WIP Post Feb 17, 2016

So I came back home from my daughter's and promptly got sick!  Not badly enough to be in bed the whole time - but def enough to spend time resting and drinking hot tea!

BUT lots of sewing!  Any time away from my machine leaves me in a spot where I need to work on my ongoing projects and get moving again!  I found 2 samplers while I was away.... one is the 365 Challenge - where you make one block daily for a year.  I said NO at first - and then had to take a peek!  Some are fairly easy - some pretty complicated - but all piecing and fun :-)  And so tiny that they use up my bits and pieces that might have been trashed.  BUT since we all know I've been saving them, well.... they are ready to use for a free quilt :-)

365 Challenge

Of course - at this point, I need to play catch up... so here is what I have this week - untrimmed and all only 3.5 inches square unfinished

January 10-16

Jan 17-23

Feb 10-14 + extra Bonus Valentine block

I am having more fun than I probably ought to.... I feel that however rough some of these are - I am honing my piecing skills like crazy!


The Splendid Sampler

Bonus block + Block 1

I still need to machine applique the heart on Block 1 but have am collecting a few items for machine applique and will do a lot of that at one time....

I had a brainstorm thought about the fabric for this sampler.  I am using some leftover fabric from curtains I made.  the prints are botanical... the designer from North Carolina.... all flowers and birds and butterflies.... (and if I run out of fabric I can cut up my curtains and make new ones :-)

Aurifil Blocks
 - finished up one from 2015

and the current one for January 2016

For these I am choosing colors as I go..... 2015 was specific colors for each month.... this year I am choosing by block

Droid Quilt Along

making progress!  I finished the Week 3 - Block B

I have the next week's cut out but we will see whether I get them done or not!

And.... the Shenandoah Botanical Album

I have had the fabric for a while but couldn't decide whether I was going to hand applique it or use fusible.  I decided that I would get frustrated with the hand applique at this point in my learning so fusible it is!  And machine applique (I TOLD you I was stock piling some machine applique for a marathon session!)

Month 1

I am several months behind in the sew along... I have kept us with printing and enlarging the patterns.  So at this point I need to trace the patterns on to the fusible interfacing and choose fabrics.... then cut, place and press!

Month 2

Boy, that sounds easy!  But the patterns are fairly intricate - so it's time consuming.  I am enjoying learning about period fabrics though and creating something so completely different than my usual :-)

When I get caught up with fusing the months, I will begin the applique.

And... then......

I made some Half square triangles from a charm pack to make a quilt for my new grandson...

and some more half square triangles for a quilt that my local shop is teaching...

I am making 2 versions in 2 colorways and 2 sizes....

...and I cut the fabric for some burp cloths my daughter requested....

 [I think I need to pick up more diapers and make a shower gift for someone else before I keep going on this project!)


Other projects that are ongoing..

Dublin quilt (I need 198 of these 3 patches for the size mentioned so I have a while to go but I stitch together a strip or two of green each time I sit to sew)

..and another hexy..... at one per week, I will eventually have a quilt :-)

.... and still using up yarn :-)  VA lap robes in progress....  as of the end of this week, I have squares for 2 lap robes and lots more yarn.  I will need to work them together.

I will be finishing up quilting and binding a birthday gift next and I can't show it off until I give it :-) 

What are you up to this week?

Quilt Alongs....

Let's just say....

I love them.

I like to work on several projects at once.  And I like to learn.  And I have to do things (mess them up!) several times before I really know what I am doing.

But I am totally not into time constraints.

So I hate them.  Quilt-alongs run on a schedule.  And my life is on a different schedule :-)

BUT.... I am religious about getting the block instructions - and then working it into MY life.  Much of what I have learned about quilting, I learned right here on the internet.  I have fine-tuned it when I can find real live people to help - but most of my info starts here.  And no class is waiting on me to finish :-)

Just make sure and get the instructions!  Many designers run the project for free and then take the project down and sell their patterns - so make sure you get the instructions before they do that :-)  And also - share your work... it continues to promote the designer's efforts and shows your appreciation!

And quilt-alongs... with the friends I make.... are where I can learn.  I try to keep the number I join down... but I have also given myself permission to STOP if I'm not feeling it :-)

Most of these have Facebook groups where you can do a little show and tell and chit-chatting with your virtual sewing friends.  Which is really fun when no real live person in your world is doing the same thing!

Also - most of the projects have lots of contests and giveaways.  I don't usually get involved with those but they are available!

Anyway - I wanted to share a couple of new ones I am involved in this year that you will see in my WIP posts ....

The list will be online quilt alongs.... I also try to do the quilts presented as classes at my local shop where I work AND my little group has a triple Irish chain that they are working on.. so I will join in the fun there too.  I do love show & tell!

Modern HST Sampler - This one is a good pace....  12.5-inch blocks... 2 per month....  all half-square triangles.  I like the knowledge I am gaining / refreshing about different methods of making half-square triangles.  It is run by Alyce Blyth at Blossom Heart Quilts. (I am choosing fabrics from my stash as I go and will begin to tie them together later when a main color begins to surface :-)

This is the first block from January 2016

Aurifil Designer of the Month - Aurifil Threads runs wonderful projects each year.  They invite 12 designers to design blocks or projects.  I am working on the 2015 mini-quilts from last year still :-)  And started the 2016 blocks already.  I have printed the 2014 instructions and will mess with them sometime because I love the theme [women in our lives - especially women who taught us to sew!  I have visions of some sewing related fabric for it but haven't settle yet :-)]  
 
365 Challenge - I didn't plan to do this one - sounded daunting!  But all that work on the Aurifil minis last year... plus my work with scraps... anyway, I was intrigued by the concept of 365 blocks.... and then I looked - and many of the blocks are a tiny 3-inches!  Using up my 1 and 1.5-inch bits...  365 different blocks... all pieced... set in a lovely 90X90 sampler quilt.  So far, it's still fun and easy to catch up.   Presented by Kathryn Kerr from Australia.

This is the first week's blocks plus a bonus block.... I am doing these with color scraps by month - January is blue :-)

The Splendid Sampler - This one starts on Valentines Day and will go at a 2 block per week pace.  Yikes!  BUT it will encompass many different techniques and as many designers.  AND it will be a book when it is finished.  SO.. with all those lessons and ideas coming through.. I will set out with good intentions and definitely gather the info while it is available.  There will be piecing, paper piecing, applique, English paper piecing and I don't know what else - BUT with 100+ designers?  Well.. there is a lot to learn!  It is run by Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson.   [I plan to choose color by the block and tie together later]

Shenandoah Botanical - I LOVE the idea of this one but it's out of my comfort zone!  It is a fundraiser for the Virginia Quilt Museum - so about $20 for the pattern.  The quilt is a reproduction of an album quilt done in the mid-1800s of flowers in the Shenandoah Valley.  It has taken me several months to decide between hand applique and fusible & machine applique.... but the fusible has won out and you will begin to see the blocks show up in my WIP posts!  One block comes out per month with a show & tell post coming mid-month.  Lots of history and tidbits about the flowers...  Perhaps in a month or so I will have a show & tell block!  [for these blocks I am choosing period fabrics and trying to come close to the original quilt - some out of my stash.. but most purchased]

Droid Quilt-Along - Definitely for the nerds!  This is a birthday present so it has a deadline of mid-April.  [BUT the quilt-along ran last fall until the new Star Wars movie came out!  So I am once again on MY schedule :-)]  Run by Pam Cobb from the Stitch TV Show (You-tube)... I came across it from listening to Pam's podcast [hmm... I should do a podcast post]...  Anyway it's a gift for a Star Wars fan and done in BB-8 colors :-)

I will do another post later with a couple of other quilt-alongs that I am in the middle of... or quilt-alongs that I am not ready to begin but are on my list!

Do you do quilt alongs?