April NewFO

So I wasn't going to start a NewFO in April.  First my definition of a blogable NewFO. 1. a quilt started from my planned NewFO list. 2. a quilt I saw or found that I HAD to start right away.  Can you guess which one it is this month.  Here's a hint, my list is not getting any shorter.

[caption id="attachment_2664" align="aligncenter" width="300"] April NewFO Blocks[/caption]

I tell you I was so close to getting through the month staying on track, finishing things already started.  I just don't know who to blame, thank for this NewFO.  First I have to thank Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for hosting Hands2Help Challenge. That lead to a show what you are working on which brought me here to Maxine's blog, which lead me Wedding Dress Blue and it was love at first sight.  I just knew I had to make this quilt.

But what to do? I have more than enough projects going right now almost to the point of being overwhelmed.

Good Harriett said:  What are you thinking? Don't even think it, just get that thought right out of your head.

Quilt Harriett said: OMG are you looking at the same quilt!! I just swapped 300 2-inch charms and this quilt just shows up it's Karma.

GH Don't you think you have enough going on already?

QH Yes (sigh)

Now this is where it gets complicated. Do you ever make deals with yourself? Like last Monday I was really feeling behind on things and didn't want to go to exercise class. I wanted to stay home and get stuff done even though I knew I'd feel better after I went. So I made a deal. If I went on Monday I could take Wednesday off if I wanted to work on things at home.

Well this deal making stuff happens in the sewing room too

QH: But what if I only make on block a day? I promise one block a day. I mean really it takes less than 5 mins to make a nine patch.  Then when things are caught up it can move up the list. Right?

[caption id="attachment_2661" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Love Love the black cat[/caption]

So a deal was struck and I've kept my end of the deal making one block a day.  If I keep only making one block a day I'll have all the patch blocks done by August 23rd

[caption id="attachment_2663" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thimbles and paw prints how perfect[/caption]

I think mostly I have Barbara to thank for having yet, another NewFO. She reminds us to take that leap, to slide down that slippery slope. Because in the end we will have a wonderfully beautiful quilt that we'd made and we didn't have to finish it in a day, a week or even a month. She helps me remember that part of the beauty is in the creation so I'll slow down and make a block a day.

I'm linking up with Barbara at Cat Patches for April NewFO

February Finishes and NewFO

It's time again to remind myself of all that I have accomplished this February.

I finished up the T-Shirt quilt.

[caption id="attachment_2553" align="aligncenter" width="300"] T-Shirt Quilt[/caption]

I started and finished a baby quilt for a c0-workers daughter.

[caption id="attachment_2550" align="aligncenter" width="283"] K Baby Quilt[/caption]

I finished my LYOF challenge,  the Baby Flannel Charm Quilt.

[caption id="attachment_2530" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Baby Flannel Charm Quilt[/caption]

I started my Orange Butterfly quilt.

[caption id="attachment_2551" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Feb NewFo[/caption]

I started this quilt to bring some joy to someone's winter.  I started with Mary's strippie quilt but wanted to make it a bit bigger.  I tried out different fabrics for borders but in the end I decided not to add borders.  Mainly because I'm renting time on a long arm next week to quilt this one and since the beginning I've wanted to quilt words in the open space and outline the butterflys.  Since I rent by the hour and I'm not so fast I think it is just the right size for my attempt at using a new to me long arm.

I'm still working on my Orange Cream. My HST quilt but my sewing machine wants to eat those corners of the triangles so it's sort of slow going right now.

I also started on my second block of Hocuspocusville. Thinking I might want to focus on Hocus a little more if I want it done for this Halloween.

[caption id="attachment_2549" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hocuspocusville block2[/caption]

I'm linking up with Barbara at Cat Patches for February's NewFO party. Check out the wonderful projects that people are starting.

August New FO

August is ending and I started two new quilts this month, both are in the beginning stage.  Don't you just love the excitement of starting a new quilt.  The colors, the cutting, the anticipation of beautiful blocks coming off the sewing machine.

This one is a Christmas gift, I know about time it got started.  I using this Sweet Menagerie pattern from Moda Bake Shop.  Is it just me or does anyone else have problems with precuts.  I mean really if I wanted a bad cut (too narrow and wonky) I can do those myself.  Really isn't the point of precuts to make it easier? But I digress.

[caption id="attachment_2258" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Christmas 1[/caption]

I'm using a Hello Gorgeous Jelly Roll with white sashing. Love the colors in this line and I'm looking forward to working on this top this Labor Day Weekend.

My second start is a quilt that I've wanted to make for the longest time.  Since I first saw this quilt four years ago I've wanted this quilt. This quilt has be brewing!  After seeing this quilt I started looking for the pattern and bought it shortly after.  Always there in my pattern box asking is now the time?  Then almost two years ago I bought the fabric kit for the center of the quilt.  Now I've jumped in with both feet and I'm making my  Hocuspocusville quilt.  I'm so excited to be starting this quilt.

[caption id="attachment_2257" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Hocupocusville[/caption]

Here is my background fabric and my fabric for the center.



I've started the tracing of the blocks and will finish them up this weekend.



Have I mentioned how excited I am?

I'm linking up  my NewFo's with Barbara at Cat Patches

The un-intended July NewFO

Really I wasn't going to start anything new this month.  I'm suppose to be finishing up UFO's this summer.

It all started when he who will remain nameless brought home a cold and shared with me.  When I was not feeling so great but feeling restless I headed up to the sewing room.  Just sort of wandering and I opened my 1.5 inch square drawer and sat down at the machine.

[caption id="attachment_2212" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 1.5 in squares[/caption]

First I started with similar squares paired with white squares.



I wasn't really thrilled that look so I pulled out sets of five and started making darling little 9 patches.  Oh I'm so loving my little 9 patches that are going to finish at 3 inches.

[caption id="attachment_2209" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sweet Little Nine Patches[/caption]

Now when I finish with a fabric or when I'm sorting scraps I cutting 1.5 inch sets of five.  I raided the pantry for the little paper plates and I keep the sets next to my machine and sew some as leader/enders and sometimes for 10 mins or so in the morning before I start my day.

[caption id="attachment_2211" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Paper Plate Sorting[/caption]

I have 23 of these little beauties so far and I don't know how many I'll make but I'll just keep making them for a while and see what I end up with.

[caption id="attachment_2210" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My Stack of 9 patches[/caption]

This could become a long term UFO.

I'm linking up with Barbara at Cat Patches with my July NewFo.

2013 New FO Challenge

Today while I was working on my rearranging of the sewing room I was thinking and thinking about New FO's.  Barbara at Cat Patches is listing her planned New FO's.  Here's what I've come up with for my NewFO's that  I want to start next year.  They are in not in any order.

1.  Granny Squares.



I bought this fabric in September to make the granny squares that I've seen on several blogs.

2.  1-2-3 Quilt



This is the bonus fabric from a baby quilt I just finished and want to make another one.

3.  Sunflowers



I have this bag of sunflowers that I want to put into a quilt.

4.  Scrappy Christmas Quit-a-Long

 



Over at Sunshower Quilts, Katrina is doing this Christmas Quilt-a-long.  Of course I found it weeks after she started and I'm just now pulling my fabric.  So this one could maybe be January's New FO.

5.  Christmas Fairies

 



This is one still had the receipt in the bag and my note about the quilt.  It has been setting under my table since November 2010. Yikes!

So that's my list. I've gathered them all together and put them in a bin marked  " Barbara" because she's the instigator.

I'm linking with Cat Patches today

 

Stash Report, Design Wall, NewFO Catch-Up

Oh My!  I'm so behind.  Work and the long weekend is my story and I'm sticking to it.

Stash Report has not changed.  I've been sewing but can't count the fabric yet.  So the short version of my stash report is:  No fabric in or out and my total is still -45.5.  With is being National Sewing Month maybe I'll be able to move those numbers.



My design wall is empty :(  I took down my churn dash blocks to put up some t-shirt blocks.  I've finished the churn dash blocks so now it's triangles.

I did some cleaning up in the sewing room too.  Sometimes you just have to stop and clean up to see where you're going.   Ok just a little clean-up, I didn't want to go overboard or I wouldn't be able to find anything.

 



I took down the t-shirts and laid them out on the floor, for some reason laying t-shirt quilts on the floor is easier for me.



Goal this week is to sash up the t-shirt quilt and make those setting triangles for the churn dash blocks.

 

I started a NewFO on Thursday, I really hadn't planned to start a new FO in August (bet you haven't heard that one before) but I saw the box of fabric that I'd been saving and then I thought well I should make start that quilt for someone's Christmas present.  Pulled it out and started cutting.  I'd planned to do it as a leader/ender but I'm not real good at that.  When I have the blocks cut out I want to sew them now!  We'll see how I do with it. Can't show too much, Christmas and all that, but this is a special quilt and I'm taking pic and writing about it in my head so you'll get the full story.



 

WIP - T-shirt quilt.  This is a throw size so once I have the lay-out I like it should come together. Christmas gift-Still cutting.  Churn  Dash- need those setting triangles.

My upholstery class starts up tonight, this makes me happy.  I'll get to see my upholstery buddies and I'm starting on a new chair.  I'm thinking about Upholstery Thursday during the school year.  If I can figure out that link stuff I'll make it a linking party of upholstery projects.

I'm late but I'm still linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for the Stash Report and Design Wall Monday.

Check out the other NewFO at Cat Patches, and Barbara's beautiful photography .

Today I'm linking up for WIP at Freshly Pieced.

A UFO and A NewFO

Yesterday after I finished attaching the binding on my Sweet Treat I pulled a UFO.  While I did sort of make a list at the first of the year I've not been working on that list very hard. Like I even know where that list is!!  Anyway when I was looking for something else I found my flannel Christmas quilt.



I started this quilt when I was a real beginner, wow! that felt good to think that I've advanced from real beginner.  You don't think about your progress on a day to day basis and then you pick up something you started a few years back and think  "I have improved at this". Oops sorry back to the quilt...I pulled it out and decided that it wouldn't take much to finish it up and bonus I'll have a Christmas quilt done too!

Then I found these Christmas fabric strips that I'd sewn into sets. Yes I know what they were for and No I'm not going to use them for that so I cut them up for a table runner.  I got this ideal from a blog that I read and as soon as I find it I post a link.



That's it for this morning.  I'm off to visit the Mom's today.

Happy Friday