A Finish! Churns and Spools

Chunky Churns and Spools

30s reproductions meet calicoes

68 x 86

Machine quilted on my DSM

I can mark two UFOs off the list with this one.  I combined blocks from a calico on muslin Spool swap in 2010 and a Chunky Churn swap in 30s reproductions and a solid from 2015. 

There's no design wall here. It's usually my practice to randomly sew blocks together. That's what I did this time but of course alternated a spool and a churn.  I think if I did have a design wall I would spend too much time arranging and rearranging and rearranging and rearranging and never be satisfied.  How do I know?  That has happened when I have tried to lay out blocks on the floor.  Anyway...I'm usually satisfied with my random method and I've managed to skip the step that gives me grief. 

I usually don't add borders because I never know what kind of border to add. Plus I like piecing blocks so piece and piece until I have enough for a nice sized top which means I'm ready to sew a quilt top together. At that point I don't want to make a different block for a border. And I rarely buy large pieces of yardage to have enough on hand for a non-pieced border of fabric(s) and so I usually make quilts without borders.   

HOWEVER this time I did not want to make more Churns or Spools to make the quilt a little larger  so I decided to challenge myself to add a border.  I decided to try an easy zig zag or rick racky looking border.    And all went okay on the first corner BUT...

 ... only too late did I find out at the second corner that those rick racky ends did not meet up so nicely no matter how hard I tried. Maybe if I had laid out the border on the floor ahead of time I would have seen the problem but I didn't so I had to improvise what to do on opposite corners. It doesn't affect the warmth the quilt will bring someone so I'm all right with that. 

 I didn't take a picture of the backing because it was cold outside yesterday when I took these pics but it is a plain white 100% old muslin sheet that I found new in the package at the thrift store with a J.C. Penney logo on the front.   With the quilting I did the back looks like a mattress pad.   

You can kind of see the quilting on that black calico spool - a pattern of up and down loops using each 2 inch square as a guide (most of the time).  This was the first time I tried this. I found it pretty easy to do on these blocks laid out on a grid and may try it again.  This time I got a little confused every once in awhile when I hit the blank space on the spools. 

I participated in four different Chunky Churn Dash swaps with different themes - patriotic, 30s, fall, spring.  I decided to challenge myself with different alternate block layouts for each theme.  So far I finished the patriotic themed one - a Quilt of Valor for my brother-in-law and this one. 

This was my goal #6 

for Q4 Finish-Along

This will go into the twin sized donation quilt pile. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Little Things

 

I finished a couple of hot pads or potholders to go with dishtowels I embroidered and dishcloths I crocheted.  I use Insulbrite inside my hot pads along with either a piece of 100% cotton batting, and old towel or cotton flannel.    I used some leftover bits of rickrack for the hanger. I usually make myself a set every year to replace the ones my husband seems to burn up. 

And here's the reverse side. 

This was my goal #14 for 

Q4  Finish-Along

I made a bunch of other hot pads for gift giving but I need to finish the dishtowels for the sets before I blog about them. 

A Finish! Old MacDonald Mystery Sampler

 Old MacDonald Mystery Sampler

54 x 66

Hand quilted

This was a Block Lotto mystery sampler from 2016

This sampler had a variety of different blocks - some paper pieced, some traditional, some improv. I tried them all and ended up with this sampler.  

I knew I didn't want any edge to edge  quilting pattern on it. That left me with hand quilting - kind of free motion hand quilting.  I'm no expert at hand quilting but I'm really terrible at quilting on my DSM especially if it's not an edge to edge design.   

In the sky I kind of free motion quilted some "clouds" that kind of mimicked those circular improv blocks in the sky.  

The barn got some straight line quilting for some boards. 

Flowers, improv grass, snail trails, hens, chicks...I let the needle lead the way. I used a lot of different colors of hand quilting thread. Although it may look like it this was not big stitch quilting. 

The sunflowers didn't have stems so I made some with some green bias binding I had on hand from one of my thrift store visits. 

 I did some straight line quilting here and there in different directions on the purple mountain majesties.  I wanted them to look "rocky"  but not sure I succeeded. But I'm okay with how things ended up. 

I added a light gray binding so it wouldn't stand out and detract from the rest of the quilt.  If it was going to be a wall quilt I would have faced it. But it's not. It's a lap quilt. My lap quilt.  I love barns. 

And here's the back. 

I have another quilt in the hoop now so later this evening I'll do some 

Slow Sunday Stitching  (at Kathy's Quilts)

And needless to say...I used lots of scrap chunks in the making of this quilt so 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework. 

This was my goal #9  for 

Q4 Finish-Along

Florabunda Finished!!

Florabunda

72 x 90

It's finally finished. 

Inspired by an antique quilt and Bonnie Hunter

These are actually nine inch Jacob's Ladder blocks with yellow backgrounds and florals. 

Bonnie Hunter  (Quiltville) first showed the vintage quilt that inspired her in June 2011 and then shared how she made the nine inch blocks she nicknamed Florabunda.      I started sewing along on a Florabunda quilt that same year - 2011.  By "sewing along" I mean I made about 15 blocks.  The problem was that I had hardly any yellow tone on tone fabrics and even fewer floral fabrics and even less disposable income to purchase any additional fabric to finish the quilt blocks.    That's why this quilt remained a UFO for so long. 

I quilted it on my DSM.  (I could probably win a wrestling tournament now).  I tried a three-petaled flower motif and basically tried for consistency of size and placement since I have problems in those areas when I machine quilt.  I guess I'm getting better. 

I'm not in love with it and could definitely part with it.  From now on I'm going to try to make those quilts I can part with a twin size like this one.  That's the size most often desired if there is a disaster and a call for quilts. That's also the size the local Family Resources and Humility of Mary homeless shelters would like to receive.  It's also the size I like to give if I donate a quilt for a charitable benefit.   I'll keep it around awhile for just the right occasion. 

This was my goal #3 

for Q4 Finish-Along

Today linking up with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework.

Q4 Finish-Along Goals

It's time to declare goals for Quarter Four of the 2017 Finish-Along. 

I did complete 8 goals last quarter. 

1. String Stars  (aka More Than 3 Sheets to the Wind)

Made from string scraps. Most were strings from quilt backings which were sheets. 

I need to do some big stitch hand quilting on this.  Maybe I need to find a backing too? 

2. Burgoyne Surrounded

I'm thinking I will machine quilt this - maybe with matchstick quilting. 

3. Floribunda - It's already pin basted and needs some machine quilting on my DSM.

4. Over the Rainbow - Needs some big stitch quilting in rainbow colors

5. Rosebuds - Another big one that I'm going to try quilting on my DSM (but I'm scared to tackle). 

 6. Churns and Spools - Needs to be quilted. Another for the DSM? Need to find backing too. 

7. Basket Weaving - Gwennie Inspired Medallion Quilt Along. I need to piece the backing and will probably hand quilt. 

 8. PREPARE - I need to see if I have enough of the backing fabric I've been saving for this for years and then get it quilted. I'm thinking hand quilting. 

 9. Old MacDonald Farm Sampler.  Backing is pieced. I need to pin baste and do some hand quilting. 

10 - 11   I have two of these ABC I Spy baby quilts left to finish.   My Grand nephew Silas was just born and needs his!

12. Really, really, really, really old mystery sampler that is still on the list. 

13.   Wandering Geese - just need to make a few more, make a top, piece a backing and machine quilt it. 

14. Make a couple of potholders to go with the dishtowels I embroidered and dish cloths I crocheted.    I'll probably make several more sets because I give these for Christmas gifts. 

15.  I really need a new purse. I've been making that a goal off and on for several quarters but I REALLY need a new purse. The last one I made and have been using for years is so worn out I can't use it anymore. 

I'm hoping to get a lot finished this quarter since I won't have any gardening to do and I've been retired since March so don't have anywhere to go this winter. I can just hunker down and sew (and bake, spend some time organizing genealogy files, work on scrapbooks, read used books I've accumulated and dream of next year's gardens). 

Q4 Finish-Along

Every Once in Awhile I Finish Something!

Kaleidoscope of Butterflies

51 x 58

Hand quilted

From free online pattern Ghost Moth

The butterflies were made out of floral scraps. 

I used Coats & Clark hand quilting thread in different colors to stitch on the butterflies and in white to stitch 1/4 inch outside around  the butterflies. 

I used a stencil and mechanical pencil to mark some areas between butterflies with "flowers". I stitched those in white so they don't show very well.   You can still see a little of the marks which usually don't show after washing but I had to wash by hand since my washing machine is broken.  I wanted to get it washed to see how this batting on rolls I recently purchased worked before I used more of it. I like the batting so will go ahead now and sandwich more quilts. It needles nicely too.  It's Pellon Natures Touch Natural Blend 80/20 and I see it went up in price since I bought the two rolls. I finally went through all my batting pieces I pieced together so thought I'd try something on rolls. 

( Side note/rant in regard to washers: I'm waiting for new washer to come - an old fashioned wringer washer. Seriously! We are tired of washers that have computerized components and last about five years and then cost more to fix than it costs to buy a new one.  Our very first washing machine lasted more than 20 years and was plain and simple. So we are back to plain and even simpler.   Our basement where we have the washer/dryer is dark and damp most of the time and has no air conditioning so we think that the newer machines don't do well in that type of environment.) 

And here's the back. 

Won't it be nice to cuddle up with some butterflies and a good book or seed catalog this winter ! 

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

This was my goal #15

for Q3 Finish-Along

A Finish: MoROSE Garden

MoROSE Garden

84 x 96

Four inch hourglass blocks using grays and rose-themed fabrics

Free motion quilted with roses

This has been a UFO since 2012.   When I dug it back out last month to work on I had five rows completed and all the hourglass blocks.   I took the five rows apart and started all over again from scratch as explained in my June blog post. 

I had

I was a little scared to start out free motion quilting this big quilt on my DSM especially since I decided to try to imitate Lori Kennedy's (Inbox Jaunt) Christmas Rose.   

When I first started out I thought I was going to quilt this into a piece of cardboard because there was so much stitching.  I went down each column of blocks quilting the roses. I could have added a few more leaves along the way but I'm happy with it especially since a month ago it was all in bits and pieces and had been that way for years. 

And, surprise, surprise...this quilt with all it's quilting doesn't feel like a piece of cardboard. It's got a nice soft texture. 

You know I started out thinking I would use the light gray quilting thread I had on hand for the bobbin and a nice pink,gray, green variegated thread on top.  Well...I ran out of the top thread.  I was on a roll and hate the 20 minute drive into town just to buy thread (or anything else for that matter) and so I used other colors on top that might be a color of a rose - red, yellow, cream.  

I made do. 

I used a 100% cotton sheet I picked up from the thrift store long ago softened with age. 

You can probably see now why I chose to try to quilt columns of roses - similar to roses on a trellis. 

I'm happy this bed of roses can be put to bed. 

The guest bedroom has a rose theme so guess where it's going. 

This is goal #21 of my Third Quarter Finish-Along Goals. 

I didn't use scraps but it's scrappy so going over to party at ...

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework. 

Two More for the Road

Two more donation quilts finished. 

I didn't make the tops but I finished both of them. 

Carol and Beth of the Sunshine Online Quilt Guild organized a recent retreat in Omaha. I was unable to attend but the ladies were expecting to complete 100 quilt tops at retreat made from blocks made all year long called "Omaha blocks" which are ten inch blocks that consist of a 7.5 inch center bordered on two sides with 3.5 inch strips and 3.5 inch square.  They exceeded expectations and ended up with 184 quilt tops! You can read more about it at Carol's blog, Giraffe Dreams.   Actually a couple of us sewed along at home so there are a few more than 184 quilt tops. 

All of the finished quilts will go to the two groups Sunshine Online Quilt Guild sponsor - Quilts Beyond Borders and Wrap-A-Smile. 

Okay...so I volunteered to quilt five of them. That's when the retreat ladies only thought they would hit 100 quilts.   So...surprise...I received 8 quilts to finish. Plus I made an Omaha Block quilt sewing along at home so that makes 9 quilts to finish. Plus I had a donation quilt waiting in the wings that needs quilting.   And that's okay...I need practice free motion quilting on my DSM.  

Sorry for the blurry photos. It was starting to rain and I was in a rush to get a photo finish!

Anyway...this is the orange one. I mentioned I use these to practice FMQ on my DSM (because I'm not very good at it) and have been trying new things on each of these quilts. On this one I did these loopy things going across the rows.  I found I did okay when the block row was all 3 inches...

...but when it came to quilting the 6 inch rows I had a difficult time going across that distance consistently. The harp on my machine is small plus my hands don't seem to flow freely across that distance. So if I use this in the future I will try smaller loop de loops. 

I found a stripe fabric with some orange in it for the backing and added orange binding. 

On the red, black, white one with the elephant I tried quilting some balloon bunches...

...because I used balloon fabric on the back. 

My July OMG (One Monthly Goal)  was to finish at least one more of these Omaha Block quilts so I can mark that goal off the list. ( OMG at Elm Street Quilts)

This also completes goals #7 and #10 on my Third Quarter Finish-A-Long list. 

Linking up to Sew Some Love at Kat and Cat quilts