WIP Wednesday Week 35 8.29.12

This week I didn't get nearly as much done as I would have liked. Thursday night I cleaned house for my sewing studio tour on Friday. Friday I had friends Gaila, Emilee, Heather, & Kay Lynn over to tour my sewing studio and learn how I use my frame. We practiced on the frame and then sat around and visited and watched Rosalee and Mikaela play. I did get a bit of handwork done on a baby quilt, but that was about it.
One day at work last week I pulled out my hexi's and worked on making a liner for my water cup. I have the top flower all together and the bottom one laid out so I can work on it. I think this will cover the whole cup.


At the beginning of this week I worked on laying out the Ditto baby quilt I am making as a sample for the store. I had already finished the blocks, but needed to lay it out. I didn't really care for the red, so I waited to see what Tammy wanted and she liked it, so I went with it and last night I sewed the top together. I still have to do the final pressing, but so far it looks pretty good and almost all the points match.


Monday night I also went through my project book and figured out my UFO's, mom's UFO's and then the projects I have the fabric purchased for, but haven't started. I'm teaching a UFO class in October and decided I needed some projects to start working on the whys and how to's of how to finish up UFO's.
I've finished 37+ of mom's UFO's.
I still have 15 UFO's+ of mom's UFO's to finish.
I have 21 of my own UFO's, though a few I would consider WIP's.
I have another 18 projects I have purchased the fabric for, but haven't started yet.


Finished this week:
Ditto Top - Shop Sample

Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them)
Swoon - 2 Blocks done
Cre8tive Swap w/ Jen - All the HST's are prepped and I just need to spend some time sewing.
Sign Language Diaper Clutch

Quilts Needing Hand sewing on Binding
Pink/Brown Friendship Quilts -Handwork on binding
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks -Binding
Barn Yard Friends Quilt -quilted and binding on - Did quite a bit on Friday night with friends.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt  - backing made!
Pink/Green Jungle Animal Baby Quilt - Need to make backing
Confetti Top - At the shop
Twisted Heart - At the shop
Merry Go Round - Back from the shop, need to add final two rows
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks- borders on - backing made

New Projects:
Barn Yard Diaper Clutch

No progress:
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - Started sashing - Need to get a move on, he's getting married
Dilly Dally Baby Girl Quilt

This week's stats:
Completed projects -1
New projects -1
Currently in progress - 4
Finished this year - 45 , 12 Samples


I'm linking up for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday Week 34 8.22.12

This week was really productive, although I didn't get to sew quite as much as I would have liked.
I had a bad experience at the fair when I went to enter my 8 quilts Thurs. night. The ladies questioned if I had made them, if I had quilted them myself, and made fun of the 8 I brought. They also asked if I worked.  They were not nice ladies, so I went home that night and found 3 others to finish up and take to the fair on Friday to enter. I received 4 1st ribbons, 6 2nd ribbons, and 1 3rd. The 3rd I really knew I deserved as it was one of the earliest quilts I had done on the frame.
I did get to spend Friday night with friends sewing up a storm. I put the gray and brown borders on my Mocha quilt. I also made the backing for it, so it is ready to quilt when I have a chance.When I went to sew with the girls, I purposely took borders and backings to make, so I would get them done. I never seem to enjoy doing them in my sewing room, so it's easy to do them in a group setting. There is a lot more space and once they are cut, they are mindless sewing to put on.


Next on the list was the backing for my blush quilt. The tops been done for a long time, but I needed to make the backing. I got it put together and picked up bamboo batting for it. I think this will be my hospital quilt this year. I also worked on Ditto blocks and got them all done. I should be able to make that quilt up in the next week or so. It was a very productive night and I felt great about all I got accomplished!

This week, while I would have liked to quilt, I instead prepared for a sewing room tour of my sewing studio on Friday night. My room is the cleanest I have ever seen it.  
I even found time after cleaning to make this batting crazy quilt using up some of my scrap batting. It has bamboo, 80/20, warm & natural, warm & white, and who knows what else it it. I'll load muslin on the frame and then use the batting as the center with more muslin on top, so the girls can practice using my quilt frame.

Finished this week:
Crown Royal Quilt - DONE!
Friendship Quilt - DONE!

Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them)
Ditto quilt top sample - Blocks all sewn
Swoon - 2 Blocks done
Cre8tive Swap w/ Jen - All the HST's are prepped and I just need to spend some time sewing.
Sign Language Diaper Clutch

Quilts Needing Hand sewing on Binding
Pink/Brown Friendship Quilts -Handwork on binding
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks -Binding
Barn Yard Friends Quilt -quilted and binding on - Did do about half of this one while waiting at the Dr. this week.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt  - backing made!
Pink/Green Jungle Animal Baby Quilt - Need to make backing
Confetti Top - At the shop
Twisted Heart - At the shop
Merry Go Round - Back from the shop, need to add final two rows
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks- borders on - backing made

New Projects:
Barn Yard Diaper Clutch

No progress:
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - Started sashing - Need to get a move on, he's getting married
Dilly Dally Baby Girl Quilt

This week's stats:
Completed projects -2
New projects -1
Currently in progress - 4
Finished this year - 45 , 11 Samples


 

WIP Wednesday Week 33 8.15.12

This past week went by so quickly and I could have used a few more hours in the days, but I got done what had to be done. Thursday night I loaded my dad's quilt on the frame. I got to about the last foot and the tension was a bit off. I pulled it out, but it was after 10:30 and I was just too tired to go on. Friday I left at noon and Mikaela and I went to Sioux Falls to meet up with my college roommate Nichole. We spent the weekend with her and her family. On Sat. morning bright and early we went to the Quilts and Vines Outdoor quilt show. It was another awesome show and I took lots of pictures, but haven't uploaded them. This is a picture of the big barn where it is held. We also did some shopping and I found dresses for both Mikaela and I for the wedding.

Sunday Mikaela and I went to Mitchell where we met up with a family gathering of my mom's aunts and cousins. We had lunch and then headed home. Unfortunately I had a paper due that night, so had to work on it instead of quilt. My dad and Ann came for a visit and I had to quick throw a quilt over the frame so they wouldn't see the quilt on it. My dad was sure nosy though, asking way more questions about that quilt and what I was working on, then ever before!  I got the paper done and got a 100%, not bad for 2 hours work!
Monday night I finished ripping out the quilting during my live session class and did some hand work. Sure makes the time go faster. After class I finished the quilting and squared up the quilt.

Here's a close up of the quilting. The colors are more true in the picture above.

I had planned to have the binding done to take along with me to work on this weekend, but when I ran out of time, I instead decided I didn't have the right color thread. The middle one is my go to favorite purple Aurifil thread, the one on the right I also had, but neither of these matched. So when I was at Always Your Design in Dell Rapids (one of my favorite shops to stop at, since my mom taught the owner Deb in high school) and picked up the Aurifil thread on the left. It matches perfectly! I'm so excited to have it now. Last night I put the binding on and this morning before work I started sewing the binding down by hand. I hope to work on it tonight and be able to enter it in the quilt show at the fair tomorrow. We'll see if that happens! I also have my friendship quilt I'm working on binding on to put in the fair.

Mikaela had a good time and was a real trooper at the quilt show. She loved playing on this bridge and in the dirt, although she wasn't a real fan of the chickens.

This is one of my favorites from the weekend. She's so curious and checking everything out.


Finished this week:
Crown Royal Quilt top #3 Quilted

Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them)
Ditto quilt top sample - Cut out and ready to sew together
Swoon - 2 Blocks done
Cre8tive Swap w/ Jen - All the HST's are prepped and I just need to spend some time sewing.
Sign Language Diaper Clutch

Quilts Needing Hand sewing on Binding
Pink/Brown Friendship Quilts -Handwork on binding
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks -Binding
Friendship Block Swap - Hand sew binding
Crown Royal Quilt 3 - Hand sewing is left!

Barn Yard Friends Quilt -quilted and binding on!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt 
Pink/Green Jungle Animal Baby Quilt
Confetti Top
Twisted Heart
Merry Go Round
New Projects:

No progress:
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks- Together, needs 3 borders
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - Started sashing
Dilly Dally Baby Girl Quilt

This week's stats:
Completed projects -0
New projects -0
Currently in progress -
Finished this year - 43 , 11 Samples

I'm linking up for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday 8.8.12 Week 32

This has been a busy week! I have gotten so much accomplished and I really feel like I made some headway on my goals. I found out Wed. that my friend Emilee was doing a yard sale at a local church on Sat. morning. She invited me to join her, so Paul helped me pick up the totes on Friday night, my aunt Jane watched Mikaela, and I participated in the yard sale on Sat. morning. I got rid of all the totes of stuff I had! I came home with a few UFO's I couldn't part with and the purses I had made, but otherwise all of it is GONE! It felt so good to be rid of it and it was so much fun to spend the day with Emilee.
I quilted this baby quilt for a friend having a baby in November. I put the binding on Friday night, so I could do the hand stitching during the yard sale on Sat., but it is still sitting with unfinished binding. The backing shows a bit in the lower right hand corner. It's super cute and I think she'll love it. She's decorating with a barnyard theme.  It's another UFO out of my stash as I've had it a long time!I think it's about 3-4 years old. I usually buy fabric for kits, with enough to make the top,back, and binding. This was no exception, though it was just a panel.

I worked all weekend on my dad's quilt. I spent part of Sat. finishing up making the blocks into rows and then Sunday I sewed the rows into the top. I pressed A LOT on Sunday afternoon. I had to put it away as dad came over with Ann on Sunday afternoon. But when they were gone, I pulled it out and worked on it again. I got the borders on Sunday night by 10PM. I even figured it out so I cut the horses the length of the quilt and was able to have them all standing up.  Tammy would be so proud, I measured every single border before I put them on, so it's a very square quilt! It's 90x105, so it doesn't fit on my sewing room floor. When I was in the crawl space I pulled out a wool batting to use in it. It was part of my mom's stash and I've saved it, but I think this would be a great quilt to use it on. Isn't a bit ironic using on dad's wedding quilt when it was my mom's? Oh well, at least I'm using up what I have of her stash of stuff. One lady at the yard sale asked if I was selling batting... oh nooo, batting is way too valuable and I don't have that much of it.

Monday I brought it in to show the girls at work and took a picture of it laying out. I think the first picture is a little truer to the color of it, though it's a bit cooler in this picture. I hope he loves it. All I have to say is I get this one back when he's gone, because I LOVE it!!! I have the backing, thread, and a wool bat and hope to quilt it in the next week or so. I wanted to have it done to put in the fair, but since I'm gone this weekend, I don't think that will be happening.

On Monday night I pulled out this table runner I had pulled out of the sewing stuff to get rid of and quilted and put binding on it for my friend Pat. Her last day at work was Tues. and I made it to match her new bedroom when she moves. She loves it and I'm glad that I was able to finish this old UFO up and give it a new home.The top is made of string blocks from Kay Capps Cross black and white book.

I also made this mug rug for my friend Pat on Monday night. It's a block from the Carol Doak BOM from about 2007. I gave one block away, another needed to see the trash, and this one made a great little mug rug. I'm so glad to have another UFO out of my stash!



Finished this week:
Black White Table Runner
Black White Pink Mug Rug
Crown Royal Quilt top #3

Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them)
Ditto quilt top sample - Cut out
Crown Royal Quilt 3 - Must be done by 9/21!!! - Top is DONE!
Barn Yard Friends Quilt -quilted and binding on!
Swoon - 2 Blocks done
Dilly Dally Baby Girl Quilt
Pink/Brown Friendship Quilts -Handwork on binding
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks -Binding
Cre8tive Swap w/ Jen - All the HST's are prepped and I just need to spend some time sewing.
Friendship Block Swap - Hand sew binding
Sign Language Diaper Clutch
Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt 
Pink/Green Jungle Animal Baby Quilt
Confetti Top
Twisted Heart
Merry Go Round
New Projects:
DITTO - Cut Out
No progress:
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks- Together, needs 3 borders
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - Started sashing
This week's stats:
Completed projects -2
New projects -0
Currently in progress -
Finished this year - 43 , 11 Samples

I'm linking up for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday Week 31 - 8.1.12

It's been a few weeks since I posted on WIP Wednesday, which means I haven't been sewing much and my computer is down. We've been crazy busy the last few weeks with a family reunion, funeral, and side jobs for Paul. Friday the 13th I had my big stash sale at Emilee's. My friends Jenn, Gaila, Heather, Kaylynn, & Tracy were there to take a few supplies and fabric off my hands. There's still a lot left, so if anyone is close and interested, let me know and I'll let you take a peak. I know there is lots of fabric and scraps left! I am so thankful to my friends for helping me get rid of so much of my sewing stuff.
 On Friday we had our big 20 week ultrasound and found out we're having a boy. We're so excited! I really was hoping for a boy, so I got busy and made a baby quilt. I bought the tools fabric about 4-5 years ago when my aunt and I went on a shop hop to Nuts & Bolts quilt shop in Edgemont. I bought all I needed to make this baby quilt and kept it for when we had a boy since my hubby is a carpenter and I just thought it fit him. I can tell it is that old since it was pre-washed! I haven't pre-washed fabric since before I got married and started working at the quilt shop which was 4 years ago. Saturday afternoon while Mikaela was napping, I pulled out the fabric and made the top. It's super bright and cheerful.
Sunday we picked up some bamboo batting and I loaded it on the frame in the evening. I had spent the afternoon working on my paper/power point, so I had all my homework done and could quilt! I quilted it up and put the binding on it as well. Monday I traveled with my brothers to my dad's fiance's mom's funeral. Jim did all the driving so I spent the drive finishing up the handwork on the binding. It became the gender reveal quilt at work. It's much brighter like the top picture.
 
The baby count for quilts is up to 3 boys and 2 girls. I have all but the last girls quilt made and it's on the frame. I decided to do a panel, since it fits the theme of her new girls room perfectly. I also pulled out another quilt I want to do for the kids room. But first I have to work on the Crown Royal quilt. All the blocks are done and they just need to be laid out and sewn together. I'm hoping to get the top done this weekend so I have time to quilt and bind it before the September deadline of 9/21. I don't want to have to rush this one, as I still really love how it is turning out.
I finally found a Big Sis shirt for Mikaela, so she got to wear it on Saturday. She looked so cute with her pigtails and big grin. We were playing with a ball in Menards while we waited for Paul.

We helped daddy put a roof on a shed Sat. night, so she was playing on the steel roof. She just looked so cute with her pigtails that I had to take a picture.
Finished this week:
Baby Boy Stephens Tools Quilt
Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them) 
Crown Royal Quilt 3 - Must be done by 9/21!!!
Barn Yard Friends Quilt - loaded on the frame
Swoon - 2 Blocks done
Dilly Dally Baby Girl Quilt
Pink/Brown Friendship Quilts -Handwork on binding
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks -Binding
Cre8tive Swap w/ Jen - All the HST's are prepped and I just need to spend some time sewing.
Friendship Block Swap - Hand sew binding
Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt 
Pink/Green Jungle Animal Baby Quilt
Confetti Top
Twisted Heart
Merry Go Round
New Projects:
Barn Yard baby quilt
No progress:
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks- Together, needs 3 borders

Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - Started sashing
This week's stats:
Completed projects -1
New projects -1
Currently in progress -5
Finished this year - 41 , 11 Samples

I'm linking up for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!