Aurifil Designer BOM, RSC Blocks, and a Spring Quilt Along!

This year my aim is to focus on UFO's, but today I am sharing blocks I've created over the past few months. I hope you will enjoy a bit of catch-uP!

Without an actual plan for layout, I decided I need more blocks to finish my Aurifil Designer blocks for 2014. Last month, I added the New Directions Arrow blocks designed by Sue Marsh:

My 2014 blocks are various sizes, so these arrows I left separate - they may be handy for fitting things together!

Today I finished the newest block; Faux Weave by Mister Domestic:

I did not stray from directions this time, well, other than making mine scrappy! I made eight stripsets 14" long, then sub-cut what was needed for each row. I also trimmed allowances to 1/8" so that I could press toward the red.
Find Matt Boudreaux's interview and pattern HERE.
I'll be linking this block up over at Pat Sloan's Blog for a chance to win my favorite thread!

****************************************

Are you tempted by Lori Kennedy's SPRING QUILT ALONG?
I easily justified my latest impulse since I really need some FMQ practice, and it happened that all the HST's required were waiting in my scrap bin. They're leftovers from both my Summer and Winter Gathering Quilts.

The little sandwich was completed in a jiffy, and Ba-da-bing, I am on-board with the Spring Quilt Along hosted by Lori Kennedy of The Inbox Jaunt!

 ****************************************

I have lots of new RSC Blocks! In the spirit of limiting any new projects, my plan for Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2017 is simply to continue adding Baby Courthouse blocks from 2016. I've been making 4 or 5 blocks each month:

FEBRUARY:

MARCH:

MAY:

Completing this post feels like such an astronomical accomplishment after procrastinating for so long. I am recovering well following girlie surgery one week ago, somehow scheduled during peak snowbird season. Ty has been great and I have managed to really take things easy. We are expecting my DMIL tomorrow and I will not be required any hostess duties.

May your weekend be filled with Love and Laughter -- Thank you for visiting!

Full Circle: A Quilty365 Nearly Finished!

What a wonderful journey this! I remember making the very first dots and wondering if I would really be able to keep up with Audrey's Quilty365 Challenge for a full year...

well, yes, I have a (near)finish, and it was fun!
I found I could keep up well if I kept 20 rings (prepared) ahead, then each day I was able to select fabric for the centers. About once per week, I could sit at my machine and finish the circles in a jiffy.

Quilting the panels individually allowed me to plan a larger finish, and I was able to get right to work on the quilting.

To avoid an over-whelming UFO, I even assembled panels as I went.

I also chose the Label-As-You-Go method too.

Here we are nearing the half-way mark, I am definitely smitten.

All that is left is the trimming and binding. I may go with a wide binding but we'll see:)

I wonder if the big layout-error has leapt out at anyone yet? I definitely would have preferred the panels pieced correctly, but I can only shrug and remind myself this quilt is all about character, lol. It will definitely be well-loved come winter.

This was the plan, but somehow, between the floor and the machine, I inverted the panels in that last quarter-panel..

FULL CIRCLE STATS:
Start Date: November 30, 2015
Finish Date: TBA! I finished the last blocks in December 2016.
Completed size: 84" x 94"
Completed weight: 5.5 lbs.
Construction method: Quilt-As-You-Go
Number of Panels: 13
Block construction: 6 minute circles (technique demonstrated in my heart-shaped applique tutorial)
Number & size of blocks: 360 Blocks; finished at 4.5" each
Fabric: From my stash ;)
Backing: Heavy muslin from a bolt I have been hoarding!
Batting: Hobbs Cotton/Poly
Quilting: Utility-stitch (non-uniform, straight-line stitch with walking foot), with heavy quilting thread from Coats & Clark -- another great stash-buster!
Hand-quilting:  Big-Stitch with Perle Cotton #12
Label: I have written directly on the backside of each panel, bits about that month, the fabrics selected and some major events.
Residual-finishes:
A large pillow made with center circles when I was about 3 months in:

More recently, blocks are emerging from my small HST's, sewn as leader's and ender's from the corners that were clipped after each circle sewn..

The center leftovers added a couple hundred or so 1.5" squares to add to my collection.

I keep an ever-growing stash of 1.5", 2", 2.5", 5" squares as well as a bunch of large triangles, and have been inspired recently to begin a medallion with all these "pre-cut scraps". It all began with the friendship stars, but now the center has developed from last month's Aurifil Designer block of the month, designed by Melissa Corry. I added the little pointy ends to her 12" block.

I am working on more Friendship Stars and just staggering around the low volume blocks for now. I'm considering some applique with this one, but we'll see where it all goes!

Thank you so much Audrey, for this wonderful project, I have really been looking forward to this finish-linkup! I'll be sharing with all the other's this week at Quilty Folk!

Everything comes Full Circle,

And every circle has no end,

Endings are where we all begin,

And beginnings where it all ends.

-Circle of Light, by Nivek

OMG: January Finish!

My husband and I have lived without a dining room set for most of our marriage. For a couple year's before we moved to the SW, we did have a beautiful game set but we chose to leave it behind with the snowblower. We've usually used our dining spaces as a lounge-type area, but currently it is an online shipping and storage area. Sometimes I really miss a dining room; when guests are here, holidays, and especially when I see Carole's lovely table-scapes. Last year, I sold my special china of 30+ years. Shipping them all off was a sad day really, but they had only been out of their boxes a few of those years and used a couple dozen (memorable!) times.

Point is, I am without many options for a photo-shoot to share this set of quilted placemats and table runner.

I wasn't sure of the dimensions needed and made the runner rather skinny to be sure it would all fit on the table...
It is about 7" wide and 40something long.

Bound, wrapped and shipped! These were a belated-Christmas gift! I know they look Christmas-ish, but these are colors that really go well in the recipient's home and I am really hoping that they can be used year-round.
The placemats were made as two panels, quilted and then cut apart into six mats. I used a new-to-me brand of quilting thread.
My local LSC charges over $14 for Aurifil, and very limited in colors. I found a local embroidery shop that carries the Floriani brand. I am still an Aurifil snob, but this thread quilted really well, it is 40wt, all-cotton, and I had no problems with it at all.

Yippee, my January goal is complete and I am one-for-one! I am so happy to join the finishes-party at Elm Street Quilts!

The New Year: A Simplified Approach

The internet is full of quilty-temptation that makes it sooo hard to focus on UFO's!
Try as I may,  **QAL resistance is often futile.
This year, however, I am on a strict diet. I aim to finish old projects and limit new ones. The Rainbow Scrap Challenge is my only 'exception' so far, it is a flexible challenge that allows me to create, guilt-free, and satisfies a bit of my sew-along craving.
Very soon, I will play with layout of the Kite Tails blocks I made for RSC2016.

I want need to hit my scraps a bit harder this year, yet avoid new projects. Tricky, but hopefully I can make a few smalls each month to tackle those bins, or perhaps I will just sew them all-together and 'make' fabric for each month, lol.
My 2017 RSC Blocks will be more Courthouse blocks. I only managed to finish eight last year, but I enjoyed making them and they're so cute!

This month, I have three new purple blocks to add to the collection:

Sooo, I have really limited my goals for 2017.
Here is what I would like to accomplish:

*Select one monthly goal as priority for each month. I am leaning toward setting the goal via Instagram, then sharing the finish each month here on the blog.

*Link regularly with RSC2017 and Oh Scrap.

*Cut my stash in half(!). I am considering IG as a platform for this!

*Finish, or otherwise "off" 50% of my UFO's.

*Avoid new projects, with few exceptions: Overdue family quilts(one wedding and two college), items made for profit or gifts, OR, any items I deem absolutely necessary, lol.

*Simplify. My 2017 word. my motto. my simple. ka-peesh.

 

**If you are looking for one place that links to A LOT of current and/or upcoming Quilt Alongs/ BOM, check out this wonderful linkup, hosted by Myra at Busy Hands Quilts!

About that I-Spy...

My blog has been very quiet, right? It's reflective of my holiday season really, the weeks seemed to whisper past. I'm starting the new year with a bit of catch-up, before I can truly embrace 2017 and a quilty goal or two...

I-Spy Cabbage was completed and shipped in time for Christmas, however I missed the OMG Linkup over at Elm Street Quilts! I am so excited that Patty has found a way for people like me to still feel like winner's, lol! This year, she is awarding an entry for goals that do not make the intended finish line.

I hopped onboard Val's I-Spy Charm Swap last year, then added additional 3.5" squares for a 45"x51" finish. The quilt was not planned; I began by making four-patches and came up with a layout from there. Four leftover four-patches are highlighted on the back.

I finished the quilting before I realized I had not put the label on. Just the way I roll lately. Even though I had made one, I ended up writing directly on the light gray area. Terri seemed to like the idea to add all her Grandchildren's names/bd as they come about. So now I need to send her a Pigma...
and what's a Pigma without a zip-pouch? wink wink ;)

 

    TGIFF is at Quokka Quilts this week!