WIP Wednesday 2.29.12

Happy Leap Day.  Where did this week go again.  Heck, this week? How about this month?  Wow!

I've been trying hard to finish my Pineapple Blossom May 2011 Block Lotto quilt.  It is the WIP I am supposed to be working on for my 2012 UFO's (tab on top of my blog.)  I'm sooooo much closer.  This quilt used to be just a shoebox of blocks.  I finished piecing the back.  It's a lot of pieces.  But I'm happy that NO FABRIC was purchased.  It's all from my stash.  It would have been much quicker to just go to JoAnn Fabrics and throw $30 - $40 at it and call it a day.  But I am very very happy with the results.

I also had a finish for February.  It's the Bust Yo Scraps quilt I did.  It was also a new FO.  It was also part of the Scrap Attack.  Here it is if you haven't seen it yet:

The quilt measures 41" x 56". It will be auctioned off with a local support group for Down Syndrome.
The pieced back is one of my favorites so far!
day.

All of the Eclipse blocks from the January 2012 Block Lotto have made it to their new home.  Here's the approximate layout.  I think I will do the top just a little bit differently or make two more eclipse blocks.  As I received bock I machine embroidered the name and location of the sender.

I am considering picking out colors for the NY Beauty QA and tempted by it. I really enjoy paper piecing, but do I really need another project going on right now? I usually wait until my husband is working out of town to quilt big quilt tops... Some of these quilts will be on hold for a while... Hmmmmm.

Completed Projects -- 3

Completed May Block Lotto quilt back -- ready to make the quilt sandwich.

Worked on layout of the Eclipse Block Loto blocks -- getting close to a decison.

Bust Yo Scraps/Scrap Attack quilt COMPLETE!!!

 

Currently in Progress: 7

Chasing Chevrons (need to make the pieced back--organized fabric and ready to cut)

Dutchman's Puzzle (made decision on border and ready to cut)

Orca Bay (piecing together the last step)

Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quiltalong (need two stars and one braid)

Victorianna Fabric Party Quiltalong (need three rows to catch up)

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (all caught up)

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show -- Secretly started working on this again!

Quilt Tops to be quilted: 4

May 2011 Pineapple Blossom Block Lotto quilt

Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt
Oh Susannah! Mystery Quiltalong - California King
Kaleidoscope Quiltalong

Projects on Hold: 6

Flower Basket Quilt
Charity Quilt for our local quilt guild (2 cut)
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together
Crumb Along with Jo's Country Junction (still making crumbs)
Drunkard's Path Quiltalong

Stop by and see who else has what else going on with Lee at Freshly Pieced!

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Bust Yo Scraps Quilt Finish

Yeah!  Another finish for 2012.  This is my Bust Yo Scraps quilt.  It is a charity quilt for Down Syndrome Support Network (DSSN) in my area.  Tickets will be sold with other basket items on March 17th.  I hope they have a great turnout for their inclusion conference that day.

The quilt measures 41" x 56".  It is the first time I tried a hand-sewn binding.  It took a little over SEVEN hours for this little binding.  (I'm not much for hand sewing!)  But, it does look nice.  My FMQ is improving with practice.  This was a great place to practice stippling.  On the spots where there was too big of a gap with the stippling (like in the solid yellow or orange) I went in and did a little "inner stipple" and it looks great.  You can see the gaps in the photo, but they have been fixed.  There's NO puckering!!!  This is also the first time I tried Leah Day's suggestion to make the border an inch bigger and not to FMQ to the edge.  It worked like a charm.  I'm very happy with this finish!  This back was fun.  It just seems so modern for me!

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Bust Yo Scraps Quilt Back

Here's the back to the Bust Yo Scraps quilt (plus THE helper).

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Block Lotto Eclipse Layout

I played a little with my eclipse blocks from the Block Lotto last night.  It looks like I need to make two more eclipse blocks for the top row and rearrange just a few of the plain blocks.  This quilt is BRIGHT!  I doubt if it will have a border.  I may go with a solid back...  Suggestions for the back?  Sometimes it's good to look at it from another angle.  Here's another shot with the top on top.

See my little "helper" standing to the side waiting to hop across the squares into the circle?  :)

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WIP Wednesday 2.22.12

This week I worked on cutting out plain 9.5" blocks for the layout I have planned for the eclipse blocks that I won in the Block Lotto.  I have received all of the eclipse blocks (44 of them).  Every time I received another squishy in the mail I embroidered the first name of the person who sent it and the person's location (with machine embroidery, of course.)  I have all of the plain blocks cut.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll have time to play with them and the color layout.  It just looks like a couple stacks of nothing right now.  I can't wait to see how they look together.  The colors are so bright.

There's still time to get in on the February Block Lotto.  It's a heart sampler theme.  Check it out!

I made seven more 3.5" house blocks this week.  I am currently caught up with making one each day.

 

Speaking of the Block Lotto, I also put together the Pineapple Blossom blocks I won in the May Block Lotto, 2011.  LOVE love LoVe the way this quilt looks with the sashing and border!  I haven't decided how to piece the back yet, but I know it will be pieced.  It measures 82 x 94.

 

 

 

I am considering picking out colors for the NY Beauty QA.  I really enjoy paper piecing, but do I really need another project going on right now?  I usually wait until my husband is working out of town to quilt big quilt tops...  Some of these quilts will be on hold for a while...  Hmmmmm.  

 

 

Completed Projects -- 5

 

Completed May Block Lotto quilt top -- ready for a pieced back.

Received and embroidered all January Block Lotto eclipse blocks and cut spare blocks.

House blocks complete this week - 7  All caught up again!

 

Currently in Progress: 9

 

Chasing Chevrons (need to make the pieced back--organized fabric and ready to cut)

Dutchman's Puzzle (made decision on border and ready to cut)

Bust Yo Scraps/Scrap Attack quilt top done -- need to make a pieced back

Orca Bay (piecing together the last step)

Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quiltalong (need two stars and one braid)

Victorianna Fabric Party Quiltalong (need three rows to catch up)

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (all caught up)

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show -- Secretly started working on this again!

 

Quilt Tops to be quilted: 3

May 2011 Pineapple Blossom Block Lotto quilt (need to piece the back)

Bust Yo Scraps charity quilt (need to piece the back)

Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt
Oh Susannah! Mystery Quiltalong - California King
Kaleidoscope Quiltalong

Projects on Hold: 6

Flower Basket Quilt
Charity Quilt for our local quilt guild (2 cut)
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together
Crumb Along with Jo's Country Junction (still making crumbs)
Drunkard's Path Quiltalong

Stop by and see who else has what else going on with Lee at Freshly Pieced!

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Tiny Tuesday - 2.21.12

Here's my seven 3.5" house blocks for this week.  Still on schedule!

February Block Swap Adventure

Here's the block I sent to my February Block Swap Adventure Partner earlier this month:

May 2011 Block Lotto Quilt Top

Yeah!  It's a quilt top.  Here are the blocks I won (plus just a few that I added) to make this beautiful quilt top.  It was easy to make the border decision from my stash early this morning.  I am so happy with it that I couldn't wait to get the border on it.  I'm in LOVE!  The rough quilt is measuring
82" x 94".  It will probably end up a little smaller than that.  I have been taking Leah Day's advice and not FMQing all the way to the edge.  Hopefully I'll only lose 1" or so all around it.

The outer border is little hearts.  The corner stones are little dots very similar in color to the outer border.  The grey framing border is ironically the grey I needed to purchase this year (one of three fabrics I purchased this year!) for the February Block Lotto because I didn't have enough grey fabric in my stash.  Here's what was left of the fabric I needed for the sashing:

 This is what the fabric looked like.  I bought over four yards of it at a garage sale last summer.  I cut the strip off with all of the elephants and still have that.  I am going to try to slip it in to an interesting pieced back for this quilt.

Now all I need is for my hubby to work out of town for several days so that I can finished quilting it!

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Friday Night Sew In Results

This Friday (and some of Saturday) I participated in the Friday Night Sew-In hosted by hosted by Heidi of Handmade by Heidi.  This month for the UFO challenge I have been working on the Bonnie Hunter Pineapple Blossom blocks that I won in the May 2011 Block Lotto.  I am soooooo in love with this quilt.  I was a little afraid of sashing, but with the simle instructions (tutorial) I found at  http://www.synthcom.com/~val/Quilts/Tutorials/AddingSashing.html it was a piece of cake.  Here's where I am with the quilt.  Keep in mind I am still going to add another 2.5" border strip and then another 4.5" border or so to make it bigger (of course). 

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WIP Wednesday 2.15.12

Here's what's happening this week...

Yesterday I completed the seven pineapple blocks needed for the top of the Block Lotto blocks that I won in May, 2012.  Here's my seven:

I need to arrange and add to these:

My allotment was made this week to get all caught up on my 3.5" houses for "a house a day".

All of my Heart blocks are made for the February Block Lotto.

The We Can Do It Skill builder is on hold.  Leila is sick.  Sending her get well wishes.  This project could be on hold for a month or so.  I will use this time to get caught up on my UFO's and WIPS.

Completed Projects -- 5

Pieced a quilt back for my charity quilt.
Completed seven pineapple blossom blocks; can now piece the top of that quilt.

February Block Lotto - 4 blocks complete  (all nine are done for February now).

House blocks complete this week - 12!  All caught up again!

Currently in Progress: 9

Chasing Chevrons (need to make the pieced back--organized fabric and ready to cut)

Dutchman's Puzzle (made decision on border and ready to cut)

Bust Yo Scraps/Scrap Attack quilt top done -- need to make a pieced back

Orca Bay (piecing together the last step)

Bluepatch Quilter Mystery Quiltalong (need two stars and one braid)

Victorianna Fabric Party Quiltalong (need three rows to catch up)

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (all caught up)

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show -- Secretly started working on this again!

Quilt Tops to be quilted: 3

Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt
Oh Susannah! Mystery Quiltalong - California King
Kaleidoscope Quiltalong

Projects on Hold: 6

Flower Basket Quilt
Charity Quilt for our local quilt guild (2 cut)
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together
Crumb Along with Jo's Country Junction (still making crumbs)
Drunkard's Path Quiltalong

Stop by and see who else has what else going on with Lee at Freshly Pieced!

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Check out the 1000th post giveaway with Mama Sparks at:

http://mamaspark.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-1000th-post-and-giveaway.html?showComment=1329300126062#c5214796581693330736

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Tiny Tuesday - 2.14.12

Happy Valentine's Day.  I was behind FIVE houses for last week.  I'm happy to say I had them caught up by the weekend.  Here's my dozen houses to keep me up to date.

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February Block Lotto Entries

I finally finished all nine blocks for the Block Lotto for February.  Whew.  Here's the most recent two:

 Here's all nine:

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Richard is having a cool giveaway.  He and his wife Tanya are expecting baby #4.  Guess the birth weight and you win something lovely handmade by Richard himself.  Check it out at:

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/p/guess-julia-dawns-birth-weight.html

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Richard is having another giveaway if you guess Julias's birthday.  Check it out at:

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/p/guess-julia-dawns-b-day.html

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February Block Lotto

Here's another heart for the February Block Lotto.

I found the paper piecing for the heart at:  http://www.blockcentral.com/365-pp/365pdf/heart_within_a_heart.pdf
I can't find where I got the other free pattern.  I think it was called L-O-V-E, but I can't find it on that site right now.  Grrrrr.  Sorry.

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Sana Saroti: Fugly Fabric Party and a Giveaway!!!

Thanks for the chance to win your fabulous fabric! Congrats on hitting 50 followers.

A quilt back?

I thought I would use Wednesdays to work on WIPS.  So yesterday I got out my Bust Yo Scraps quilt that I am making for my support group charity (Downs Syndrome Support Network).  I really wanted to use the little zoo animals die I recently purchased.  Here's how the back looks.  I think it's cute!

BUT, I really don't think this fabric matches the quilt top...  I think I'll piece a different back for the Bust Yo Scraps quilt and use this for something else.  What do you think?  There's too much black in the back and none in the quilt top.

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