Quilts of 2015

This year was a little rough on my quilting hobby.

Single parenting for half the year was a bummer, and getting in lots of extra family time before and after meant less quilting time.

I do feel great about cleaning up my precut hoard.  

Twelve of these projects came from precuts! 

Here are my finishes for the year:

kept it- precut project

group project I assembled and finished- gave it away

gave it away

group project I assembled and finished- gave it away

gave it away

gave it away- precut project

kept it- precut project

gave it away- precut project

gave it away

gave it away- precut project

gave it away

kept it

gave it away- precut project

kept it- precut project

kept it

gave it away- precut project

kept it

gave it away to the monster so it lives with us 

Sixteen quilts if you don't count the group projects, that's more than one a month.

Not bad, but half a dozen were wall hangings or baby quilts.

I made some other fun things this year.

Halloween placemats- kept them- precut project

gave it away- precut project

gave it away- precut project

gave them away

kept them- precut project

I feel proud of the things I did complete.

I have clear goals for 2016, I'll share about that soon.

I hope your year was productive and rewarding!

Daysail Back

I worked through my negative attitude and got my Daysail backing assembled yesterday.

It took quite a bit of chocolate and screaming into my pillow to get it accomplished.

Thank goodness it's done!

I have it ready for Rebecca.

I cannot wait to drop it off and not worry about it for a few weeks.

Then I'll just have to do the binding, and I don't mind binding one bit!

(except 2" binding, which I did for the mini rise and shine, and that was terrible and I would never ever do it again ever!)

After working on this project for the past ten days my sewing room was a mess.

I got it all cleaned up last night.

Today is a fresh day!

I have a couple days left in 2015 and I am going to see if I can make progress on my Farmgirl.

There is no way I can get it done, but maybe I can get the top finished.

Hopefully it can be my first finish in the new year.

Daysail Top

I took a terrible photo late last night of my completed Daysail quilt top.

Heaven help me, I've moved on to cutting out the backing.

I HATE backings.

I especially HATE backings with more than one seam.

So I am cussing.

Cutting two rectangles 39.5" x 76.5" seriously had me whining and cussing.

I do not like doing that!

Hopefully the worst is over.

I want to drop this quilt off with my long arm quilter Rebecca next week.

Mini Rise and Shine

 This little quilt was delivered yesterday so I can share.

I bought a batik charm pack a year ago when Lisa and I went quilt shopping in Hadley.

We both disliked batiks, and I thought it was silly that we wouldn't give them a try.

I think dislike wasn't really the way I felt, I think I just feared them.

So I did give them a try.

I made a mini Rise and Shine for Lisa.

I'm not going to say I'm a total convert.

But I don't fear them anymore.

I have used them on the AT Star quilt, and I have another batik project on my long list.

Hopefully Lisa will like it.

She lives in Mexico and I think this bright mini quilt kinda belongs in a sewing room in Mexico.

Three Down

Block 8

Block 9

Block 10

I have two to go.

But for the rest of the evening it's Christmas movies and pot roast with my guys.

Before the Ball Drops

After finishing my BOM I feel pretty great about what I have managed to get done this year.  

I was thinking about which projects I have left and there are only two that are wips.  

I am going into the new year with only TWO unfinished things!  

My Farmgirl blocks are all done, but I need to piece the top.

My Snapshot is not in great shape.

I am five blocks behind.

I've decided to push to get this top and backing assembled by the end of the year.

I have less than two weeks.

Last night I cut out the background for all five blocks.

My goal is to drop it off at the long arm the first week of January.

Wish me luck!

Calendar Block of the Month

My friend Amber hosted a BOM this year.

I was rarely caught up to be honest.

But when she posted December's block I decided to push to get it done by the end of the year.

I did!

I think this calendar themed quilt is super sweet.

The monster held it up for me so I could get a photo.

He is getting pretty good at it!

I quilted each block differently following the inside lines of the design on most.

Pushing the quilt back and forth through the throat is something I don't do often.

It was a reminder of how much I love my Juki!

I'm sending it to my sister.  

I think it would be adorable in a playroom and she is the only person I know that has one.

Blitzen

I happen to finish my Blitzen quilt on the eve of a winter storm.

I will be able to get better photos of it when it isn't so breezy, but I'm so happy I wanted to share.

I really love how the trees turned out!

I am so surprised I had the patience to sew all of these 2.5" squares around the trees.

 But I really enjoy the way it looks, so it was worth it.

It was a good practice for growing my patience.

The backing is so pretty.

This quilt will be super loved up on the sofa.

While I was working on this I was thinking about how generously this fabric was gifted to me.

It really still amazes me how kind quilters are.

Thanks again Ann!

Basting Spray

The thing is that I never used to mop unless I was basting a quilt. 

 I would sweep often, but it was pretty gross to know that I hadn't mopped. 

We have three dogs you know!  

They lick the floor to clean up here and there (bacon splatter), but that made it worse to me.

So this year when we started second grade I had to adjust my priorities and work on a new plan for time management.

 I started mopping weekly.  

Mondays. 

So now mopping for quilt basting seems like a pain.

Be honest.... Its just a pain no matter what. 

I decided to try spray basting. 

It worked well.

Fast.

Easy.

My Blitzen is quilted now.

It took about an hour.

It's so quick when you don't have to stop for pins!

I'll share soon, but this seemed like a big development.

I thought you should know.

A Mini While I Wait

I've been working on a mini quilt while I wait for my Blitzen border to arrive.

It required over four hundred little pieces to be cut.

Not my fav.

 

These little sixteen patches finish at 3.5"

I had to buy more starch!

I have made more progress on this little project, but it will be a secret finish.

I will share once it has been gifted.

Hopefully I will get the border fabric today. 

The only plans I have for this weekend is church, cookie baking, and quilting this quilt!

Ready for Borders

It has taken me quick stolen moments here and there, but finally I have the sashing done.

I am super happy with this quilt!

My next step will be a white border.

I would really love to get this quilt basted this weekend.