Thursday, January 31, 2019

Stringalong 2019 at Humble Quilts

I'm linking up today with Lori at Humble Quilts for the January version of the Stringalong 2019.

Yesterday I was happy to finish all of the brown portion of my strings for the Sand Castle quilt.  Sand Castle is a Bonnie Hunter pattern in her latest book String Frenzy.

Look at them all happy and stacked by their two red block friends.  (That is if a block can be happy.)  Making all these brown strings actually did take a dent out of my brown strings!  Woohoo!  It didn't hurt that we had five snow days in January.


I'm also introducing today ANOTHER 2019 quilty start.  My plan to attack my scrap basket for 2019 is to cut 2.5" and 1.5" squares and place them in their respective bins of either neutrals or other.  What is left should be a string.  Strings go into this basket.  I will make parallelogram strings and attach them to parallelogram neutrals until I have enough for a crib quilt.  Then I will move on to the next Accuquilt GO! shape of my choosing.  This is Accuquilt GO! die #55004.  They are fun for me.
It measures 3 3/4" x 3 1/2".



I finished this log cabin style baby quilt.  I made 2.5" pink string strips during one of the RSC months a couple of years back and never used them.  I love all the scrappy goodness in this quilt in the snow.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

WIP Wednesday 1.30.19 -- Snow Day!

And just like that, January is almost done.  I did move a lot of projects forward this week!  I plan on getting a bunch of piecing done today and tomorrow because we have TWO snow days due to the extreme cold (down to the negative teens) and ice. 

I finished this string log-cabin inspired quilt.  It measures 52" x 53".


Today I hope to finish the brown string blocks for Sand Castles (a Bonnie Hunter pattern from her newest book, String Frenzy.)  I will be using these each month as I make blocks in the color of the month for the RSC19.  I made a lot of progress on these blocks this week. Here's my happy little stack:


The Sand Castle blocks look like this when assembled:

 

This is my new project called Owl's Well That Ends Well.  It's an RSC19 project I'll try to make two blocks per month.  I think they are pretty cute.



I finished all of the red connector blocks for Garden Party (a Bonnie Hunter pattern.)



I found these blocks in an RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) box and made a red one.




In December, 2018, I was lucky and won the December Block Lotto.  Click here to go to the Block Lotto site.  Here are all of the blocks that I won that month:

 
This is the slow stitching project that I started last week.  It's a mystery sampler.
 
 
 

Although I finished a project this week, I DID start a new project this week.  It's called Owl's Well That Ends Well.  It's from the book Quilts for Scrap Lovers by Judy Gauthier.  .  I have 69 projects in the works.

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn
1.  Cheddar Jack cat pattern from Mama Spark's World 
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.  Go Four It! -- Scrappy 4-patches started as leader/ender June 2017
7.  Patriotic Folk Animals (from Americana Quilts Book) -- hand work for school
8.   Soul Searching -- need 2 more blocks
9.   Leah Day Building Blocks QA
10.  Love Laugh Quilt Christmas Improv QA
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) (from block Lotto, mostly circles w/lines)
13.  Owl's Well That Ends Well (RSC19 project started 1.26.19)
14.  Linen and Threads - Mystery Sampler SAL Sew-to-go bag project started 1.21.19
15.  Temperature QA (2019 block-a-day according to high and low temps.)
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.  EPP mini table topper (grey, maroon, blue, cream...)
21.  Little Houses (3.5" blocks)
22.  Pumpkins & the Beanstalk (a second quilt.)
23.  Dot Dot Dash bag -- (new to the list April, 2018)
24.  Scrappy Hourglass Quilt 
25.  Slabs with White Rectangle (RSC14 started -- need blocks each month)
26.  Bonnie Hunter Box Kite class from March, 2017 (Will make baby quilt.)
27.  Super Mario QA
28.  2015 Orange, pink, grey kite blocks (from Accuquilt die, RSC17)
29.  Maroon Sampler Quilt
30.  Gypsy Wife QA (started again with Angie at Gnome Angel, August 2017) (2019 QA)
31.  Crown of Thorns in blues
32.  2016 Plus Blocks (from left over pieces of Soul Searching blocks)
33.  RSC16 Folk Art Birds
34.  Kevin the Quilter's Sapphire Stars Mystery (started Summer 2017) 
35.  Secret O - H - I - O quilt.  Shhhh.  Can't show this one--but it's cool!
36.  Jelly Roll Rug
37.  Sand Castles -- Bonnie Hunter string quilt started January, 2019 -- an RSC project
  
Blocks Still Need to be Made
1.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
2.  Scrap Crystals (working on blue pieces for RSC15)
3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
4.  Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
5. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt (my seams don't match Julianne's seams...)
6.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt
7.  Kim Diehl's Table Topper from her book Simple Charm (Started August, 2017 for to-go bag.)
8.  Block Lotto December Scrappy Stars (blue/purple) -- I won the star blocks in December, 2018.
         
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.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly 
7.  Fortune Teller (RSC14 started)
8.  Sonja's Windows string quilt 
9.  Block Swap Adventure (2013) Churn Dash Blocks 
10.  Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks (New QA starting 5/7/17 Gnome Angel)
11.  Flower Baskets (blue and white with some applique) Block Lotto win 10/1/18
12.  Pre-printed cross stitch pillow sham (May, 2018 sew-to-go bag)
13.  Bonnie Hunter Garden Party (started 3.18.17.)

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done) 
1. Card Trick (pink and blue) HUGE charity quilt for local quilt guild
2.  Hunter green large (bubbly -- will be a challenge to longarm) charity quilt for the local guild
3. Bubble Gum pink and navy charity quilt for local quilt guild
4.  Good Fortune -- A Bonnie Hunter Quiltville Mystery started Thanksgiving weekend, 2018.
Ready to longarm
1.  Little Letters QA Quilt (A RSC14 project)
2.  Customer quilt with special block in the center (CM)
3.  Catchin' Some Rays needle turn applique crib quilt started March, 2018 (adding EPP hexies!)
4.  4-patch customer quilt (CM)
5.  Blue and 4-patch customer quilt (CM)
6.  Camo and Ribbons & Stars customer quilt (CM)

Needs binding
1.  Embroidery Bear with balloons and hearts crib quilt.

I'm linking up with Lorna for Let's Bee Social.  Check it out today at Sew Fresh Quilts.

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

Quiltfabrication

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

January '19 OMG Complete

I'm super excited that I got my January OMG! quilt done this early in the month.  Whohoo!


This quilt was the results of a 182 day quilt along hosted by Pat Sloan.  It was part of the I Love to Make Quilts Challenge called Winter Solstice.  I chose red and white fabrics from my stash.  I was new to needle turn applique, but I especially love those three blocks.


I quilted it using my new (to me) Circle Lord clam shells giant board.  It went quickly and only took me 4.5 hours to quilt (with a little piddling).  This counts loading and unloading too!


The back of the quilt is made up of three red/white blocks that I had in my orphan block box and a bunch of miscellaneous reds.  The clam shell quilting looks fun on the back.

I'm linking up at Elm Street Quilts for the OMG linky party!





This quilt was also one of my FAL 2019 Q1 goals as well.  I'm linking up to the FAL here.

My 2019 FAL Q1 goal list is here.

Monday, January 28, 2019

Block Lotto Win -- December Scrappy Stars

In December, 2018, I was lucky and won the December Block Lotto.  Click here to go to the Block Lotto site.  Here are all of the blocks that I won that month:


The Block Lotto is a fun site.  Each month there is a block pattern with a specified color combination to be made.  Each block counts as an entry into the lotto.  (Usually you can make 8 or 9 blocks -- see instructions on the site for details of that month.)  At the end of the month winner(s) are drawn.  If you win, blocks are mailed to you.  If you do not win, you mail your blocks to the winners.

I have not yet decided if I will make the big 2019 Sampler Quilt or just make a baby quilt.  The Sampler quilt would require waiting for each block pattern to come out each month and filling in the color scheme chart.  Hmmm.  I will stew on this for a while.  Seeing them like this sure would make a cute baby quilt with little sashings and red cornerstones...  I'm starting to lean that way already.  I do have quite a few projects on my plate.

Join me on the Block Lotto Blog

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Slow Sunday Stitching 1.27.19

Seriously?  It's the last Sunday of January already?  Wow.  Even though it's super cold (mostly in the teens here in Ohio) time is flying.

I found my large Aida cloth!  I didn't start this free sampler group until last week.  The pattern for January is this beautiful this peacock.  I can't wait to see what February brings.  I better keep stitching. 




I found FREE cross stitch sampler on a Facebook group.  It's called Linen and Threads - Mystery Sampler SAL.  The website for the free patterns each month is here.  January started off with a beautiful this peacock.  I can't wait to see what February brings.  I better keep stitching.  The pattern is provided.  You pick the colors.  

This week at school another teacher gave me her old tote bag because she thought of me.  Isn't that sweet?  This is PERFECT for my new project!  Look at all those pockets!  There are pockets on the inside as well.  It even matches my thermos.



I'm linking up with Kathy at Kathy's Quilts. for Slow Sunday Stitching.  Come check out the fun.
Slow Sunday Stitching

Just for fun I'm posting a picture of Wiggles the rooster.  Owen was a huge fan of the Wiggles -- a singing group from Australia  that entertain children.  The chickens don't like to go outside when there's snow on the ground.  I opened the brooder part of the coop so that they could reduce boredom and go into the other "room".

Wiggles got his name when our son was younger.  I still remember bringing him home in the cab of the truck with my sister-in-law holding him wrapped in a towel on the front seat.  That was 3/21/15.  He's a first generation Easter Egger.  He is soooo calm and tame.  He's the king of the roost!


Saturday, January 26, 2019

Owl's Well That Ends Well -- RSC19

Hey, hey!  It's Scrap Happy Saturday time.  This week I continue to focus on playing with red scraps.  Boy did I made a bunch of blocks thanks to the long MLK weekend and the NE Ohio snow/ice storm.

Let me introduce to you my newest RSC19 project.  It's called Owl's Well That Ends Well.  It's from the book Quilts for Scrap Lovers by Judy Gauthier.  I got the book from our local library.


In the book the blocks are 20.5" (20" finished size).  I reduced the block down to 12.5" (12" finished size) because I incorporated using Accuquilt dies to cut all of the pieces.  This is a happy project!


All of the red framed 9-patch blocks are now complete, as are the ends and the last corner!

While rooting through my project bags and bins I found these blocks.  I decided to add a red block to them this month.  I think I started these back during the RSC14, but I can't find my post...  It must have been a while because these blocks are 14" square.  I used to have a ruler that was 14" square, but I threw it away because each edge was shaved down and it was not accurate for me to use.  Each block has one piece of the same white fabric in it that is 2" x 3.5".

 
I've also been busy this week piecing brown string blocks.  I know brown is not the color this month, but I will be using them in future months for when I make Sand Castle blocks (Bonnie Hunter pattern in her book String Frenzy.)
 
 
To jog your member, this is what the two red blocks looked like this month.

 

I'm linking up on Angela's blog for the RSC19 here.  Happy stitching!  Be safe out there.

SoScrappy

Friday, January 25, 2019

Pink String Log-Cabin Quilt Complete

Another fresh dump of snow provided the backdrop for a photo shoot with this quilt.

I backed it with a soft vintage sheet that I had in my stash.  Here's a picture of the back.  You can see the quilting on it better in this photo.  I used my Circle Lord giant template board called 7 Treasures of Buddha.  This is the first time I have used this template.  I already really like it.  It was fast and easy to put into the muscle memory of my brain.  The circles are 6" across.



Here's a pic with footprints in the snow...


 I love STRIPED binding!  I just happened to have a little piece enough to do this quilt.  It measures 52" x 53".


After the end of the quarter I'll be linking up to the Q1 FAL.

Update 4/3/19:  I'm linking up to the FAL here.

My 2019 FAL Q1 goal list is here.


I'm linking up with Myra at Busy Hands Quilts for Finished or Not Friday.

Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts

I'm linking up with Sarah for Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?




Thursday, January 24, 2019

On the Frame Thursday

Today I have this log-cabin style string quilt on the longarm frame.


I am quilting it with Circle Lord's 7 Treasures of Buddha giant template board.  I recently purchased this board used.  This is my first time using it.  It was easy to figure out where to go.  The rows matched up nicely.

 
The quilting pattern is not as dense as Swirls.  The board can be moved three inches and a second pattern could be traced making a different pattern that is more dense.  I'm liking it like this right now.

 
Giveaway Alert!!!
 
Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a giveaway.  Click here!

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Betty the Cat

 
Here's a picture of Betty eating on her "patio deck" to keep her little feet out of the snow.  She doesn't seem to mind the snow.  Any place I go from house to house to building to barn to coop... she follows me.  She came to our house to live during the summer of 2018 as a little kitten.
 
 
When my mom was little she talked about walking up hill in the snow both ways to school.  This is one of the small hills that I have to walk up to feed the chickens.  I took this picture because the snow was so glazed over.  It was so smooth and untouched.  Beautiful!
 
Below is a different picture of our fresh "bed" of snow.  LOL.  It would have probably have been a nicer picture if I removed the trash from the bed.  It is what it is...

 
And Mr. Sunshine was happy to stay inside and have some free time on his iPad.  He earned it.

 

WIP Wednesday 1.23.19

January is just cruising right along--and so are my projects.  Here's what happened this week:

I had a big finish of Pat Sloan's 182 Winter Solstice Sampler Challenge (2017)



I completed the Good Fortune Mystery (pattern by Bonnie Hunter, 2018).


 It's a snow day!  No school today!  I just kept plugging away at my hot cross buns blocks.  All of them are now DONE and ready to party -- Garden Party, that is.

Garden Party is a pattern by Bonnie Hunter.  It is in her Addicted to Scraps book.  I finished all of the red blocks this week as well.  Now I can put the rest of the quilt together.  Woohoo!  It's getting there.



I just love those red 1.5" (finished at 1" in the quilt) squares going through the quilt!


Look at all those yummy scraps!
I over estimated by a few.  After sewing all of my blocks I still had this many left over.  I'll use them for another project.  I know I'll be using scrappy red cornerstones for my  RSC plus quilt.

We had tons of snow!

I also finished a long cabin style quilt in the pink strings that I made for the RSC a couple years back.


I didn't get much done on my EPP table topper.  But it's still in the works!


I'm all caught up on the Gypsy Wife QA for January.



I added a new project to my sew-to-go bag AND I found my Aida cloth -- everything is here!



I worked on my Slow Stitching Project in this cute café:



Except for photos, I'm keeping up daily on the Temperature QA.



I took in this blue and 4-patch quilt to longarm for a customer.  I'm posting this pic so that I remember which back goes with which quilt!


I also took in this 4-patch quilt with piano key border to longarm for a customer.


I also took in a camo and stars and ribbon quilt to longarm for a customer (no photo).

I'm linking up with Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation.  I'll be definitely staying tuned to her blog this week.  I want to see a full picture of that beautiful green and grey quilt in her sneak peek.

I'm linking up with Lorna for Let's Bee Social.  Check it out today at Sew Fresh Quilts.


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

Quiltfabrication
I DID start a new project this week -- Linen and Threads - Mystery Sampler SAL Sew-to-go bag project started 1.21.19.  I have 69 projects in the works.  (Don't be shocked if you see another new one or two next week.)  Wink, wink!

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn
1.  Cheddar Jack cat pattern from Mama Spark's World 
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.  Go Four It! -- Scrappy 4-patches started as leader/ender June 2017
7.  Patriotic Folk Animals (from Americana Quilts Book) -- hand work for school
8.   Soul Searching -- need 2 more blocks
9.   Leah Day Building Blocks QA

10.  Love Laugh Quilt Christmas Improv QA
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) (from block Lotto, mostly circles w/lines)
13.  Pink 2.5" string quilt pieces (long cabin type string and neutrals crib quilt)
14.  Linen and Threads - Mystery Sampler SAL Sew-to-go bag project started 1.21.19
15.  Good Fortune -- A Bonnie Hunter Quiltville Mystery started Thanksgiving weekend, 2018.
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.  EPP mini table topper (grey, maroon, blue, cream...)
21.  Little Houses (3.5" blocks)
22.  Pumpkins & the Beanstalk (a second quilt.)
23.  Dot Dot Dash bag -- (new to the list April, 2018)
24.  Scrappy Hourglass Quilt 
25.  Slabs with White Rectangle (RSC14 started -- need blocks each month)
26.  Bonnie Hunter Box Kite class from March, 2017 (Will make baby quilt.)
27.  Super Mario QA
28.  2015 Orange, pink, grey kite blocks (from Accuquilt die, RSC17)
29.  Maroon Sampler Quilt
30.  Gypsy Wife QA (started again with Angie at Gnome Angel, August 2017) (2019 QA)
31.  Crown of Thorns in blues
32.  2016 Plus Blocks (from left over pieces of Soul Searching blocks)
33.  RSC16 Folk Art Birds
34.  Kevin the Quilter's Sapphire Stars Mystery (started Summer 2017) 
35.  Secret O - H - I - O quilt.  Shhhh.  Can't show this one--but it's cool!
36.  Jelly Roll Rug
37.  Sand Castles -- Bonnie Hunter string quilt started January, 2019 -- an RSC project
38.  Temperature QA (2019 block-a-day according to high and low temps.)
  
Blocks Still Need to be Made
1.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
2.  Scrap Crystals (working on blue pieces for RSC15)
3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
4.  Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
5. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt (my seams don't match Julianne's seams...)
6.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt
7.  Kim Diehl's Table Topper from her book Simple Charm (Started August, 2017 for to-go bag.)
8.  Block Lotto Sampler Quilt -- I won the star blocks in December, 2018.  Need monthly blocks.
         
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.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly 
7.  Fortune Teller (RSC14 started)
8.  Sonja's Windows string quilt 
9.  Block Swap Adventure (2013) Churn Dash Blocks 
10.  Tula Pink's City Sampler 100 Modern Quilt Blocks (New QA starting 5/7/17 Gnome Angel)
11.  Flower Baskets (blue and white with some applique) Block Lotto win 10/1/18
12.  Pre-printed cross stitch pillow sham (May, 2018 sew-to-go bag)
13.  Bonnie Hunter Garden Party (started 3.18.17.)

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done) 
1. Card Trick (pink and blue) HUGE charity quilt for local quilt guild
2.  Hunter green large (bubbly -- will be a challenge to longarm) charity quilt for the local guild
3. Bubble Gum pink and navy charity quilt for local quilt guild 
Ready to longarm
1.  Little Letters QA Quilt (A RSC14 project)
2.  Customer quilt with special block in the center (CM)
3.  Catchin' Some Rays needle turn applique crib quilt started March, 2018 (adding EPP hexies!)
4.  4-patch customer quilt (CM)
5.  Blue and 4-patch customer quilt (CM)
6.  Camo and Ribbons & Stars customer quilt (CM)

Needs binding
1.  Embroidery Bear with balloons and hearts crib quilt.