holloween kit

 I was feeling halloweenish, and remembered a halloween kit, that I found at a garage sale. I had added it to my 5 quilt projects for 2025. I am not near it on the list, but, I thought it might be fun, at this time of the year, to at least look at it. It was a complete kit with a panel, fabric, and a pattern. I did not like the pattern. I started looking at ideas online. I found a couple I liked much better. For now, I am tabling the idea. I have made notes, and pictures, so that I can start again with a better idea for how to proceed. I do like the panel, and it offered me smile. It would be wise to start a bit earlier than October another year.

I am linking: 

design wall monday 

oh scrap

sew and tell

monday musings

an applique project

I restarted an older ufo applique project - across the wide missourri- this year for the rainbow scrap challenge. I started it 2018. I made 3 blocks before abandoning the project that year.               

At the beginning of this year, I had a few blocks finished, and, I wanted to work month by month with the rainbow scrap challenge.

I chose block 6 to start.

I finished the tree  and  the stars. I cut pieces for the chimney and cabin, and that, was it for the rest of the year. I gave up. But, as I plan a vacation coming soon, I realized this project would make a good car project. I have a renewed sense of purpose and will prepare a few pieces for traveling. Hopefully, I will make enough progress to feel like finishing it next year. It didn't work well for the rainbow scrap challenge so if I do continue working on this I will do it as part of my 5 quilt project. 

I am linking:

design wall monday 

oh scrap

sew and tell

monday musings

falling charms finish

 My Friday finish is an older Ufo from the 'to be quilted closet' called falling charms. I bought this as a kit from Missourri Star, and it used African fabrics from the ubushobozi project. I was intrigued by the rich fabric and the humanitarian organization. It was my first use of the falling charms pattern and enjoyed it. It would be a fun way to sew a donation quilt. This size used 80 charms. I finished this yesterday, technically in February as part of my 5 quilt project. It is time to start March goals and look forward to Spring.

72x72 = 14 yards

I am linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different   

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creations

from bolt to beauty

whoop whoop

oh scrap sunday

wednesday wait loss

midweek makers 

My quilt infatuation

falling charms goal

I have had this quilt top ready for quilting since 2021. I drew a random number and this is my second quilting goal for February. I bought this as a kit from Missourri Star, and it used African fabrics from the ubushobozi project. I love the rich colors. I need a back and binding. And it is time to quilt it. The pattern is falling charms.

more about starting this quilt

Ubushobozi Project is a non-profit, vocational skills training organization founded by Jeanne Siporin, Alan Siporin and Laura Boyea in September 2008 in Musanze, Rwanda, Africa. Through education and skills training (sewing, weaving, crocheting and more) Ubushobozi seeks to end the cycle of poverty our girls have experienced throughout their young lives. 

I am linking:

wednesday wait loss

midweek makers 

My quilt infatuation

oh scrap

applique quilt project

One of my Rainbow scrap challenges for the new year - 2024 is this older UFO. My hubby purchased this kit for me as a Christmas present a few years ago. I loved the primitive look. I have not really done much applique in my quilting life, and, I thought I would enjoy the challenge. Sadly, there are easier quilts to make, so, I did. It is on the bucket list of Ufos. I do want to finish it. My plan is to work on it as part of the rsc projects. There are many colors in the quilt for the months of color and I am sure the rest can be close enough.

I have 3 blocks finished and 9 to go.

last time I worked on this quilt 2018 -more here

I am linking to:

rsc23 super saturday
oh scrap
wednesday wait loss

one monthly goal finish

 This cute donation quilt is finished. I bought this as a kit a few years ago. I thought it would make a cute boy donation quilt. This is my one monthly goal for November too.

I had it to the top stage here  at the beginning of the month and now it is finished. I really like the fabric.

61x66

I hand sewed the binding  and sprinkled stars in the quilting

Our guild's annual donation night was Tuesday and we had many quilts turned in and were given to the police department and family services.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

creations

peacock party

from bolt to beauty

put your foot down

oh scrap sunday

boms away  sunday

PHD 2021 at quilting gail

one monthly goal at elm street quilts

one monthly goal - on the go

 I bought this as a kit a few years ago. I thought it would make a cute boy donation quilt. I plan on finishing this for my one monthly goal at elm street quilts for November.

I have it to the top stage here and need to quilt and bind it. I really like the fabric.

borders here

cute

bonnie hunter has released the new mystery fabric requirements

luckily, I have my lowe's paint chips. I won't pull my fabrics until it is time to start cutting. I have found I pull way too much fabric, just in case, and then carry it around for the whole year. I'm sure I have everything I will need. haha

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

boms away 

to do tuesday

one monthly goal at elm street quilts

on the go top

 this past week I started working on an older ufo - on the go. It was a kit I bought in 2014 for a donation quilt. It is bright and colorful and easy. I added the outside borders this morning. It was raining or I would have a better picture. I have fabric for the binding, but, I will need to find a suitable backing in my stash. Then, it will live with the other quilts waiting to be quilted.

My radishes are ready for harvesting. I picked a mild radish, and, it is too hot for me. Good thing the leaves are edible. I have had 3 whole green beans from my raised bed. 

I have made a little progress on ongoing projects. I am still making waffle stamp blocks and I had a few sets of tiny houses cut. These are always a welcome diversion from cleaning and finishing quilts.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

creations

peacock party

from bolt to beauty

put your foot down

oh scrap sunday

UFO busting saturday

boms away  sunday

needle and thread Thursdays

falling charms quilt

 I thought I would share a few thoughts about borders, and the top I just finished. Borders used to be my kryptonite. I could procrastinate forever adding the borders. Someone, I forget who, shared using the longarm frame to measure borders with the quilt. I hang it over the outer bar and lay the borders on top, making sure I smooth it and not stretch it. My undying gratitude to whomever mentioned that tip. It was especially important during my back issues.

I had to turn a couple squares to get it right

I like to find the middle of both the borders and the quilt and pin there. I will pin the end of the border once I reach the middle. otherwise, I don't pin. I use my hand to hold things in place. And I run my machine at full speed once I have everything measured and anchored. Now, I like doing borders and can get them done with very little effort.

you can read about the fabric and kit and start of the quilt here.

And now, it will live for awhile with it's friends in the "to be quilted" closet.

I am linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

creations

peacock party

from bolt to beauty

put your foot down

oh scrap sunday

UFO busting saturday

boms away  sunday

needle and thread Thursdays

new quilt project

I had a great sew day Saturday with our guild. I planned on starting a new project that came recently from Missouri star. I don't remember how I saw this kit, but, I think it was on you tube. The charm squares are from Africa as a free enterprise sort of cooperation with Missouri Star, I don't have anything like this, it looked easy, and it was something new. 

Saturday, I spent a little bit sewing the first round of black to the charm squares. Then, I took a break for sewing borders for a quilt, and lunch.

After lunch, I sewed the second round of black to the charm squares. I am really enjoying this. I will probably save this as a portable project, but, who knows, once the bug hits.......

I looked it up on line.

Ubushobozi Project is a non-profit, vocational skills training organization founded by Jeanne Siporin, Alan Siporin and Laura Boyea in September 2008 in Musanze, Rwanda, Africa. Through education and skills training (sewing, weaving, crocheting and more) Ubushobozi seeks to end the cycle of poverty our girls have experienced throughout their young lives. 

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

boms away 

wednesday wait loss

needle and thread Thursdays 

traffic jam finish

I finished my one monthly goal for December. The quick finish was why I chose this project for the goal. I felt a chance at success and took it. I have worked on this most of the year, off and on. I made the blocks in January at a retreat. I made the top at another retreat on Nov 18.

54x65

green backing and leftover fabrics for the binding

I'm linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

creations

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

one monthly goal

project box

I opened another project box thinking it would be an easy decision. This quilt kit was a Joann fabrics block of the month called peaceful paisley from 2013. It was not an easy decision. All the Joann kits come with precut pieces and instructions. I like that, sometimes, as an easy piecing project when other projects become stressful. I found a complete set, and the setting kit, and the precut binding in the box. But, I also found several other block kits.

What I think I did, was use coupons to buy the original set, and, then, I bought odd blocks when they were clearanced. There was not a complete set, so, I just bought any 12 to make another quilt someday. I have 6 sewn together, but, one was missing the pieces for the brown border. I had a couple of fat quarters that I can cut to make the missing borders.

I am a spreader

I took this project box to Friday quilt group so that I could spread it out, and, see what I had. I decided to trade some of the hand applique blocks for pieced ones in the original kit. I plan to finish it and, then, decide about the rest. I am not sure I want to invest the time for an additional donation quilt. I did piece one more block at our meeting. I will take it today, and, play around some more, and, see if I can make a more concrete decision. 

Linda brought her beautiful quilt to show us.

Linda's quilt

I'm linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

creations

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

thoughts on finishing

I made a commitment to finish this quilt and a patriotic one, before, I would do any random sewing or work on wips. I did this because, I had reached overwhelm, with too many plates spinning in the air. With the additional end of the year approaching, I am losing steam. I have had a great finishing year, but I have started too many new projects, too. 

I bought this quilt kit at a blog hop a couple of years ago. I spent time making the pieces, and, eventually, assembled the top. It was much smaller than I had pictured in my mind... much smaller. I knew I needed to add to it, so, it went into the ufo closet. Last week, I was looking for a project I was hoping to finish at a workshop, and, I was confronted with how many ufos were actually in the closet. Hang my head in shame. It was classic out of sight out of mind. I have many really great projects that just need a little attention to be finished and marked off the list. 

Friday might - pull the quilt out of the box and take stock - no ideas

Saturday - an idea came to me, and, I made the first hourglass block

Sunday - I added the inner border - no thinking there.

Monday   made hour glass block using suzies scrap hour glass tutorial. The only math I did was deciding that a 4- 1/2 inch block would make a nice size border.

Tuesday - did a head calculation for how many hour glasses might fit on the quilt and made 55 of them

Wednesday - made half lengths of border, thinking I might have to do an insert in the center to make them fit

Thursday - the border fit perfectly, even making the corner the way I wanted. But, still not big enough.

Friday- decided to add the rest of the scraps in lengths around the outside, and, used all that was left minus a 3x5 inch piece

Saturday - I quilted it. 

Monday -I added the binding

I really like it, and it will have a special spot in my heart for all the "experimenting" and working on it until I liked it.

61 x 74

What I learned about myself during this experiment.

I really don't care if I ever finish, I like the process and being creative. Therefore, I don't have an inner voice prompting me to finish.

It was hard not therapeutically sewing, but, I did feel more in control of what I was doing.

I need to trust my feeling that something isn't to my liking, and work on that.

I renewed my appreciation for just how much time it takes to make a quilt.

I have more than enough wonderful ufos to last a lifetime. I need to make them the go to for a new project

I'm linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

creations

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

one monthly goal

countryside cottage finish

 This is a 2004 Joann block of the month that I have had for some time. I needed to finish it. The colors are rich and lovely. I have a couple in mind that I want to gift this. It is queen size. I have many joann quilts block of the months that I bought each year. I was so excited when I found them. The fabric was included and precut. The instructions had cute little hints that were actually helpful. I bought them each year, and then they have waited in a project box. Some I haven't even opened.

This was one of my one monthly goals to quilt and finish. I'm trying get more of the quilts quilted.

This is also a finish for my PHD 2020

I'm linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

Whoop Whoop

peacock party
oh scrap
from bolt to beauty
UFO busting

phd 2020
one monthly goal