Working on those quilting goals

A number of us on the hearts2hands group listed our quilting goals for the year back in January.  Then totally forgot about it.  At least I did.  When I uploaded a photo of a finished quilt to the group's albums last week, I decided to check the database.  Oops, I forgot about all those goals I had listed.

One I actually have kept up and that is to get at least one top quilted per month.  Now there have been several months that all I did was piece tops or work on a block of the month.  But there were also several months that I completed several quilts.  So there is easily six finished quilts so far this year.

But I had completely forgot my goal about working on some of the kits I have collected over the years.  I thought there were a lot.  So I went searching through my sewing room.  I could only find two that were complete kits.  Several had a speciality fabric along with a pattern.  Like northern lights fabric, or a panel of some sort.  I decided that these would have a lower priority.  So with only two complete kits to work on I got busy.  Both tops have been completed and one has been quilted. 

I plan on adding more quilting in each block.  And should I ever make this runner again, I know it will go together better than this kit did.  The pre cut 5" squares were not...square that is...nor were all of them perfect 5" cuts.  But the kit is done and I have something set aside for the next time a call comes out for donations.

Next I finished working on the Welcome to the North Pole block for June.

It still needs embellishments, but I'm waiting until the craft stores start getting their Christmas items in.

Bailey and I have a quilt top that was posted previously to work on.  Bailey is sewing fine, the fabric and thread are playing nicely together.  But quilter (me) is having issues.  My back is getting sore from having to stoop over the frame while ripping out two rows of stitching.  I got over confident and decided that I had no need to double check how far to advance the quilt.  So two rows of stitching are crossing over each other.  I'm using a pantograph that I have not used before and thought I could "eye ball" where to place the next row.  Learned my lesson!  Hopefully next post I'll be able to show a finished quilt....if I can get these two rows ripped out.  I'm predicting that once I'm quilting again either the thread or the machine will have issues and I'll be so frustrated.....

That's a lot of flying geese and Half Square Triangles!

Not sure why, but I seem to get more done quilting wise in the warm weather than in winter.

The hearts2hands quilt group had members list their goals for the year.  I have four.  Keep my scraps cut into usable sizes.  Not happening so far.

Next was keeping up with the block of the month that I'm working on "Welcome to the North Pole".  So far I'm keeping up with this goal.  Although I do have to stitch down this month's.  All pieces have been fuzzed in place, but still need to be stitched.

Next was to work on at least one kit from the huge collection I have each month.  I haven't even started one.

The last was to finish a quilt a month.  I think I'm close to that.  I'll have to go back and see if I have six quilts done.

So what's been done in the past two weeks?  Well 26 draw string bags for the women shelters.   And this quilt:

I had wanted to do some more intricate quilting but ended up using a larger stippling.

Then the cats helped me work on this quilt top.  There are a lot of HST's in this one that Ba'el is testing:

Now to either pull out some scraps to cut down, or a kit to start working on.....

The Bailey group sent out a great link for finishing binding that I just love.  It's a must see for quilters.  A link to the side of this video lead me to the easiest way to baste a quilt ever!  Wish I knew about this before I purchased my huge quilt frame!  Think of all those quilts that would have been soooo much easier to baste.  No crawling around on the floor!

Here's the link for the binding:  Binding: Sharon Schamber's method

And here is the easy way to baste a quilt:
The Patchwork Box Tips - Basting

Enjoy

Sewing for outside and a new book!

I can not believe the prices they are charging for swing cushions!  The cushions on DS's swing are sun rotted.  Falling apart.  Need to be replaced.  He probably should have bought them at the season's end last year when they were on sale.  But we all thought he'd get another year out of them.  After a winter in the shed they were placed on the swing.  It was obvious that they had to go.

Fabricland's sale scored 8 metres of outdoor fabric.  Probably not what DS would have chosen, but the price was right and it brightens things up.  Of course my assistants had to do a comfort test when one cushion was finished.  I had the cushion on the kitchen table, reached for something on the counter, and the cat, who is NOT allowed on the table, was curled up on the cushion.  Keeping her eyes tightly closed, hoping I wouldn't disturb her.  She did open her eyes when the camera came out.  Wouldn't want anyone to think she's sleeping on the job.

There was extra fabric after the 3 cushions were made.  DS's yard is open to the south and west so it gets hot.  So I thought a blind on the west side with the awning providing protection from the south would help.  You may notice a lot of ties.  Even the cushions are secured with ties.  Things can go missing in this condo complex.  So the ties just make it more frustrating and thieves tend to go elsewhere.

After delivering and tying the cushions and blind in place, I rewarded myself with a walk over to Sew Divine.  (Gotta love a son who lives half way to your favourite quilt shop.)  Pat was doing a demo and introduction for a new block of the month....which I did not join.  I was invited to stay and watch.  Always fun spending time with other quilters.

When I arrived back home there was a quilting book waiting for me in the mail!
I had sent in yet another quilt conference story which was read by Brandy Lynn on Canadian Quilt Talk.  My prize is a book by Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks.  "Urban Country Quilts"  There are 15 projects in this book that I can't wait to start.