I didn’t reach my goal for February. I did work on the quilt but not much.
The goal is to make the Clam Shell border that will go around this quilt -
The pattern is from Sue Pelland’s Hearts and More Book. The quilt is on the cover.
I started the quilt in August of 2020. I’m kind of dragging my feet at this point. Here’s hoping I make good progress this month.
Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.
Project Quilting 12.5 Challenge this week is You’re Crazy. Crazy Quilt challenge!
I own the Creative Grids Scrap Crazy 8″ templates. It would have been easy to use those for a traditional Crazy quilt block.
Creative Grids Scrap Crazy 8″ Templates
I decided to go just a little bit more crazy.
My husband and I just recieved our Ancestry results. Big surprise, I found out I’m 43% Scottish! I didn’t know that! I’ve always heard that I’m English and Pennsylvania Dutch. My ancestors came over the big pond early. 1600s & 1700s.
With this new family history in mind, I did a quick search of things Scottish. I was determined to some how use it in this week’s challenge.
I landed on the country’s flower, the Thistle.
I purchased this paper pieced pattern on Etsy with the plan to crazy quilt the flower and leaves. Instead of paper piecing I used the flower design as appliqué.
I got so busy pulling fabric and sewing, forgetting to take pictures along the way.
I CraZy StiTcHed three sections of greens and one of purples and used them for the Thistle. I fused the 4 Thistle parts to the background and got busy decorative stitching.
Close up of Thistle flower.
Close up of Thistle leaf.
I had so much fun changing out the stitches that I forgot to change out the threads I selected.
Thread plan gone wrong. LOL
All stitched, and I’m happy with the results.
The finished CraZy QuiLt. My nod to my Scottish heritage. Finished at 16″ square.
Linking to Project Quilting.
This week I finished a quilt! Using Moda’s Thicket panel, I cut the four animals down to 8 1/2″ square.
Next, I did just a little bit of piecing around them.
Set them in a row.
Sandwiched and quilted with intersecting arches.
Owl
Rabbit
Fox
Bear
For the back I used a white with black dots print. Bound with one of the prints used in piecing.
Labeled (not shown), washed, and packaged to ship.
Shipping is slow, the tracking number originally said it should have arrived March 1st. Today I got a message that it will arrive late. Hmmm. Hopefully it will arrive today. I told my nephew and niece to be on the lookout for it yesterday.
The quilt measures 48″ x 56″ Pieced and quilted with Aurifil Thread 50 weight, color #2021 Natural White. I used a walking foot for quilting on my Janome 8900.
The 12″ or so of snow melted enough this past week bringing on our first Spring Flowers! These popped up Sunday February 28.
Winter Aconite.
Last Week’s To-Do List:
This Week’s To-Do List:
Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Chrisknits.
This week I focused on making a baby quilt for a new great nephew.
I cut 4 animals from a panel to measure 8 1/2″ square. Moda panel, Thicket.
Excuse the poor lighting. I did just a bit of piecing around the animals making 16″ finished blocks.
Then pieced 20″ of white fabric on the left side, and 10″ on the right side of the pieced blocks.
Aren’t those cute animals? Owl, Bunny, Fox and Bear.
My niece requested no colors in the baby quilt. She is decorating in woodland animals in grays, so I hope this quilt will be well received!
Quilting started using a walking foot, curves set 1 1/2″ apart. I’m using Aurifil 50 weight thread, Natural White color #2021.
I’ll bind the quilt in the black and white print used in the pieced owl block.
I was hoping to finish by today, but other things happened. And tomorrow is looking full too. So I’ll just keep moving along as time allows.
I did not touch the Clam Shell quilt. Hopefully I’ll get to it this coming week!
How are you plans working out so far this year?
Last Week’s To-Do List:
This Week’s To-Do List:
Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by ChrisKnits.
Project Quilting 12.4 Challenge is Snail Trail. Find all about the challenge here. There is time for you to join in on the fun, quilts must be finished by February 21, at noon CST.
Using the Snail Trail block, I built a flower.
I started with four yellow fabrics cutting squares at just one inch.
Then built around the center in light and dark purples, going very scrappy. Then I used two greens fabrics for leaves.
Here’s the finished pieced top before quilting.
And here is the back. Seams pressed open and flat with the help of Acorn Precision Piecing Products. This little starch brush is new to me, and I really liked how it applied the starch, which helped with pressing the seams.
Here is a short youtube video if you are interested in learning about Acorn products. I bought the product at my LQS.
Snail Trail Flower mug rug quilted and bound. 8 1/2″ square. I used Aurifil thread through out project.
Back, showing quilting.
My list for To-Do Tuesday did not include the PQ12 challenge. But I’m happy to let it sneak in!
I did finish prepping all the Clam Shells.
228, top right. 66 with concave curves pressed over.
See the difference? The 66 with concave seam pressed will be the bottom row. 4 rows of Clam Shells total.
Mock up. I still need to cut and mark white fabric for lining up Clam Shells in straight rows.
See the snow through the window? We got an additional 12″ over night on top of the 6″ we already had! Nice stay indoors and quilt weather!
This week I need to switch to creating a baby quilt for a new nephew. Fabric bought and quilt planned.
See you next week!
Last Week’s To-Do List:
This Week’s To-Do List:
Linking to Project Quilting 12.4 and To-Do Tuesday hosted by ChrisKnits.
My Janome is home! She needed a cleaning and a tune up. I had a few questions about her.
While sewing I would sometimes get a little loop on the under side every 5-6 inches. Not always, and I could not get that loop when I wanted to have something to show the repairman. Turns out there was a spring that had come loose in the hook assembly. Hoping that solves the problem.
Another problem I have is tension when sewing with a cone of thread. There is a little $3 thread guide attachment that clicks into the hole for upright spool pin. The guide is supposed to help with tension when sewing from a cone of thread. I’ve not tried it out yet, but again, hoping is solves the problem.
thread guide in place of spool pin
Clam Shells are in the making. The freezer paper templates I used for the first 228 clam shells got a bit beat up. I decided to make more templates to replace them. At this point I’m moving slowly, but progress is being made.
I’ve used Sue Pelland‘s Hearts & More Template to cut three layers of freezer paper fused together to make the clam shell shapes.
Using the freezer paper templates, iron to wrong side of fabric. Cut 1/4″ around freezer paper. Snip the 2 concave edges. Press edges around the freezer paper template. Once edges are pressed and have cooled some, remove the freezer paper. The Clam Shells are ready to appliqué in place.
Last Week’s To-Do List:
This Week’s To-Do List:
Linking to To-Do Tuesday. This is the last week Roseanne of Home Sewn by Us will be hosting. I’ll miss her happy posts! She is handing on the hosting to Chris of Chris Knits with next Tuesday being her first to host. Thank you Chris for continuing To-Do Tuesday!
Complications kept me from shopping this past week. Hopefully I’ll make it out the door today to LQS. I also need to drop off my machine for a tune up and cleaning.
I’m taking part in the Project Quilting Season 12 Challenge. This Sunday the third challenge was announced. Virtual Vacation.
My family and I have been talking about doing a trip up to Northern Michigan – visiting light houses along Lake Michigan coast line, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Traverse City Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are of interest because I learned they have a Fairy Trail there. My granddaughter is at the age where she is all about fairies.
For PQ 12.3 Virtual Vacation Challenge I made a Fairy Pillow for my granddaughter.
Here is the backside of stitching completed for the pillow.
And the front -
I traced a coloring page for the fairy then stitched over the lines, filled in her wings. I added fused & stitched flowers and vine for her to be in a pretty garden.
Close up of our charming little fairy.
Close up of free form flowers.
Pinks and purples are granddaughter’s favorite colors right now so pink & purple it is for this 16″ pillow. All stitching is with Aurifil 50# threads. The Fossil Fern fabrics are left over from a quilt I made for her bed.
I bombed on my To-Do list. Hopefully this week will be much better.
Last Week’s To-Do List:
This Week’s To-Do List:
Linking to To-Do Tuesday and Project Quilting.
Clam Shells! I have 228 prepped and ready to stitch in place to finish a quilt I started back in August 2020.
The clam shells will be the outer border to finish a queen size quilt.
Playing with the clam shells -
Three deep which will go on a white background. I’m thinking of making one more row – which means prep more clam shells.
After that, the background fabric needs prepped and the clam shells attached! That is my goal for February.
If all goes well, I’ll even get this quilted and bound!
Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.
My goal to start the New Year was to bind a quilt for my grandson.
I used the red and white print for the binding.
Bound and washed and ready to gift to my grandson for his 3rd birthday!
All Aboard! all bound.
Here is my grandson and granddaughter inspecting the quilt!
He loved pointing to all the cars and the train engine!
After gifting the train quilt, I moved on to appliqué.
Vines, leaves & flowers now circle the Drunkards Path center to this quilt.
I think that all adds up to a good month!
How was your January goal setting and meeting those goals?
Linking to One Monthly Goal hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts.
Decisions need to be made. After prepping 228 5″ Clam Shells and then pulling out the fabric they are to go on – I find I don’t have enough fabric. Grrr. I have enough to piece two sides of the quilt using 2 white prints already used in the quilt. So, buy all new fabric for the four sides, or piece and still have to buy new fabric for remaining two sides?
While the Clam Shells sit, I ponder this situation. I’m making no progress on the quilt. There is a sale coming up in February – do I wait or just buy now? And before I quilt this last border, I need to purchase more backing fabric.
A trip to a quilt shop is definitely in my future!
Here is the pillow I made for my grandson that met the challenge in Project Quilting 12:2 last week.
Read all about it here.
Last Week’s To-Do List:
This Week’s To-Do List:
Linking to To-Do Tuesday hosted by Home Sewn by Us