Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

This top is ready to quilt, its a QOV made by my guild.  

Its comes neatly bagged with backing, binding and pressed.  Please see everyone's design walls at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals

Quilt QOV
Sashings on 30's blocks
Sashings on Two Lips
Cut more strips for 30's challenge
Make Island Chain binding
Make Cheddar Delight binding
Make Summer Nites at the Lake binding

These are only GOALS, not a to-do list.  I work on whatever appeals to me.  Or a different project!  I check it often, sometimes that's all it takes to remind me of a project.  

Today I bought fabric for the 30's challenge on Stashbusters, some solid background for two projects.  I didn't want white, picked a light blue and a tangerine.  A few months ago the color orange was discussed and how much Nann and Nancie had liked it in a quilt.  I love orange so will make myself an orange quilt.  Soft orange.  

Snowing and cruddy outside.  

Driving Home

Knee deep snow on our sidewalk

It warmed up as we drove, +4F! Heat wave!  Its going to be about -8F on Wednesday. Good weather to stay inside and sew.  

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday and Motivation Update

Rainbow Scrappy Challenge is where I dig through my scraps.  I started with some strips that needed frogging.  Bits and bobs left from previous projects.

Frogging and Pressing pile

Then searched my partial strip box and scrap box.  I made these--

January Blue blocks

More album or great granny blocks!  Yes, I made these blocks last year for Rainbow Scrappy Challenge and I liked them so much I'm making them again for 2015.  They satisfy my need for multiple fabrics in all sorts of colors but organize them into a quilt anyone would love.  There is nothing more fun than digging through the scrap box unless its digging through someone else's scrap box!  Thank you Angela for hosting this challenge!  Please see everyone's posts at soscrappy.

Goals this week are--

Borders on Island Chain
Borders on Raggy Flower top
Sashings on Two Lips blocks
Sashings on 30's blocks
Christmas Irish Chain piecing
Borders for Bricks and Stepping Stones

The 30's blocks were supposed to be these--

2012 Rainbow Scrappy Challenge blocks

They are blocks from Rainbow Scrappy Challenge in 2012. They are hanging out on the design wall waiting for sashing.  But these blocks were insistent they were next--

Pink Uneven 9 Patches

The last of the Uneven 9 Patches set with pink!  I don't know where the pink came from.  I am not a pink person.  Laura Beth is having a boy.  But somewhere sometime in the future I predict a pink quilt will be needed.  Thank you Kat for the EQ setting and to Pat for her suggestions on the border.  I was planning juvenile fabric for the border and she said "no, pink with a bit of green".  She was right, it was a good fit.  

Tops were measured this week and written in my handy dandy notebook.  I note whether or not backing is made and if binding is made.  They are pressed and stored in the closet like this--

Top, Binding, and Backing

Ready for quilting!  This week two backings were pieced and two bindings made.  It was a good week.

The weather is going to turn frigid cold and windy.  Where is spring?  Please, someone tell me its right around the corner!  

2015 Guidelines

Refold/organize ONE cube/spot in my stash per month

Work on ONE UFO per month and move it One more step towards completion.  (add borders, set blocks into a top, etc)

Any piece of stash less than 9" WOF goes into the scrap box to be recut into usable units--noodles, 3.5" x 6.5" bricks, 5" charms.  

Finish a UFO before starting a new project (this one is a bit iffy)

I plan to participate in Design Wall Mondays, Stashbuster's UFO Challenge, Rainbow Scrap Challenge and other internet fun.  Even Stash reports!  I may not post to each one every week--but I enjoy them. 

I plan to make quilts for donation and for family. 

I will participate in internet fun.  

I will remind myself its the PROCESS I love the most!

 

 My word for the year is ENJOY

My goals for 2015 are the same as 2014.  I like my goals!  I like my word!  I ENJOY quilting--why else would I do it??  Avoiding "Magpie Syndrome" helps.  Planning my starts is the key.  Put that new project on a list, think about it.  Pick fabric to use from my stash.  Resize it maybe.  I often take notebook to bed and draw diagrams, do math with a calculator.  I finished at least 12 big quilts this year.  I reduced stash by 89 yards while adding some new fabrics.  I still have quilters ADD, I flit from project to project.  A recent line of conversation on Stashbusters is how doing "just one more thing" really works.  Maybe you don't have time to tackle a big project, but you can wind bobbins.  Press some fabric.  Refold/put away stash.  A binding project is kept near my recliner, maybe I can only sew one needle's work of thread.  It all adds up!  

 

Have you thought about where you'd like your quilting to take you?  What you like best?  How about a bucket list?  I can't talk about a bucket list too much!  Have you made one, or started one from it?? Don't think its too hard, or I'll do it "later".  Try a practice block before committing to it.  Ask another quilter for help.  But, above all else, ENJOY what you do!!  And be yourself!

 

I wish you all a Happy New Year!   Lori

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Lots of sewing this week.  The 30's top is done and in the TBQ pile.

I added black setting triangles and was worried they would be too dark but I think they frame the top nicely.  Please see everyone's Design Wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

Borders on Island Chain
Borders on Raggy Flower top
Sashings on Two Lips blocks
Sashings on 30's blocks
Christmas Irish Chain piecing
Borders for Bricks and Stepping Stones

That's enough to choose from this week.  Not much piecing, more finishing tops so they are ready to quilt. 

Its cold outside, makes it easy to stay inside and sew. 

Sunday Stash Report

Last stash report for 2014.  Three finishes this week for 41 yards used.  

In This Week--0
In YTD--96 yds
Out This Week--41 yds
Out YTD--185 yds

I beat stash 89 yds!

During harvest I finished Fall Foliage and promptly forgot about it.  Its over 10 years old.  There are some "where did they come from" fabrics in it.  I added some beautiful batiks and it all worked out.  I made "Magic Binding" and although I like the look I prefer to hand sew my binding.  A little thinking and maybe I can have both.  

Fall Foliage

Next is More Blue Diamonds.  It was originally a king size quilt, but the small squares looked more like blue freckles on a top that large.  It was resized into three smaller quilts, this is the last one.

More Blue Diamonds

Last is Nines Overload.  Swapped 9 patches and some I made in a 9 patch quilt-a-long.  There are some "clunker" blocks in it, maybe they don't quite "go" with the other blocks.  They are as unique as the quilting friends who made them--and I love the variety it adds to the quilt. 

Nines Overload

Not sure what I did to the first two pics, I took them all at the same time.  Two quilts are large queens, I estimated 16 yds in each.  The smaller blue/white quilt 9 yds.  I dyed wide flannel backing for the two larger quilts (a sky blue and a mint green) and pieced two blue fabrics for the Diamond quilt.  

I'm happy with my 2014 stash numbers.  A bit of stash used, several quilts finished and new fabrics for my stash.  100 yds either way is okay with me.  Please see everyone's stash report at Patchwork Times.  

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

These 30's blocks are on my design wall--

Puss in Corner blocks or Uneven 9 Patches as fellow blogger and Stashbuster Gayle Bong calls them.  These are some of the blocks found when reorganizing my sewing room.  What plans I had for them I can't remember.  Luckily another Stashbuster and blogger Kat used her EQ program and drew up setting options.  I was so grateful and relieved!  There are enough blocks for a large quilt and a smaller twin size quilt.  Thank you Kat!   Help from others is REALLY important since my Mojo went south on an extended vacation.  My goal is at least 10 tops to quilt starting in January and I'm hoping to have them done by May 1st.  There are some out of town sewing days planned, and I'm hoping Lorri2Rs will be able to visit and sew at my house in January.  Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Last Week's Goals--

• Sash 30's blocks--I worked on a different set of 30's blocks--oops!
• Borders on Trail Mix--two borders on
• Pick borders for Bricks and SS--no
• Hand sew one binding--one side left
• Square up Cheddar Delight, Summers at the Lake, and Twirling Spools--no
• Christmas Irish Chain--no  

The goals were ambitious and although I didn't get to some of them I have been sewing late into the night.  The album blocks have borders and can now go in the TBQ (to be quilted) pile. 

Night pictures are terrible--the wide border fabric is a dark purple print and the narrow border a coral.  This quilt might live forever at my house.  

Weekly Goals--

Finish piecing 30's top
Finish last side of binding
Last border on Trail Mix

More than enough--Christmas is this week and we hope to spend time with Laura Beth, Nick, Mason and Asher.  A few cookies will be baked to share.  

Are you ready for Christmas??

Sunday Stash Report

Only one more stash report in 2014!  This week I added 11.5 yds.  Will my stash report change again before the end of the year?

In This Week--11.5yds
In YTD--96yds
Out This Week--0
Out YTD--144 yds.

I'm ahead 48 yds!

I'm happy with my numbers.  I've used more than I bought.  My goal is not to eliminate my stash, but allow me to use some older fabrics and add new ones.  Lots of quilting planned for after the holidays.  Please see everyone's stash reports at Patchwork Times.