It's A Finish! Wiggle Time Olympics

Wiggle Time Olympics

48 x 54

It's a finish!

Wiggle Time is a Cynthia Brunz pattern.

Last year someone in our Sunshine Online Quilt Guild  (an online group dedicated to making comfort quilts) challenged us to make a quilt using the Olympic colors of blue, yellow, black, green, red. 

I used plaids - mostly men's shirts- for my colors. I didn't have a plaid that was mainly yellow so I ended up using a multicolor for the yellow.  I finished the top in July 2024.

I don't usually have a couple of yards of any fabric to use for backgrounds in quilts but I do have quite a bit of that tan fabric so went with that. 

I quilted it on my sewing machine with squiggles and loops in natural colored thread. 

This one has a pieced back.  I had enough of that striped fabric to use as the binding. 

A long time ago someone gave me that piece of kids at the Olympics and I could never figure out what kind of quilt to use it in. I set it aside for a backing or strippie quilt because it was too nice to cut up. Finally the Olympic kids found their quilt! 

And sew on...

My January quilting marathon continues!

***

REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

Yesterday was my lucky day! A lot of treasure arrived in the mail - a bolt of red from Liz and a fully stuffed box of fabric from Dawn. 

 

In Response To A Challenge...

It's a top!

Wiggle Time

in Olympic colors (red, blue, yellow, green black)

48 x 54

Wiggle Time is a Cynthia Brunz Design.

Someone from the Sunshine Online Quilt Guild (an online charity sewing group) issued a challenge to make a quilt this month in Olympic colors. 

I used some plaids I had on hand but didn't really have a good fabric for yellow plaid so it is multicolor with yellow in it. 

It's just a top for now. I'm not sure when it will get finished but I'll consider that I met the challenge.  And actually I might have another quilt in the works that will meet the challenge.  Stay tuned. 

And sew on...

***

CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

July 27 - I got a lot of weeding done and I also got quite a bit of scrub brush trimmed away.  While I was weeding I was thinking about how we have been getting rain at just the right times this year. I haven't had to drag hoses around and water very much. 

July 28 - Big thunderstorm in the middle of the night. That's not what I celebrated...I was excited that the tarp my son helped me put on the flat roof over the leak in my sewing room kept the rain out! 

 

I Haven't Forgotten

 

Back in May I challenged myself to use two of my least favorite colors - orange and lime green -- to make a quilt I like. I chose to make an 8 inch Anvil block. I'm not sure about the layout yet but I do know I'm probably going to alternate lime and orange centers. 

I keep pieces for a few blocks cut and ready for whenever I feel like working on them. Slowly but surely the blocks are piling up. Unless I decide to put them on point I am aiming for 80 blocks. I haven't figured out how many I would need for the on point setting. 

Right now I think I have 24 blocks. 

Two Different Anvil Blocks

The AdHoc Improv Quilt (AHIQ) blog prompt in January was "Pick A Palette".  My comment on January 4 to that blog post was "Funny. The other day I was watching a Gardener's World special and one of the presenters (Arit Anderson is her name I think) was dressed in lime green and orange. Although I like most colors those are the two colors I would have to say I would list last as colors I use or would ever in a million years wear. But, wow, it was a striking combination of colors and I even said to my husband -- I should make a quilt in those colors. "Ok", he said. The giant and very old topiaries in the garden she was visiting were awesome too."

So...I don't really like lime green or orange by themselves but, like I said, worn together the combination was striking. - almost a "can't take my eyes off of you" combination of colors. 

Well, anyway, I decided to challenge myself to make a quilt with lime greens and oranges - not my favs on the color wheel - and make a quilt I might just like if not love. 

So I dug around and came up with a few different fabrics in those colors and finally decided on a block - an eight inch Anvil block.  Let's see what happens. 

Meanwhile, while researching the Anvil block I found a six inch version I like.  I'm making this version with some homespuns and plaids and civil war repro scraps.  The Anvil blocks will alternate with 6 inch (finished) HSTs in the quilt. 

And sew on...

 

2020 in 2020 Crazy Quilt: Block 4

I've finished the embellishment of block 4 of the 2020 Crazy Quilt Challenge.  This is a six inch block. 

I tatted that butterfly long ago when I was teaching myself to tat because I found a tatting shuttle in some of my husband's grandmother's things my mother-in-law gave me.  I need to brush up again on some tatting and try some new things for this quilt.  The piece of ribbon and eyelet trim was found at the thrift store.  I have a giant box of trims I've found at the thrift store over the years - time to use them. 

Fabric: 0 (counted in block 1)

Laces/trims:  1/4 inch piece of satin ribbon, eyelet lace, tatted butterfly of white crochet thread 10, 1/4 inch twill tape = 4

Beads: 1

Threads: DMC Antique Effects E436; DMC embroidery floss 2 threads of 676, 543 (Sullivan's 45122), 3781 (Sullivan's 45393) = 4   (only counting threads not previously used on blocks like the variegated brown).

Stitches and Stitch Combos: Blanket stitch flowers (over twill tape), pistil stitch x3 cluster, dragonflies (in antique effects thread) = 3

Total new items this block = 12

Grand total items blocks 1 through 4 = 43 

How all the blocks of this circle set (blocks 1-4) look together.  I'm not sure if they will stay together in the final layout but for now I'm keeping all circle sets together.  I'm doing the whole quilt in neutrals from white to black and anything in between. That doesn't include "low volume" fabrics. 

This is how the four blocks looked before embroidery. 

This is my next circle set to work on. 

It will take a month of Sundays (and other days) to finish this crazy quilt but for today linking up to:

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Coin Toss: It's a Start

Ann (of Fret Not Yourself) and Kaja (of Sew Slowly) issued a challenge (or, if you prefer, invited us) to make an improv coin toss quilt.    I don't have a design wall and don't really work with one or I'd never get anything done endlessly moving fabric around on a wall.  So I pinned my work on Coin Toss so far up on the clothesline with the sashing fabric I'm using as the back drop in order to take a pic to show where I am so far. 

When I started I knew I wanted a quilt roughly 60 x 80. I knew I wanted to use up some orphans, crumb blocks and other bits and pieces I have on hand and not specifically cut up fabric but work only from scraps.  I love a rainbow after a good rain so figured on a rainbow type layout since this will be a comfort quilt I'll keep on hand to give to someone in the future who may need some rainbow cheer. 

With all of those decisions out of the way I set to work and came up with three columns 20 inches wide, scrappy, and in rainbow layout (blue and indigo mixed together).  Now I need to start the rainbow over again in each column in order to make them each about 80 inches long.   Well, maybe not that long because I'm thinking of adding HSTs to the top and bottom as a kind of border but we shall see how that goes when the time comes. 

I got bored with working on it (I'm surprised I got this far...I'm easily bored... or maybe distracted is a better word?) so put it away for another day when it calls to me.  I'm never in a rush to finish a quilt. Like a good pickle sometimes fermentation is critical! 

I still have lots of ready made bits and pieces in the project box but most are in cool colors so I need to work up something for the warmer colors  (crumbs?) - specifically red and yellow.  

Ad Hoc Improv Quilting with: 

Ann at Fret Not Yourself

Kaja at Sew Slowly

Black Widow's Wedding Party

 Black Widow's Wedding Party

53 x 68.5

Double Wedding Ring Quilt

 NYC Mod Quilt Guild DWR Challenge

I used a vintage McCall's DWR Pattern to make my quilt. I've been working on a DWR for my granddaughter using that pattern so I'm familiar with it. I decided to join the NYC Mod Quilt Guild Challenge to practice my skills before I had to actually finish a quilt for my granddaughter who hopefully won't be getting married for quite some time. (She's only 9).

Most of the spider web, floral and insect fabrics were in my stash. I further limited the fabrics to black/white, green, orange and purple - not my normal color scheme. 

You may think spiders and their webs a bit creepy for a quilt; however, in Victorian times spiders and their webs were considered signs of good luck. 

I freemotion quilted some flowers in the arcs using my plain Jane DSM. 

And I quilted spider webs in the center webs.  

For some extra fun the quilting on the front glows in the dark. I used a combination of Superior NiteLite and Coats Glow in the Dark threads. 

I had my reservations about the quilt really glowing in the dark after all the trouble it took to use the darned thread on my machine.  (I usually quilt with cotton threads).  I don't have many vices; however, cussing when I'm frustrated or mad is one of them and boy, were the cuss words flying while I was quilting.  The threads kept breaking no matter how I adjusted the tension. Then I tried a topstitching needle and the breaks didn't occur as often.  I was going to rip out all the quilting on this section since that orange thread is actually the bottom thread you are seeing on top. But, between cuss words I decided it wasn't going to get any better than that and told myself it actually looked like dew drops on a spider web. Google "dew on spider web" images and you'll see what I mean. 

I do want to declare that the quilting really does glow in the dark and was worth all those hours spent cussing. 

And what kind of thread did I use on the back? Neon. Except that the purple isn't really neon, I guess.  These are a bit wild for me but I thought they would look good on black and add some fun. 

And they do.  You can really see the quilting that way. (And the quilting mistakes).  

This is the back but from this you can see how the quilting on the front will glow in the dark.  My husband tried to take a pic of the glowing quilt since he's a better photographer than I but he had no such luck.  

So, the back looks like a DWR too.  

The parts that look like they are missing are done in that purple thread. 

One last thing...I added some broderie perse applique butterflies to the top and bottom corners of the quilt. I was going to let them flutter free instead of tacking down the edges but I figured this will be a quilt for the grandkids to enjoy so went with tacking them down completely lest they try to rip them off - not that the darlings would dare to do such a thing. 

Oh, and the binding...it's full of spiders too. 

I'm here to tell you that making a DWR quilt is not at all as difficult as it looks although I did consider it a challenge.  But challenges always teach us new things, build new neurons in our brains, and sometimes excite us or make us stronger or give us a sense of accomplishment or confidence. 

Oh, and that leads me to wonder what category I should enter my quilt into for the NYC Mod Quilt Guild DWR Challenge...Traditional or Modern? 

I really haven't seen a good definition for a Modern Quilt. I don't even know why there is a separate distinction.  (What do you think?)

Well, this lovely Black Friday I'm linking up Black Widow's Wedding Party to the Traditional category of the NYC Mod Quilt Guild DWR Challenge.  If you want to see some beautiful DWR quilts you really need to go view all the categories of challenge quilts. 

And, after a finish like that maybe I should get a Whoop, Whoop at the linky party over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Two Tops

Heartstrings Quilt Project is hosting a black and white challenge. Here's my first top of 24 blocks with green centers.  

I've also finished assembling a top using orphan blocks and some scrappy hearts. 

Both quilts, when finished, will go to Wrap a Smile  - quilts for kids undergoing cleft lip/cleft palate surgery. 

Linking to:

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. 

Big Stars

I made four 12.5 inch red crumb blocks for last week's Rainbow Scrap Challenge and this week I made 2 more 12.5 inch crumb blocks for a total of 6 large crumb blocks.

The 6 large crumb blocks then turned into 24.5 inch stars.

I didn't think I had enough crumbs for those large star points. And it seemed ridiculous to cut up some reds only to sew them together again to look like I had red scraps galore. So I used up some smaller pieces of different reds for the star points.  And, I has a large piece of blue in my stash...

...so I used that for background and now I have a quilt top approximately 60x80 (believe it or not) that, when quilted, will be a donation to Quilts of Valor. 

To see what everyone else is doing with red scraps visit Scrap Happy Saturday at SoScrappy. 

And...believe it or not...I still have some red scraps left! 

A Rainbow of Favorite Things - Finished !!!

43x60

My 6 inch hexagon quilt is finished

It is completely hand pieced and quilted. No machines were involved.

Paper pieced and then hand quilted with perle #8 in a rainbow of different colors. 

It's a rainbow of my favorite things. 

I started in the middle with black - the absence of color and some crayons, then a mix of colors in some of my favorite things - buttons, ice cream, cupcakes, butterflies, candy...

Red is for valentines, strawberries, zinnias, roses, cherries, tulips, tomatoes, candy canes...

Orange is for pumpkins, peaches, oranges, carrots, daffodils...

 Yellow is for bananas, daffodils, lemonade, sweet corn, roses, sunflowers...

Green is for christmas cookies, kiwi, broccoli, peas Irish, basil, pears...

Blue is for blueberries, butterflies, merry-go-rounds, unicorns, iris, fairies, aprons, hoarfrost...

Purple is for pansies, plums, clematis, fairies, grapes, hydrangeas...

 The back is a multi-colored batik I picked up on sale.  I sometimes don't have very even stitches so I didn't want them to stand out too much on the backing.

I'm glad I'm finished with this. I've been working on it off and on for a very long time so it feels very good to be able to cross another UFO off the list.

Since I have a finish I'm linking up to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.   And, since I really think I deserve a Whoop, Whoop I'm also linking up at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  And, I'm also off to give a Weekend Update at Block Lotto. 

Seeing Stars

My July goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes was to quilt and bind this Patriotic Stars quilt.  It's also another UFO finished for a UFO challenge and it's the third quilt I've finished for  Patchwork Times QOV Challenge. 

How about that! Three goals in one! 

58x72

Quilted with loops and stars on my Plain Jane DSM

12 inch (finished) stars were swapped several years ago. 

I was on staycation this week and spent time with the grandkids shopping for school, playing games and teaching the two 8 year olds how to sew on their little Janomes. They made pillows for their moms for Christmas but wouldn't let me take photos.  Also spent time gardening. My retired DH takes care of the veggie garden but doesn't weed my flower gardens and I've been way behind on those pesky weeds. We live out here in the country and this year it looks like some thistles are spreading from who knows where as well as wild raspberries and wild grapes. Arghhhh.   And now my body aches all over. Every inch of it.  Since it has been raining off an on all day and GKs are gone and my body aches I  thought today would be a good time to relax with a glass of homemade blackberry/raspberry wine and to finish hand sewing the binding down on this quilt. 

I finished my goal for Lovely Year of Finishes and will be linking up to the Finishes Party. 

Since it's a finish I'm also linking to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. 

I'm also going over to Confessions of a Fabric Addict to Whoop Whoop it up.