2010 projects

Dear Jane and Star Crazy

by Karen on December 8, 2010

in 2010 projects, Dear Jane - "Insanity Revisited", quilts

I am now done with my 3rd border of triangles!  I worked on putting them together for the past 2 days.  Here are the 3 borders – one more to go – 13 triangles and 4 corners left – end of the year is coming pretty quickly now I am really beginning to think it will be January before I get this top done.  “Insanity Revisited” is coming to a close.  I started this one 3 years ago in this coming April.

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Yes this picture has not been rotated.  I ‘m sure you notice the thread cabinet not being right on the wall Smile the borders show up better this way so I didn’t bother to rotate.

It has only taken me the whole year to make the best stars (most accurate) for the Star Crazy quilt!!  Wow if only I would have been concentrating the other part of the year – all of the stars are done.  I need to do the half square triangles tomorrow but that will not take long everything is ready to sew and then just need to cut apart and press.

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I will be finishing both of these quilt tops in January I bet.  So that means I better get busy quilting this coming year.  I will have both of these quilts that measure somewhere around 80” square to maybe 85” I hadn’t checked the measurements in awhile but I think they are somewhere around that.  I also have the Bow Tie Medallion quilt folded and put away waiting to be quilting (queen size).  I’m getting to many tops done and not enough quilting other than the small baby quilts.

I need to get back to work quilting on Going in Circles.  I have neglected it lately what with making the Crayon Box quilt and then trying to get done with Dear Jane.  There is really no rush of course with Dear Jane as it will be ages before I get around to quilting it – it is just that I really want to get done with some of these tops and put aside so I can start new projects.

I have really been pleased with my progress this year on all of my quilts.  When I look back to late last December and I listed what all I wanted to get done I find that I have done a lot – not necessarily what I said I would work on but I did finish all of the quilting of tops that I wanted to finish.

I have the paper piecing of the 6 inch pineapple blocks pretty much where I started the year with them – didn’t touch them – I have 7 of them I think.  I have not done anything with the Little Brown Bird that I decided was not going to be Little Brown Bird but I haven’t decided what it will be – if it will be Smile The Red/Green Applique is coming along nicely and I will get that one finished in the new year. – Oh darn that means instead of 3 large quilts it will be 4 large quilts waiting to be quilted!!

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Another Finish!

by Karen on October 13, 2010

in 2010 projects, Baltimore Bliss, quilting links, quilts

It feels so good to be getting some of these quilts that I started last year finished.  I had at least 7 projects in the works at the end of last year and I am whittling away at the list.

Baltimore Bliss – crib size 44 x 66  this one is needle turn applique and hand quilted like all of mine are.

EDITED: at 9:45 PM  I forgot to mention that this pattern (actually 12 blocks – I used 6 of them – is from Fat Cat Patterns, it is a BOM so go to the index on the left of that page to find it if you are interested.    The pattern was designed by Sindy Rodenmayer

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The center feather wreaths:

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The corners have a corner set of feathers:

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This is the fabric for the backing:

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The thread that I used matched the fabric so much that you can’t see the designs as well.  I normally like to use enough of a contrast thread so that the quilting shows more.  I have no plans for this quilt so far but will put it aside until I decide.  I still need to make a hanging sleeve for the Christmas quilt and then that will be done – labels for both of these I still need to make also.

Need to finish:

Bow Tie Quilt – border and maybe some applique on it.

Star Crazy BOM – 3 months of blocks to do and then put all together

Red & Green Traditional Applique – 6 more 16 1/2 inch blocks and the 32 x 32 center

Insanity Revisited – Dear Jane #2 – the border triangles and cornerstones

Pineapple Blocks – I have 7 -  6 inch blocks made, I am thinking of continuing to make these into a queen size – this is another scrap quilt if I make it I will need about 250 more blocks – we will see.

What was Little Brown Bird – now? I have two of these fancy applique blocks made, I decided I do not like this quit enough to make it but I do like 5 of the blocks in the book.  I am going to make those and maybe make each two times but change the flower layout so each looks different.  I have found a pattern that I like the center  and corner borders of but not the whole quilt.  I need to think of a new name for it and will continue on that one later next year.

Quilting:

Going In Circles will be on the frame for at least 4 to 8 months I imagine.

So in a way this is not much progress – I started out the year with at least 7 projects and now I have 7 again!! What is going on here :)   Oh well by the end of this year I should have 3 of these tops listed above finished or close to it and they will be folded and put in a zip bag until I can quilt them – that will be some progress.

No more will be started unless it is baby quilts with the intention of selling or gifts.

I must admit I have ordered some fabric – I know I said I wasn’t going to order anymore this year unless it was backing and backgrounds and I have stuck pretty much with that – but I needed to blend more red and greens in to the applique blocks so I have ordered some fat quarter Kona Cotton Bundles from Jackie of those color schemes.   What I don’t use in this quilt will just enlarge the stash for all the applique I do.  Plus I have the charm blocks ordered from Connecting Threads to see what their fabric line is like – charms can be made into simple patchworks.

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Pizza and

by Karen on May 13, 2010

in 2010 projects, life in general, quilts

I mentioned yesterday that I was meeting two Arkansas quilt bloggers for pizza.  It was fun finally actually meeting them.  Vivian from Sew At Home on Pine Ridge lives about 45 miles from me.  CJ lives closer – only about 15 miles or less she is from Created by CJ.  New friends.  Isn’t it odd how “now days” we meet people that we might never have met before due to the internet. Good pizza and lot’s of talk on a variety of topics.  We got along great.

Last night after I got back home I settled in to watch “Criminal Minds” on CBS and finished the quilting on the baby quilt!!  Finally – it took longer than it should have due to me not totally concentrating on one project like usual.  This one took me about 6 weeks to make – any faster than that and it would have been “work” and not “fun”.    I think is is about 44 x 48 I will measure it after it is washed and dried.

"Sugar and Spice" the top with applique took 18 hours to make and the quilting took about 30 hours. Now on to the binding today and I'll take another photo in a couple days after it is washed.

I used to keep track of my time for every quilt.  Now I do sometimes but not on all quilts.  It used to be that I would have people ask how long did it take to make that and I wouldn’t have a clue other than “about 6 months or a year or whatever”.  I started to keep track just out of curiosity, now I have more of an idea how long it takes and don’t keep track on every quilt any more.

Now I have to get busy today and get the quilt edges evened up before I get the binding sewed on.  Maybe get to my BOM Star Crazy also, I have a lot to do on that this week to get caught up.

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The Search

by Karen on March 12, 2010

in 2010 projects, quilts

I found out from Becky (no blog) that Elly Sienkiewicz’s book “Papercuts and Plenty” a Baltimore Album type of book is where most of the patterns for the quilt I showed you all yesterday are from.  It is an out of print book but that hasn’t stopped me.  I searched and found the best price for the condition of the book and have one ordered.  There are lots and lots of patterns in the book so it will be worth while.  When I make it – eventually – next year maybe? — I will have plenty of blocks to choose from.  I was going to look at the library but we have a small library and if I am going to spend time making this wonderful quilt – or one similar I will want to be wandered back to the book for a look see constantly so better that I order it.

I got starting quilting the “Sew Charming” quilt that I finished the top of  back at the end of September.  It is full of polka dots so I will be going dizzy at times quilting it I think.  I am using black thread.  I had thought to go back and forth with white in some areas and black in others and tried that out – did not like the white thread and picked it out and redid that area in black.  It shows up really well on the back too and I like that.

the begining of quilting

the look on the back. Oops I just noticed I forgot a straight line - it must be on one of the black strips I will have to go back to it and make sure I get it done before I move to another section.

The part I am done with.

I’m keeping it nice and simple.  I want to get done with this one so I can get to the Baltimore Bliss next.  I have decided to add one more border around the Baltimore Bliss and have a scalloped edge on it.  I like the scallop edge so much on the Dear Jane that I decided it will look nice on that one too.  I have found that I do not like having so many quilts waiting in line to quilt and therefore I am spending the next several months doing a lot of quilting and little sewing other than the monthly BOM on Star Crazy – most of the pieces for March are cut I just need to sew them – - I will also work on the small Dear Jane blocks.  I think the Red and Green Applique and the Little Brown Bird are both on hold for a couple months until I get this quilting caught up a little.

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2010 Quilting Projects

by Karen on December 6, 2009

in 2010 projects

ACHR1002Ok I am ready for next year – I have my projects all figured out.  Some are to be started some are to be finished.  Right now this is it – now will other projects creep in without  me meaning to do that?  Are any of you making up a list of projects that you want  to work on? Going through what you have started and deciding what you will work on and plan on finishing in the upcoming year?  How many projects do you have to work on?  I know a lot of quilters call their unfinished projects “UFO’s”, I have rarely used that term – I guess that term to me indicates that you don’t know what the project will be.  I always know what the quilt will be as I do not start making blocks just to try out a pattern.  I don’t participate in starting quilts in workshops or classes giving me a quilt top that I really don’t want to make but do because it is part of a class.  I tried that a time or two when I was in the quilt guild and found I didn’t like started something just because the group was doing it.  I don’t think you should have to do that to feel like you are part of the quilt guild.  I prefer working on my own I guess and I am dropping out of the local quilt guild once again as I find it just isn’t a good fit for me.

I rarely have this many unfinished projects – but they all have names, the tops are all complete so I know what they are.

4 quilt tops waiting in line to be quilted. I made all of these this year although the Dutch Treat quilt had been started in 2008 and just finished this week as you all know. From left to right - "So Charming" not quite twin size - a little too short for that. "Baltimore Bliss" same goes for this one. "Flying Geese" table topper size, and "Dutch Treat" table topper size. And of course on the frame is the "Christmas Baltimore Album". I have been busy this year - the only one of these that is machine pieced is the flying geese (and the blocks of the Xmas quilt are machine pieced but appliuque by hand), the rest of these are all by hand.

4 quilt tops waiting in line to be quilted. I made all of these this year although the Dutch Treat quilt had been started in 2008 and just finished this week as you all know. From left to right - "So Charming" not quite twin size - a little too short for that. "Baltimore Bliss" same goes for this one. "Flying Geese" table topper size, and "Dutch Treat" table topper size. And of course on the frame is the "Christmas Baltimore Album". I have been busy this year - the only one of these that is machine pieced is the flying geese (and the blocks of the Xmas quilt are machine pieced but appliqued by hand), the rest of these are all by hand.

The quilts that I intend to work on this coming year – some are started, some are to be started:

4 projects, the book shows the "Little Brown Bird" quilt - this is a Baltimore Album quilt and will be appliuqued by needle turn method and will include some embroidery and paint. The "Pineapple" blocks are six inch paper pieced (I hate that way) it is totally made of scraps and all I have done are those 4 blocks, The "Insanity Revisited" red/cream is all by hand and a little more than half of the blocks are made, I hope to finish all the blocks this coming year. The other project with the gray and white fabric will be a quilt using the box of Moda Sampler squares. These are the only projects other than quilting that I intend to work on this upcoming year -- I think that should keep me busy - we will see :)

4 projects, the book shows the "Little Brown Bird" quilt - this is a Baltimore Album quilt and will be appliqued by needle turn method and will include some embroidery and paint. The "Pineapple" blocks are six inch paper pieced (I hate that method but wanted to make these small squares to use up scraps so I will work on it off and on) it is totally made of scraps and all I have done are those 4 blocks, The "Insanity Revisited" red/cream is all by hand and a little more than half of the blocks are made, I hope to finish all the blocks this coming year. The other project with the gray and white fabric will be a quilt using the box of Moda Sampler squares. These are the only projects other than quilting that I intend to work on this upcoming year -- I think that should keep me busy - we will see :) That should give me enough variety to keep the A.D.D. child in me happy and content.

Dutch Treat pin basted last night, I had some batting scraps that I only needed two pieces basted together to have a big enough piece. I even got 2 of the blocks quilted last night after we got the Christmas Tree decorated.

Dutch Treat pin basted last night, I had some batting scraps that I only needed two pieces basted together to have a big enough piece. I even got 2 of the blocks quilted last night after we got the Christmas Tree decorated. I thought I would get the smallest quilts quilted first and then move to the two that are child size. I will be working on the Christmas Baltimore Album at the same time - just hopping from one project to the next.

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