Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Progress, NewFO's and Dog update

This has been a busy month for me.  Here are some of my projects that I've made progress on, or, have started in the month of March.

Sarah's quilt top finished

I designed the borders for Sarah's quilt top and added them early in the month, so that I could hand the quilt (and backing) over to the long arm quilter.  This is the first quilt that I've ever paid someone to quilt for me.  SCARY to turn it over to someone else.

Sarah's 'quilted' quilt (needs binding)

up close of machine quilting by Julie

up close of back of quilt, showing Julie's quilting
I love the circles that Julie did on this quilt.  I love the movement that it added to the quilt.  Hubby and I didn't want it 'over quilted' as this will be a bed quilt, not a show piece.  Yes, hubby even chatted with Julie about the quilting when I handed the top over to her.  It is so nice to have a hubby that understands and appreciates the process of making a quilt.  This quilt just needs to have the binding made and attached.  I'll have to do this in April, since I'll give this to my in-laws to take to Sarah.  Oh yea, the top was pieced on 2 different hand cranks, the center was pieced on my Singer Spartan, and the borders and backing were pieced on the machine shown above, my Singer 99 hand crank.

At my small guild, we learned English paper piecing (the proper way).  This is the hexie flower that I made.  I'll be doing more of this in the future (when I get around to cutting out some fabrics).

my first (proper) hexie
 I also learned how to make pillowcases in March.  The first one was made for my son's girlfriend.  Marilyn helped me, and surged the seams.

Krystal's pillowcase
I also made 2 more pillowcases (different method) for Rene', my BFF's daughter.  Rene' loves butterflies and purple.

Rene's first pillowcase

Rene's second pillowcase
I am also keeping up with my Harry Potter, The Project of Doom blocks.  In March, I finished Weeks #4-9.  I made 2 of each block.


Week #4
Week #5

Week #6
Week #7
Week #8
Week #9
My small quilt guild has a 'box' exchange going on.  Each month, we get someone else's 'box' and make a block for them.  In March, I had Thelma's box.  She wants 9 patch blocks, in blue.  I used her fabrics.  Since I made them the day before Easter, I chose a panel of religious fabric that she had in her box and fussy cut the pieces.  I made 4 blocks, instead of just one block.

Thelma's block #1

Thelma's block #2

Thelma's block #3

Thelma's block #4


The only machine that I've sewn on this month is my 1925 Singer 99 hand crank.
1925 singer 99 hand crank sewing machine
Also, in March, I started hand quilting on Fat Cats in the City.

Fat Cats in the City quilt
I'm already on the 4th block of this quilt.  I'm hoping to have this quilt, quilted and bound before the end of the month, so that I can hand deliver it to Betty.  I've been quilting on this during commercials, while watching Dancing With the Stars and Castle. 

Barbara, over at Cat Patches, has a NewFO Challenge each month.  I'll be linking up with her.


Update on my dog, Padfoot.  Padfoot is doing great!  We are so glad.  She is recovering quickly, so far.  Thanks for all of your well wishes for her. 


13 comments:

  1. What wonderful projects! Love Sarah's quilt - so bright and cheery. And The Projects of Doom blocks are so neat. Great job! ~Jeanne

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your Quilt and the Quilting done on it. (Must br Freudian slip of some kind that I capitalized quilt in the previous sentance...)
    Love the blue book in week 7... I'd like to read that one. Will you be embroidering names on your books?
    I'm wondering about hand cranks. Do you feel that you get good control using them? I usually only guide the fabric with the left hand... I keep the right hovering near the wheel in case I want to stop. (Also, most of the seams for paper piecing are short, so my right is there to reverse.)
    Love your (very Brittish) hexie flower. My grandma made me a Grandmother's Flower Garden with blue flowers on a bright orange background... I'll have to show that off one of these days. I'd like to learn how - I think I already know, but just don't have the inside templates to do it with. Is that what you used?
    Well, dear Freind, I've blabbed on enough. Have a wonderful day.
    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lots of wonderful projects on the go. I do love your Harry Potter blocks. The quilted quilt looks great. The circles seem just right for the windmills.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My you have been busy! Glad padfoot is doing well. The fussy cutting on the nine patch blocks looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, I get tired just looking at all you are doing!
    I got a laugh about your "proper" English piecing because I have a proper English friend who is making a quilt by that method. (I actually gave her a pile of scraps) but she just bends the fabric over the paper and pins it and the seams are all floppy and wonky even when the top side looks fine. I wonder how that will end up some day.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This are all such great projects. Love the pinwheels quilt with the dots and the circle quilting is perfect for it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow! You've been been busy! I especially like Sarah's quilt and all your HP blocks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh my gosh! These projects are adorable! I love your pinwheel quilt at the top. Thanks for linking up today.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Everything looks wonderful! I especially like the pinwheel quilt, so beautiful! The colors are stunning, they make me smile. And so happy to hear about Padfoot!

    ReplyDelete
  10. So glad to hear that Padfoot is doing so well!! I really love the Fat Cats in the City quilt. Could you tell me where the pattern came from? I just love cat quilts (and so do my cats)!

    ReplyDelete
  11. How fun.....all of those wonderful projects...what inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  12. My goodness! You have seriously been busy girl!!! Love that pinwheel quilt - just adorable :*) And hexies.... and pillowcases.... and..... well, it's all so much fun!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like your Harry Potter blocks, and the pinwheel quilt is too cute.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are IMPORTANT to me. Thank you for commenting. If you are a no-reply commentor, please leave me your email address, so that I can reply to you. If you don't want everyone to see your email address, then you can send me a private reply (my email address is listed under my profile).