand made Christmas gifts lately.  But, sometimes its hard to come up with good hand made gift ideas for men.  When I came across a board game quilt pattern, I thought that might be a good idea.  So, I made this Checkers Game quilt top using a pattern by Kathleen Tracy in her book, "Prairie Children and Their Quilts".  Tracy blogs at A SENTIMENTAL QUILTER.




Checkers Game Board

I need to come up with the checkers game pieces.  I have lots of plastic coke bottle lids that might work.  The only problem is that when you need to "crown" your opponent, they don't stack on top of each other too well.  In the past, men would play checkers in the neighborhood country stores and they used metal bottle caps. 

I considered hand quilting the game boards, since they are small and would make a great "TV watching" project.  But, if I make 4 of these, plus the other gifts that I am working on, there wouldn't be enough time.  I can machine quilt one of these in just a few minutes, so that's the better option since its less than 4 months until Christmas.

I like these small quilts  for the game aspect, but also for the fact that they can be displayed in a home in many ways when not being used for a checkers game.  They would look nice on the back of a chair, on the wall, or as a table topper.

This post is linked to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced HERE.

WIP Wednesday, Riley Blake Stars

Today is WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. 

I haven't been doing a whole lot of sewing lately.  Its just one of those periods of time that we all go through from time to time, I guess.  I want to sew, but there's some kind of mental block that keeps me from making any progress.  Too much going on!

But here is what I'm working on, even if its a very slow process:

A new baby quilt, still using the Riley Blake left overs from "Eli's Coming" and "Pinwheels and Prairie Points".

This is the pattern I am using, except the background will be white instead of the black.

This is a pile of 1 1/2 inch strips to be used for one of the borders.

 

Here's one boo boo I had to fix. Yikes, I really wasn't paying attention. I lined up the seams and everything.

Happy Wednesday to you!

Pam Kitty Table Runner

Today I am linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

The project I am working on at the moment is a simple table runner using Pam Kitty fabric.  A half yard of the front fabric and a half yard of the backing fabric make a nice size table runner. 

It was easy to put together a quilt sandwich using the whole cloth pieces and then free motion quilt it.

I worked on the binding last night while watching the Waltons!

I love this "vintage feel" fabric.

Other projects waiting in the wings:

1.  I need to free motion quilt the Jewel Box/Buck Eye Beauty quilt!  Its been pin basted and ready to quilt for months.

2.  I need to sew the Road Trip Quilt Along blocks from last summer into a quilt top.

3.  I'm still working on the Cheddar Bow Ties Quilt as a Leaders and Enders projects.

Have a great Wednesday!

WIP Wednesday - Eli's Coming

Today is WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  My work in progress for this week is a baby quilt for my newest grandson due in August.  I worked all day on Memorial Day and was able to finish the top.

Eli's Coming

 Every time I mentioned working on Eli's quilt, my hubby would burst into  a song called "Eli's Coming".  I thought it was some cute little Bible song he had sung in Sunday School as a child.  But, when I did an internet search, I realized it was a song from 1969 by Three Dog Night.  LOL Click HERE to hear the song if you are too young... or too old to remember it.

But, I think its the perfect name for this quilt... because Eli is coming... in August.

This fabric is called Woodland Tails by Riley Blake.  Some of the coordinating fabrics are from other fabric lines from Riley Blake.

When you don't worry about the dust bunnies and things like that on your day off from work, you can get a lot done on a quilt!  Below is the pin basting process:

I am planning machine quilted swirls and stippling for this quilt.  I would love to finish it before the weekend. 



Close up of Woodland Tails.