HAPPY 2015!

I've been seeing lots of quilt blog posts showing off their many finished quilts from 2014 and listing their goals for the year ahead. I am a little behind on reviewing the past year and making plans for 2015, but here goes!

I was feeling like I hadn't accomplished much with my quilting last year, even though I spent lots of time sewing. However, as I review my lists of quilts started and finished, I am happy with my results and have made good progress on several projects. 

My biggest finish of the year was the Scrappy Sampler quilt. This was begun in 2013 as a block-of-the-month project, and I was thrilled to complete it in the fall.

Scrappy Sampler

Most of my other finishes were baby quilts--one for a co-worker, one for friends, and one for our niece and her husband. 

Bowties baby quilt

Musical Stars baby quilt

Surrounded by Love baby quilt

I headed up a group at work to make a signature quilt when our boss retired at the end of July. It turned out great, and she was so surprised!

Signature Quilt

I also completed several quilt tops this year. One is for Quilts of Valor and will be submitted to them for quilting. Four were very simple pieced tops for the charity quilting at my mother's church. The rest are all at different stages of quilting/completion. At least a few of them should get finished this year.

QOV Bowties

One goal that I achieved this year was limiting my number of new projects. Of the dozen projects I started in 2014, all but four were either finished or at least became quilt tops.  Four other UFOs/WIPs were completed, so my number of UFOs should be the same at the end of 2014 as it was at the beginning of the year.

For 2015, I am keeping my goals rather vague instead of saying something like "I will finish 12 quilts this year." I hope to finish off some of those quilt tops that are so close to completion. I would like to make more Quilts of Valor and also some for children's charities. It would be great to finish up at least one of my old UFOs too.  I hope to be able to find time for quilting every day, even if it is only 15 minutes some days. Any time spent quilting is good for my sanity.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all and HAPPY QUILTING!

Julie in GA

Friday Finish!

My September goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes was to bind my Scrappy Sampler quilt, and it is complete! The binding was attached by machine to the top of the quilt, then finished off by hand on the back while "watching" baseball on TV.

This quilt was a block-of-the-month project at Intown Quilters in Decatur, GA through all of 2013. I joined all the blocks together in January of this year, including 180 bowtie blocks for the outer border. I got it back from having it quilted a couple months ago, and it is so exciting to have it finished and on the bed! Perfect timing as we get ready for the cooler weather of fall.

I am linking up to the finishes party for A Lovely Year of Finishes. It feels great to have reached my goal this month! I am also linking up to Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Julie in GA

September quilting goals & August results

It is looking like September is going to be a busy, quilt-filled month. All the local quilt shops are getting back to full schedules of classes, and it would be a great time to learn something new. There are also two major quilt shows nearby, but unfortunately they are both on the same weekend. AQS Quiltweek in Chattanooga, TN runs Sept. 10 -13. 

The event I am more likely to be able to attend is Quilting Live! at the Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta, Sept. 11 - 13. Here is some info about that show:

Quilting LIVE! will have quilt exhibits, stage presentations, classes, make-it take-it events and more,  presented by Quilters Newsletter,  McCalls Quilting, Quiltmaker, Quilting Arts, Keepsake Quilting, Modern Patchwork, Quilty, Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting and QNNtv! Be sure to check out the Quilting LIVE! website today to find out more and learn about all the quilting experiences you could have by attending.


AUGUST GOALS

1.  Finish quilting and bind Musical Stars baby quilt. This was also my August goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes.  FINISHED 8/9/14 and presented to the parents to be!

Musical Stars baby quilt
36" square

2.  Rainbow Scrap Challenge--make 6-8 LeMoyne Stars in August's color, light/bright green.  Since I had already made green LeMoyne stars in May, I made 12 Crossroads blocks in light/bright greens. They have been joined together, borders added, backing pieced, and this is ready to be quilted.

3.  Scrap Hexies--make hexie star & snowflakes. Already had green blocks from May, so have been adding background hexies to my green star.

4.  Tell It to the Stars (Judy L. mystery)--make August blocks. DONE 8/23/14

5.  Make at least 30 blocks as part of the 350 Blocks Project  DONE 8/27
6.  Spend at least 15 minutes each day quilting--cutting, sewing, designing, etc.  DONE 8/31

SEPTEMBER GOALS
1. My September goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes is to finish the binding on the Scrappy Sampler quilt that I pieced last year. Now that we are getting close to fall, it's time to get this quilt completed!

     

2.  Rainbow Scrap Challenge--make 6-8 LeMoyne Stars in orange.
3.  Scrap Hexies--make hexie star & snowflakes.
4.  Tell It to the Stars (Judy L. mystery)--make September blocks.
5.  Make at least 30 blocks as part of the 350 Blocks Project
6.  Spend at least 15 minutes each day quilting--cutting, sewing, designing, etc.

There you have it, my quilting plans and goals for September and my results from August. Watch for the next update at the end of September.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 6/23/14

I have developed a great fondness for bowtie blocks over the years.  They are quick and easy to make, and there are endless layouts similar to log cabin quilts. It started many years ago when I made a set of placemats with teeny little bowties. Those baby bowties finished at only 2" each! I still have a stack of extra blocks and parts to make more.

Last year I joined a block of the month group, and our project had bowties as the final border. This is my Scrappy Sampler quilt.

Earlier this year, I made a bowtie baby quilt for a coworker. I got so carried away making bowtie blocks that I have enough blocks left over to make at least one more baby quilt.

The current bowtie project is a set of red, white & blue bowtie blocks that will become a Quilt of Valor soon. They are all up on my design wall, waiting to be stitched together into a quilt top. You can see about 80% of the quilt in this photo.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times where you can see all sorts of amazing quilting inspiration! 

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 2014--Week #5

This has been a very productive week for me--I used 1.25 yards for the inner borders on my Scrappy Sampler quilt, which was finished last Sunday.

I also used .25 yard for my blue Scrap Hexies star and snowflake.

Then there was the 2.5 yards used to make 80 bowtie blocks for a baby quilt (at the rate I am going, more likely two baby quilts!) I have been playing with possible arrangements of blocks and will show more options tomorrow.

Used this week:                 4.0 yards
Used year to date:            6.0 yards

Stashed this week:                0 yards  

Stashed year to date:       2.75 yards 

Net year to date:               3.25 yards used


Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 1/27/14--Finished Top!

Instead of a design wall, today I have a "design bed" to show my finished Scrappy Sampler quilt top! I completed the top last night too late to get any outdoor photos, and it is too big to hang on my wall.

Autumn Scrappy Sampler
80" x 100"

This quilt was started just over a year ago as a block-of-the-month project at one of my favorite local quilt shops, Intown Quilters in Decatur, GA. Many of the other BOM participants were making their quilt from a kit of the same fabrics as the sample quilt, which were very bright batiks. Below is a shot of the BOM sample. As you can see, mine went in a very different direction as far as color palette.

I am so thrilled to have this quilt top together and can't wait to get it quilted! Finishing this top also means I achieved my January goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes. That's a good way to get the year started. Now to figure out what project to work on next. I'm sure there must be a project or two (or twenty!) that I could pull out.


I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. Check it out for tons of amazing ideas and inspiration. I am also linking in to BOMs Away Monday at What a Hoot.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 1/20/14

I finally finished making the bowtie blocks (180 total) for the borders of my Scrappy Sampler quilt. Now I am in the process of joining them together, then they will get stitched to the center of the quilt. I'm getting very excited to see this quilt top all together! Unfortunately, it is too big for me to get a photo of the whole thing indoors. When it is complete, I will be sure to get some outdoor shots of the finished top.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. Check it out for tons of amazing ideas and inspiration.

Julie in GA

A Lovely Year of Finishes--January 2014

I have so many UFO's and WIP's in my sewing room that they are threatening to drive me crazy! It's time to buckle down and do some finishing.

To that end, I am joining in on the "Lovely Year of Finishes 2014." My January goal is to finish making the bowtie blocks for the borders of my Scrappy Sampler quilt shown below. This quilt was made as a BOM last year, and just needs two rows of bowties around the outside as borders. By the end of the month, I want to have this top DONE and ready for quilting.

Many others have posted links showing their January finishing plans at A Lovely Year of Finishes. Let's all get sewing and achieve our goals!

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 12/2/13

As frequently happens, I had very ambitious plans for quilting over Thanksgiving weekend but didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped. Is it just me, or does that happen to you too?

I did manage to finish the first set of placemats for Christmas. These are made using a Jinny Beyer pattern which is available free on her website here. Two more sets like these still to finish, plus one set that is not a border stripe.

I also finished joining the 10" blocks together for my Scrappy Sampler quilt. They are now all attached to the center of the quilt. All that is left to do is the inner border, then two rows of bowties as the outer border. The end is in sight!

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. Check it out for great ideas and inspiration.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 11/25/13

Over the weekend I finished making the last of the 10" blocks for my Scrappy Sampler quilt, and then I started joining those blocks together. I got three sides done; one more to go, then they can get sewn to the center of the quilt. By the end of Thanksgiving weekend, I hope to have a finished quilt top, and I can hardly wait!

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. Check it out for great ideas and inspiration.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 11/24/13

Once again, no fabric added and a little bit used this week. I used 1.5 yards making blocks and bowties for my Scrappy Sampler quilt. It's a good thing that I like making bowtie blocks because I still need to make another 40 or so of them for the borders, then I can assemble this quilt top!

Here is the latest batch of bowtie blocks, plus a pile of squares for making more. These blocks measure 4" finished. I need to get some more background squares cut for the remaining blocks.

Used this week:          1.5  yards
Used year to date:     77.75 yards

Added this week:          0   yards  

Added year to date:  73.5 yards

Net year to date:         4.25 yards used


Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 11/18/13

Once again, my very large Scrappy Sampler is up on the wall. I spent most of yesterday afternoon pulling fabrics for the last batch of blocks and auditioning them on the wall. Only seven more 10" blocks to make, plus about 60 or 70 bowties for the borders.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. Check it out for great ideas and inspiration.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 11/4/13

My design wall has my Scrappy Sampler up again, including the latest blocks that were just finished over the weekend. I wanted to check the layout of the blocks and make sure the balance of colors is working out. It has gotten too big to get it all in a single photo.

I have been pulling together brown fabrics, the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I need to decide which pairs to use for my next set of Dancing Stars blocks. I need to make 10 or 12 blocks--too many choices!

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. Check it out for great ideas and inspiration.

Julie in GA

Getting It Done--September/October 2013

Judy's Get It Done Challenge at Patchwork Times has really proven to be a good motivator for me all year. I have found that writing out a list of goals and posting them on my blog has kept me much more focused on reaching those goals and has cut down on bouncing around between too many different projects. That doesn't mean I haven't played around with some new ideas, but for the most part I have stuck with my plans. 

SEPTEMBER GOALS:
1. Dancing Stars--9 blocks made 9/24

2.  Scrappy Sampler BOM--make this month's set of blocks.  Done 9/14

3.  Scrap Hexies--One star and one snowflake done 9/25

4.  Uneven 9-Patch quilt--finish binding. Done 9/30 (yes, on the last day of the month!)

OCTOBER GOALS--I hope that work will settle down a bit this month. I plan to continue keeping up with my monthly projects, plus make a start on some Christmas gifts.

1. Dancing Stars--make a set of blocks in this month's color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

2.  Scrappy Sampler BOM--make this month's set of blocks. 

3.  Scrap Hexies--continue my new hand stitching project.

4.  Begin at least one Christmas gift.

See how well other quilters did at reaching their goals this month and what they hope to accomplish in the month ahead at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 9/16/13

My Scrappy Sampler BOM quilt has reached the point where it is getting too big for me to get a photo of it in a single shot. Of course part of the reason for that is because my design wall is across a narrow hallway from the bathroom. To take photos of any project up on the wall, I have to go into the bathroom and shoot through the doorway. The lighting isn't very good in that hallway either, and my photos tend to be too dark. It's not the best set-up, but I am still glad to have a spot to hang my projects and stand back to look at them.

I added three "Flock of Geese" (or maybe it's Flock of Birds) blocks this week. We have three more sets of blocks to make for this quilt, and then there are two rows of bowtie blocks as the border. Use your imagination to join these two photos together across the middle.

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There 
is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 9/15/13

Over the past several weeks I have been steadily making a dent in my stash by using small amounts and not buying any new fabric. This week I continued using a little bit of fabric, but I also added even more than I used. 

The Scrappy Sampler BOM group met yesterday, and our leader Taffy had been going through her sewing room with the goal of purging some things from her quilting collection. We counted off and she drew numbers to present the kits and other pieces she was giving away. I received this packet of 8" squares from Judie Rothermel's 25th Anniversary collection.

Later in the day I made the three September blocks for our Scrappy Sampler BOM. Lots of triangles this month for these "Flock of Geese" blocks.

Used this week:        .75 yards
Used year to date:   67.25 yards

Added this week:          1.3750 yards

Added year to date:   44.875 yards

Net year to date:    22.375 yards


Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 8/26/13

My design wall currently holds blocks for two very different projects. There are my 12 Dancing Stars blocks in red for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. They have been up there for the past week and have appeared on my blog for the last couple days. I am looking forward to mixing these in with all the other colors I have used in the blocks.

Yesterday I made 23 more bowtie blocks for my Scrappy Sampler BOM. The quilt finishes with two rows of bowties as the final border, requiring about 170 blocks total. I have around 90 of them made so far. I can see from this photo that I will have to be careful to scatter my blocks with really pale backgrounds evenly around the quilt when I put my border together.

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 8/12/13

The Scrappy Sampler BOM group met at Intown Quilters on Saturday morning, then I spent the rest of weekend making my blocks for August. For the remaining months of the year we will be making the 10" blocks that get added around the outside, followed by two rows of bowtie blocks as the final border.

You can see the center of my quilt here. It is getting to be too big for me to get a photo of the whole thing together. The following photo shows the 10" blocks that I have completed so far. There will be 24 blocks that size altogether, 3 or 4 of each pattern for the remaining months. 

Next I need to make more bowtie blocks for the border. I have 71 done so far, and I think I need 172 total. This is going to be a big quilt, finishing around 80" x 100". I am getting more and more excited as it nears completion.

This is a photo of Taffy's quilt. She is the teacher/leader of our BOM group. Most members of the group are using kits with fabrics that are the same or very similar to those in this quilt. Mine is going to be about as far different as you can get!

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 8/5/13

My design wall hasn't changed much since last week. The only addition is the red Dancing Stars blocks on the left side. That is all I managed to get done last week. I hope to get some more Dancing Stars made this week, then we have our Scrappy Sampler group next Saturday. Maybe I will have more blocks to show with that in a week.

It's time for me to link up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. There is an incredible variety of ideas and inspiration there to enjoy, which is the reason why Monday has become one of my favorite days of the week!

Julie in GA