Got it Done in April

I'm happy to report I got my three goals done for April.  Here is my third which was #2 on my list and my first block in my NewFO for April:
I'm not going to do the thread work until I find out if I trim it before or after I raw edge applique. Then as I want to do this QAYG, I'll do the sashing as part of that process. So here is what I've picked for May:
1. Make the rest of the blocks for my DGD's quilt (this will be my NBU challenge for May)
2. Start on the next three applique blocks of my three QIPs
3. Piece the next Block Lotto block. ( Lovely Year of Finishes  for May)

 I'm linking at Judy's Patchwork Times Getting It Done challenge and Barb's NewFO challenge.  Also Esther's WOW - she's getting ready to release two new BOMs! Go on over and bookmark her site. How did you do for April?

BOM on my Design Wall


Working madly to try and get this block done by tomorrow.

I'm linking to Lyn's BOMs Away and Judy's Patchwork Times.  Are you working on a BOM? What's on your design wall?

Stash Report 4/28/13

A first in a long, long while.  I did buy some fabric from equilter.com.  It came Thursday.   I only count fabric in when I don't have a specific project for it.  This was too pretty to pass its sale price.
A gardener's delight!
and the coordinating stripe
I was busy last week finishing a flimsy for St. Anne's.  This doesn't help my destashing because all that fabric is from the St. Anne's donations.  I did use .25 yards to work on my applique blocks and my bird block, so actually used a tiny bit.  I then decided to straighten one of my  stash shelves. It was the less than a half yard pieces one, and found several pieces to equal 1 yard to donate to the Guild. So here are my numbers:
in 3.5 yds.; out 1.25 yds.
Stash YTD: in 6.5 yds., out   38.21 yds.
Donated YTD: 16.34 yds
Net for 2013: out 31.71 yds.
 I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times.  Don't forget to stop by.

Nothing but UFOs for April

I had three goals for April - my one for the NBU was:  #1 Quilt some St. Anne's quilts before the 11th. (Technically these are ufos as they've been sitting around for a couple of month and will be my entry for the April Nothing but UFOs challenge)  I did get them done and you can see them here.

I got #3 done also which was for the Lovely Year of Finishes. Here's my bird block:

It was such a fun block I hope to make more. In fact this is one block lotto I'd like to win! Last I looked 150 blocks had been made for the drawing -wow.  I have a few days left to get my #2 done. Off to work on my whimsical garden block which I started and showed in my previous post.

Applique Friday

Thursday was so busy! So this week it's Applique Friday.  I did do some of the block on Thursday - just didn't have the time to post. Here's the start of my first Whimsy Quilt Garden blocks.
Next are the flower that you see as papers.  In looking over the construction of this quilt, I see it's a good candidate for the quilt as you go method, so I'll be doing that.  I'm linking to Pat Sloan's Show and Tell - lots of eye candy there.

The winner of the book from last week is:  Barbara W. I've sent her an email. Congratulations, Barbara!

This week's giveaway is one whose technique I have used a lot of times to make fast quilts. I have it memorized now and needs a new home.

To win this copy, all you need to do is comment or link to have a chance for it to be yours. Or do both and have two chances. And for extra chances, tell your friends about this giveaway. If they comment or link and mention you in their comment, you'll automatically get another entry in this giveaway. Submissions end Wednesday night. Use the blue link below. And remember, it doesn't have to be applique (that you share that is) - all sorts of eye candy is eligible and very welcome - even projects you finished a while ago - it's all new to me.

WIP Wednesday

  This work in progress is my finished flimsy top for St. Anne's. I call this a finish because I only do the flimsy. I took a  24 by 42 panel and cut off the blocks at top and bottom. I made some row blocks and added them to the blocks and set them on the sides.  Then took a solid to finish at 37 x 35 - a more useable size for a baby quilt.  This WIP now goes to other St. Anne's workers to sandwich, tie, and bind.  I'm linking at WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and Amanda's Finish it Up Friday.

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Wow - Fabric Tuesday

Happy to report I've finished my FMN morning glory block for now.
I fused and positioned the flower heads and embroidered the tendrils.  I've decided to save the rest of the thread work for when I quilt this.  Now to start the Crown of Thorns block.

I'm linking over to Connie's Linky Tuesday and Lyn's BOMs Away as this is a BOM block.  What are you working on?

Design Wall Monday - 4/22/13

I'm working on a St. Anne's baby quilt.  Cut up a panel and trying to make it more square. It would be nice if textile houses would make them closer to 36 by 42 instead of the 26 by 42 that they usually are.  Sometimes I find ones 42" square - that's great!, but not very often.

Am I the only one who feels that way? Any suggestions?

I'm linking over to Judy's Patchwork Times to see other's design walls. Have a wonderful day!



Stash Report 4/21/13

These lilies surprised us!
Not much actual quilting this week using up stash fabric except for a few scraps for my hexie project and a few batik scraps for my morning glory block for a total of .13 yards (LOL).  So I went stash diving and found 7.25 yards to donate to my guild Thrifty Corner.  The money realized from this fund raiser goes to pay for community service endeavors - ie batting, backings, etc. - a good cause.  Here are my numbers:
in 0.0 yds.; out 7.38 yds.
Stash YTD: in 3.0 yds., out   36.96 yds.
Donated this week: 0.0 yds; YTD: 15.34 yds
Net for 2013: out 33.96 yds.
 
 Next week I hope to start another charity quilt and thus move forward with used instead of donated fabric.
I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times.  Check out how others have done.

Friday Finish

I finally gave in and started a hexie project.  I had seen so many beautiful ones online that they finally got to me.  That and the wonderful tutorials out there for making them. One of my favorites is by Becky Goldsmith - she shows you how to use a glue pen and that makes it go fast! Go here to see it.
And here's the one I finished (well, at least the first row - phew! Remember this is new to me):
And of course, I started with one of the smallest templates.  These measure 1/2" on the side, but that's what the pattern I chose calls for.  Now for you hexie veterans a question.  When do I take out the papers?  The center one alreay popped out when I was adding the last ones in the row.  Should I leave the others in until I attach to the background?  TIA!

And I made a lot more progress on my morning glory block:
The flowers are just placed so I could see how they looked with the background.  I have seen some this color on my daily walks. They're on a fence around a senior apartment complex.  I have had white ones and lavender ones in my garden in previous years, but they take up so much water, I've stopped planting them.  Actually, I don't have to as there are so many volunteers. Now these on the block are in very rudimentary stage. I still have to glue down the ridges in the centers and then do some thread work . Then they'll be ready to fuse to the block. You can see at my previous post how speedy I got with this one and see my giveaway too.

I'm linking over to Amanda Jean's Finish it Up Friday. Lots of beautiful finishes over there.

Applique Thursday 4/18/13

Finally made some progress on my Forget Me Not block.  I am learning a lot doing this BOM. People have already finished theirs.  I'm just on block 5. However the quilts are so beautiful, I'm going to keep on going cuz I want one too!  Got more of the greenery done today.

 
Now have to work on the morning glory flower petals.
 
The winner of the Wacky blocks book last week is Hueisei from Malaysia. Congratulations, Hueisei!
 

This week's book has no applique.  Totally piecing.  Has some great quilts and interesting ideas for these kind of quilts.

To win this copy, all you need to do is comment or link to have a chance for it to be yours. Or do both and have two chances. And for extra chances, tell your friends about this giveaway. If they comment or link and mention you in their comment, you'll automatically get another entry in this giveaway. Submissions end Wednesday night. Use the blue link below. And remember, it doesn't have to be applique (that you share that is) - all sorts of eye candy is eligible and very welcome - even projects you finish a while ago - it'll all be new to me.

I'm linking up with Pat Sloan's Show & Tell.  Check it out.

DWM & Mid-Month Check -In

I'm pleased that two of my three goals are done already for this month.  Here are the three other baby quilts I finished for St. Anne's. (you can read about the 4th in my last stash report)
1.
 
2. 
a pre-printed panel from 1987 that finally became a quilt - I just bound it.

3.
a recent panel members sandwiched, tied and turned over to me to bind.
 
I've also finished my bird for Block Lotto. I have the rest of the month to applique.  Yippee!
 
I'm linking to Melissa's a Lovely Year of Finishes and Judy's Design Wall Monday.

 


Stash Report 4/14/13

Finally picked a background for my Whimsical Quilt Garden, so that took care of 2 yards out of my stash. I also worked on figuring a quilt block posted on a yahoo group that turned out to be Cleopatra's Fan for another 1/4 yard.  Here are my numbers:

 in 0.0 yds.; out 2.25 yds.
Stash YTD: in 3.0 yds., out  29.58 yds.
Donated this week: 0.0 yds; YTD: 8.09 yds
Net for 2013: out 26.58 yds.
 
While it doesn't look it - I'm near a third of my goal which is right on target to meet my goal at the end of the year.  And not much so far is donations - woo hoo!  Now have to find something for next week that will use up/ give away at least two more yards. 
 
How are you doing on your de-stashing?  I'm linking over to Judy's Patchwork Times to see how others are doing.
 
Oh, and here is the baby quilt I had to quilt last week - all done and ready to be chosen by one of the new mothers: 
I think this 100% cotton fabric was meant to be a tablecloth for a party.  I cut it in half and added two rows at the top to make it a row quilt.  Then quilted it.
It's not a fancy quilting job, but I tried to reflect the front and do some free motion quilting.  I did draw vertical lines in the center - used a new pen that will iron out when you are done quilting. I was able to bring the flannel back forward to make the binding.
 
 
 
 

Applique Thursday 4/11/13

I never thought I'd say this but after my marathon of finishing 4 charity quilts, I'm bummed out about quilting today.  I hope it goes away soon.  I am happy I got two of my three goals done, but all I've accomplished for my third (and the applique one at that!) is finally decide on the background for My Whimsical Quilt Garden.  Because I'm trying to use up stash, I dug and dug til I found this:
It looks like it would go nicely with those whimsical blocks, and it's a big enough piece for all of the quilt.  I know it isn't yellow as was my first choice, but the only yellows I have seemed too bright for the background. What do you think?

Oh, I am so in need of eye candy.  Here's the book I'm offering this week:
To win this copy, all you need to do is comment or link to have a chance for it to be yours. Or do both and have two chances. And for extra chances, tell your friends about this giveaway. If they comment or link and mention you in their comment, you'll automatically get another entry in this giveaway. Submissions end Wednesday night. Use the blue link below. And remember, it doesn't have to be applique (that you share that is) - all sorts of eye candy is eligible and very welcome - even projects you finish a while ago - it'll all be new to me. 

Design Wall Monday 4/8/13

I thought I had 4 charity quilts to quilt - turns out I only have one to quilt and three to bind.  Am now working on the binding of the third. In the photo above I am sewing the binding to the back of the quilt and then will bring it over to the front and machine stitch it down.  I finished the two others and they are on this pile (the first top two). These will go to St. Anne's for new mothers and their babies.
I'm been reprieved of babysitting tomorrow, so that will give me a good start on quilting the last one and then binding it.  I'm on track to get them done by the 10th to show on the 11th - yeah! My cutting table is my design wall and the extension to the bed of my sewing machine, so that's why I'm showing these today.  What's on your design wall?  I'm linking over to Judy's Patchwork Times to see what others are working on.

Back to binding.

Stash Report 4/7/13

Frank was over for a part of his spring break. We took walks and explored the neighborhood.  Took in a movie, visited family in between spots of computer time.  It's always nice to have him here.

After his dad picked him up, I was able to put in some quilting time.  I sewed together a VA charity quilt for 2 yards out and bound two other charity quilts for .6 yards out.  Hope to get another St. Anne's quilt done today.

Here are my numbers:

 in 0.0 yds.; out 2.6 yds.
Stash YTD: in 3.0 yds., out  27.33 yds.
Donated this week: 0.0 yds; YTD: 8.09 yds
Net for 2013: out 24.33 yds.
 
Still at a snail's pace forward, but it is forward - LOL - I'll have to weed some fabric from my stash for the thrifty corner at our next guild meeting - maybe that will jump start me again to a faster pace.
 
How are you doing?  Would love to see what's happening with your stash.  I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times to see what others have done.

Applique Thursday 4/6/13

My #2 DGS is here for three days.  Enough said.  See you next Thursday!

Here's a couple of  links to some magnificent eye candy,  You know how much I love eye candy - LOL:
http://elmgrovepatchwork.typepad.com/my-blog/2013/03/primarily-quilts-by-di-ford.html

http://www.patchalafolie.com/patchalafolie/retour-sur-expos/creativa-nantes

Oh! and the winner of last week's book is:  Billie!  Congratulations!  I've sent an email.

Bye for now.

Hopeful Lovely Finish for April

Here's the fabric I hope to use to make the bird block for Block Lotto in April:
This will be the first time I make one for them and join in the Block Lotto.  Last month 266 blocks were made and there were six winners.  That's a lot of blocks!  You can read about it here.  It's a bit of a funky block this month and I'm happy about that.  I like to try new blocks.

This will be hopefully my Lovely Finish for April.  Visit them here to see how you could participate in their incentive to finish challenge.

SAHRR Round 5 and 6

  Ready to show rounds 5 and 6. Actually, the prompt for 5 was make 4 of something. So I chose four patch, and actually since that made my q...