Getting It Done--May/June 2013

It's hard to believe that our next Get It Done list will take us into the second half of 2013. Posting this list at Patchwork Times has really helped keep me focused on reaching my goals for each month. 

GOALS FOR MAY:  I was able to finish 4 of my 5 goals for May, plus one extra project (quilted and bound my flag quilt.)

1.  Dancing Stars--make 8-10 blocks in this month's color (blue) for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  10 blocks done 5/24

2.  Scrappy Sampler BOM--make this month's set of blocks.  Done 5/22

3.  Zigzag quilt--machine quilting + binding.  Done 5/26

4.  Woven baby quilt--machine quilting  Done 5/3

5.  "Curves & Cornerstones" quilt--begin making the additional 12 blocks needed.  haven't touched it

GOALS FOR JUNE:

I have spent a good deal of time going through my UFOs and unquilted tops. It is a large collection, and I am very motivated to finish up some of those projects. I go back to work in six weeks, just after July 4th, and I think I should be able to finish at least a couple of my old projects before then (plus keep up with current BOMs.)

1.  Dancing Stars--make 8-10 blocks in this month's color (yellow) for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  

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

3.  Bind Woven Ribbons quilt.

4.  Finish Storm at Sea hanging sleeve, prep for quilt show.

5.  Quilt and bind one more top.

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

Flag and Zigzag quilts finished!

It is unusual enough for me to get one quilt finished, but this week I managed to finish two! Granted, neither one is very big, but I was quite happy to get both my Zigzag quilt and my Flag wallhanging quilted and bound.

The Zigzag quilt was made to be donated to Quilts Beyond Borders through the Hands 2 Help challenge. It was great fun to make this bright, cheery quilt, and I hope it will be well loved by the child who receives it. You can check out more quilts that have been made for the Hands 2 Help challenge.

The Flag wallhanging was a project that was started in 2002 when members of our quilt guild exchanged triangles for maximum variety of fabrics. The quilt top was finished in the summer of 2003 and has been hidden away in a box ever since. I ran across it recently and decided it deserved to be finished.  The quilting is simple stitch-in-the-ditch straight lines along the stripes. In the blue area, I stitched around the stars, then quilted additional stars for a total of 13 stars (but they are hard to see--I might have to go back over them with a contrasting thread.)

The flag quilt will be hung up later today, and the Zigzag quilt will get packed up to send off as soon as I get a label on it.

Today I am linking up to Confessions of a Fabric Addict and to Link a Finish Friday at Richard and Tanya Quilts. Check out both places to see more finishes and other exciting projects.


Julie in GA

WIP Wednesday--Flag quilt

In honor of Memorial Day, I decided to pull out this flag quilt top and get it quilted up for the summer. It was started in my quilt guild when we exchanged triangle squares to increase the variety of fabrics in our flags. I've had it packed away in a box for several years, and it feels great to be getting it  finished.

I got it layered and pin-basted yesterday, then started on the quilting. I used this great fabric from Connecting Threads on the back. I wish I had bought lots more of this one!

This should finish up pretty quickly, then I can hang it up to be enjoyed until Labor Day. I love the idea of having more seasonal quilt hangings that we can switch in and out through the year.

I am linking up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced. You can check out lots of great projects there.

Julie in GA

15 Minute Challenge May 14 - 27

I have been enjoying some much-needed free time lately. I finished up one costume project recently and am waiting for the next one to arrive. In the meantime, I have been catching up on my on-going projects, the Dancing Stars blocks for the Rainbow Scrap challenge and the May blocks for the Scrappy Sampler BOM. You can see a photo of my blocks for both projects here.

I had intended to work on a red, white & blue project yesterday. However, when I pulled out my box of unfinished quilt tops to find the flag quilt I made several years ago, I ended up going through the entire box and taking photos of every one of them. I need to update my UFO list to include the many pieces I pulled out yesterday.

May 14th to 27th
Tuesday--coat lining
Wednesday--Dancing Stars (in the car), Scrappy Sampler
Thursday--coat lining, Dancing Stars
Friday--Dancing Stars
Saturday--Scrappy Sampler
Sunday--Dancing Stars
Monday--none
Tuesday--Dancing Stars
Wednesday--Scrappy Sampler
Thursday--Dancing Stars
Friday--Dancing Stars
Saturday--Dancing Stars, Zigzag Quilt
Sunday--Zigzag Quilt (FINISHED!)
Monday--clean sewing room, photograph UFOs/unquilted tops

I was especially happy to finish the Zigzag quilt I made for the Hands2Help Challenge. I spent part of Saturday and most of Sunday getting it quilted and bound. Here is the finished product. The photo was taken indoors so it is a little dark.

Check out the 15 Minute Challenge posts at Life in Pieces to see how others are finding time for their creative pursuits. 


Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 5/27/13

Last night I was thinking that I should sew on a red, white & blue project today in honor of Memorial Day. I remembered coming across this unquilted flag top when I was going through a box recently. I don't think I will work on it today, but it looks like a good project for June so that we can have it up for July 4th.

I also found this nearly finished Stack & Whack top. All that needs to be done is attaching the borders, and they are already made. I just love that cute robot/aliens fabric!

There are many more quilt tops and unfinished projects that were packed up with those two. I am going to work on getting photos of them all today.  I also hope to spend some time making more blocks for my RWB Scrap Club Sampler. I need 4 more pineapple blocks, 2 big stars and about 15 small stars to get it to the size I want.

Happy Memorial Day to all and many thanks to the brave men & women who have served our country.

As usual, I will be linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday.  Check out all the great inspiration there. 

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 5/26/13

Used this week--1 yard for Dancing Stars blocks and .75 yards for Scrappy Sampler BOM  

Added this week--2 yards Moda ombre dots 

Used this week:   1.75 
Used year to date:  37.25 yards    

Added this week:   2 yards   

Added year to date: 22 yards

Net year to date:   15.25 yards used 

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

Blue stars for May

It took me most of the month to really get going on my Dancing Stars blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This month's color is bright blue. The blocks that I have finished this month have a combination of both hand and machine stitched foundation piecing. I decided to try making them by hand to take along as a travel project on a couple of recent trips. It has worked out well, although they are VERY slow to stitch by hand. 

My favorite time each month after I finish making stars in the new color is to see how they look with all the previous colors. It gets more exciting to see the combinations every month! This photo shows just under half of the total number of blocks I have made so far.

I am linking up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2013, where you can see all sorts of wonderful ways that other quilters have been using their blue scraps this month. It's never too late to join the fun! The Dancing Stars pattern is available as a free download at Amy's Creative Side.

Also happening at Amy's Creative Side is the Blogger's Quilt Festival. There are tons of amazing quilts entered in a variety of categories. You can go HERE to find the main page with links to all the different categories. I entered my Blazing Hidden Nine-Patch quilt in wall hangings, #34, which can be found HERE. You can vote for your favorite quilt in each category until May 31st.

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 5/20/13

The center of my Scrappy Sampler BOM is still up on the Design Wall, but a few blocks have been added since last week. Our assignment this month is to make 8 blocks that will finish at 8" each. So far I have finished 6 of them. 

I entered my Blazing Hidden Nine-Patch quilt in the Blogger's Quilt Festival.

It is entry #34 in the wall hanging category which can be found here. Voting for favorites begins on Friday, May 24th. To find links for all the categories, visit Amy's Creative Side.

As usual, I will be linking up to Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday.  Check out all the great inspiration there. 

Julie

Stash Report Sunday 5/19/13

For some reason, it has been more difficult to not buy fabric lately, after several months with no purchases. I guess all those trips to the quilt shops when my mother & sister were visiting recently got me in the mood. I am trying to resist, but it has been tough. All those sale emails! I should unsubscribe from all those mailing lists, but I love to see what's out there.

I decided to go ahead and count the yardage for the Irish Chain quilt top that I showed a week ago. I also made the binding to go with it. It is becoming a Quilt of Valor. The next project is quilting the Zigzag quilt and sending that off for the Hands 2 Help challenge.


Used this week:   6.5 (Irish Chain top & binding)
Used year to date:  35.5 yards    

Added this week:   0 yards   

Added year to date: 20 yards

Net year to date:  15.5 yards used 

Check out more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Julie

It's Blogger's Quilt Festival time!

Once again it is time for the spring Blogger's Quilt Festival, the wonderful online quilt show organized by Amy at Amy's Creative Side. 

There will be tons of fabulous, amazing quilts in all of the categories.  I can't wait to see what everyone has entered this spring. Last fall was the first time I followed the festival, and I was overwhelmed by how many incredible quilts were shown.

I haven't finished many quilts since last fall's festival, but I do have one that I am especially proud of.  This is my Blazing Hidden Nine-Patch.

The top for this quilt was made for my quilt guild's nine-patch challenge. It wasn't until last year that I was able to get it quilted. I have always thought it looks like the glow of a fire showing through a dark screen, so it was quilted with a flame pattern.

This is my favorite type of quilt to make--a very simple pattern made special by the choice of fabrics. It is one of my all-time favorite quilts, and I hope you like it too.  I have entered it in the wall quilt category.  You can see all the entries in this category here.  Voting for your favorites begins May 24th. For more info about the festival and to see all the categories/entries go here.

QUILT SPECS:

BLAZING HIDDEN NINE-PATCH

Finished size: 46" x 58"

Pattern: "Atlanta Commons" by Marti Michell in her book 101 Nine Patch Quilts

Blogger's Quilt Festival #34 in wall hangings

Julie in GA