WOW!!! That word describes the retreat I was just at!
And, I did get a few projects done! One UFO that got finished is this “Retreat Bag.” It’s a free pattern from Emmaline Bags. The instructions are very easy to follow … but you need to follow them!
If you want to see the newest fabric and patterns from Island Batik … go to the Spring and Summer 2019 Catalog. Be prepared for an online magazine full of the most beautiful fabric and tons of patterns for wonderful quilts and tuffets, clothing and other projects.
I received these Aurifil threads in the mail today! The dark purple is 40 wt, blue is 12 wt and the pink is 28 wt. Very pretty!!! I need to use all 3 weights in an upcoming Island Batik Challenge.
What will I do? I’m not sure. I haven’t used 12 wt or 28 wt thread before. I used 40 wt once on a quilt. It will be fun to come up with something that uses all 3 weights of thread! Continue reading
YES!1! This winter table runner is DONE!!! (And, I couldn’t resist taking a picture of it beside some crocuses! (Look carefully and you’ll see a couple of purple flowers!)
This is my #3 UFO … It’s come a little ways since I took the picture on the right in December. It came out of the container. I finished the blocks and put a border on it. I was going to add an additional blue border, but then it will be too big for my coffee table … sew … I’m going to use the cut dark blue border material for the binding. This table runner was suppose to be finished in 2017 for a swap at our annual Over the Rainbow retreat … hmmm … guess it’s missed it’s chance for the swap! That’s OK … I like it, hubby likes it and it will be pretty on the coffee table.
Now to sandwich it, quilt it, bind it and call it done! Hopefully, I can show you the finished runner soon!
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I completed 2 UFOs this month! YEAH!!! To see close-ups of these 2 quilts visit the original blog posts Ivan’s Diamonds (left) and Carpenter’s Wheel. (right)
OK … in my last post, I talked about how I was going to follow along with Caroline and watch her tutorial videos to make a wonderful zippered bag. Reality set in and I thought, “Who are you kidding???? You can’t start ANOTHER new project. SEW … the zippered bag was not started … I didn’t even pull fabric to do one. However, you can. You can see the first video HERE. The videos will be on Youtube and I can watch them in the future when I’m ready to make a zippered bag!
I have caught up: Blocks 5 & 6 are done! It is fun making these little 6″ blocks. They don’t take to long at all. Except for the neutral, I’m only using blue fabric that is in my blue scrap bag … So far, the bag is still full! (Do completing blocks 5 & 6 make for a “Friday Finish?”
I signed up to take a class with the guild tomorrow! The lady teaching it is an awesome teacher, so she will help my rug making to be successful. I went to my tote of Kansas Troubles, and along with a few reproduction fabrics, I made my own jelly roll. Except for the dark for the final round, the fabrics are all mixed up. I’m using stash and that makes me happy!
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Yes, I’ve been so busy with writing about being an Island Batik Ambassador, the Turnabout Patchwork blog hop & the Daisy Chain mystery writing about PHD in 2019 just slipped my mind, or more accurately, got put on the back burner.
The Turnabout Patchwork blog hop is still happening: Continue reading
Hello! I’ve been working away … SLOWLY … at the Good Fortune mystery. I thought I had all of the 4 patch blocks done … until I was doing the final pressing and realized that I have about 10 blocks where the corner 4 patches are turned around … groan … oh well, I’m just 10 blocks away from finishing these blocks.
PS: If you want to do this mystery, make sure that you download all the clues before the end of the month! Continue reading
“Shells” is done, done, DONE! I am absolutely thrilled with how this quilt turned out. And … it was done in time for my son to deliver it to Ontario! YEAH!!! Continue reading
A few posts ago, I told you I would show you close-ups of the Irish Snails Quilt. First is a better picture of the whole quilt. (The sun shone one day while I was at work and my dear hubby strung a closeline across the garage door opening and took pictures for me. Isn’t he great?) 
Yes, I have my last UFO of 2018 DONE, DONE, DONE!!!!
No finishes this week! Hopefully next week – right?
How are you doing with your UFOs? Did you join us in reducing your UFOs to get your PHD in 2019?
I still have 2 UFOs to complete. Quilting is still happening on this quilt:
Continue reading
Oh! I’m so happy! I have another UFO finished. Quilted, label and bound! Woohoo!!! Here is a picture from the front and one of the quilting from the back!!! The pattern is Ivan’s Diamonds. Other quilts by the same pattern can be found Here and Here.
Continue reading
YEAH!!!!
The first of 3 “Ivan’s Diamonds” is finished! I finished this at the retreat. It took a day and a half to quilt. Once I have things organized, I’ll give you a taste of the retreat. If you want a bit of the backstory of this quilt go HERE.
It is quilted with a blue thread, with a combination of flowers, swirls, tear-drops, wiggly thingies and whatever fit in.
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I did a trunk show around the middle of the month … When the trunk show is over and everyone has looked at the quilts, they all get put into the bags I brought them in. It would take too long to do it in an orderly fashion, so they just get folded and put into bags.
The next day, I take them out of the bags and begin the process of sorting through them. There are quilts that go back onto the beds, there are Christmas quilts, there are quilts for when we have extra people, there are quilts that I use for teaching and there are quilts that might be gifted in the near future. This is what it looks like when I empty the bags and before I start to sort:
After about 2 hours, the quilts (not including the ones that were put on the beds look like this:
The quilts on top of the red bags have specific destinations in the house.
Other than the quilt my grandmother made for my parents wedding, I usually don’t show any quilts made by others. This time I showed one that was half made by my grandmother and finished by me years ago. You can read the story HERE. And you can see all the quilts that I made using Grandma’s fabrics HERE. I also showed “Thank you Notes” made by my cousin, Terry. This was given to me with blocks signed by cousins and aunts and uncles that have received quilts. When I received “Thank you Notes” I was overwhelmed and there were quite a few tears of astonishment! You can read that story HERE.
At the trunk show, several people asked me about “Thank-you Notes” … they thought it was a great idea. It is a Missouri Star pattern called “You’ve got Mail.”
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The giraffe quilt that I started at a retreat in April is now finished! YEAH!!!
For my PHD in 2018, I have one more “started in 2018” to do and 4 UFOs!
Woohoo!!! Wonky Logs! It’s done! Done! Done!
Quilting Gail 