April goals finished

The first part of my one monthly goal was completed earlier in the month. I finished a quiltville mystery quilt called Carolina crossroads.

Now I am working on Double delight for the mystery finish challenge that I am doing along with Jo's Country junction's string challenge. I have the first border cut and ready to sew. Once I finish the swap blocks, I will have a little more finishing focus.

My second one monthly goal was to quilt my civil war Christmas quilt. It has blocked the longarm for 2 weeks as I couldn't decide how to quilt baptist fans on it. I tried circle templates, and unpicked, I tried marking from a stencil, and unpicked it. I tried a variation of baptist fans pantograph and unpicked it. I decided to just try something else instead. So it is finished. yay

It's always fun to see all the monthly finishes at Elm street quilts.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

Oh Scrap   link in sidebar

One monthly goal

hippie baby

I would like to share how I am moving along my quiltville mystery quilt challenge, But I'm not moving. I did finish a mystery quilt last week- Carolina Crossroads. But I have already shared that.

however, I can't find the next 2 mystery quilts on the project shelves. But, I did find an interesting project box, and while I am looking for double delight mystery quilt, I will quickly finish these projects in the box and empty it.  Squirrel....

 #1 Hippie Baby

I made a jelly roll quilt a few years ago and had 8 blocks leftover. I thought they would be enough to make a baby quilt. I have decided on a quick pattern, and now I have to decide on the background.
The pattern is from fat quarter shop, called jelly roll slice. I liked this one.

Did I like it because of the gray background?

 or did I like the piecing so I could use the lighter background?

 hmm .... I will walk around it today and then decide. Which do you like?

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

Carolina Crossroads finish

Carolina Crossroads is finished.
This was the first Quiltville mystery in 2007. I didn't join in until a couple years later.
The colors are brighter than they seem on my monitor. The blues are batiks.

I used a sheet on the back and a squooshed swirl to quilt it.

This was one of my April goals for One monthly goal. If I finish the mystery quilts in order, I have 2008 Orange Crush and 2008 old tobacco road finished. The next one to do is Double Delight from 2009.
I have 7 finished and the rest have been started and are in various stages of completion. I have a page at the top of the page to show what I am working to do.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

crazy mom quilts

A little block of the month

I think this is the last block for my Christmas block of the month. Now, I need to decide on the setting and begin that process - not my favorite part.

more  here and here
I am doing this for
Jo's country junction Block of the month challenge

Today is also Jo's String challenge which for me is about completing the quiltville mystery quilts and I am focused on Carolina Crossroads quilt for the month of April. I have prepared the back and the binding. Next is putting the quilt on the longarm and quilting it. I take that in steps, usually. I attach it, fill bobbins and baste it, and then prepare the panto or decide on the pattern for free motion. It could take up to 3 days depending on my schedule.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

Stash report April 2, 2018

Instead of the Easter Bunny, we were visited by the snow fairy. It is so beautiful. Especially, since it will not last. Spring will have it's day.
We have had a little time with our two Granddaughters.Which has left me with little time to sew. But, I don't mind.

It is time to reassess goals for the coming month for One monthly Goal. Typically, I lose time in April. There is so much going on around here, birthdays and gardening plans and the need to Spring clean. So I don't want to make goals that are too lofty and won't get done. Still, the one monthly goal has really been the motivation I have needed to get things done and enjoy the process of focusing and accomplishing something that is important to me.

I plan on getting the mystery quilt Carolina Crossroads finished. I am ready to make a back and quilt it. Surely I can get that done.

I have a Christmas quilt that I pieced with a friend. Hers is done ( I did the quilting) and she wants both of us to enter them in our quilt show this year in October. I need to make the back and quilt mine. Funny how I can get others quilts done but not my own... ok, not so funny.

I want to get back to snow days and see if I can get the top together.

Sunday, during general conference, I worked a bit on my rug hooking. I love  how it is looking.

I did get the green blocks cut for squared away qal at rainbow scrap challenge, but I didn't get them made into blocks and I didn't get them posted.

April's color is yellow/gold, perfect for Spring. Oh, wait, all colors are perfect for Spring!

Stash report

Fabric Used this Week 10 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 165 3/4 yards


Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 39.75 yards

Net Fabric for 2018: 126 yards used more than purchased.

I sewed at least 15 min 5 days this week.

I am linking to:

Slow Sunday Stitching

sunday stash at quiltpaintcreate

15 min to stitch at life in pieces

 One monthly Goal

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

carolina crossroads borders

I have progress on my quiltville mystery challenge. I have added the blue borders to Carolina Crossroads. I used a special hint from Jo Kramer of Jo's country junction to measure by draping the top over the longarm frame bars. Wow! It sure saved my back, and was very easy, and I felt like I was doing a good job. I have improved my relationship with borders before through practice, but this is wonderful for me. I might even say I like adding borders.....I might

I have cut the green and gold, and neutrals for Holiday Party. As soon as I find the magazine again - it has wandered off - I will be able to put it all in a box with label for another day.

I have a quilting friend that sent me these, enticing me to swap with her. It worked. We are going to swap 60 each. She is the fussy cutter queen. Aren't they cute? Do you swap with others? I am thinking, as soon as I have the last Marie Webster block hand stitched, I can sit in the evenings with hubby and cut them while watching TV.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

planet quilt

I finished the planet quilt with time to spare. how exciting!

I couldn't find anything I liked to make a border. I wanted to make it bigger, but I just couldn't like anything I tried. I had enough 2 inch strips left to do a small border if I did it scrappy. I like it. And it is done and ready to be gifted to my Grandson.
What I am really excited about is that I really thought the purchase through before adding yet another project to the list. I was convinced I would get to it, but secretly afraid I wouldn't. I have 8 year old projects. but I did get to it and finish it in a quilter's reasonable amount of time. ... or so I think.

As far as participating in Jos string challenge and my corresponding mystery quilt challenge, I finished easy street.

the next quiltville mystery quilt to work on is either to quilt lazy sunday or add borders to carolina crossroads or just keep piecing on ringo lake.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

planet parts

I have created planet parts. I found the pattern, and I cut the quilt out on Friday at quilt group, and had most of them sewn before the weekend was over. I am so pleased this quilt is coming together. I had a bit of trouble understanding the directions. It is a BQ pattern from Maple Island quilts.

The kit did not come with specific instructions from the quilt shop with the specific fabrics. Luckily, I had taken a picture 6 months ago at the quilt show where I purchased the kit. It took a while to find it on my phone, but the miracle is that I did. That helped me figure out which fabric was which.

I was worried about cutting wedge sets that I might not be accurate enough, but they were oversized and I could trim them to the right size.

Part of why I liked the project, was the bits of bright colors included. It turns out to be the result of a gradient fabric piece. Very cool.

I have not worked on any quiltville mysteries this week for Jo's country junction challenge. I still just have the borders cut for Carolina Cross roads, but they are not attached. Maybe next week.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

soap and quilts

With Hubby's job ending soon, we are trying to downsize and make decisions about all the fringe interests. Last month, we concentrated on fiber, we sorted, played, and packed up what we still wanted in our spinning life. We even sold a spinning wheel. yay!  If our new life doesn't have room for spinning then it can all go, but hubby and I really like to spin so we went with the idea that we would still be able.
This month is all about soap. I know I don't want to ever be without my homemade soap, but I no longer want to make for others or spend time dreaming up the perfect soap. Our plan was to use up all the ingredients and pack a few containers with soap that will keep for awhile. Hubby loves my soap too and was very enthusiastic about making soap with me.

 Since the soap is just for us, I was just going to keep it simple, no color, no fragrance, regular bars. But my head started with the silly ideas ( why does it do that?). And I needed to think of something for my visiting teaching ladies. So Snowflakes with peppermint were born. Oh no, if the fun has started then what.

As far as my quilting goes, I have only made a little progress on my turtle quilt. I have made rows, and I like them. Next I need to do the turtle appliques.

My old mystery quilt challenge Carolina Crossroads decision was made about the border fabric, and I did cut it. But that's it.

 my old Christmas Block of the month has more pieces cut and only a few pieced together.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

carolina mystery

My personal goal is to finish all the Quiltville mystery quilts while Jo of  Jo's Country junction is finishing all the quilts in the string fling book. I count 17 quilts, which is more than Bonnie usually puts in a book. I would prefer to concentrate on them in order. Since that would be the oldest. Here is a list of what I have and need to do. mystery #1 is Carolina Crossroads from 2007. It was on the website first and then included in Bonnie Hunter book Scraps and shirttails. The top and first border are done and I am auditioning borders.

I don't use batiks very often, but I wanted to jazz up the quilt a bit with them. Still I am inclined to go plainer. batik lovers what would you do?

Still making a block or two a day of on ringo lake for clue 8. I have 26 - more than half way.
I have the sashings done for part 9

 I have discovered that if I put the wings on my glitter blocks, I can finish a ringo block using each as leader/ ender for the other. I add a wing and then, sew the whole column one. Do the second wing  and chain the whole column 2. I add a wing  and I put the first row together. And the last wing and the second row. For awhile I put 2 sashings units together to remove both glitter block and ringo block from the machine to press them and add them to the pile.The sashings are done so I need to cut and work on the finishing pieces to use at the end of the chain.

I am linking to:

Jos country junction

Making Monday  link in sidebar

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday   link in sidebar

show and tell monday

design wall monday   

boms away   link in sidebar

and there is a mystery link up at Quiltville

domino ufo projects

Have you noticed there is not enough time to do all you want to do? I have a problem with liking everything I see. I finished all 8 cutting garden blocks in orange for the rainbow scrap challenge. I already have a long list of rainbow projects for next year, thanks to all the inspiration I found visiting other rainbow scrappers.

I have a batch of nearly finished projects. Once the first domino falls they will all tumble down. That is certainly a fun part of quilting or anything.

more borders for the spirit of Christmas

the leader ender project is ready for the border decision

Borders are finished for EnProvence

Carolina crossroads is waiting for borders

I am linking to
 SewCan She

rsc17 super saturday

rows of pinning

It is time to start the rows of Carolina Crossroads quilt. This part is a little tedious since I do better if I pin intersections and they are only 1 inch apart. That is a lot of pinning. I think what I will do is pin a row while I am watching tv in the evening and then sew it in the morning and then repeat.

It is always easy to put the first 2 rows together because they are short.

I have put this together as a leader/ ender while I worked on glitter blocks. I can make at least 4 seams while doing the background of one glitter blocks

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday

show and tell Monday

design wall monday

boms away