Kathy's Quilting Blog: September 2021

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Bricks & Stepping Stones -- September OMG Complete

Yes, I waited until the last possible day of September to finish my Bricks & Stepping Stones quilt. This pattern can be found on the free patterns tab on Bonnie Hunter's blog here.

I longarm quilted it using my Circle Lord giant template board called Stars and Swirls. I did not use the star... just the swirls. In between the swirls I did some freehand loops. I really like the effect. I LOVE the red/white striped fabric I chose for the binding. It really brings that Christmassy look home.

I made a pieced back using a bunch of my Christmas florals and prints. I got a lot of these at a garage sale years ago. Some of them were given to me. They landed perfectly here.

I'm linking up for the finish party for the OMG challenge at Elm Street Quilts here. Whew. That was a little closer to the deadline than what I like it to be. Cross another project off my list none the less.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Eggplants

I finally fixed a couple of pieces that were turned the wrong way in one eggplant and pieced the second eggplant. These are the last two veggies needed for my Veggie Patch quilt inspired by Katie Mae Quilts.

Some of the garden rows are already put together. I think all of the things that were too short (carrots were missing a row of blocks and a pepper needed fixed.) I'm so glad I'm over the brain fog of Covid that I had in April and May. I can finally work on this cute quilt again.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

To Be Quilted

I added this quilt to the to-be-quilted pile today. It is a friend's quilt. She told me that she had seven more to make for her sister's grandkids.

I haven't decided how I am going to quilt it for her yet. I left it lay on my table for inspiration. Hopefully it will speak to me while I am quilting one of my other quilts.

Monday, September 20, 2021

I Can Because I Can

Nothing Quilty happening today, but I did get some red beets canned this weekend.

I couldn't find my mom's recipe card this time. A quick google search gave me the sugar/water/vinegar ratios. This time I used Stevia instead of sugar for all of them to make them more Weight Watcher friendly. The quart jars used the recipe with more vinegar (1 1/2 c Stevia, 3 c vinegar, 1 cup water -- salt). The pint jars used even amounts of of everything (2 c Stevia, 2 c vinegar, 2 c water -- salt). I'm pretty sure my mom's recipe used equal parts such as this recipe.

I can because I CAN!

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

WIP Wednesday 9.15.21

Here we are, half way through September already. Here's what's been happening:

I finished the longarm quilting on the red/white/blue quilt that belongs to a friend.

It was a challenge because it has Frankenbatting inside. She just gave me small pieces of batting and eventually they were pieced like a puzzle to make the batting just big enough with just a little wiggle room around the edges.

I was hard to get all the wrinkles out of the thick, white cotton. Once it goes through the washer/dryer it will be soft as ever. The stars and swirls look great on it.

It's canning season. Here's day one of a four-day marathon of canning whole tomatoes. I'll probably have to do a three-day marathon next week after I pick some more. This week I hope to can pumpkin. We had a bumper crop of pie pumpkins this year. Who doesn't like pumpkin spice EVERYTHING this time of year? Apples and pears are ready to pick as well.

With the help of my husband, we made this creepy doll head light as a Halloween decoration for my SIL's birthday. She was quite pleased! You can read more about that here.

I'm linking up with Susan at Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers.

I now stand at 50 projects on my WIP list.

This is a BIG improvement for me!

Pieces Need to be Cut & Sewn

1. Cheddar Jack cat pattern

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. Stay Centered started February, 2021

14. Rail Fence Blocks 82/900 complete started during the pink month of RSC21, January 2021

15. Gobble, Gobble, pattern by Lori Holt, started February 2021

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. Full Stop, started RSC21 (January,2021)

29. Maroon Sampler Quilt--I found this on 2.6.21

30. Gypsy Wife QA started in August 2017

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

32. GO! ABC Quilt started during the pink month of RSC21, January 2021

Blocks Still Need to be Made

1. Bluepatch Mystery Quilt

2. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt

3. We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

4. Drunkard's Path Variation quilt

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

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

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. 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

Ready to Longarm

1. Bubble Gum Pink & Navy Quilt

2. Bricks and Stepping Stones, Bonnie Hunter Free Pattern started 3.2.21

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Creepy Craft

Last week was my SIL's birthday. She LOVES Halloween decorations. (Me, not so much.). I like to decorate with pumpkins because they are nicer... Anywho, she requested doll heads for her birthday because she wanted to decorate with them in a creepy way.

It was a bummer to dismantle the doll head and hands and feet.

My husband and his tools to the rescue. I also had a nice candle Christmas decoration that somebody gave to me that was not being used.

And there you have it, a creepy doll head light. My husband put the square, metal tube inside to make sure that the cool light bulb was centered. I kept the light on over an hour to make sure the doll head didn't get warm.

But wait, there's more. I didn't want those little hands and feet to go to waste. With some inspiration from Pinterest, my husband helped me mount them to a board to make a little leash rack.

Bummer, I just realized that I only took a photo of the layout and not them mounted to the board... My SIL was super happy. I'll have to get a photo of the finished project when she decorates for Halloween. But you get the idea... My husband made it pretty sturdy by putting tight-fitting dowels inside. I wouldn't hang a heavy coat on it, but dog leashes and a flannel shirt will hang just fine. I know she also plans to put her garland of FINGERS on it... Ick.

Monday, September 13, 2021

Moving It Forward Monday

This weekend I worked on longarm quilting a friend's quilt. I was feeling patriotic this weekend, so I was finally motivated to work on her red/white/blue quilt.

I am quilting it with my Circle Lord giant template board called stars and swirls.

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

WIP Wednesday 9.1.21

I'm so excited that my WIP list is down to 51 projects. That may overwhelm some of you, but in the past it has been up as high as 92. I may not be the fastest finisher, but I am knocking them out one at a time.

This week I finished my Scrap Crystals quilt. You can read all about it here. Scrap Crystals is a pattern designed by Bonnie Hunter.

I have decided that my OMG for September will be a Christmas quilt. That will give me enough time to finish it if I procrastinate as much as I have been doing since this spring. I started this quilt March, 2021.

Bricks & Stepping Stones is a FREE pattern by Bonnie Hunter on her blog on the free patterns tab. You can find it here.

Here's the funky Christmas fabric pieced back I made for the Bricks & Stepping Stones quilt. Christmas flowers unite!

I got all of the Frankenbatting sewn so that I can someday load my friend's quilt onto the longarm frame. She really likes to challenge me on little side projects...