Hello August

August

I am not going to try for another 4 tops (even though I'd like to) - but I do have some desires/goals for this month.

I have another retreat this month so I have more retreat projects - I had two of these ready at the last retreat knowing I would have left overs for this one. Retreat projects even if they are a goal are just want to's and don't carry the weight of I have to get this done.

Retreat Project #1- Frog Works  I keep taking this to this retreats I want to get it going at some point.  

Retreat Project #2 - Stack and Flip, using this fabric.

Retreat Project #3- Grandma's House 

I have all the blocks done - I need to add sashing and borders. 

Retreat Project#4 - Tumbler Tote.  

Well I've had this one in the Que for a while.  I thought maybe I would take it to the last retreat and didn't.  So it may or may not be going.  I'll keep you posted.

August - beyond the retreat.

Project #1.  I need to start on my new great grand daughter's quilt using this panel.  My goal for this is to get started completing the top would be a bonus.

Project #2 (WIP )  Bag Lady's.  I need to finish up July's and then start on August.  July:  

August:

Now for August and the rest of the months of this year, I really need to focus on free motion quilting.  I have Uh hmm  several tops and after this retreat, I may have more that need to be quilted.  I also have charity  quilts that need to be quilted and finished. AND  I have top stitching galore that needs to be done on the bear quilt that will be done free motion.  So the next few projects will have to do with free motion quilting in one way or another. 

Project #3  (WIP) Bears, Quail and Blue Jay.   

Project #4  (WIP) Charity Quilt - Need to at least start it.  Would be wonderful if I could get it far enough along so I can finish it to turn in at the September meeting. 

As always there are lots more fun things in my bag of tricks that I want to work on and that will come up over the month.  But as far as goals - this is plenty.  I will keep you posted on how I do.  

Blessings, Lynn 

Independence Month Check Up.

Well July was set to be my Independence Month with no goals.  Then I did come up with one item that would be a goal  that I could link up to "One Monthly Goal"  So, I just listed a bunch of stuff I wanted to play with.  No commitment to what I'd get done or if I'd even really get anything done on it.  Anyway this what the month yielded.  
Here is my quilt top that was my "One Monthly Goal"  and one that I took to the retreat. 

 Color me Silly - 

No you are not seeing double - There are two tops.  Originally when I started to make this I wanted to increase it's size and make it a king size quilt for us.  Long story and many years later I decided against it and wanted to just finish the top.  However, when I was done there were a lot of extra cut pieces.  My oldest daughter loves it, so I thought I'd make her a throw.  Well.... there were so many extra pieces I made another complete top - AND.... I still have some pieces.  I even have backing fabric for both. I usually never make a 2nd of a pattern. And I don't make two quilts with the same exact fabric.  Guess this will be a first.

Another retreat project was Savannah Flair.  I had all the blocks done, I just needed to assemble and put the border on.    

It was supposed to have a couple more borders, but I just couldn't get anything to work so i put a small black border on and it will work great because I want to make this into a wall hanging.  

This next one - was my 3rd quilt I took to the Retreat and it was a supposed to be a fast fun quilt.  

"Melody" - 

I had all these strip quilts lined up.... Hmmm not so sure.  Actually I will still do them but unlike cooking from scratch where you can add a little of this and little of that - strip quilts and log cabin quilts are not forgiving of minor discrepancies. It took me way too long here at home after the retreat to fix it.  I will be doing my next one differently.   *smile* 

I finally got June's Bag Lady done... 

And here is my July one -  Not done but got a start on it. 

I did work a little on "Simple Joy" 

I thought I would get more done on this one but I didn't.  

I have to say - it was very freeing to tell myself that all my stuff on my list were want to's not goals.  And I have to say it ended up being a productive month.  I completed 4 quilt tops a couple of small gifts and some embroidery.  Not too bad.  So what's next?  I'll see you in my next post.

Blessings,  Lynn 

Color Me Silly Twins

Well that was a fast week. and I'm still a little tired.  But it's a good tired.  I have lots to tell and not sure if I want to cram it all in one post or break it up but I'll figure it out.  First up I want to talk about my "Color Me Silly" Quilt top.  After all, it is and was my only goal this whole month - the rest of the month is supposed to be "Free" to work on what ever strikes my fancy.  Go ahead say it "Yeah well how's that working for you?"  On Paper it's working fine.  On paper it just says: "If I want to" - in my brain - well lets just say I'm a work in progress. 
Okay enough of that, I want to show you how I did with Color Me Silly.  
Ta-Done! (The top anyway) 

I've really had to work with the pictures to try and get the colors.  It keeps wanting to photograph blue.  

It's really some very pretty colors of purple. You might be able to see it if you click on it to make it bigger.

So I originally had Ideas of making it a king size, because I thought it would be for our bed.  Well for some reason at the time  - (this was several years ago) I could not get the border to line up with the addition of blocks I had used for the enlargement.  Hence why it was put in a pile of UFO's to sit for several years.  

I came across it a couple of months ago and wanted to finish it.  So I took it to the retreat and here it is.  

Now, as Paul Harvey would say - "the rest of the story" -Since I had all the extra blocks cut out I told my oldest daughter (my biggest fan) that maybe I could make her a lap quilt out of the left overs.  So I started making extra blocks with the left overs.  I kept going and going and going.... I have enough to make another whole top. So my Color Me silly will have a twin.  Now the difference being that my sewing now verses my sewing 6 years ago has improved so one will be a little improved from the other.  And as I'm  thinking now - the older one will give me quilting practice for the newer one.  

Thanks for reading my rambling - *smile*.  

I am going to link this up to One Monthly Goal over at Elm Street Quilts.  

I posted this quilt as my goal for July At Elm Street Quilts here.  (#46)

I'm sure I'll be posting more pictures of the twin once I have it together.  And luck have it I also have backing for both.... What was I thinking?

Have a wonderful day - Blessings,

Lynn 

New Little goodies

In the spirit of this being my free month, I can start new things right?  Actually I need to get going on some of my gifts I intend to give for Christmas and the end of the guild year.  I finally found something I want to do as a thank you and Christmas gift to my friend that has served with me as President while I've been Vice President/Project Coordinator for one of the guilds.   She has come up with so many of the projects and has cut out a ton of pieces on her Accu Cutter for workshops - to help me.  I am blessed and thankful.  Hence I wanted something that would be special.  
Well she is very pro-USA, pro-Military, and loves wool and primitive - so I think and am hoping that this will be a good fit.  

I got it as a free pattern from Buttermilk Basin.  

It still needs stitching,  and I will have to do that here at home so she doesn't see. But I think it's going to turn out great. 

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn 

First Annual CRQ Retreat

I have to say this was a great retreat! This was the first retreat for the CRQ guild, and it was wonderful.  Everyone seemed to be happy and in a good mood. We visited and socialized but I still got a lot done.   First up was my Savannah Flair quilt.  Top is done.

Next was Color Me Silly again, top is done.  I will post more about this later. 

Then I worked on this one 

The top is "Almost" Done. Sewing strips together can be a challenge.  I need to adjust a row then put the rest of the borders on. *smile*. 

Then while we were finishing up for the day and waiting for one of the husbands I did a little hand stitching on the Simply Joy quilt I wanted to start.  

Before I sign off though - I wanted to show what some of them were doing with a pattern that was offered. I don't normally do the retreat projects but this looks really fun so I may have to give it a try.  This was two different peoples starts to the pattern.

Well that's how the retreat went - almost 3 quilt tops - pretty good for a 2 1/2 day retreat.  Hope you have a great day!  

Blessings,

Lynn 

Color Me Silly

Well old habits die hard.  *Grin* Only a day or two after I declared I was not going to make any goals for the month of July.  I was just going to work on whatever I want to. Well - I'm going to make a goal.  I have a UFO that has been nagging me and I didn't even list it as one of the things I wanted to play with this month.  Notice the name of this quilt - really appropriate don't you think?  

So I pulled it out today and figured out where I was on it.  And now I want to play with it.  I have it all cut out, 1/2 of the blocks made and one side of the borders made. 
Please excuse the threads..... I'm a quilter.  

So here's where the goal part comes in.  I want to finish this top this month.  And I am going to link this up to "One Monthly Goal".  Over at Elm Street Quilts. 

Please leave a comment or a "Hi" and then go back to Elm Street Quilts and visit some of the other quilters that link up.  
Have a great day!
Lynn 

June Recap and July's Independence

June

1. Next Bag Lady - Buehla - Jean.  I got her almost done!  

2.  Dresden Plate - The next two Dresden plates from Quilt Doodle Doodles.  Goal Met

One is a Pony 

One is a butterfly

They still need a little bit of detail put in by embroidery. 

3.  UFO's 

3A-  Bears- Keep working on the Bear Quilt  - Make Progress. Goal Met.  The branches and trees were just layed out - they are now fused and the 1st border is now sewn on.  

3B -  APQ random UFO # 10 Which for me is "Folk Art Gathering"   Goal Met

Here an image from Cheri Payne the designer of whole quilt. 

Here is the section I worked on.  

Here was my beginning status -  

4.  Charity -  

SNR guild - Need to complete a charity quilt over the summer months.  I have this one made and pinned ready to quilt.  Goal will be to start quilting it.  - No Progress - yet. 

My big machine is in the shop :(.  

5  In Box Jaunt QAL - Lori Kennedy is doing a Free Motion Quilt along.  She started it last month but I'm going to work on it this month. This will give me a good chance to practice my free motion skills.  And hopefully use on the charity quilt. My sewing machine broke down while working on this hence the charity quilt not getting quilted but I did work on this so I will say -   Goal Met

Here is a picture of mine.  

I didn't have a whole lot on my list for the month - good thing - :)  but life comes along and sometimes it doesn't line up with your goals and to do lists.  My sweet honey has been recouping his back.  So our days of him golfing and me sewing has been replaced with us doing little drives and spending the days together.  

July

So July will be declared Freebie month.  Free to work on whatever for however long and we'll see what happens. 

Since the guilds are closed for the summer, and it the celebration of our countries Independence day month - I thought this would be a great month for me to declare independence month on my sewing and quilting goals.  I also have 2 retreats (July 10-12 and Aug 4-6) and an overnight trip coming up.  

Good Excuses huh? 

Anyway I still have my list of things I want to work on - but I'm not going to stress about dead lines or have to's.  Whew - Ahhhh.  *Smile* 

Here are the things I have lined up that I would like to work on for the month of July and part of August.  

I've had this pattern and the fabric I wanted to use on it setting on the shelf for a while.  Well I picked out what fabric I want where and now I just need to start cutting and sewing. 

This next one is a retreat project, pattern on left fabric on right. 

This one is a UFO I had packed away - well I came across it and now I want to finish. I also have the animals done so just top stitching and borders 

 I want to continue making progress with the bear quilt.  

Next is a free motion QAL to practice my quilting on.  I want to keep going on it. 

 These are gifts I want to finish them.

Below is another retreat project - fabric on left pattern on the right.  

This also will  be a retreat project. It is all cut out and ready to go.  I brought it to the last retreat however I didn't get to start it. 

And of course my next Bag lady:Mildred - Rosemary

And if I get very energetic - I may play with this months UFO in the APQ Challenge which is #1 and for me that is Cheri Saffiote Payne's "Winter Quilt". 

I have several blocks prepped and ready to go so I may just get some stitching done on this - But no pressure - It's Freebie Month.  

Here is the post of where I left off last time.

I have other stuff in my brain I'd like to work on - but this is my free month I don't want to overwhelm myself.  *Wink*  

Too many wants - not enough time.  

I'll keep you posted.  

Blessings,

Lynn