CT Dirty Dozen Challenge #12 March-Memory Lane

This is my second post for this week which I am posting another finish for the Country Threads 2021/22 Dirty Dozen UFO Challenge and this quilt is for March. I am beyond happy and relieved with this quilt for several reasons but mainly because this means I am now all caught up with the UFO Challenge having fallen behind since the beginning of the year. I am so glad there are thirty-one days in March since it was enough days for me to finish the January, February and now March with just hours to spare. I thought my March Quilt would be nothing to post about being that these fabrics are so yesterday but it turns out I needed to post about it just for the record or for the “memories.” Sorry for the photos taken indoor, but we’re having another cloudy and rainy day.

I started Memory Lane after seeing this quilt in the APQ Quilt Sampler Fall/Winter 2016 magazine and fell in love with the pattern most likely because I had just the right fabrics in my stash, especially the yellow print which I may have bought during my Quilt Shop days. I wish I could remember which fabric line it was from but I’m thinking it may be either In The Beginning or Clothworks and maybe at that time the fabric was in my stash for at least five+ years and I’ve been waiting for the right pattern. Before I knew what a DrEAMI was, I gather the fabrics and then proceeded to die-cut the patches and even the borders but must have lost my mmmomentum after than because it sat on my shelf until November, 2018 when I ran out of sewing projects to sew in the Formal Sewing Studio (aka Dining Room) during my recovery/Pajamazon days from my fractured left knee. I called finally sewing the blocks together as scrapping the bottom of the project barrel. After the blocks were sewn, the blocks sat until this month when I added this to the 2021/22 Dirty Dozen UFO Challenge. BTW, I am pretty sure this is the last project from Pajamazon Days.

I was so not looking forward to working on this project because I knew from the other past projects sewn during Pajamazon Days, my piecing and sewing was far from stellar, i.e., like simple rail blocks which the seams did not line up with the other blocks. These blocks needed to snap together  and line up to emphasize the barn raising layout. It also didn’t help that I didn’t label the blocks so I had a little trouble positioning the blocks up on the design board with my angle-challenge mind and I kept thinking “abandon quilt, abandon quilt” but I persisted.

And I’m glad I did, the blocks sewed together nicely, there were only a few spots where it didn’t line up but I was okay with it. This was more than what I anticipated. My next challenge was the quilting and there was no way I was going to custom it like the one in the magazine. This is why I never use solid white in my quilts and choose a print to guise my simple quilting style.

I decided to only quilt in the ditch and thankfully had just the right quilting foot, bought many moons ago but never used, for this task. Usually, when I quilt in the ditch there are the inevitable spots where I veer off, often times in the places where it would be noticed. There are spots in Memory Lane where you can see the stitches veering off from the seams lines mostly because the seams were not lined up or at the corners but overall I am satisfied with the quilting.

Looking at the front of the quilt, you wouldn’t think it was quilted so I thought I would show the back so you can see the quilting lines. I used a white Aurifil thread and a Microtex Sharp needle to make sure there were no problems when sewing through some of the thick seam lines. I also like to mention this was the first time quilting without a walking foot and it was so quiet I had to look hard to see the quilting in the seams. I almost committed a faux pas with the backing since I found six yards of a light blue print in the backing vault and almost cut into it but then realized I was saving it for another quilt which needed all of it. Whew, I was lucky to find another piece in my stash. Quilting in the ditch meant I had to do a lot of maneuvering around the many angles and block centers which meant a lot of thread burying which is something I am so not use to doing but I had to do what I had to do which is a big accomplishment for me.

Once the quilting was finished around Midnight last night, I decided once the red gingham binding was sewn on I wanted to hand sew and not machine sew the binding down which is what I did this morning.

I just love the look of the red gingham binding and use it whenever I can. There was a slight scare when I couldn’t find the binding in the drawer and thought I might have given it away to Pieceful Wendy but I found it with another project. It would have been just tacky for me to ask for it back being that she already used it, right?

Another reason for my lack of excitement for Memory Lane is that I thought there would be no place for it around the house  but then realized  that I could hang it up in the spare bedroom and the sweet rail fence quilt made from Urban Chix prints with the wonderful rose prints would be on the bed. I made this quilt almost ten years ago but avoid laying it on the bed because of Sophie, the World’s Worst Dog possibly scratching at it. This is the second time that one of the Challenge Quilts bought another quilt out of hiding in the closet, I love when this happens.

With the March UFO done, I can start on somewhat secret sewing. My fabrics have been chosen and I’m ready to start cutting. And the April project for the UFO Challenge is going to be announced tomorrow and I’ll be ready.

Linking up with TGIFF hosted this week by Grace and Peace Quilting and My Quilt Infatuation/NTT

November Block Busy-ness

I could have used another title to describe my November activities since all I have to show are blocks, blocks and more blocks.  Because of my knee injury and the inability to go downstairs to my studio until the end of the November, my projects were limited to those which were already precut and waiting to be sewn.  Thanks to the superior navigation skills demonstrated by my Hubby in finding them (Thank you iPhone and my idea for him to take photos of my project cart and certain shelves in the studio) I was able to show him which ones to bring upstairs so I can sew in my formal Upstairs Sewing Room, a.k.a., the dining room.  I really had my doubt if this was going to work since this is the same Hubby when I ask him to get something out of my purse, he brings my purse to me rather than search inside my purse. Seriously, I think he's afraid something is going to bite his hand.  But a good Retriever he turned out to be and I was able to work on the following blocks or as I like to call my UFOs for 2019.

Classic Meet Modern QAL hosted by My Quilt Infatuation

Just a couple of glitches with completing the filler blocks; one being these blocks were pre-cut before my accident and I thought I would have no problems finishing them by the 15th but they were not on the project cart. I didn't know if I should laugh or give Hubby, who was feeling confident in his newly acquired Retriever skills, a big hug when he offered, if I just gave him a sample of the fabric, he would go through each of my fabric bins on my shelves in order to find  where I put these blocks.  To prevent him from having a heart attack after realizing the enormity of this task and really seeing how huge my fabric stash is, I told him "No" and I would have to think about where these blocks could possibly be. This wouldn't be the first time I've "lost" and never found something. It took me several days to figure out that I put them in a FQS Blue Sampler Box and told Hubby to look on a certain shelf for a box marked "CMM".  The first time he looked, he said there was no such box on the shelf, which threw me for a loop,  but then later said there was a blue box on a table marked "Classic Meets Modern". In my Hubby's defense, I hadn't given him a lesson on Quilt Acronyms and what's really funny is that when I first was going to mark the box, I was going to write "CMM" but thought better, in case I forgot what it meant, I wrote it out.  And the second problem was that I was short three patches and couldn't finish some of the blocks until this past week.  I'm glad the blocks are all finished and ready to be sewn together in December.  I am loving how the quilt blocks and the Zen Chic's Figures fabric line look together.  You can check out the Classic Meet Modern QAL here.

Happy Flower EPPs

What was intended as a road project turned out to be a great project to do while laying in bed during one of the many Pajamazon Days (wearing pajamas all day-so named by Hubby who still had his good humor) I observed during my recuperation.  This EPP project was inspired by Rene' Creates and I die-cut the 1" hexagon sides and squares and the appropriate sized fabric hexagons using mostly scraps and stash of Cotton+Steel, Felicity Miller's Charleston and Lily and Loom fabrics.  I've finish basting 70 flowers and now will be appliquéing them to 7" squares of gray and light low volume prints which still need to be picked from my stash.

C+S Blue and Yellow Quilt/Hold the Pickles Blocks with Alternate Block

Here are rugshots of these 30 blocks which were already die-cut and ready for me to finish sewing. You can find the tutorial for the Hold the Pickles Blocks (on the left)  by Sevenoaks Street Quilts here.

Postcards from the Jungle (HRT Blocks)

Another rugshot of blocks made from fabrics my good quilting friend Carol, has been gifting me over the year which were purchased during her travels. Most of them came from Jinny Beyer's store in Virginia and I finally decided to finally make something with these fabrics by die-cutting rectangles and HRTs several months ago.  Once the top is assembled, it'll be ready for quilting since I've already have the green batik backing which was purchased from a friend of MMM quilts who was having a destash sale earlier this year.  I guess that was the impetus to finally use Carol's gift of these beautiful green fabrics, which she knows is my favorite color,

Malka Strips

2-1/2" strips of Malka Dubrowsky and a low volume prints have been die-cut for several months now and was another project waiting to be sewn.  I'm not sure if these strips will be used for another Ernie Quilt or a Staggered Strips and Squares.  In either case, it will be nice to have finally have a quilt made from these colorful prints which have been sitting in my stash for more than five years.

Pie Making Day 2x4 Quilt

The 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" patches were cut from a jelly roll and weren't enough to make a decent sized lap quilt so thankfully I had some yardage of the Pie Making Day fabric line which I can cut additional patches.  Once this top is assembled, I'm pretty sure it going to be a throw (just backing it with Minky) similar to my Gee Whiz Patchwork Throw which is now living at my dear friend, Dee's house.

Memory Lane Blocks

Now this is what I call scrapping the bottom of the project barrel with these blocks.  I ran out of Upstairs sewing projects so I decided to finally sew these blocks together. I die-cut these blocks from a fabric line purchased over fifteen years ago and have been sitting around for a couple of years.  I still love these prints, red gingham or any gingham print is near and dear to my heart and the yellow floral print is just yummy.  It's not my decor right now but once this top is assembled to a 50" square, it'll make a nice picnic or party topper.

Thirties Tart

I started these blocks in early October and was inspired by Shannon's of The Fleming's Nine, Sweet Tart Pattern (not an affiliate link).  There was no way I could duplicate the beautiful quilting she did on her quilt so the best way for me to do anything else besides straight-line quilts was to QAYG each block which one of the benefits is that it used up a lot of batting scraps. Ten blocks were already done so the past few days were spent in the studio finishing up the last twenty.  I'm hoping my modern quilt with 30's fabrics is going to work but won't know for awhile,

Before I was laid up in October, my track record for finally finishing any top made this year was, I think, 100% which is a major first and may never happen again for me. Now it looks like I'm going to start the New Year with at least six UFO's. One thing I'm definitely putting on my 2019 list, is to die-cut more strips and squares and prepare more quilts for sewing. It also doesn't hurt to have more EPP projects since learning they're not only for the road trips. I am thankful I had these projects waiting but sorry I had to have an accident in order to get them finish.

There were a few days when I was in between sewing blocks that I decided to take up some knitting after I was given the okay to finally walk on my injured knee using a cane.  This was the reason for my first trip downstairs to the studio which was to bring up my knitting bag.

Besides the project cart, I have a project cabinet located at the bottom of the stairs which stores mostly non-quilting projects and supplies. I didn't know which door my knitting was in and I didn't have the heart to send Hubby downstairs to look since I thought it would be too similar to having him look for something in my purse.  And lo and behold, I found it immediately. 

I'm a self-taught knitter and only knit scarves and dishcloths/washcloths. Usually I only do the garter stitch but found other stitches to knit online.  I have a Craftsy/Bluprint subscription so I'm thinking I'll be taking some knitting classes online.  I've ordered some circular knitting needles in the hopes of making a stocking cap for Micah.  I still remember the ones my mom knitted for my two boys when they were little and hopefully can now make them for my granddaughter.

Just one more week of wearing my leg brace and hopefully I'll be more mobile once physical therapy starts.  Sewing on the machine with my left leg straight out or resting on top of the right foot pressing the pedal will not be missed. Christmas quilt projects will need to be started and finished in a matter of a few week. Of course, they're both for Micah and her family.  And I have not yet started Holiday decorating and still need to buy presents so Hello Stress. I'm going to miss my Pajamazon Days.