FO for September

In spite of all the cleaning and painting I did in September, I did manage to get back in the sewing room for a few hours.  I started and finished the doll quilt for my partner, Judee, at Doll Quilter's Monthly

The leaf blocks are 1.5" with the overall size somewhere around 13 x 16.  

I also did a mini quilt for our quilt guild but I can't show that as we haven't had our big reveal yet.  I'll just tell you that my partner requested a winter theme.

I started making blocks in a new Block of the Week which started in September.  

I've made four blocks so far.  The first three went very well.  

 
I got up early this morning and did this week's block.  It's called New Jersey.

 
That one went well, too.  But, I couldn't for the life of me get last week's block together.  It's called Kansas Sunflower

 

I gave up on this and came up with my own.

 
I have to applique the stem and leaves on this.  All these blocks are 6 1/2 inch and very challenging.

Tomorrow morning I have to take Minnie to the vet for a little surgery to remove a pesky cyst.  It never heals and she keeps worrying about it.
She'll also have her teeth cleaned and any other humiliating procedures that need to be done while she sleeps.

 

Do you think she knows her food will be cut off at 6:00 tonight?

She's going to be one upset little pooch when she doesn't get her usual treats tonight.   We'll have a long talk about it later.  Minnie and I have some good conversations.  Well, I mostly do the talking and she does the listening.  

That's it for quilty projects.  I've been doing bear making and will show some of those in the days to come.  

 

 

FO Challenge for July

This month has flown by and when I think of all the days I was confined in the house because of the heat, I really don't have too many new starts to brag about.  One top that I finished piecing was the kaleidoscope pattern by Marilyn Foreman.

This is as far as its gotten.  I do have the backing for it, however.

Last month I didn't get anything accomplished on Sunbonnet Sue but I got caught up in July.  I even finished the August block.

 Can I get a big Whoop-Whoop here?

I also finished the embroidered sewing room blocks that I started last month and did one block in a crazy quilt style just to see how it looks.  I figured if I didn't like it I could stitch a new block.

 But, I think I'm going to like this design.  I better watch how close I trim on the other blocks.

What else?  Oh, this is what's emerging from the garden.

 Aren't they beauties?  I've been picking every day and eating as much as my body can take.  I think it will be time to can some of these beautiful mamas up in the next few days.  

Those are the highlights for July.  

FO Challenge for June

The month of June has flown by and it doesn't seem I've accomplished much in the sewing room.  I did, however, manage to start two new projects.  It's getting ridiculous.  What can I say?  I purchased a couple of patterns that called to me. 

 An embroidery project for my night-time hand sewing.  This is a Sweet Seams pattern I purchased through AQS but I see that these patterns are also available through McCalls Patterns.  I decided to do this in blue.

 I can easily do one block in an hour or so if I have no interruptions.  

My other start was the kaleidoscope quilt design by Marilyn Foreman.  I blogged about it here.  Here is the result but it's not backed or quilted yet.

 I ordered some batik for the backing.  Hope the color works out.  It's so hard to tell when ordering online.

I made no progress on Sunbonnet Sue blocks.  

 Maybe I can catch up in July.  I tried to get the June block yesterday as I was invited to a SWOM (Sewing WithOut Men) day.  I took Ken More with me to do the job but he was a naughty boy.  He fought me with all those tiny pieces.  I worked on the Sister's Choice blocks instead. 

This went better except I sewed the right side onto the wrong side once and another strip unside down.  Not a productive SWOM day.

That's it.  It's breathlessly hot out today so I'm going into the sewing room and make up for yesterday.  No. 38 is napping in the recliner and Minnie has all four legs up in the air.   No actual images here, use your imagination.  Stay cool.

FO Challenge for May

I feel like I haven't done anything new in the month of May.  I've been working on the Blue Beast almost daily.

 I see a finish in the next few days.  Just one and a half side left on the binding.  So, technically, not a FO Challenge for May but still worth mentioning.

I started and finished knitting a pair of socks.  These are summer socks as the leg is shorter and they're made from a cotton/lycra blend.  Looks like a hole on that upper sock.  I can fix that.


Started a doll quilt for my June swap partner, Lizzie in Sweden.  Here's a little peek.

Also, managed the May block on the Sunbonnet Sue quilt.  Had to take a break from the Blue Beast one afternoon.

 That's it.  Two weeks from today I'll be attending the Minnesota Quilt Show and will come back with renewed inspiration for the coming months. 

FO Challenge for April

I had a few starts in April and most of them became finishes.   I did the April Sunbonnet Sue block.

I decided that she would look good in my new repainted and re- floored laundry room.

 I started quilting the Blue Beast.  This will probably take me all month to just finish the quilting.  I can only work on it about an hour a day.

I have some mug rugs/cookie coasters ready to quilt and finish.

 When No. 38 complained that there was never a napkin on the table when he needed it, I decided to make a napkin holder which was big enough to accommodate the salt & pepper shakers.

 And, last but not least, I started the May doll quilt for my swap partner and it's ready to quilt.  Here's a peek.

 That's it.  I love being retired.

FO Challenge

Hard to believe it's the last day of March already.  I started a few new projects for March..

This first one might end up being the doll quilt for May so I'm not going to show too much of it.  Just a snippet.

This is a scrappy Delectable Mountains from  my excess blue fabrics.

 One more block on Sunbonnet Sue is finished.  I thought I'd be moving along faster on her.  At least my months are up to date.

 I received a beautiful sampling of fabric from my friend Pat when she visited San Diego in December.  It's called Dark Chocolate & Lavender by Sara Morgan for Blue Hill Fabrics.

She didn't buy me all of this (wish she had) so I had to go in search of more.  Of course, I couldn't find it anywhere so I contacted the shop in San Diego.  Rosie's Calico Cupboard Quilt Shop
doesn't have an online catalog but I emailed Rosie and she responded immediately and found the fabric I needed.  Only $8.75 a yard and she sent it right out.  I ordered on Friday and it was in my mailbox in Minnesota on Monday.  Anyway, I decided to make a Sister's Choice quilt for a very special person.  

 I thought there was something else but I guess this is enough.  

I should get busy now.

FO Challenge

The last day of February and time to post the new monthly projects for the 2012 FO Challenge being held at Cat Patches.  Seems like I've been busier than what I have to show but I started so many last month which means I was busy with those projects.  Previously, I posted about some quilt blocks I received that were done by a friend's 83-year-old mother and she wanted them put together in a queen/king size quilt.  

I used the Quilt Design Wizard software and came up with two designs.  The first was a straight traditional design with white sashing  

 The second was on point.

 After several emails back and forth to my friend and consultations with mother, they wanted the on point design with sashing.  Oky-doky.  Back to the Design Wizard and I came up with a pattern that they both agreed upon and fit the size parameters and the blocks I had to work with. 

 

 I have the top sewn together.  

This baby is big..102 x 85.  Now, to quilt it.


I started a little doll/mini quilt and I was thinking Easter with this.

I don't know.  Should I embroider poseys in the baskets or leave it alone?  The rabbits are wool felt.  It won't take long to quilt.  

Those are my new February projects.  Time for a cuppa.

FO Challenge

It's time to tally up what I've started in January as part of Cat Patches New FO Challenge.  You can link up to that with the button on the side bar.  I didn't think I was going to start much but as I was sorting through the stash and organizing the scrap, I had to step back and sew something.  I have this friendship star quilt pieced.

This was the beginning of my scrap quilt journey.  It needs backing and quilting so it is officially unfinished.

Then, because I need to have busy work with my hands at night, I started these Sunbonnet Sue redwork blocks.

As of last night, I have the embroidery work done.  Now it's a matter of deciding how I'm going to put it together.

I saw this pattern in the January 2007 issue of The Quilter Magazine and thought it would be perfect for a scrap quilt.

As I was doing the "scrappin", I cut 6" blocks of lights and darks until I had enough to make 144 blocks.  Last night I laid them all out on the floor and labeled them with little stickers because you can see there is a definite pattern going here.  Minnie had to stroll through it all a few times but I got it the way I wanted it and started sewing some of those blocks together this morning.

 Did I miss anything?  Oh, I haven't finished the mini quilt for my swap partner.  This is a swap hosted by Michele over at Quilting Gallery.
 To learn more click on the button on the side bar.  This one I will have to finish, however.  

This FO Challenge is going to be especially challenging for me as I am a finisher.  I have a hard time leaving projects left undone.  But, if I start enough of them, that may not be a problem.  I still have more spinning around in my head.  

I'm also a mult-tasker so I'm scorching dinner while writing this.  Time to shut up and save the food.