Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Monday, November 28, 2016
These strips are sewn together and on the design wall--


Based on "Meet in the Middle" at Jo's Country Junction.  Instead of light neutrals I used a dark blue.  The strips are blues, greens, and purples.  Another boy quilt-it will finish about 75x90".  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

Bonnie Hunter Mystery 4 patches
Billie Lauder Faux Log Cabin
Borders on some flimsies
Clean the Long Arm table

Its time to put up the Christmas tree and ready some tops for quilting.  A list of quilt sizes needs to be done.  Christmas lists, shopping lists, and quilt lists are all being made!  

I use an App called "Notebooks Pro" for my lists.  Do you make lists?  Do you use an App?  

~LORI~
 

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Monday, November 21, 2016
The last of the album blocks are on the wall--



Seventeen blocks are left.  This will be top #7. Not sure how I'll make them play nicely.  How many album blocks did I originally make?  133!!  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

No Goals this week--its Thanksgiving and there won't be any time for sewing.  Maybe some mindless piecing but that's it.  

Do you misplace your phone while sewing?  I do!  I needed a special place to put it and my tablet--not where I would cover it up with fabric or laundry or books--


Its a plastic basket from the Dollar Store.  Three baskets for $1.  I attached it to the closet door with Command hooks.  The charger cord reaches and its not where I will bump it.  

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!  

~LORI~

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday and Week in Review

Saturday, November 19, 2016
Remember when I made Album blocks in 2014 & 2015?  This is top #6 I've put together using them--


Roughly 75X90--still a few wrinkles to be pressed out.  I didn't have enough of one fabric to do both setting squares and triangles--the outside triangles are a TOT just a bit darker than the plain periwinkle blue in the middle squares.  I still have enough album blocks to make ONE MORE TOP.   I'm a bit math challenged and work best with a pattern or diagram.  Sometimes I have to draw my own--


I can't "see" it in my head, I need a picture to look at. Please see what everyone's doing with their RSC projects at SoScrappy. Some people learn by hearing, some by reading, some by watching.  Hearing is the hardest for me, I only retain what I hear if I take notes.  Laura Beth learns best by reading (me too)--I wonder if these traits are inherited or learned?  

On Tuesday we finished combining, then we moved all the equipment to where we store it--


Beautiful blue skies and warm--I was following Ken down the road.  See the wide open flatlands where we live?  Glad we got done, because on Thursday night this arrived--


First rain then snow and high winds.  The snow was wet enough it didn't blow around.  On Wednesday we cleared off flowerbeds, took down my "viney crap" as Ken calls all my Morning Glories and Sweet Peas.  Rolled it all up like a big round hay bale, Ken hauled it out to the farm.  Those vines filled the back of the pickup.  But I couldn't leave the pots of Hen'n'Chicks outside--

I'm going to try starting more "chicks" over the winter in other pots.  Thank you Karla for giving them to me!  These succulents are supposed to reproduce as fast as scraps of fabric. 

Remember Barn Dance?  I hadn't forgotten about it.  That stack of blocks has been moved a million times but I got it together--


Not a great picture, but I was in a hurry to use the design wall.  Where do I store the completed tops?  In the CABANA CLOSET--


Its getting crowded in there, some have overflowed onto wherever they could find a spot.  

Right now I'm working on turning blocks into tops.  Several need borders but I'll have a border making marathon one of these days.  I'm planning a quilting marathon after the holidays.  

~LORI~

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Monday, November 14, 2016
The 4 Patches & Squares are sewn in vertical rows.

4 Patch & Squares
Noticed an error (the light blue 4 patch) but if you see any others please tell me!  I've been sewing the rows together--nine long seams left.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

I also made blocks for my guild's outgoing presidents.  My guild has six presidents, that seems to work quite well.  One requested a batik block, one a gray/yellow block, and another a red/white block.  No pattern requested on these--just a certain size (8" & 10" finished).

Cracker Blocks
The gray in the one block appears blue--but its definitely gray!  A 4th lady requested a 9 patch block but somehow I forgot to take a picture of it.  Kat resized these blocks so that they were the right size.  Thank you Kat.   I'm practicing "cracker" blocks--I think they will become a RSC block.  I found a pattern/tutorial at Moda Bake Shop--Ritzy Crackers

I need to catch up my stash report--
 
Stash in 45.50 yards
Stash in YTD 390.50 yards
Stash out--0
Stash out YTD--95 yds
 
Stash is ahead 295.5 yds! 
 
The numbers look huge, but I LOVE my stash and I've added lots of backgrounds, borders, and backing.  My "working stash" has decreased.  The shelves are not packed tightly anymore.   
 
Weekly Goals--
Sew the 4 Patches & Squares together
Put another set of blocks on the design wall
Billie Lauder Faux Log Cabin 
Borders  Binding?

We're still harvesting.  Just a little corn left.  We're in the LAST field!  Pray that worn belt on the beater holds together until we are done.  

~LORI~

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Monday, November 7, 2016
Yesterday I sewed the last two seams of the Scrappy Trips quilt--

Scrappy Trips
 I used a dark blue on all the blocks diagonally--its hard to see but I think it helps the diagonal movement of the blocks.  I love this pattern and plan to make it again.  For now its on the "needs borders" pile.  Thank you Bonnie Hunter for this free pattern.

Last week the Pieces of Eight blocks were sewn together and added to the "needs borders" pile--

Pieces of Eight
 The wall was empty so I pulled out another project box and threw the 4 Patch & Squares on the wall--

4 Patches & Squares
Needs a few more blocks made so I pieced more 4 patches.  I worked on this project in the camper over the summer.  When a project gets to the "needs the design wall" point I set it aside.  Much easier to work on them when I get home.  I see a couple zinger blocks but I think I'll leave them.  Do you see a really obvious one?  (Yes, its the diagonal striped one).  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Saturday I stash enhanced.  I bought 34.5 yds.  31 yds from the sale table--all 50% off.  Prices ranged from $6 to 5.50 down to 2.00 a yd.  One 10 yard piece was $2.50@yd.  These fabrics either coordinate with each other or with my stash.  Remember that "needs borders" pile?  My stash is low on anything for big enough for borders.  I could piece more blocks and make quilts without borders, and I do--but these I felt needed borders.  Never say never!  

Weekly Goals--

Finish making blocks for 4 Patches & Squares
Pick borders for a quilt and sew them on
Make the binding at the same time
Play making more Rainbow Scrappy Challenge blocks
Count current Rainbow Scrappy Challenge blocks

Do you participate in the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge?  Already I am planning next year's blocks.  RSC is all about fun--digging through the scrap boxes looking for possible fabrics--who doesn't love to dig through their stash and scraps?  

Each month I try to refold/reorganize a color or theme in my stash.  The last few weeks I've pulled it out as fast as I've put it away!  Even if your stash is neatly folded and organized--pull it out and LOOK at it.  You've probably forgotten how nice some of it was.  I found a few pieces I'd forgotten about.  

There is also the "already ironed" pile of FQs and chunks.  Nope, not folding it again!.  I've started Billie Lauder's Faux Log Cabin.   And there is another project that's been "on the list" for a while--those pieces will be used in that too.  Those fabrics are going to be chopped!  

Harvest is on hold for repairs.  We're almost done and the weather forecast is great weather for at least another week or 10 days.  I stress out over it so have been organizing and flinging from cupboards and closets.  Today I moved all my spices and measuring cups.  Flung some old glass glasses--I drop them so often we've switched to plastic. Bought long plastic baskets from the Dollar Store and hung them on hooks on the side walls of my pantry.  Ken insisted I store them in alphabetical order.  ROFL!!!  Okay--my most used ones are not alphabetical--but the rest of them are.  The cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves are all together.  Several had duplicates and I pulled the extras for a "spice shoe box" to go on the shelves downstairs. These are just the small containers--ones like vanilla, baking powder, etc--that are not small and light are still in the cupboard in a see through plastic container.    

Not sure what I'll be doing this week.  I'm getting tired of cleaning out cupboards.  Haven't sewed with 2Rs in FOREVER!  

~LORI~