split nine finish

My quiltville leader /ender challenge 2013 - split nine patch is finished. All the blocks were made by the end of that year. It has been a ufo since then. As part of my 5 quilt project, I restarted  it in February of 2024. It was my March one monthly goal, and the top was finished by the end of March. It has waited patiently for the quilting and binding in the to be quilted closet. I loved this setting on quiltville's blog site and I did my best to copy it. The block itself is simple and makes a great scrap buster. I would do it again if I live long enough. 

83 x 96 = 26 yards

I have the first 6 leader/ ender challenge quilts done. I didn't do the 2017 challenge so next in line to finish is jewel box stars from 2018.

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sugar grove

I have a few more sugar grove blocks finished. I am cutting orange this month, and I am sure that will make a few more block kits at the ready. I think I have a little over 20 already completed and another 20 blocks kits, and I need 72 blocks. I have been making them as leader enders this year but the focus was cutting and sewing 1800 hsts for the rainbow scrap challenge. Sewing the blocks is just a bonus.

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snailing along

 It has been too long since I could reward my self moving the shirt snail's trail along. I added another round. I have been busy with ufos and rainbow scrap challenges sewing. 

As leaders and enders, I have made a few 5 inch monkey wrench blocks.

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split 9 top finish

At this point, I decided that since I have many more blocks left over, I would add them all a round the outside. Which took the better part of an open sew. It is better and quicker to do that while making the rows in the first place.

I was left with a few sections to sew at the end of the day. I was worried I would not make my one monthly goal to have the top finished by the end of March.

I did finish it in the nick of time. This quilt has been a challenge. But I love it. When I started the 2013 quiltville leader/ ender challenge, I was just using scraps to make blocks with no idea what it would become. I suppose that is why it took so long to finish it. By the way, if you see a mistake, tell me, but very gently haha

83 x 96

I am not adding a border to this and will piece a back, prepare binding, and add it to the to be quilted closet.

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split 9 again

I started this older ufo as part of the quiltville leader/ ender challenge. I figured out how I wanted to proceed with assembly here. Now, I am starting work on the bottom half of my split nine quilt. I am getting better at following the graph so it looks like I have it right the first time.

The top half is all sewn together.

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half of a split 9

I fixed my mistakes with my split nine patch quilt, and the top half of blocks are all right, and mostly sewn together before I ran out of time. I didn't mind having to quit, since I know these pieces were set and going to be ok when I return to it.

Preparations are underway for our 2024 garden. One of the first plants we need to start indoors are sweet potatoes. We used our own sweet potatoes from last year to grow slips for this year's garden. This is the first year we have tried the whole potato in soil and it has done well. Maybe, too well. It looks like we will be ready too soon to plant outdoors. But, planning in the Spring is the best part.

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split 9 goal

I have decided to make my split 9 patch quilt my one monthly goal for March.  I hope to have a top completed for my one monthly goal. This is an older ufo that I added to my 5 quilts project for February. All the blocks were finished and trimmed as leader and enders in 2013. I have 256 of them. I started this as part of the quiltville leader/ ender challenge. I figured out how I wanted to proceed with assembly here.

Looking at this picture, as I am blogging, I see it isn't right somewhere in the middle. I guess it is a good thing I didn't get it all sewn together. I will have to lay it out and do some head scratching,.... again.

A problem -the chart I am using is a 12 x 12 block and I made blocks for a 16 x 16. I will deal with that later. Maybe I will have 112 leftover blocks for the start of a second quilt.

I really like the challenge of getting the pattern right, and I am sure I will love the quilt. The split 9 patch block is a great stash buster. It seems I am always having leftover hsts- add a few 2 1/2 inch squares and a block is born.

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one monthly goal

split nine patch start

 This is an older ufo that I added to my 5 quilts project for February. All the blocks were finished and trimmed as leader and enders in 2013. I have 256 of them. I started this as part of the quiltville leader/ ender challenge. I started working on this with a color picture of Bonnie's finished quilt. I tried to 'see' the way the triangles should be turned. I only confused myself. and put it back in the box. I did some digging and found a grayed chart I thought would help. I enlarged it for old eyes, and marked the paper as I went along. I decided to divide the top into chunks instead of long rows. I hope it helps me see any missteps, before it gets too far. 

This is how far I was able to get during an open sew.

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bow tie

Bow tie blocks were the 2011 quiltville mystery leader/ ender challenge, and Bonnie's first. She did hers with cheddar fabric, I believe. I wanted something a little brighter. At the time, I had a bunch of scraps that were polka dots, and so, it began.  With the 2022 announcement, I realized I didn't have a great finishing success record. I think 2 out of 12. But, I started all of them. I decided to try finishing one this year instead of starting a new one...... so far. It was an easy choice, start with number one. Remembering my plans is the hard part. And my notes are cryptic, even mysterious. I have 200 + made and I need a few more. Once I went down this rabbit hole, I remembered that they are a lot of fun to make, really. Mine are finishing at 3 1/2 inch squarish. I am hoping for a top this year.

and an easy breezy to boot

 

In the center of this bed are my beets. And they are doing very well. To the right is swiss chard  (yummy), and, to the left, is green beans that are actually purple. I have grown beets before, but, usually, we don't get a good harvest. I think this one will be great.

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scrap play

Just a little fun with triangles. I had a pile on the sewing table and rather than put them in "the bucket", I just made a few beauty baskets. And yes, I dug some more out of the bucket and made a bigger mess. But, I was a happy girl.

I made a few yellow easy breezy blocks, lately, as leader/ enders. It takes 11 steps to complete one. It's a simple block, but, several steps.

I have a little more done on boho heart.

section 2 top

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progress

I have 5 quilts I am actively progressing on, but, every now and then, I slip in a few blocks for fun. I have been concentrating on my hunter's star blocks as leader/ enders. Each block takes 3 passes.

So, I have neglected my official leader / ender project -fish school/go fish. I have missed them. I did just a few so that they would not feel too abandoned.

go fish leader/ender challenge

The same with easy breezy....

I have been cutting  these in the rsc colors of the month. These are from reds, January.

easy breezy

I quick sent the HSTS through the machine for a couple of anvil blocks.

anvil blocks

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A new goal for March

 March is here already, and, so far, it is coming in like a lamb which means it will leave like lion. I have a one monthly goal for March. I have the top ready for shine, and, I want to quilt it and bind it this month. I started this pattern in January 2020 as part of the rainbow scrap challenge. After I started, I was smitten.  It is a free pattern offered on moda bake shop. It will be nice to get it finished.

While I am waiting on the next color for March and the rainbow scrap challenge, I am sewing scraps 

easy breezy 1/12/ inch

go fish leader/ender

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One monthly goal

soothing sewing

I just needed a little light sewing. It's easy to pick up some of my "growing" projects and just sew. I don't have to look for anything or read the instructions or scratch my head. And my pile "grows". I sure like sewing with shirt material. It feels so nice.

anvil block

more easy breezy blocks

I need goals and plans, but, sometimes I just need some meditation sewing. I enjoy picking up 2 pieces of fabric and sending them through the machine.

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finished hourglass quilt

 I started this leader/ender challenge with quiltville in July of 2016. My friend Lucy, my daughter, and I swapped hourglass blocks all year. The top was done in September 2017. It has been waiting in the 'to be quilted' closet until this year. Now it has a chance to shine as a completed quilt. There are over 3000 pieces in this quilt. It was such fun to get a new package in the mail with new hourglasses. And fun again as they were sewn into the top.

This also completes my one monthly goal at elm street quilts. And is my first finish for the year. hooray.

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a few snails trails

I have neglected my sewing projects lately, and I wondered if it was because I need to do a little more recreational sewing. It has to be fun or who wants to do it. Setting goals is still a great idea until it seems like work. SO, I grabbed a bit of my work in progress sewing and made a few snails trail blocks using recycled shirts. I used all the pieces I had cut. It felt good to just sew.

still making easy breezy blocks in 1 1/2 in

We have harvested the last of the hot peppers. I sliced them and dehydrated them. They were noxoius. I was prepared with double mask and gloves - my favorite accessories haha. I have enough hot peppers for a long time. 

slice and dice

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fish workflow

I am still trying to work out a workflow for the leader ender project from quiltville - go fish. It seems difficult to isolate what part is leader/ender. I guess there are just several stops along the way that can be used that way. If I used sewing the hsts as the leader/ ender, I would never sew enough for a quilt.

First, I cut strips from scraps that are 2 1/2 x 9 1/2. I can get all the hsts for 2 from that piece later. I have cut a few by color with the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy.  Next, I cut hsts for awhile until I become bored with that. Then, I will sew willy nilly hsts. I trim, iron, and have them by the machine. At this point, I will make webbed sets as the leader/ender for other projects. I have a stack of 2 1/2 inch squares for this part. I make sure I do the whole 4 parts for one fish. I sew top row then second row without breaking thread.

I make a stack of these to use as the next stage of leader /enders

Then, I can sew the center seam and I finally have a block - go fish. I need 960 hsts for 320 blocks. I have many more to do. I am hoping to make 80 blocks like this.

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5 quilts progress

Here is my 5 quilts progress report.

1.checkered past -I have sewed a sashing to the right side of all the blocks. the next step is to join the blocks into rows using the sashings. I got this far at an open sew saturday.

2. fish school - this is a year long project for the quiltville leader/ender challenge. I have made a goal to sew 10 blocks before I can move on to the next quilt. I finished the 10 and added a few more.

3. scrappy mountain majesties - I have made additional blocks for an old ufo. I plan on starting the rows and see how I need to set the blocks together.

4. boho heart -I finished week 4 of boho heart and I am working on week 5. I sat and made lists and decided how I am going to proceed and made a few kits. The thinking is the hardest part - haha

5. tiger quilt - I added a  polka dot  border to tiger tiger, and I have started making piano key borders for the little quilt.

MY next on the longarm

1. on the go - donation quilt -is now on the frame

2. wonky courthouse - hunter

3. hourglass leader ender challenge - hunter

4, end of the rainbow rsc

5. row rainbow rsc

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