Q2 Goals

I am going to attempt finish more in Q2 than I did in Q1.  I finished 2 out of 8 projects but didn't link up in time.  I only wrote about the one finished table runner but not the quilt.  I still need to do that.
I think I need to par down the list and hopefully stay focused and funnel my sewing time to finishing up some of these this quarter.  My sewing in the summer always slows down too just too many other things to do!

Here is my Q2 List:

1.  Blue and White 16 patch -Roll over from last month but now the quilt top is together and the back are complete just to baste, quilt, and bind.

2.  Churn Dash Mini- finish piecing.  I bought my solids that I needed.  Roll over from last quarter and no progress.

3.  Tula Pink 100 blocks-Rollover since 2013!  I did lay this out with several options and still not ready to commit.  I did figure out that I have one block missing!

4.  Cotton and Steel Mini quilt for a IG swap.  I just ordered my fabric and I have finalized my plan.  I printed out paper samples of the fabrics and played with them.  The colors were off but I had a general idea of what I wanted but needed to play with out buying all the options in my head.  Here is a picture of my plan.  The colors read more blue but it is more green.  I can't wait to start piecing this one.

Here is the fabric - the pink didn't make it yet.

5.  Binder Cover- I make a cover for the club I am in at my LQS so I paper pieced this heart and need to finish it up.

I am leaving it at 5 and two of these are smaller projects.  As I am writing I am thinking of all the other things I have started or that I want to start so hopefully this will keep me focused and productive this quarter.

Linking up to On the Windy Side.

Q1 2015 Goals

So a fresh start with some new goals and a few left over from last year (and maybe 2013) as well.  This year the Finish Along is taking place at On the Windy Side.  Hopefully this will keep me motivated to finish a few of them up.  As usual I put it all on here and see what happens.

1.  Moda Friendship Quilt - this quilt has been on my list all of 2014 and while it is together and FMQ has begun it is big but I so want this one done so I don't have to have it on here for another quarter!

2.  Tula Pink City Sampler - I did get all of my blocks together and figured out a background color now I just need to get the top done.  I think this one may to to the longarmer.  This one was on my list all of last year.

3.  Blue and beige 16 patch scrap quilt - I pulled this one last quarter from the scrap bin and have not worked on it at all but Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict is starting a QAL for the Hands 2 Help quilts so this is perfect since it is just waiting to be used.

4.  Moda Modern Building Blocks - pulled the fabric but haven't started

5.  Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt from Quiltville - I have worked on this in November and December and lots of the pieces are made not all but I love the finished quilt so this should be fun to make

6.  Church dash blocks - I have wanted to make this block for a while and I needed about 20 blocks for a project so I made them up one night.  I love them.  Not sure how they will finish up but excited to see what I come up with.

7.  String Quilt - I made the light one last year and still have some left and the dark bin is over flowing so planning on using them.  So either a giant star or the spider web or both I really do have enough.  Thinking this will be a Spider Web block.

8.  Runner for the washing machine/dryer- The one I have now is about 19 years old and wearing out I really need a new one.  I am going to use the FQS new free pattern with a charm pack I had stashed away.

Really not sure how I will even finish half of this list but I sure am going to try!  

Q4 Finish along goals

Not sure how doable all of these items are but I am excited to work on each of them so really hoping that lots of sewing time is in my future.

Roll Overs- I started the first 2 in 2013 and really want them done in 2014 so they are at the top of the list.

1.  Tula Pink City Sampler

2.  Moda Friendship Quilt - needs to be basted and quilted 90 X 90

3.  Scrappy Batik Majestics - basted just needs to be quilted.

4.  Light String quilt - 24/42 done

5. Blue and beige 16 patch scrap quilt - pulled from the scrap bins

6.  Layer Cake - Quilt for Christmas  I won this in the Love Moda Blog Tour and I think this might be a good one for my SIL and BIL. I have the grey to go with it as well.

7.  Halloween Table Runner - needs to be quilted

Not listing but want to start-

1.  Moda Building Blocks- Picked out fabric but need to finish the first two before I start this.  I wonder if I will listen?!

2.  I think I am crazy enough to do another Quiltville Mystery.  Really shouldn't based on all I want to get done but love the bright colors this year.  Lots of pieces - but fun not knowing what you are making and all of them are pretty when they are done.  So I will start but no intention of finishing this one this year!

3.  I am also going to make a few Christmas gifts but haven't even figured it out yet!

So that is it for now.  I am linking up with The Littlest Thistle and we have until the 14th - cutting it close once again!

Rail Fence Charity Quilt

Clever name right?  Really can't come up with one for it but I finished it!  I didn't start this until about the 15-16th of the month and I finished it up on Sunday the 24th.  That might be one of my quickest finishes.  I made this using Crazy Mom Quilts tutorial for Margaret's Hope Chest.  So this will be in the mail tomorrow along with this quilt I made a couple months ago.

The pattern was easy and I already had most of the strips cut that were left over from another project I had to add a few  more strips in since I didn't use all of the colors.

I quilted it in all over swirls and I as I went on they were looking better.  I did quilt this on my new Juki (which I love) and it was so much easier with the extra throat space.  I still have to work on my curves and going to fast and the stitches end up a little to big.  The tension was great a small adjustment and on my practice piece I could not tell the front from the back!

I used to have an issue with starting and stopping and getting those little jagged lines on my old machine with this one that really only happened once or twice.  Not sure what is different but I don't have them each and every time.

I used a dark grey Auril thread on the top and in the bobbin.  I used a 90 needle first time of that I have always used that size for FMQ.  I normally use an 80 and even a 70.   I thought the hole was bigger but really it seems fine now.

Next up is the Badger quilt,  Sam did want to know why I finished this one prior to his I liked that this one was smaller and it was a warm up for the bigger one.

I also have made progress on my Moda Friendship I have one block to finish and sew on the ends and then to get the back together which is not too much piecing!  Yeah!  Really excited for this one too.

Linking up to Let's Bee Sewcial, Crazy Mom Quilts. I will be linking up for some Friday Finishes as well and this was on my Q3 list too so this is the first one to be completed.

Q3 Goals

We are through half of the year and I am definitely not through half of things I wanted to make this year. My list of what I want is growing faster than my finishing list.  Isn't this every quilters dilemma.  I have been carving out time weekly to sew and I am really excited about a few of these.

So my list in the order I am hoping to finish:

1.  Badger Quilt - Son #2 is waiting for this one and I am almost there so this one will get done.  One border on and the other almost ready to go on.  Yeah 1" strips - love the look but that's a lot of strips to fit across an 80" quilt!

2.  Moda Friendship Quilt- This one has been on the list for a while now.  However I received an email this week that my long armer is offering 15% off in July, and this one is really big so that may get me to get this one done!

3.  I also want to make the Rail Fence for Margaret's Hope Chest that Crazy Mom Quilts is hosting by August 1st.  I have extra strips cut from the batiks and then that would use all that up!

4.  The Stitch n Flip I started in April at Paducah for my niece for Christmas.

5.  Tula Pink last year's Summer Sampler  Have about 45 more blocks to go.  Nice to be able to finish this summer!

6.  Batik Scrappy Majestic-this one is cut and ready to go and thinking it will be a donation quilt or someone at work.  (I just found out one of co-workers is making a granny square afghan for me!)  This one she might like.  So we will see.

7.  String Quilt-I need to use up some scraps and I love string quilts I really want to just do one with all the light fabrics but I have so many!  My plan is just use the lights but we will see how it goes.

8.  Aviatrix Medallion Quilt-I love this quilt and a few quilting friends are making it and I want one of my own. I am going to cut into my Botanics bundle I got for Christmas.  No need to save it!

I am loading this one up.  This way whatever strikes my fancy I can work on and hopefully finish!  I am linking up at Q3 Finish Along with The Littlest Thistle.

Happy Sewing Everyone!

Q2 Update

Here is a list of what was on my list and what did get done.

1.  Badger Quilt for son #2- Worked on it but not done.  Here is the top almost done.  I have two rows to sew on the top and bottom of very skinny strips.

2.  X and Plus Quilt - That was a finish!  Read full post here.

3.  Moda Friendship Quilt- nothing done on this one!

4.  Kids Charity Quilt-Complete- Full post here.

So I made it to 50%.  Not so good.  I thought focusing on one thing at a time and a shorter list would help get closer to 100% but not so much.  Oh well!  I did get lots of sewing done just not in the month of June so let's see what can get done in the 3rd quarter.  That is crazy how fast the time goes!

I will be making another list and giving these and a few others projects another attempt to make it to the done pile.

Linking up to Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social and WIP Wednesday.

Happy Sewing!

May Goal Accomplished

So happy that I finished my May goal.  Let's forget the fact that it was April's goal as well for a Lovely Month Of Finishes.  I actually finished two quilts last night!  I was very happy with getting them done and they way they both turned out.

My goal was my X and Plus quilt and I started this one back in the beginning of 2013 and it has been on my Quarterly Goals and few monthly goals since then.  But no more she is done and I love it.

I started this quilt out as my first swap on Flickr.  That was fun to sew up blocks and then get that many back in the mail in someone else's fabric.  I think my scraps are not as fun, nice, or cool as someone else's so this was perfect.  It mixes it up and I love all the different fabrics in it.  I then made the rest of the blocks and from the looks of this quilt I definitely like orange!

I had pulled a 3 different bindings and I had orange in my head and the Lotta Jansdotter's trees was the perfect color to me for the binding and then 3 other "judges"agreed with me.  Poor Sam was the only one who liked the blue and we were all in agreement that the red one I picked didn't work.  So I went with orange much to his dismay.  This was also the first time I used 2 1/4" binding and it worked out really well.

As for the back I used up stash in my never ending quest to use more fabric.  (It doesn't seem to be working).I quilted this on the my new Juki.  I love it however, there was a problem with the walking foot and a new one is being sent.  It was making awful noises and would even jam up.  Very frustrating! My friend has this machine and I borrowed hers, that one worked perfect!  So I know it is not user error.  There are a few things to learn on a new machine!

I did three lines through diagonally on each of the blocks.  This quilt is so soft and can't wait to use it.

This is also the one that I had ripped some lines of stitching out and the back came out as one of the best ever!  I am so happy I did that.  (that is some really old vintage fabric on the back).

I am linking up today at Crazy Mom Quilts, Whoo Whoo it's Friday, Lovely Month of Finishes at Sew Bittersweet Designs and this one is also on Q-2 Goals so linking up at The Littlest Thistle when the time comes.

Thanks for reading and hope you have a wonderful weekend which includes some sewing!

Any Which Way Finish

I finished my Riley Blake Challenge Quilt and I even named it!  I don't name things often but I am calling this one Any Which Way.

I am really happy with how it turned it out too.  I can tell you that I would not have put these fabrics together myself and was really not sure what to do.  I had decided that I wanted to do large flying geese and that I would use all of the fabrics and just add white.  I did not want to buy any fabric for the challenge either and I didn't.

What I originally thought was my idea, I just didn't like.  So I kept moving them around until I liked what I was seeing. This is when the design wall or in my case a piece of batting pinned to the wall comes in really handy.  I had the general idea down and my younger so thought "that is pretty cool Mom, but you should put the fabrics in order"  I couldn't have agreed more on that note.  I did that and I loved it.  I can say this is the first time that I did anything like this and it was fun to do.There was some trial and error but the end result worked for what I had in my head.

Then came the quilting.  I started with the flying geese.  Then added the center.  That happens to be my favorite part too!

I loved doing that back and forth lines too.  I think I need a pillow made in this same design and quilting.

Then the large white triangles.  Those were a little big to get those lines as straight and even as I would like.  My FM foot I can not use a ruler either.  That will take some more practice yet.

Then I decided on small stippling.  in the rest of the areas.  While I was finishing it, I kept thinking of yellow as the binding and had a piece just big enough that worked.  I love the yellow binding.  I am normally either same color as the background or a dark color.  My other one I used navy.

This little quilt finished up at 31" x 33".  Kind of a weird dimension.  Not sure where this one will live yet but it makes me smile when I look at it.

Linking up at NTT and Crazy Mom Quilts and Quilt Matters and Can I Get a Whoo Whoo It's Friday for the finishing parties and when the time comes also linking for Lovely Month of Finishes and this is also on my Q1 Goals for 2014 Finish Along.  Feels good to have it done and I love it!

First Finish

My first finish of the year is for a Lovely Year of Finishes.  So I am off to a good start for the year.  This little quilt was the left overs from my Flying Geese Riley Blake challenge fabric.  I had enough to finish up a small wall hanging too.  Scraps really do go a long way!

The lay out is from Jaybird's book Skip the Borders.  I used the general layout but not the sizing for the HST's.  I was using what I had and this is it.  I had a dark navy in the very large stacks of solids that I had that worked.  I really wanted to get the navy checked but didn't!

I took a second picture of this one from the side and since it is either 40 below or snowing here there may not be any outdoor photos till March!  This is some crappy weather around here. So I taped this one on my wall in my office, and snapped a couple of photos.  I thought the side view looked kinda cool.

It looks bigger in this one than it really is.

This quilt measures 30' x 30".  Next on the list is the flying geese Riley Blake Mini Quilt.  It is basted and ready to go.  Hoping it will happen this weekend.

I am linking up to A Lovely Month of Finishes and NTT.

Also Linking up to Crazy Mom for Finish it up Friday.

This one also meets one of my goals for for Q-1 Goals and linking up at the finishing party at The Littlest Thistle.

2014 Q1 Goals

Starting the year off with a hefty list.  I am thinking its winter lots of time indoors and not much other things planned so I should be able to sew lots of things!  Well, that will be the goal anyway.  The goal for 2014 is to sew from stash and no buying fabric for the first 6 months.  I am sweating that one a bit.  But we will see how this works and since I have lots on my list and no need for fabric we should be good!

So to the list:

1.  Tula Pink blocks-  I have a bet with a friend that it will be done by March 31st.  I have 47/100 done and nothing planned so I need to get working on that one.

2.  Moda Friendship Quilt- This was the club quilt from last year.  I have the blocks done and a layout planned.

3.  Badger Quilt - I need one graduation quilt and all boys I know in Wisconsin love the Badgers and this one is going to be going to UW Madison!  This one should be fun.

4.  Riley Blake Challenge - I finished the top and now just have to figure out the quilting. This will be the first time I came up with something on my own.   So far so good!

5.  Left over Riley Blake fabric- Planning on using it all up and have enough to make two projects from cutting off the corners.  I need to add a few solids to it.  This one is going to be my Lovely Month of Finishes Goal for January.  Hopefully the ones I pick each month I can focus and get done.

6.  X and + quilt - I really need this one to get done.  It has been on my list for over a year.  Lost momentum on it and it just sits!

I think that is enough to keep me busy this quarter!  Now to get sewing!

Linking up at The Littlest Thistle for Q1 Goals.