UFO List Update

At the beginning of the year I wrote a bit about what UFOs I have and what I plan to get done. I also made a list of new projects I wanted to do. One rule I gave myself is no guilt for not getting something done. I have gotten lots of patchwork done so far this year and only a few finished so far.

Heart quilt got done in February. I started as part of the rainbow scrap challenge, red as January's colour.

New Projects

- Plaid quilt for Son #2 - Just started

- Hawaii Quilt (because the fabric is fun) started - 11 blocks

- Bonnie Hunter's Mystery from 2010 RRCB - I love this quilt, might need one - Started the string blocks

- Pamela Allen Class Project - Class is in April signed up and paid - Two wall quilts started

- 2nd Scrap quilt (start with scraps from Bad to the Bone) - Top done needs backing and quilting squares with shadows - need to name this quilt. photo below

- maybe 3rd scrap quilt - I started some log cabin block in the rainbow scrap challenge

- 2 Fabric Christmas Trees - Not started

- Tin box exchange with the Leduc Quilt Guild  - I got my 6 blocks done, waiting to draw for boxes

- Brightly coloured Fabric book - Not started

- Maybe another Mystery From Guild or Bonnie Hunter if she does another one next Nov.- Lady Bug fabric quilt needs one more boarder. Leduc mystery day in April. 

- A felted project or two  - I did some wet felting a hat and scarf

- Gift for Edmonton Guild Endowment Fund Raiser - not sure what yet - I got the beaded bracelet done. photo at bottom of page.

- Roll Roll Cotton Boll - I have started and not planned to.

Wow two things I plan to work on and not started. All others I have done some work on. I may need to add to the new projects list but not today. I am sure by fall I will have a few things I want to start again. 

I have also done a quilt that is at the National Juried Show. I will show that quilt to you at the end of May. 

Squares with shadows quilt top done in April. Again part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for April. 

UFO's to work on- I plan to work on some but not finish all. This is not a list of all my UFO's, Just some I plan to work on.

- Orca Bay Mystery from Bonnie Hunter - finish piecing top, quilt, backing, bind - Very little change

- Dog's Food Quilt - Binding only left - Done with dog on it now.

- Bad to the Bone - Quilt, bind - No change

-  Log Cabin Plaid Quilt - backing fix the hole, quilt, bind - No change

- Star Struck in Lime - Backing, quilt, bind ( got top done on New Years Eve) - No change

- Spider Web Quilt - Piece blocks together, backing, quilt, bind - No change

- Rainbow Scrap Quilt - more Blocks, and much more, not sure how big to go. - More blocks done, more needed

- House wall quilt - finish top, quilt, bind- No change

- Flower prints 16 and 4 patch blocks - make a plan and build a top - No change - not even looks at the box

- Old UFO class project thing - dig it out, work on quilt top - rename this - No change now I am not sure what this is I am talking about.oops

- Green Chevron - more piecing - No change

- Whole Cloth quilt from Karen McTavish class - Thick batt with wash away, cutting away batt, quilt, bind - No change

- Susan Shie class wall quilt - quilt, bind ( there are two of these) - No change

- Felted fabric under water scene - what to do next ? - No change

- Felted scarf -  more design work, and Where is it? - Done and then lost in two weeks time. 

- Gift for Laural - appliqué block, Need to find it first.No change

- Leaves hand appliquéd on Snow Dyed fabric (Should get a photo and show you) - No change

- Baltimore Hand Appliqué - more blocks, start another block - No change

Bracelet for the Edmonton Guild

Ok so looking at what I have done so far this year, I like to start quilt projects. I have done well to start and keep working on those new starts. I am not good to go back to the older projects. I should not have started RRCB of Bonnie Hunter's until I finished Orca Bay. But I love to build little quilt units into the block size. Not a big fan of sewing large rows together. Also I need to book my machine quilting in so I can finish some of my quilts. I quilt for others but forget to make time for my quilts. 

Must keep the No Guilt and have Fun motto. 

Arley's RRCB Machine Quilted

I have finished long arm quilting my Aunt Arley's Roll Roll Cotton Boll quilt. It was the mystery quilt that Bonnie Hunter had started back in November of 2010. My Aunt has done the last three of Bonnie's mystery quilts. I think this pattern is expected to be in Bonnie's new book that is due out this July if you want the pattern.  If you have not found Bonnie's web site go to  http://quiltville.com/ and check out some of her free patterns - I did my Star Struck from her web site.

The layout of the blocks, but the quilting dose not show yet. I believe this is to be my auntie's new summer quilt. She normally does her own quilting but this one is too big for her smaller quilt frame. I wanted to be sure the quilting I did was something she would not normally do herself. Make it different and special.

I took some extra time and made a good plan as to how I should quilt this quilt. I have three pages of small drawings about what I could do. I just loved this feather work I did. I have left this photo in a large formate you can double click and see the photo larger.

This photo is also in a larger formate and you can double to click to see the quilting more. I did mostly the curve echoing with other little loops and spirals.

I have started my own RRCB quilt. Here on the ironing board is some more of the string blocks I am sewing on the old phone book pages and a small group of the 600 half square triangles I need.

I had a correct guess on Saturday and yes I have started RRCB. I had printed the instructions last winter after I saw my aunt's quilt on here blog. I had changed some of the colours, so as I get to them I will show you my steps.

Machine Quilting

Today is Tuesday and normally it would be a 'Bee Group Day'. I have always liked to show you something quilting on Tuesday, so today you get to see one of the quilts made my a Bee Group Friend. She does great appliqué quilts. I forgot to take an all over photo but here is the details of the machine quilting I did for her. The star blocks got some cross hatching as she like the tradition look of cross hatching. I will say I have been doing quilting for her for so many years she just drops off her quilts and leaves it to me. I love that it gives me time to think about what I think will look the best. I know her tastes and what she likes and does not like. When I think about it I have know her for more that 15 years. WOW we are getting old together. He he.

Design Wall Monday Block Exchange

Good day everyone. I hope your Mother's day was a good one. Mine was. I did not get much time to sew because we were so busy.

Let us take a look at my design wall today. I have called this block "Alberta Fields". I have signed up for a block exchange with the Edmonton and District Quilter's Guild. Our guild and the Napa Valley Quilt guild is doing a quilt block exchange and the blocks are due in Wednesday. Alberta Fields is my block for the non traditional group and measures 12 1/2". I have used some of my hand dyed fabric and then added long stitches to the bottom of the yellow field.

This block is called North Winds. I have used some rose prints as the flower for Alberta is the wild rose. I kind of laugh at north winds, as I am sure in winter the ladies in Napa Valley do not look forward to getting north winds from cold Alberta. I have added today's post to the linky page on Patchwork Times. If you would like to see more Design Wall Monday go check it out.

I gave my Mother a new seam ripper for Mother's Day yesterday. Her's is on the bottom and mine is the one on the top (mine is an old one and was a test). I have been playing with polymer clay for years and find I go back to it sometimes. I made a cane of clay, black dot then white and black then added green and back to black and white again. I then slice disks of colour from a cane. Mom's seam ripper has a couple of larger canes and then the small size.

I also covered this little tin lid with the rest of the cane of clay. I drink tea and love to buy loose tea in these tins. I am not sure what I will store in my little tin now that the tea is gone. I may have to decorate the side of the tin next. If you want to see the cane work I did a post sometime ago on Cane work.

Scrappy Saturday Yellow

It is a Scappy Saturday and the month of May is Yellow. I did not get any done the first week but today I have a good start. I have added today's post to SoScrappy linky page. I have been a good girl and done many of these Saturdays for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2012.

Here is my box of well sorted out yellow straps. I have trouble deciding if some are yellow, brown or orange. I think sometimes to get the contrast we need for patch work we need to add a little of the other colours in.

I have a stack of 12 string blocks done. I have started a new quilt again. Last month was neutral scraps so I am a little late but I am sure you will forgive me. I did do a whole quilt top last month.

I have done the string block on old phone book paper, like Bonnie Hunter does.

I need to trim and cut my blocks like the above photo. I am wondering if some of you can guess what quilt I have started. I will give you a clue - there were many of these quilts on the go last winter.

Going to mom's now.

Machine Quilting

Today I had some good friends (and customers) come and pick up their quilts and I remembered to ask if I could post the photos I had taken. They of course have said yes go a head. Here is the sampler quilt made with so much great floral fabric. I love how she has used some of the different prints. The sashing is a strip and the dark rose colour for a the sashing star. Soft green and pinks are some of my favourite colour to quilt with. I have a quilt top in the closet that is a sampler and uses a rose print in navy and pinks. Some day I will have to quilt mine.

Because it is a sampler quilt I made each block's quilting a little different. I did not take photos of all the blocks but these two blocks gives you some idea of what I did. Part of what does not show up in photos is the quilting on the darker fabrics. I did some roses in the out boarder in the rose thread and then leaves and loops in the boarder in green thread.

I hope you enjoy seeing some of my customers work. I am planning to sew with Mom on Saturday as our mother daughter day. Then Sunday is going to be with my In-laws and my mom is with my brother's family.

Spring Is Here

I did some gardening today, so it must be spring. Here is the pond and rock garden area. Take a note at the trees in the far back. The leaves are trying to burst out. In three days they will be fully out. I love living in the country were we are so much more aware of the changing seasons. I got a few lily bulbs in the ground and some weeding done.

I have also put out some new wooden disks for stepping stones. They were left overs from my husbands work in forestry. He brought some disks home to burn in the fireplace but I am using some of the large ones for stepping stone. The one on the right has been outside for two years. The two on the left were from the same tree and the rings say the tree was 108 years old. Each of these disks have been sanded and then the rings counted and marked on the disks. The disks do crack and need to be replaced once in awhile.

This flower bed has lots of growing to do. The bottom photo is from last year and the one above is today. I hope they look just as good this year. I sit on the deck and watch the humming birds come to feed. 

I get to stay home tonight, so maybe I will do some scrap sewing next.

Design Wall Monday - Mystery Results

We had our big mystery day in Leduc on Saturday. The Black Gold Quilt Patch bought in the PQM Prairie Quilt Mercantile ladies to do a mystery quilt. My mom and I had a good time sewing and talking and we got lots done in part to Myra who ironed all day for us. One of the ladies brought her NEW boyfriend to iron fabric. He was a hit. His name tag got "Iron Man" added to it. I had asked my boys if they would come and iron but not unless I had offered money.

Now to go make the link to the Patch Work Times Design Wall Monday

We arrived on Saturday with our fabric cut out. Then were given each step, one at a time. I really like how my dots and lady bugs came out.

This is the quilt in rows on the floor. I am guessing but I think this was around three in the afternoon. I got all rows together and the two out of three boarders on before we left.

This is the results of the fat quarter exchange that we did at the guild meeting. It turns out I took 40 fat 1/4s and then I also won three in a draw. I did come home with a few of my own fabrics. I now have more new fabric.

I missed out on doing my rainbow scrap challenge this week. I will have to take a look and plan for Saturday. Mom and I hope to sew together on Saturday as our Mother's day thing.

Mystery Fabric and Quilting

Happy Friday. I have fabric picked out for a mystery quilt. On Saturday my mom and I are going to a mystery quilt day hosted by the Black Gold Quilt Patch and run by the Prairie Quilt Mercantile (on Facebook) . We get to sew like crazy ladies. I think they said we have 31 people signed up for the day. We are doing a potluck lunch so good food too. The fabrics above are what I am going to use. The red strip will be the binding, the large red with black dot is the out boarder the the next two are inner boarders. I think I do not need the last red on the end.

I have been very busy machine quilting for my customers. I like to show you some of my custom quilting but I forgot to ask or forget to take the photos. I have three going out this week and have taken photos, now to just ask if I can post the photos.  This quilt is my mom's Betty. She has made it for my brother's boy. I think the pattern is from Colour Shuffle Book.

I have done the spirals to complement the lines. I love the colour of thread too. It has lime blue and purple in it. The whole quilt is make with batik fabrics. I was with mom when she bought some of the fabrics. The blue with lime dot was bought last year in Hawaii, I have a piece too.

I have added this post to Nap Time Crafters - Friday Favs Party.

Tin Box Exchange and Agility

The Black Gold Quilt Patch of Leduc meets tonight. The Tin Box Exchange is due tonight and I got it done without it being very last minute. This box number is 4 and the theme is Winter. The fabric we were to use was the dark blue print on the bottom right of the photo. I think this is my last box but there is one block missing. I think we had someone join this group late and they have not done this box yet. After they are all done we will be drawing for the boxes.

This is the block I did for the box. I found a pattern for a bird in an older Debbie Mum book I had and I changed a few things about it. I wanted to just appliqué one red and then do the hand embroidery to show off the wing, eye and beak. After I added the bird I thought it needed a branch to sit on so cut my block and added the brown stem then added the out row of half square triangles.

Also at the guild meeting tonight is a Fat Quarter exchange. I have gone though my fabric and thought I would take these to exchange (30). I hope other members have some good fabric to trade with me. Some of the fabrics are hand dyed and some are just older stash fabrics. I will have to let you know what I get in exchange.

Yesterday was our first outdoor agility class for the season. I took my camera and got a few photos. Here I have asked Lex to 'Go Tunnel" and that is what he is doing. I am heading to the next jump to direct him over. We have so much fun. Also last night was the beginning of the boys outdoor soccer season, both boys teams lost their first games. I took Lex to sit on the side lines with me. He is one tired puppy today. It was very cold to sit and watch. I got a blanket and mittens and hat out.