Design Wall Monday

Lets get right to this week's line-up of projects

Applique is the word of the week. I  have finished the applique on the stocking so now I need to hand quilt it and the back piece. I pulled out 2 blocks from in-progress patterns. I didn't add them to my UFO list because I thought it would be unrealistic to finish them in a month...so I will try and get at least one block a month done from both projects.

I plan to quilt and bind this small quilt.

This quilt needs binding and the quilting threads tied and buried.

And finally...there will be some BOMs from the web to work on if I get all of that done.

Weekly Wrap Up

Whoo Hoo! Finished quilting the Debbie Caffrey mystery. I had a tension issue early on...turns out I had a thread looped on the tension disk...no idea how that happened but I learn something new all the time. 

I used Dream Puff for the batting...a 100% polyester batting that can be quilted up to 10" apart. This won't be an heirloom but a well used quilt for my 16-year-old son. Not a huge fan of the 100% polyester content but considering it's use I think it's a good choice. 

I do like the way the quilting looks with this batting and it's a dream to work with. My son checks daily in the quilt's status so hopefully I will get the binding on soon.

My UFO #10 is ready for quilting...I guess...

I always have the urge to add on...but I see this quilt being given as a gift someday so lap-size is the most practical. Those big spaces of floral batik are crying for some fun quilting.

I'm not a football fan and since my dog is finally fully recovered I will attend a special Jazzercise class during the superbowl and take them for a walk...that won't leave much time for sewing...maybe enough time to clean up the palace...

Not a clear surface in sight from this side...

nor from this side...

and the "rec" room really should be called a "wreck..." 

But I sure have gotten a lot done!

Furry Cyber Buddy

Forrest is sleeping at my feet whenever I am tapping away at the computer.

See his shaved belly? Today he had 30-plus staples removed. Then there were several stitches from his eye that were removed too. (Short version - he had his right eye removed and then was neutered but of course his neuter was not routine.) Although Forrest has a wonderful surgeon I would really like to avoid seeing him ever again. 

We are still housebound for a few more days and that means I'm continuing to make a major dent in several projects.

Here's Carrie Nelson's Schnibble - McGuffey. What a fun and quick project. This took two charm packs of "Fruitcake" from Moda. This will make a fun table topper for next Christmas...or maybe a gift. I really need to finish the quilt on my Fun Quilter...my quilting is getting backed up!

Progress on my #10 UFO is humming along...I'm making an additional row of blocks to add to a top I never considered finished. I plan to quilt and bind it by March.  

I so anxious for the next Bunny Hill BOM! Two more days....

P.S. Right before I wrote my blog today I put in an order for fabric and when I finished my blog I had an email that my order had already been packed and shipped...Wow. This is the 3rd time I've ordered from them and they are one of the speediest cyber quilt shops. Check them out...great prices on batiks and especially Bali Pops. Selection varies since they are a discounted operation but I've been very happy with everything I've gotten. http://www.beverlys.com/

You Can Sleep Under My Quilt

For the first time I have put my quilts on our bed. Gone are the Pottery Barn quilts we've used for 10 years. Why didn't I enjoy my workmanship? I had a cat - who was very appropriately named - Simba. He was a red tabby with long hair so soft and beautiful but I fought his hair like crazy. We got him to take care of rats we had coming into our garage to eat dog food. He was a wonderful hunter. In the fall of 2009 we said good bye to him at the age of 15 and yesterday I decided it was finally time to put my quilts on our bed since I no longer had to worry about clawing and cat hair.

Winding Bali Sea Star - 91 x 108

We slept under it last night...awww. I doubled the batting...this is going to become standard procedure for me ...look how it makes the quilting pop...

I have a large collection of HSTs left over from this quilt top that I hope to turn into pillow shams. 

And the show continues...

Wildlife Crossing - 98 x 98

Look how nicely this quilt fits on top of Winding Bali Sea Stars. This lovely quilt has been patiently waiting for over two years to see the light of day. 

It wasn't quite wide enough for my king bed but layered it works.

Elemental Strip Churn - 96 x 100

And also hiding for over a year is this lovely quilt with matching shams...

A lovely reward for a day spent cleaning.

UFO Challenge

What a blast the UFO Challenge is!

Here's my #6

Good Tidings Banner

18 x 35 1/4

Pattern-Joined at the Hip Hanging by a Star Good Tidings

I got very lucky and had any easy one to tackle in January.

This just needed the top-stitching around the fusible applique and to be quilted and bound.

My mother-in-law gave me the banner kit as a gift about 4 years ago. So adorable. It sat for 2 years until I put it together. So glad to have it done and ready for Christmas 2011.

And here is what I get to work on in February

#10 is what is currently called Hawaii Batik

I bought the fabric at my favorite quilt shop in Lihue, Kaui

The top was "done" by the pattern standards and then I decided to make it longer so it could be a lap size. I got as far as taking off one row and I ordered more fabric to finish. All of the batiks are Hoffman so I'm fortunate I was still able to find the fabric to finish it because I'm pretty sure I've had this fabric over 5 years. I got lucky again since this one won't take too much to finish it.

Design Wall Monday

I decided to start a little project that will just be fun and quick. This is Carrie Nelson's McGuffey pattern which started out as a Schnibbles pattern and later made it to her book "Schnibbles Times Two." These blocks were made from 2 charm packs and I will still get a piano key border...wow! The finished size is 31 1/2" squared

I hit a snag quilting a top with my Nolting Fun Quilter...skipping stitches again. I'm thinking my hook needs sharpening. It only does it when I place a press'n seal sheet on the top to follow a design and move the machine away from me...from my research the dull hook is the most likely problem...so for now I'm going to try a velum paper pinned on top. I'm ordering a back up hook just in case. Plus I read one about a gal who sharpened her hook too much and it cut her bobbin thread...sounds like something I would do!

I'm real excited to start February. I have a great quilt to hang for the first time...a Nancy Halvorsen design. I made it exactly as she designed...her fabric and button embellishments...I so rarely do that! One of my goals this year is to work on show-casing my quilts better when I bring them out for display. I'm house-bound with a recovering dog so never got to it for this quilt but I left part of my Christmas swag up...it wouldn't take much more to really add a nice finish to the display.

Return to Everyday Life

Wow...my poor dog really had a tough few days after his surgery. I have to contain myself or you will get all the gory details. I think he had a bad reaction to his fentanyl pain patch. It was due to come off today and he is back to his old self. Maybe it's just a coincidence but he has been sleeping all day. He barely slept the first three days home. 

I had to skip my Breakfast Club meeting on Thursday so no photos of show and tell. Plus I didn't start the new project. I plan to start it on my own and do the small version in my Christmas fabric of Carrie Nelson's  design - McGuffey. 

Today I tackled catching up on blog quilts. 

Here's block seven of the Layer Cake Quilt Along.

And I really want to do Anne Sutton's BOM this year so I got the base for the first month done.

I get to try my hand at wool applique with this project. There will be an adorable squirrel on here in the near future. The new monthly block is posted on the 5th of the month so I have a few days to meet that deadline.

I'm going to be home bound for another week and looks like I'll be able to spend a lot of it sewing. I'm trying to look on the bright side of a not so great situation.