43.1 “Handwork” to avoid carrying around my machine

A small sewing group meets about once a month and I have been able to be a part of it. I took my pinwheel blocks, which are leftover from as swap from 2010 or 2011 and decided to ask if I could learn how to “spin the centers” of the back of the pinwheels

Somehow I had a little bit of a struggle. One, I misheard and started pulling apart the backs of the last seam instead of the next to last seam. Things went crazy. The block was re-sewn.

Eventually I did get it figured out, with the help of my friends. I didn’t cut off my dog ears before sewing these down, which actually made it decently easy to pop the opposite seam (both sides) and flatten it out. I sat the afternoon and got most, if not all, the pinwheels popped. I had 88 pinwheels to do.

Then, sometime the last few months in between projects, I got some sashing, cornerstones figured out and cut to size.

Which meant I had to trim up my pinwheels to the same size.

I was able to use some offline time away from my machine, away from internet to work on these. It was sorta tiresome, but the perfect opportunity to do a little bit of offline sewing.

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37.3 Finishing the old inspires the new

One major benefit of my annual March-A-Long is that often times to help fulfill my self requirement of 15 minutes of sewing a day, that I dive onto Quilter’s Cache or into EQ7 and start looking at new quilts, new blocks, new ides, new patterns.

Also, working on the long-ago formed Weave Quilt last month, made me think about other quilts that I have been close on. Figuring out what steps need to be done to finally finish those that are close or “oh so close” that sit in the corner unused, unadmired.

I have been wanting to get back to work on the longarm again, but to do that, I needed a quilt that was ready with a finished backing. I end up piecing like “all” of my backs for some reason or another, I don’t like buying backing fabric.

And I have been about 16 inches short on a back for my samurai Sudoku quilt for a few years now. So close. I have the pattern for the quilting picked out, I have the hours prepaid for renting time on the long arm.

But my aversion to phones & appointments, and the not finished back has kept me down, kept me from getting another bed sized quilt done.

Until this past weekend. Whoo! The back of this monster is done!

This does not fit in my living room.

Luckily, I just had to make the backing a little larger. I hope it is square enough.

I even sewed the zippers on because I knew I wanted to quilt this one next.

As much fun as it would be to do custom quilting on this quilt, I don’t have the time or energy to do so, I have a large pantograph for this quilt that I bought a few years ago when I finished the border.

And finally I had an open day off with nothing else planned, and so decided to call to rent time on the long-arm.

Thanks to the guild for having a long-arm panel this last month and opening up the conversation to getting quilts done that way.

And I have an appointment for friday. I hope I remember it all! I think I will!

And then since I was on a “finishing up borders kick” I decided to stop where I was on the gemini sky quilt, which in my mind I had been wanting something else on the borders than what I had already done.

And I finished pieces for the backing on this quilt too. since I was thinking about backings.

So I have another quilt ready for the quilting stage. 🙂

And then thought of 2 other things to do to other quilts, other ideas for new quilts. Neither of which are matched up yet, and I misplaced something I need for one thing.  My hand appliqued hot air balloon has the perfect backdrop once I figure out where I stashed it.

I am excited to get these old items done & done. Then I can say I completed more than like 1 quilt in 2015.

I would like to do more of these. Maybe as a series.

And since I wanted a “dice bag” for my carcassonne tiles. I made 2. One for me and one to sell at the quilt show. 2nd one is the same, but not pictured here.

Anyway, wish me luck. I am heading friday to quilt the samarai sudoku quilt, and then saturday to play tabletop games for tabletop day. Looking forward to my long weekend of fun!

UFO Hit List – Targets for July 2012

So you remember my recent hairbrained scheme to help me get rid of my UFO’s? My Hit List?

This is going to be sorta like the finish along goals, only personal targets.  May post APB’s for groups of quilts at a time.

Target List Today

Today’s Target is a single quilt of 2 parts:

The Exothermic Wonders Quilt & Exothermic Wonders Quilt back

Fraternal twins

One half of the quilt is done, the top half. This is the highlighted, shiny, planned side of the quilt.

The debonaire brother that has style class and alternating blocks.

Showing many kinds of techniques like curved piecing, strip piecing, paper piecing, chunking, sashing & cornerstones.

Wanted since: 2011

Aliases: Hot flashes

Latest artist rendering of the quilt.

The other half of the quilt is what is wanted, more highly charged.

The back half of the quilt, the rough, free flowing, go with the flow kind of quilt.

The scruffy brother that may or may not be in trouble with the law.

Still in progress, but very close to completion & capture.

Showing many kinds of techniques like varied pieced borders, center medallion themes.

Wanted since: 2012

Latest artist rendering of the quilt.

Both quilts wanted in conjunction for the same quilt.

Be on the lookout for this UFO. Dangerous & HOT!

 

 

UFO Hit List – Wanted Poster

After seeing all my quilts in a large laundry basket, I decided to create a UFO Hit List for completing my quilts.  Perhaps this will give me an incentive for finishing that will seem more valuable than the Finish A Long.

I wish I had Seamed UP data to aid in this, but for now, I’ll have to rely on my memory & my actual quilts that are in front of me.

I don’t know how when or why I got so many UFO’s. These are the ones that got special folders in my Pictures file & I’m sure I’ve missed some here.

The Chain Gang

Some of the items in this list I may never make (the fairy godmother one, but you never know). Some I have made, so I should cross them off the list.

Some of these have morphed & changed, and some are never started yet.  And I KNOW I’ve missed one or two. Or 5.

But this is pretty much my list.

In order by year of start date.

So maybe seeing this and posting my UFO hit list I can visually see making progress. But this would also mean a new hit list generated for every new project.

Stats at the beginning of the project, July 15, 2012.

• Total Quilts: 48
• Quilts Taken out: 10
• Quilts Remaining: 38

We’ll see where this project goes (if anywhere).

I know I could always put a half a cross on everything that has gotten to the quilt top stage.   One by one on some days (maybe I’ll pick a day of the week) I’ll put a target up on a quilt or two that I could highlight.

If I was only half as fast as some of my most admired fastest quilting friends, this list would be knocked out within the week month. That’s not the point I’m sure, but I am using this method to help keep track of all my quilts. For now. 🙂

Happy Quilting.

And tell me if you make up your own quilt hit list.