January Report for A Lovely Year of Finishes

Congratulations to me!!  I completed my one project as well as a few more...

1)  The wedding quilt has been bound and will soon be on its way to the happy couple.  The binding is red with tiny white polka dots.  A full picture next month.

2)  The Jo Morton top which I thought I might be able to finish, has been completed.  The backing is made as well as the binding.  I'm getting ready to sandwich and quilt.



The Jo Morton Signature Quilt Top

3)  I also finished a table runner that needed to have the rest of the border quilted and the binding sewn on.  Done!!



Top (Holiday) Side

Reverse (Winter) Side
 

The top side was made using my Christmas scraps (2 1/2" strips) that were cut using an old binding tool as my template.  I marked the tool with tape to make it 1" shorter and then I was able to cut more pieces from my scraps.

I am so pleased with this month's completions.  Can't wait to start my next project - see you tomorrow with my February plans.  Please check with Fiber of all Sorts to see more Lovely Finishes!!

Happy Stitching!!

 

Progress on my 2 UFOs

I am pleased to tell you that I am making progress on my January goal for "A Lovely Year of Finishes."  I had hoped to bind the wedding quilt with label and to hopefully finish a top that has been sitting around for 5 years.  If you go back to my last post (Jan. 7), you will see where I started.

The wedding quilt has binding attached and hand sewn down on 2.5 sides.  That is my hand work for this week.  Shouldn't be a problem.

The old top met with a few challenges.  First I had to get the blocks all sashed and the rows sewn together.  It was going together swimmingly when, as I was about to attach the last inner border, I noticed this...  (Can you see my boo-boo?  Hint - the first 2 rows are correct!)

 

 

Rip, rip, rip and stitch, stitch, stitch and that was fixed.  Then I had to go shopping to find the outer border fabric (oh, poor me, what a terrible chore).  Our LQS to the rescue (which by the way has an amazingly huge selection of reproduction prints) and with the help of my saleswoman Cheryl, I found a great print.  I almost added a third skinny border between the inner and outer border but decided against it.  The way I determined that was to take a picture with folded fabric and just laid on the table.  First with and then without the skinny border.  Once I cropped the 2 photos so all I could see was a small portion of fabrics, my decision was easy - the skinny border just added more clutter.  I'm thinking of binding this in a dark brown or maybe a dark red.  I need to get this quilted first; I even have the backing prepared.

 

 

 

 

This was a Jo Morton pattern from her Jo's Little Women Club.  The signatures are from the club's participants.

Hope you are making progress on your January projects.  I've also started 2 other little projects just to keep up my insane obsession with doing 6 things at once.  More on those projects next time.

Thanks for stopping by and check back with Judy L's great Design Wall Monday post.  Such amazing quilts!!  Oh, by the way, the mistake in the first picture was the last block in row 3 and the last block in row 4 - they were both turned the wrong way!

Happy Stitching!!

YIPPEE - yesterday's pictures are posted

Please go back to yesterday's post to see the pictures that wouldn't load.  Finally moved my pictures to Picassa and loaded them that way.

Have a good day!!

2013 - A Lovely Year of Finishes

According to one of my New Year's resolutions for 2013, I will make a dent in my UFOs.  To "keep me on the wagon", I have joined "A LOVELY YEAR OF FINISHES" hosted by Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts and Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs.

 

The rules are simple:  decide on the first of the month what UFO you want to finish and then report at the end of the month that you have finished that project!  There are prizes, mid-month check-ins (optional), etc.  Easy-peasy!!  I can do this!!!!!

My first UFO to finish is to bind the wedding quilt for my granddaughter.  They were married in August and the quilt was finished in October or November and then it sat.  And sat.  And sat.  I have the binding cut and prepared.  Just need to sew it on by machine and finish it by hand.  Oh, and the label.  So that is my goal for January!!  Here is a picture of the unfinished quilt - somewhat hidden for obvious reasons.

Since last week I did finish a few small projects - bindings on some mug rugs, a sleeve for a wall hanging (and hung!), cleaned up half of my sewing studio, a few more bindings on 3 placemats, and I think that 's it.  Add that to putting away Christmas decorations, I think I accomplished quite a bit (for me!).


BEFORE

AFTER

Mug Rugs - ready for next Christmas

My design wall is still the same as last Monday since I didn't have a chance to sew any sashing on the blocks nor did I go shopping to find a border fabric.  Here it is again...  I hate to say it, but I think I can finish this top as well as binding the wedding quilt.  Fingers crossed.

Please check back with Judy L. to see more interesting design walls and look into Shanna and Melissa's group.  Today (1/7) is the last day to register.

Thanks for stopping by - see you next week.  Happy Stitching!!
Judy

 

New Year's Resolution

OMG - two blog posts within days of each other.  I looked at my stats today and saw that I had actually posted 3 times so far this year and this makes #4.  Boy, what a slacker!!  So, one of my resolutions for 2013 is to post more often because I actually do things here "in the birds."  With that goal in mind, I will concentrate on posting on Mondays to show you my design wall and/or whatever else I am working on.  Wish me luck!!

BTW, my other two resolutions are to lose weight and exercise, AND to work on my UFOs.  I've been trying to straighten up my sewing room these last few days and it is amazing how many unfinished projects I have found under piles of books, under piles of fabric, under piles of batting, under piles of ...  To prove my point, here are 2 BEFORE pictures of my sewing space:

Note UFOs on floor!

Cutting?? table

Now, my design wall.  A UFO from 2007, it is a signature quilt that was a Jo Morton's Little Women Club project.  Just need to finish the sashing and border.  Don't know what fabric I picked out for the border and nothing in my Jo Morton stash seems to work.  Guess I'll have to go shopping!!  You can't see it, but there's another UFO behind my design wall...a wedding quilt that just needs a binding.  That should be my first project I think!!  Maybe it will be done by next Monday.  Stay tuned for my next progress report!!



Jo Morton's Signature Quilt



Please return to Judy L's blog to see all of the fantastic design walls that are posted.  Thanks for stopping and Happy New Year to you all.

Judy

Christmas 2012

DH and I had the nicest Christmas this year - quiet but relaxing with many memories being relived.  We heard from many of our families and friends and enjoyed the wonders of winter in Northern Michigan.

A few things I would like to share with you today.  First, our Advent calendar.  We actually opened the little doors each day of December and laughed and/or were surprised by what was behind each door.  Here it is with the doors shut again

Note that this is the very famous and my favorite castle in the entire world, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Germany!!  Sorry that this photo isn't as clear as it should be.  DH and I bought
the calendar when we went to Bronners in Frankenmuth after Thanksgiving.

I also received a lovely gift from one of my BQFF (Best Quilting Friends Forever) right before Christmas.  I am so fortunate to have talented friends that gift me with such beautiful and thoughtful gifts.  Barb is more of a Modern Quilter although she certainly has done a wide variety of quilting styles but the Modern movement seems to be her favorite.  Isn't this little wall hanging just the cutest?

 

 

The simplicity certainly adds to the overall impact especially with the straight line quilting.  I just love it!  Thank you Barb!!!  (paintcreekquilt.blogspot.com)

 

I finally finished the "All Around the Neighborhood" quilt for the BOM club at Delphine's Quilt Shop.  It will start in February and if you are interested, please go to Delphine's website or blog or now she's on Facebook!!  It was really fun to work on.

 

 

 

And last, but not least, DH and I went to Boyne Mountain this afternoon to watch the skiers and snowboarders and have lunch.  So many memories of "the good old days" when we would bug out of school on Friday, drive up north to ski Saturday and Sunday, fight more traffic on the way home Sunday night, and be back in school bright and early Monday morning.  We did this every other weekend for years!  Boyne is still a magical mountain with families and children and everyone having a great time on the slopes.  I must say that it has changed a bit since the 70s but only for the better (duh, ya think?).  Lots and lots more runs and super ski lifts and gorgeous condos.  WOW!

 

DH and I send you our very best wishes for a Happy New Year filled with happiness, health, and prosperity!



Design Wall Monday

It has been a very long time since my last post, but if anyone is still checking in on me, here is what I have accomplished recently -

A little wall hanging for a very dear friend.  I was a tad late to the stacked bowl party - I actually discovered them after the quilt-along was over, BUT, when I did see them I quickly sent away for the pattern and got out my bright fabrics.  A few days later I had it finished.  The size is approximately 9" wide by 24" long.



Closer view of the top



Note the back "hanger" - 2 triangles sewn in by the binding which will hold a thin dowel.  I discovered this method via the AAQI.  (Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative)








Another project is "All Around the Neighborhood" which will be offered as a "Block Club" at Delphine's Quilt Store.  I teach quilting there and this quilt is great fun and a great teaching tool for many quilting basics.  So far our neighborhood has a cabin, a larger home, a church, and a few evergreen trees.  More buildings are expected to be finished this week.



 

Check out the other design walls at Judy L's blog.  Hope to see you here again next week.


Keep on Sewing,

Judy in Michigan