January 2023 - Part 1 - Quilts

I thought I might start 2023 by coming up with several lists/goals for the year.

HA! HA! HA!

I quickly felt overwhelmed and stalled out on the planning process...and even had trouble just figuring out where to start or what to work on when spending time in my studio.

One of my daughter-in-laws has a January birthday and I had the quilt top done...just needed to quilt it. Easy...I had a starting place. 

Her birthday was the 21st and I finished the binding in the morning and had it to her that afternoon.

I started the blocks at a quilt retreat last April.

It is a free pattern, designed by Wendy Sheppard on the Windham Fabric website. It has several names, Pineapple Cocktail, Pineapply Ever After and Pineapple Delight.

I did a pretty simple quilting design...a little ruler work and lots of big bubbles.

So far I have met my goal to finish quilting one top a month.

When I'm stalled on what to do...

I've designated a scrappy project as my default project. 

This is Sky Full of Stars Mini II

I have all the blocks done, just need to get all the rows sewn together. 

These scraps are HSTs leftover from a king-sized quilt.

 

In cleaning up around my quilting space I happened upon this quilt kit and decided now was the time to start it. I have no idea when I bought this but probably at least three years ago.

All the pieces were laser cut so all I had to do was follow the layout and iron.

A fun kit...I just need to cut the border pieces and then the hard part...stitching all the pieces in place. 

Hopefully it won't take me another three years to get the outline stitching done. 

Way back in December I had an issue with one of my vintage Bernina's so I paid a visit to the quilt shop that services Bernina machines. Bad news...not something they can fix. The automatic buttonhole feature doesn't work any more and Bernina doesn't fix the computer boards or sell replacement ones anymore. It still does the basic stitches so all is not lost but what a bummer. 

I have two other Berninas that have automatic button hole programs that work but of course it was my favorite machine that has the problem.

So...to console myself I indulged on a great sale at the quilt shop...60% off kits. 

I had admired the "Soar," fabric release online and when I saw this kit at such a great price it only took me a few seconds to talk myself into getting it. 

Then I saw some finishing kits for Hoffman panels. The kits were all batik fabrics and precut. All that is required is the panel...

and I had the panel...aging in my stash.

And then I saw another finishing kit for another Hoffman panel...

yep...I had that panel aging in my stash too!

So both panels are now cut and ready to be completed with a border.  

 I also cut out the Soar line of fabric for the Take Flight kit.

I have a quilt retreat starting February 2nd and I hope to finish all three kits there. 

 

And while I was cutting out those kits, I decided to finish cutting other kits in my stash.

I don't consider myself a kit stitcher but I think I am because I have two other kits in my stash. 

I expect all of these quilts...when finished...to be gifts.

I'm definitely ready for my retreat.

Lots of moose around the hood. The deep snow drives them down the mountains and into neighborhoods. My husband took this photo in the wee hours of the morning so no other traffic on the road. This moose is licking the snow covered road in front of a Walmart so lots of lighting. He was not inclined to move when hubby drove by.

Part two for January updates will be about cross stitch and Bucilla kits. 

Lots of fun projects to share.