One UFO Down (who knows how many more left)

I finally finished the Cobblestones and Pinwheels quilt. This quilt is 80" x 80", so it actually fits my bed. As much as I love this quilt, it will most likely will not reside on my bed. It is a very bright and busy quilt.  I am not sure my husband could sleep under it and frankly I don't need the stimulation right before bed time.  This quilt has been put in the linen cupboard until it is needed. I think I need to get some quilt ladders or quilt racks so I can have these quilts out. It seems such a waste to put them in the cupboard.  

This quilt took forever to get done. I got the backing made for it and I even put it on the long arm. Then it sat for 2 weeks. I finally got the batting cut and the quilting design figured out. I even got it quilted and off the machine and trimmed 2 weeks ago. I even made the binding 2 weeks ago. But the quilt hung over the long arm and waited for me to get the energy to stitch it on. Last Sunday I stitched the binding on and turned it. Then in the evenings this week,  I sat and stitched down the binding. I finished binding it last night. 

The label was made so I started stitching the label on before stopping to work on my talk for church. This morning before church, I worked on finishing the label. I was 2/3 of the way in getting the label stitched down, when I happened to turn the corner of the quilt over. That was when I discovered this tiny blue dot in the yellow square. That little dot is where I had stitched all the way through the quilt when adding the label. I had to take out almost all of the stitching that I had just put in. Just goes to show, you should never be in a hurry when working on a project. Especially when you are coming up to the finish line. That is when you will make mistakes. I did finish sewing the label on after church. and I am very pleased to have this project done.

Now I am down to 3 quilts that need borders and backings before I can put the next one on the long arm. Hopefully this week will not be so busy at work and I will be able to work on those quilts. I also have one quilt that needs reworked. And 3 more that need started. I have the done the fabric pull and have the pattern all figured out. I just haven't started cutting them yet. Actually I have a whole bunch more than 3 quilts that have the fabric has been pulled for. But let's not go down that rabbit hole today.

In the meantime, I think I will start on Emerson's quilt. I've finally decided to just do a piano key border around the center fabric of his quilt. I think I am going to need some more of the solid color fabrics I bought for the borders though. I will try and get some more tomorrow after work.

What are you working on?

 

Forward Momentum

This week has been another stressful one at work. My morning routine was interrupted more than once. Although I still managed to get some EPP done. Eight more flowers to add to the stash. To do the quilt I have in mind I will need about 250 flowers. I am currently at 55. I am a little over 20% there. There's no hurry because I still need to find the fabric I want to use for the other blocks.

I had been putting off stitching the binding on the Pinwheel and Cobblestones quilt because my shoulder hurt. Wrangling any quilt through the domestic machine can put stress on person's shoulders. This is why I am grateful that I have a long arm. I have quilted a few quilts using my domestic machine and I wasn't completely happy with them. My machine doesn't have a stitch regulator, and I couldn't get my stitches even. Also the machine has a rather small throat making it difficult to maneuver a medium size quilt through. I couldn't get the results that I really wanted. With the long arm I guide the machine instead of the quilt. Much easier to get I the look I want. And it has a stitch regulator, so the stitches are even. If I use the computer, I don't have to guide it at all. Plus I can get it done in a day or two instead of weeks and months.

Anyway, my shoulders have been achy (most likely from stress) and I kept putting off sewing the binding on the quilt.  Today I got the binding on and I got it turned to it the back. I even started stitching it back down. But I my hands and shoulders started hurting too much so I decided to take a break. I will work on it a little each night until it is done. 

In the meantime there are scraps to process and two more quilts to work on. As well as get Emerson's quilt pass the planning stage. Not sure which I am going to work on first. I am itching to start another project. But Emerson is getting pretty anxious for his quilt. And I need to make some room in the Studio. So working on WIP is the better choice.

Decisions, Decisions, I just can't make up my mind. Oh well, time for a break. I need to let my hands rest.

 

Progress and a Successful Save

I finally got the Cobblestones and Pinwheels quilt quilted. I am loving it. Since the top was so busy and colorful I went with a neutral thread color and a curvy meander.  It was the right choice. I am sitting here looking at it hanging on my long arm and I can't tell you how pleased I am with how it is turning out.  

I am especially pleased as I had a major scare.  I had finished quilting it and had taken it off the backing bar. I was rolling it up on the take up bar and realized that the last row and a quarter was messed up. The tension was all wrong. It was all eye-lashed to death. Not one good stitch. My daughter and I realized it started at the last bobbin change. Together we picked out the stitches. Then I unrolled it and reattached the backing to the backing bar. I called up the pattern went to the last zone. I changed my bobbin again and tested the stitches and they were fine. I then positioned my needle where the last bobbin ended. I hit closest stitch and the machine moved up about an inch. I then undid the break and moved the quilt to the position the needle was. I had to do a little tracing to get it to the exact place. I crossed my fingers and said a little prayer. The quilting angels were with me. It stitched out the rest of the quilt perfectly. 

This was a first for me and I am really grateful that I could get it figured out. While I have not had tension issues like this before. i have had to try and reset the pattern. Usually I end up with things off and I end up leaving it rather than picking out all the stitches again. I am sure Heavenly Father knew I needed a win.

I have the quilt off the long arm and trimmed up. I was going to bind it in brown but my daughters and I agreed that the brown dulled down the quilt. I didn't have any black that wasn't set aside for another quilt. But I did find some navy blue fabric that pulls it all together and makes it pop.  The binding is made. I just need to get it sewn on. But that will be tomorrow's project. The day is slipping away and I have scripture study to do.

Have you had a successful save recently? 

Still Slow Stitching

Here it is the end of May already. I have not completed a quilt. I have not cleaned up the studio. I have put in a lot of hours at work and not had enough down time for myself. I totally forgot my youngest daughter's birthday.  Fortunately she has forgiven me. It has been such a whirlwind of a month.

What I have gotten done is 17 more EPP flowers. That's not quite a flower a day. But then I had some really long days with no stitching at all.  I am finding that I can just about do a flower a day if I will put down the social media. I've gotten bad about social media again.

What I am really pleased about is my pairing of fabrics for the flowers.  I was blessed with a very good eye for color. It is definitely a God given gift.  It is one thing to know that colors go together, it is another to be able to put them together and have them pop.  That has been the case with some of the flowers I did this week.  I was very pleasantly surprised by some of them.

The tan and brown ones turned out a lot prettier than I realized they would. I was so pleased with them. The dark blue with the bright blue center is much prettier in person. I tried pink and yellow for centers but the bright blue makes them pop so much better. The black with the red center was a surprise. I was going to use green but it just didn't do anything for the black print. I tried red, thinking it would bring out the red hearts, it did but it also brought out the green ribbons. It looked so much better than green or white would have. The light blue with the dark blue center ia also prettier in person. The dark blue was really the only choice for that one. 

Hopefully, my hours will start to be shorter again (shorter as in 8 hours) and I will get back on track with my quilting. I still have the cobblestones and pin wheels quilt to finish. Then there are 3 quilts that need borders and backs before I can put them on the machine. Plus Emerson is rather impatient to have his quilt done. Then there's Dorian's quilt and Wren's Quilt to make.  I am struggling with too many planned/obligation quilts and not enough spontaneous quilting. I need more time in my day. 

Any suggestions for adding hours to the day? Preferably ones that don't cut into my sleep. 

EPP & Needles

 I have made 30 EPP flowers so far. I didn't realize how many I had made until I was emptying out my EPP kit. I am quite pleased with them. These are all from scraps. Frankly I have lots more scraps to use. I am not sure how many of these I am going to need for the quilt that I have in mind. I just know that I will probably make not stop when I get enough. This is a good way to use small scraps. I am sure I will find other uses for them as well. My daughter suggested turning them into pockets on tee shirt or child's apron.

As for the quilt, I am going to applique the flowers onto white 5 inch squares. Then mix them with a black and white four patch squares. Sort of a checkerboard style quilt. I plan to use different colors of thread to stitch the flowers down. I would really like the black and white squares to be made from a black with white pin dots print and a white tone on tone print.  I just need to find the fabric I like first.

Another realization of just how much hand stitching I have been doing lately,  is the needle that I am using. I don't know how many people realize that needles are not as rigid as they seem. Just the warmth and pressure from your fingers will cause them to bend. If you look at the needle in on the blue square of fabric, it is definitely curved.  I don't grip the needle tight and I didn't have to struggle to pull it through the fabric. But it is definitely bent.

I have been using this same needle for months now and it has actually formed to the way I am using it. I am doing a lot of overcast stitches and the basting stitches are more of a back stitch. So the bend in the needle actually makes it easier. I can't help but I think that it is kind of neat. 

Despite using it for months, the needle is still sharp. I know because I got distracted and stitched through a layer of skin on my index finger. I didn't feel it until the thread started to drag.  No blood, it was just the upper layer of skin. I did cut the thread and not my skin though. I don't need the open spot with all the hand washing and sanitizing I do at work.

Have you ever used a needle until it has bent from use?

Not Much in the Way of Stitching

I just didn't get much done this week. I was not feeling well at the start of the week. Then I worked late that last few days of the week. Add to that my husband was home. Since he sleeps in later than I do, stitching in the morning is not an option. Plus, I tend to sit with him in the evening instead of blogging and scripture study. So I switched the scripture study and blogging to the morning.

I had every intention of stitching in the afternoon/evening. That did not happen. What I did get accomplished was, I made the back to the cobblestones and pinwheels quilt. The backing and the top are loaded on the machine. I have not decided on a quilting design, but am leading towards a meander. I have not done a meander before so it should be a good experience.

I am thinking of getting the borders done for the next three quilt tops done this week. Then possibly quilting the cobblestones and pinwheels quilt next weekend. I am probably being a little unrealistic but I am going to try tp do it anyway. It doesn't hurt to set goals and not reach them. But you will never get anything done if you don't set goals. 

How are you doing with your quilting goals?

A Finish At Last

Well, I did it, I finished that quilt despite the stumbling blocks. I call it Sails on the Horizon. Because it reminds me of the sails I could see out on Lake Ontario from the college library study room. Of course there weren't that many sails out on the lake it's just what the blocks looked like to me.

This is a house quilt. The top was pieced really well but I struggled with the quilting and with Quilt Path. I was a little discouraged by how it turned out. My son told me to knock it off because it is a beautiful quilt that has character.  I am sure the grandkids won't mind sleeping under a less than perfect quilt.

Since I wasn't going to give this one away I decided to try machine binding. I think it could be a very handy way of getting a quilt over the finish line. But I don't think my walmart machine is the one to use for it. Plus I need to get better at attaching the binding in the first place. I also think I could have picked a better decorative stitch. I may do machine binding again sometime. I just need to practice it and use a better machine. But I think I prefer the look of the hand stitched binding.

Do you ever machine bind?