Lots of Stitching Going On

There has been a lot of stitching and completed projects since I last posted in March, but (obviously) not a lot of blogging.  

I've continued to complete UFO projects.  Many of them will be donated to the Comfort Quilt coordinator or my guild who will donate them to local charitable organizations.  These are 5 of the quilts done that will be donated.  All except for the black/tribal print quilt came from my stash.  The most colorful ones were started as a leader/ender project I originally intended to be a full or queen sized quilt.  The pattern isn't as pronounced as I wanted, so I made it into sizes that are in demand for comfort quilts.  (Most of the organizations want crib and twin sized quilts.)

As I was sewing the binding on this last quilt, I noticed a small snip on the backing.  So now there is a small, mysterious purple dot on the back that covers the tear.  I like it and may just put a random circle on other quilts just because.

I put together the last of the tree blocks into a table runner that will probably turn into a gift this winter.

The guild did a few swaps this spring.  This one was for zipper pouches and these were my contributions.

Bright Baby revisited is quilted!  I used the solid grey areas as practice for free motion quilting.  Each grey diamond (excluding the edge diamonds) is quilted with a different fill pattern.  It was fun and a good lesson on what works and what does not.  I'll probably keep this one as a sample.

And a pair of socks from yarn I received as a Christmas gift.

Updates and Recent Productivity

 I've been reasonably productive lately.  This is my way of dealing with cold weather and having to stay (mostly) at home.  So, I can spend some part of the week doing knitting, sewing, cross stitch and quilting.  This is what I've finished since the last post in January:

In order to keep us connected, the program director of my quilt guild has arranged these small exchange projects throughout the year.  The main idea is that you are paired up with another member and both agree to make the item of the month.  The item may be a small, themed wall hanging or a place mat, or a table topper, etc.  I've done a few and this is one that I completed in January.  We exchanged fabric and a sample of blocks and went from there.  I received two pieced blocks from my partner and some beige and blue fabrics and made this topper. This photo is just a bit washed out, but gives a good idea of the piece.  I had fun designing it, doing the applique and the machine quilting.

I gave her the pineapple block and this is her result.  I love the colors and placement of those colors.  She apologized for not being creative in her quilting and suggests that I should add more if I want.  I haven't decided on that yet.  There are too many other projects to contemplate.

Inspired by the mittens Bernie Sanders wore to the presidential inauguration ceremony, I decided to knit a pair of mittens for myself.  I had never knit mittens before, needed a set of gloves (or whatever) for a new winter coat, and had plenty of wool to work with.  I used a skein of yarn that Gayle had spun and given to me along with a sock yarn that I was using for accents on socks.  They're very warm, but just a bit too big.  And, they were fun to knit.

And I've been working on some UFOs.  I had 14 tree blocks in my stash that I probably got from a guild block exchange some years ago.  I used 5 of them for a table runner exchange and 4 of them for a table topper.  The remaining 5 are sewn together to make another table runner, but that project is not yet completed.

My guild is trying hard to keep people engaged in most of the activities we regularly hold while meeting in person.  Block of the month us generally popular.  The committee chooses a block pattern and provides a bit of fabric.  The members make a block (or more) and turn them in for a chance to win all the turned in blocks.  This year, the pattern is publicized and it's all on your own.  This has not been nearly as successful.  I guess the chance of winning a quilt full of blocks is quite the draw.  But, I've been following along to support this group.  This is my collection of blocks so far.

I completed and framed the gargoyle cross stitch.  This is hanging above a shelf in my bathroom which houses many of my other gargoyles.  Every time I see it, it makes me smile.

I've been working on the Hawaiian applique nearly every evening.  So far, the inner ring is complete (the 8 sections with the two flowers) and the outside of the middle ring (the curves and stem with 3 flowers each).  I'm working on the middle ring now.  Most of that section I can bunch up the fabric and hold my thumb on top to applique.  That is a little faster and easier to work rather than having to stabilize the top fabric with my thumb covered up with another part of the quilt.  Once I have this section done, all the tiny leaves will be completed and the very outer border will go quickly.

So far, I'm liking the combination of stitched and glued basting.  There are a few sections where the glue basting is a little close to the edge and the residual glue makes stitching harder.  Also, I ran out of the Roxanne glue before I finished and switched to Elmer's washable school glue.  The school glue is not holding well with all the handling required to do the stitching.  The Roxanne glue is thicker and is holding up better for that.  But, I still like the Elmer's school glue for glue basting and holding a binding down for stitching.

I've also completed a few crib sized quilts for the comfort quilt donations through my guild.  The peach/green and the drunkard's path quilts I got as tops and basted, quilted and bound before donation.  The brown/blue quilt was in my stash as cut pieces.  I think they were a guild donation as well.  I put together the blocks from cut strips and completed the quilt.

The next swap I did was just called "3D".  Members were allowed to interpret that as they wished.  My partner said she likes cats, bright colors and loves baskets and boxes.  I have been eyeing this pattern for quite some time, but had no excuse to make it.  This was the perfect excuse!  And, since I share her love of all things basket, I had to make one for myself.  

I have to share the story behind the fabric.  Back in 1980-something, DH and I traveled to St. Thomas on vacation.  We found this lovely shop that did stencils on fabric and I bought a few yards of a white on white that included nautilus shells and other aquatic creatures, and this turquoise and white remnant.  I love this fabric.  It reminds me of Tiffany's boxes.  I've held on to this fabric because I didn't know what to do with it and I didn't want to waste it.  With everything that went on this past year with Covid, etc., it was a good time to evaluate what I've got and to use it or discard it.  This basket also makes me very happy.  I may have to make another!

Scrap Party, the mystery quilt that Charlotte Hawkes published last year (2019?) is done.   I think I am done with quilts on point for a while.  I wasn't sure about the background of this piece, but now that it's done, I like it a lot.  I also like the scrappy border and the scrappy binding I used.

I have been keeping busy this winter.  I like that my UFO list is getting shorter.  I like that I've been playing with new things (like the basket) and using some of my time to make charitable donations.  Lately I've been working more to improve my machine quilting and expand my quilting motif library.  I'm trying hard to expand my craft, have fun and not stress about any of this.  So far, I'm succeeding. 

Ladies of the Sea is DONE!! (I think...)

 I've completed my Ladies of the Sea quilt.  At least I think so.  I completed all the hand quilting that I had planned to do, but there are a few spots that look a little barren to me.  But, I can't decide what to put in those spots to make it feel more complete to me, so I decided to trip it, label it and bind it.  So, it't probably done, done, but I reserve the right to change my mind later and add more quilting.

A lot of my friends have been asking what I am going to do with the quilt now that it's done.  Frankly, I have no idea.  I really don't have the wall space to put it anywhere in my house.  I'll probably put it on the bed for a while.  I'll enter it into my guild show, but that won't be until the spring of 2022. Right now it's draped over a chair in the family room.  I guess I should think about putting a hanging sleeve on it so it will be ready when it's time to put it in a show or two.  Until then, I'm just taking glances at it and enjoying.

2020 Fourth Quarter Goals

 I've been thinking that this year has not been particularly productive for me.  But, when I think back, I've gotten a fair amount done.  I have not been productive every day.  I have not felt creative every day.  There are some days that just sitting on the couch is all I can do.  But, I've painted the deck, edged and mulched most of the garden beds, painted the garage, started and completed two quilts, started two sweaters (completed one), and worked on a good number of other quilts.  My UFO list is decreasing.  I have not started anything new that I have not completed.  I'm counting all this a being productive, despite feeling not quite myself.

I skipped the summer Ravelry quilt UFO challenge.  Mostly I could not bring myself to write a blog post.  I remember at the time feeling really overwhelmed and adding one more thing to my (self-imposed) list of things to do was depressing.  And, I figured I wouldn't get any of the UFOs done, so facing another list of things I hadn't done was not uplifting.  

Now, my outlook is a little rosier.  Some of the worries I had over the summer have been resolved, and I'm feeling a bit more creative.  So, here's the list of UFOs I plan to work on for the last quarter of the year:

1. Ladies of the Sea

I've been quilting on this most evenings.  I may have the quilting completed by the end of the year. I need to complete the hand quilting, bind and label.

2. Bright Baby revisited

I have not made progress on this.  The top is complete; it needs backing, basting, quilting and finishing.

3. Handy Dandy Scrappy

I basted this a few weeks ago.  It needs quilting, binding, and finishing.

4. Maxine

I put the top together and started quilting this a few weeks ago.  I need to complete the quilting, bind and finish

5. Blue Floral

I've been thinking about this and have a border design in my head.  That's as far as this has gotten.

6. Escher's Lizards

This will be my next hand project.  I've got the fabric and a few lizards put together as sort of a proof of concept.  I don't know how large I expect this quilt to be.

7. White Ginger

My daughter was engaged last November and has planned her wedding for November of 2021.  This is her wedding quilt.  I have the pattern, fabric, thread and desire.  I've had it in my head that I will start this in November and complete it by her wedding.  Time is getting close to start, so I should. Technically this is not a UFO since I haven't really started it yet. But I wanted it on the list so I don't forget that I want to work on this.

I'm Still here and Still Plodding Along

I'm still here, alive and well.  Had someone told me that we would still be battling Covid-19 while other countries are on the upswing, I probably would not have believed you.  But, it's still here, still raging and has not just disappeared as our national leader said it would.  Not that I believed him, but his incompetence has as astounded me.  I'm angry at the lack of respect for the scientific community and the ignorance of the population.  As such, I'm just a bit depressed and time seems mostly irrelevant.  This is a long way to say I haven't gotten nearly as much completed as I thought I would during our home-bound time this summer.

But, I did finally complete the quilting on Scrapitude Take 2 in May.  It's a fairly large quilt (92" square I think) and took me quite some time to complete.  But, here it is.  I used the opportunity to try out some new free motion techniques and practice my feathers.  I'm pleased with the results.  

 

The next project that got my attention was Bright Baby.  I was looking for some mindless sewing.  I had all the pieces cut out and all the 4-patch diamonds assembled and just had to put the top together. I'm looking forward to quilting this one.

As a consolation to myself for not being able to attend quilt meetings or  the cancelled quilt retreat, I decided to give a try to some on-line classes.  I took Beth Helfter's Accordion Sewn Half Square Triangles class.  I had never taken any on-line classes before and was a Zoom newbie.  The class was live with about 8 students from all over the US.  Beth is in my area and I had seen her speak before, so I knew a little about what I was getting.  The class was wonderful.  Beth was an attentive teacher with clear demonstrations and preparation.  The method for sewing the HSTs is fun and quick.  Now what to do with this block?  I'm going to make 3 more with different solid grey backgrounds and bright colors and assemble it into a lap/baby quilt.  Because, you know, I don't have enough projects to keep me busy.

Beth's web site is https://evapaigequilts.com/ where you can find more information about her classes, books and the tools she sells.

A few friends wanted to take a class together one of them suggested Timna Tarr's Stitched Mosaic class.  This one was a series of recorded videos that walks you through the steps of creating a stitched mosaic picture based on a photo.  The project I did was based on her class example.  I blew up the photo to about 20" square because I wanted the finished project to be a largish wall hanging for my sewing room.  I like the technique because you only work on one 2" square at a time.  I'm getting used to the fractured image and am holding our final judgement until I get it quilted.  I was regretting not printing the original photo in color because I think it would have given me better indication of color placement.  I think that would be more important of I were using a photo of an animal or multi-colored object.  I'm looking forward to quilting this one and will probably start it this week.  You can find Timna and information on her classes here:  http://www.timnatarr.com/

On an entirely different topic, I finally got an african violet to survive under my care.  My daughter bought this for me last spring with the special pot that is designed for violets to give them the right amount of water.  It survived the winter but was looking a little grey in some of the leaves.  I moved it to another window where it gets bright light but no direct sunlight, and added african violet fertilizer to the water and it's thriving!  I've never had one rebloom after buying it and never had one that looked this healthy after a few months.  I guess I've learned just how much care and neglect it can take.

You make have noticed a similarity in the last 4 photos.  Even though I do not have the creative energy that I thought I might have while mostly staying home, the creativity I do have is being translated into purples and bright colors.  It was a surprize to me.  I don't often work in bright colors, but I suppose those boost my mood and I'm not fighting it.

Last note - I do not like this new blogger interface.  I'm having a lot of trouble getting this formatted the way I want. Right now I'm tired of playing with it and want to get this posted.  So, here it is.  Done is better than perfect.

Winter Completions, Spring Goals

This documents a few finishes and the list of UFOs I plan to work on this next quarter.  Since I've only finished two of the 8 UFOs I listed in the goals for last quarter, none of the projects on the current UFO list is new.

On to the finishes....

I bought the fabric for this purse about a year ago.  I fell in love with the fabric and bought it with a purse in mind.  I had a pattern in mind, but it all came together when I found some leather at another sale.  The pattern is the Renegade Bag from Sew Sweetness.  It's a bit larger than bags I usually carry, but since I also make that little clutch earlier this year, I think this will work out for times I want a larger bag.  

My next finish is this bonus quilt that I made from left over border pieces from the left over Stars quilt I completed last quarter.  I realized it needed something else, and seemed like a good home for the chicken I had put together in another workshop.  The chicken wire quilting was a new technique for me using a template and chalk pounce powder.  I liked the pounce technique for marking the quilt, but it wore off a little too quickly.  I had to learn how much of the quilt I could mark at one time before I had to reapply.


And I finally finished this pair of socks that I started in January.  I just became disinterested in the pattern and yarn and procrastinated working on them.  They turned out lovely, though.











This is the UFO list for spring 2020:

1. Ladies of the Sea

She is in the hoop.  I've completed the outline quilting on 14 of the 16 blocks.  I'm still contemplating how the background will be quilted, but I'm a long way from having to make that decision.  This will not be completed this quarter, it's still on the list so I will make progress.

2. Scrapitude Take 2

My plan was to baste this large top at a quilting retreat that was scheduled for March.  However, the retreat was cancelled due to isolation orders because of COVID-19.  This quilt is large enough that it does not fit on my kitchen floor.  DH suggested the deck.  On a pleasant Saturday afternoon, I swept off the deck and got this pin basted.  I am currently machine quilting it and expect this will be my next completion.



3. Bright Baby Revisited

Again, still on the list.











4. Handy Dandy Scrappy

The next top to be basted and quilted.  I do not, however, have batting for this.  Depending on the timing, I may have to take advantage of the curb-side pick up of a local quilt shop that is struggling to remain open.







5. Maxine

Still here, too.











6. Blue Floral

I've been thinking about what I want to do to finish this piece.  I'm contemplating what kind of blocks I want to make for the border.  I just saw some log cabin blocks placed to make a wave or swag pattern.  That has potential.