The end of March

I knew when I set my goals for March that they were unrealistic since I would be unable to do any sewing for twelve days while I was babysitting dgd, Paige. But I decided to set the goals with an entire month in mind in case the babysitting got canceled. Thankfully, it didn't and I had a blast with Paige. I'm still happy with the month's accomplishments under the circumstances.

March Goals

• St. Patrick's Day pillowcase DONE 3/3
  
   
• Winter Solstice BOM - block #3 - actually this month was two medium sized stars instead of one large one -  DONE 3/30

  

  photo from starrfabrics.danemcoweb.com

  
  
  
•  Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Two "Caribbean Teal" bags - DONE 3/23
  
• Quilts Beyond Borders - teal Crossroads quilt top DONE  3/22
  
• Tumbler quilt - cut out and sewn DONE 3/28
  
• 15 yards green - wash, iron and cut into 2.25" strips DONE 3/3
• 5 yards yellow - wash, iron and cut into 1.5" strips DONE 3/3
• Notre Dame top - quilted - not done
• Jennifer Paganelli UFO - top completed - not done
• Film at Five UFO top - quilted and bound - not done
• Dad's Memorial top - quilted and bound - not done

I'm disappointed with what I accomplished over the weekend in terms of meeting my March goals. I started off well, cutting and piecing the Tumbler quilt for my brother. Then I pieced the Winter Solstice BOM #3. Now, I would have had to time to get the Notre Dame top quilted and off the longarm IF I hadn't started a new leader/ender project:

Two inch charms. I had a small tote pretty full with what I would now guess was about 300 charms precut. I made this first 10x10 block from that tote. Unfortunately, there were many more repeats in there than I thought. I definitely plan to use repeats but I didn't want three blocks using the same collection of fabrics. Soooo, I pulled out more scraps, strips, nickels and the GO and did a lot of cutting whenever I wanted a break from the sewing machine. I know have at least another 400 charms cut. I am cutting 4 of each fabric and dividing them into four separate piles. I will try to keep each pile for each 1/4 quadrant of the quilt top.

I continued doing leader/enders through out the weekend as I worked on the Tumbler and Winter Solstice projects. With the new assortment of charms I made 26 more 10 charm long strips.

I haven't joined the strips yet into blocks. This is a lot of fun but takes a lot of time. On April 1st I will put it away so I can make another charity quilt top as a leader ender (I'm trying to make one each month) in the RSC color of the month - this month is purple. Once it's done I can pull out the postage stamps again. I'll continue to cut more charms while watching tv in the evenings.

Check out what others are working on at Patchwork Times and BOMs Away at What a Hoot.

Stash Report

I've been sewing like a crazy person on several different projects but not much in the way of finishes that would count in the Stash Report.

I did start and finish a Tumbler quilt top for my brother. Except for the borders it is made all out of thrifted shirts.

I weighed it to arrive at 3.5 yards used.

Purchased this week: 0 yards
Purchased year to date: 20.75 yards

Used this week:  3.5 yards
Used year to date: 29.25 yards

Net used:  8.5 yards - still in the black


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ScrapHappy Saturday

March was a good month for my RSC goals. I got my monthly Christmas gifts made:

So I now have three Christmas gifts ready for December:

I also completed a charity Crossroads quilt top for Quilts Beyond Borders:

This was such a fun color to play with. So very cheery. Definitely my favorite color. I can't wait to find out what the color for April is.

Check out the other teal/aqua creations at So Scrappy.

And so it begins

Dh left for his conference so I have 5 days to accomplish the following:

• Notre Dame quilt - quilt
• Winter Solstice BOM - block #3
• Dad's memorial quilt - quilt and bind
• Tumbler quilt - cut out and sewn - borders needed
• Jennifer Paganelli UFO - top completed
• Mount backing for four charity quilt tops

Today I worked on the Tumbler quilt for my brother. It is made from shirts I picked up at local thrift stores. I love the variety I can get by using shirts but certainly am not saving a heck of a lot of money by shopping thrift stores around here. These shirts sold for any where between $6 and $10 each. I also picked up some homespun yardage to use as main border and included that fabric in the body of the quilt. I had deconstructed the shirts a few weeks ago but hadn't cut the tumbler pieces. Got that done this morning with the GO cutter while my great nephew, Eddie, played (I babysit him every Thursday).

While he napped I got some of the rows pieced and then finished the body of the quilt this evening.

I plan to attach the borders tomorrow but as I now look at the picture below I am questioning the choice of the off white first border. Is it boring? Predictable? Should I go with something more colorful - red? green?

Now, I have a very specific list of things I want to accomplish this weekend, not even including the tax prep I MUST do. So why did I start this?

This is using 2 inch squares that were all precut in a bin just waiting for the insanity to hit me, some of them were already sewn in pairs. And I did it all as leader/enders with the tumbler quilt, so I can justify that it wasn't time taken away from other projects but I know better. 100 2 inch charms = 15 inch block. I would like this finished quilt to be at least for one of the queen guest beds or maybe even for our king bed.  I would also like to make a checkerboard postage stamp quilt using my 1 1/2 inch charms and Kona Cotton Snow. But since the Kona needs to be purchased and I'm on a fabric buying fast, I started this project first. In neither project will I be trying to not repeat fabrics. And so it begins, a postage stamp quilt - one block done, at least 48 to go? hahaha

Check out more inspiration at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, A Finish Friday and TGIFF.

Where to start

Oh boy, I love this quilt. It's mostly the colors that I love so much but the pattern is simple and fun also. Dh even commented on how nice the colors were - he doesn't usually notice colors. I am really going to have trouble giving this one away but I'm hoping it will be well loved by any child that receives it.

Quilt going to Quilts Beyond Borders

Crossroads pattern found HERE

Now to get it quilted.

Dh is going to a conference tomorrow for 5 days. First things first, I MUST get the tax stuff pulled together and organized for the accountant. Then I'm not sure where I'll start but by Tuesday evening I hope to accomplish:

• Notre Dame quilt - quilt
• Winter Solstice BOM - block #3
• Dad's memorial quilt - quilt and bind
• Tumbler quilt - cut out and sewn
• Jennifer Paganelli UFO - top completed
• Mount backing for four charity quilt tops

Ridiculously optimistic, but why not.

Stash Report

An entire Sunday with nothing on the calendar after church. I finally got some general house work done and then spent the afternoon in the sewing cave. I finished the charity quilt that I was making this month using the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month - teal. I love this quilt - love the colors, love that it used up some of the bazillion nickels in my stash, love the simple, easy Crossroads pattern and love that it will be going to Quilts Beyond Borders for a child in need somewhere in the world. I will definitely be using this pattern again in another of the colors.

I also finished the two toiletry/cosmetic bags that I am making each month in the RSC color. Each month I will make two bags and then come December I will have a nice stash of gifties all ready to go.

One RSC charity quilt top finished - 2 1/2 yards
Two RSC bags finished - 3/4 yard

Purchased this week: 0 yards
Purchased year to date: 20.75 yards

Used this week:  3.25 yards
Used year to date: 25.75 yards

Net used:  5 yards - still in the black


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Scrap Happy Saturday

Lots of sewing has been going on over at Cider Mill School, but not so much here at home.

Today I was able to get some heavenly time in my sewing cave. The first two hours were spent taking apart one of the Cider Mill quilts and putting it back together again. It needed some real help (the borders were unbelievably wavy) and we hate to do that in front of the volunteers, especially if the person who pieced the quilt is still helping us. So that quilt is now ready to be sandwiched.

Then I spent some time working on this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

This month's color is teal/aqua. I'm hoping to make a charity top each month in the chosen color. This month I am using a pattern called Crossroads, found HERE. I made all the components for the blocks as leaders/enders and then this afternoon I put the blocks together. Hopefully tomorrow I have the top pieced together and then add a couple of borders.

Sharing over at So Scrappy.

Thankful Thursday

This week I am so very thankful for all of the parent volunteers that have come out to help create this year's Cider Mill Quilts. I first blogged about it HERE. The project has been in full swing for a few weeks now. All of the 4th graders have painted a square and, after 3 sewing days, almost all of the quilts have been assembled into tops.

Now begins the laborious process of of crawling on the floor to sandwich all the quilts. I'll certainly be leaving that job to the young moms. Then back to the machines to stitch around all around the sides. The kids love seeing the quilts get "birthed" (turned right side out).  Then back to crawling on the floor to string the ties. The children will then do the actual knotting. 28 quilts that the children are sooo very proud of.

Lots of fun but no sewing

This past week was spent going down to our oldest ds' home in VA to babysit and then bringing dgd home with me for a week at Grandma and Grandpa's.

We have had a wonderful time going to birthday parties,

playing Frozen while dressed up as Elsa,

being a huge help while Grandma spent an entire day supervising charity quilting at our elementary school,

playing at the local mall,

and checking out the meerkats at the local museum.

On top of all that, Grandma had a stomach bug for two days. Although Paige was "bored" during some of the forced down time, she was an absolute angel about amusing herself when needed. Thank God for Playdoh, paints and stickers. (Thank you, Aunt Mary)

 
Did we make any progress on my teal projects? No.

But we did play with Grandma's GO cutter to cut out lots of pink squares for a quilt for dollie.

A fun time is being had by all. Going home on Tuesday is arriving way too quickly for Grandma's taste. Once I catch up on laundry, grocery shopping and the dreaded "paper pile", there will be a lot of sewing to catch up on.


Sharing at SoScrappy's Scrap Happy Saturday

Still feels cold

Working with "Caribbean" colors is really not making up for the cold outside. Right now it's 19° F and I'm not feeling like putting on a bikini. Actually, if I ever feel like putting on a bikini someone should immediately deliver me to the loony bin. Those days are long gone.

This is a busy month so the sewing machine is/will be getting a bit neglected. I did get the "fabric" made for my RSC project - another set of cosmetic/toiletry bags. I know these posts will be especially boring but I am going to be so excited when December comes along and I have all these gifties made. And this month I'm just loving working with my teal/aqua scraps.  I will be watching Paige (3 yo dgd) for the next 11 days so I don't expect to get back to this project till the end of the month. I can't wait till she's old enough to play along with Grandma in the sewing room.

I'm also working on a charity project using teal/aqua charms. I am making Crossroads blocks after seeing this quilt on Pinterest. The link on Pinterest was broken but I tracked it down to HERE.

I think it will be gorgeous in teals and aquas. Of course, there's not much I wouldn't love in those colors. 

Sharing at Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, Fabric Frenzy Friday, and  Rainbow Scrap Challenge.
   

Cider Mill Quilts

This week I'm prepping fabric for the Cider Mill Quilts project. It is project started 25 years ago by two quilting moms. They had fourth graders and had suggested to their child's teacher to do a charity quilt with the students. Each child would paint a picture on a white fabric square and the two mom's would make the squares up into a quilt tops, layer and tie them and then the children tied the knots The children loved the project and the two quilts that were made were donated to Project Linus. The quilts looked like this:

Word spread and the next year the teacher (and other teachers) asked them to do the project again with their classes. The third year (enter my second son) the two women made quilts with all seven 4th grade classes and the project has continued ever since. The necessary changes were that they now put out requests from the 4th grade mothers to help with the sewing of the tops, layering, turning and threading the ties. I helped sewed that year and officially two more years (for ds #2, 3, and 4s classes). I also stepped in several years when they were short on sewers and needed help. Twenty five years later there are now fourteen 4th grade classes (there have actually been as many as seventeen classes) and 2 quilts of the same pattern are made for each class. One of the two original women is sadly no longer with us and last year I stepped in to help fill the void.

So this week I'm prepping green and yellow fabric - 14 yards green and 5 yards yellow washed, ironed and cut.

I just finished ironing the yellow so I'll be cutting that tonight.

I also sewed up a quick St. Patrick's Day pillowcase for dgd, Paige.

Sharing at Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday

Stash Report

I have done lots more sewing than normal for me lately but not much that is reportable. The only thing finished in the last two weeks (no report last week) was the pink charm top.

For Quilts Beyond Borders - 2 yards

I did fall off the wagon and purchased a fat quarter bundle, 3 charm packs and some mini charms. I have to do better next week cuz I don't think there will be any finishes then either. I really want to stay in the black, as minimal as that number is.

Purchased this week: 7.75 yards
Purchased year to date: 20.75 yards

Used this week: 2 yards
Used year to date: 22.50 yards

Net used:  1.75 yards


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A Caribbean vacation would be nice

Angela at SoScrappy is about to celebrate her 20th anniversary with a trip to the Caribbean. Lucky girl. And she lives in Florida. Imagine how much those of us in the northern states would enjoy that vacation right about now? Well, she's giving us a little taste of the experience by choosing Teal as the color for the month. Ooh, my favorite groups of colors - teal/aqua/turquoise. I've already got my scraps pulled and cut.

I had fun playing with my pinks scraps. I only used the old scraps, which were really mostly mauves/dusty roses. The new brighter pinks will be saved for future projects.

I was able to stick with my plan to make a pair of bags in each monthly color - a toiletry size and cosmetic size. I used 1 1/2" cut squares. These will be saved and given as Christmas gifts.

February's pink bags

January's blue bags and February's pink

I also used some of my pink charms to make a quilt for Quilts Beyond Borders. I hope to make something charitable each month in the color chosen.

It's very pink.

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   SoScrappy's Rainbow Scrap Challenge