And the Year is OVER already!!!

 Can you believe it?!!

It's final countdown with Shelly of Prairie Moon Quilts.  I love her inspiration and encouragement.  She has monthly organization challenges and then the final countdown at the end of the year.  And there is the 350 block challenge which I also participate in.  I have already hit the 350 blocks this year.

So the first countdown challenge was straighten fabric.  Either stash or scraps.  My stash is stored in this cabinet.  

Cubes 2 and 3 have purchased and self made kits respectively. #6 has precut fabrics, #8 has my free motion practice pieces, #9 is a project, #11 & 12 have t-shirts.  And after organizing #10 has misc. pieces and a couple of pieces I have reserved for stack n whack.

After organizing here's what #1,4,5 & 7 look like (in order).

         

Mostly neutrals               Sorted by Color

Multi colored                      Solids

First challenge met.  The second challenge was to clear the main work surfaces.  Normally mine aren't in too bad a shape but I recently completed a quilt and I also completed a top so the leftover fabrics (I never know what to do with them) are still on the cutting table and the sewing table has a small project.  Although what you can't see on the other side of the machine could use a little straightening.

There is work to be done on these.  This challenge will also be met.

Challenge number three will be released tomorrow and then we should be ready for the new year.

When I found out that my nephew would be here for Christmas morning (he was arriving Christmas Eve) I couldn't allow that without a gift to open with the rest of the family.  So, since I had this quilt, completely made of scraps, already quilted I decided I would bind it and have it for him.  

But it wasn't the one that I really wanted him to have.  So, Wednesday I went and bought the backing for the "ONE" and Thursday morning I loaded the backing and batting on the frame, took the already quilted one with me to sewing to bind just in case.  I told my stitchin buddies that I work best under pressure.

Friday morning I loaded the quilt.  What was the worry, I had all day Friday and Saturday and if needed, I knew it would be later in the day on Sunday before he got here.  

TADA!!!!

This one is much more manly and it's more his size.  And I even got the label on it.

And since then I completed the top of my BIL's QOV.

This one will have to wait in the to be quilted line for a while.  It doesn't need to be finished until August.

That makes two more finishes this year!!! 

Not too shabby.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have and a Very Happy New Year!!!

Rose

Making a Change

 I haven't been one to post in progress photos.  Why?  I don't know.  But I am going to try to change that.

First, let's get to the completions.  The ladies group of our country club had our second annual Ladies Night Out with an ornament exchange.  I spent a little more than the suggested amount, but not much more.  I completed this table topper with less than half of a layer cake (top, backing and binding).  It's made smaller than the pattern because I have a round table so a runner doesn't work.

I recently posted about the 22 project bags I have planned for the next year but the first two that I made were for myself and not included in that count.

The larger one is too big, in my humble opinion.  It doesn't fit on any shelf. And the focus fabric was put on the back of the smaller one.  A lessons learned before I started the 22 for next years retreat.

Now, for what is on the design wall.  Our Flag Stands for Freedom is a QOV for my BIL.  He served in the Vietnam War.  He's very patriotic.  Last year when we got to their house he had received a new flag to fly by the front door.  It wasn't made in America so he wouldn't fly it.  My sister immediately ordered a new one that was.

This picture was made a week ago.  I am down to 7 more star blocks.  This is going together very well.  My stitchin buddies have given me a hard time because I didn't read the instructions and because I didn't read them I'm going to be putting columns together instead of rows.

And finally, Lizzie got a big girl haircut.  It took her 3 hours to get the bow out.

I crocheted her a sweater in anticipation.  It's cold outside!!

This wasn't really a "pattern" but more like instructions.  You can make it any size you want or need by taking a few measurements. 

See her bed in the picture?  She would sleep on my shoes at night and under the chair where my coat hangs during the day.  So I sat on the bed for 3 days to get my smell on it before she would use it.

Trying to house train her has been quite the job and really cuts into my stitchin time.  She still won't join me in the sewing room which is fine with me until I get her trained.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

November PHD Report and More

 Stitching time has been limited since the addition of the new fur baby.  But I did accomplish a few things.

The quilt along that I joined last month with Audrey at Quilty Folk was a slow start for me but no worries because it has been paused for a couple of weeks.  Here is my progress.

I have put together the center.  It isn't stitched down yet but the design has been decided.  Progress made is a plus.

I have completed 4 of 22 byannie project bags.  

I completed quilting a friends quilt.

She had chosen a pantograph but I didn't like how it was turning out so after letting her know and spending several hours frogging it (rip it, rip it), I custom quilted it.

I like the back as well as the front.

I also completed my tree skirt and this morning put the tree up and added the skirt.

It's only 39" in diameter but as you can see my tree isn't very big around so it works real well.  I didn't tie the ties in the back because that's where the heat vent is.

So my PHD report for Quilting Gail. 

Gail stated that when she started the PHD challenge she had a LOT of UFOs and that she had eliminated enough of them that she doesn't have enough to do the challenge another year.  I, too, have completed most of my UFOs.  The ones showing incomplete on my list only need to be quilted.  I plan to quilt at least 2 of them in December.  My project list is still long but none have been started yet.

Thank you Gail for the challenge.  It has helped me tremendously.  

Now I have to decide how to proceed with my project list.  Do I keep them in the same order?  Or do I rearrange the order?  Once I make this decision I will take the first six and put them in the numbered tubs and roll the dice to see which one I will work on this week (my favorite method).

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

PHD report and another project (like I need one)

 October is over and once again I am late for the party.  My PHD report for Gail at Quilting Gail didn't change.

I have so many ready for quilting (all of the unfinished in the UFO list) but one of my stitchin buddies wants me to quilt one for her so I will load one of mine when that is finished.

Studio time has been a little limited because we added a new family member.

DH isn't a lot of help when it comes to standing outside (in 24 degree weather) while she does her business.  It was 82 outside on Monday and 24 this morning.

And I've decided to join Audrey at QuiltyFolk in her slow Bramble Blooms QAL.  I have pulled some of my fabrics.  I know I will add to it later but it's a start.  Instructions said to pull those stale fabrics.

I haven't put together the center because my design wall was occupied but I will get to that this weekend.

Fabric pull - not a lot of color but that will change.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose 

And a Good Time Was Had By All

You know, I have been quilting for years but until a couple of years ago I did it by myself.  Even my first retreat was by myself.  

BUT now I have the best stitchin buddies AND I've been on my first ever REAL retreat.  It was AWESOME.

With a view like this how could it not be.

And three meals a day that I didn't have to cook!?!

We carried our purses in and placed them on which ever bed we chose and they unloaded the rest of the stuff out of the cars. And loaded it back up when it was time to come home.

I took 5 projects with me and completed 4 of them.  YAY ME!!

First up when we got there was the Quilt Police.  I purchase this in Paducah in 2022.

If anyone said "can't do", "need to do", "should do", "have to", it was thrown at them.  Funny story, one of the girls was talking about how she stitches the border fabric on and then cuts it off and, in unison, 4 of us hollered "NOOO!!".  And we forgot to toss the police.

I told her "let me rephrase, if you do that you will end up with wavy borders."

Next I completed this Stack n Whack assembly except for top and bottom borders and trimming.  This will go to Project Linus.

 

Then, the leader ender was assembled.  This is completely scraps and I pulled them, randomly, out of bags because I know it drives Susan crazy.

There are a couple of errors but that seems to be standard for me. Oh well.

And the last completion for me was the antique store find I posted about here.

I really love how this turned out.

And the others (I didn't get them all) projects.....

Betsy, our beginner quilter, was on her first retreat also.  She added borders to these.

Machine quilted place mats that she found at an estate sale half done..

She made 30 of these cute pocket quilts for her mother to give to her friends.  I showed her how to sew the crosses on with the machine.  

And she made her Hawaiian block for our guild quilt along (her first applique).

She tried lots of new things and accomplished a lot.

And Betsy also won the fun blocks that we all participated in.  Do they look like fish?

Some of the others.  Mary

Melinda..

Gwynn is up next.

She also put together a quilt of valor that I failed to get a picture of.

Susan....

Lura

Pam..

And Julie.

I know there were more.  I didn't get pictures of any of Edwina's.  I know Julie Mary, Susan, Gwynn and Melinda had others.  

And I didn't get pictures of any of M.E.s.  She is the BEST retreat planner EVER!!!!!  We had goodie bags, games, fish blocks, and prizes, of which I won 2.

I'm already planning to go on the next one in February and I'm planning to help M.E. with the next fall retreat.  And I'm pretty sure Betsy will attend again.

DH said it was money well spent.  Especially after he had to listen to how much fun we had.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose