Failing at blogging - my best intentions aren't quite good enough

 My last post was July 29 which is almost a month ago.  The crazy part of this is that while I am sewing, I think to myself, I should post on my blog about this project... and then I go onto something else and forget to take pictures.  

But, will endeavour to catch you up on my stitching projects since the end of July. 

My name came up fairly high on the Queen of UFO's list, meaning, I am close to being Queen which means I need to finish an older project.  I dug out some rail fence blocks from the last few years of Rainbow Scrap challenge - all leftovers.  My idea was to add a sashing to two sides and see what happens.  I wanted to alternate the direction of the rails but ended up doing it haphazard rather than a logical plan. 

I also dug out a Tonga Treats package of batik strips of unknown age but am going to guess at least 10 years?  They were all whites and darks and I was a bit stymied as to what to make with them.  I knew I wanted to make a Quilt of Valour. 

I ended up pulling out a variety of red batiks from my stash and had to add in a few more lights and darks and used Simplicity II pattern by Cozy Quilt Designs.  This is a simple design made from 2.5" strips and I think it was an effective use of my aging fabric.

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I also put together another top of leftover rainbow scrap challenge blocks.  This is a bit of a hodge podge of friendship stars, some extra blocks from a Quilt of Valour and some rail fence blocks.  It is scrappy - but I think it works and great use of leftovers! 

And my leftover rail fence blocks got sewn together and now residing on a hanger, waiting for quilts and binding. 

Then I got the Simplicity II batik blocks joined and pressed and it is also waiting patiently, on a hanger.

For a change of pace, I went back to my Aunt Gracie fabrics and finished stitching more half square triangles to create this quilt top.  The blocks are 4.5" which ends up being slightly larger than the preferred size for a preemie, but there was no way to change it without trimming each block to make them smaller and that wasn't going to happen.  The best part of this quilt top was that I was able to put away my AG fabrics and, only two containers, totally organized and tidy. 

Then, time to dig out another Tonga Batik aging package of fabric and this time it was 10" squares.  I have one left which is 6" strips but that can wait.  I decided to make the GE Designs pattern, Kimberley because it is super simple, quick and mindless stitching.  It works up fast and a great way to use the squares of batiks.  I did dig out a few more fabrics to go with what was in the package to get the quilt to the size I wanted. 

The cutting is so easy with fabrics stacked on each other and then a quick switch of the light and dark center and off you go to the machine.

 

After finishing the last Aunt Gracie quilt top, I got it layered and then had 4 preemies for quilting and binding.  They got finished and are waiting to be donated to the local NICU.

While I was putting away the Aunt Gracie containers, I spied a container of leftover 16 patches from quilts we made for our host and hostess of our Wednesday sewing diva group.  They moved to a new house 8 years ago (am guessing) and they wanted a home where we could continue to meet and enjoy refreshments.  We made them each a quilt and the blocks were contributed by members of our group.  I had the leftovers and thought I could make a Quilt of Valour.  That idea didn't work very well as there was lots of sewing themed fabrics.  I remembered that I had some leftover blocks on a hanger so they got added to the mix.  I also found some fat quarters that were suitable and made more blocks.  In the end, I had three quilt tops ready to stitch.  One for QOV, another for Quilts for Survivors and a third one that will be a gift to a special person (which used up the sewing and knitting themed blocks).  One of these is stitched together and the other two are still on the design walls.

This quilt was made by a dear friend of ours who was in our guild and she sadly died earlier this year, leaving behind a quilt not quite finished for one of her grandsons.  Another good friend of mine was in touch with the family and she found it and had to do some frog stitching where the quilting was not great due such poor health of the quilter.  I quilted it and bound it and put on a label and it is now ready to be sent to the grandson, fulfilling Rose's wishes.  This was a true feel good project.

My Patterns by Jen blocks got done for August... RSC in yellows are not started yet but, I still have a week left!

Weather here is crazy... yesterday, cool morning temperatures and lovely tennis weather and today, we are looking out at thick smoke as winds from the east brought us the horrible air conditions from the interior of the province.  I am trying to not complain because we don't have fires, just the after effects.  But, for sure, a/c is running with an expensive filter in place to clean our house air.  A good day to sit and write my blog!

If I wrote a blog post more often, it wouldn't take me as long... and I totally admire my blogging friends who post daily, with loads of pictures.  But, am now up to date for August and hopefully, won't go another month without recording what I am doing and working on. 

Ignoring my new 'age' and trying hard to stay younger!

 For some reason, this is the first time I remember feeling "my age" and for sure, am slowing down and not nearly as productive as in past summers.  I am also tempted with doing a lot more reading than in past summers which is ok but not much to show for my time. 

The weather has been hot (for us) and constant heat is a bit annoying.  It is much harder to go outside and work in the garden or even sit outside to read.  However, last weekend, we had rain and a cooling off so this week has been so much nicer!We have had a few days without using the a/c which means the house is quieter with more fresh air enjoying open doors and windows. 

I settled into a good routine with the day of rain and decided to get all my leftover bindings out and start joining without much thought other than pink for girls and no pink or fuschia for boys. 

Once that task was completed, I went full steam ahead with binding of 14 preemie quilts and 1 youth quilt.  I did a few a day and worked as steadily as time allowed.  After 3 days, my quilts were bound. 

 Two of the quilts were kits from the guild that I picked up in June and they are now finished in time for the September meeting.  Ahead of schedule.

It was time to work on my Patterns by Jen blocks for July and the color was Purple.  As mentioned previously, I am making two blocks with the colours reversed which gives me 24 by the end of the year and 20 makes a good size quilt when sashings are added. 

Then my Rainbow scrap challenge using reds for July got made.  Strange how my container of red strips is still just as full?

And, my plus blocks got made using reds.  I realized that with a few more blocks, I would have enough for a quilt top.

I had a very good friend come for an overnight visit.  We are best of friends and have known each other for about 65 years.  She lives in California but we chat daily because we play online Scrabble at take at least one turn if not two per day and always add in some personal tidbits about our day, activities, family etc. 

It was perfect weather to sit outside with some wine and watermelon... actually wine for me and BC Apple Cider for her!  One of her favourite beverages that is Canadian and not available in the U.S. 

I worked on my Aunt Gracies and made two tops but 15 blocks extra!  So with another 5 blocks made, I will have a third top.  I cut the pieces, tidied up the fabric bins and set aside to work on at our next Modern Guild Saturday sew in. 

Then time for something completely different!  Our garage floor was looking awful and it was leaking into the basement below last winter so we decided it needed some TLC.  We ordered special paint for garage floors that are driven on.  Apparently the heat from your car tires when you park is tough on the paint which makes sense.  So, garage got emptied but thankfully, we had done a good clean up last fall and moved things out there that could be stored elsewhere, given away or trashed.  

We are quite pleased with ourselves... it looks really good even though it was a bit of work although my fitbit gave me credit for using the elliptical machine for two hours each day!  My husband was able to start off the painting and then it was too much for him so I finished and then did a second coat.  Now I have to be patient to wait 5 days before I can park my car inside. 
We are also happy that our local tennis courts are finally painted and have the next up and gate unlocked... ready for us to play there. 

My other accomplishment this month was to package up 12 finished quilts and mail to New Brunswick to the Quilts of Valour rep there for distribution.  Apparently, they are really lacking in donated quilts in the maritime provinces so doing my small part to help out.

I also packaged up all of quilt tops that were waiting to be quilted and bound (8)and mailed them them off to Newfoundland to a rep there and she will distribute them to long arm quilters for finishing which means I have only tops for Quilts for Survivors on hand to be quilted or mailed off without quilting - still trying to decide.  My hangers are quite empty!  

Quilts of Valour will be next on my list since there are none on hangers and the Heartstrings group chose 1 yard pieces as their precut for August so time to dig out my books making 3 yard quilts and kit some projects to work on over the next month.  

We are enjoying another day or two of cooler weather.... will only get to 80º this afternoon so I spent time this morning weeding in the garden.  Now, this afternoon, time to dig out fabric for the three yard quilts. 

July... a busy twelve days so far this month.

 I had/have a purpose and have been motivated by having a birthday and realizing that the years go by and eventually, life as I know it, will come to an end.  

It all started with two kits that I picked up at a guild meeting to make preemie quilts for local NICU.  That has always been near and dear to my heart having been through the experience of having grandsons born at 25 weeks gestation and only one surviving.  He spent 3 months in the NICU and I know that quilts serve a number of purposes.  They keep the baby in the dark which is good for the development of their eyes and they add colour to the nursery as well as helping parents to quickly identify the location of their baby's isolette.  They move the babies as they grow and develop with the most in danger preemies at one end of the room and as they improve, they get moved to the next row and so on until they are mature and healthy enough to go into a small cot.  

I made one of the kits and while making the second realized that it was cut strangely and I messed up so needed some pink girlie fabric to fix it. I dug out my bin of girlie baby fabrics.  Once the top was made, I thought I would dedicate the month of July to making more quilts for the NICU.  I pulled out another container of baby fabrics.  Then a third, fourth and so it goes.  Once I had them all out, I thought it would be a good time organize.  UGH. 

I stopped and thought about how to organize and what I would use so that meant looking at the most common patterns I use for these small quilts.  Most of them are made with happy blocks which need a center square and a frame.  It seems that I really like 3.5" centers and 5" centers.  I did find some blocks made using 10" squares and then there was a stack of 6.5" and 6" squares already cut.  

From there, I figured out that I would first go through and pull out all the larger pieces of fabric that were a meter/yard or longer and put them into a container.  They will be good for borders or making strippie quilts.  Next, I sorted fabrics and pulled out all the fat quarters and filled a container with those.  They will be good for either Yellow Brick Road pattern or Carolyn's blocks.   

After that, anything that was chunky or smaller or a long quarter of fabric, got cut up. I cut into 6", 5" and 3.5"  with a few 4" squares and all got stacked nicely.  I detest cutting squares but I was motivated by Crazy Quilter on a Bike and saw her cutting up a bin of brown fabrics.  If she could do it, so could I! 

Then, any fabric that would work as frames got cut into 2" strips.  Back in February, our Wednesday quilt Diva group had done a big push to make a bunch of 5" surrounded blocks and then quilt tops for preemies, youth and Residential school survivors and I had a nice stack of the leftover blocks for kids.  I kept cutting and then cut the strips into the size needed to surround 3.5" centers. 

Then it was time to start sewing and I worked for a few days making the framed 3.5" blocks, called Happy Blocks by the Heartstrings group I belong to.  I got six quilt tops made.  

This is one of the first ones I put up on the design wall. The blocks measure 6" finished so there are 30 blocks in a quilt. Six quilts made so 180 blocks with a few leftover to get me started next time I have an idea that I should make more of these blocks.  I do have a nice stack of the centers left as well for the next go round.

After these were made, I switched to working with the 5" centers and got 7 quilt tops made with those.  Some of the blocks were leftover from the February block making spree and then I carried on with what I had spent my time cutting. The first one I made, I used alternating frames but the rest were made using a variety of fabrics. 

All seven tops are finished.

So that gives me a total of 15 preemies waiting for me to spend a few afternoons cutting flannelette backing and batting, layering the top, batting and bottom and then I need to get busy doing some quilting.  After that, I need to dig out fabrics for binding and see what is in my stash of striped fabrics as they all seem to work well with scrap quilts.   My goal is to be finished by the end of the month. Besides having 15 tops ready for the NICU, I feel so good about my children's fabric organization. All neatly labelled and stacked so I can see what I have at a glance.  The top bin that the lid doesn't fit on is all fabric that I think will make pillowcases for toddler, children, and older kids and can be used for making the cases for the kids going to burn camp in 2024. 

Even better!!!  Empty bins!  Yippeee.  That feels so good.

I had a great surprise today at our Wednesday Diva group.  One of my friends made me something special.  I love to read for a bit in bed at night and I tuck an extra pillow behind my head and then usually drop my book on the floor when I turn out the light. I love it!  A huge thank you to Marge. 

I have tidied up all my mess from the last twelve days and will vacuum thoroughly, empty scrap baskets etc and am ready for the next step in finishing these quilts.  I felt a bit like I was in a factory, chain piecing block after block, but all done and am happy. 

This is quilted for a dear friend who has passed away and had started a quilt for her grandson.  Between a few of us in the guild, some stitching was undone that didn't look good, and I quilted it.  Waiting for label information and then I will bind it and a special boy will get a wonderful hug from his departed Grandma. 

Sympathy for those having horrible summer weather while others are melting under extreme heat.  Mother Nature is cranky these days.