WIP Wednesday 5.30.12

Things are moving pretty slow in my quilty world.  Our son that will be five soon is now out of school and boy do we have a bucket list of things planned for the summer.  Major quilting will resume around September.  But I'll pick away at a few projects that I have on hand when I can't sleep or when I convince him to take a nap... but if he needs a nap, I know I'll need a nap!

Here's what I got done this week on my "ugly" quilt.  I will definitely have to rename it.  This is about a third or so of it...  It is also sideways in the pic.  I am falling in love with more and more as I go.  It's Cafe Mocha pattern by Amanda Murphy.  You can find the pattern here.   This quilt is definitely worth the time I am putting in to it!  Can you believe that these are the fabrics that I got in the In The Bag Ugly Quilt Challenge?

I am working on my Mystery Modern Mini Round Robin border.  Some of the people in the group are quite creative.  I'll post about this top-secret border in December after the recipient gets her mini back.  Hopefully it will be in the mail by the weekend.

I cut up some fabric to try to get in on the Zigzag challenge at htMarcia's Crafty Sewing blog.  I don't know if I have time for this one before the deadline, but to win the prize of the talented Marcia to quilt it for me would be an awesome prize!

Here's where else I will be busy this summer.  Most of my garden is planted now.  There's a lot of work to be done, but with my "little helper" I'm sure it will all work.   Yesterday I planted green beans, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and beets.  I'll plant the vining stuff later this week.  Here's a couple of pics:

These are my fancy tomato cages.  Last week while my husband was at work I borrowed his cutting torch and cut up a couple of tv antenna that I have been saving.  These tomato cages should last a long, long time.  I love the way the tomatoes will climb up the center, come over the top, and flow back down for perfect ripening next to the stem.

Completed Projects --  3 partials

Completed a few more rows of my "ugly" quilt
Completed cutting strips assemblies Marcia's Crafty Sewing Zigzag Challenge
Started sewing pieces of border #3 of the Mystery Mini Round Robin

Currently and SLOWLY in Progress: 8

Cafe Mocha (In the Bag Ugly Fabric quilt challenge)
New York Beauty QA (need a ton of pinwheels... only 8 beauties completed)
Dutchman's Puzzle (finally purchased border 5/14/12.)
Block Swap Adventure block for June

Orca Bay (piecing together the last step) (I'm getting tired of moving these bins around.)

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

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

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (need three very pretty blocks to be caught up!)

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show...grrrrrrrrr

Drunkard's Path Quiltalong (still piecing sub assemblies)

Modern Mini Round Robin (working on 3rd round)

Quilt Tops to be quilted: 4

Oh Susannah! Mystery QA -- California King
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together (May's 12 UFO project)
Kaleidoscope QA
Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt
Chasing Chevrons (back made and ready finally)

Projects on Hold: 3

Flower Basket Quilt

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

WIP Wednesday 5.23.12

This week I finished the block for this month's FMQ Challenge.  LOVE Leah Day!  She is a great teacher.  Here's my block done in the stippled rr tracks:

It's not very easy to see in this photo.  Plus, the fabric is seer sucker...  But I like it.

I also received the little mini this week for the Modern Mini Round Robin.  Sorry, can't post a pic... don't want to spoil the surprise!


I got all of the tedious stips cut for the Cafe Mocha "ugly" Quilt in the Bag fabric challenge.  I'm so glad that I took the time to cut these with my 1 1/2" strip cutter from Accuquilt.  They are so nice and even.  I only put two rows together.  But they look awesome with all those little pieces.  I think the challenge for me will be mixing the colors as I go.  I'm not going to lay it out on a design wall.  I'm just going to wing it.  I think I have enough different fabrics that they will play okay together no matter how I arrange them.

Completed Projects -- 4

Completed FMQ Challenge block for the SewCalGal FMQ Challenge
Completed cutting strips assemblies for Cafe Mocha "fugly" quilt and sewed a couple rows
Found the perfect arrangement for my NY Beauty blocks...  just need to make about a 100 more...

Currently and SLOWLY in Progress: 8

Cafe Mocha (In the Bag Ugly Fabric quilt challenge)
New York Beauty QA (need a ton of pinwheels... only 8 beauties completed)
Dutchman's Puzzle (finally purchased border 5/14/12.)

Orca Bay (piecing together the last step) (I'm getting tired of moving these bins around.)

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

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

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (need two blocks to be caught up!)

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show...grrrrrrrrr

Drunkard's Path Quiltalong (still piecing sub assemblies)

Modern Mini Round Robin (working on 3rd round)

Quilt Tops to be quilted: 4

Oh Susannah! Mystery QA -- California King
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together (May's 12 UFO project)
Kaleidoscope QA
Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt
Chasing Chevrons (back made and ready finally)

Projects on Hold: 3

Flower Basket Quilt

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

A Quilty Friend

Aren't quilty friends the best?  Look what my friend Chris gave me! She just found out that I liked quilting.  Wow, 33 quilt books and magazines... just because she is "downsizing" and didn't think she would be using them.  Here they are on my couch.

And yes, they look bright and cheery on the first big quilt I ever made (Four in 9-patch) next to my pillow that I won from Julie's blog, and then there's my Eclipse Block Lotto quilt on top of my Pineapple Block Lotto quilt (my Supernova quilt is also on the couch but you can't see it...)

Normally I read quilt books and magaines at the bus stop and in the waiting room at speech therapy (once a week).  There are only five days of school left.  Better plan some reading time...

Don't forget to check out all the giveaways for giveaway day by Sew Mama Sew.  Here a couple alerts:

http://quixoticcrafter.blogspot.ca/2012/05/fast-friday-fat-quarter-giveaway.html
Win five fabulous fat quarters called Bella Citrus from Quixotic Crafter. 

FNSI Results

Oops! I forgot to post my Friday Night Sew-In Results...  Didn't accomplish a whole lot, but I'm still working on my "ugly" quilt... which I think the colors are just perfect.  Here's what's on my fancy design wall curtain:

Someday I'll learn to rotate my picture on Blogger so that you don't have to look sideways.  Teehee.

May Block Swap Adventure

Last week I gave you a sneak peek of the block that I did for Debra in Texas.  Debra is my Block Swap Adventure partner for May.  Here's the whole block.  It was really fun to make.

Giveaway alert!!!!

http://havingfunquilting.blogspot.ca/2012/05/awkward.html



Ends May 28, 2012

 

 

WIP Wednesday 5.16.12

Happy birthday to my sister, Cindy.  Some day (probably next year) I will make you a special quilt out of fabric from my mom and grandma.  Here's what happened in my quilty world this week:

On Mother's Day I was given time to cut out the quilt I am making for the In the Bag Ugly Fabric Quilt Challenge (see button on sidebar).  I have decided to go with Amanda Murphy's Cafe Mocha pattern (and of course just make it a tidge bigger).  There are a LOT of pieces for this quilt.  Hoping they all line up one by one!  I only have one row sewn together.  Many many more to go.

The horizontal and vertical fabrics are interesting.  The cream with the flowers was "fugly" that I won several months ago.  The brown in the strips is one of the fabrics that I got for $3/yard at our LQS that is going out of business (the owner is retiring).  Here they are:

And here's the rest of the great deals of fabric that I bought this week.  I got all this (43+ yards) for only $132!  It's all nice stuff.  It was all $3 per yard.  Most of it is Moda.  I do have a plan for a lot of it.  I went in the shop with lists and patterns in hand.  Some of it is for backs and borders for things on my "to do" list.  Unfortunately my quilting will come to a big halt on 5/29.  That's the last day of school.  But my five year old and me have tons of fun planned for the summer and I'm excited.
But look at this lusious fabric!!!

Here's the block that I made for my May swap paterner in the Block Swap Adventure.

 It's fun to play the May for Me Bingo going on at:

Tonya at Hillbilly Handiwork

Sharon at Vrooman's Quilts

Snoodles at Lily Pad Quilting

and Marcia at Crafty Sewing & Quilting

It's a lot of fun.  I'm probably not supposed to show my hand, but here's my card so far:

BINGO UPDATE!!!

After I posted this I checked today's BINGO draws. 

I've got a BINGO!!!

Here's my bingo words in row "I":  Bumble Bee, Bat, Lemon, Tea Cup, Bird.  Now I wait 24 hours or so to see if anybody else has the same "I" BINGO.  If there is more than one person calling bingo then our names go in to a drawing.  Fingers crossed, fingers crossed.

Yes, I know I have another bingo that is horizontal.  Someone already won that prize.  I don't think they have a prize for a horizontal/vertical cross.  I'm just happy with a BINGO!

Completed Projects -- 4

Completed May Block Swap Adventure block
Completed cutting fabric pieces for Cafe Mocha quilt

Currently and SLOWLY in Progress: 8

Dutchman's Puzzle (finally purchased border 5/14/12.)

Orca Bay (piecing together the last step) (I'm getting tired of moving these bins around.)

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

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

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (need one block to be caught up!)

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show...grrrrrrrrr

Drunkard's Path Quiltalong

Quilt Tops to be quilted: 4

Oh Susannah! Mystery QA -- California King
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together (May's 12 UFO project)
Kaleidoscope QA
Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt
Chasing Chevrons (back made and ready finally)

Projects on Hold: 3

Flower Basket Quilt

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

In the Bag Ugly Fabric Quilt Challenge

Here's what I sent my swap partner, Terrie, for the In The Bag challenge.  Remember, part of the challenge was that you were supposed to send your partner UGLY fabrics -- a total of two yards of it!  Oh dear, poor, poor, Terrie!

Good luck, Terrie!

This is what Terrie sent me.  Aren't these fabrics great?  I LOVE them!  I think I already have a pattern in mind and need to pull a few things from my stash.  Can't wait to get started!

May Block Swap Adventure

Here's a sneak peek for Debra in Quinlan, Texas. It was putin the mail today.  This May Block Swap Adventure block was really fun to make.  I can't wait for Debra to get it so that I can you it to you.

WIP Wednesday 5.9.12

This week I finished my Block Lotto Pineapple Blossom quilt!  It's 82" x 92".  Here's the front:

Here's the very pieced back (it's growing on me):

Here's the label (but I covered my last name just because...)

I did two simple 9-patches for my local quilt guild.  Every few months there is a theme.  The winner of the previous blocks passes out fabric and tells you what the theme is.  For each block that you make you get an entry into the drawing.  This time the previous winner passed out 4.5" strips of the dot fabric and told us to make a 9-patch using pastels.  Here's my two blocks:

Our quilt show is coming up.  If you're in Ohio, here's the info:  2012_SCRAPS_OF_WIT_&_WISDOM

Speaking of quilt shows, Shiela asked me to spread the word:

The Beaver Valley Piecemakers is a 100 member guild north of Pittsburgh, PA Our 18th Annual Quilt Show is Oct 12th, 13th, and 14th. Our judge is a National Quilt Association judge. Here is the link to all the show's information. http://www.bvpiecemakers.com/page04.html

Next week is packed with appointments.  Pre-school ends 5/30.  I don't see a whole lot of quilting in my future.  I need to be choosy of what gets done at this point.

Completed Projects -- 4

Completed Pineapple Blossom Quilt!
Mailed Block Lotto blocks to the winners
Made two 9-patch blocks for our local guild challenge
Stitched a couple dozen Drunkard's Path sub blocks for another WIP

Currently and SLOWLY in Progress: 8

Chasing Chevrons

Dutchman's Puzzle (changed mind on border and need to think about this one some more.)

Orca Bay (piecing together the last step) (I'm getting tired of moving these bins around.)

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

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

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)

We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler (need one block to be caught up!)

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show...grrrrrrrrr

Drunkard's Path Quiltalong

Quilt Tops to be quilted: 4

Oh Susannah! Mystery QA -- California King

Kaleidoscope QA

Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt

Projects on Hold: 3

Flower Basket Quilt
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together
Drunkard's Path Quiltalong

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

Pineapple Blossom Block Lotto Quilt Complete

It's finally complete!  Today's the day I completed the Pineapple Blossom quilt.  The pattern is by Bonnie Hunter (it's on the Quiltville website).  Most of the blocks were won in the May 2011 Block Lotto.  I'm just so happy that it is now done.  Here it is (with a picture of my shadow...)

I went with a scrappy border.  See that little heart at the top right?  I left my scissors on the kitchen table next to the quilt and that's what I get.  My little almost 5-year-old helper decided to clip a hole in it.  Oh well, he was "helping" and it gives the quilt character.

The blocks are color controlled to an extent.  Each block has two scraps from the grey family and two scraps from the yellow family.  I can now cross this UFO off my list.  It was on my list to complete in February and I only got the top pieced.  But now I happily cross it off of the Twelve UFO's for 2012.

Finished size is 82" x 92" --perfect for the sleeping on the couch!  Tadaaaaahhhhh!

WIP Wednesday 5.3.12

Here's what happened this week in my quilty world:

I'm still machine quilting on my HUGE Pineapple Blossom quilt.  I won these squares in the Block Lotto in May of 2011.  It was my UFO Challenge for February.  It's getting closer and closer to being done.  Hopefully by next week I'll have a finished quilt to show...

Completed Block #29 - Apple Core - for the We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

Here's the block that I made for my April partner, Helen from England, for the Block Swap Adventure.

This block makes me happy! Nothing but blue skies in the background too.

It is called the Ribbon Star block. Lee at Freshly Pieced did a great tutorial here:

http://freshlypieced.blogspot.com/2012/01/ribbon-star-block-tutorial.html

I'm excited to have to sew a button on to my May for Me BINGO card.  Nothing yet... 

Here are the four May for Me Host Blogs:

Tonya at Hillbilly Handiworks (check here for the rules).

Sharon at Vrooman's Quilts (check here for the how-to).

Snoodles at Lily Pad Quilting

Marcia at Crafty Sewing & Quilting

I can't wait to see what my swap partner, Terrie, does with the UGLY two yards of fabric I am sending her.  It's in the mail today.  This is for the In The Bag Challenge.

Completed Projects -- 2.5

Completed Block #29 for the We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
Mailed the In The Bag challenge fabrics to my swap partner
Still stitchin' on the Pineapple Blossom Quilt

Currently and SLOWLY in Progress: 8

Chasing Chevrons

Dutchman's Puzzle (changed mind on border and need to think about this one some more.)

Orca Bay (piecing together the last step) (I'm getting tired of moving these bins around.)

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

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

Summer Series Quiltalong (stilll need more random blocks)

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

30"x30" Quilt for the June 2012 quilt show-- slowly working on this...

Quilt Tops to be quilted: 4

Oh Susannah! Mystery QA -- California King

Kaleidoscope QA

May 2011 Pineapple Blossom Block Lotto quilt (on the kitchen table in process TODAY!)

Jelly Roll Race - Lap quilt

Projects on Hold: 3

Flower Basket Quilt
August Block Lotto African Violets baby quilt to be put together
Drunkard's Path Quiltalong

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

Twelve UFO Challege for 2012

Twelve UFO Challege for 2012

In May the UFO we will be working on is #2.  That means I will be working on my Block Lotto African Violet baby quilt.  I need to make another block, put them together, make a back, and quilt it--of course.  Here's what I have so far:

I'm very proud that say that I have met my goal every month this year so far except for February.  I am still working on my Pineapple Blossom block for that month.  BUT, it is very close to being finished and checked off the list!  It is on my kitchen table being quilted this week.  Whohoo!

Judy at Patchwork Times is having a UFO challege for 2012. I'm in. This is right up my ally for my 2012 goal. http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012-ufo-challenge/

Keeping excited for the May for Me Bingo.  I plan to sew all the time my son in in pre-school today.  Whohoo!