Best of 2022--End of Year Review

The end of another year is upon us, making this the perfect time for Cheryl's Best of 2022 Linky Party at Meadow Mist Designs, a chance to link up our top blog posts from the past year. Cheryl suggested some ways to choose our best posts such as most views, most comments, best tutorials, and favorite finishes. I'm going to include several of those suggestions. Each listing has a link back to my original blog post.

1. Most views: Rainbow LeMoyne Row Quilt. 

The blocks for this quilt were left over from a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project in 2014. I joined them into a quilt top last December, started quilting in January, 2022, and finished the quilt in early August.

Rainbow LeMoyne Row Quilt

37.5" x 42.75"

2a. Most comments (tie): Charm Baskets

Charm Baskets was one of my 2022 projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, based on the pattern by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts. The finished size of each block is 4", and I made 15 - 25 blocks each month in the assigned RSC color, ending up with over 200 blocks total. 215 of those blocks were arranged in a wash of color, then joined together into this delightful quilt top.

Charm Baskets quilt top

52.75" x 69"

2b. Most comments (tie): Rainbow Accordion

The Rainbow Accordion quilt was my first entry in the Project Quilting Challenge, Season 13, hosted by Kim Lapacek at Persimon Dreams. The challenge involves making a project in a week to fit the assigned theme. The theme for this quilt was "All the Colors." I love the 3-D look of it.

Rainbow Accordion

21" x 29"

3. Oldest UFO: Snail's Trail

This project dates back to 2001, and it feels so good to finally have this little quilt top together. The blocks are tiny (3.5" finished size) and were foundation pieced.

Snail's Trail quilt top

31" square

4. Learning something new: Artful Improv

I joined two quilt guilds this year, and have been fortunate to take multiple quilt workshops through them. One of the most interesting (and most challenging) was the Artful Improv class with Cindy Grisdela in October. This project was way outside my comfort zone, but I was happy with the result and look forward to more improv play.

Artful Improv

26" x 31" 

5. Favorite finish: Boston Fiesta

This was another old UFO, started in 2005. The piecing was completed in 2015, but it was another few years before it got quilted. Then it hung around waiting for a binding, which finally happened this spring in order to enter it into a quilt show.

Boston Fiesta

60" x 74"

6. A new goal: more FMQ on Juki

I've been wanting to get serious about finishing more quilts myself, and this summer I took the first step by purchasing a new machine. I bought a Juki J-150QVP, a straight-stitch industrial machine that can also switch over to free-motion quilting. It has a very large throat space between the needle and the machine, plus there is an extension table behind the machine which is wonderful for supporting a quilt during FMQ. I'm still getting used to the machine, and even needed to have one problem fixed recently, but I'm so happy to have upgraded my machine for FMQ.

Juki J-150QVP

Those are some of my quilting highlights from the past year. I'm still thinking about plans and goals for 2023, and I look forward to sharing many projects in the coming year. 

Linking up with:

Best of 2022 Linky Party at Meadow Mist Designs

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

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

Happy New Year to all!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 11/6/2022

When I sat down to calculate my stash report for the week, I didn't think there would be any usage to report because most of the week was spent joining blocks together. However, I realized that the final set of Charm Basket blocks got finished after my last stash report, 24 light and bright blue blocks.

Those blocks plus a dozen background rectangles at the ends of columns used a total of one yard of fabric. They all got joined together with the previous 200+ basket blocks into my finished Charm Baskets quilt top. I shared this same photo in yesterday's post, but I love it so much that it is making a second appearance! 

As for fabric additions, I received another fat quarter bundle of solids, this time in shades of Golden Topaz, from the Fat Quarter Shop. 3 yards added. They seem like the perfect colors for this time of year!

2022 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                1.0 yards

Used year to date:     122.375 yards

Added last week:              3.0 yards

Added year to date:     118.25 yards

Net used in 2022       4.125 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of stitching time. After finishing the last set of basket blocks, I spent most of the week assembling the Charm Basket quilt top. After that, I switched over to catching up on some free-motion quilting lessons.

15 Minute Challenge for 2022: 

10/30 - 11/5           7 of 7 days

2022 Total        302 of 309 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Charm Baskets Quilt Top

After more than three months of being ignored, my Charm Baskets blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge became the primary project in my sewing room for the past couple of weeks. I made 60 more blocks in orange, light blue and light/bright green, bringing my total number of blocks to 227. Once all the blocks were made, I jumped right into joining them together, and now I have a completed quilt top!

Charm Baskets, 52.75" x 69"

I was amazed at how quickly this top came together once all the blocks were made. I knew that I wanted the blocks arranged in a rainbow gradation, but not in straight horizontal or vertical lines of color. I had a total of 227 blocks and needed 215 of them for this arrangement (13 columns x 16 or 17 baskets per column.) I started at the lower left corner with the purple blocks, keeping the darkest ones at the outer edges. I added the blues next and kept working my way up and toward the right. After less than an hour, this was the initial layout on my design wall. It's a shadowy photo and not very straight, but you can get the idea.

There was very little rearranging of blocks the next morning, mostly in the upper right corner. After that, it was time to cut some background rectangles for the offset columns, then I started sewing everything together. The basket blocks were stitched into vertical columns, then the columns were joined together. I did lots of pinning on those columns to keep everything lined up.

True confessions time--I've nearly really cared for basket quilts before! At least, that was true until I saw the Charm Basket pattern by Edyta Sitar at Laundry Basket Quilts. Those little 4" blocks in a wash of color were just irresistible! 

Charm Basket by Edyta Sitar, Laundry Basket Quilts

I made my first sample basket blocks in October, 2021, then continued making them in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month throughout 2022. The last basket blocks were made on October 29, 2022, and the quilt top was finished on November 2nd. I had so much fun making these blocks all year, and I'm very pleased with the result!

Linking up with:

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

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

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Rainbow Scrap Challenge at So Scrappy

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 10/31/2022

My current quilting focus has been catching up on my Charm Basket blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I finished the last set of blocks in light and bright blues on Saturday, ending up with 24 of them.

Finishing that set of blocks brought my total number of basket blocks up to around 225. I was so excited to have them all done and began putting all the colors up on the design wall together. I started in the bottom left corner with the purple and blue blocks.

After getting all of the blocks up on the wall and doing a little rearranging of colors, I started sewing them together. So far I have gotten the first two columns stitched up, and there are 11 more columns to go.

Check out what other quilters are working on this week at Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts. Unfortunately, Beth at Love Laugh Quilt has decided to discontinue her Monday Making link-up.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Scrappy Charm Baskets

My attempts to get caught up on my projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge shifted to the Charm Baskets blocks this week. According to my photo files, the last time I made any of these blocks was back in July, so I was behind by three months. I started with the orange scraps, our color from August, and made 20 blocks.

After that I pulled out the light and bright green scraps, making 18 blocks to go along with the darker green blocks from May.

Before all the new blocks got stashed away with the rest from earlier months, I combined the orange and green blocks together on the design wall

I've been working on more basket blocks in September's light and bright blues and hope to have them finished before next Saturday. That will bring my total number of blocks up to over 200. (Keep in mind that they finish at only 4".) I'm still debating whether to add any brown, grey or black blocks.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday.

Happy quilting! 

Julie in GA

Charming Purple Baskets

The main quilting project for the week has been finishing up my Charm Basket blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. We are working with our purple scraps this month, and I managed to make 28 purple basket blocks.

Charm Baskets, pattern by Laundry Baskets Quilts

I'm still having fun picking fabrics for these blocks, although I always seem to have more choices than I can use. One challenge that keeps coming up is dealing with a directional or striped fabric for the background. Sometimes the block turns out with the background pattern all running the same way, like the top row in the next photo. In other blocks, my background pattern ends up running both horizontally and vertically. It figures that the block with the boldest background design, the black-on-white print in the bottom right block, is one that runs both ways. Whichever way they turn out, they stay. It doesn't bother me enough to remake them.

There have been a few questions about the handles on the basket blocks in previous months. They are made from bias strips cut 3/4" wide. I use a 3/8" bias tape maker to fold under the edges. The pattern suggested using a bias tape maker that can also apply a narrow strip of fusible web, but I found it difficult to get them to curve nicely with the fusible on the back. Starching the background rectangle helps keep it from getting too misshapen and distorted during the stitching. I pin the curved handle onto the background, then topstitch close to both folded edges. It is not a quick process, but I'm very happy with the results.

Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts, the designer of the Charm Baskets pattern, had a Quilting Window Live episode yesterday all about her basket quilts. She includes a demonstration of how she makes the bias handles for her basket patterns. Check it out HERE.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Scrappy Rainbow Saturday 6/25/2022

I have been MIA on several recent Saturdays, with nothing finished for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Life has gotten busier lately, plus we were out of town last week. Now I'm back and ready to share some RSC blocks.

We are using our bright and dark blue scraps this month. I was able to make 18 Charm Basket blocks in a variety of blues. These blocks make me smile every time I make a new set of them.

Charm Baskets

pattern by Laundry Basket Quilts

I decided to combine multiple colors on the design wall. I've got the blue blocks, plus teal/turquoise and green. Loving how they all look together! I must have 120 or more blocks made so far this year, but haven't counted them lately.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Green Baskets

Our colors of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge in May have been greens, specifically forest and sage greens. This week I was able to finish up my Charm Basket blocks in those colors. I will make more green baskets later in the year when we get to work with light and bright greens.

I didn't have many sage green scraps to include in my RSC blocks, but we do have a beautiful sage plant growing in a pot near our front door. You can see it here along with the yarrow blooming next to it.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Scrappy Green Blocks

Both my quilting time and my blogging have been quite limited for the past several weeks. There have been several reasons, including working part-time, one project with a deadline, plus a couple of recent trips. Unfortunately, the latest trip ended with me getting Covid. My symptoms haven't been too bad, mostly like having a bad cold plus body aches and tiredness. I've been feeling better the past couple days and hope to be back to normal before long.

Yesterday was my first chance to get back to doing any piecing. I've fallen far behind on my projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and I was determined to make some progress on those. I started out by making a 12" Scrappy Heart block using our colors of the month, dark green and sage green.

The dark and sage greens made a rather drab block. I wish I'd added a few brighter green squares to brighten it up a bit. A lesson for next time...

I was also able to make a start on my Charm Basket blocks. I've got five baskets finished and hope to make several more green blocks before the end of the month.

It felt so good to get some time with my rotary cutter and sewing machine again. I've been doing lots of hand stitching lately, mostly finishing the binding and hanging sleeves on quilt show entries. I hope to have the time to do both the hand work and some piecing over the next week.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Pretty in Pinks

It has been a very productive month for using pink scraps on my various projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I started out by making half a dozen pink crumb blocks.

My other pink blocks for the month included one large scrappy heart block (12" finished size), 36 Rail Fence blocks and 30 Charm Baskets.

I also finished the hand stitching on six appliqued hearts. There are still a couple more of these to complete.

At the end of the month, I made a scrappy pink baby quilt with Uneven Nine-Patch blocks, using up the leftovers from an earlier baby quilt. The border was added a few days ago, finishing off my scrappy pink stitching for this month.

It has been a very good month for using up some pink scraps (but of course, I still have more pink hanging around my sewing room.) I'm looking forward to finding out what our new color will be for next month. My guess is green, to go along with all the beautiful greens for spring.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Pink Baskets and Blooms

 It has been another week of great fun playing with pink scraps for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I got carried away making my pink basket blocks and ended up with a total of 30. There were so many pink fabrics that needed to be included! These bring my total number of basket blocks so far this year to over 100.

The large hot pink azalea (on the left) that I shared in last week's post is starting to fade, but the plant with lighter pink blossoms has come on strong this week. This has been an especially beautiful spring for the azaleas.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Monday Making

Both of my design walls are empty this morning, but there are plenty of block parts on my cutting table and sewing machine cabinet. I spent my quilting time over the weekend working on pink Charm Basket blocks, one of my projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Four of the basket blocks are nearly complete. They just need a little trimming, then the two halves of each block can be stitched together.

The basket blocks will finish at only 4". The pattern I am using is Charm Basket from Laundry Basket Quilts. 

Here are the bases for the rest of my baskets.

The rest of the basket handles are pinned to the backgrounds and waiting to be stitched down.

It was very difficult to get a decent photo at my machine without too much light reflecting off the surface of the cabinet. My main sewing machine for piecing is a wonderful old Singer 201. It is a straight-stitch machine with a beautiful, even stitch. I've had it for at least 20 years.

Here is the collection of basket block parts waiting to be assembled. By the end of today, I hope to have one design wall filled with cute little pink basket blocks!

Check out what other quilters are working on this week:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

To-Do Tuesday 3/22/2022

Good morning and welcome to another To-Do Tuesday! It's time to review how I did on my previous list, then come up with a new set of goals for the week ahead. The Tuesday To-Do List link-up is hosted by Linda at Texas Quilt Gal.

My last Tuesday To-Do List was from two weeks ago. Despite having a short list, I still didn't manage to complete all of my tasks (but I did work on several other projects!) 

To-Do List for 3/8/22 - 3/14/22

1. Charm Baskets--begin making yellow/gold blocks   ✔done

I ended up with 26 cute little basket blocks this month.

2. Hearts Applique--stitch at least two yellow/gold blocks   ✔done

Four yellow and gold appliqued hearts have been stitched.

3. Rail Fence--cut yellow/gold pieces            not done

Are you wondering what I was doing instead of finishing off my list? Well, I spent four days in Wisconsin visiting family, and had a wonderful time. While there, I finished the stitching on a redwork Santa piece that I started last spring. The embroidered area measures about 7" square.

I also made an entry for the last Project Quilting Challenge of 2022 (read more about that HERE) and I added the final border to my Feathered Star quilt for the Stay at Home Round Robin (posted HERE.) I've spent some time over the past couple of days trying out some samples for a new quilt pattern/kit that I bought recently.

My most important goal for the next week involves taking photos and submitting my entries for a local quilt show by Friday. Before that can happen, I need to finish basting the binding to the back of one quilt that I'm planning to enter. My other plans for the week are more flexible.

 

To-Do List for 3/22/22 - 3/28/22

1. Boston Fiesta--finish basting binding

2. Quilt show--take photos, submit entries by Friday

3. Hearts Applique--stitch at least two yellow/gold blocks 

4. Rail Fence--make yellow/gold blocks

5. Stella Nova kit--more samples

I'll report on my progress and post a new set of goals next Tuesday. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Texas Quilt Gal.

Happy quilting!

Julie in GA