Five Shadows

Or, Oh Yes, That Quilt.

I planned out and purchased fabric for a quilt for a little fella on the way. His parents were doing an ocean theme in the nursery. I was planning on waves and a whale. That was over three months ago.

Little fella has entered the world, and a recent post of the decorated nursery reminded me of an unfinished quilt.

I kept the waves, but instead of a whale, I’ve appliquéd a bit of seaweed, an octopus and 2 seahorses, keeping with their nursery theme.

There is a purple octopus in the scene in little fella’s room. I used hand dyed fabric from Colorways By Vicki for the Octopus and Seahorses.

The seahorse design comes from Connie of Freemotion by the River. Find her pattern here on Craftsy.

Close up of Seahorses.

Next up is sandwiching and quilting, which I’m hoping will add to the look of waves. Or at least just movement in the water!

This past week I did make some piecing headway on the Chic Country quilt.

I still have a long way to go.

Above is a stack of petals all squared up, with still more to go.

I haven’t cut out the alternate block pieces yet.

And, I did a little free motion quilting for a friend. Another quilt done, so I can check that off the to-do list.

Meandering with loops and pumpkin in center of 9-patch.

Meandering with loops and outlining scarecrow.

How did I do on last week’s To-Do List?

1. I’m setting aside Thursday to work on Chic Country. ✔️ Slow going, but making progress.
2. FMQ friend’s quilt. ✔️ One more completed.
3. Spend some time with my quilty  friends. ✔️ I had a lovely time with friends Tuesday and Wednesday. Meds for the bronchitis seemed to be doing the trick and I was feeling pretty good. Sunday was the last dose, and today (Tuesday) I’m back to coughing and congestion again. Sigh. Need to call my doctor for a followup. Blah

To-Do Tuesday List for this week:

1. Keep plugging way on Chic Country.
2. Sandwich and quilt ocean baby quilt.
3. Prep quilt top for quilting, it’s for my son and DIL.
4. Get over this bronchitis crud.

I accomplished only one little quilt-y thing this past week.

I made this block,

thus catching me up on the FB Sitdown Freemotion Quilting Group BOM. It’s a 9 1/2″ finished appliqué block with a chenille center. I fudged. It was supposed to be reverse appliqué, I just did fusible. The chenille was supposed to be homemade, but since I had some scraps of store bought I just used that. I’m saying Done! and glad to be caught up. Next is sewing all the blocks together. Instructions due to come out on the 15th.

If you are interested in why so little sewing happened here this past week read on. If not, skip to my To-Do list and see ya next week! For those of you still reading, what happened was I came down with bronchitis, and all the coughing wore me out. I thought I was having a bout with Fall allergies, but also had a painful stuffed up ear, so made an appointment to see my family doctor. She said bronchitis. Boy was I surprised. So strange because I was concerned about my ear, thinking the coughing was just allergies. Anyway, coughing is diminishing, but the ear is still stuffed and ringing non stop. Hoping meds kick in soon to take care of that ear! It is very Ear-itating!

Yesterday, I did sandwich the next quilt I’ll be FMQ for a friend. So, I did check that off as progress on last week’s To-Do list.

How are you doing? Staying well, I hope!

How did I do on last week’s To-Do List?

1. Continue with cutting & piecing Chic Country.  ✗ Didn’t touch it, but happy that the fabric came!
2. FMQ friend’s quilts. ✔️ I’ll check this as I’m counting sandwiching as progress.

To-Do Tuesday List for this week:

1. I’m setting aside Thursday to work on Chic Country.
2. FMQ friend’s quilt.
3. Spend some time with my quilty  friends.

I’m linking to To-Do Tuesday and Linky Tuesday.

This past week I spent the good part of two days cutting out pieces for Chic Country.

Sadly, I discovered I needed more of the background fabric. A quick search, I found it on Amazon, placed order and it should be here in a few days. Phew!

Update! Fabric came in today’s mail! Back to cutting for me.

Have you ever come up short on fabric but were able to find a match? I’m so pleased I did this time!

How did I do on last week’s To-Do List?

1. Continue cutting pieces for Chic Country, maybe even some sewing. ✔️ Still have more cutting to do when background fabric arrives by mail.
2. Continue FMQ friend’s baby/toddler quilts. ✔️Only made a little progress on one quilt.
3. Enjoy family visiting this weekend. ✔️ We so enjoyed our family coming into town for the weekend! Lovely weather for outdoor activities!

To-Do Tuesday List for this week:

1. Continue with cutting & piecing Chic Country.
2. FMQ friend’s quilts.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday and Linky Tuesday.

My goal for October will be to complete another quilt top. This is another quilt design with curved piecing from Sew Kind of Wonderful, Chic Country.

I’m using Fossil Fern by Benartex. Love this fabric!

Above shows the beginning of the curved pieces needed. Those are 30 Fat Quarters cut into three different sizes. I have 10 more FQ to cut. And then the background still to cut.

Here is a sample of the block I will be making.

I’m linking to One Monthly Goal sponsored by Elm Street Quilts. All are invited to link up your own projects. Go take a look at Patty’s easy to follow rules if you would like to join the challenge. And while you are there, take a look at what other quilters have planned for the month.

This happened in my yard Saturday!

First, I have to say, we had three Monarch caterpillars in our garden this summer.  Here is one:

We watched them grow from tiny little things to the fat one you see here. I was hoping to watch them create their chrysalis and emerge as butterflies, but we never did find the chrysalises.

I learned that they do not build the chrysalis on the same plant they feed on. They can crawl up to 20 feet away to another plant where they will build the chrysalis. That was a bummer, as my husband has a large native garden and a cutting garden in our yard. We hunted for but never found a chrysalis.

So, I was very happy when this little lady landed in my hair Saturday while we were out in our yard!

Does she think I am a flower!? How sweet!

I transferred her to a Zinnia. She flittered to another.

I’m hoping to see the other 2 Monarch Butterflies soon too.

And in my quilting world, Tropical Snowball is a completed top with a pieced back, and binding cut!

Also, I finished FMQ a toddler quilt a friend of mine made for her grand daugther. Here’s a sample of what I did.

Meandering with outlining.

And more of the same.

It was a fun little quilt to practice on. I used a light pink Aurifil (Baby Pink 2423) in 50 weight for the top and bobbin thread. Thanks to Mr. Domestic who says Pale Pink is a lovely neutral. And now having tried a pink, I have to agree, pink does have a place as a nice neutral! The pink I had on hand is deeper in color than Pale Pink, but for this quilt, I think it worked great.

What are your favorite thread brands and neutral colors for quilting?

How did I do on last week’s To-Do List?

1. Tropical Snowball quilt – sew rows together for a completed top. ✔️ Done! and doing a happy dance!
2. Continue FMQ friend’s baby quilts. ✔️ Done and on to another.
3. Shop hop with quilting friend – I have a list, let’s hope I stick to it! ✔️ I didn’t find everything on my list, but I bought several quilt backs, a the start of a new project, bobbins for my Tiara III, thread, and a new Quilters Select Ruler.

To-Do Tuesday List for this week:

1. Continue cutting pieces for Chic country, maybe even some sewing.
2. Continue FMQ friend’s baby/toddler quilts.
3. Enjoy family visiting this weekend.

I’m linking to To-Do Tuesday and Linky Tuesday.

My goal for September was to complete the Tropical Snowball quilt top.

Whoot! Done!

I’m loving this quilt top! I do so like the secondary circles that show up in this quilt design.

Back is assembled, and binding cut. But it will all have to sit a while before quilting, as I have a few other tops to quilt first.

I’m linking to One Monthly Goal. Go take a look at all the other finished projects that happened this month!

Here’s the beginning of a new quilt. I have 3/4 of the pieces cut from the colorful Fossil Fern fabrics.

Fossil Fern is a Benartex line. I have 10 more Fat Quarters to cut into the above pieces, and the rectangles need to be cut into curved pieces as well. Next, I’ll be cutting the creamy background fabric.

Here is my test block:

I’m pleased with it! The pattern is Chic Country by Sew Kind of Wonderful, and uses their Quick Curve Ruler for cutting the curved pieces.

Two weeks ago I had prepping for a new quilt on my to-do list. But since I did not get to it, I left it off of last week’s list. I’m kind of chuckling at my self, because I did get to it this week, but it’s not on the list!

Are you a list person? Do you ever add things you completed to your list just so you can check them off?

How did I do on last week’s To-Do List?

1. Tropical Snowball quilt – piece blocks, and hopefully rows. ✔️ Done and done!
2. More FMQ on friend’s baby quilts. ➞ Sandwiched, not quilted.
3. Grand daughter and her parents visiting this weekend! Grand daughter play time! ✔️ We had such lovely weather for a fun day at the zoo with our grand daughter & her parents!

To-Do Tuesday List for this week:

1. Tropical Snowball quilt – sew rows together for a completed top.
2. Continue FMQ friend’s baby quilts.
3. Shop hop with quilting friend – I have a list, let’s hope I stick to it!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday and Linky Tuesday.

Look at all these pretty curved pieced units for the Tropical Snowball Quilt I’m currently working on!

Aren’t they just lovely!? And so colorful!

Today I worked on the next step for the Tropical Snowball Quilt. Cutting out 72 background pieces from the white fabric, and 36 squares from the black fabric.

Once cut, sewn, and working on layout, here is what I’ve got -

Colorful curves! I sewed together one and a half rows after taking this photo. The photo is to help me keep the placement of blocks in order. I’m super pleased with how this quilt is coming together.

This past week I did a little free motion quilting on two quilts for a friend.

If it shows up in the photo, I outlined the animals, clowns and balloons in this circus quilt.

Above you can see a bit of what is going on in the borders.

My week has been full of color. How has your week been?

How did I do on last week’s To-Do List?

1. Tropical Snowball quilt! ✔️ Units all sewn together, and started on blocks.
2. Quilting friend’s baby quilts. ✔️ 2 quilts quilted for my friend.
3. Start prepping another planned quilt top. ✗ Didn’t get to this, but I did cut out the background for the Tropical Snowball!

To-Do Tuesday List for this week:

1. Tropical Snowball quilt – piece blocks, and hopefully rows.
2. More FMQ on friend’s baby quilts.
3. Grand daughter and her parents visiting this weekend! Grand daughter play time!

Linking to To-Do Tuesday and Linky Tuesday.

For the August block in the Sit Down Free Motion Quilting Facebook Group, Jeanne introduced a block made with wrinkled fabric. Her method of manipulating the fabric would take a few days to complete. Being that I procrastinated, I used a product I had on hand called Texture Magic.

Texture Magic is a polyester fabric that shrinks with steam.  I stitched a random meander attaching the TM to the back of the cotton print I would be using in August’s block. Then using my steam iron, I shot the steam out onto the fabric while holding the hot iron about an inch above the fabric.

It is kind of fun to watch the fabric pucker up as the polyester shrinks. I think you can see the nice puckers and wrinkles in the piece above.

Jeanne then instructed us to use our sewing machine’s decorative stitching and stitch away on the wrinkly fabric. (Sorry, I didn’t think to take a picture of the fabrics with out the decorative stitching.)

Then triangles were cut and flying geese units sewn. I do love the texture and the decorative stitching combination. Something I would have never thought of doing. But now I’m thinking up other projects to use this technique.

Above is the finished block. I’m so glad I finally took the time to make this wrinkly textured block!

Below are some of the yellow blocks I stitched up for the Tropical Snowball quilt.

I do like how well these curved pieces are fitting together!

Tomorrow I’m hosting my Curvy Quilters group. I’ll be working on more of these units in other colors for the Tropical Snowball quilt.

What will you be working on this week?

How did I do on last week’s To-Do List?

1. Continue quilting on friend’s baby quilts. ✔️ One quilted, and second started.
2. Got to catch up on the Sit Down Free Motion Quilting BOM – August block. ✔️Finished!
3. Piecing – Tropical Snowball batik units. ✔️ Yellow units completed!
4. Start prepping another planned quilt top. ✗

To-Do Tuesday List for this week:

1. Tropical Snowball quilt!
2. Quilting friend’s baby quilts.
3. Start prepping another planned quilt top.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday and Linky Tuesday.

My list of finished quilt tops needing quilting is growing.  That’s a good thing, as I want to piece all the wonderful quilt tops I have planned over the years.

Here’s one I bought in 2015. It was a kit that makes a 48″ square quilt top.

This summer my daughter & her husband bought their first home. She asked for a quilt for her family room. Looking through a few kits I had purchased, she liked this Tropical Snowball kit. But it needs to be enlarged to lap quilt size. I bought more batiks to enlarge the quilt to 72″ square. This past week I cut out all the batiks for the quilt top. Still to be cut are the white background pieces and the black set stones.

For September, my OMG is to sew together the batik units for this Tropical Snowball quilt.

If all goes well, maybe I’ll even cut out the white and black pieces for the next step of piecing.

Linking to OMG. Go visit Elm Street Quilts to see what other people are setting for the One Monthly Goal.