Getting ready for quilting marathon week.

 My new routine is to spend the last week of the month quilting.  I quilted so many tops in April, it took me the first week of May to get them all bound.  The great news is that three bags of quilts were donated to the Abbotsford guild, the Fraser Valley Modern guild and Canada Stitches for Ronald MacDonald house.  I posted pictures of the finished quilts in my last post but these had the bindings done the next day.

This quilt top was given to me for Quilts of valour but, sadly, they didn't put their name on it (update... made by Dorothy in Chilliwack BC) and I don't remember who handed it to me. I quilted and bound it and it will be added to the Quilts of valour stack of quilts.

This top was sent to me by Susan G and I quilted and bound it and donated it to the Modern guild Community quilts program.

Alpha is a 3 yard quilt by Material girls and I started the blocks in Arizona, brought them back to Canada and found a small panel that worked well with the colours so added it in.  

Time Machine is a 3 yard pattern by Fabric Cafe and I had cut this as one of the many kits I bagged up last December while tidying and organizing my sewing space.  It is done and in the stack for Quilts of Valour.  

This is the first of many sixteen patch quilt tops that has been quilted and bound, ready for donation.  A great use of fat quarters that I don't know what to use them for.

Last year for the Rainbow scrap challenge, I made a lot of plus blocks.  I managed to get four quilts from all the blocks and this is the first of the group.   

 
My floral bin got opened and I cut 10" strips off most of the fabrics and then did the same with some green fabrics.  I decided to make a Kimberly block by GE Designs so this was the first test block.

Heartstrings challenge for May was to use to a ruler or other piece of equipment that was sitting alone and forgotten.  I dug out my tumbler ruler that fits on 10" squares and cut a bunch of this shape.   Below is the final quilt top, pressed and waiting to be hung up for quilting at the end of the month.

I made another take out but this time I mixed up all the blocks as the pattern showed to do.  I might like the one made with batiks last month better, where I matched the blocks?  But, lots of florals used in this so that is a good thing.

The finished Kimberley top now waiting for quilting and binding.

This is square dance which is a simple pattern made from ten inch squares.  Cutting two at a time, slice off 2 x 2.5" strips, then turn and cut a 5" square, cut two more 2.5" strips and swap out the center square. 

This is a pattern by GE Designs called strips and salsa.  It is now put together and I added borders to make it slightly larger and also waiting for quilting and binding.  

Running Doe makes patterns for Villa Rosa and they are having a sew along.  This is the pattern for May called Throwback.  I chose some reds and white/red prints and made the blocks.  This isn't my usual choice of pattern but good to try something out of my comfort zone.  I did add in borders that contain Canadian words and phrased to make the quilt large enough for a Quilt of Valour.  And again, waiting patiently for quilting and binding.

The Rainbow scrap challenge colour for May is pink.  I debated about making the blocks because pink doesn't work that well in many of the quilts I make but, my container of pinks was overflowing so decided to reduce the amount of scraps on hand.  First is the L block. 

My crossed stars plus the smaller pointed quarter stars. 

Love the garlic knots and made a few of those. 

I did the scrap piecing on paper as I usually do and that always helps to get rid of some scrappy strips.  My container is just barely below the top but better than it was. 

Patterns by Jen puts out a monthly block challenge as well as a colour and I make two blocks with lights and darks reversed.  May is done!

A picture of my strips and salsa with the borders added and you can see the beginnings of the throwback block on the wall.

May means Mother's Day and this is a lovely picture of our mum.  I remember the chair she is sitting in and the glass in her hand... and I think I might have been in grade two?  A true guess, I really don't know for sure.

And the three amigos... two sisters and a daughter/niece.  We celebrate Mother's day together and have a good catch up with the three of us never short of anything to converse about!

As I was heading to bed last evening, I noticed the moon.  We have been having some really rainy days here so, even though a day early, the full moon is almost happening because tonight, who knows if it will be clear skies with the moon shining? 

The last week of the month is quilting marathon time and as you can see by my pictures, lots of tops waiting their turn to be finished.

Busy binding finished quilts

 I have been busy binding all the quilts that were quilted the last week of April.  The pile of quilts waiting is getting smaller and the pile of labeled and bound quilts is getting higher! The rubber duckie fabric was used in the first of many quilts I will make from the yardage on hand.  I have cut kits for this simple pattern and can quickly sew up a top at our monthly sew-ins.  This one is a preemie for our local NICU. 

A Duck duck goose panel that I had on hand and am sending this to Ronald McDonald house.

Quilt was made from fabric tossed at me in a bag at one of our Modern guild meetings.  I added in the center block to make it a 9 patch and found some bright and wonky border fabric in my stash.

Another panel from the modern guild (I think - it got a bit confusing when I pulled panels from my stash) This will go back to the guild for our community quilts.

I really am not sure where this beige center came from... but it was easy to find fabrics to add as borders to make it little larger and I got it to preemie size.

These three quilts came from an older quilter who has given up her lifelong craft and the centers were in a box of fabrics she was disposing of.  We have no idea who made the centers of each of these but I didn't want them to get donated to the thrift shop so added borders to get them to preemie size. 

That is 8 children's quilts finished for donation. 

This is a Sew Quick 3 yard quilt for Quilts of Valour.  

Villa Rose pattern: Take Out.  I messed up when I made this.  I matched the fabrics and they were supposed to be all mixed up.  Oh well.  Another project in a bag tossed at me during a Modern guild meeting.  I added in a few more batiks to give a little more variety.  I will make this again and mix up all the blocks.  This pattern used 10" squares and was super simple to make. 

I found this pattern online, somewhere?  It is called Corn off the Cob and used a variety of reds, browns and cream fabrics in my stash in my winter home.  Another quilt for Quilts of Valour. 

I did NOT make this quilt but I finished it with quilting, binding and a label for Quilts of Valour.  The top was made by Darlene H. 

Another quilt that I quilted, labeled and bound that was made by Debbie D for Quilts of Valour.  A great use of red scraps. 

I made this 3 yard Courage quilt by Fabric Cafe from fabrics donated to Quilts of Valour by Doris.  A simple pattern and I combined donated fabrics with some of my Canadian themed prints that were leftovers from other quilts.  This was quilted by Dianne Mitchell of Chilliwack and a big thank you for her time and efforts for Quilts of Valour

Another quilt made by me using a pattern designed by Paul Legere for Quilts of Valour.  Dianne Mitchell also quilted and bound this quilt so another huge thank you to her. 

Dianne quilted and bound this Town Square, 3 yard quilt top I made for Quilts of Valour.

I still have 4 quilts left to bind but am waiting for more labels from Quilts of Valour... poor planning on my part but didn't realize I was running out.  I also hadn't planned on getting this many tops quilted and ready for binding.  My week of a quilting marathon was very productive and also getting the finished quilts from Dianne was a bonus. 

There are two more finishes waiting for pictures.

I need to take some outside pictures of our yard... grass has been cut and new growth appearing on lots of my shrubs.  An exciting time of year waiting to see what is going to grow and produce some lovely colour in the yard.  

Back to binding... and planning my May projects... and going to quilt shows... and playing outdoor tennis... and driving to a variety of medical appointments... and maybe getting windows clean? 

Once again, very busy with quilting but not much to show at this time

 May 1st and had a great last week of April.  My new method of dealing with feeling overwhelmed with fabric and projects is working to ease my frustrations and lack of finished projects.  The last week of the month is quilting time.  And, I quilted.  

I started two days early and got all the small kid's projects layered and quilted and binding made though not yet attached.  So, those quilts are waiting for labels and binding.  

However, I quilted and avoided my computer, my phone, ignored Pinterest and Instagram and kept my reading time to before bed.  And, success, because I have 18 quilts to bind this week!  

I did work on my Strips and Salsa while making bindings.  I tried to cut bindings as soon as I finished quilting on a top. 

I also cut my leftover plus blocks up and turned them into orphan blocks to donate to Quilts for Survivors.  No waste here! 

My piles of quilts that are now waiting patiently for labels and binding.  I quilted 3 more on the weekend and by the last day of April, was working on bindings.  I cannot show any of the finished quilts as the Strips and Salsa blocks are in the way of my hanging system so will get those blocks sewn so I can hang quilts for pictures.

Today is May 1st and I have completed binding and labels o these four quilts and pictures will taken so you can see them properly.  Patience... it will happen.

I cannot bind these quilts at the moment because I ran out of labels for Quilts of Valour... ugh!  So, have sent in a request for more labels but it will take awhile for them to arrive here in western Canada. 

That leaves me this pile of the kids quilts and will work on these this afternoon and hopefully get half way through. 

A short post!  But, you know I am busy and paying attention to my new system.  This first week is binding and getting projects organized for the month as well as a good tidy/clean up and putting away fabrics that aren't in their proper place. 

List for May... which will change as I think of things:

1. Bind with labels, all my finished quilts

2. Strips and salsa put together into a top

3. Finish 16 patch on design wall

4. Package up all the orphan blocks as well as some quilt tops I am donating and a quilt from Carol to go to Survivors at Quilt Canada in Edmonton in June.

5. Work with florals: 10" squares... I have lots of ideas for projects to make with aged fabric. 

6. Two Canada blocks to go with a bunch that friend have been helping with from the sesquicentennial

7.  Organize hug block for monthly guild meeting as a demo

8. Dig out a very old UFO that features Canadian themed blocks made in a block swap.  Just get it done!

9. Rainbow scrap blocks

10. Patterns by Jen for May block

Off to work on more binding which I do by machine because I make "washer/dryer" quilts meaning that my quilts that I donate are intended to be used, get dirty, and washed, put in the dryer and not worry about the quilt falling apart.