Design Wall Monday 5/11/15

My design wall hasn't changed much since last week due to lack of quilting time. I did manage to fix another group of my Boston Fiesta blocks, changing the direction of some seams so they nest together.  They have been joined together into a row, but they have not been stitched to the main section yet. Only one more group of blocks left to be fixed, then the center will be complete.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times, where you can see all sorts of amazing quilting inspiration! I am also linking up to Monday Making over at Love Laugh Quilt.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 5/10/15

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Thanks to my mother for teaching me to sew and instilling my love of fabric and stitching.

A very simple stash report this week--nothing added and nothing used. 

I did make this vest, but it wasn't from my fabric.

TOTALS:

Used this week:                           0 yards     
Used year to date:                  59.5 yards

Stashed this week:                      0 yards

Stashed year to date:         51.625 yards 

Net year to date:             7.875 yards used

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times. 

Julie in GA

Finding Time for Green

My super-productive month of quilting in April slowed way down now that we have hit May. I had an extra work project that took up most of my lunch breaks and evenings this week, limiting my quilting time to the morning train rides. I have made a start on my applique circle blocks in medium and dark green. Here are three completed blocks and three more ready to be stitched.

Check out all of the terrific scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I will also be linking up on Sunday to Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 5/4/15

Green is the assigned color for May at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. My continuing quest to finish up UFOs based on the color of the month led me to pull out my Boston Fiesta blocks and start joining them together. 

The last time I worked on this quilt was last fall. I have 80 blocks finished, which would make a good-sized throw or wallhanging. For a while I was thinking about making 16 more blocks so that I could make 2 smaller quilts, one to keep and one to give away. However, to do that would require more fabric for the additional blocks and the borders than I have available. I think I will use all 80 blocks in one quilt and keep the border very simple, just the green fabric shown here, and probably the darker green for a binding.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times, where you can see all sorts of amazing quilting inspiration! I am also linking up to Monday Making over at Love Laugh Quilt.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 5/3/15

It was totally unexpected, but somehow I managed to use 28 yards of fabric in the month of April. I'm sure some quilters go through that much on a regular basis, but it is an unusually high total for me. In the 3+ years that I have been tracking my stash additions and subtractions, the most I've used in any previous month was about 22 yards.

The reason I had such a good total was because I have been finishing quilt tops and making backs to go with them. I completed 4 tops and backs in April: 16-Patch Stars, Dutch Tiles, Bowtie Chevrons, and Easy Street. You can see a little bit of each quilt in the photo or click on any of the names to go to a post with photos and background info. 3 of those 4 projects were UFOs. It feels SO GOOD to have those tops done! The Bowtie Chevrons is completely quilted and bound, the 16-Patch Stars will go to Quilts of Valor to be quilted, and the other two are waiting to go in for longarm quilting. 

(L to R) Dutch Tiles, Easy Street, 16-Patch Stars
Bowtie Chevrons

The irony of the month was that my fabric additions were almost exactly the same amount as my usage. A large order from Hancock's of Paducah and some gifted fabric gave me a total of 27.75 yards added for the month (but none to report this week.) At least my usage this week puts me back in the black!

Used this week:

Easy Street--borders                    2.5 yards

Easy Street--back                       5.25 yards

Bowtie Chevrons--binding            .375 yards

TOTALS:
Used this week:                    8.125 yards     
Used year to date:                  59.5 yards

Stashed this week:                      0 yards

Stashed year to date:         51.625 yards 

Net year to date:             7.875 yards used

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times. 

Julie in GA

Hands 2 Help--Bowtie Chevrons Finished!

I have finished up my first quilt for the Hands 2 Help Charity Quilt Challenge 2015, which is hosted by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Bowtie Chevrons
48" x 58"

The Bowtie Chevrons Quilt started with some leftover blocks from a Bowtie Baby Quilt I made last year. I made some more blocks, then had lots of fun playing with different layouts. That is one of the best things about bowtie quilts--so many possible ways to arrange the blocks. You can see more layout ideas here and here and here. The possibilities are endless, and bowtie blocks are so easy to make too!

This quilt will be donated to either Happy Chemo or Layers of Hope--Quilting 911. I hope to finish another quilt or two so I can send at least one to both charities. It's not too late to join in--check out Sarah's Hands 2 Help post. You can go HERE to see what other quilters are making for H2H. I have also linked up to Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday (even though I am a day late!) 
 



Julie in GA

Rainbows and UFOs

One of my plans for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this year is to work on UFOs based on our monthly assigned color. Last week I showed my Easy Street quilt (a Bonnie Hunter mystery from 2012) which was in need of borders. I had pulled it out to work on as my purple UFO for the month of April. I am thrilled and amazed to let you know that it is now a finished quilt top! And the back has been pieced too!

The Dark Side of Easy Street
60" x 81"

Here is a closer shot of one corner of the border. I had hoped to use up the leftover parts from making the center of the quilt, but ended up making about 100 more black and grey 4-patches for the border. Those extra flying geese and such are still tucked away in a box, waiting for another chance to come out and play.

The back is a giant nine-patch, with the fabric that was the inspiration for my color choices on this quilt at the center. 

I have pulled out two UFOs that feature green, our RSC color for the month of May. Most of the time I just fantasize about finishing up UFOs, but right now it is feeling really good to be getting through some of those old projects. I hope I can keep the momentum going! I am also continuing with my 2015 RSC projects, the applique circles and bowtie blocks, but I don't have any green blocks to show yet.

Check out all of the terrific scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I will also be linking up on Sunday to Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework and to Scraptastic Tuesday at Mrs Sew and Sow.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 4/27/15

The plan for the borders of my Easy Street quilt was to use up some of the leftover parts from making the center of the quilt. Here is the center before borders.

I played with all sorts of possible arrangements of my extra units, ending up with what you see below. Instead of using up those extra pieces, I had to make almost 100 more 4-patches for this border, but I think it will be worthwhile in the end. The borders for the two long sides have been made, plus part of the top. The other pieces and parts are still waiting for their turn to be useful--maybe on the back of this quilt.

"Easy Street"
2012 Mystery by Bonnie Hunter

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times, where you can see all sorts of amazing quilting inspiration! I am also linking up with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework and to Monday Making over at Love Laugh Quilt.

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 4/26/15

I received an unexpected gift of batik fabrics this week. They are strips that all measure around 4-3/4" (1/8 yard pieces maybe?) There are 41 pieces in a variety of colors, mostly jewel tones. They came from a co-worker of my husband. She had bought the fabrics close to 20 years ago intending to take up quilting, but she never did. Maybe I will make her something from them in thanks.

Usage this week was for my two Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. I used 3/8 yard in my appliqued circle blocks and 1-3/8 yard making bowtie blocks. My numbers have shifted over to the red (just barely!) but I hope to turn it back around in the next week.

TOTALS:
Used this week:                      1.75 yards     

Used year to date:              51.375 yards

Stashed this week:                 5.25 yards

Stashed year to date:         51.625 yards 

Net year to date:              .25 yards stashed

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times. 

Julie in GA

Something Old, Something New(ish)

One of my goals for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2015 was to keep from starting too many new projects. There are so many wonderful ideas showing up each week, making it very difficult to stick to my plan. My new RSC projects for the year are the Rainbow Bowties which you can see HERE and the applique circles that are my current hand-stitching project. I finished my last few of the purple blocks this week.

"True Colors" by Nancy Mahoney

from the book Simple Circles and Quick Curves

As an alternative to starting new projects, I have been pulling out some of my UFOs that fit in with our monthly color. I don't have many UFOs that feature purple, but I did find my unfinished "Easy Street" top, Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt from 2012. 

"Easy Street" by Bonnie Hunter

Bonnie's original quilt was very large, around 84" square before borders. I made fewer of the units each week and ended up with the center of my quilt measuring about 42" x 63". I have lots of extra parts left over and keep trying to figure out a way to use them in a pieced border. I am playing around with several ideas for the borders, and hope to have a finished top soon.

Check out all of the terrific scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Julie in GA