Hello and Belated Happy New Year

Unbelievable that my last post was in August.  Once I got out of the habit, I really got out of the habit.  I've spent lots of time reading and doing other things besides sewing and quilting.

Not that I haven't done any sewing or quilting.  I managed to finish quilting my first BOM, the one with all those log cabin blocks, 80 to be exact.  I used Marti Michel's book, Machine Quilting in Sections, and it made this one a lot easier.

Sorry it's sideways!

It has a flannel back and wool batting.  It is the only quilt or blanket on our bed.  No need for anything else to keep us warm with that combo!

The past two weeks I have been hitting the sewing corner hard.  Two boxes of blocks are now tops, well, minus the borders anyway.  And, this little one is ready to go in the quilting queue.

It's Feeedsack Patches by Darlene Zimmerman.  I think this pattern was sent out by Quilter's World or some other magazine as a freebie.  I won this kit on a blog a two or three years ago and decided it needed to get pieced and off my shelf.

I also finally decided to get my Victory Quilt (by Eleanor Burns) blocks together. It's another big one with eighteen 12" blocks set on point.

With all that negative space, this one will go to the back of the quilting queue.  It also just isn't one of my faves and definitely is not in the quilting-by-checkbook budget.  I have the borders ready to go on today (fingers crossed).

The telephone block is not from book.  I found it in my perpetual quilt block calendar.

After getting this one together, I decided to move onto the Cozy Quarters' All Its Glory log cabin quilt.  It went together super easy!!

This one isn't quite finished either.  I still need to trim the edges, get the corner triangles on, and put the small black border on.

I've been quilting, too.  Finally pulled out my Fading Charms top, spent an afternoon basting, and put the pedal to the carpet!

This one is pretty straightforward and moving quickly.  Once I get started, the quilting comes easily.

For my first purchase of the year, I purchased two yards of neutrals from Hancock's of Paducah, along with some Aurifil thread and got the free shipping.  I'm trying to be mindful of what fabric I have and stay out of the shops.  However, I have another order from Connecting Threads coming with backing fabric and batting all purchased with free shipping and an online coupon. Gotta love a deal!

Hopefully I will start blogging on a regular basis and get back to tracking my fabric with Judy over at Patchwork Times. Have a great week!!

A long time..again (stash report week 35)

Howdy!

I still haven't figured out my photo dilemma.  I am out of space on Blogger/Picasa and can no longer link to Flickr since its recent upgrade using https:// in its links.

So, this one is current-project-photoless.  Unless, you would like to visit my Flickr page, "farmgirltransplant," to see what's been happening in my quilt corner.

Since school started at the beginning of the month, I have had some time to sew and listen to music or watch a movie or listen to an audio book fo rmore than 15 minutes.  Currently, I am stuck on Janet Evanovich audiobooks thanks to quilty friend Shannon!

from modabakeshop.com, mine is red and white

This week I managed to finish two tops!  WooHoo!  I am so tired of borders, 5 in all!

The Charming Stars quilt is now a completed top in the queue for quilting.  It measures 74x74, so the top used 5.3 yds.  I need to shop the stash and get a back ready this week.








And - drumroll please, Celtic Soltice is finished!!!  For versions other than mine, which is on Flickr, please visit Bonnie's blog post from January.

My top measures 77x77.  It was supposed to finish at 72x72 but to make the 2nd border, a pieced border, work and get an inner border that measured more than 1",  I had to add a blocks to the pieced border.  I love it!  It's finished for now!  It also used about 5.3 yds for the top.

I also purchased fabric from Ozark Fabric on Facebook.  I am such a sucker for a sale! Mostly it was FQs, half yards, and two yards of a nice Quilting Treasures neutral, which always seem to be in short supply in the stash.  There is one pretty blue batik FQ that quilty friend Joyce brought back from her visit to Missouri Star Quilt Co.

Oh - and some size 12 perle cotton.  I really must get back to my handwork and embroidery.  

Used this "week": 10.6
Used YTD: 15.87
Added this "week": 6.5
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 44.67
Net used YTD: -28.80

Have a great week!!  Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Better Late then Never (stash report week 26)

Wow! It's been 5 weeks since I posted! A break from every routine seems to be what I've needed this spring and summer.  For many of those weeks, I just didn't have anything much to say or show.

Our son has been at my parents' house this week and since summer is heating up, I took the opportunity to work on some projects.  Maybe I should do this chronologically, starting with a finish.

After piecing two throw pillows to match Easy Street on our bed, I finally got around to quilting and finishing them.  They are 20" so I figure each one used about 3/4 yd and that gives me a grand total of 1.5 yards to put in the "used" column.

Then, 5 quilty friends and I went to Branson at the beginning of June.  We stayed 2 nights and shopped along the way first at a winery (LOL!) and then at 3 shops in Springfield, MO: Merrily We Quilt Along, The Quilt Sampler, and the Fabric Outlet (which really is an outlet, not a quilt shop).  A few of us took a break on Saturday and visited a shop west of Branson called The Quilted Cow.

All of the shops had nice sales with bolts from $3.99-$5.99/yd. The Fabric Outlet had all cottons at $3.99/yd but you had to feel and look at what you picked up.

I came home with a whopping 5.75 yards of fabric.  Others came with lots more!!

from designsbycozyquarters.com

At our monthly gatherings I've been working on "In All Its Glory."  I cut everything for the next step beforehand so I can sit and stitch.  I managed to get all the block components ready and this week I put them together.  There are 9 of these star blocks with center logs finishing at 0.5".  Yes, I was cutting 1" logs for this step!

from modabakeshop.com, for my version visit Flickr

Once those were finished I decided to turn my attention to some larger projects since I had the house to myself with DS at his grandparents and DH at work.  I pulled out my red and white Moda Bake shop "Charming Stars" blocks, cut the sashing strips and cornerstones and got the center of the top in one piece.

I pulled some red and white that has been sitting in my stash for a few years for the final border and binding.  Borders will come later.

Then, I decided to put the Celtic Solstice blocks together.  With so many little pieces in these blocks, I'm pressing the seams open to help eliminate some bulk and putting them all together a bit easier.  This one isn't in one piece yet but it's on the design wall to keep me motivated. I just love the optical illusion of circles!

Hope y'all are having a wonderful summer!

P.S. I am sorry for the lack of photos.  Flickr has been undergoing changes this year and I have no idea how to link to my photos there anymore.  I am not a techie person and this is taking up lots of time.  If I cannot find a quick solution. I may not be blogging much and when I do, there most likely will not be any photos, which makes for very dull blogging.  Please follow me on Flickr "farmgirltransplant."

Used this "week": 1.5
Used YTD: 5.27
Added this "week": 5.75
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 38.17
Net used YTD: -32.90

Have a great week!!  Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

"Hello Darlin', it's been a long time...." (stash report week 21)

It's race day - the 98th running!!!

It has been a while!  Spring sputtered into our area and I've been doing all kinds of landscaping chores and just plain ol' enjoying the out of doors after our cold winter.  We had a new deck put on, our old cedar was rotting and rickety.  Then, we got our patio furniture arranged under the deck (which is a story tall) and new rope lights put up, and, well, frankly, I'd rather be right there on the swing with a good book than just about anywhere these days.

Needless to say, not much has happened on the sewing/quilting front.  The borders are on the Curves Galore BOM and the backing fabric, from my stash btw, is washed and pressed and waiting for me to get into shape.

I got one Easy Street pillow put together with the binding attached  Now to get the other backing cut and sew both bindings down.

At our last group sew in I started another project.  One that I plan to work on when I'm with the group.  It's called In All Its Glory and it's a quilt that DH pointed out years ago when we vacationed in northern Wisconsin.

The fabric and pattern have been sitting around for at least 2 years, maybe 3, and I decided I should get cracking.  It's mostly courthouse blocks, nothing difficult about construction, but oh! the cutting of 1.5" and 1" strips!

I'm using 1.5" my Marti Michel log cabin ruler rather than strip piecing.  It makes everything so exact.  These are the blocks for step one all finished.

Sorry my pics are so small - I can't figure out how to get the Flickr photos to Blogger - uggh!

No changes in the numbers until I get the Curves Galore ready to quilt.

Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 3.77
Added this week: 0
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 32.42
Net used YTD: -28.25

Have a great week!!  Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Happy Easter! (stash report week 16)

It is a beautiful weekend!  

The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, some sewing is done!!

Dare I say it again?  After so many false starts and even snow this past Monday evening?  Spring has sprung!

With such lovely weather, not much has been happening in the quilting corner. There is nothing I like better this time of year than just hanging out on the back yard swing watching Mother Nature work her magic.  I even had a titmouse land on my head a few days ago - guess s/he needed some hair for its nest!

Yesterday was our sew day and I sat and stitched and stitched on Celtic Solstice until I couldn't stand being indoors any longer.  Of course, I also finished 22 of the 24 54-50 or Fight blocks.

Apparently I didn't count accurately so I have 7 more triangle units to put together so I can finish up all the blocks.  That's right - 2 more blocks til they're all done!  WooHoo!!

I used a gift certificate from Christmas and got a king size batting and 2 yards of black from Hancock's of Paducah this week.  I plan to start on the log cabin pattern that hubby picked out a few years ago (LOL).


Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 3.77
Added this week: 2
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 32.42
Net used YTD: -28.25

Have a great week!!  Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

More Celtic Solstice (stash report week 13)

Last Friday's loveliness went away too quickly and we were left once again with temps in the 20s, 30s, and 40s.  So, spring has not sprung upon us, yet.  The outlook for today is better, but it also promises to be an anomaly this week among needed rain and lower temps.

So, I decided to sew.  And I needed to sit and stitch, not mess with borders, bindings, or laying out blocks.  When that need arises, I pull out my latest Bonnie Hunter project and "just keep stitching."

I spent last, chilly, windy Sunday afternoon cutting all the pieces for Celtic Solstice clue #5.  Then, stitched up a few.  It's so nice to leave pieces right next to the machine to pick up where I left off. 

All the block components are complete and 11 blocks are finished!  It is so gratifying to put the blocks together after all those hundreds of components are pieced.  I didn't want to stop!

Hhhmmm...that Bonnie really knows what she's doing to keep us interested, doesn't she?

One advantage to sewing slowly is that I get to see what others have done with their mystery quilts.  Celtic Solstice is made of two alternating blocks.




Some people, either accidentally or purposefully, changed the direction of chevron units and this block...

9.5" unfinished

...became this block.

Linus and Snoopy!

I really like the starburst!  I'm going to use both versions of the block.  

Progress made, but not on the numbers!

Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 3.77
Added this week: 0
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 30.42
Net used YTD: -26.25

Have a great week!!  Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Celtic Solstice update (stash report week 12)

Now in bloom!

This week was spring break.  We didn't do anything special. Luckily, the weather was nice most days and DS and his friends on our street got to play outside.  However, by Friday, they were so "bored" that they even helped me gather leaves into the tarp and throw them over our back fence into the wooded ravine.  Now, they didn't last long at the task, but that was four loads that I didn't have to do alone!

Friday out temps reached over 72 degrees and it was the only day that I really got to do some outdoor cleaning on both patios.  Prior to that, I was running errands and inside tending to housework - uggh.

However, on Thursday, I'd had enough and escaped to my sewing corner while the boys were at someone else's house.  I just needed to stitch.  I didn't need to think or put on a binding or cut any fabric, I just needed to stitch.  So, out came Clue #4 of Celtic Solstice.

 And all 120 four patches are done.  Geesh, I love strip piecing!  Of course, I now have about 20 or so more 4 patches than I need - lol!

That's it - I haven't shopped or finished another project this week.  So the numbers remain unchanged.

Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 3.77
Added this week: 0
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 30.42
Net used YTD: -26.25

Have a great week!!  Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Quilt Show weekend (stash report week 11)

My guild had its biannual quilt show this weekend so we spent National Quilting Day basking in all things quilty.  What a great day!

And... surprise, surprise... I won a prize!

I was blown away - Best Miniature Quilt!  

There were lots of vendors at the show, but I'm still trying to find a place for all those 18+ yards that I brought home last weekend.  Sew, I didn't buy a thing - not a single thing!

The one teensy project that I finished this week used the half yard of black furry minky that helped make up those 18 yards.

Here's my new, warm infinity scarf.  And, since the temps around here dropped 30 degrees from yesterday, I got to wear it on this cold, blustery day as we spent the afternoon at Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II.






Used this week: 0.25
Used YTD: 3.77
Added this week: 0
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 30.42
Net used YTD: -26.25

Have a great week!!  Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Spring! And a Hard Fall! (stash report week 10)

After a hiccup of cold weather last week, after my last post, it seems that quite possibly spring has sprung!  I got out to do yard work Friday and now have all sorts of projects on the spring "to do" list swirling in my head.

After that first day of yard work over a week ago, some of my sewing mojo left me.  Then, after realizing that I'd failed to take in my main quilting machine for its annual cleaning and wrestling with another machine trying to FMQ and breaking lots of thread, the rest of my mojo left me, too.  I've been quite unproductive these past couple of weeks.



However, I did make myself get the BOM set entirely with my stash into one piece (above).

Then I decided it needed a darker yellow and a darker blue for the final border and binding.  Luckily I had some Connecting Threads leftovers to audition and placed an order for 2.75 yards to finish it up.

Then, yesterday I had to help quilty friend Joyce. See, she plans to downsize to a smaller house and is downsizing her fabric stash and sewing tools.

So, I had to go to her sale and help out, right?

To the tune of adding....

Black minky for a scarf

...almost 20 more yards of fabric...

some reproductions

...to my already "big enough" stash!

assorted 1/2 yds

Aren't they pretty?

B&Ws and FQs

It seems that Joyce and I have the same taste in greens!

A simple green and brown quilt may be in my future.

So, my numbers are blown out and my mojo has flown away like a migrating bird.  Maybe when the hot weather hits, I'll be ready to sit inside and sew again!

Used this week: 0
Used YTD: 3.42
Added this week: 21
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 30.42
Net used YTD: -26.5

Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Spring is Here! -- ?? (Stash Report Week 8)

from last spring

Dare we say it?  Spring has sprung?  We've had a couple days in the low 60s and I found three hyacinths poking out of the ground.

hydrangea from last year

Rather than sew yesterday afternoon, I spent some zen moments trimming the viburnum, knock-out rose, and oakleaf hydrangea.  The poor viburnum got caught in the last frost of last spring and lost a few large branches, the hydrangea was just a tad too large for it's spot, and the poor ol' rosebush needed a spring thinning.  I almost escaped without a scratch - almost, 'til the very end!

I've been rather productive this week, but not enough to change the numbers very much.  Easy Street is done - labeled and bound - WooHoo!!  With the mud from our thaw, I've not been able to get a good picture.

I forgot to show you the one Celtic Solstice 54-40 block from last weekend.  I couldn't wait once I had enough 4 patches complete.  This block is so much fun! It takes on 3 dimensional qualities when you view it from a distance.

What makes me hum along this week is finalizing what to do with the twelve BOM blocks that I finished last week.  I decided to use six 13.5" hourglass blocks to set the the top on point.

Good thing I bought a 15" ruler this week at Joann's.

What has me humming is that the fabric for those six blocks and for the side and corner setting triangles came from my stash!  Two of the greens were among those that arrived last weekend from Hillbilly Quilt Shop.

While the yellow check on the sides isn't very dark, I'm trying to use what I have and may have enough of a gold/marigold to use as a narrow inner border to help bring out the yellows in the blocks, which aren't shown here, a bit more. Today I will lay them all out and try to get the colors distributed evenly.

While taking a little break I sat down with the TV table and tools and finished squaring these little HSTs from my friends scraps.  Just a few more to press, at 1.5" the seams are pressed open, and they will be ready for their own little project, a pillow top perhaps.



Used this week: 0.67
Used YTD: 3.42
Added this week: 0 
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 9.42
Net used YTD: -5.5

Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Stash Report Week 7

Oopsie Daisy

Hope you all had a Happy Valentine's Day!  DS went to a "party, " aka parent's survival night, at his gym so DH and I enjoyed a beef spedini entree and salad from our local grocery's take away counter.

As I got to feeling a bit better from cold #2 that hit last weekend, more sewing happened this week in an effort to finish up old, small projects.  I even got in a blog post about them before DS came home early from school on Friday (the district's way of wishing all parents a Happy V Day!).

Yesterday was the last day of the BOM at the LQS and it was our quilty friends sew day.  It was cold and a bit icy and one of us went down before sewing a stitch - and broke her wrist. Poor Carol!  The rest of us stitched and visited and waited to hear from Carol after she went to the urgent care center.  She's a cheerful soul and returned for her things in good spirits.

I didn't feel very productive yesterday but I did get the last 3 blocks finished from the BOM.  Now, I have no plans to ever sew another curved seam!  Every block was made up of 16 of these units set together in different patterns.

Now to figure out how to set these blocks.  I didn't purchase the kit from the LQS, just too much white for my taste.  However, the kit set the blocks on point, which would yield a bigger quilt since these blocks are about 13.5." Decisions, decisions...

Then, since it was our last BOM day, we got 20% all fabric and I picked up two batiks for the Tonga Nature BOM that we plan to tackle later this year. There's one more yard to the stash.







When I returned home, I had a bulging padded envelope on the table from Hillbilly Tonya. It held all my goodies from Hillbilly Handiworks from the past two months.  In total: 2 one yard cuts, 4 half yard cuts, and 16 FQs. Back in the red for me!

Some cuts are from the Hillbilly facebook group and her great year-end clearance FQ sale and others are from the website, where I also picked 3 new Ahhhs for paper piecing.  The shop is so great about shipping - no shipments until your package is full, unless you request it.

Pretty sewing novelties in half and FQ cuts.  Another sewing machine cover might be in order.

Soft color fat quarters that were on sale.

All the rest - for either swaps, trades, or small projects like wallets and notebook covers.

The binding and hanging sleeve is attached to Easy Street!  Need to miter the corners, get the label ready, and get it all stitched down to call it a finish.

I might have to use some of this new fabric to make a few drawstring bags.  We are required to have our quilts/projects for the quilt show in bags with our name, address, phone number, and entry # on the outside.  However, I don't think either Easy Street or the two 18" pillows I'm putting in the show will fit into my standby pillowcases.  That means more stash shopping for me to help get these numbers in the black again!

Used this week: 2 
Used YTD: 2.75
Added this week: 8.5 (edited once a piece assumed to be 1 yd was found to be .5 yd)
Gifted this week: 0
Added YTD: 9.42
Net used YTD: -6.17

Please also check out some more stash reports at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Friday Finish (whoop whoop)

The cold weather, and my cold, has really helped in the UFO department.  Here is an oldie.

Oopsie Daisy

I purchased the Moda kit at Market years ago.  In looking through my lists of projects, I started it in the fall of '12. Why do I do this?  Why do I not finish these things.  It wasn't difficult, a little different with the prairie points, but not hard at all.  Sew, now it is done!

Then I decided to use this little tutorial at Kirins Notebook to make a reversible notebook cover for a generic spiral bound notebook.  I just don't use composition books b/c I like to pull out pages from time to time.

It was fun digging through my bins to find some fabric.  Pink is not my color but I liked these floral and stripe fabrics I got years ago in a scrap bag at my LQS. And, I didn't have to cut those pretty roses.

Cutting was easy, added light weight interfacing to each piece, but it was the construction.  First the pockets to hold the covers were too long.  Then I could not line them up properly.  It was just a day that nothing was going right in the sewing corner.  You've had those, right?  Finally, I got them all done and the first cover still is a bit snug for the spiral bound notebook but it fits fine for the one composition book that I own.

Check out some more fun projects at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.