February OMG -- Goal Setting -- Fortune Teller

 The last time I worked on these blocks (I think) was in August of 2019.  I sewed the blocks together, but I'm not sure if I took a picture.

This is my Fortune Teller Quilt.  The pattern for this quilt can be found in the book Sunday Morning Quilts.   It is written by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison.  I was lucky that I could get a copy from my local library.  I started this project by making a couple of fortune teller blocks in the color of the month as a RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) project back in 2014.

It's time to finish this quilt, so I am setting it to be my goal to finish it for my February, 2021, OMG (One Main Goal.)  I intend to give it to my friend's daughter that is graduating from high school this year.  Her party is in May.  I want to have this done so that I don't have to stress and rush when May comes.  Fingers crossed all goes well and it is completed.

I'm linking up at Elm Street Quilts for the February OMG Goal Setting party here.

A Snowy Sunday -- On the Frame

 Today I loaded a friend's large square patchwork quilt on the frame.  I started quilting it with a more modern design.  I'm still not sure if that's the right design for that quilt or not.  I think I should have picked something taller.  I'm sure she will still be happy that it is quilted.

The quilting design I am using is called Modern Squares from Urban Elementz.

I'm having trouble receiving e-mails to any comments that you leave on my blog.  I used to get the notice in my e-mail but now I don't.  I noticed that has been happening all over blogland.

Our son was busy building tracks and ping pong trick shots in the garage while my husband made specialized bolts on his lathe.  It's cool that we all kinda hang out together but do our own thing.  :)

My husband is in the process of constructing a new building in his mind.  The adjuster bolts needed that makes the building level and square are super expensive.  My husband bought bar stock and is making the bolts himself to save quite a bit.  He's super creative like that.  I'm so lucky he's mine.

Here's his YouTube video of his Ping Pong Trick Shot on Youtube.

We got about 4" of fresh snow today to cover the little dusting of snow that we had.  I made it to the chicken coop just in time to gather the last eggs of the day.  If I would have left them there over night they would have frozen.  It's okay if they freeze, but sometimes they break when they freeze.  All of my hens roost at night.  It's nice that everyone feels safe enough that they don't sleep in the nest boxes.  The extra rooster problem has been corrected. It's all good.

RSC21 -- Finishing a Fabulous Month of Pink Scraps! -- I LOVE Table Scraps!

I finished my Go Four It quilt on Thursday.  I am sooooo pleased with it.  We had a light dusting of snow.  I took it outside for a photo.  The sun was not shining so the splendor of the bright blocks don't show as well, but it is beautiful.

I quilted it with my Circle Lord giant template board called Swirls.  I pieced pieces of bright fabrics for the binding.  I love the binding!

I took the challenge that Joy suggested called Table Scraps.  I made this little table topper.  I just LOVE it!!!  It makes me happy just to walk past it.  It makes me happy to have a sweet little finish.  I think about several of my bloggy friends as I walk by and am thankful for all of them!  Come see all the fun table toppers on Joy's blog today, The Joyful Quilter, here.

I had a bunch of pink squares and strips left over from my Winter Blues (in pink) quilt.  I just happened to get my e-mail from Sew Can She with this cute heart pattern called Baby Heart Log Cabin Quilt.  I used 1.5" squares instead of the suggested size.  It turned out super cute.  You can find the pattern here.  Such a great idea to make something out of the little scraps left out after another project, Joy!  

It measures 18" square.  I quilted it with one of my block templates that had heart motifs in the center and then put a border around it and some squiggles.  It was good to practice some of the things I haven't done for a while on the longarm.

I'm almost embarrassed to show this, but this is real life...  Here's the before picture.

Here's the after photo.  Look... H A P P Y!!  The funny thing is that this is in the "old" house where we are living until we finish the other house (on the same property.)  This little stand that holds all our son's Wii remotes and console and the satellite receiver and dvd player is a little stand that I found on the road in a ditch.  I brought it home and used it along a sewing table long ago.  When I got my longarm there was no more need for the extra sewing table.  My husband sawed it half w hen we got our big tv for Christmas.  If it's going to be a temporary thing, it might as well be pretty.  :)

Yesterday I finished my Winter Blues -- In Pink.  This pattern is designed by Bonnie Hunter (I used a string strip border on this crib quilt vs. the braid she put on her full-sized quilt.)  You can read all about it here.  But here are a few pictures from yesterday.

I made a pieced back by using three pieces of pink from my scrap bin.

 Cathy that blogs at Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting inspired me in (as she always does) to use up those scraps.  Check out her gorgeous rail fence quilt here.  She made 900 blocks here and there over a few years and ended up with a gorgeous quilt.  

I loved the idea of using up 1.5" strips of the color of the month for the RSC and started making them in 2021.  Here's the first 14 of 900...

I haven't made a quilt with a black background yet.  With a few big projects coming to a close, I am allowing myself to start a simple, new RSC project.  I expect this one to be a quilt top by the end of 2021.  I am making the GO! ABC quilt.  Each month I will about 3 letter blocks.  These are the four hearts in the corners of the quilt. 

I had to play with black scraps before I could start this little quilt.

It was a very productive month of pink for me.

You can get the GO! ABC pattern on the Accuquilt site here.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC21.

Winter Blues (in Pink) is a Friday Finish

 I finished my quilt called Winter Blues -- in Pink.  This is a pattern recently released by Bonnie Hunter.  You can read about Bonnie's quilt pattern here.  I made it crib sized.  It would fit a toddler bed nicely.

It measures 50" x 55.5".  I used a string strip border vs. the suggested braided border.  I quilted it using my Circle Lord giant template board called swirls with white thread. The back is three different pieces of pink fabric.  Everything in this quilt was from my stash.  I tried to use the smallest of pinks in my scrap bins for more variety.  Almost all of the pieces were cut with my Accuquilt dies or strip dies and then cut to size with the rotary cutter.  

I'm linking up at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

Go Four It Quilt Is Complete

 I finished my Go Four It quilt today.  I am sooooo pleased how this quilt turned out.  I haven't figured how many pieces it too to make this quilt.  Someday I will.  I started this project in June of 2017.

I made a pieced back with a big piece of cheater fabric and some other fabrics that look like they were from the 1980's.  It works out perfect for this quilt.  It will end up on our bed.

The little colorful squares going down the quilt 1.5" squares.  The Go Four It pattern can be found in the magazine AMERICAN PATCHWORK & QUILTING, April 2015.  I worked on this as a leader/ender project for quite a while.  It seemed like I would make four-patches with the little pieces left over at the end of the month for various projects of the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge.)  Many of these red squares are left over pieces from my Garden Party quilt (Pattern by Bonnie Hunter) that I finished and gifted on Christmas Eve.

After several attempts due to wind I was finally able to get an "in the snow" pic.  We only had a light dusting of snow on Thursday.  This quilt finishes at 91.5" x 93.5".  I made the border pieces a little wider than the border suggestions in the pattern.  I had planned on the quilt having issues with fullness when it was quilted because of so many pieces.  All the squares and triangles were cut with my Accuquilt dies.  I figured there would be play with all the different bias edges.  I put my little bits and pieces of fabric on the dies so that they fit--not to go with the grain of the fabric.

When I longarm quilted it using my Circle Lord giant template board called Swirls, I started with the quilt on the top rollers.  I floated the last four rows of the quilt (took the one edge off of the roller).  This allowed me to get it even when I measured the edges to keep it straight.  (Thank you for that tip, Linda!)  

The borders played so nicely and I didn't have as much play as I thought I would.  Woohoo!  When my husband saw the quilt he really liked the bigger boarders.  I decided to keep them big instead of trimming them down as intended.  

I do love the bright strips of scrappy binding that goes around the edge with no rhyme or reason.  I didn't even lay them out to see where the seam hit.  I just took my chances and low and behold NONE of the seams matched up with a corner.  It was just my lucky day.

It was my goal for January to finish this quilt.  I'm linking up at Elm Street Quilts for the One Monthly Goal January Finish Link-Up.

I'm also jumping across the pond and linking up at Valomea's Patch Box.

Trimmed Crib Quilts

 I trimmed these two little charity quilts.  These were in a bag of scraps that a friend gifted to me.  

I used the same yardage from my stash for the backing for the quilts.  I placed them close together so that I could just load the 2nd quilt without re-loading the backing fabric.  The batting was also scraps (frankenbatting).  I think they turned out super cute so far.  Now to find binding pieces...

WIP Wednesday 1.27.21

It's been another productive week of quilting.

I finished the quilt top called Patriotic Folk Animals.  This was a project I picked to work on because it had applique and embroidery.  I carried it in my sew-to-go bag.  I made a back for it and it is ready for quilting.  It is in the book, AMERICANA QUILTS, by Sandy Bonsib.

I worked on quilting my Winter Blues (pattern by Bonnie Hunter) in pink.  It is completely longarm quilted and trimmed.  The binding is cut but not sewn together.

My new best friend is this space heater.  It heats the area quickly in the unfinished house so that the furnace doesn't have to work as hard for over an hour to warm up the longarm quilting area.  I only use it when my husband is home.  It gets very hot.  I'm not comfortable with our son running around and setting something in front of it by accident or moving it.  He does know to stay away from it, but you just never can be too safe.

I resolved my thread problem by wrapping it around the handle and taping the end fast.

I loaded and quilted this little rescue crib quilt.  It will be donated to charity.  I am a firm believer to use my God-given talents to help others.

After I finished the above quilt top I had enough backing and batting pieces ready to just keep rolling with it and quilt this one right behind it.  This is a rescued crib quilt for charity as well.

This is my January OMG project (one main goal).  It's finally on the longarm and in the process of getting quilted.  Hopefully it will be finished in the next four days.  I almost pause as I quilt across this quilt and say, "Oh look, a little tree..  a little frog... a duck..."  The colored squares are 1" finished.  The larger squares are 2" finished.  It's definitely a looker.  Memories of those fabrics make me smile.  The pattern is called Go Four It.

I'm crossing this blackwork project off my list.  It's just too fine work for me to see at bowling and I rather pursue other projects.  I will probably tear it out and use the cloth for something else -- maybe.  Maybe next  year I will choose a larger cloth to work with.  This is a free pattern that releases a weekly rectangle or square each week in a facebook group called Peppermint Purple.

Yesterday out of the blue I was inspired by Joy at The Joyful Quilter, to play with "table scraps".  I had a bunch of pink squares and strips left over from my Winter Blues (in pink) quilt.  I just happened to get my e-mail from Sew Can She with this cute heart pattern called Baby Heart Log Cabin Quilt.  I used 1.5" squares instead of the suggested size.  It turned out super cute.  You can find the pattern here.  Such a great idea to make something out of the little scraps left out after another project, Joy!

I have a little stand by the tv that this will fit perfectly on for Valentine's Day.  

When I delivered the finished quilt to a friend last week, she gave me another to longarm quilt for her.  I call it the Large Square scrap quilt for CM for WIP list purposes.

I am down to 60 projects on my WIP list.  This is getting exciting for me.  

Pieces Need to be Cut & Sewn

 1.  Cheddar Jack cat pattern from 

 2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

 3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

 4.  Picadilly Circle

 5.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

 6.  RSC16 Folk Art Birds

 7.  2016 Plus Blocks (from left over pieces of Soul Searching Blocks

 8.  Leah Day Building Blocks QA

 9.  Jelly Roll Rug

10.  Classic Meets Modern BOM

11.  Veggie Patch from Katie Mae Quilts

12.  Mod Mod QA (from Block Lotto, circles w/lines)

13.  Owl's Well That Ends Well (RSC19 project started 1/26/19)

14.  Kevin the Quilter's Sapphire Stars Mystery (started Summer 2017) I can't find it!!!

15.  Temperature QA (changing this project to a table topper)

16.  Kite Girl (RSC14)

17.  Amish Country BOM (from Lynn, Johnna's mom)

18.  Cabins at the Lake (from Fons  Porter Magazine) only one house block complete.)

19.  2.5" Scraps from Dani -- making "cracker" blocks

20.  Waffle Blocks (August 2019 -- RSC19)

21.  Little Houses (3.5" blocks)

22.  Pumpkins & the Beanstalk (a 2nd quilt)

23.  Dresser Scarf (My Grandma's WIP from the 1970's found 1/1/20

24.  Linen & Threads Mystery SAL, Started 1/1/20 for my sew-to-go-bag

25.  Slabs with White Rectangle (RSC14 started -- needs blocks each month)

26.  Bonnie Hunter Box Kite class from March 2017

27.  Unity Quilt Along with Bonnie Hunter (started 4/1/2020)

28.  Orange, pink, grey kite blocks 2015

29.  Maroon Sampler Quilt

30.  Gypsy Wife QA started in August 2017

31.  Kathleen Tracy's 2019 Mystery Quilt Facebook QA started in March, 2019

32.  Pink Table Scraps

Blocks Still Need to be Made

 1.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt

 2.  Scrap Crystals (RSC15)

 3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

 4.  Drunkard's Path Variation quilt

 5.  Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt 

Blocks Are Made But Need to be Sewn Together (and/or Some Sashing)

 1.  Block Swap Adventure Orange/Yellow Sampler (2011-2012)

 2.  Cruise blocks won from Libby

 3.  Cathy's CRAZY BY DESIGN Dot Dot Dash Bag, Won April, 2018

 4.  Split Stars (blocks won from the Block Lotto, October, 2012)

 5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)

 6.  Tall Fly (blocks won from Block Lotto; October 2012)

 7.  Pre-printed cross stitch pillow sham (May 2018)

 8.  Sonja's Windows string quilt

 9.  Block Swap Adventure (2013) Churn Dash Blcoks

10.  Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks 5/17/17 QA

11.  Flower Baskets (blue and white with some applique) Block Lotto win 10/1/18

Quilt Back Needs to be Made (Tops are Done)

1.  Card Trick (pink and blue)

2.  Hunter Green Star Quilt

3.  Good Fortune -- A Bonnie Hunter Mystery started Thanksgiving weekend, 2018

4.  Sand Castles -- Bonnie Hunter string quilt started January, 2019 -- an RSC project

5.  Fortune Teller (RSC14)

6.  Soul Searching -- Julianne sent it to me on 8/29/19

Ready to Longarm

1.  Bubble Gum Pink & Navy Quilt

2.  Large Square scrap quilt for CM -- picked up 1.22.21

3.  Charity Crib Quilt of patchwork squares -- from JB @ CSHS

4.  Charity Crib Quilt of Christmas trees -- from JB @ CSHS

5.  Winter Blues in Pink (Bonnie Hunter pattern) (started 1.1.21)

6.  Go Four It!  Scrappy 4-patches started as leader/ender, June 2017

7.  Patriotic Folk Animals (from Americana Quilts Book) 8/8/19

I'm linking up with Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication   Enjoy all the eye candy -- especially the super cool peppermint reindeer this week.

Go Four It on the Frame

 The end of the month is drawing near.  I need to get working on my Go Four It quilt.  It is my OMG (one main goal) for January.  I loaded it onto the longarm frame and have started to quilt it.

I've been longarm quilting by using the top roller on the quilt top vs. floating the quilt top.  It was the only way I was taught by the person that delivered and set up my longarm.  I will work on it with quilts that allow me to build more confidence.  This one fits our California King bed.

I am quilting it using my Circle Lord giant template board called Swirls.  It has a large pieced back.  I'll show that when it is done also.  Have a great week!

The Two Rescue Crib Quilts

 There were two simple little crib quilts in a bag of goodies that a friend gave to me last week.  This weekend I threw one on the longarm.

Floating the top while quilting is still a new concept to me.  I'm practicing this skill with these two little quilts that will be donated to charity.

I had enough backing fabric already loaded on the longarm frame.  When I got to the end of the above quilt I just threw on the second quilt and kept quilting.  

The Circle Lord giant template board called Swirls works amazingly well with most quilts!  Both of these small quilts are now quilted.  The will be trimmed after I load my Go Four It quilt to get it off of my big table in the quilt room.  It's definitely a nice table to lay out my cutting mat and trim to my hearts content.

I'm linking up with Beth at Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making.

Patriotic Folk Animals Quilt Top Complete

 This week I finished putting my Patriotic Folk Animals quilt together. This was a simple project I chose because it had some embroidery and some applique.  I finished the animals when I used to take my sew-to-go bag to school back in November of 2019 and they sat on the shelf until this week.

The pattern for Patriotic Folk Animals can be found in the book, AMERICANA QUILTS by Sandy Bonsib.  I really like the star on point on the flag.  The animals are fun.  The horse and dog ears are 3D.  After it is quilted I will sew on the button eyes and a button nose for the dog.  I may even try to do the quilting like the book suggests.  

This quilt isn't really my style.  It ends up around 54.5" x 61".  I guess it would be a big wall hanging or fit a toddler bed.  I did like the skills I learned.  All the fabrics were from my scraps.  I'm pretty happy with it thus far.  Hopefully I'll make a pieced back today.  The red/white/blue cheater fabric that I was gifted isn't big enough, but it will definitely be the main show on the back.  I doubt if I will center it.  I see some red/white/and blue fabric scraps in my near future today.

I'm linking up at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.  What are you working on?

I don't think I am going to continue with my Peppermint Purple SAL.  The work is just too small for me.  I am taking it off my WIP list and I will find something else for my Slow Sunday Stitching.  I stitched half of the second week, but I don't want to feel like I'm always behind. I will admire all of those that are stitching it from my machine sewing chair.  I tried stitching yellow centers with green other parts of the pattern.  It was just frustrating because I couldn't see them at all.

I did learn that I really like this small embroidery hoop.  Wow, after taking this photo I CAN yellow in the center.  I can't see it when I was stitching it.  Hmmm.

RSC21 -- Pink

 I made a pieced PINK back for my Winter Blues in Pink baby quilt.  I just used three large pieces in the pink tote.  I hope you get to see the back when I show a finished quilt next week.  For now I'll show it loaded on the frame.  I'm thrilled that this quilt progressed so fast.  

The pattern is called Winter Blues.  It is by Bonnie Hunter.  I started out using it as a leader/ender project for 2021.  I liked it so much I just kept going.  What a great scrap pattern!!!

I am quilting it with one of my favorite Circle Lord giant templates -- Swirls.

I loaded it a little differently than I do most quilts.  Because of the border and the smaller size of the quilt I decided to "float the top".  This means that I am not attaching the quilt top to the top bar like I usually do.  I like to quilt things that are nice and taut and flat.  So far so good.  

You can see I'm using two pieces of batting.  So far the quilt is laying nice and flat and even.  The photo above shows that it is not attached to the top roller.  It is not being stretched tightly.

For some reason I'm always having fun with taking photos of our son while he's sleeping while I'm driving.  (Don't worry, I take the photos at a safe spot.)  It's a little game to us.  Maybe someday I'll get him a photo book with them or something.  The fact is that he just can't keep up with old mom.  

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC21.