Making Progress

Today's Block Count: 14

I am still caught up on my 365 Challenge 2017. It's so nice to be able to say that. I've found that when you can say that something is up to date it makes everything else seem a bit less overwhelming.

I managed to get "caught up" on my 365 Challenge 2016, which just means that I have done enough blocks to have 1 a day for 2017. I don't think that 6 inch was supposed to be in my yellow border, but it's staying, and I will be jumping to the border that goes between my yellows and center...just so I can see the progress of it coming together better. It also means I can change some of the block colors for last year, to accomodate for the fact that there were bonus blocks and I wanted to be able to do those.

I also managed to make 9 Tiny Purple Jacob Ladder Blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge...and for my One Monthly Goal...however, one of them will be going into my orphan blocks because I rotated my 4 patches the wrong way, and I was not going to rip out on a 3.5 inch block.

I also managed a BONUS FINISH yesterday, I recovered my tv tray ironing board. This was the second time I had worn a hole into the top. Mine is removable, so that I could wash it if needed, so I just cut off the top and appliqued a new top layer on. Next time I might try just adding the new layer on top, we'll have to see if that works. But hopefully, I won't need to do that for a bit.

Block Counts:
365C2017 - 7/7
365C2016 - 5/5
RSC - 8/18
RSC2 - 0/6
WS/SS/PSM - 0/6
Total - 20/35
Bonus Blocks - 1
Finishes - 1

Why Do 1 When you can do 5?

So, apparently, I don't like to leave things very simple. While calculating all I wanted to do this year, I came up with a Big Monthly Goal, or a Monthly Block Goal...not sure what I'll call it at the end of the year. But I had seen someone who had a tally of how many blocks they made last year. And decided I wanted to see that too. So I'm going to try. Of course, my Daily Block Goal is 7 blocks a day to be able to do the ones that I have decided are my focus projects for this year (they could very well change, or get finished sooner...so I can substitute others in.). There is actually a breakdown for this.

Daily in order of Priority
1 365 Challenge 2017 (trying to stay current) (January count will be weird since It's on Australia Time)
1 365 Challenge 2016 (playing catchup...I'm in March)
3 RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) (Tiny Jacob's Ladder Blocks) (80 a month max)
1 RSC2 (Strippy blocks for Charity quilts) (30 a month max)
1 Winter Solstice/Splendid Sampler Block

I wasn't home the first 4 days of the year, so I am a little behind...but I hope to remedy that in the next couple days...but I'm still going to just push for the 7 and if I'm behind at the end of the month, I've got some Leader and Enders that can be pressed and counted too

Yesterday I managed 7 blocks.


Block Counts:
365C2017 - 6/6
365C2016 - 1/4
RSC - 0/15
RSC2 - 0/5
WS/SS - 0/5
Total - 7/35
Bonus Blocks - 0

2017 Goals

The first of the year always gets me thinking about what I hope to accomplish. This year, I'm really going to try to not join every quilt-along I see. This has always been a challenge for me because I see and I want to do. I'm giving myself just a few goals for the year.

1. I don't have to finish anything. This isn't about finishing, it's about enjoying. I have been a quilter, who just puts peddle to the metal and it gets a little overwhelming rather quickly. Then I stop everything.

2. I have a list of 2 projects that are carrying over from last year I want to find time to continue. The 365 Challenge is one of those. The other is the Splendid Sampler. (And I guess also in the category is Pat Sloan's Winter Solstice Quilt-Along, but I haven't actually started it yet. I did decide on a color scheme though. Black/White/Grey with a Color accent...Color to be decided later this week.)

3. I have wanted to follow the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for a few years, so I have decided on the project I want to use for that. I will be using a low priority UFO for this project. This will be my tiny Jacob's Ladder blocks that finish at 3.5 inches. I will need 80 blocks a month for this...but it should be a quick and easy little block that would be easy to get at least 3 blocks a day done. I will also be using the first 80 blocks in purple and neutral for my OMG link up with Elm Street Quilts. Picture is my trial block from some time ago (I think 2014).

4. If I have extra time (I know I have more than enough scraps). I want to try to get a quick and simple strippy charity quilt each month in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge Color...or at least the blocks sewn , so I can put the top together at Epic Sew Day. I will simply cut the scraps into 2.5 inch strips and sew 14.5 inch blocks with them.

5. #QuiltYourWeightOff2017 is a quilt along on Instagram that I am following this year as well. But it is more of a on your own project. As I lose a pound I can make 1 block. I'm planning on using Swoon Sixteen blocks for this project.

5. If I can manage all of these then I will go back and work on some of the other projects I was trying to follow, including the Quiltville 2016 Mystery Quilt, and a few other quilt alongs.

Play with Me QAL: Coppit

The block/board for the August for the Play with Me Quilt Along was Coppit. And the technique was curved piecing. This is as far as I've made it, thusfar, but the plan is to finish tomorrow.

I really am liking how this one is coming together. I specifically went with subtle differences in the squares. I play to accent the spaces when I quilt it by inlining (outlining just seemed like the wrong word :P ) each of the spaces.

I do feel that the curved piecing was faster (and easier) than the foundation piecing used for the curved spaces. However, I can say that I am getting pretty good at being able to just fold down the strip of fabric to get the spaces so I don't have to cut a piece of fabric for each space. Check out the other boards here.

FAL 2016: 3rd Quarter Goals.

 It's time again to assess what I want to try to get done in the next 3 months for the Finish-Along 2016. Rather than just keeping the leftovers from the first and second quarter I re-evaluated what I actually want to work on (or what has a deadline) and narrowed it down to 9 for this quarter.

Check out the other proposed finishes here. My list is number 44.

4. Allietare

6. Blue Quilt

5. Disappearing 9-Patch

8. My Car Quilt

7. Tumbler Quilt

9. Bravo Indigo

2. Star Swap

1. BAD 3 (Block a Day)

3. Vomit Quilt

Easy Street

Managed another Last Minute Finish for the Finish Along 2016. This one is my Easy Street by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville. This one measures 94 inches square. I love how it turned out. I used fabrics I already had and am quite pleased with how it turned out. I quilted it in an overall stipple.

You can find other great finishes here. This one is number 675.

Jacob's Ladder

This quilt was started as part of a Facebook group Quilt Along. We were working with the traditional block, Jacob's Ladder. I chose to make my blocks large and use some of the fun Novelty fabrics that I had gathered. The block size is 18 inches, and the quilt measures 72 x 90. I chose to quilt it with straight lines that followed the arrows formed by my layout. I am very happy with how this turned out.

This was also one of my Finish Along Goals. You can find other great finishes here. This quilt is number 367.

Play with Me Quilt Along: Ludo

One of today's goals was to get the block made for the Play with Me Quilt Along. I managed to do just that. This month's block is Ludo and our technique was traditional piecing. It went together really fast, and I'm quite pleased with the end result.

Check out the others that have been made this month here. I'm number 254.

Half Square Triangles 2

This quilt was pieced as part of a quilt along in a Facebook group I'm part of. We used Little Miss Shabby's Epic HST block. Because I was trying to focus on finishing things I'd already started, I decided to enlarge the block and use 1 to make a baby quilt. It was really quick and easy. I love how it turned out. And now I have a back-up baby quilt at the ready. It finishes at 48 x 48 inches. Which is a great size for toddlers, too. I quilted it with a loopy stipple in blue.

This is one of my Second Quarter Finish Along Goals. Check out the other great finishes here. This one is #222.

Winter Quilt

This is a quilt I made as a wedding present for the daughter (and future son-in-law) of a dear friend. I used the pattern Winter from the book Cultural Fusion Quilts by Sujata Shah. It uses a free-form piecing technique that started out intimidating me, but was actually quite simple and fast to use. The quilt finished at 92 x 92 inches. They used it at the reception (picture shown) on a day bed that served as the present table. I loved that idea. I definitely look forward to trying a few more patterns from this book.

There were lots of fun fabrics in this quilt. Including, elephants, rockets, flowers, and much more. I quilted it with a stipple with hearts thrown in randomly, at least I think so...this is why I try to remember to blog about my finishes when they are finished not 2 months later...oops.

Update: This was one of my 2nd Quarter Finish-Along Goals. You can check out what others have finished this quarter here. Mine is around #116 in the linky.

Play With Me QAL: Peg Solitaire

The block/board for May for the Play With Me Quilt-Along is the Peg Solitaire board. Our technique to learn was Applique. So I chose to Raw Edge Applique my circles on. I then was able to try out a new kind of thread as I free-motioned in the circles to hold them down. The thread I tried was Glide and the color was Warm Grey 4. I think it worked really well. It kind of had a soft metallic look to it. I loved the 3 color look that Alida used, so imitated that. The circles all came from my scrap bins and the neutral was a fat quarter I got at Corn Wagon Quilt Co. after one of our guild meetings earlier this year. I loved how quick and simple this board was. It made it a lot easier to get it done earlier in the month.

Check out what the others joining in on this quilt along are doing here. I should be around number 188.

Play With Me Quilt Along: Go

April's Block for the Play With Me Quilt Along was the Go Board. Each month we get a game board to make if we made the one from the month before. She gives us a different technique to learn, or practice for each board. This month we did embroidery. It was fun to try to some different stitch styles. I decided to use the colors of floss that would imitate a sun burst on the dark fabric.

Check out all the fun blocks/boards that the others have made here. I will be around number 185.

FAL2016: 2nd Quarter Goals

I loved being able to link up and come up with a list for the first quarter of the Finish-A-Long. Unfortunately, I was only able to finish 1 thing last quarter, which was a little disheartening, since I am overly ambitious in beginning things. So for this quarter, I will include the remaining 16 projects from last quarter which can all be found here. And I will also include the 10 things that I either started in the first quarter or made their way to the "stuck in my head" stack during the first quarter. I'm really hoping this quarter is nicer to me. Be sure to check out what other people are hoping to finish in the next 3 months here. You'll also find my link there. I should be about number 141.

1st Quarter #1: 9 Patch Baby Quilt--Updated

1st Quarter #2: Jacob's Ladder-- Updated

1st Quarter #6: Allietare--Updated

1st Quarter #10: Winter-- Updated

1st Quarter #12: HST2--Updated

1st Quarter Task List: Updated

2nd Quarter Task List

2nd Quarter #4: OBOQ 2

2nd Quarter #1: Tumbler Quilt

2nd Quarter #2: Purple Quilt

2nd Quarter #3: OBOQ

2nd Quarter #5: Blue Quilt

2nd Quarter #6: Double Delight

2nd Quarter #7: My Car Quilt

2nd Quarter #8: Granny Squares

2nd Quarter #9: Grand Illusion 3

2nd Quarter #10: Bravo Indigo

Play with Me QAL: Backgammon

Woohoo. I love that I am starting to make progress again. This is the March Block for the Play with Me QAL. This fun Quilt Along gives us a game board each month (if we finished the block the month before, otherwise, you can purchase each board as well). This is the one board that sealed the deal on me joining this quilt along. This is Backgammon. I love Backgammon. It is one of my favorite board games. I had chosen a darker fabric for the main part of the board, but accidentally cut it too small.

This month's technique was to do Raw Edge Reverse Applique. While it was fun to get to try out this technique, I don't foresee myself choosing to use it again. It is a little stress inducing to cut 1 fabric so close to another fabric. I was worried the whole time that I was going to cut the underfabric....particularly on the last spike or 2. Luckily I did not have that problem, and I can happily say my block is done.

Check out the linky to see the other fun blocks and color combinations that others have made. I'm around number 135.

House Blocks Catch Up

I had a crazy February that resulted in me falling behind in a lot of my quilting projects. I am starting to get back into the swing of sewing again.

I am part of a 6.5 inch house block swap in a Facebook group. These are my blocks for February and March.

For the February block, my inspiration came from a baby quilt that was a single house made of scrappy blocks, and a roof made of long strips of fabric. So I replicated it in miniature. They are calling them the Minecraft House now.

For the March Block, I had the idea to use a sheer fabric to make a physical representation of the phrase "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." So I free-motioned a pile of stones, and then appliqued the sheer fabric to the block. I'm quite pleased with the end result (even if it doesn't show up well in pictures).

Modern HST Sampler: Blocks 1-6

I have been following along on Blossom Heart Quilts' Modern HST Sampler. I'm loving these. She gave some good instructions on several ways to make the HSTs (Half Square Triangles).  We get a block every other Monday. We are up to 6 blocks right now. I chose to grab fabrics as needed with the idea of trying to see what I could get out of the ones I pulled. I had to make block #3 twice because the first one I made didn't really have much definition because of the fabrics I used. I am really loving these blocks. They have not been too difficult which has made it really easy to keep up.

Go check out all the other fun variations on this over at her linky. My link should be around #66.

Play with Me QAL: Nine Men's Morris

The February block/board for the Play with Me QAL was Nine Men's Morris. I admit I have never played this game. It was fun to see it and to learn how to play...and to realize that it was one of those boards we had in a wooden multi-game set that neither my brothers nor I ever knew what the game was. I decided I wanted to go with an odd color scheme for this one, so I used a 90's feeling pink solid, and a cream with what looks like little chicken scratches on it. I'm actually very pleased with how it turned out.

Check out others in the linky here. It looks as though I am about the 94th one to link up, so there are lots of us following along on this journey.

Pink Baby Quilt: FAL2016 Finish

This is my first finish of 2016. It had been sitting waiting for the binding to be stitched down. It was started as an example for our guild Crayon Color Challenge. The point being that each member pulls a crayon out of a bag and has to make a monochromatic quilt. I pulled pink. Luckily, I have a friend pregnant with a little girl, though I think my youngest son did try claiming it for his own.

It finished at 48 square. I quilted it with a stipple with random daisies thrown in. Even the backing is all pink prints.

Red and White Wedding Quilt

 This quilt was designed for a friend who was getting married. She told me her colors were Red, Cream, and Gold. I love how this quilt creates circular shapes without have curves in it. It was all pulled from Scraps. I was worried I was going to need to use some extra red fabrics...but it didn't even use half of the reds I had.

It measured 92 inches square. I quilted it with a big stipple in red, which looked really amazing on the black I used for the backing. I managed to finish it the day I was giving it away.

Flying Geese Log Cabin

This fast and fun quilt is from a Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial. It really was quite easy. I used some Grey and White Strip Sets and FQ bundles for the background and roll of Michael Miller Shiny Dots that I got in a goody bag from a retreat for the corners. I love how it gave just a good pop of color. I gave this to the oldest boy who lives next door. I think he liked it.

It measured 56 by 80 and was quilted with straight lines on the diagonal following the lines created by the "flying geese."