UFO Challenge for July

Judy has selected the UFO Challenge project number for July — #3.  Here’s where things stand for me.

We’ve now reached the half way point of the year and you will notice there are not six projects crossed off that list — but at least there are four projects done.   I wasn’t paying close enough attention and actually worked on the wrong number one month so I’ve got a bit of catching up to do.

*12 – Wacky Hearts has been completed

 and the project for this month is my Autumn Ripples quilt – a smaller version of the design I created for Hoffman Fabrics for the Indian Summer fabric line – which, except for the border and backing, the fabric in that quilt was all samples from that fabric line.  I love fall colors.

 

UFO Challenge ran amuck

Some how I managed to run amuck with my UFO challenge projects.  I was way behind – but I’ve caught up a bit finishing a couple when I was recently on vacation.  But today Judy posted the number of the project we should be working on in June — lucky number 12.  But the thing is I already finished lucky number 12. LOL

I think I mess up in March and instead of doing number 10 – which was the March project – I remembered it wrong when I went to start working on it and actually pulled number 12 (well at least I pulled one that was a two digit number starting with 1 — close right??) LOL

So here’s where things currently stand:

January was #5 – Frozen Delights  – It’s finished (see before and after photo below)

I added the final border and then quilted and bound it.

February was #1  –  the Texas Hill Country quilt. — Needs to be quilted and I haven’t started on it yet.

Then March was number 8 – Just Butterflies.

 

I added the outer border

and quilted it.  The binding is sewn on the edge but it hasn’t been pinned to the back or hand stitched yet.  That will get done one of these evenings.

April – #10 – Prairie flowers — this is where I messed up on my number so nothing has been done yet.  I still want to find the right fabric to add a final border on this one.

    May was Pinwheel Posy — It just needed to be quilted and I did that in the last week or so too so that one is quilted and bound and done!

And then there’s number 12 for June – Wacky Hearts – which I quilted a couple weeks ago and got the binding done so it’s already finished.  So now I’ll have to go back and work on the Texas quilt – but need to restock the batting supply first since there’s only smaller pieces left — and take Prairie Flowers to the quilt shop to see if I can find some border fabric for it.

Stashbusting Report 5/27 and Camp Loopy update

Well that’s truly annoying – apparently wordpress is up to it’s old tricks of deleting text and images and sending out a blank post.  So let’s try this again! 😦

 First – Pinwheel Posey is is finally completed  – binding finished and all.  Not only was it my May UFO Challenge project but it is also one of the Quilts from the Crate so now I’ve got I think 5 of the tops from that crate pulled out and finished — tho many more to go.

 

Only 1/2 yard used this week for binding so 30 yarrds purchased YTD; 41.75 used; net busted 10.75. 

 Then  there was the start of Camp Loopy at 12:01 a.m. and of course I was still up so got started on my project and worked on it for oh about three movies worth of time. LOL

I wasn’t sure if my choice of Zauberball yarn would look good in the scarf – I was afraid the transition from color to color would be more abrupt but as you can see in the scarf photo – it’s turning out so pretty.  As it transitions to the next shade, both colors are twisted together for a while so it moves gradually from shade to shade.  I absolutely love it.

 

 

 

 

 

Stasbusting 5/20/12

Well still not moving by leaps and bounds by 2.5 yards were used for a backing yesterday so at least there’s some progress.  I did buy a few 1/3 yards for the Bloomin’ Basket swap but I’ll wait to add those in next week since I also ordered some florals for those on line which should arrive this week so I’ll total all at once.

So without those the totals are purchased YTD 31 yards,  used YTD 41.25 so a net busted of 10.25.  Not huge but  vacation is coming and I hope to get in a lot of quality sewing time!

 I finally did get the sewing table cleared off yesterday and got Pinwheel Poseys pin basted so I can start quilting on it.  It’s my May UFO project and May is dwindling down.

Today it was off to breakfast with a friend a new restaurant – The Egg and I – the food was fantastic so we’ll be returning there in the future.  Then to the Nursery across the road for some flowers.  It’s too warm out on the patio right now and the breeze is not making it to that side of the building so I’ll plant these later this evening or one evening this week.  But aren’t they pretty.

And then to Home Depot for dirty and a couple of other things.  I had broken my under the bed storage container and found these

So many containers to choose from but these are great. They are on wheels so easy to slide in and out and the lid is hinged in the middle so you don’t have to pull the whole thing out in order to get the lid open.  Perfect.  With storage space at a premium here – these will be great.   And found a new mat for outside the door.  Wouldn’t this look good as a wallhanging done in appllique!  I may have to get out some freezer paper and trace the design before it gets dirty.

Wacky Hearts finished

  Wacky Hearts was one of the designs available on the blog that I did last year for the   Year of Wallhangings project. This one was February of course.  It is also the top that was on my UFO Challenge list to finish for April.  Finally I just may get one of those challenge projects done on time if I actually get the binding finished in the next week or two.  I quilted it this afternoon and the binding is pinned in place and it just needs to be handstitched down.  It also was one of the tops that was in the Quilts From the Crate so I finally have one more of those tops quilted.

March UFO Challenge

Nothing like waiting until the eleventh hour (quite literally) to do some work on my March UFO – Just Butterflies.  Last night about 11 p.m. for some reason I decided to do go some sewing.  I wanted to get the borders on my Five Square Quilt which was on the design wall and Just Butterflies because I need to take the design wall since the painters will be coming to repaint the apartment.

So – not that it’s huge progress (I’m so far behind on the UFO challenge!) but the border is added.  I think I would have liked it better if I had added a cream skinnier border before the blue one I added but that’s the way it goes.  Now to get it quilted in the not too distant future.

April’s UFO challenge number drawn by Judy is #10.  I was a bit afraid to go look to see which one that is on my list.   WHEW! It’s my Wacky Hearts wallhanging – which was one of the Year of Wallhanging designs last year.  It just needs quilting, it’s not big, I CAN get that done this month.  🙂

Who knew toast and coffee could taste so good!

And why does it taste so good — I’ve been home sick with the flu – which has been going through the office rampantly – and have been sick since Tuesday evening.  Finally mid morning I today I decided I was feeling not horribly and the stomach pangs might just be cause I hadn’t eaten since Tues. night.  Yes, coffee and toast were excellent! LOL  I’m going to really live it up later eating high off the hog on some homemade turkey soup I pulled out of the freezer.  But I think I have survived – can’t remember the last time I was that sick.

So the last three days I’ve slept a lot – you don’t want any other details 🙂  – and I did finish knitting a sock. I’m trying not to think about the work that probably has piled up on my desk – it will have to be tackled on Monday.

Here’s sock 1 of the 2nd pair of Tesserae socks.

Finally tonight I may do a bit of sewing — just the binding on my January UFO challenge — yes I’m way behind!  I was going to layer and start quilting the February UFO challenge — did I say I was way behind?? — in the evenings this week but obviously that did not happen.  And now it’s March and I just looked to see what number Judy picked to work on this month. #8 — thank you Judy!  It’s at least a smaller quilt to quilt so there’s hope I may catch up yet.

Here’s my # 8 to be completed this month.

  Just Butterflies.  It needs a final border before it can be quilted so I’ll have to do some searching in the stash.  These fabrics all came from a large fat quarter bundle so I don’t know if I’ve got any fabrics with the same style in the stash but will see what I can come up with.

Denise 

Vacation!!

Yeah! I’m now off for a five day weekend!!  And I managed to get a lot of stuff done at the office that I hadn’t been able to get to so my desk was so clean when I left that I won’t recognize it when I get back! LOL

 I finished off one of the flower socks. I love it.  Then I stitched a while on the 9 to 5 second sock but kept messing up the heel since I kept dozing off. Definitely can’t knit and sleep at the same time.  So I’ve got to take a look at that to see if I’ve got the pattern stitched corrected.  So today on the bus I stitched on the Fa Fa Fa sock.  I’m at about the middle of the foot on that tone.  I’m so sad tho since I think that one is going to be too small for me due to the cable area not being as stretchy and I so love that yarn.  But they will make a great gift if they don’t fit me.

So what do I plan to do while I’m off?? Knit and quilt, a bit of straightening of cabinets, some cooking/baking, staying up way to late and lounging about.  I plan to get the binding hand stitched on Frozen Delights and also the tablerunner and get the sleeve and label on the runner.  Then it will be on to my February UFO which is this quilt.

  It’s Texas Hill Country.  The blocks are from a block swap we did at a quilt retreat in… you guessed it… Texas Hill Country — the T Bar M in New Braunfels, TX.  I think there were about 10 of us there.  So each block is a great memory of the maker and a very fun retreat.  I haven’t decided if I’ll take the easy way out and just do a meander over the whole thing or if I’ll do more specific quilting on each block. I’ll have to stick it up on the design wall and stare at it a while to decide what I want to to do.

 

2/6/2012 – Design Wall Monday

 Frozen Delights is up on the design wall.

I finished the quilting yesterday and the binding is pinned in place so it just needs to be hand stitched down.  A little behind schedule, but it’s my January UFO Challenge project so it will be finished shortly and I can crosss it off my list! 🙂

There’s also a tablerunner on the design wall but I can’t share that one yet – got that all quilted also, except one small section that I want to change the thread color on so need to rip it out but the binding just needs hand sewing after that along with lable and hanging sleeve and it will be complete.   A whole lot ‘o thread was stitched into those two projects this past weekend.

Below is the current state of the Fair Isle Flower sock – it’s coming along nicely and I like that bright pink heel.

 

 

Sunday progress

Well I was running out of steam quilting so decided to go run and errand to the store.  While I was there, picked up something quick to just stick in the oven for dinner so I don’t have to waste time in the kitchen.  I’m going to get Frozen Delights finished today!

All those thread changes tho were killing me. But it’s looking good and I only have one more thread change to finish the stitching on one applique block and all the quilting will be complete.  And I found where I stashed the binding so that’s made and I can get it attached and then stitch it down in the evening some time this week.

Then the question will be — do I keep it or do I use it for a charity fundraiser donation quilt.  I will probably donate it tho.  This one has pieced and appliqued blocks from when the pattern was on the blog  and I want to make a much smaller wallhanging, using just all appliqued blocks I drew for EQ Boutique’s version of Frozen Delights and that one I plan to keep for myself so I think I’ll be able to part with this one.

No more procrastinating or I won’t go back in and finish the quilting!