On target for April

 I think I am finally caught up and working with my self imposed time line.  Last year, Stephanie, member of our Heartstrings group gave me a great suggestion.  I was moaning, complaining, (maybe, even whining) about how I always feel scattered with my quilting.  Too many ideas, too many projects, so much fabric, inspired by Pinterest but never getting around to making any of the patterns I loved.   She gave me her monthly plan as a suggestion and it works for me.  First week of month is labeling and binding quilts finished the previous month, the second week is for working on blocks of the month or sew-alongs, third week is doing something new, different, and fun leaving the fourth week for quilting the tops made in the previous few weeks.  Love this plan!  It works for me.  However, I have been thrown off by so many medical appointments for my husband plus a surgery with a week in hospital and taking care of the yard whenever there is a nice day (which means warmer than 14ºC and sunshine) and all the other mundane tasks that come with being "the good wife". 

So, last week I made a stack of frankenbats... (joining leftover pieces into one large one), cut backings, and got busy on my home quilting system (B-line).  I hesitate to use it when he is sleeping (bedroom is above where my machine is) so loaded quilts and would take time to make bindings and start attaching them.  As of today... am up to date except for one small table topper. 

This is double pointed star block which was one of my 2024 Rainbow scrap projects.  

Bundles and bows was not my favourite block to make for RSC - somehow my brain didn't quite work properly when making blocks each month when it came to trimming.  However, if I don't point out the mistakes, maybe you won't see them?  This is square because the blocks are 15"  and 60 x 60 seemed like a good size for donation?

Material girls sew along using their 18 patch jelly roll pattern.  I changed this up because, the original pattern had the lines all going in the same direction and all I could think of was how painful it would be to have match e v e r y  single seam in the entire top.  UGH. So, I rotated and now it makes your eyes go wonky.  I used batik strips out of my scrap bins and instead of 2 full art bins, I am down to 1 plus ¼ of the second. 

Patterns by Jen monthly challenge from 2024 (and some blocks made in previous years).  Since she did twelve blocks giving us the pattern and colour for each month, that really didn't make enough for a full size quilt so, most of the months, I made two blocks.  I alternated the light and dark fabric placement and that gave me more than what I needed for 20 blocks... and of course, that means leftovers on a hanger.  Jen is no longer doing this monthly challenge. 

Villa Rose - Running Dove monthly quilt challenge called Transport.  Simple to do though mine doesn't seem to give the 3D effect that many other quilters managed to create.  

L blocks - another Rainbow scrap challenge quilt.  Each month, when the colour was announced, I would make a stack of blocks in that colour.  Of course, I never planned or counted so have quite a few leftover blocks that will make a baby/preemie quilt (or two or three?). 

There is a challenge issued by Quilts for Survivors asking for binding - they want all your extra bindings joined on the diagonal, and when finished, to measure the length of your strips in inches, and send to them at Quilt Canada in June.  This is the start of joining all my bits of leftovers.  It would also be a good way to use up some 2.5" strips that you don't have plans for in making a quilt. 

Love this cute zip pouch.  I won it at our modern guild meeting in March (we usually do Zoom for January and February so no weather decisions to make) and I love it.  Thank you Colleen, known for her super cute pouches. 

There is a challenge with the modern guild.  We were given an envelope with the name of a block pattern and a crayon... I got a green crayon and Old Maid's puzzle block.  We could add white, gray or black to go with our crayon.  This will be fun to see them all on the design wall this week at guild meeting.  The best part is that I didn't leave it until the last minute!

Now that I have finish quilts with binding added, it is time to do a major clean up.  I have a huge pile of leftover strips of batting and backings after trimming my quilts.  I will work though these and discard the small bits and will trim these leftovers into the largest width possible.  This is where a lot of my scrappy strips come from when I work with scraps.

I added more fabric to the binding box ready to stitch for Quilts for Survivors

This is the only top waiting for quilting - it is from the Christmas Advent box 2024 and am trying to make one project a month from previous boxes. I am not being successful but the idea rides around in my brain. 

One reason for the lack of working on Advent box projects is these darn row x rows.  These ones are waiting for the applique to be stitched down and then they can go into quilt tops.  The more I get finished, the better the choices for putting some tops together.  The theme from this rows was "water" which is quite perfect for the Pacific Northwest. 

Oh my goodness... a clean design wall.  Don't worry, I still have a few containers of blocks made from the Rainbow scrap challenges of previous years.  Will attempt to put 3 more tops together this month. 

 

This is slow going but am trying to create a quilt top for Quilts of valour using some of the row x rows that have been completed by both myself and my traditional quilting guild.  Again, these are water themed rows so they do all work together but I need to figure out sashings. 

Glorious weather here in the Pacific Northwest - tulips and daffodils are blooming.  Yard work is calling.

These pictures are of my sewing machine Janome 6600 in Mesa, Arizona.  I realize that my blog readers are probably not in that area but we have listed our home for sale in the Valley of the Sun and I would like to sell this machine, table and accessories.  You never know when a quilter knows a quilter who would love to have one of these machines and doesn't have to haul her machine back and forth as a Snowbird? 

So, up to date after the first week of April and it feels good.  More appointments this week for my husband but also two guild meetings to attend and two mornings of tennis.  Retirement and aging is not boring!!  Never a quiet or dull moment. 

February quilts finally finished.

 March has been a crazy month.  My husband had surgery so that meant pre-surgical appointments including blood tests and iron infusions along with 2 units of blood transfusion.  I feel like I have been living at the hospital.  I expected one or two days of being in the hospital post surgery - WRONG - 7 days and I lost all my time I had organized for binding quilts that I quilted in February.

OH WELL... best laid plans.... 

In the last few days I finally got the bindings done.  First is a quilt using a variety of blues with a pattern I call Carolyn's blocks because I never been able to find the original source of the cutting fat quarters.  

Running Doe quilt along  (Villa Rosa) called Lanterns.  I use strips from my batik bins.

Two quilts  made from blocks that were a Heartstrings challenge to use strips.  I made enough blocks for two quilt tops.  Now bound and ready for donation.

Second quilt using the strips from my scrap strip bins.  I managed to condense 2 bins into one.

This was a sew-a-long with GE Designs.  It used fat quarters and I pulled out a strange assortment of fabrics, and colours.  The pattern is Jolee. 

My project for the Quilts of Valour Sew Day in early February was to make a quilt using the 2025 pattern for the alternating blocks called Zig Zag. 

I am currently working on using blocks from my Rainbow scrap challenge that were all made last year. This L block is put together, waiting for quilting.
 

Material Girls has a challenge this month to make a 16 patch jelly roll quilt.  These blocks need some trimming and I literally threw them on the wall to see if I liked this setting.  The pattern has them all lined up, nice and even.  That means a LOT of seam matching and this way, only corners need to match? 

I have made an effort to tame the disaster of my sewing space being a "dumping" while I was at the hospital, all day, every day.  And, my list for the last week of the month is organized.  I have a few tops to get quilted that I did not take pictures of.  

One day at a time and eventually projects get finished.

One month later... it is March

 Once again, I admire those who blog daily and keep it simple.  I have the best of intentions but then decide to wait until the current project is finished.  That doesn't work because suddenly, there is another project in the works.  

I managed to get 7 projects finished and 6 quilted at the end of February.  The one that isn't finished is from the Advent box in Dec 2024.  The others are waiting for binding but, the Janome that I like for stitching on bindings went for a spa day on Friday and she won't be back until mid week.  So, the stack waits.

In February, I did make some Valentine's mug rugs. 

And I started making the blocks for the Running Doe sew along.  I dug out my 2 bins of 2.5" batik strips.  This is now one of the tops that has been quilted and waiting for binding.

I also decided to pull out all my row by rows that I have on hangers from a couple of years ago and also the recent ones given out at the December guild meeting and since then, some that have been completed and given to me to create some Quilt of Valour tops.  This endeavor led me to dig out all my bins of fabric and rows waiting to be done.  What a surprise, a container of kits/patterns from 2016.  I am determined to try and complete one a week? 

These are blocks that are from the Missouri Star Advent box - a set of charms and pattern for a pillow top which is supposed to have chenille added.  I decided a table topper is more useful as I have a number of small tables and this is not seasonal.  The top is now complete and waiting to be quilted.

A row by row from Vancouver Island and the fabrics are glued in place and the applique is being traced and will be fused.  I need my machine back from Spa day to do the stitching on this but, will be quick to get finished. 

I have a few completed tops, waiting to be pressed.  This is my Patterns By Jen 2024 with sashings added and top complete, ready for a hanger and then end of the month quilting. 

Top #2 is put together - Bundle and Bows by Material Girl.  I made blocks last year for the rainbow scrap challenge and didn't do the math for the size of blocks and quilt top.  This is the first one I put together and had a few blocks leftover.  So, rather than waste them, I stopped what I was doing and worked on more blocks for second top.

This is the second top in progress. 

I am participating in Material Girl's Jelly Roll 18 patch sew along and decided, once again, to use strips from my batik bins.  They are gathered and the background strips cut and my pairs are joined.  The second step is to make 3 sets of 5 rows from each pair which then get cut into strips. 

A few blocks finished so I can see how the block finishes.  The good news here is that my two bins of strips have been reduced to 1.5... so half a bin gone into quilt tops!  I am also digging out 2.5" strips of odd fabrics to start stitching binding to donate to Quilts for Survivors.  They are hoping for enough strips donated to equal the distance around the world?  Definitely a challenge. 

Of course, while working on the above projects, I also decided to pull out some fat quarters of kid's fabrics to make the monthly pattern, Transportation, by Running Doe.  This will go together quickly once I finished assembling the parts.

So, as always, too many projects but most are close to the flimsy stage and I will get the tops pressed and folded neatly on hangers waiting to be quilted.  Once I get my bindings stitched on the the February projects, I will be able to post pictures of them.  The best part for me, I think I am back on track with my weekly goals: First week binding and choosing new projects, second week stitching, third week catching up on the blocks of the month, stitch alongs that I joined into (but am using that time to sew tops made from blocks in the previous few years) and then fourth week, quilting the tops.  

It has still been a topsy turvy time with my husband having surgery this coming week on his legs and aneurysm which meant the pre-surgical appointments plus blood tests, blood transfusions, iron infusions. However,  I celebrate that radiation is finished.  

And the income tax task awaits.  It was glorious weather here last weekend and I spent time outside straightening up the raccoon party mess in our front yard from last November and also managed to weed the flower gardens, prune roses and fertilize blueberries, rhodos etc.  That all felt good because this past week has been rain... lots of cooler and wetter weather. 

In the meantime, care for the caregiver means tennis 3 mornings a week.  

It is nice to know that there are still 3 weeks left in the month and hoping I can finish up all these projects I have started. 

February 9th - that means Valentine's Day this week... 5 days!

 Valentine's day in 5 days BUT I am ready and done with my well aged Valentine's table runners.  That feels good to finish ahead of time.  

I will go out of chronological order to show you what I have been working on and what I have accomplished.  This first one is a Kinderbell runner that has been in my life for a long time.  It lived in my Arizona house since 2017 and never got made so, it came home with me last year and finally, it is crossed off the list of 'want to make' projects. 

Shabby Fabrics, "A Year in Words - February" that has been around since 2016 and is now being worked on

Lots of tracing and applique but, one day at a time.

You have to make a mess when you are being creative and all my Valentine themed fabric is on the table.

This is Starlight from a Missouri Star Advent box 2023 (not so old!!) and I had the blocks made before Christmas but wasn't sure whether to keep them as individual blocks/table toppers, or, a runner.  I have to give thanks to the Facebook Advent box group who showed me their finished projects which inspired me to get this done.

Not much in my container for decorating which is fine with me.  Less to put out on display is less to tidy and put away later. 

All three are finished and now in various locations around the house.  So nice to cross these off the UFO list!

January's Running Doe sew Along was a pattern called Amelia and it made large blocks!  Two fat quarters were needed per block and I pulled out a lot of my reds and a variety of lighter ones to use, thinking it would make a nice Quilt of Valour.

In the meantime, I had a large number of preemie and children's quilts to get layered with backing and batting and put on the sewing desk for quilting.  What a mess... I pulled out all my flannelette and pieces of poly batting (preferred for light weight, easily laundered small quilts) and started piecing the battings and cutting the backings.  Disaster zone for a couple of days. 

Eventually, they all got prepped for the next step and were laid to wait patiently on the table.

In the meantime, the traditional guild I belong to, handed out some row by rows that had been donated, to each of us in December.  I offered to take any of the rows that spoke "Canadian" and this is the one I made.  This one was from a Campbell River quilt shop on Vancouver Island and it would be perfect for a QOV.  Hopefully, I will be able to gather up a few more from guild members and make a great Quilt of Valour. 

There has been lots of interruptions to my daily routine.  My husband had radiation for the month of January and part of February so my afternoons were spent driving to and from the cancer clinic.  One more surgery was done as well where he had day surgery for stents. 

When I made the Amelia quilt, her method was to add a squares and stitch down the center to create the flying geese or half square triangles on each block.  I added a second row of stitching to create another set of half square triangles and decided to make some Sawtooth stars for the beginning of another quilt.  I also had hst's left from a quilt last fall - browns and reds and wanted to use those. 

So, that started me off beginning my next quilt. These are 12" blocks so needed 30 to get a 5 x 6 quilt. 

In the meantime, however, I worked on quilting the baby/preemie quilts that were ready and waiting and here they all are!  Finished and labelled and ready for deliver to the local NICU and Ronald MacDonald house.  Thirteen of them!. These were all started and worked on during our modern guild Saturday sew-ins.  Those have come to a screeching halt due to the exorbitant hall rental fee for 2025.  I decided to just get them all finished and this took me almost two weeks from layering, then quilting, and finally binding. 

While I was at a guild meeting, a lovely gentleman, no names mentioned, handed me a plastic bag of fabric, asking for blue stars.  Since I was in the midst of making my red stars, I kept the same Sawtooth star happening and stitched up a couple of different options for a quilt that was being made. 

                                                                                I wanted to get back to my regular routine/regime that I began last year with quilting the last week of the month.  So, I loaded up my home quilting system with  the three different quilts that were waiting.  Amelia got finished.

The quilt made from the leftover half square triangles got finished as well and is now ready for donation.

This quilt top had been turned into me and it wasn't quite large enough so I added the green border to make it a little longer and wider and now it is also quilted and ready for donation.

Heartstrings - a group that I belong to, chose strips for the January challenge.  I dug out a couple of bins of odds and ends 2.5" strips and started stitching.  I kept at it for almost a week and now have 110 blocks and they are 10".  I will make the quilt tops 6 x7 which means 42 blocks per quilt so have enough for two with 26 blocks leftover.  However, there are still loads of strips but none are full width of fabric so will be a little extra work to piece them together to get 10" blocks.  Making two quilt tops is next on my list.  I forget what this month is but I think squares?  I will have to check and figure out what to make to use up stash fabrics.

A lovely gift for me from Barbara.  She was ill in December and missed our guild meeting where we exchanged gifts so she gave this to me.  I have something for her, but she will have to wait until I see her in March.

Our weather has been strange for January and into February.  We are dry!  Gorgeous sunsets, cold weather, below freezing (unusual for us) but we need rain and we know it is on the way, eventually.  But, so nice to wake up to sunshine in the mornings. 

This beautiful quilt was made by Connie and quilted by Joanne and is a Quilt of Valour made for a retired Canadian Armed forces veteran who served 34 years and his wife wanted this special quilt made for him.  She provided the pattern and fabric and my two good guild friends donated their time and talent to make it happen.

Yippee... last day of radiation!  Now the healing of skin begins and hopefully, his hand is cancer free.

The Quilting Dove pattern for February is Lantern and I already had the pattern in my Villa Rosa box and now need to figure out which fabrics to use.  I am thinking of batiks?  I have seen some great variations that other members of the group have completed so, lots of inspiration.

Friday was the Canadian Quilt of Valour sew day and this is the block pattern, called Zig Zag and designed for us by Lisa Compton and is free on the Quilts of Valour website.  I made the blocks while sewing during the Zoom time and then dug through my bin of Canadian themed fabric and cut some 12.5" blocks to use with the alternating zig zag blocks.  This is now ready and waiting for the last week of February... quilting week!

One of the fabrics I used was one I loved and is very old.  Many years ago, when this fabric appeared in our local shops, I bought two bolts of it!  And this is the last of what remained. 

So, now, I am back on my quilting schedule which makes me happy.  I have cut and am working on some bright star blocks which are being given to friends of a dear guild member and long time fabric store owner who died suddenly in December when a tree fell on her, in her driveway, during a wind storm.  Very sad but her friends are determined to make quilts for her favourite charity and have asked us to make blocks for them to assemble.  So far, this is what I have and I will continue to make them as leaders and enders for my current sewing projects. 

Yesterday, I was able to wrap the finished Quilt of Valour around the shoulders of the recipient of this quilt. It is always a great feeling to let a veteran know that we appreciate the efforts of the Canadian Armed forces to defend and protect our country and to be involved in Peace Keeping around the world. 

Now, what is next? 

I have decided that I am not going to make the rainbow scraps challenge each month, but, instead, work on stitching together all the blocks from the past two years.  They are patiently sitting and waiting for me to put them together into quilt tops.  

- Heartstring strip blocks from January to be assembled

- Heartstring blocks for February (when I find out what it is?)

- Stashbuster blocks for 2025 (which I may make in various colours )

- Lantern quilt top from Running Doe quilt of the month

I know there are many other projects on my lists but, listing less is better and not as overwhelming.  There are lots of appointments for my husband in the next couple of weeks and I am hoping to play indoor tennis twice a week but, my afternoons are free until it is time to be outside dealing with raccoon damage and tidying up gardens after winter is past and spring is arriving.