March New FOs????

Uh-oh.....trouble here.  My  NewFOs turned into finishes this month.   I wonder if the enabler  Barbara at Cat Patches  will let me play this month.   (A newFO is a new project to help you build your UFO stash.)   I think she may  put me in the corner as an overly compulsive, too organized, no fun in that quilter!     Maybe  Smitty will plead my case, if I send him an extra pound or two of catnip!
Actually, finishes are allowed  :).

 So what did I start this month?

  The two projects for Project Quilting.....started and finished......the  tulip  mini table topper and a table runner, When Clematis Bloom.   Both of these projects had dead line requirements.  That's my excuse / real reason  for finishing up these two.

Another  NewFO that got finished was the baby quilt  that I just showed.  I really have a good excuse why this one got finished..... the baby is due next week.  So can I please play this month?   If  so, I'll be purring like a kitten.










   I did start  planning a quilt and selected the fabric.....does that count?    I promise to begin slicing into this fabric in April.  Pattern...nope, not telling yet!


    I do promise to start more projects---at least one for sure--- next month.  And to buy more fabric, and notions, and patterns...etc.  That's enough whining...... be sure to check out the Linky party for the NewFOs.   Off to start something new.....happy stitching.  

A different one for me

  What fun this baby quilt turned out to be.   I love the pinwheels.  And I used every bit of the scrap of rose and pink print that I had to finish off the border.

  I only had enough scrap for 7  squares of that print, which worked just perfect between strips of white to make a border.   The multi-color print became the binding, as it was the only fabric of which I had enough yardage.

   I quilted  swirls and jester's hat in an all over pattern using white thread.   The over all look is so different for me to do.....this is soft and girly.  A perfect little Quilted Blessing.













 
Did you find any eggs yet?  Sir Old Man has been playing Easter Bunny this weekend.    See what I found when I opened the drawer by my sewing machine?   I found one last night on my pillow.  I believe there is one more yet to discover.  I better keep looking.......happy stitching.

Delivery

   A soft package arrived from Pam at For Quilts Sake.  She was a sponsor for Project Quilting, and I was a random drawing winner recently.  This is one of the stash packs from her etsy shop.....fabrics, beads, and trims!  How lucky can you get to have all the fixings for a very special project in one pack.    Thank you, Pam, for being a PQ sponsor.
    I'm quilting on the baby quilt.....almost ready for the binding.  Happy Easter egg hunting, jelly bean grabbing, and happy stitching.  

In the works

  Yikes, I need a quick baby quilt for a shower next week.  There is nothing better and quicker than pinwheels and large blocks.  My stash is very slim when it comes to pink, so I made do with 3 pink/pinkish prints and a mottled yellow.  Two more borders to add and I can get it quilted this weekend.












 
I had begun some free motion quilting on  the long bed runner that has been hanging around.  This section is mainly feathers.  I put this aside to get the baby quilt done.  Guess it will hang around a while longer.

   In the evenings I am still stitching on the floral strips.  The stack of blocks is growing but the box of strips still seems full.....guess  it is the fluff factor!  I only need about 80 more blocks, so there is hope.


Almost time to claim the finishes and NewFOs for March.  I am liking this set up  of making plans for the month  and then accounting for them.  It has given me a focus---a much better focus than the new glasses---and this brain needs the help and encouragement.   And who knows what next month will have in store......happy stitching.

Pinning inspiration

  A few weeks ago I finally gave in......to Pinterest  and started a few boards.  Lately,  I can't remember where I saw something  that I know is on my traditional list of favorites.  I was just going in circles and kicking myself for not remembering.   I try to get to the original source to pin,  if I can.

From Quilt Trends Magazine

  And that is where I found the inspiration for the border I plan to use for my guild challenge quilt.   I am not a big fan of traditional checkerboard borders, and this one reminded me of stepping stones in the garden.  So my border idea is in the planning and math stage.....I may need to  use different size "stones" to make it fit the sides.

From Fat Quarter Gang blog

   Then I ran across this cute baby quilt  with a PDF pattern to download.  It is made using the hatchet block pattern and the instructions give info for paper piecing or using templates.  The designer  sees baby bows, and I see butterfly wings, so it will work for a boy or girl.   There is a precious gal in my Bible study group that is expecting twins.....so I need to plan two of these.

  Over the weekend I was "pinning" my scrap quilt....prepping for the quilting.  It will go under the needle next.  I also spent some time working through the information that LuAnn at May Your Bobbin Always be Full  emailed me about her sit down quilting machine. I may be ready to cave on this too......life is short and there are many quilts to make.   Of course that will mean that Sir Old Man gets a new tool and will have to make an extra table/rolling cart or two.  :)  Life is full.  Happy stitching.  

Project Quilting final challenge

"Hurrah for Spring" was the last theme challenge for Project Quilting.  I hope you have been following along and viewing all the entries, as there have been some really great projects finished.  It is always fun to see how we progress through the weeks....like watching Project Runway.  I view it as a way to "find my voice" and "make it work".....ala Tim Gunn.
  Spring is always a welcomed time....new growth and returning favorites in the garden.  I have 3 different Clematis vines in shades of purple scattered around the yard and they became my inspiration for When Clematis Bloom.  

 I stuck with my original fabric choices after all. Since  I needed a sample for the quilting class I will be teaching soon,  I left the center plain for lots of machine quilting.

I also like offset layouts---part of my voice---so the vines  are similar around the center, but not mirror image in the way they curve.  I kept it simple  and did not try to over design this one.                                                                  

When Clematis Bloom

  Then the fun began with the machine quilting.  I filled the center area with stacks of teardrops of all sizes.  They create wonderful texture when you allow them to grow out in different directions.

  A little bit of pebbling was used to fill in in some areas that were just too tight for a teardrop.  Then I moved to the border print area.  My original idea was to quilt in leaves, but I noticed the swirl in the print and decided to use that instead.  So lots of swirls along the edges.
    Flickr Group for Project Quilting.   It has been a great season.  Thanks, Kim, for setting this up.

Nickel scraps and challenge

Woohoo....this month is rolling along.  I checked on my list for March and I am almost there!
    The  5" scrap project is ready for quilting. It's on the floor because the design wall is in use.   My goal was to get the 48 blocks put  together this month.  Check!    I will get it pinned for quilting  this month....maybe.

 


 On the design wall is my guild challenge project.  The goal this month for it was to finish the applique and join the sections.  Check!

   I finished off the machine applique and joined the sections.  I had a few of the appliques to finish that overlapped the seam lines.....all done.  The remainder of the challenge "ugly" fabric was used for the inner border strip.  
    Now I need to figure out the outer border.   Right now I am playing around with the leftover background pieces  for that.  Or  maybe adding some 4 patch units between them......not sure yet.  I will let it simmer on the design wall for a while.

 
    The final challenge for Project Quilting was posted.  Our design inspiration is "Hurrah for Spring".  I began pulling fabrics for this one.....now that I see them in a photo, I may need to lighten up just a bit.