Miss Behaving or Misbehaving in March

It was a pretty good week of sewing for me: something I needed to do, I done did; I'm current with two QAL projects, I got to DREAMi! and still found some time and a way to start on two more projects.

The table topper for Micah's First Birthday party is on the way to be ready for the big celebration at the end of month.  The theme of her party will be Bees and I found the sweetest fabric by Timeless Treasures "You are My Sunshine."  The topper measures 27" x 39" and I just used a simple nine-patch pattern to showcase the fabrics and also because I didn't want to put in too time on something which may be on the receiving end of some party spills and crumbs.

My March blocks for the Classic Meet Modern Block of the Month Quilt Along hosted by My Quilt Infatuation are finished.  This month's blocks were the 10" Propeller block (left) and two 6" Sawtooth blocks and sewed together very easy.

All of the half-square triangles have been cut, sewn and arranged for the Postcards from Sweden from MMM quilts.  Since I used my stash of Kaffe Fassett Shot Cottons with some Peppered Cottons, my quilt doesn't look at bright as some of the other Postcard quilts so I may be calling mine Postcards from Kaffe.  We have two weeks to sew the rows together and I'm hoping Sandra will change it to three weeks since we'll be spending some time with the darling granddaughter at the end of the month.

This is my DREAMi! project which is  another quilt from Christa Watson's Piece and Quilt from Precut book, Dot 'N Dash which I happen upon quite innocently (wink).  I was putting away some fabric and came upon the wonderful Robert Kaufmann's Quilters Linen in a color I call Steel Teal which I forgot I had bought less than six months ago.  I knew it would work well with some 2-1/2" strips I already had cut in shades of grays, teals, pinks, etc. to make the Dot 'N Dash quilt.  Since Sandra is the host for both the Postcards from Sweden QAL and the monthly DREAMi linky party, it's going to be pretty okay if I take a little time away from the Postcard Quilt to spend a little time working on the Dot 'N Dash quilt, right Sandra?

In my never-ending quest to carve out more sewing time during the day, I thought a new portable sewing machine, a Juki HZL 70HW-A to use either in the dining room or kitchen would help.  I already own a Janome Gold which is a sweet little machine but the only drawback is that it does not have a needle up and down feature which I kick myself for not wanting to spend the extra $100 for it.  I sew in my studio which is in the basement or lower level of my house and too often I am drawn to the laptop which is sitting on the kitchen desk and I find myself spending way too much time on Social Media, Blogs, computer games, etc. which could be better spent on sewing.  I thought maybe having a sewing machine upstairs would distract me from the computer.  Also, since there are the TV shows I want to watch in the evenings, I also can also sew then as long as I have Closed Caption on. Really, it's not because the sewing machine is noisy, it's just that Hubby likes to play his guitar while watching TV.

I'm thinking my idea is working out quite well.  Since the arrival of the new Juki, I sewed sixty-four 8"x 12" strip blocks made from 2-1/2" strips of Kaffe Fassett stripes and shot cottons which have been waiting to be made for awhile so I'm considering it to be an unidentified UFO project.  And yes, I'm still spending more time with Kaffe and am pretty sure this is going to be my last project for the year using his fabrics, maybe.

And I sewed a mega strip for a future Staggered Strips and Squares quilt using low volume fabrics with some black and white Cotton + Steel fabrics. Once the strip sets and blocks are cut, I can finish sewing the top upstairs.  

I think my Juki Jr. and kitchen table sewing is just what I needed to get more of my projects done.  And as for my Janome Gold, I'll be saving it for Micah, she doesn't need to know about the wonders of needle up and down until later. Hopefully, whatever March Mode I'm on, either Miss Behaving by staying on task or Misbehaving where the fun is, it continues.  I'm happy with doing both.

Linking up with:  My Quilt Infatuation, Needle and Thread Thursday,  MMM Quilts, Crazy Mom Quilts, Finish It Up Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday, Busy Hands Quilts, Finish or Not Friday

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And the QAL-ing Keeps Sewing Along

I'm still catching up with my QALs and have a finally finish: Micah's Come Calling Quilt/Playmat which I had planned to make in January for my January Scrap Attack and or Scrumptious Scraps QAL project which Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict is hosting for 2018.  I thought I should start and finish this quilt considering that it's February now and I will be seeing Micah this weekend for some grandmother babysitting duties while her parents get some serious download time.

At the beginning of the year, I was going to participate in the Scrap Attack which is more for organizing and precutting your scraps.  Last week, Sarah posted about the Scrumptious Scraps QAL (you can read about it here) and decided that this one was more to my liking since my project list for Scrap Attack involved using up certain scraps each month. I rather let sleeping scraps lie until I need them for a scrap project. The scraps I chose to work with in January were from several Basic Grey's collections which included leftovers from the signature wedding quilt I made for Micah's parents over four years ago.  Doesn't every baby need a calling quilt when they go visiting?  At least that's what I thought when I came up with another reason for making Micah another quilt. I think this is #9.

Here's a photo of the wedding quilt with the  gorgeous Basic Grey floral print from the PBJ collection.  I used whatever remnant I had along with the leftover strips used in the sashing.  I thought I share my signature block in this post since it still makes me laugh and it's the one I always use for other signature blocks.

The green and white gingham used for the sashing and the backing fabric which is from the last century were the only fabrics not part of the Basic Grey scraps.  I also wanted to use a plain fabric for the backing since Micah's mom tends to display the backs and not the front of the quilts and maybe because the backs are just that pretty.  This quilt measures 42" x 60" and hopefully this time I can snuggle with Micah and the quilt this time.

But then again, we may need to spend some time re-reading this book which I received from friends when Micah was born. I can't believe she's going to be one-year old next month and this time she might be reading the book to me.

Also finished this week, last Tuesday night to be more exact, were Blocks #3 (Nested Churn Dash) and #4 (Greek Cross) from the Classic Meet Modern QAL hosted by Kelly of My Quilt Infatuation.

This QAL started in January and each month, two blocks (maybe more if they're small) are made, which is a nice pace I can keep up with.  You can read more about the Classic Meet Modern QAL (here).  So far, two of the blocks are 24", one is 12" and two are 6".  I am finding out, no size is an easy size, my focus is just the same, and am finding that my seam ripper works well on all sizes. By the way, in case you're wondering, doesn't the blocks look wonderful against the white brick?  I just discovered photo backdrops and finally purchased one.  When I first received it, it looks like a velour blanket and the printing was pretty faint so I had my doubts but I'm very happy with the way the photos turned out. Now, I just have to make sure I put this away since I have a certain son who might think this is a blanket; it really does feel nice.

My top for the Squiggle QAL (you can read about it here) is finished and this week is the start of basting and quilting which is not going to happen until next week.  I'm really looking forward to doing some quilting with nice wavy lines to hide some of the over and under hangs of the triangle points.  This is what happens when you do not realize that the charm packs of Blueberry Park were not exactly 5" and were mixed in with the 5" squares I cut myself. Such a rookie mistake, I keep telling myself.

Today is the start of the Postcards from Sweden which Sandra from mmm!Quilts is hosting.  (You can read about the Postcards from Sweden QAL here).  For some reason, which doesn't happen very often, I am ahead of this QAL; I've already chosen my fabrics and cut all of my HSTs.  With some QALS, I find myself either ahead, on schedule or behind but in the end, but what really matters to me is that I finish.  Timelines are only a suggestion and sometimes I have a need to either start or finish another project off the grid which is what I'm feeling I want to do next week.  But then again I may just need some rest recovering from my very first babysitting gig in so many years.

I hope everyone is having a happy week and feeling some warmth, especially from the weather.  It's been way too cold in my neck of the woods.

Linking up with:  My Quilt Infatuation, Needle and Thread Thursday, Crazy Mom Quilts, Finish It Up Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday, Busy Hands Quilts, Finish or Not Friday

Sharing and Merrily QAL-ing This Week

It's been a busy and productive week for me which should be expected when you promise to write a tutorial and also are participating in three QALs.

Last week, I posted my Hinto Minto Baby Quilt (you can read about it here) and mentioned that the next time I made this pattern I would write a tutorial.  I thought the better of myself so I did a sort of tutorial now than later while the pattern was still fresh in my mind and I had some leftover fabrics to recreate part of the tutorial.  I wanted to share this pattern so you can see how easy and fun it was to make this quilt. (you can see it here, The Staggered Strips & Squares Sort Of Tutorial)

And here are some updates for my QAL-ings:

My Whitewater River Rafting Quilt, a.k.a. the Regatta Quilt Along, (you can read about it here), top is finished and I hope to quilt it next month.  It was nice to make this quilt with Amy Ellis' Modern Neutral fabrics leftover from another quilt and with Marcus Bros Aged Muslin in denim blue.

The Classic Meets Modern QAL hosted by My Quilt Infatuation, (you can read about it here) started this week and I completed the first two blocks, the 24" Bethlehem Star and the 12" Antique Tile using Zen Chic's Figures fabric. Knowing that I'm a strips and squares kind of quilter, I bet you can guess which one of these two blocks was my favorite to make and took less than an hour while the other one took me over three hours and gave me the angle-challenged quilter an exercise on staying focus.  I only had to use the seam ripper three times.  I'm looking forward to making the other blocks and it's going to be an interesting quilt.

The Squiggles QAL hosted by Christa Watson also started this week, (you can read about it here)  and fabric choosing and preparation was the goal. I've chosen to use my stash of Blueberry Park fabrics and you can see I already started making some of the blocks.

So far in January, I'm doing well on my project list but not for long since I'll be traveling starting next week, hopefully to a warm spot.  I'm going to try to tackle one more project on my list and then  decide on a hand project for the road before we leave.  I don't know why I always wait until the last moment to decide this when this trip has been planned for awhile.  I should have put it on my project list.

I hope you're having a great January and are staying warm.  I will say this cold weather we're experiencing in the Midwest is great for staying home to sew.

Plans, Projects and Peeks for 2018

It's the start of the New Year and my annual tradition of watching the Tournament of Roses Parade while planning my quilts/patchwork projects for the year was observed. The day was very productive and enjoyable and it's nice to start the new year with a plan in place which is the way all my New Year plans start but sometimes don't end because my plans are on paper and not set in stone. I've gotten to be very flexible in my later life and happy with what gets finished when it comes to quilting.  My green binder for my 2018 Quilting Life has been organized; the projects pages have been filled out, in pencil of course, calendar, log sheets and inventory sheets inserted, etc. and the jar of numbered wooden balls have been made which will be used for determining monthly projects when needed.  During the late afternoon when the TV was off and I was busy planning, Hubby walked into the kitchen to see why I was being quiet for so long and made a comment "this must be serious".  Yes, but also very energizing. These past four days felt like one of those videos where you plan and prepare meals for the entire week but only with fabric which to me is way more fun.  Here's a peek of my January projects which there was a lot of fabric pulling and die-cutting:

So far, for 2018, I am participating in two linky parties: Quilty Confessions, UFO Addition hosted by Tish's Adventure  in Wonderland and Scrap Attack hosted by Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict. I will be working on these projects for January:

For my UFO Confessions project, (I previously wrote about my participating in this, you can read about it here, I will finish my Kaffe Fassett Zig Zag Patchwork Coverlet which involves a backing of wonderful royal purple Minkee.  I didn't pull a ball to work on this project, it's something I wanted to finish and it is one of my guidelines for this linky party that I can choose the project, plus I really want to be able to finally write a post about the Kaffe Fassett workshop from last October.

For my Scrap Attack projects, (you can read about it here) which I have listed twelve projects ranging from cleaning up scraps, misc. scrap projects to working on project from specific scrap stash, i.e, fabric lines or styles, I drew ball number #2 which are the scraps from my Gypsy Wife Quilt, the Wedding Quilt I made for my youngest son and his wife, a.k.a. Micah's parents and various other quilts.  I still love all of the fabrics in this sweet stash and didn't have any problems coming up with two quilts; one of these will be a version of the Ernie Quilt with the scraps on the right and the other will be a quilt for Micah from the wedding quilt, scraps on the left.  I know which one of these quilts will be saved for another month because it's been almost three weeks since I've made a quilt for the sweet granddaughter and I have to keep the Micah-jo going.

I've also been preparing for the three QALs I'm participating in and are starting in January:

Roseanne of Homesewn By Us is hosting Regatta (you can read about it here).  The fabrics have been chosen and the strips have been die-cut; all I have to do are the sub-cuttings and I will be ready to sew or should I say set sail.  I'm using my stash of dyed denim blue muslin with scraps of Amy Ellis' Modern Neutral and I'm thinking my quilt won't conjured up impressions of sailing in calm waters but more like wild river rafting in Colorado.  Unlike the meaning of regatta, this QAL will not involve racing or crossing a finish line by a certain time but rather to be done at a leisurely sail.  I'm pretty sure, this is a quilt that once all the parts are ready and sewing is started, it's going to be smooth sailing and you won't want to dock.  (Funny, how I'm using some nautical terms in this part of the post.)  What's even funnier and sort of ironic is that one blogger I know, Louise of My Quilt Odysses who actually makes beautiful quilts onboard a boat won't be sailing with us--don't worry about this comment, I let her know beforehand that I was throwing her in the water. Louise saids "I tend to do QALs way after the fact so I may very well sew up a Regatta quilt a year or two from now :).  I totally understand this timeline and have done this in the past also.  I am just amazed that she makes quilts on a boat and thought of her when I joined the QAL.

Kelly of My Quilt Infatuation is hosting the Classic Meets Modern QAL, (you can read about it here).   I've chosen to use my stash of Zen Chic's Figures fabrics with some reinforcement and very excited to be working with these colors and prints.  The fabrics have been on my shelf too long and it's nice to find a project which I can finally use them.  The QAL starts next Monday and I am ready.

Christa Watson is hosting Squiggly (you can read about it here)  A big hooray here because I'll be using my way too large stash of Blueberry Park fabrics which is really sweet since it's listed on my Fabric List for 2018--a check mark on two different lists--sweet.  The charm squares and additional squares have been die-cut and all I have to do is decide which white fabric I want to use, will it be just solid white or a tone-on-tone white or a patterned white.  I'm a little bit worry about using white fabric with some of these red fabrics which can't be prewashed since they are in a precut state.  Once I decide, I'll be using my corner cutter ruler rather than drawing lines on 2.5" squares to make the connecting corners.  And nothing beats sewing during these cold winter months than bright, happy colors and prints.  

And last but not least, I need to make a baby quilt for a very soon arrival and I have the strips sewn and squares sewn cut.  I just need to lay it out on my design board and hopefully will have the top made this weekend.  If I'm really good, it will also be machine quilted and bound.

Good Quilt Karma paid a nice visit to me this week and I am excited to be working on these projects for the month of January.  What's really great is that no new fabric was purchased in 2018 to make these quilts, all of it from my stash.  It would be interesting to see what I finish since we'll be going on vacation at the end of the month.  Too bad one of these projects couldn't be made on the road. 

I hope your year is getting off to a good start too. And if you're experiencing snow days, especially the Snow Bomb, I really hope it will involve time for good and happy sewing while being safe and warm -- be sure to drink lots of warm beverages and eat good cookies too.  And if you're fortunate enough to be enjoying sunny and hot weather, have a cold one for me and know that there are a lot of people who are envious of your part of the world.

Linking up with: Crazy Mom Quilts,  My Quilt Infatuation and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.