April's NewFO's and finishes!

It doesn't look like I did much in April, but, I did.  Instead of making lots of blocks, I hand quilted a quilt.  That takes lots of time.  I finished the hand quilting of this quilt.

Fat Cats in the City quilt

I'm in the process of stitching the binding down on this quilt.  It will be a 'finish' soon.  I'm also stitching the binding on another quilt.  Both of these have to be done by the end of this weekend.  Here is the pillowcase I made to go with the other quilt that is almost done.

Sarah's pillowcase, to match her quilt

I also finished the blocks for my little guilds 'box' exchange.  This month was Marilyn's box.  I made 2 sets of 5 blocks for her. 

Marilyn's 'box' blocks

Marilyn's 'box' blocks, 2nd set

I also got a few blocks for my Harry Potter 'The Project of Doom' made, earlier this month. I'm making 2 of each of these blocks. 

Week #10

 Jennifer, over at Sewhooked, is asking for blocks from this quilt, to be made with a white background, that will be turned into a fundraising charity quilt for Project Linus.  You can find out more about it on her blog, here.  I made 2 different blocks for her. 

charity block for Project Linus

charity block for Project Linus

I also finished 2 other Harry Potter blocks. (for me).

Hedwig, week #11

Week #12

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. 

Starts, Progress & Finishes for Jan 2013

A lot of 'shuffling' went on here in January.  Both my son's were home over Christmas, so, nothing got sewn while they were here.  When my youngest son went back to college, I took over his room.  I've never had a sewing room before (still don't, technically).  I'm only getting to use his room until the end of the semester.  He 'says' he's coming home, we'll see if he does.  Till then, my biggest 'Start' (NewFO) of the month is moving into his room, and starting to get my sewing stuff organized for the first time EVER.  I'll be nice and NOT show pictures of my stash/sewing stuff in the basement.  OH MY!  It would scare the pants off you, it's such a disaster!  I've been organizing in this room ALL MONTH long, off and on. 

my new sewing space (borrowed from my youngest son)

I've been 'improving' the area all month long.  I added a cabinet and plastic drawers, to hold scraps, in the last week.

scraps for my next major project (and a few others, too)

scraps in the cabinet

Now, most of these 'scraps' are fat quarter size to half yard sizes.  NO, this is not all of my stash.  My stash won't fit in this room.  I have buckets of fabrics and projects in the basement.  I just wanted to get these ready for my next major project that starts TODAY, the Harry Potter Project of Doom paper pieced quilt from Sewhooked. Terri, from over at QuiltNCards, and I will be working on this project together. 

Early in the month, I took these pinwheels

pinwheels for Sarah's quilt

sewed and made these mini pinwheels

mini pinwheels for Sarah's quilt

and turned it into this

Sarah's pinwheels quilt top (so far)

I still have to figure out borders for this quilt top.  I have extra pinwheels of both sizes left over, and I'm thinking I'll use them, with yardage, in the borders.  I just need to sit down and design the rest. 

While going thru some of my buckets of fabrics and projects in the basement, I found an almost finished top for Quilts of Valor.  Oops!  I'd brought it home to add something to either end of the top (to make it long enough) and somehow it got set aside and forgotten.  Well, I finished it, and will hand it over shortly to be quilted. 

top for Quilts of Valor

The center was already finished, but, I added the stripes at the top and bottom, using 'leftovers' that were cut away.  This is an X Block quilt.

I also found a mini flag quilt, that I'd quilted (by hand), but had never made binding for.  Well, it is now finished, too.

mini flag quilt

you can see the hand quilting on the back

I've made several of these flag quilts over the years.  The first flag quilt, was my 2nd quilt ever made.  It is framed and hangs in my hallway.  My mother has one, my aunt has one and hubby's aunt has one.  This one is for another of his aunts. 

I also finished the embroidery for the last mini wedding quilt.  There were 3 weddings last year, my mother's (her's was the first, and made ontime), then our friends who got married during my father-in-laws heart bypass crisis last fall.  I'd been working on the embroidery on it, then just stopped.  I did work on it at the hospital.  Then, some other friends decided on a date, and boy, did they move quickly.  We were only given a month's notice.  So, I started the embroidery, but, just now finished the embroidery this week.

These will wind up looking like this when they are finished (hopefully in February).

mom's quilt

 I know I'm forgetting stuff, but, oh well.  February is already over scheduled, so, we'll see how much I get done.  I need to go practice my paper piecing again, so that I can start the Harry Potter quilt.  I also need to work on Connor's quilt, and finish that top.  Still not sure what I'm doing with it.  It hasn't been a year since he and Sarah graduated, so, I've still got time, right???  Gee, I'm so far behind...... but hey, I can blame it on age, can't I?  Does it improve after 50?  I'll see soon enough (Sunday).