lucky star top

Lucky star rainbow scrap challenge quilt is a top. I have enjoyed making this quilt this year. The colors and fabrics are different than I usually use. Sew, I enjoyed the change. I always enjoy the monthly scrap sewing by color. It makes it seem less intimidating. This quilt is going into the to be quilted closet for a well - deserved vacation.

It's time to look at my monthly PHD report. So far this year, I have completed 26 UFOs from my project closet. Can I do that again next year. I need to do it. But, I am experiencing burn out with enthusiasm. Hopefully with the new year, everything will seem like new again. I think I am on track for 2 more finishes in December - fingers crossed.

Next year, I want to clear the to be quilted closet. I may use a 2 for 1 plan. I have some fun quilts in there, that need to become useful.

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TGIFF

TGIFF different   

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creations

peacock party

from bolt to beauty

whoop whoop

oh scrap sunday

wednesday wait loss

My quilt infatuation

PHD

more lucky stars

I had my lucky star blocks sorted into rows by color of the stars. The next step was to make sure the sashings were turned the right way, and, as evenly distributed as I could get them. I spent the day at an open sew making rows.

Linda friend was doing the same with her reproduction stars. 

I have a few rows sewn together- getting closer.

I am linking to:

rsc23 super saturday
oh scrap
wednesday wait loss

charity quilts

Our guild met on Saturday to sew quilts for charity. We donate to the police department for trauma children and for healthy families  and education. One of our members had her Florida guild do these large tumblers for their donation quilts and she wanted us to try them as well. We cut one Saturday and made kits. And this Saturday, we sewed the kits together for a quilt.

Maris made 2 ahead of time.

younger person on her knees planning - oh I wish

tools for a boy

pretty colors

And many more. I grabbed a purple kit. We usually donate in September.

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

boms away 

to do tuesday

wednesday wait loss

grassy creek 2

Saturday was an all day sew day. And, I used the time to work on my grassy creek mystery quilt from quiltville. It seemed harmless enough... 25 sets of matching  blah blah blah. I didn't cut the pieces until the morning of, so, I didn't have a lot of time to think through the math. I just cut a bunch. I spent 3 hours sewing the pieces, and, I still wasn't done. 25 sets was actually 400 pieces. hmmm. I chained pieces in their sets, which was a little fiddley. I cut them after each set. 

After lunch, I sewed the chained sets into little blocks. I had 24 sets by the time I went home. I still need to trim and cut and sew the last set. For not doing the math, I was pretty lucky to be just one set short on pieces.

We had some great projects to see.

We did take a few minutes in the afternoon to play ring toss on the reindeer. It was a hoot, or should I say a snort.

We started the year, in January, with a retreat together, with no idea what the year had in store for us. By summer, we still had not known anybody that had covid. Now, all of us have heard of someone. The building we met in is in front of our walmart. I was shocked when I left for home, that all the walmart parking lot was full to the brim. Crazy people. 

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

boms away 

to do: rug border 1

 I went to a drive through baby shower Saturday. Isn't that a hoot. This sweet lady and her husband have tried for 10 years to have a baby, and thanks to the pandemic ( not really) , they are having a baby girl in December I am so happy for them. We waited 5 long years for our first little treasure and, then, our second. I hated everyone's encouraging words of "just relax" but, in the end...... I wish I had.

I have had a long time rug hooking ufo project. It seems most of the year, without my guild meetings, I have been a slacker in my rug hooking. It was a big rug, but, still....

the center is complete now

I finished the center of my rug here. Now, it is time to get back into the finishing mood, and, work on this cute rug in time for the snow to fly.

I am ready for the rug border on my snowman rug. My quilting has certainly influenced my rug. I want a noticeable "binding" on the outside. I needed to cut the strips, and, join them on the bias. - just like quilting. Unlike quilting, I had to sew the "binding" to the linen before I hook the border. It is impossible to get the sewing machine to sew it close enough, after the hooking is complete. This way, I can hook right to the very edge of the wool fabric.

I also decided to make the final border shorter and just a simple plain border, instead of the pattern's swirls and stars. I just want to move this along and have the focus be the cute snowmen.

I am linking to:

to do tuesday

chameleon color linky _

oh scrap

guild workshop

 Last Saturday, I taught a workshop for my guild, making the shine block and quilt. I am inspired by other's choices.

all pink jelly roll

really pretty Christmas jelly roll

fun Christmas jelly roll

I did get one row put together while the other's were sewing. But, I didn't get enough pictures of the other choices.

my costume - I was the only one

I made the orange cross blocks that I was missing for the row x row quilt and the rainbow scrap challenge. I am also missing a second turquoise row.

And, it is now, part of a section of the quilt.

what does everyone have planned for next year? I want to finish a few longtime ufos.

My rainbow projects for 2020 with links:

 Irish chain
Shine
row by row
scraptastic star
country road
and now
postage stamp psp20

I am linking to:

rsc20 super saturday
oh scrap
UFO busting

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TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

creations

phd 20
peacock party
oh scrap
from bolt to beauty
UFO busting

guild presentation

We had quilt guild last night. We are meeting in a park pavilion so the pictures are crummy, but, you can get an idea of  the quilts that our presenter brought for us to see. Steve is from Brownsburg Indiana and has a shop called: not your average quilter.

He specializes in applique and does it all on an elna domestic machine. He began as a designer for guard outfits and flags for bands many years ago. His quilts were intimidating, but, lovely to see.

There are  189 pieces in the lion.

This is a vector photo of himself.

My pictures don't do these quilts justice. I feel like such a slacker after seeing his show worthy quilts. But, this morning, I pet my fabric, check on my projects, and I am happy quilting again.

I am linking:

midweek makers 

boms away 
Oh scrap

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creative compulsions

needle and thread Thursdays

melba's blocks

I had a great time at retreat. My back was not ready for the whole 2 days,  but, I made it into the second day. After relaxing the rest of the weekend, my back is better, and ready to go again. It just gets tired.
The first project I worked on, was a set of blocks that we bought from My husband's Aunt estate in the nineties. I talked about it  here. Each block is appliqued and embroidered with  names from an exchange. There were only 8 blocks, so I made a little set of hexagons to make it 9 blocks. The purple tulip was Aunt Melba's, and, the initial, is her maiden name. I used a solid color from the 1930s for sashing, and cornerstones.

My brain was tired at this point, and, I quit working on it, and, started sewing an old top together. After I was bored with that project, I added the light inner border, before going home. I did some mindless piecing in the evening.

We had a 5 inch square exchange. I came home with a few treasures.

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

rug class

Our little rug hooking guild is part of ATHA ( association of traditional rug hooking artists ). During the biennial gathering in Cleveland Ohio, we made contributions and received a monetary stipend for education as a thank you. Recently, we had a Bev Stewart from southern Indiana present a class for us. It was fun.
We each received this little project. I finished everything but the background in class.

In this project we learned beading with 2 colors of wool, proddy, crochet, and stem stitch, all with wool. I like the look of proddy ( flower), but it is tough on the hands. I am not at all sure what I want to do with it.

I am linking to:

creative compulsions

needle and thread Thursdays
Oh scrap

retreat traffic jam

We had a 'sleep in your own bed' retreat Friday and Saturday. It is always great to connect with other quilters and to learn more about them and how they do something. And, it is a great way to give a little as well. And the best part was going home to sleep in your own bed. Everything was locked up tight, and we could just start right where we had left off the night before.

I worked on a mystery quilt from Morgansons and stitches and sew forth. I didn't have a picture of the quilt, so, I had to rely on the instructions. This was a kit I purchased in 2013.

First, I cut it out from a purchased kit of fabric. Then, I started with the 9 patches in the center. After lunch, I added the triangles for the square in a square blocks.

I think, the longest part was laying it out and deciding. I would arrange it, and, sew on something else for awhile, and, then, take another look. I didn't put it together. I need to trim the blocks a bit first.

I am linking to:

Monday Making

Moving it Forward Monday 

design wall monday 

boms away 

Oh scrap