End of June, halfway through the year, and another year older.

All these things are today and I 'think' I am in a good place in my year, life and quilting progress.
I decorated my stairwell for Canada Day and find that as I get older and don't have young grandkids here, my decor is much simpler.

I took some time from quilting yesterday and made up the totebag, (H bag) that is our guild challenge.  We were supposed to recycle fabric to make it but I didn't go to the thrift shop to look for something.  I had contemplated cutting up some old jeans but then remembered that someone had given me a bolt of denim fabric for Quilts of Valour.  However, the fabric is too heavy for the back of quilts so cut some off the bolt and played with two small buckets and then made the tote.  I did use up some timtex as well that was kicking around from my postcard days.  So, not officially made from recycled fabric, but it prevented fabric from going to be recycled!

A few finished quilts this week.  They were quilted last week but some are still waiting for binding. First is Squared Off, a Villa Rosa pattern and it used 10" squares plus a border that I added to increase the size to make it good for donation.

Show Biz, another Villa Rosa pattern, is a UFO that has been around for a couple of years. My friend Kelly quilted it and it will go back to her for Victoria Quilts now that it is bound.  Kelly is the rep for Victoria quilts and she covers cancer patients at our local hospital with a quilt when they are going through treatment.  She provided the batting and flannel backing and the quilting is awesome!

I  pieced together more of my rainbow string challenge blocks to make a second stop and it is now in the 'waiting to be quilted' pile.  This one has been quilted and bound. Makes a really colourful quilt and a decent size for the Quilts of valour recipient.

My first two Happy Blocks quilts are finished with the binding and ready for donation to We Care through my local guild. 

All together, I have made 170 of these blocks and am now officially 'done' for awhile.  It gets a bit boring after awhile though I did make them using them as leaders and enders.  I also have 50 more that used a 5" center so they are smaller.  Here I have them in stacks of 10.

And another quilt top laid out on the design wall.

I am working on the split 9 patch challenge and just happened to have the same charm packs as the quilter running the challenge!  So I am being honest and telling you that I am also being a copy cat.
Some blocks are made and others are still in progress.

The next stack of quilts is waiting to be loaded onto the B-line and get quilted.  First up will be my Double Slice from 10" squares. The good part is that I have already finished quilting one from my stack for July.

I have two quilts waiting for binding and am working on binding the sunflower quilt.

This daisies quilt is another UFO from 2017 and it also another one quilted by Kelly for Victoria Quilts.  It will be a cheerful quilt for someone who needs a quilted hug while undergoing chemo. A big thanks to Kelly for quilting these tops.  There is one more in that stack on the chair but you will have to wait to see it finished.  One quilt at a time gets the binding stitched! 
So now, tomorrow is a new month and I will have some June projects to carry over to July and of course, a list of new ideas and ufo's to work on but it feels good to have crossed off quite a few on my June list.  Funny how some projects never seem to want to get worked on?  I will have to stop procrastinating! 
A new year for me and it is like a new beginning.  At least, that is how I view a birthday.  End of one age and the beginning of a new one! 

June 2019 has been productive

I have managed to cross off a few projects from my UFO list and quilts that are current.  Of course, my list is still too long but it is nice to see some progress happening.  Weather here was good for quilting and being at my sewing machine.  With tennis most mornings, it has been sunny but cool most afternoons and best of all, only one medical appointment this past week.
I made some more blocks for Canada Stitches and now have a box of blocks to mail off. Some of the blocks were made by members of my local guild.  A good selection is being sent.

And, I worked on my "happy blocks".  Lots are made, a stack of them still waiting to be sewn together and two quilts made that are waiting for binding.

The double slice from 10" squares is now a top and waiting for quilting.

Three quilts are quilted and bound and finished!  Cornerstone, Dreamfield is done and it is from 10 squares.

 Stargazer... a UFO started in 2017 is finally finished.  I assembled the blocks at the September retreat last year.

 And, Busy Bee, a Villa Rosa pattern is done.  I added an extra border to get to a decent size for donation.

I have a stack of finished quilts waiting for binding so pictures to follow.  And some surrounded 9 patches are being made and, hopefully, in a few days, I will have another quilt top finished.  I have a stack of 6 quilts waiting for quilting and finished my June goal, working on my July goals! 

Ignoring social media but getting my quilting projects organized

Iceberg by Villa Rosa is finished!  Great pattern for jelly roll strips.  And I made two Dixie quilts from the Cluck Cluck Sew pattern.  I had to add to the binding for the second one but will be for donation or maybe for a new baby that is 'on the way'. 

  My double slice blocks are finished and now, I just need to get them arranged on the design wall.  I also put together more of my Rainbow colour strips challenge from 2018 into a second quilt top.  It is ready for quilting and binding. 

I have my Sparrow blocks up to date and think I might be ready to stitch one quilt top from what I have so far.  The last six blocks I made are barely visible in the left of the photo above.  I was sure I had taken a picture of them but where is it?

 This is the scissor case that I got in our guild swap.  I had made one in April and handed it in for the swap.  Cute!

 My blue Rainbow colour swap blocks are done for June.  I have 32 of them made. 

 CQA 52 block challenge: I am behind by 4 blocks but I did figure out how I want to set the blocks so spent time adding a border around each block. Getting caught up is on my list for this week. 

 Two quilt tops became finished quilts this week and I have the binding added and will get it stitched down during recliner time.

A basket of happy blocks are waiting and am making them as leaders and enders while stitching my other projects.

A busy Sunday getting all my projects organized and quilting on the B-line.  The less time on my computer, checking FB and Instagram, the more time at my machine!

June list - additions because I can't stick to a plan.

I wrote a list of projects last week, for June.  This was a busy week for me in my quilting studio as well with grad for grandson #2 and tennis 3 mornings.  Also the other usual mundane tasks got thrown in there as well.  So, I looked back at my list and realized that I have started projects NOT on the list.
I have a new list for June:
1. Iceberg, Villa Rosa pattern - needs quilting and binding (finishing up binding, but done!)
2. Busy Bee, another Villa Rosa pattern - waiting for quilting and binding
3. Two quilts from one of my Wednesday Diva group for quilting and binding for Quilts of Valour (both are quilted and need binding)
4. Rainbow scrap blocks in blue for June
5. Squared off - Craftsy kit, waiting for quilting and binding
6. Welcome Autumn  - Patchabilities
7. Rainbow strip blocks: assembled into a top, quilted, bound (one assembled and on a hanger, second one ready to be assembled)
8. Sparrow 50 blocks up to date
9. CQA 52 blocks up to date
10. New totebag from 10" squares of fabric
11. Cafe Heartland from top to finished quilt
12. Blocks for Canada Stitches (Quilts for first responders) (and in the mail!) 
13. Dixie quilts (2) layered, quilted and bound.
14 Flower shoppe, diagonal layout

Not very encouraging accomplishments considering how many hours I have spent downstairs? I did get a picture of my "Field Day", a surrounded 16 patch and and from jelly roll (2.5") strips.

 Some tidying and organizing happened in my bunker and I pulled out fabrics that have enough yardage for backings for quilts of Valour and wrapped them on empty cardboard bolts.  This helps me to see what I have on hand when choosing a backing.  And, honestly, I had forgotten about some of these so now they are visible and more likely to get used.

 Here I am, in the process of working on happy blocks.  I cut up a load of 6.5" squares from my kid's fabrics (I have far too much!) and also cut 2.5" strips and am matching up, as best as I can, and getting blocks made.

 Here are some happy blocks on the wall and I should end up with three or four quilts for kids.

 I also have this stack of happy blocks.  But, for some reason, these blocks (which I brought home from Arizona), are not the same size.  These have 5" centers.  Not to worry, however, as I also cut up a large stack of 5" squares so I can make more and all will get used in juvenile, I Spy quilts.

 My second rainbow quilt from string piecing is waiting to be stitched together and can get added to the hanger section, meaning, it will be waiting for quilting.

 I spent too much time this week trying to figure out a setting for my CQA 52 weeks blocks.  I was thinking that I would like to keep up with the setting blocks as I go along rather than waiting until the end but also trying to work with fabrics on hand.  I think I have narrowed my choice down to these two fabrics and am thinking hourglass alternating blocks?  I need setting blocks to get the finished blocks into a quilt of a decent and usable size. The 52 finished 6" blocks won't make a very large quilt so I need a plan.

 So what happened here?  I saw a blogpost about a double slice block made from layer cakes and my Heartstrings Yahoo group is challenging members to make a quilt from 10" squares so off I went, slicing and adding to the pile of stitching projects next tot he sewing machine. First step is almost done and onto the second.  Slice, stitch, slice and stitch again!

 

 More happy blocks in the planning stage.

 My husband has a really hard time not burning both his and my rice bags (I actually use flax seed) in the microwave.  I had to replace his once again and was most annoyed when he burnt my bag.  So, this time, I replaced my bag with pink fabric... hoping it will deter him from using it when he sees it sitting in my unoccupied recliner!

 The quilt top sent to me by my cousin's wife, Joanne, in N. Carolina, got loaded onto the B-line and quilted, here it is waiting for binding.  And then, here it is hanging up, for a photo.  A lovely quilt and I will be donating this, quite possibly, to Quilts of Valour. 

 I have a stack of fat quarters that I pulled out from my stash and set aside for  making yellow brick road blocks.  Great pattern that uses up all of the fat quarter with no waste.  You never know when we will have another rainy day and I like to be prepared.  Or, maybe, all my other projects will be finished and I will be needing a project waiting to be started?

And, one more project to be started.  There is a stitch-a-long making disappearing 9 patches using charm packs and so I pulled out two packages on hand and found some white charms so am ready to go with this project. 

Sometimes when I am working, I haul fabrics out of my cupboard to audition or play with them and then they pile up waiting for me to put them back in their rightful place.  I am happy to say that my cutting table is looking much better with an hour or so of cleaning up. 

One of the quilters in my Wednesday quilting group has been collecting all of our fabric and batting scraps and making pillows for the homeless.  But, she is now too busy to be doing this and so, instead of collecting my scraps in a plastic bag, I made a pillowcase from fabric and used it to line my bin.  As my scraps get tossed in there, I can squish it down and when it full, stitch up the end and have a pillow ready for donation.
My City View quilt, a kit from Connecting Threads is finished.  I learnt something about myself while making this.  I do not like working with strips that are long and can become distorted.  I am much happier working with blocks that match up at the corners and end up with quilts that are much more square.  This is really wonky and not my favourite way of making a quilt. But, it is done and ready for donation. 
 

Two quilts were quilted yesterday and today and ready for binding.  These quilts were made by Darlene H, a member of my Wednesday group and she is donating them to Quilts of Valour.  I have been procrastinating with the quilting and had them on my May list of projects.  Only a few weeks behind and the binding will get stitched on both of them by machine.  Thanks to Darlene for her contribution.

Some of my happy blocks are trimmed and on the design wall to stitch together and I will have quilt#1 done, hopefully by this time next week?

Our weather forecast is for some hot days by mid week.  Am sure I will be on the tennis court most mornings and will be happy to be downstairs in my studio when it warms up in the afternoon.