I just finished my 2 blocks for January. I have now completed 8 of the 12 pieced blocks.

I just finished my 2 blocks for January. I have now completed 8 of the 12 pieced blocks.
Filed under Block of the Month, BOM, Edmonton Modern Quilt Guild, Fan Faire BOM
This quilt took a long time to finish. The 12 multi-coloured blocks were made as part of QuiltEssential Co’s 2015 block of the month program. This colour way was called ‘Bridges of Madison County”.
I knew how I was going to design the quilt top long before the 12 blocks were even finished. My inspiration for the quilting came from some of the designs in the 12 blocks. I wish I had kept track of how long it took me to do the longarm work because it was substantial. I am really happy with the finished product.
Close up of the centre medallion and some of the long arm work:
I like using pieced backings on my quilts. I think it makes for a more attractive back that gives you the option to flip it over so you have two quilts in one.
I’ve got all 12 blocks completed from QuiltEssentialCo’s 2015 BOM program. They just made their selection of coordinating fabrics available, so yesterday I went and got my yardage to complete my quilt. I’ve come up with an on-point design that should finish at about 102″ x 102″.
I’m still chugging along with the 365 Block Challenge. Life got in the way and I got behind by almost two weeks. I’ve spent the last 3 days working hard to catch up. Here are my week 9 blocks which includes the big 18″ centre medallian block. By the end of the month we should be able to start assembling the centre section of the quilt.
Linking up to:
Design Wall Monday @Patchwork Times
Fabric Tuesday @Quilt Story
Linky Tuesday @Freemotion by the River
WIP Wednesday @The Needle and Thread Network
Filed under 365 Challenge, Block of the Month, BOM, Quilting
I’ve got several works in progress this month. First, I’ve got my September and October blocks done for QuiltEssential Co’s 2015 Block of the month. Two more blocks to go and then I have to come up with a quilt top design to incorporate the 12 blocks.
I’ve been playing with layouts for my HST gift quilt:
And I’ve made a bunch of blocks for my Leftovers VI quilt. I still have no idea how I am going to lay them out
Linking up to:
Design Wall Monday @Patchwork Times
Motivate Me Monday @Keeping it Simple
Sew Cute Tuesday @Blossom Heart Quilts
Fabric Tuesday @Quilt Story
Linky Tuesday @Freemotion by the River
Too Cute Tuesday @Funky Polkadot Giraffe
WIP Wednesday @The Needle and Thread Network
WIP Wednesday @Freshly Pieced
Needle and Thread Thursday @My Quilt Infatuation
Filed under Block of the Month, BOM, WIP, Work-in-progress
I was great at keeping up to date with Quiltessentials BOM (block of the month) program until June and then I lost the handle. We are a week away from picking up August’s fabric bundle so I got my act together today and completed June and July.
Little black dress lap quilt is almost done…I am just hand sewing on the binding.
My scrumptious lap quilt has been quilted and trimmed. I just have to attach the binding and then hand sew it on the back.
I’ve made no progress on Leftovers V.
Linking up to:
Design Wall Monday @Patchwork Times
Filed under Block of the Month, BOM, WIP, Work-in-progress
I managed to get a little more work done on my Little Black Dress-2 quilt. I sliced the rows apart and added some wide sashing between each row. I still need to add more to it to make it finish at a decent lap size.
I also completed my block-of-the-month for May.
Linking up to:
Filed under Block of the Month, Lap Quilt
Lately I haven’t been quilting as much and I’ve been really bad at posting updates. A new puppy and life is taking up much of my time. I hope that things will begin to settle down a bit and give me more relaxing/down time for quilting.
I have completed the March and April blocks for the 2015 QuiltEssential Block-of-the-Month program.
I’ve also made a little progress on my “Little Black Dress” lap quilt. I just have to figure out how I want to finish it.
On Sunday, QuiltEssential Co had their annual Block-of-the-Month quilt show. I had a real shock when I walked in the door and saw my quilt hanging there with a 1st Place ribbon on it. I was so surprised that I forgot to take a picture of it. I have this old picture. You can read more about this quilt here.
It is very densely quilted but I didn’t take many close up pictures of it.
Linking up to:
Design Wall Monday @Patchwork Times
Show and Tell Tuesday @I have to say
Sew Cute Tuesday @Blossom Heart Quilts
Too Cute Tuesday @Funky Polkadot Giraffe
Linky Tuesday @FreeMotion by the River
Handmade Tuesday @Ladybug Blessings
It doesn’t matter how many dogs we have had in our lives, I always forget how much work a new puppy is. I’m not sure I will be making my Feb ALYoF goal. By the time I get Spirit settled in my sewing room, it is time to take her out for a potty break. Don and I tag team who is watching her.
I did manage to finish the borders for my Quilts of Valour top. I hope to get them sewn on this week and maybe get the backing finished so that next week I can start on the FMQ before I head back to work on the 23rd.
Thank goodness the Feb BOM is a very quick and easy one so I managed to get it completed. That’s two months in a row….only 10 more to go.
A
Here’s a couple of pictures of my sewing room helpers. I love that Wally is holding a pink stuffy between his paws and Spirit is snuggled up next to him. The second pictures shows why I can’t get much sewing done. Spirit is all wrapped up around the legs of my chair so I can’t move it to get up and shift between my sewing machine and iron. I love that cute, fat belly (you can check out Spirit’s blog here).
Design Wall Monday @Patchwork Times
Made by you Monday @Skip to my Lou
Show and Tell Tuesday @I Have to Say
Linky Tuesday @Freemotion by the River
Filed under A Lovely Year of Finishes, ALYOF, Block of the Month, Quilts of Valour, Spirit, Wally, WIP
After a two year hiatus I have decided to participate in QuiltEssential Co’s 2015 Block of the Month (BOM) program again. Their theme this year is novels and I picked “Bridges of Madison County” which features this pretty combination of tangerine/mango and grey prints. The blocks finishes at 10.5 inches so that will make a nice sized quilt once all 12 are done.
Here is January’s block all finished with 10 days to spare.
Filed under Block of the Month, Quilting
Once again in 2012 I participated in QuiltEssential Co’s block of the month program. We pieced a block every month and then you have all of 2013 to assemble the blocks into a finished quilt using a design they suggest or come up with something on your own. The January 2014 quilt show will feature all the BOM quilts from 2012.
This colour way was called blues. To read about the making of this quilt and to see more pictures, please click here.
Filed under Block of the Month, QAL, Quilt-A-Long
This is the second BOM quilt that I worked on in 2012 (this is the other one called Blues). Although the 12 block designs are the same in both quilts, the overall finished quilts are so very different. Follow the link to see more pictures and to read about the making of Opera.
Filed under Block of the Month, FAL, Finish-A-Long
My friend Susan has 4 beautiful grand-daughters and she is the most amazing Nana. The girls love to spend time with her and the two oldest like to help her sew and quilt. She let the girls go through her stash and pick the fabrics they liked best. They cut them into small strips and then they sat on Nana’s lap as she sewed them together to make a string that was as long as they were tall. When they were finished that had four very colourful strips. As a Christmas surprise, Susan incorporated the strips into a quilt design. She was running out of time to complete her gift so I volunteered to quilt it for her. I made a few suggestions to personalize the quilt by having Susan write their names on each strip and then I quilted over her markings so that it was her handwriting. She gave me the freedom to FMQ it as I saw fit.
We used a polyester backing with lots of loft that allowed me to quilt designs into the background. Susan has a dog and a cat that the girls just adore so I thought I should add their foot prints.
The two 2012 block of the month quilts might just be done in time for the annual quilt show in January. “Opera” has been quilted and I am hand sewing the binding. “Blues” is on the frame now. It took me almost 2 full days to do all the ditch work to stabilize the quilt before I start quilting the background. Still don’t have a complete plan in my head yet but I am getting there.
Linking up to
Linky Tuesday @FreeMotion by the River
WIP Wednesday @The Needle & Thread Network
WOW me Wednesday @Polkadots on Parade
Whimsy Wednesday @The NY Melrose Family
WOW Us Wednesday @Savvy Southern Style
We Did it! Wednesday @Sew much ado
2013 WIP | Size | Current status |
Pink & blue batik | King | binding |
Asian Shadow Box | King | waiting for borders |
2012 BOM ‘Blues’ | King | FMQ |
2012 BOM ‘Opera | King | binding |
Kimono | Wall hanging | quilt top |
Waterlily | Wall hanging | quilt top |
One block wonder | Queen | piecing |
Peacock | Lap | quilt top |
Leftovers I | Lap | Binding |
Leftovers II | Lap | quilt top |
Blue Hydrangea | King | FMQ |
Dragonflies | Wall hanging | Binding |
Charm Square Crib | Baby (x3) | quilt top(1), binding(2) |
2013 Completions | Size | |
Tropical Punch | Lap | |
Little Warriors | Twin (x2) | |
Xmas Surprise | Lap | |
2011 BOM ‘Spring | King | |
Blue Odyssey | King | |
High River Quilts | Lap (x5) | |
Kassidy’s flannel | Baby | |
Sue’s Summer Breeze | Queen/King | |
Star Surround QAL | Lap/Twin |
Filed under Block of the Month, WIP, Work-in-progress
It is time to pick the unfinished quilts (UFOs) that I am going to commit to completing in the first quarter of this year’s quilt finish-a-long (FAL). This is my first FAL so I want to pick UFOs that have been hanging around for a while and that I am sure, ok pretty sure, that I will actually be able to complete as promised.
My first choice is the 2011 Block of the Month (BOM) with Quilt Essential. I managed to get all my blocks done in 2011 and I even started working on assembling the quilt top in early 2012 but I never finished it. This Sunday is the annual BOM quilt show and we are supposed to have our 2011 quilts done and hanging in the show. I’m pretty close. I just have to finish sewing on the binding and cut off all the threads.
You can see why it takes so long to hand sew on the binding…..my little, furry quilt helper loves to take a nap in the middle of my project. I don’t have the heart to disturb the princess so that I can move on to a new section.
My second choice is my Blue Hydrangea quilt. This is the first quilt top I ever made. It hung around my sewing room for a year before I found a long armer to quilt it for me. Unfortunately he forgot to use the beautiful wool batting that I provided (he used a plain cotton blend) and he didn’t quilt the individual flower blocks they way we had discussed. It hung around for another year waiting for me to put the binding on. I procrastinated because I wanted to use a striped fabric on the bias but I had never made biased binding before. I’ve almost got all the binding on now but I still want to pick out all the stitching on the floral blocks and replace it with some free motion quilting that will show off the blocks. I’m a newbie free motion quilter (FMQ) so hopefully I don’t wreck the quilt.
My final FAL for this quarter will be my Blue Odyssey quilt. I saw a beautiful wall hanging in an old edition of Quilt Mania. I decided to try and duplicate the design and change it from a small wall quilt into a king size quilt. I went a little overboard buying fabric. When all is said and done I bet I will get at least one and quite likely 2 quilts out of the leftover fabric. I need to finish the FMQ and then put the binding on….my least favourite part of making a quilt.
Update: 2013JAN13
I’m feeling ambitious today so I am going to add one more project to the FAL. It is a fleece baby/twin quilt. Once again it is one of my many UFO’s waiting for the binding to be hand sewn on to the back of the quilt. I had an emergency appendectomy a few days ago so I am not able to sit at my machine and sew/quilt for a couple of weeks. I have no excuse not to stretch out in the lazyboy and do the hand sewing.
Filed under Block of the Month, FAL, Finish-A-Long, Quilting, Tilly