This little bag is made with 2 pieces of fabric that I got from the Trend-tex tour I took. It is a DrEAMI project. A Drop Everything And Make It. Sandra, from MMM Quilts hosts a DrEAMI linky party each month. You can see all of the DrEAMI projects HERE.
Continue readingMy cousin, Connie, is visiting from Ontario and we’re having a blast! We spent one day at Quilt Canada, with my husband enjoying it as well! (I’ll talk about Quilt Canada in a future post). Then we did a tour of Trend-tex (a fabric distributor). Today, we went to a fabric sale in a home and to a fabric store. Such fun! There’s a few more days before she heads home … who knows how much trouble we can get into?
Pop Star is finished … and I will be linking to the Pop Star QAL Final Parade. If you want the pattern you can find it HERE. MMM Quilts has some fantastic designs! I LOVE making her patterns!
This quilt was made with Island Batik fabrics: the background is linen, the light blue is pool, and the dark blue is raven. It was sandwiched with Hobbs 80/20. I backed it with a light yellow flannel.
Here’s a closeup of the quilting in the corner … the star used Silly Moon’s Twinkle ruler.
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
This week I’ve been doing more “unsewing” than sewing … but it still counts, right? And, I’ve been gallivanting around with my cousin, so that has cut into sewing time.
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
I was at Quilt Canada last week … and I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful fat quarter bundle. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it … but I do LOVE it. It’s called Bluebird, by Edyta Sitar and I bought it at the Chitterchatter booth. There is a total of 5.5 yards.
When Connie and I went on the Trend-tex tour, we did get a lot of swag … but I’m not counting it because it’s too hard to calculate different sizes of fabric and I didn’t buy it. Also included was a water bottle, a scone and a delicious treat! I have no idea what I’ll do with the fabric, but it’ll be used or it’ll go to the guild’s free table.
The Pop Star quilt used 1.25 yards of background …
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
2. The Island Batik Catalogue quilt tops are done – one is quilted and needs the hanging sleeve and the other is in the process of having all of the quilting removed and will be re-quilted … I used an OLD Aurifil Variegated Rayon thread that looked great on the top … and the back was HORRID!!!! Of course, I did not check the back until I was done! Call me dumb, call me stupid, but it serves me right for not checking the back!
This blog hop starts this week! My day is on Tuesday!
Have you been following the latest Island Batik Blog Hop? With quilts featuring the New York Beauty pattern? It’s been quite a variety of wonderful quilts!
I posted mine on June 6 … you can read about it HERE. Here’s links to the blogs that will be posting this week:
June 20:
Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia
Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky
June 21:
Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads
Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts
June 22:
Megan Best, Bestquilter
Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights
June 23:
Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood
You can win a fat quarter bundle of Tranquility or Woodblock Bouquets … both wonderful collections! Just follow the prompts in the Rafflecopper giveaway below
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Some of my followers tell me that the Rafflecopter doesn’t work for them … if that’s you, go to Island Batik’s blog and enter there.
I have a finish to show you. I finished this quite a while ago, but couldn’t show you. It was the latest mystery quilt that the guild did! The pattern is from a book, but I re-wrote the instructions to use strip piecing. It makes it so much easier to construct the quilt. And because the original directions were from a “Mystery Quilt” book, I cannot share them with you! Sorry!
This quilt was made with fabrics from my stash. And I only put on the one border … the original directions called for 3 borders.
Here’s a close-up of the quilting … it sort-of looks like feathers, but in reality, it’s just an elongated swirl – way easier than feathers to do!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Not many days of sewing this week.
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The guild mystery quilt used 9.25 yards
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
2. Island Batik Catalogue quilts (2)
2. Once the Island Batik Catalogue quilt tops are done – they need to be quilted.
Have you been following the latest Island Batik Blog Hop? With quilts featuring the New York Beauty pattern? It’s been quite a variety of wonderful quilts!
I posted mine on June 6 … you can read about it HERE.
June 13:
Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
June 14:
Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts
Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum
June 15:
Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde Gifts
Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion
June 16:
Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs
You can win a fat quarter bundle of Savannah or Santorini … both wonderful collections! Just follow the prompts in the Rafflecopper giveaway below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.jsSome of my followers tell me that the Rafflecopter doesn’t work for them … if that’s you, go to Island Batik’s blog and enter there.
Saturday
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
I’ve missed 2 days of sewing in the past 2 weeks … that’s what happens when you spend full days helping someone move!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The apron used 1.25 yards and the 2 small quilts used a yard each for backing … for a total of 3.25 yards used since my last report. No shopping, so nothing added!
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
2. A Squirrel Attack: The flimsy is done – but I forgot to take a picture …
2. Quilting is in progress. I have been working on Sandra Walker’s Pop Star Quilt … Yesterday, the instructions for adding the border were posted. You can access the steps at MMM Quilts HERE.
Sorry, I have not been posting much lately! I’ve had Covid and it’s been a slow recovery. However, I am recovering. I know at one point, I told a friend, “I feel like sewing today.” I sat at the machine, sewed 2 stitches and turned the machine off. I knew I was sick! But, for the last few days, I’ve been sewing for more than 1/2 hour a day – so that is good.
Before I got sick, I did work on my studio overhaul and took some pictures.
Here’s a Before and After pictures of the same spaces!
I now have a full ironing board to iron on. Yes, those dark brown spots in the upper right and lower left definitely indicate that I need to recover the board. But not for now! I’ll live with it for a little while longer!
And the area behind the machine where I quilt is now tidy. Hopefully, it will stay that way! It has so far!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
I missed many days of sewing in the last few weeks … that’s OK. I’m just thankful that I only have one deadline at the moment!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
It was fun to free motion these quilts … all different and using different motifs!
Finishing these baby quilts used 7.5 yards of fabric.
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
1. Foodie Blog Hop: These fabrics are from my stash. You’ll just have to wait until May 24th to see what is happening with this fabric!
2. A Squirrel Attack: The flimsy is done – but I forgot to take a picture …
3. I have been working on Sandra Walker’s Pop Star Quilt … Yesterday, the instructions for adding the border were posted. You can access the steps at MMM Quilts HERE.
Need to sandwich the May Island Batik project and get them quilted! And also need to sandwich the Pop Star Quilt.
Again, I’m counting 2 baby quilt panels as 1 UFO that is finished. That means that I only have 4 more UFOs to finish this year! Sigh … I thought I had found ALL of the UFOs before, but alas … there are likely more hidden away! I was secretly hoping that this would be the last year for me to host PHD in 202? But, if I keep discovering more – I’ll be hosting PHD for many years to come!
I believe the guild Garage Sale was a success. I got rid of a LOT of stuff! It was great! I was very happy to only bring a small amount home!
I also was able to donate about 10 quilts to the baby quilt and comfort quilt guild charities! That also freed up a bunch of space!
As my dear hubby was helping to load the car, he gently told me that perhaps I might not want to bring home as much stuff as I took! I had to laugh, as I had absolutely NO intention of shopping at the garage sale …
However, when things are staring you in the face, you HAVE to shop! The blue fleece was at the table next to me and after an hour, I broke down and bought it. It will back 2 baby donation quilts. And the ruler handle … oh yes, the ruler handle. Whenever I’m at a retreat with Patti, she always has a long ruler with a fantastic handle on it. I gravitate to that ruler and absolutely LOVE the extra stability the handle adds. So, of course, I HAD to have it!!!
Now … to get things back in order in my sewing studio!
For awhile this past week, my studio looked WAY worse than it did when I first posted pictures … but that’s OK … sometimes, you have to make a mess to clean up, right? Anyhow … here is the progress this week:
Here’s Before and After pictures of the same spaces!
It looks a little cluttered behind the sewing machine on the right … but that’s my leader & ender project … and it’s allowed to stay there – ready for sewing! Yes, several rulers hang behind this machine.
Another area … The bags on the floor were emptied and things put away. The sandwiched quilts and various other things are in appropriate spots. Finally, there is a permanent home for my Accuquilt … with the Island Batik scraps ready for cutting … much better than putting it away all the time!
My quilting area … the SAD light stays and the laptop gets moved so I can view whatever as I’m quilting or zoom quilting or ??? Another leader and ender project ready when I piece on this machine and the area is clear for quilting. So, hopefully, I won’t quilt spare pieces of fabric into the back of whatever I quilt!
All that is left is my ironing board, cutting table and computer desk! GROAN …. but I will work on them …
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
I missed 3 days of sewing this week. Two because I was getting ready for the garage sale and one on the day of the garage sale …
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
Finishing this baby quilt used 2.5 yards of fabric.
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
Here’s the UFO Baby Quilt I finished.
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, hosts a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
1. Foodie Blog Hop: These fabrics are from my stash. You’ll just have to wait until May 24th to see what is happening with this fabric!
2. A Squirrel Attack: As I was going through my containers … I found left-over strips from a jelly roll quilt … well, they spoke very loudly to me and said, “USE ME NOW.” Well, I have learned that it’s usually worth listening to fabric when it speaks to you. This is one half of them and there will be sashing added between the rows.
3. I have started Sandra Walker’s Pop Star Quilt … Sandra is a fabulous designer and I absolutely LOVE making her quilts. This one is a sew-a-long … Each week, there are directions on what to do. I have chosen some Island Batik fabrics and they are cut out and waiting. The first sewing directions are available … so I need to work on it. You can access the steps at MMM Quilts HERE.
I still have several baby quilts left to quilt!
Since I have several baby panels to quilt and last week I counted 2 as 1 UFO. I’m going to continue that. It’ll be at least another week or 2 before I get another one finished! So the only change is that I’ve added my new starts.
A blog follower contacted me and said she would be in the neighbourhood, “Would I like to meet up?” Well, YES, I would!!! We met at Essem Textiles. She had ordered some sweatshirt fleece from Essem and brought in her sweatshirt jackets … they were pretty cool! Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of them. However, when she told the owners who she was and they knew where she was from! They didn’t realize that she was a quilter as well as a garment sewer.
We met and talked about quilts and quilting. She is one talented quilter! Here’s a picture of us – but look at her quilt! Isn’t it absolutely fabulous? If I remember correctly, she said it’s 110″ x 110″. HUGE!It’s a mariner’s compass with lots of other blocks. She designed the quilt. I was in awe!
Here we are taking a closer look at the quilt:
Aurifil has a great page out … showcasing the Italian Cities Color Builders and all of the challenges that the Island Batik Ambassadors made. It’s well worth going and taking a look at the fabulous talent that my fellow Ambassadors have! Click HERE.
This week is this Colourful Blog Hop! Come back on Wednesday and see what I made!
You can see the complete schedule HERE.
Last week, I showed you pictures of my room. There is one surface tidied up and cleared off (well, 2, if you count the little tv tray that I use as an extra space when I’m piecing!) All of the fabric was put into appropriate bins, not just moved to another spot!
Here’s a Before and After picture of the same space!
I have ALMOST finished going through every container … a few more to go!
This will get DONE!!!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
The teddy bear quilt used 4.25 yards.
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
I had month to work on my previous To Do list … let’s see how I did …
Here’s the 2 baby quilt panels that are quilted and bound. The one on the left was partially hand quilted and I machine quilted it to its finish!
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
1. Foodie Blog Hop: These fabrics are from my stash. You’ll just have to wait until May 24th to see what is happening with this fabric!
The following baby panels still need to be completed.
I’m counting the 2 baby quilt panels as 1 UFO that is finished. That means that I only have 6 more UFOs to finish this year! Sigh … I thought I had found ALL of the UFOs before, but alas … there are likely more hidden away! I was secretly hoping that this would be the last year for me to host PHD in 202? But, if I keep discovering more – I’ll be hosting PHD for many years to come!
I’ve had a busy week! And I have gotten lots done! My Macaron Mystery is completed. This was a mystery quilt from Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs. I love her mystery quilts! You can be sure I’ll be following and quilting when she starts the Melodic Mystery in July!
And … did you see Gracie the Gorilla? A Funky Friends pattern for Island Batik’s April challenge. She was so much fun to make! I used Island Batik fabrics, Schmetz needles, and Aurifil thread to make her!
Kim of Persimon Dreams and Kim of Gogokim have joined together and created this Overhaul. If you saw my room, you would KNOW that I NEED to do an Overhaul!!! In a couple of weeks, our quilt guild is having a garage sale … a perfect opportunity to get rid of some quilting junk useful items … I’m not totally following their direction, but I am in the process of going through EVERY container. And I’ll tackle every surface!
Here’s some pictures … as the room was before I started going through things: What a mess, eh? Every available surface cluttered with projects and fabric I need to put away, some baby quilts to be quilted, things to be unpacked from my latest class, fabric to be sorted through, papers cluttering up my computer desk, and left-over batting and fabric on my cutting table!
I’ve already gone through my books … and they’ll be on the free table at the garage sale. I don’t expect the guild library will want them … some are quite old!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
Macaron used 12 yards of stash. I was thrilled to pieces when I realized that I had the perfect backing! It’s nice to be using up my stash.
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
I had month to work on my previous To Do list … let’s see how I did …
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
1. Foodie Blog Hop: These fabrics are from my stash. You’ll just have to wait until May 24th to see what is happening with this fabric!
I have 5 Baby Quilt panels lined up to be quilted and 2 that need binding. Boy, will I ever be glad when I no longer have cute panels in my stash! Some of these were panels that were given to me … I sandwiched them ages ago, but the quilting didn’t happen! And, I did find some of them when I went through a container – part of the Overhaul! 2 of the Baby Quilt panels are partially hand quilted … they will have machine quilting for the finish!
One UFO was finished: Macaron Mystery! That leaves me with 7 more to complete for my PHD in 2022. The New Starts are gradually getting completed! Personally, I really like how completing the New Starts does NOT add to the UFO list! And it is gradually getting smaller!
Linking to:
That’s right, I have MPD … I hadn’t heard of it until today. I seriously have it!! It’s actually a serious case.
My sister sent this to me … sigh! It’s from Quilt Digest’s FB page and apparently you can buy it on Amazon HERE … but it’s currently unavailable. That’s OK … I know I have MPD and really don’t need a sign in my studio to tell me about it! I’m happiest when I’m working on 2 or 3 or 4 projects at once! I love the challenge of keeping them all straight!
If you want to see all of the Island Batik ambassador projects from March, Mania has them all together in one blog post with the threads that each ambassador used. Go HERE to see them all!
This was mine, made with Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread.
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
I have NO finishes this week. But that’s OK … I have 2 quilts that are ready for binding and they both use fabric that came from my stash … so hopefully next week, I’ll have some different numbers.
I did use stash in a couple of my March finishes … The backings for the SAHRR (see HERE), the Time in a Bottle Quilt (see HERE) and the GAYG table runner (see HERE). 3 1/2 yards, 1 1/4 yards, and 1 yard respectively. That totals 5 3/4 yards!
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
I had month to work on my previous To Do list … let’s see how I did …
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
1. Teddy #3: These fabrics are from my stash. This is still in progress
2. Wonderful World of Colour: In progress … you’ll see this at the blog hop later this month!
Nothing being quilted at the moment … but Macaron Mystery and the BBQG Mystery are both quilted and waiting for their binding!
Linking to:
I haven’t posted any of my regular Sunday/Monday things for almost a month. A LOT has been happening here in my studio … and then there was the retreat … and then more stuff happening! I’ve been busy!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
1 1/4 yards of fabric has been added to my stash. It’s not too exciting … just a plain beige flannel to back the fabric of another teddy bear quilt that I’m making. (It was started to use as a sample in the class!) However, the flannel is pretty cool … the picture didn’t turn out … but it is beige and has little flecks of black / dark brown in it – it almost looks like muslin! (
I did use stash in a couple of my March finishes … The backings for the SAHRR (see HERE), the Time in a Bottle Quilt (see HERE) and the GAYG table runner (see HERE). 3 1/2 yards, 1 1/4 yards, and 1 yard respectively. That totals 5 3/4 yards!
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
I had month to work on my previous To Do list … let’s see how I did …
Donna, at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, host a linky party for “What’s on your Design Wall” every week.
1. Teddy #3: These fabrics are from my stash. This Teddy will be for demo in a class.
2. May IB project is next in line
I’ve joined Jen, from Patterns by Jen in doing the monthly colour blocks.
This month, it’s the Pink Peppercorn. (which is actually a berry, not a peppercorn!) The patterns are free each month. However, if you miss a month, there is a small fee, but you can still get the block! You can get the pattern HERE.
This block came together quite quickly … and I used Island Batik fabrics!
And, we are to show off our Pink Quilts. Here are some I have made over the years!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks! However, I am human and I do break down and buy fabric!
No shopping and no purchases this week … and nothing finished …
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
#1: IB April project is in process. This is a fun project!!! I’ll be showing you in April!
#2. IB May project is started. This one is taking a LOT of time! I’m glad that I started early!!!
#3 IB June is started and is my current leader & ender.
No finishes so far in March … and no New Starts finished … yet. If you would like this chart, you can access it HERE.
PHD Tally 2022- with formulasDownload
If you would like this colourful Task sheet, you can access it HERE.
I am going on a retreat next weekend!! WOO HOO!!! Lots of fun!!!
Packing … I need to get some projects ready to go … and hopefully, I won’t forget some of the main things I need!
I was walking by a fitness studio and saw this sign in the window … I pondered it for awhile and then thought, “This makes a lot of sense.”
When you think about working on a UFO, that’s what you’re doing. Thinking. However, if you take the UFO out of the box and start working on it … that’s Action. How many times have you been working on something and all of a sudden, it’s “Let’s get this done!” That’s Motivation. I find that often happens to me. So I Need to take some Action and work on a UFO … who knows – maybe in March, I can show you a finish!
So how are you doing with your PHD in 2022 February progress?
No UFO finishes this month, but two, Macaron Mystery and the SAHRR are seeing some progress.
The first chart shows my overall PHD standing and New Starts … the 2nd more colourful chart shows all the tasks, or steps I need to take to complete my UFOs.
Show us your PHD in 2022 February progress!
This first one is my February, Island Batik project “Row by Row.” I had a beautiful fabric collection called Vintage Lace by Kathy Engle. You can read about this quilt HERE. I used Hobbs 80/20 batting, Aurifil thread and Schmetz needles. As well, I used the Accuquilt Qube 8″ die set to cut all the blocks.
This is my favourite finish in February. I’m linking to Meadow Mist Designs.
I’ve already talked about this little basket. You can read about it HERE.
Then there is the DrEAMI I made. DrEAMI stands for Drop Everything And Make It. You know about those projects! Sandra, of MMM Quilts has a linky party each month for us to show our DrEAMIs. They are also known as Squirrels …
Here’s how my DrEAMI came about: On the guild Facebook page, one of the members posted a cute Thread-catcher … my comment at the time was “No! No! No! I’ve got NO time to make these!!! But why oh why did I bookmark the page????????? And I’m thinking about what fabrics to use ….” It was bugging me … I just HAD to make it!
The pattern / tutorial can be found at The Sewing Chick, HERE.
I used Island Batik Fabrics. The main fabric is Buildings-Peon, the lining is Chevron-Gaze and the binding is Columns-Olive … all from the Deco Revival collection. The small pieces are scraps from the same collection. Along with the canvas, Hobbs 80/20 batting was used and it was quilted with Aurifil thread.
This basket didn’t take long at all. Less than 3 hours, and that included the hunt for the canvas (it wasn’t in my sewing room), writing down the fabrics used and re-cutting the lining because I goofed when cutting out the corners (my own fault). The pattern is easy to follow!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks! However, I am human and I do break down and buy fabric!
This week … the Wagon Broke … and I bought fabric!
I can easily justify it. (Can’t we all?) It’s Island Batik fabric!!! And I found it at a store within about 3 miles of my house! Castle’s Sewing Center. They don’t have a lot, but they have 8 bolts!!! That’s a start! Especially since I haven’t been able to find it anywhere else in the lower mainland! (I’m talking at least 100 miles or more). Yes, Over the Rainbow in Washington carries Island Batik fabric, but it’s a huge hassle to cross the border right now and return to Canada – so I’ll be staying put!
I bought 3 m of the neutral … It’s a chevron with hints of blue … of course I fell in love right away. And, I DO have a plan for it!
The fabric basket used 1/2 yard of fabric and my DrEAMI used 3/4 yard.
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is hosting “To Do” every week.
I had 2 weeks to work on my previous To Do list … let’s see how I did …
Nothing is being pieced at the moment … 3 Projects are waiting to be quilted.
#1: SAHRR: Round 6 is on
#2. Time in a Bottle is Ready to be Sandwiched and Quilted.
#3 Macaron Mystery. Top is together … Sorry, I forgot to take a picture … It’s upstairs ready to be sandwiched
Saturday
Lots of things happening in the Studio. My husband came in and said, “what are you working on? Whatever it is, it looks weird.” I then explained that I was piecing 4 different quilts. A catalogue quilt, the SAHRR, Macaron Mystery and a March blog hop quilt. He shook his head and said “ah, you don’t like stress, do you?”
There’s been some pretty amazing quilts during the Row by Row
February 7:
Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood
Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights
February 8:
Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs
February 9:
Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts
February 10:
Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky
Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks! However, I am human and I do break down and buy fabric!
I love this meme that I saw recently (but can’t find the source) …
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week.
I had 2 weeks to work on my previous To Do list … let’s see how I did …
#1 SAHRR is in progress … This is Round 4 … You can read details about this round HERE.
#2 Time in a Bottle: This is for a blog hop in March … it should be fun! Of course, I can’t show you until the blog hop! But I can give you a teaser that is using the LAST of my Island Batik gradation fabrics and Island Batik solid grey.
#3 Macaron Mystery. Block A is done. All the fabrics are from my stash.
Catalogue quilt. This is a quilt for Island Batik’s next catalogue which will feature a new line of fabric. It’s pretty awesome fabric and I’m sure you’ll want to get some for yourself. However, I can’t even give you a sneak preview of the fabric. You can be sure that I will show you one the fabric has hit the stores!
The first chart shows my overall PHD standing and New Starts … the 2nd more colourful chart shows all the tasks, or steps I need to take to complete my UFOs.
So Scrappy @ Scrap Happy
Sunday Stash @ quiltpaintcreate
Oh Scrap @ Quilting is More Fun than Housework
15 minutes to Stitch @ Life in Pieces
Frédérique @ Quilting Patchwork Applique
Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt
Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
To-Do Tuesday @ Texas Quilt Gal
The February Island Batik Blog Hop starts on Monday! The theme is Row by Row …
Make sure you visit each of the ambassadors to see what they made … and some of them may have a giveaway and you could have a chance to win some awesome Island Batik fabric!
January 31:
Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese
February 1:
Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts
Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts
February 2:
Megan Best, Bestquilter
February 3:
Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs
My Island Batik quilts for the January challenge? These were for the challenge “Step by Step” using 20 gradations of Tantalizing Teal. Of course, Island Batik fabric was used with Hobbs batting and Aurifil Thread.
Here are the pictures, but you can read more about them HERE.
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Last year I managed to sew 97% of the days. What will this year bring?
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks! However, I am human and I do break down and buy fabric!
I love this meme that I saw recently (but can’t find the source) …
The Teddy Bear quilt took 5.5 yards of fabric. You can see the post HERE.
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week.
I had 2 weeks to work on my previous To Do list … I’m starting to realize that if I give myself 2 weeks, I can usually accomplish what I want to do in one week. Hmmm … What does that say about my expectations?
There are a few things on my Design Wall and I can only show you little bits of what’s there!
#1 SAHRR is in progress … You can read about it HERE and HERE
#2 … February Island Batik project Row by Row … Here’s a picture of the fabric that I’m using. It’s the Vintage Lace by Kathy Engle and should be shipping to stores in February. Aren’t they soft and lovely?
Nothing is being quilted at the moment!
2 UFOs finished this week! The Polar Bear Blog hop and the Tickled Pink Blog Hop quilts!
On Monday and Tuesday, a bunch of us met at Essem Textiles to play and explore Inktense Pencils. If you’ve never used Inktense – it’s worth giving it a try. They are like pencil crayons with water soluble ink in them. You can colour on fabric and use water, aloe vera or a textile medium to bring out the vibrant colours.
Below is what I worked on. It’s a free drawing from Helen Godden and is the Christmas 2019 project. My plan is to finish “painting” it and then follow Helen’s Youtube videos for the zen-doodling quilting.
While we were at Essem, a bunch of ladies from the Chilliwack guild stopped in the store. You’ve seen a lot of their SAHRR center blocks HERE … and it was fun to meet them in person!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash.
This meme is still true! No fabric has been bought … at least not yet! No change in what I’ve used!
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week.
There are a few things on my Design Wall and there is a couple of things I can show you …
#1 SAHRR is in progress … You can read about it HERE.
But I can show you my center block with Round 1 added.
#2 Polar Bear Plunge: This is for a blog hop in January … it should be fun! Of course, I can’t show you until the blog hop!
#3 Tickled Pink: This is for a blog hop in February … and again, I can’t show you until then!
#4 … Macaron Mystery Quilt
I’ve got some of January’s clue done … still have more to do …
Island Batik, January challenge is being quilted.
One New Start … no finishes. I did pull the fabrics for the February Island Batik challenge – does that count as a new start? And I started the Christmas wall hanging.
I have a UFO finish! It is the Any Which Way Mystery Quilt … it was finally trimmed and the binding was added! The first picture was taken in the sun … and the 2nd picture was taken on the snow – just because I could!
The binding was finished today while I was Zoom quilting with fellow Island Batik Ambassadors! It’s so fun to get together and see what everyone is working on!
This quilt used Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs 80/20 batting and was quilted with Aurifil thread using Schmetz needles. It finishes at 44″ x 44.” It’s nice to have this UFO done!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
This week, I managed to only sew for 15 min a day …
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks! However, I am human and I do break down and buy fabric!
I love this meme that I saw recently (but can’t find the source) …
I used 1.5 yards of fabric for the backing of the Any Which Way Mystery Quilt.
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week.
I didn’t get a lot done this week. I’ve had a bad back and can only sit for very short periods of time.
There are a few things on my Design Wall and there is NOTHING I can show you … yet!
#1 SAHRR is in progress … Centre block comes out Tomorrow! Be sure to come back so you don’t miss it!!!
#2 Polar Bear Plunge: This is for a blog hop in January … it should be fun! Of course, I can’t show you until the blog hop!
#3 Tickled Pink: This is for a blog hop in February … and again, I can’t show you until then!
#4 … Island Batik January Gradation project is getting there! and it will remain a total secret for now!
#5 Macaron Mystery by Meadow Mist Designs I have printed off the January clue – but haven’t done any sewing … yet …
Nothing is being quilted at the moment!
One UFO done!
Ms. P. Designs has this nifty colourful tool that you can use to track the tasks you have to do for your PHD. You can access the tool HERE.
My husband says every new year, “My New Year’s Resolution is to not make any resolutions.” I sort of feel the same way, but I do have quilty goals in mind and I’ll share them with you.
I was again chosen to be an Island Batik Ambassador for 2022! I was beyond excited when I found out! If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you KNOW how much I love Island Batik fabric!
There will be monthly challenges and projects to make! I can’t wait to show you all the fabulous fabric and goodies from the industry partners!
This is new to me, but it’s been around for awhile. I have watched other bloggers do this block of the month and thought I’d join in on the fun this year! Check out Jen’s blog post for more details and to get the pattern for this month’s block. Doesn’t “Spicy” sound fantastic???
January’s spice is Saffron. This is the 12 1/2″ block that I made:
I used 2 different oranges from Island Batik. I didn’t have enough of the dark orange, so I pieced the bottom left square.
Here are this month’s bloggers that are highlighting this Spicey month!
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Last year I managed to sew 97% of the days. What will this year bring?
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks! However, I am human and I do break down and buy fabric!
I love this meme that I saw recently (but can’t find the source) …
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week.
I had 2 weeks to work on my previous To Do list … let’s see how I did …
There are a few things on my Design Wall and there is NOTHING I can show you … yet!
#1 SAHRR is in progress … You can read about it HERE.
#2 Polar Bear Plunge: This is for a blog hop in January … it should be fun! Of course, I can’t show you until the blog hop!
#3 Tickled Pink: This is for a blog hop in February … and again, I can’t show you until then!
#4 … January’s Island Batik project and it will remain a secret for now! But, I will show you the stack of fabric that I’m working with! Tantalizing Teals! Aren’t they absolutely BEAUTIFUL? !!!
Nothing is being quilted at the moment!
However, my Any Which Way mystery quilt needs to be trimmed and bound.
My January Island Batik project is started … no finishes
Yes, it seems like the year has gone by quickly! And, with the Covid numbers increasing and talks of future lockdowns, I’ll be hunkering down and quilting!!!
Next week, starting on Boxing Day, I will be hosting a mystery quilt. It’s a quick and easy mystery – and it will be fun! Are you going to join me?
Do you remember the picture on the left? After lots of procrastination and neglect, I finally finished this hot air balloon quilt. The pattern is from Kelly Young’s book “Scrappy Improv Quilting.”
Before I taught a class, using this book, I wanted to demonstrate a few different techniques in making the slabs. There are many different ways. In this quilt, I used stripes, bargello, “twosies, foursies, eightsies …” and my own invention “random pieces in a line.” I have also use orphan blocks.
The baskets were chain pieced and made all at the same time.
Once the baskets were attached to the balloons, I played around with the layout and positioned them all slightly different … I wanted it to look like balloons were in the sky.
The fabrics were all from my Island Batik stash … bits and pieces of this and that. The background is BE34-E1 Dot Sky from the Blender’s collection. Hobbs 80/20 is used for the batting. The free motion quilting was pretty simple … clouds and meandering in the sky and vertical wavy lines on the balloons. The baskets were a grid of mish-mashed straight lines. It is bound with Island Batik’s Black solid.
The binding looks a little wonky on the bottom right, but that’s because it won’t be finished until after a special baby is born and I can put the label on it.
#1 SAHRR: I have my centre block done! Whoo hoo!!! And plan to work on the other rounds! The SAHRR will start on January 10. I’ll show you the centre block then!
Here’s the Schedule of Events for SAHRR:
SEW … start thinking about what you can use for your centre block. Will it be an orphan block? Will you start something new? something different? Will it be square or rectangle? It’ll be fun to see what you choose!
#2 Polar Bear Plunge: This is for a blog hop in January … it should be fun! Of course, I can’t show you until the blog hop!
#3 Tickled Pink: This is for a blog hop in February … and again, I can’t show you until then!
#4 Monthly Colour Challenge – with Patterns by Jen. Yes, I’ve pulled my fabrics for the first few months. I’m excited to show you January’s block on January 1!
#2 A&A’s Quilt: This quilt is under the machine at the moment!
The back of the balloon quilt used 2 1/2 yards of flannel – from my stash.
This will be my last stash report for 2021! By the end of the year, I will have used at least another 9 yards of fabric, but I’m not counting it until it’s finished. I will continue with my Sunday Stash report in 2022 – it keeps me honest about what I buy. And, I will often 2nd guess a fabric purchase when I think that I need to report it on my blog! (and that’s a good thing!)
Well, my husband didn’t add any fabric this year. Yes, he was with me on a few occasions when we were in a fabric store, but he didn’t pick up anything for me to buy! Well, the next trip to a fabric store could be another story!
This is my last Stitchin’ Time for 2021. The “Any Which Way” Mystery quilt is happening next week and I want to focus on that!
As for this year, I think I did pretty good … only missed 9 days in the whole year! Wow!! It does help that, aside from one 10 day trip, we didn’t go anywhere! If Kate continues this next year, I’ll be back with more Stitchin’ Time in 2022!
For more Stitchin’ Time, you can check out Kate’s blog: Life in Pieces
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week. You can check out her blog HERE.
I won’t be posting a To Do list next week, but I’ll be back in 2022 with updated lists!
I have 2 projects to finish before the end of the year. Unless something weird happens, I should be able to get them done this week! The BBQG Mystery #3 just needs the binding done and A&A’s quilt needs the quilting finished and the label and binding … doable … I hope!
Here’s what’s happening in the studio …
This week I posted my final Island Batik challenge for 2021. It’s been a fantastic year! I will soon have a blog post that will show all of the projects I’ve made with wonderful Island Batik fabrics! You can read more about this finish HERE. It was pieced and quilted with Aurifil thread and Hobbs batting was used.
#1 Scrappy Improv Quilting …
Absolutely NO change from the last month! None at all! Even though I analyzed why it wasn’t getting done – I still haven’t worked on it! I need to get it finished in order to achieve my PHD in 2021!
#2 A&A’s Quilt: This quilt which was started in Mar. is getting pieced into a top. I was suppose to get some direction on how they wanted it pieced, but no direction came, so I decided to do my own thing. … I’m looking forward to quilting some of the negative space …
Amy and I had another “Playing with Rulers” day at Essem Textiles. I was working on my Guild’s fall mystery quilt. I struggled the whole time. First, I did not have my slip slidey thing for my machine, then I realized that my quilting gloves no longer had any grip on them … If we have more “Playing with Rulers” days, I will definitely choose a smaller project! And I will have my slip slidey thing and some good gloves! In spite of my challenges, it was a fun couple of days!! It is so rewarding to see quilters become comfortable with ruler quilting!!! If you live in the area and would like to join us for a “Playing with Rulers” session – let Simina or Rajan at Essem Textiles know. They will put you on a waiting list.
No finishes that used fabric from my stash.
For more Stitchin’ Time, you can check out Kate’s blog: Life in Pieces
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week. You can check out her blog HERE.
OK … I’ve got 3 projects to finish before the end of the year. I think I can get them done! I hope I can get them done.
This was a super fun class to teach. All of the participants were delightful ladies – which made it even more fun.
Here is Joan’s finished project “Prismatic.” Look at her beautiful quilting!
And here is Sue’s Prismatic. Again some awesome quilting with a totally different approach!
And Judy’s Prismatic – with totally different quilting! I LOVE the variety of the mini quilts and the quilting! And Judy added a flange binding! super cool!
Here are Robin’s.
The first is the ornament in reds and greens. I like the simple straight line quilting! It really makes the ornaments pop!
The 2nd is Prismatic in blues purples and teals … again, the simple straight line quilting lets the design show through!
Cathy has completed 3, yes THREE, tops! Go Cathy Go! It was fun to watch her put this one together as she used different fabrics for the background. Who knew that the backside of a blue grunge would be the perfect dark grey?
And these 2 are so sweet!
And here is my Prismatic. I had a bunch of orphan log cabin blocks that I joined together and then cut as directed. I cut a lot more than indicated in the pattern … then joined them in the rows. My intent was not to make a quilt this big … it’s 45″ x 60″, but that’s how big it turned out to be.
It uses Island Batik fabric and Hobbs 80/20 batting. The backing is a lovely light blue flannel.
#1 Scrappy Improv Quilting …
Absolutely NO change from the last month! None at all! However, I’ve been questioning why I’m hesitating at getting this one done and I think I figured it out. That purple balloon is too small and I thought I’d just adjust all the measurements and make a smaller one – but I don’t feel like doing that. So, I will do something else for the purple balloon … make it bigger somehow … I haven’t gotten that far in my thinking yet!
#1 The last Secret Island Batik project is being quilted – and should be finished within a couple of days!
The back of my Prismatic quilt used 1.5 yards of flannel from my stash.
For more Stitchin’ Time, you can check out Kate’s blog: Life in Pieces
Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week. You can check out her blog HERE.
I had 2 DrEAMis this month … I posted about them HERE
I’m waffling between 2 quilts. Both of them were “Storm at Sea” quilts that I made for November’s Island Batik blog hop. You can read about them HERE.
I made a mug rug for the “No Ring” blog hop … so it’s also my Table topper for November. There was no specific colour for this month … so this fits perfectly!
Quilting Gail 