The UFO Tub

I have my quilt tops stored in tubs in my basement.  Part of my basement is finished and that is where they are.  My quilting machine is down there, too.  So, they are close and "on hand" when I am ready to quilt them. 
The quilt guild I belong to is doing a UFO Challenge again this year.  This year we have 6 quilts on our list.  I turned in 2 lists.  That doesn't even begin to touch the many, many tops I have to quilt.  I have 5 tubs of tops.  I went through every tub last week.  I pulled out every quilt I have listed on my UFO Challenge lists and put them all in one tub.  I also have quilts to quilt for other people.  I put some of them in that tub, also. 
Here is my UFO Lists for this year and the other quilts I put in the UFO Tub last week, which I want to get quilted this year.  Some I have already quilted...YEAH!

List #1-Small Quilts
1.  Embroidered Double Wedding Ring-Quilted 1/2/14
2.  I Spy
3.  Baby Panel
4.  Baby Flannels (3 sets)
5.  Alerica's Leftovers-due Feb-Quilted 1/2/14
6.  10 Minute Block #1

List #2-Large Quilts
1.  1st Saturday Sampler 2010
2.  30's Trip Around The World
3.  Scrap Basket Surprise
4.  JoAnn's BOM
5.  Scrappy Trip Around The World-Due Feb.
6.  Scrappy Twist & Turn

Other's Quilts
1.  Linda's Quilt-Quilted yesterday-1/7/14
2.  Quilt for Ladies at Church #1-Green
3.  Quilt for Ladies at Church #2-Blue

Other Quilts not on UFO Lists
1.  Mom's Mirage
2.  Joey's Moonglow
3.  Pastel Baskets (was on last year's UFO Challenge List)
4.  Chris' Story Book Farm
5.  Jelly Roll Log Cabin

My rule for this year is that if I finish a quilt top, it has to go in this tub.  I am going to be working from this tub this year.  I think it will help me focus on what needs to be done.  I think I get overwhelmed with the number of quilt tops I have and don't know what to do next.  I also have other quilt tops to do for other people that I did not put in the tub. 

Here is that list:
1.  Joyce's quilt
2.  Lori's 9-Patch Quilt
3.  Lori's Baby Quilt
4.  Lori's Sweet William Quilt
5.  Quilts of Valor Quilt
6.  Denim Quilt
7.  Hexagon Quilt

Plans for today:
Get one of Lori's quilts on the machine and get it quilted.  Probably the Sweet William Quilt.  The pantograph I want to do on it is on the machine, so I won't have to change it.

But, first, I have to exercise!

Have a great day!

It's a New Year!

It's a New Year!  And always a new chance to make plans.  What are your plans for the New Year?  What are you going to do different this year than you did last year?  I don't want to ask what "resolutions" you made, because we all know that "resolutions" are just things we do for about two weeks and then we go back to our old habits. 
My son started a new blog this year.  He is trying to post something every week.  He is getting into photography (and does a great job) and he is planning on posting some of his work every week.  That made me think...maybe I should do the same thing.  I am always doing a lot of quilting and piecing on quilt tops and making "stuff".  So, I thought I should document what I am doing every week.  As I finish quilting a quilt, I need to post a picture...another way to document my quilts.  My nephew's wife has a blog where she posts pictures of their daughter.  My parents get to keep up with what is going on in their lives...they (my nephew and his family) live in Florida.  Great way to document what is going on in our lives.  Will someone read this or see this?  I don't know.  But, I am still documenting what I am doing with my quilting.
So, I will give it a try and see where it takes me and how long I will keep this up.  One problem I have had with documenting my quilting is not having a camera on hand.  That thing always seems to disappear!  Now, I have a new iPhone and can take pictures with it.  (Although, it has been disappearing, too!  Today I found it in my chair...in the very, very back!  Along with a thimble I thought I lost in an airport coming back from Moldova last year!)
Ok, so here are some pictures!

This is my friend, Linda's quilt.  This is the first quilt she ever made!  She did a great job on it!  I love her colors and fabrics!  I started quilting this last night and finished it this afternoon.  It didn't take me very long to quilt it.  I did a pantograph (all-over design) called Rosey Posey.  It is a design I like to do...easy.  So, here it is as I was quilting it today.

 

Here is one block before I quilted this area.

 

 

This is from the back of the machine (where I quilt from) after I got about half of it done.  The pantograph is about 6 1/2" wide, so it didn't cover the whole block.

 

Here is the same block after I finished quilting to top.  Can you see the pantograph?  It has lots of flowers in it.

 

And the finished quilt as I was taking it off the machine.  Yeah!  It's quilted! 

Now, I have to do the binding on it.

 

 

I'm not sure which quilt to do next.  Another one will go on tomorrow.  We will be out of school again.  Looks like we may not get to go all week!  Helps with my quilting!

Happy Quilting!

 

Terrie



Time Flies!

I just read my last post.  I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted.  I said I would post pictures soon of the quilts I pieced using the strips I cut from my fat quarters.  I still have not posted any pictures.  Sorry about that.  Maybe this next week I will get some pictures posted. Since school is out, I should have more time.
I am still using those strips to piece with.  I have cut a few more to add to the box, but haven't used many of them.  I am piecing a braid quilt, which I worked on today.  Not sure how much bigger I will make it.  I also started a very simple quilt making fence rails using only two strips to make the blocks.  Did a lot of sewing, but have not pressed and cut many yet.  Maybe tomorrow I will work on that.
I want to start a class at the shop to use up stash.  I have enough to use for a long time!
Until next time (who knows how long that will be!)...
Happy Quilting!
Terrie🙋

Scrap Quilting

I did the craziest thing!  I cut most of my fat quarters into 2", 2 1/2", and 3 1/2" strips.  I decided I may use these fat quarters if I already had them cut into strips.  If you think about it, most of the pieces for our blocks are cut from strips.   You can easily cut half square triangle units and quarter square triangle units using the strips and special rulers.  So, why not cut up those fat quarters and make a quilt or two, or three, or four...
I tried to post pictures last night but could not find out how to post my pictures from my iPad to my blog.  Maybe someone can give me some advice on that.
I found Bonnie Hunter's website:  Quiltville.com. She has some free patterns using scraps and strips.  Beautiful quilts and instructions.  I finished piecing two quilts from her patterns last weekend.  I will try to post pictures later, from my computer (unless someone can tell me how to do it from my iPad).
I still have a plastic drawer full of 2 1/2" strips and another drawer full of 2" and 3 1/2" strips.  I need to start another quilt soon.  Of course, if I don't get started soon, they will last and they will be there when I am ready to do any project using strips.  I was going to work on my scrap box, but just couldn't
wait to get started on a quilt.  That's why I used my fat quarters.  Visit again soon and I will have pictures posted.

Block of the Month #7 - Card Tricks

You will need four fabrics and a background fabric for this one.  This is one of my favorite blocks.  It looks really hard, but is so easy.  I think you will like this one.

From each of your four fabrics-
Cut - 1 - 4 1/2" strip.  From each strip, cut 2 HSTs
Cut - 1 - 2 1/2" strip.  From each strip, cut 2 QSTs

From Background fabric-
Cut - 1 - 4 1/2" strip.  From this strip, cut 4 HSTs
Cut - 1 - 2 1/2" strip.  From this strip, cut 4 QSTs

Make four 4 1/2" Half Square Triangle units using the background fabric and the four fabrics.  These are the corner units of your block.  You will have four HSTs like this:

Use the QSTs that you cut from each fabric to make this QST unit.  This is the center block

Lay out your pieces around the center square to get the fabrics in the right place.  (Refer to photo below)

Sew a background and another fabric 2 1/2" QST together forming a half square. 

Sew this unit to a 4 1/2" HST to form the sides/top/bottom units. 

Sew the rows together.  (This is the back view of my block)  Press the seams in the top and bottom rows in one direction and the middle row in the opposite direction.

Sew the block together to look like this:

 Congratulations!  You have made another block! 

Now to get block #8 posted.

Block #6 is the Ohio Star Block.  I like this block.  It is easy, especially when you use the Quarter Square Triangle Ruler to cut your pieces.  You will need 3 fabrics:  Background, Fabric A (I used blue) and Fabric C (I used brown).

You will need to cut the following:

Background Fabric:  Cut 4-4 1/2" Squares

                                Cut 2-2 1/2" Strips, then cut 8 QST (Quarter Square Triangles)

Fabric A:  Cut 1-4 1/2" Square

Fabric C:  Cut 2-2 1/2" Strips, then cut 8 QST

Sew 2 Background QSTs and 2 Fabric C QSTs together to make this unit.

Press the seams as shown below.  Open up the center and press all seams in one direction.

Lay out the units as shown below.  Sew units into rows.  Sew rows into a block.  I don't know why I did not take a picture of the completed block, but I could not find one.  But, you get the idea.

Block of the Month-October

Block of the Month #10 - Homespun

For the third time, I am trying to post the Block of the Month for October.    As they say, third times a charm.  So, I hope this works this time because this will be the third time I have typed this and uploaded pictures.

October's Block is called "Homespun".  You will need three fabrics:  a Background, Fabric A (I used blue), and Fabric C (I used red).  You will need to cut the following:

Background:  Cut 1-4 1/2" Square

                      Cut 3-2 1/2" Strips, then cut 32 HST (Half Square Triangles)

Fabric A:  Cut 1-2 1/2" Strip, then cut 8 QST (Quarter Square Triangles)

Fabric C:  Cut 2-2 1/2" Strips, then cut 16 HST

Sew a Background HST to each side of a Fabric B QST to make Flying Geese Units, as shown below.  Make 8 Flying Geese Units.  Sew two together to make one unit (arrange as in the picture).

Sew a Background HST to a Fabric B HST to make Half Square Triangle Units.  Sew them in pairs as shown in the picture below, then sew two pairs together (arrange as in the picture).

Lay the block out as shown.  Sew the units together to make rows.  Sew the rows together to make the block.

I will be posting more blocks soon.  I have missed several months, but plan to post all of them as soon as I can.