Wavy Lines

Just wanted to make a quick post of what I've been up to.  Monday I was able to start the quilting on the Big Military Quilt.  Actually it is for a Veteran facility that helps Veterans that have PTSD or Substance addictions.  Anyway our guild offered to make several of the quilts so they would have one for each of the beds when they open.  And since we are making so many there are not enough people that want to do the quilting of the tops.  So I on my little domestic machine said I would go ahead and quilt it - but it was too big to do any fancy stuff or even practice my free motion quilting on.  (63 x 87) I told them I would just do wavy lines,  and so I am.  It's not fancy but a finished quilt is warmer than a fancy perfect quilt.  (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) 

Here's a shot of the whole bottom.  

My goal for the month was to get started and get at least a 1/3 of the quilting  done.  In the picture below I've made little arrows to show how far I got with the wavy lines.  So I guess I met the goal. 

 

I was waving away - so to speak, and thought I would get more of it done, however my Sister came over and we have some projects that we are doing together so this quilt got put aside and out came some other projects.  :)

We have a Table Topper and a mixer cover that needs to be finished before she leaves on January 19th.  These are the fabrics we are making the table topper out of.  

Then we also need to construct the backing for the Raggedy Ann Quilt and get it quilted and bound. Our family friends that were waiting for a baby to adopt, got their baby girl.  They don't know we are doing it but don't want to delay too much on that either.  

Today we have a couple things going on and then we hope to come back here and get started on piecing the table topper together.  

Have a Blessed day - Lynn 

Third Saturday Sew

On the 3rd Saturday of the month a few of us sewing friends get together and have a potluck and sew all day.  For lack of any other name - I have been referring to it as "Third Saturday Sew".   Well yesterday was our day and I decided instead of lugging my machine around this time I would bring my Blue Jay that I wanted to work on for the Bear Quilt.  Here he is all fused down. 

I will still need to do the top stitching to secure it and some thread play to define the wings and tail feathers.

Once I got the Blue Jay to this point I started working on an enlarged quail. This is the original quail and I really like it - but it needs to be bigger so I am going to do the same one - just enlarged.  

I was able to finish it up today - 

Again, I will need to top stitch and do some thread play on this to finish it up. 

In case you are wondering how I do this - here is a quick overview of what I do.  I take the picture I want to work with and I trace it on to vinyl, Cellophane  or a sheet protector.  

I like to do this for a couple of reasons:  1. It's how I learned to reverse my picture to trace the fusible. 2. It helps in the placement of the pieces when working with layers of colors. That's why I trace all the different shadows and color spots.  Then I trace the shapes onto the fusible and fuse them to the appropriate colors.  

(These are from the Quail)

Then I  cut these out and place and fuse them to my background, using the light box, then the original picture underneath the background.  Then I will use my vinyl to help in placement if I can see the picture from underneath.  

Here is just the picture on the light box with the background on top - 

Then add the vinyl overlay. 

Here you can see where the I can use the picture under to see where to place my pieces. 

I can't see the eye or the where the white stripes go but with the overlay I can. You can really see in the next picture how the vinyl overlay helps.

I got a little side tracked... Back to Saturday Sew.  

    

I got a chance to use my new light box, however it really isn't a box since it is so ultra thin. It worked really good, I'm very happy with it.  Only second use but I used if for a big part of the day and it worked really nice. Everyone seemed to think it was so neat they were all taking down the name of it and going to see if they could find one too.  I got it from Amazon - it was from Tik Teck.  

Here is some of the food.  We also had a sausage, egg, and cheese casserole and I brought baked spaghetti.  And the husband of the ladies house we were at baked cookies for us.  

 Anyway I had a great time as always and thankful for my quilting friends.  I started this post this morning then the day got in the way.  But as you see I was able to finish the quail today and now it's almost time for bed.  
Have a Blessed evening -
Lynn 

Now it's Christmas Again

I am happy as  a little butter clam - I got this wall hanging done.  

The saying means:   "Now it's Christmas Again"  
As I stated in my monthly goal post, my Sister bought this on their visit to Sweden and then she stitched and gave to me.  I'm really happy to have it so I can hang it up - since this will be the first Christmas we have spent together in 20 years.  We of course see each other a couple of times a year but not at Christmas.  

I also got the pillow for my CRQ guild project done.  We are donating these to senior centers for comfort for them.  

I finally got my cleaning and sorting of the sewing room done and I'm working hard to keep it clean.  I even cleaned up and put away everything from these two projects.  Lets see how long I can keep this going.  :) 

Today I'm doing a little cleaning, a little cooking and a little sewing.  Not sure which thing I'm going to work on but I'm sure I'll let you know. 

Have a Blessed Day!  
Lynn 

Acorns Oak Leaves and a Moose

I'm not entirely sure where the weekend went.  I know I spent the whole day with Hubby on Saturday and then Sunday I did some domestic chores - and now it is Tuesday.  But I digress - on Friday and yesterday I made some progress on my goals, yay!  And strangely, I made progress on a goal that I hadn't listed.  Hmmm how did that happen. Sunday I needed to wrap some meat and get it in the freezer and do some cleaning. Once I got that done, I had a little time left before starting dinner to start the quilting on my SNR guild Fall wall hanging.   Here it is finished except the hand stitching of the binding.  

I have really enjoyed these small projects to work on some new quilting designs (new to me) and practice.  That's what I need, practice.   So I want to share some of my little victories.  Oak leafs and Acorns, free motion quilted. 

I played with the filters to see if I could make the pictures above so you can see the quilting.   

So this was on my mental goal list but some how did not end up on my written list.  Never the less it is done for the most part and I'm happy with it. 

Next I top stitched this little kitchen towel for a gift.  I don't think my friend is into Moose, but I thought it was cute so now whenever she hangs it she can think of me.  

And then I started on my Christmas wall hanging.   I put a simple border around and then started some quilting on it.  This is where I left it yesterday.  

 I want to do a swirl in each corner.  That is what I started to do in the right bottom when two things happened.  One I didn't dip low enough for my return above the swirl. Second I ran out of bobbin thread.   So I was in the process of ripping that out when my honey called to say he was heading home from the golf course. 

Oh but I forgot to tell you about my UFO busting that I worked on on Friday.  I did the top stitching on these blocks.  The Bee hive was already stitched, but I added a bee.  You got to have a bee with a hive.  There's 3 of the 7 I want to get done.

 That brings you up to date on where I'm at for my quilting.  I have a big interruption in my planned goals with another project that came up.  We're having some guests for Christmas.  My Sister, Brother-in-law and his Dad are coming for dinner.  So I am making a new table topper for glass dinning table.  I'm using a panel so I hope it goes quick.  I will show pictures of that next time.  

Today, my plan is to go to the gym and then put together some bookshelves we got for my sewing room.  Then I'm sure I will be spending some time organizing and filling them up.   

Blessings to all, 

Lynn 

November Finishes - December Goals

November Goals

Let's see How I did this Month.  

1.  SNR Guild Scavenger Hunt blocks:  I got them assembled into a flimsy yesterday so goal will be to sandwich it and start quilting.    Goal Met Posted here! 

Some Close ups of the quilting.  

2.  SNR Guild Projects - Need to quilt the samples.  Minimum Goal - Quilt 2.  Goal Met! 

    

Flower Pot Sample

Here's how it looks from the back.

Quilt the Snowflake Sample

Here's how it looks from the back.

3.  SNR - Make the Summer and Fall Project Samples.  Goal Met!

And I actually got this one quilted and the binding on - just need to do the hand stitching on it. Can you see my palm trees quilted around the border? 

4.  Gifts - Little Wallets, Pot Holders, Ornaments, and Pin Cushions. Goal Met!

You can read more about it here. 

5.  SNR - Christmas Party Gift.  Make something - I'm thinking of one of the scrap bag pincushions - Goal Met Gift Done.    

I want to include a couple other items with it I just need to make up my mind on what they will be.  

6.  UFO  # 9    Henrietta Whiskers.   You can see my Beginning Status here.     Goal is to Make Progress.  As always wish it was more, guess I need to be more demanding of my goals on these UFO's but other commitments would need to slow down first.  So for now, I did make progress so - Goal Met!   

Block 5  - Done

Block 6 - Done.  

As a reminder this UFO is Hand Pieced and Hand Appliqued.  

7.   Military Charity Quilt - Finish the backing and Sandwich.  Goal Met.  

It took way longer than I thought and several pin wounds.  😢 but yes it is done and sandwiched.   Now to start quilting this beast.  

Yay!!   I met every goal this month.  Nice!  

 Since I had such a productive month I continued on -  to the Bonus Section. I know I've done bonus Items before but not sure when - if ever I've actually gotten all my goals done for a legitimate Bonus points - so I will celebrate.  

Bonus #1.  Univ. of Oregon Duck - Throw Quilt, for a family friend, using fleece and cotton.  

Fleece Side -  

Cotton Side - 

It's really hard to tell that the colors are green and gold.  It is such a dark green.  But I took these close ups to try - 

I am very happy with November's progress - so now it's time to see what's on the agenda for the last month of 2016 - Wow it's been a quick year.  But without further delay -  What's up for: 

  

December

1.   UFO Buster - # 11 which is  "My Favorite Things"   This is the picture from the pattern cover.

Here is my Beginning Status - 

Here are my blocks that are done. 

I need to top stitch the blocks below.  (except the sheep it's pictured below) 

The last time this UFO came up I got the top stitching done on this one.  

After these blocks are done - I have two more that need to be done before I can start on borders.  Goal : Make the two additional blocks and Top Stitch all of the remaining 7 blocks.  (Being a little more specific and demanding of myself) 

2.  Start Quilting Military Charity Quilt  (Pictured Above)  Get minimum of 1/4 of it quilted.  It's big and I'm doing on my little domestic machine so I just want to get started.  I need to have it completed by middle of February.  

3.  CRQ guild Snowman Pillow.  These will be donated to local senior centers and hospitals for comfort.  

4.  Quilt the SNR Flag project.  

5.  Finish hand stitching binding on all the SNR Projects  (Pictured Above) 

      Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring and the Flag

6.  Make this into a wall hanging.  My Sister got this for me when she visited Sweden a little over a year ago, then stitched it for me.  I would like to get it bordered, quilted and made into a wall hanging so it can be part of my Christmas decoration this year.  

7.  Sister projects- my Sister and Brother in law will be Snow Birding here for a month.  She and I want to do the couple of sewing projects we didn't get to in October when she was here.  A Mixer cover 

 Like this just different fabric. 

and a Table Topper, for her friend.  

Goal:  Complete the Mixer Cover and the Flimsy Table Topper.   

8.  Bear Quilt - Get the Blue Jay fused down. 

 Since my Sister will be here to help with design - we can work on the lay out to get center fused onto background.  Then I can add some of the trees and limbs and grasses. 

I'm sure this will be plenty for the month especially since my Sister will be here for a couple off weeks of December and couple weeks of January.   But ever hopeful - If I can manage all of this - here are some possibilities for bonus points.    

Bonus

B1.   I would like to start a beaver to see if it would work somewhere in the quilt also.  

B2.  Wool Santa - There is actually not much left on this - hopefully I can wrap it up.  It too would be nice to add to my Christmas Decor this year.  

B3.  Winter Panel Wall Hanging

As always I will keep you posted on how it goes.    Blessings - Lynn