october progress report

It is October  how did that happen?  I have been "talking" to a friend in the evenings by FB messenger. We have been discussing our problem of wanting to start new projects when we have so many UFOs and unquilted tops.  She came up with a plan  to quilt in the morning and either work on a UFO or a new start in the afternoon.  This will move things along and let us do something new.   So I started this on Monday and so far I have quilted 4small  tops for me and one customer quilt (did this one over the last weekend). This counted as quilting and UFO now to do bindings.  I have 2 sewn on to hand sew down and  2 to sewn completely on the machine. I started to sew down binding on a long table runner that was a Judy Niemeyer pattern.  My new starts are going to be pillowcases for xmas gifts.  I have many of the body fabrics and now to match tops to them and sew.  I make about 20 for xmas gifts. kids, grandkids, and small nieces and nephews.  I found fabric in my stash to make back for the next quilt to be quilted another UFO.  I have a friend's to quilt just like it so doing mine first to practice.

Thanks friend for the suggestion and encouragement to get busy hope it is helping you too. Also we are reporting to each other every evening on progress. 

I will post pictures when these projects are done. 

I found a bunch of string blocks that I had made while looking for something else(as usual) so I sewed them into blocks of 4 and have 20 of these blocks will add some borders, quilt and donate.

I also got the labels on the drawers a friend gave me. They work great under my cutting table for scrap system.

In the evening while watching TV in my sewing room so hubby can watch what he wants in Tv room I have been sewing these scrap square in a square blocks.  I think I have 80-90 blocks. The outside round is from leftover backing from a quilt.  Making them until this fabric is gone then will put together.

As a non-quilty note few weeks ago hubby got a Fitbit to track his steps and walks for therapy from back surgery and liked it  so last Saturday I got one to start doing some walking  I am doing minimum of 250 steps an hour  and have cut down on snacks too  It seems to working.  It has helped with the swelling in my ankle\foot from breaking it this summer and it is bending better.  Hope to loose some weight too we will see.  

Well off to do laundry and pick fabric for pillowcases to get them ready to make and hopefully load the next quilt in quilt machine. If quilt is loaded I am more likely to quilt it.

Happy Quilting,

Sharon J.

 

 Aug and Sept progress. 

I finally got to the point with my ankle that I could stand long enough to quilt on the longarm. So I got grandson's quilt quilted and the binding done It went home with his Mom this weekend.  He was surprised to get it all done.  Also Son-in-law wanted a quilt to have on his bed at his work at ambulance barn. so pulled out a few tops and let him pick one.  He decided on a brown and burgundy one it was a block of the month many years ago at a quilt shop.  It was big enough for a twin bed.  So I got it quilted too and sent home to him this  weekend.  Both were happy with them.  

I have started using small scraps to make Bonnie Hunter's Road to Grayson guilt. I am using up smaller chunks of blue fabrics  instead of her yellow even though I like her yellow. Maybe another one of these quilt in my future using yellow.  This is great evening sewing when just want to sew but not much thinking.  2 blocks done and 17 more ready to sew together into blocks.    

Also have been working on my needlepoint project while hubby was in hospital for back surgery. got quite a bit done in the 3 days he was there.   Have 6 to 8 inches to stitch and then I will be done. this is about a 40 year project...  My goal is to have it done this year and hung on the wall.  It is a bell pull that my Mother bought me and I had put it away for probably 30 years  and pulled it out to finish..  

The Kaye England BOM quilt is ready for the borders. I think it will need one more border to fit my bed.  Glad I had it to work on while ankle was healing since I could cut one month and then sew it since could not stand for long time to cut  or sit to sew  without taking time to put it up with ice packs.

Ankle is healed now still is still and swells when do too much  go to Dr on Friday the 1st of Oct for final visit.

Well better close this post out and tend to laundry it just beeped saying it is done ready for next load.

Happy Quilting,

Sharon J

summer 2021 progress and injury

Well my summer did not turn out the way I wanted it to. I had just started working in my flower beds getting the last 2 ready to rework them.  We were getting ready for a new deck by removing all the stuff off of it.  I was carrying a chair off the deck and I guess missed a step which there were only 2..  I fell and landed in the yard but not before hitting my ankle on the step and there I laid in the yard.  Managed to get myself up with husband's help  got into the house to my chair.  Sat there a little bit but it was not good. It started swelling and turn purple.  Decided needed to go to walk-in clinic to have it looked at by then could barely walk on it.   Yes it was broken luckily only broke the small bone but bad news is it was my right ankle..  So they put it in a boot and scheduled appointment with orthopedic surgeon.  Did not need surgery just no weight on it for quite awhile.  So I went from a wheel chair for 2 weeks to a knee scooter for many weeks, then to crutches with little weight on it in the boot, then got to go to shoe with crutches, then 1 crutch,. I am now walking on my ankle again but is still stiff and swells  and now can drive. 3 months almost to the day later.  Nothing had gotten done at our house this summer.  

Also no much sewing got done either.  In the end of June set up a machine on the dining room table that had a start/stop button instead of foot pedal.  A learning curve but it worked.  Could only sew for a little while at a time due to needing to have leg up.  But I managed with help from bonus daughter to get oldest grandson's graduation quilt to the top stage. hope to get it quilted soon now.  

Then I started working on a Block of the Month designed by Kaye England that many of my sewing group is going to do when the kits come.  So I am putting together the shop sample so know the pattern.  I could cut a block and then sew a block.  I am in the process of putting it together now.

I started Bonnie Hunter's  leader and ender project for 2021-2022 called fish school.  They are using up 2 inch strips and squares. They are fun and fast. 

 

I went to a retreat week of August 23rd  worked on a few projects. Did not get a lot done due to issues with projects.  Making younger grandson a quilt for Xmas using a layer cake and honey bun. I used all the fabric and it is not big enough so put that away.  Made a mistake in the next project I started assembling so quit on it.   I did make 3 string potholders to completion. I took an UFO of leftover pieces and worked on it.  It uses a charm pack and leftover pieces from a large periwinkle star quilt.  I used up all the leftover pieces I had in the project bag.  They are cute.  Luckily when came home I found another stack of the leftover pieces so can make more.

  Since being home from retreat I have sewn up more of these blocks and have used all the blue leftover pieces. I have some more blue pieces of another shade of blue just a little darker that I am gong to use to hopefully have enough to use all the charm pack squares.  Then to see how to put it together.

A friend needed something to work on at retreat that was simple, so had her sew some Square in a Square blocks for me.  She sewed the strips around the squares.  This is very scrappy too.  I am trying to use up scraps.  Since I am home I trimmed the 20 blocks she sewed  and I have sewn 40 more.  Still a small basket of squares   I need to pull some more strips for variety.  

Also while laid up with my ankle, in end of July and Aug I have been trying to declutter my sewing room. I did it while sitting on my sewing chair rolling around cleaning out drawers etc. A friend of mine brought me 3 rolling drawer carts she did not want.   I replaced a desk with 2 of the carts( well I did not move the desk my brother and sister-in-law came over and removed it from sewing room and took it to the basement).  Found that the other one with deeper drawers would fit under cutting table if the wheels were taken off. Hubby did that for me and put pads on the bottom so it still slides out if needed.  In this cart I have organized all my strips and squares. I had them in plastic shoe boxes by color and size which took up a lot of space.  they are not in baggies by size and in a bin by color.  Now I need to label them.  I have cleaned out a lot of small scraps into gallon bags for our quilt show in September.  Now project bins are in the place of the shoe boxes so they are off the floor.  Yes the downstairs is a mess now but I will get to that later. I am still not doing stairs anymore than necessary.   Trying to clean the wire cubbies under the longarm to make that area neater.  

I hope to be able to start quilting some quilts soon. I know will need to take more breaks that usual but need to get started.  

Well enough for now.   I will post pictures of sewing room when a little clearner.

Happy Quilting,

Sharon J

changing to follow it

 Hi

I am trying to change to follow.it  for following my blog by email.   not sure I got the email addresses into it but the new button is there. it is the top one on left side  please enter your email address to keep following me.  I appreciate you following me on my journey.   any questions email  or leave a comment.

thanks, 

2021 progress so far

 Well it has been an interesting end to 2020.  I did do some sewing at the end of the year and some Xmas gifts.  I made pillowcases for kids and grandkids for xmas  did not get a picture, but this is a tradition to make everyone pillowcases  with the fabric matching something pertaining to them during the last year. 

I made my daughter a lap quilt for Xmas  she loves peacocks so found this panel and fabrica and with the help from my friends made it for her.  She was very surprised to almost tears.  made me feel good. 

I started Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt in Nov and am still working on it. I have all the clues made and starting to put the units together into blocks.  here is what I have gotten done so far. 

I have gotten side tracked working on a class by Kaye England making a medallion quilt online class. It is growing and turning out great.  Learning how to plan for pieced borders and cutting striped border fabric to make them fit.  I can not believe it but I am caught up until next week.  I guess cold and snowy/rainy weather has help with my sewing time.. 

I made a quilt from a customers first year baby girl clothes .   It is ready for the binding which I hope happens today. Then I will embroidery her name on the top border.

Since the Neoga quilt guild I belong to has not been meeting due to covid viruis  we have been doing a mystery quilt thru email.   It has been fun. We have been posting our progress on our Facebook page to feel like we are together.   Here is mine so far   ready to make the next step which is the borders.. Made with 12 fat quarters plus background.  I am trying to use up civil war fat quarters I has pulled for a previous project and did not want to put away so left out to use in new projects.  

I also have set a goal to stitch some every evening on my cross stitch project.  I have finished the word HOME since made this goal  and now started making the fence. I had to change the thread color for the fence to next shade darker since it did not show up with fabric color.   Plan on making it into a pillow when I am finished.  I started this project when stay at home happened lst April  I had not cross stitch for few years, so picked it back up after watching Kimberly at Fat Quarter Shop and the Stitching Housewives videos.  

Well that is what I have doing lately.  Now I must go quilt a shamrock table topper which is a UFO from couple years ago.   will post a picture when it is done.  

Happy Sewing

Sharon J.

October projects

 Well I have been busy, but just have not blogged about anything.  So decided it was time to take time to tell and document what I have been working on.

 I have made many more garlic knot blocks by Bonnie Hunter  so my quilt is growing not sure how big I am making it yet but getting close to being done. It is at least full size now.  

I presented my Unity quilt which I made as a Quilt of Valor quilt for my cousin. He was very surprised and speechless when I gave it to him.  

I embroidered a name on a quilt I had made for a customer from baby's 1st year clothes. And have the next baby's clothes to make another quilt. 

 While staying at home I have been watching a lot of square in a square webinars from Jodi Borrows  and practicing the method  here are 2 star blocks that I made. Easy and accurate way to make them.

 I have been working on Edyta Sitar's  Quilter's Garden quilt. this quilt is a challenge.  I have gotten this block done.   

then cut out this one and it wanted to me done with set in seams from tiny pieces to make the flower units. That was not going to happen. So since I had been studying the square in a square method  decided to make it that way. 

It worked wonderfully and the block turned out great.   I have about 4 blocks left to make for this quilt might get done this year. 

Pat Sloan did a stay at home quilt back in the spring and I decided to made it  for my youngest brother. The centers of each block are a fabric that reminds me of him and things he has done.  It was so much fun to make.  There is a t-shirt of his in the middle  and the green Socks shirt was our brother that has passed away.   I also  went out to the internet and found our HS logo on a t-shirt and copied it and printed it on fabric.    Now to quilt it.  

I just finished appliqueing this small wall hanging and putting the binding on it.  It was from a quilt that I decided not to do  so just finished it as is and call it done.  Someone else can have the patterns for the quilt. 

well enough for now  now to go make couple more masks for couple little kids.  

Happy sewing

Sharon J.

summer update

 well it has been awhile since I have written a blog post, I have been busy with many things. We have finished cleaning out my MIL's house and sold it that took some time and work. Grand kids have been in and out this summer and we have been boating and fishing this is the safest thing to do this summer with the Covid-19 sticking around.   Celebrated several family birthdays this summer.

I also have been doing some sewing and quilting.  Trying to finish some UFO's and did 3 stay at home quilts from 3 teachers they were fun   2 ready to quilt and one not quite done yet.

This one is Bonnie Hunter's Unity quilt, had fun picking the fabric all from stash. I changed her aqua to gold  and made it a patriotic quilt. I added small stars on top and bottom to make it longer but did not make it as big as hers since I wanted a lap quilt.  this will be given to a cousin this fall for a quilt of valor type quilt. He is a Vietnam vet and deserves it. This is a surprise and he will not be expecting it.

This is Kaye England's  Civil War Legacy quilt that she offered as a class during our stay at home time. I had the book and the fabric so decided good time to do it. It was presented as a block at a time with some history and puzzles. I changed the basket block and changed out for the flag block and the T block instead of an applique block . Not into applique right now.  all fabric from my stash feel so good to use what I have  It is ready for the quilting pile, this one I am keeping. 

This one is from Pat Sloan called her stay at home quilt.  It is a modified snowball blocks. I started one with kids prints in the center then switched to these prints. This will go to a brother all of the centers are things that remind me of him or he likes.  adding  a surprise in the middle that is why it is not sewn together yet.  Plan on having this done at the latest for his birthday A lot of the fabric is from my stash and from friends. I reached out to quilt group for 7 inch squares of certain things I did not have and then I ordered some special fabrics like the white sox, sturgess, covid, fabrics.  This has been fun.

worked on my cupcake mix blocks  they are tiny but easy to make I sew them when just want to sew in the evening. Each cupcake paper makes 2 blocks from a charm pack.. 

While staying at home I decided to participate in Fat quarter shop stitch along. I have not cross stitched for many years. This is called Feels like home.  I have the bird and leaves done working on the house. I am way behind because they have finished giving all the steps out, but that is ok I am enjoying stitching this in the evening while watching TV with hubby. I am stitching it on 10 count so nice big holes and DMC floss.

This is my Bonnie Hunter garlic knot blocks  I have 126 done so I am putting it together I have about half of them sewn together not sure how big this will be yet. I might make more since these are so fun and addictive to make and great use of scraps and make big enough for our bed. 

Grand daughter's friend had a baby girl about a month ago so this is Norah's quilt I need to make the label then take it to her.  From a layer cake  called good morning. I picked all the pinks out and cut them into 5 inch squares and made pinwheels.   Going to use the blue and green squares to make a boy quilt for another one of her friends that is having a boy in next few months.

This quilt is called Buzz Saw. I made this one for my Hubby for his birthday he got it this weekend. He was very surprised did not know I was making it.  It has taken awhile to make just because I worked on it in stages. All the fabrics are of tool prints. 

This is the back of the quilt.

this is Traffic Jam quilt from Pat Sloan.  It is a fun and easy quilt. I made it for a quilt guild challenge for our quilt show that was canceled. Challenge was to make a baby quilt with all one color fabrics. All from my stash I choose blue since I had many squares to use up.  It is ready for a baby boy when I need it.

 Well I think that is most of what I have been getting done.  On to more UFO finishes.  

Happy stitching 

Sharon J