Parade of Awesome Ocean QAL Quilts

It's been awhile since I posted (March 1st) and it's been even longer since I've had a Finally Finished Quilt to post.  So, it's good that the Parade of Awesome Ocean QAL quilts is happening on Saturday, because there would have been a good chance of my continuing my Flimsy Frenzy which started in February. Before this quilt and another quilt which you will see later in this post, I had ten flimsies which happened mainly because it was hard for me to focus during Miserable March and Awful April, I really wanted to make face masks but needed elastic and hard to believe I've been waiting for over a month for delivery, and the Squirrels were running rampant while reorganizing some of my stash and projects.

The Awesome Ocean Quilt Along, hosted by the Grand Marshall of the Parade, Kathleen McMusing, started last November, and I know two others besides myself, Wendy and Emily who participated in this QAL and we all happened to be Bee Sisters from the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers group.  I posted about participating in this QAL with my Preppy the Whale post and I can tell you the mishaps and salty language continued with making the final three pair of sea creature blocks.  

There were nine pairs of sea creature/foilage blocks to be made and to assure that the colors were going to be distributed evenly on the quilt, I chose to make each pair in the same color range, sometimes making them exactly the same or using the same fabrics but alternating the positions which worked out well except with the Kelp and Tony the Turtle blocks which both happened to be green. I changed the layout on the bottom half of the quilt, which originally had both of these blocks next to each other, so the Manatee block was put in between the green blocks, thus avoiding having a green glob at the bottom.

All of the fabrics used in my Awesome Ocean Quilt were almost all from my stash, including the backing and binding which was a 15 year old batik-like print.  I ended having to purchase another 1.5 yard of the Regatta Blue Grunge which was needed for the sashing and border.  Normally I do not like to sew sashing but I have to say I never love sashing as much as I did for this quilt because it really made sewing the top together so easy--thankfully the sashing wasn't a crazy cut like 1-3/16" which would have really made me want to jump in the ocean.  As for the prints used, they were fat quarters from Lilly and Loom from Blueprint, a layer cake of V and Company Mixologie and Zen Chic for the perfect yellow print for one of the Sea Horses.

During the past two months it was easy to lose track of which day it was and I really thought I missed the AO parade and was surprised when I saw the AO QAL schedule and realized I still had time to put the blocks together and quilt it.  I machine quilted it with wavy lines like Wendy and my Wave Ruler came in handy for marking the quilt lines 2" apart.  I will admit I was not the happy participant in this QAL, being that I like to make quilts which are easy on my brain, easy cutting, cruise control sewing and I am angle-challenged so this quilt definitely made me focus on following the pattern/instruction. I now understand why my hubby and some men don't like to follow maps or listen to OnStar.; in my house, it's OnStar 10 and Hubby 1.  If there was anything awesome about this Quilt it's the feeling I had once the quilt was finally finished and hanging up on my design wall--I couldn't stop looking at it and smiling.  I know the darling granddaughter is going to love looking at it when she's in her bedroom at the Grandparent House.

While I was making this quilt, it was so easy for me to say that this was one pattern I would definitely not sew again and was ready to send this pattern off. (After the top was done I couldn't find the pattern for several days until I realized I filed it in my pattern files; I thought I needed it because I couldn't remember some of the "proper" names of the blocks).  But after enjoying the awesomeness of it's finish I would make it again only if the other Son, Demando, would grace me with a Grandchild.  I'm not going to make the collecting the State Quarters mistake again which for some reason, I filled up only one collector book and realizing once I was finished collecting quarters during the course of several years, I realized I should have done two books since I had two sons.  But in my defense, only one son showed any interest in them and I'm pretty sure the darling granddaughter's father has them.

Thanks Kathleen for hosting this QAL and giving me a sense of awesomeness during these days where we are trying to stay positive.  This pattern has given me another descriptor for "hard" patterns, there is "fear of Jen Kingwell patterns" and now "faint of Hartman" both meaning shivers at the remembrance of that sewing experience.  Be sure to check out Kathleen's post on April 25th to see the other Awesome Ocean quilts made by brave quilters and their posts.

And speaking of the darling granddaughter, I mentioned that I had another Finally Finished for this week and it's her Shine Bright Unicorn quilt and it's her bonus birthday quilt.  When I was talking to her mother about not being able to come down for there 3rd Birthday celebration, she asked me if I had made her a birthday quilt which I thought I didn't so I started making this quilt, but then remember later after I started this quilt, the AO quilt was to be her birthday quilt.  Earlier this year, I bought a fat quarter bundle with panel of the Shine Bright by Katie Webb/Clothworks and made this quilt using these fabrics and some from my stash.

The design of this quilt was based on whatever blocks I could make from the panel and fat quarters which were five Star blocks with four Rail Fence blocks, all 15" finished,  set in a nine-patch layout.  Luckily I had fabrics in my stash which worked well with the Shine Bright collection and even more lucky, I had just purchased a yard of the purple multi-dot fabric from Bernie, Needle and Foot, thinking this print would come in handy one day and it sure did.  I don't think I could have come up with this design had I not had this purple print.  In order to make this quilt 54" square so it could be a another wallhanging for the darling granddaughter's bedroom, I wanted a border in just the right color and print scale, and three-times lucky, I found the pink gingham in the backing vault and forgot I had it--it was just perfect to showcase the many prints and colors in this quilt.  I did simple wavy lines and in the ditch quilting for this quilt and am happy with the way it looks.

The Shine Bright Quilt will replace the quilt that is currently hanging over the darling granddaughter's bed; I think it will go perfect with the ginormous Unicorn laying on her queen size bed, right?

I was hoping by me finally finishing the Awesome Ocean and Shine Quilts that it would be good quilt karma and it would mean we could soon go to the Grandparent House but the quarantine in Illinois has been extended thru May 30th.  Hubby and I keep going back and forth on whether we could go to the Grandparent House and resist having the darling granddaughter over. There's been much discussion on whether this is okay and doable.  For now, we're still staying home until at least the end of April.

Before finally finishing these two quilts, I had ten flimsies hanging on the rod and now I have eight.  Although I should keep the machine quilting vibe going, I am more tempted to keep the Flimsy Frenzy going.  But I am so willing to put this aside, once my elastic finally arrives and I can sew mucho face masks for family and friends now that it's required.

I wish you well during theses days of quarantine and pray for "normal" days to return and saying not having enough time to quilt is really true.

Awesome Ocean Quilt Along--Preppy the Whale

Today is my day to present my Pair of Purple Preppy the Whale blocks for the Awesome Ocean QAL hosted by Kathleen McMusing.  Last Fall, Kathleen asked me and the other Sistas from the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Hive if we would like to join her in making the Awesome Ocean Quilt which was designed by Elizabeth Hartmann.  It would have been easy for me to decline since, I, being the simple and easy quilter and am partial to big strips and squares.  Also, as I have made many mentions on previous posts of being still in recovery mode from making Jen Kingwell's Gypsy Wife quilt and refrain from making anything with 1" squares and increments that are not whole or half inch, I was on the fence for participating.

I could have come up with a hundred excuses for not participating but I did have one very good reason and image for doing this quilt which is I have a dear, sweet Granddaughter who loves water and all the sea creatures who live in it.  It's a good thing I also had some wonderful fabric in my stash which is one of my criteria when I participate in a QAL.  I chose to do the Preppy the Whale block because I thought it was one of the easiest blocks plus the Sperm Whale is one of my favorite sea creatures. I chose to do the smaller size of the two quilt sizes in the pattern which meant I only had to make two blocks of each pattern; I just knew I couldn't handle sewing four of these blocks.

I purchased my pattern and chose my fabric back in December and was already behind since the QAL which started in November.  Once I started my blocks in mid January, I found these tools to be helpful when sewing these blocks: a prop-it stand to hold the pattern book up while cutting fabric and sewing, a clear sheet protector cut to fit over the cutting instruction page so I can mark it with a dry marker and then erase it after I cut the patches, a mini slotted ruler to cut those tiny patches and strips and an empty kleenex box to throw away the trimmings to help keep the table clean.  What I should have also done is put a fresh blade in my rotary cutter but will for the next blocks.

Initially I cut and sewed two blocks at a time but later found cutting and sewing them one at a time was easier but more time consuming.  I found that in order to avoid cutting and sewing mistakes it is important to pay really close attention to the diagrams.  The first cutting mistake I made which was early on was because I was singing along to Whitney Houston and you can't help but to throw back your head and close your eyes.  So the no more singing when cutting rule was enforced but salty language is permitted.  I found that after making the first block, the second block went faster but such was not the case with the Preppy the Whale blocks.  I made the same cutting mistake with Patch M, I cut it both times wrong and did not notice it until after both connecting corners were sewn and saw it did not fit with Patch H.  With the second block, I kept sewing the eye piece wrong and I attributed that to be overly confident with having finished the first block and thinking the second time would sew up like a breeze so I could listen to some music. Obviously, singing and music could prevent you from staying focused.

Since I made each of the Preppy Whale blocks with a 10" layer cake square, I had to be real careful with the cutting since there was no room for error.  I really paid close attention to the special cutting direction for the mouth piece which was originally a 1" wide strip.  I was initially confused with the diagram and ended up sewing the black strip to the D patch and once the seams were pressed opened, I then trim 1/4" from the black strip.  Now as I'm writing this post and looking at the diagram, the black strip could have been sewn to the head piece and trimmed.  If I had read the instructions more carefully, and not just look at the diagram, this would have eliminated the confusion.  I will say pay close attention to the orientation of Patch E and M which even though they are not square, there were no orientation marks on the diagram like there was on Patch A which also was not a square.  Maybe if I had labeled my patches like some of the other participants did, this maybe would not be a problem.

There are a lot of connecting corners in all of the blocks and I chose to draw lines on the squares  even though I have a corner trimming ruler but I find it hard to angle the ruler to the correct orientation to make the right cut.  Again it is important to look at the diagrams to make sure you are sewing the angles right, especially when sewing connecting corners on strips and rectangles.  Did you know that it's easier to draw diagonal lines when the ruler is placed horizontally like the photo above.  I just learned this tip from blogland recently. Also when I sewed the connecting corners to the patches, I only cut out the middle piece and kept the back piece on even though it adds some bulk it help to keep my blocks straight.

I called these type of blocks as "stir-fry", there's a lot of time spent on cutting but once that's done, the several rounds of sewing the patches into segments and then sewing them together sew quickly.  This is the first Preppy Whale block sewn and this shade of purple which I would call a royal purple was very hard to photograph to show the right shade and it looks too dark.

Forgive me for choosing a favorite of the two, but I really like how the Purple Polka Dotted Preppy Whale turned out and if I had more of this favorite I would make another one but only had a 10" square of this fabric.  The other Whale, the royal purple one whom I named Sid Stitches because of the hash marks looks too dark in the photographs but hopefully will look brighter once outdoor photos can be taken.

Here are all of my blocks together and am happy to say I am current in this QAL which was made possible by my having to present my Preppy the Whale blocks on February 1st.  The Awesome Ocean QAL had an easy timeline of sewing a new block(s) every two weeks but when you're a late starter, you make all of these blocks in two weeks.  Were these blocks fun to make, yes, but I'm not sure if I am enjoying the fun but appreciating the lessons of staying focused and being patient.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to read and follow the diagrams when cutting and sewing. Sometimes you need to have a slow sewdown but not too often.  I have too many projects and stash to do this. I feel I will have earned a badge after this quilt is finished and not sure if I'm going to hold Elizabeth Hartman in the same regard as I do with Jen Kingwell. I remember Elizabeth Hartman from her Oh Fransson blog and remember the simple quilts she designed.  I find it is amazing that she has now created these wonderful patterns with all these tiny patches which are sew clever. I know I'll be happy once my Awesome Ocean Quilt is finished and hanging on the wall at the Granddaughter room at the Grandparent House for the precious one to enjoy.

Emily of the  The Darling Dogwood will be presenting the Tony the Turtle block on February 15 and I know she is making four of each pattern so be sure to check out her post.

January Juggling

I managed to juggle some time in between the two separate one-week trips to the Grandparent House to work on planned projects and unforeseen projects this month.  My QAL blocks, planned projects, are done and as well as, unexpectedly, so are three Finally Finished Quilts which were UFOs. I hesitate to call these DrEAMi quilts since they were maybe done because I was avoiding working on one of the QALs which I will mention briefly later on in this post. Before I retired seven years ago, January was my least favorite month of the year with the cold, snowy weather which I dreaded driving in to work and the thirty-one days just went by too slowly which made the month seem to last forever.  Now I have a new appreciation for January with the weather we've been having this month and realizing that the once dreaded cold and snow makes for good sewing weather and those days can last forever. However, this is the time of the year that taking good outdoor photos are few and far between. I was lucky to have finished these quilts during a three-day sewing spree during the middle of the month and the weather was co-operative afterwards for taking a photo which usually it's not. Here are some indoor photos of these Quilts individually with some details:

Cotton+Steel Hatbox Quilt,  56" Square

I started working on this quilt last year when I decided I had to make Rail Fence Blocks from the various Cotton+Steel pinks, corals and reds with sashing and cornerstones with yardage of the Navy Hatbox and plaid print sitting in my stash.  The blocks are 10" finished.

Four different strip sets were made and unfortunately I was only able to cut three 10.5" blocks from some of the strip sets so I had to improvise making five blocks with squares from the leftover ends which went well with the other Rail Fence blocks.  Since my plan for the Hatbox Quilt is for this to be as a play mat and used fleece instead of batting, I only did minimal machine quilting of grid lines around the blocks, sashing and cornerstones and wavy diagonal lines inside the blocks and squares using a variegated pink thread. 

I found a navy and white ticking stripe fabric in the backing vault which went perfect with the top and for its purpose of being a porch patchwork blanket for the Grandparent House.  I didn't intend this to be for the Grandparent House until I realized the gold in the cornerstone fabric matched the front door. Warm sunny weather can't come soon enough for me to sit on this on the front porch with the sweet Granddaughter.

Strawberry Fields Revisited, 38"x52"

I made this top almost four years ago in 2016 and can't remember if this was a pattern or was something that I saw on Pinterest or in a magazine.  I happened to have a charm pack of Fig Tree's Strawberry Fields Revisited and once I decided on the pattern of two patches made from the charm pack and four patches with sashing, I ordered yardage of one of the red prints, spearminty green gingham and the large floral print from the collection.

I know that one of the holdups in finishing this quilt was the thread color for the machine quilting and thought none of the greens in my thread collection looked right.  I was resigned to using white but decided to look in my box containing long-forgotten Mettler threads and there I found the perfect green.  I machine quilted straight lines along the edges of the blocks and sashing with a wavy line in the middle of the two-patch and four-patch blocks.

I have to admit I don't often back my quilts with fabrics from the same collection as the top, but really glad I decided to splurge and buy two yards of the floral print for the backing.  I'll be saving this quilt for a future gift but then again the yellows in the quilt sure do match the front door at the Grandparent House.

Tiki Tok Quilt, 40"x60"

This top was also made around the same time as the Strawberry Fields Revisited top and this too was waiting to be machine quilted for four years.  I do remember the pattern which is Jack in the Box from the One Bundle of Fun book by Sue Pfau.  I used a layer cake of the Tiki Tok fabric designed by Jenn Ski which was perfect for the pattern.  This is one of the first layer cakes I purchased which prompted me to come up with the rule that anytime I purchase a pre-cut bundle, I need to buy yardage for the binding, which I did not do at the time, and is especially important when the layer cake is finally used years later. Another good rule is to have a binding drawer, like I do, to store the fabric so it doesn't get accidentally used for another quilt. Thankfully, the skinny black and white stripe I had in my stash worked for this quilt. 

I machine quilted straight lines, 3/4" apart and then wavy lines in the center squares of the block and sometimes the wavy lines went past the intended spot but it's not noticeable.  I used an Essential Thread in natural since I didn't want a color to distract from the fun colors in the Tiki Tok fabrics.

I remembered after the top was finished, it took me awhile to finally decide on the backing which involved piecing a Patty Young green and white stripe and yardage of the Tiki Tok which I happened to find in my stash. At least it was already sewn and made finishing this quilt all the more faster.  I'm glad this quilt is finally finished since it's been on a 2018 UFO list and I've been wanting to get it done.  I love everything about this quilt and will probably save it for a future gift. But then again, the yellows sure matches that front door at the Grandparent House but all of these colors are in my living room here. I really don't need another lap quilt for the living room.

It seems that I may have subconsciously finished these quilts because of the yellow/gold present in each of these quilts, but only one of these quilts will be for the Grandparent House.  I like the idea of saving some of these quilts for the giving cupboard which is an idea I am borrowing from Susan Snooks of PatchworknPlay.  I am especially liking the size of these quilts and thinking this size is not only for baby quilts but also would be perfect for family and friends whose knees may needing some warmth.

As mentioned earlier in this post, I am participating in two QALs this year:

Before I starting on my sewing spree of finally finishing the three quilts, I first made my January block for the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Patterns by Jen. The first block color was the Goldfinch and coincidentally were yellows.

I decided to join this Challenge after learning that the colors were inspired by Birds and thought I had the most perfect bundle of ombre fabrics purchased several years ago in Colorado to use. Hopefully once the blocks are finished, I will be able to use the prints on the left in this quilt which were also purchased with the ombres.

Last year, Kathleen of kathleen mcmusing blogspot asked me if I wanted to participate in her Awesome Ocean QAL which is a pattern designed by Elizabeth Hartman.  Being that we are "sistas" from the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers I couldn't say no and thought it was time to do something challenging so I could justify my simple and easy quilt style.  The QAL started last November but I didn't start my blocks until last week after the three Finally Finished Quilts which is when I finally realized I had to get moving since I was on for writing a post for one of the blocks. You'll see this post on February 1st of presenting the Preppy the Whale block.  Can you guess what color my whales will be from looking at the colors from the blocks already made?  Here's a hint, it's not yellow.

Now that my January post is done, I can now work on my Whale blocks and then decide on a new project.  Hopefully, I won't be distracted by another UFO(s) which has yellow in it.  Maybe I am secretly yearning for the Sun which I think everyone else living in the Midwest might be doing too.

Sew Warm!