Five Shadows

For October I have two more little quilt tops to finish for charity.

In this first quilt I used a panel called Serengeti Reflections.

I cut apart and rearranged the animal blocks, adding the blue batik from my stash for sashing and border. The giraffe print used for the corners and in the sashing was from the panel. This needs to be sandwiched, quilted & bound.

The next quilt top was also a panel. I think it was called Color Ways or Waves, don’t hold me to either, as I’m not sure.

All I did was add a black border. Again, this needs to be sandwiched, quilted & bound.

Once these are completed, I have some little gifts to make for some members of my two quilting groups. Both groups only have 4 gals each, and I’m one of them, so really only 6 little gifts to make in a year. There are birthdays coming up in November, December and January. I like to make a little homemade gift for my friends, because I know they appreciate it!

My OMG for October is to sandwich, quilt, and bind the two quilt tops pictured above.

If time allows, I’ll get going on birthday gifts. Getting a few completed will be a bonus!

Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.

My goal for September was to quilt and bind three UFO quilts that I’m donating to charity.

The first quilt is Topographical, designed by Sandy of Upstairs Hobby Room.

This quilt is 32″ square, quilted with my first attempt at using circle rulers.

Next is Diamond Path, also designed by Sandy of Upstairs Hobby Room.

For this quilt I did an all over meander with loops in the center of the quilt and stars in the outer border.

Diamond Path is 38″ square.

Next up is a simple zigzag pieced top with a polar bear back.

I forgot to get a picture of the finished quilt before sending it off!

It went to a sweet gal and her stuffed polar bear named Bingo. Because of her group living arrangements, I decided to stitch their names into the top of the quilt so it is obvious  to whom the quilt belongs. The quilt measures 38″ x 44 1/2″ quilted with a large meander with loops.

I’m happy to have met my goal for this month!

Plus I finished a few other little projects. A friend who is no longer quilting gave me a box full of pieced blocks she said I could use to make charity quilts.

Friendship Star made of 30s like prints.

The quilt is 38″ x 49″ quilted in a diagonal undulating stitch.

Churn Dash made with the same 30 style prints.

This quilt is also 38″ x 49″ and stitched diagonally across the quilt.

And one more, another Churn Dash.

This one I quilted stitch-in-the-ditch.

This has been a good month for finishing up some UFOs!

Linking to OMG hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.

I’ve been quiet since April. While absent from my blog, I have accomplished some little bits of sewing – mostly charity quilts. It’s time to get things moving again! So why not get reacquainted by setting a goal for September?

I’ve pulled three UFOs (unfinished objects) all small quilts, from my closet. The tops are all pieced, all three have backs ready, two have batting cut, and one has fabric pulled for binding. Let’s see if I can get these quilted and bound this month. I’ll set my goal for just two completed quilts, but if I get to the third, all the better!

This quilt top is 32″ square. It is called Topographical from Upstairs Hobby Room One Block Wonders QAL June 2016! It’s an oldie! A border has been added, not photoed. Now to quilt and bind.

Diamond Path, 38″ square, was April 2016 One Block Wonder QAL design. I do love the colorful fabrics in this one.

This is a simple zigzag quilt top I made in 2014! Goodness! Why don’t I just finish what I start!?  There is a polar bear print waiting for the back which will liven it up a bit and making it a nice quilt to donate.

September goal – finish up as least 2 long neglected quilt tops.

Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.

Happy Quilting All for the month of September!

This week the new block presented by Sew Kind of Wonderful is Rock Star. This is for the quilt-a-long called Rock the Block if you are interested in following along.

The block this past Thursday was made in two sizes.

The blocks measure 11″ and 7 1/2″ unfinished.

All the blocks have curved piecing.

I think this is my favorite block so far out of the 5 blocks presented.

Sandwiching the Clam Shell borders should have been easy. For some reason I can’t get the measurements right. After two mistakes I have walked away from the task of sandwiching for now. I’ll have to attempt it again soon as I really do want to finish this quilt! Frustration!

Spring blooms continue in our yard  …

These are all in Hub’s native garden.

Blue Bells

Celetine Poppies – their bright yellow make me so happy!

Blazing Stars – this is the flower Hub is so excited about! Planted last year and survived the winter.

Happy Sewing & gardening all!

Last Week’s To-Do List:

1. Sandwich Clam Shell Borders. ✗  Not working out for me this week. One side complete. Three more to go.
2. Next block of Rock the Block QAL. ✔️

This Week’s To-Do List:

1. Finish sandwiching Clam Shell borders & maybe start quilting.
2. Next block of Rock the Block QAL

Linking to To-Do Tuesday

The last Clam Shell – finally – stitched in place!

Making and stitching the Clam Shells for this quilt was definitely the section that took the longest to complete. I didn’t think I would ever see the end of Clam Shells! Actually, the next step will be to sandwich the four sections of this outer border, and then quilt the Clam Shells. So I’m not done with them yet! I’m hoping quilting will go a lot faster than blanket stitching them in place.

Moving on to some piecing, I made one section of Wave, which is the next block in Sew Kind of Wonderful’s Rock the Block QAL.

Here are all the blocks so far -

I’m not making multiple of the blocks yet. But might as this QAL builds.

Spring in my yard -

Grape Hyacinths! I love these little flowers.

Plus we have the large Hyacinths blooming in three colors.

And my first vegetable of the year -

Asparagus fresh from the garden.

How does you garden grow?

Last Week’s To-Do List:

1. Finish appliquéing clam shells.  ✔️ Finally! Completed appliquéing all the clam shells!
2. Next block of Rock the Block.  ✔️

This Week’s To-Do List:

1. Sandwich Clam Shell Borders.
2. Next block of Rock the Block QAL.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday on a Wednesday!

One more side to go! Building 4 rows of Clam Shells for the fourth side of the quilt will be my goal for April.

I’m using a machine blanket stitch to appliqué the Clam Shells to the border background fabric.

Once the top row is stitched in place, I measure down 2 1/4″ from the top of the stitched Clams for placement of the second row of Clams.

There will be four rows of Clam Shells as the outer border on the quilt.

Once this final side of Clam shells is stitched in place, it will be time to sandwich and quilt. Let’s see how far I get on this project this month!

Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.

Squirrels! It’s Spring and so many are running around! The animal type, and the quilting type – quilt alongs! I decided to go ahead and play along with Sew Kind of Wonderful’s Rock the Block quilt along. Every Thursday they are showing a new free block with a video. We have completed three weeks.

Week one: Mesmerized.

14 1/2″ square

Week two: Links

7 1/2″ x 14 1/2″

Week three: Crown Flower

7 1/2 x 11″

There will be 9 blocks in all, and then sashing. Instructions list how many of each block to make. Right now I’m only making one of each. I don’t need another large quilt, so I’ll see as this QAL progresses if one each will work for a small quilt. If not, I can always go back and make more blocks. As you can see Sew Kind of Wonderful loves curved piecing! They have created three rulers for curved piecing. I happen to own them all and have used them all – I like curved piecing too. Which is why I jumped in on the QAL.

Clam Shells! I now have three sides of the clam shell border completed. And first row of fourth border pinned.

Not sure if I have enough thread on that spool to finish, but here is hoping. My LQS did not have a matching thread. After stitching the final fourth side it will be time to sandwich and quilt.

Spring flowers continue to bloom!

Daffodils! Two varieties so far. There are a few more varieties yet to open up.

Happy Easter all! I pray you know God’s blessings.

Last Week’s To-Do List:

1. Clam Shells – keep multiplying! ✔️3 sides completed!
2. Maybe follow a squirrel … Sew Kind of Wonderful QAL  ✔️ 3 blocks made

This Week’s To-Do List:

1. Finish appliquéing clam shells.
2. Next block of Rock the Block.

Linking to To-Do Tuesday.

I’m making good progress! Which was my goal for March. Progress on a Clam Shell border.

I now have 3 borders completed, but not attached to the quilt.

I machine blanket stitched the clams in place, one row at a time, building on top of the previous row.

Here is the final side.

First row of clam shells pinned in place.

One more side! I feel like I’m finally seeing the end of piecing this quilt top!

Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.

Are you getting tired of me posting my appliqué Clam Shells?

This week I had time to pin and stitch 3 more rows in place.

The ruler is showing how I’m lining up the next row. I’m measuring down from the top of the previous row by 2 1/4 inch. Pinning, and then stitching with a blanket stitch. After I stitch this last row in place, I move on to the top and bottom borders.  4 more rows of clam shells on each.

Spring flowers keep popping up! Here are Prim Roses. They came back! I thought they are an annual, but they must have survived our relatively mild winter.

Purple Prim Rose

White Prim Rose.

The great outdoors, and some Spring Cleaning might be keeping me away from my sewing machine. But I really want to finish this quilt for my son and DILove!

Last Week’s To-Do List:

1. Continue with Clam Shells ✔️
2. Project Quilting 12.6 – last challenge! What will I do?  ✔️ Completed! I made a mini Indiana Puzzle mug rug.

This Week’s To-Do List:

1. Clam Shells – keep multiplying!
2. Maybe follow a squirrel … Sew Kind of Wonderful QAL

Linking to To-Do Tuesday

Ab Intra – Last challenge for this season!

I’m not going very deep on this one. Actually, just below the surface. In jest, I’m puzzling why we still live in Indiana after 32 years! I’m a mountain loving girl! Having moved from the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, I miss the mountains and waterfalls.

So I give you Indiana Puzzle.

Yes, this is a re-visit to Snail Trail, our PQ12.4 challenge, but with a twist.

After our PQ 12.4 challenge had passed, quilter Joan of Hummingbird Highway shared how she used Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool (mini) to make a Snail Trail block.  She first posted about it on February 25, calling her variation Swirl.

My little brain just kept going back to how she used the Pineapple Trim Tool to make a Snail Trail! I own that tool, and was itching to give it a try.

I followed Joan’s instructions, purchased for just 3$. And instead of a traditional Pineapple block, I created a Swirl, or Snail Trail, or Monkey’s Wrench, or Indiana Puzzle.

This little bound block is just 4 1/2″ square. Guess I have a new mug rug.

If you are waiting for more depth, sorry to disappoint!

I love how many of you PQ 12′ers are digging deep into your souls for this last challenge. I’m just skimming the surface here! Hope you enjoy this little piece. I’m tickled with how it turned out!

When I told my hubby about my Puzzle, he laughed! He’s a good natured guy! And we do travel, so I do get my mountain and waterfall fix.

Linking to Project Quilting 12.6