Bowtiesnstars

It is finished. At least for me it is.

In the last months packet, they included an eggplant purple for an inner border and than a coral/orange floral for the outer border that just wasn’t my style. As is, it measures 63 1/2 by 75. On Facebook, I saw pictures of last years sampler BOM that did not include a border and I really liked it. Also, this isn’t the type of quilt I will put on a bed. Will look great on the quilt rack or a hanger for show so it really doesn’t need to be any larger. My quilter assured me that all those seams on the edge won’t matter so I am happy with my decision. Here are a few pictures of some of the sections as I put it together.

The fabric in the geese was also to be used for the border.

These leaves were also fun to make, even if the stem was appliqued on. I really need to up my game on that.

Jeanette is coming on Friday!! I am so excited to have her come to visit. I have two tops ready for her to quilt and am hoping to get a third completed, but it is doubtful.

I started this perhaps two years ago now. Time goes so fast. For my cousin in Colorado. Need to make three more trees, than put it all together. And yes, I know that top tree is missing a piece. There are actually two blocks that have that same error. I am okay with it. Hope Joanie will be too!

I am getting so close to the end of this BOM! This is the last block for month 9:

I have started working on month 10 and read ahead as well. Looks like I get to start working on putting sections together and some filler blocks. So exciting!

My goal is to finish it this month! Check out Elm Street Quilts to see more quilting inspiration.

Memorial Day week end, Donna and I went to the Portland Rose Gardens. So many of them were in bloom, and such huge blooms! I couldn’t stop taking pictures!

Just a sampling…so gorgeous!

I am so amazed with this block of the month from Fig Tree Quilt Co. Even if I am a few years late to the game. At the beginning of the month, I was half way through month 3 and I was hoping to double that by the end of the month. Block of the Month is kind of a misnomer, because in this program, there are usually 3 blocks to make and multiples of them. Here is a stack of the different blocks to show the different sizes.

I am so happy to say I am half way through month 8!!

In month 8, I have found an error which slowed me down. Not a big deal as the squares listed to cut were a bit larger than required. A similar technique was used in the previous months blocks so I kind of guesstimated what the sizes should be and I think it worked out well enough. Guess the proof will be in the final placement of the block. A good reason to make the blocks when I get them, not three years later!

My May goal has been met, and surpassed! I am excited to get this done! Hop on over to Elm Street Quilts to see everyone else’s progress!

It is finished! And it went together so fast! All those lovely pastels had me feeling spring or getting ready for Easter. I am so happy with how it turned out!

The pattern only uses four blocks: star, nine patch, skinny sticks, and HST. I added a few Snow Shoos for variety and a four patch block. Next time I would like to do a few more blocks. I can see log cabins fitting in well, maybe another type of star as well. If you need a quick quilt, this is a great option.

Donna brought me to a nice park perfect for walking. Good excuse for a ride in the new car too! Commonwealth Park was easy to get to and I will be visiting it again. Plenty of space, good amount of people of all ages. Pretty. Reminds me of many of the parks back in Eagan.

Beautiful day for a walk!

I am back to working on the Fig Tree BOM Autumn Splendor. Each month has 3 different blocks, and multiples of them. It has been interesting because there are several different size blocks so far: 5″, 6″, 7″, 9″, and a 12″. I finished the last block, the 12″ flying geese block, for month 3 and have done the 3 Acorn blocks and 4 basket blocks for month 4. Now working on 2 bear paw blocks to finish up this month. I am excited to see how this will come together!

This represents 2 1/2 months of blocks for a Block of the Month program from I think 2019. My goal for this month is to double that. Summer is when I have time to sew and for me, summer has started! Also, another incentive is, somehow, I signed up for two more Block of the Month programs for 2021. Why do I do this to myself?!

This was going to be my goal project for May, but it has come together so fast, I could easily be done by the week end. Although my second Covid shot is Friday, so we shall see what my energy level will be.

This well be a rather large baby quilt for a girl to be born in August. It sure felt like Easter though when I was making the blocks! The pattern writer, Vanessa Goertzen, uses 4 blocks to make the butterfly. I added a few shoo fly blocks and a four patch block and wish I had done a few Log Cabins as well. All but the two vertical strips are cut, just needs to be sewed up!

Connect with Elm Street Quilts to see what other quilters are working on this month. Patty has sponsors for One Monthly Goal with a few winners randomly drawn each month. Today I got an email from her that I had been drawn for the month of April! What a pleasant surprise! Thank-you Patty, and Fat Quarter Shop! They are both a great resource for us quilters!

I finished on time! It was a super busy month and I will be happy when the next two days are done as well. I think I am more excited for the end of the semester than some of the students. But I have so much planning to do for the opening of next semester. I am so hoping that Oregon will open up as normal. We. need. it. But first, the doll quilt.

I only had time to machine stitch in the ditch around the blue triangles. The quilting is the more difficult part of the job for me, so not perfect. But hopefully acceptable. I do like the overall look of it, and hope the recipient does too. I think I would like to make a larger quilt for myself. Could be interesting scrappy too. Hmmm.

I also received a doll quilt, from Mary Beard. Hand pieced and hand quilted! Lovely! Such a beautiful quilt and with a great hand feel. Perhaps from not using batting? I have never done that, but this is light, pliable, great drape, and simply lovely.

And now the wedding quilt! Nick and Michele liked the quilt, although Michele has only seen a picture of it at this point. 🙂 She will see it once they are back from their honeymoon.

It was good to be with my Texas family. Fun to see them interact and my brother still being a Dad. He raised some great kids! I may be a bit partial in that opinion…

I didn’t get near enough photos of the quilt. Too busy a month! But the quilting was done by Janie Creates. She did such a great job! I love it so much, I already have plans for one with a softer grey background and Christmas fabrics!

I decided if they didn’t like the mix of blues on the front, the back is more than presentable with all the quilting!

Again, not the best photos. I was too excited after unpacking it from the box! But it has been given, and knowing my nephew, it will be loved. If you click over to Elm Street Quilts, you will see even more quilting fun of other goals met. Great inspiration!

In April, Lori of Humble Quilts, hosts a doll quilt exchange. I have participated I think four different years. Have received lovely quilts, and every year I tell myself, I need to just make two of everything so I will have one for myself when I am done. In an earlier post, I have pictures of some of the doll quilts I have made other years. Last year I did another bow tie block quilt. I wasn’t going to participate this year, because there is a wedding I will be traveling to so it eliminates a whole week end, which is when most of my sewing gets done. But Lori posted that she still has a few openings and really, how long should a doll quilt take to make? So my goal this month is to make a doll quilt, start to finish. At Elm Street Quilts, you can see what other quilters are working on this month.

Years ago on a blog, the author made a two block quilt she called Snow Shoo, using a snowball block and the shoo fly block. I thought it was such a unique look. I emailed myself a link to her blog and I can not find it anywhere. It was so many years ago I think I would have a quilt done by the time I found the link. So I tried to draw out what I remember.

I will keep it just two colors as well. I am hoping the background fabric isn’t too busy. Off to the cutting table!

I finished binding the Laundry Basket/Fig Tree mystery quilt from this spring! I even got a label on it!

I love the soft colors of the Fig Tree fabrics. Very soothing in such a stressful year. I think the quilting that Jeanette did also complimented the fabric and the pattern as well. I think it is most visible in the border…

I have made more paper pieced blocks and cut out fabric for a leader and ender project as well. Hopefully that will help me get a few more quilts made this year. I got the binding on the quilt for my nephew on as well. Less than a month away so I will blog about that later. In the mean time, go over to Elm Street Quilts to see what other quilters finished up this month.

I am surprised at how much I am enjoying this project! I have had to rip on one of the blocks. Not easy to do. They are so cute! And I am getting the hang of the backwardness of the lay out. I am not even close to keeping up with the blocks each week, but that is okay. I am enjoying the process. I think I have 11 done so far. I don’t have an end game, so I am not worried if I don’t get all of them done, but they really are so cute, I will make as many as I can.

My last post, two months ago, outlined a few projects in the works and I have made good progress on them.

My original plan for Nick’s quilt was the Secret Santa, but I saw a picture on pintrest of some flying geese and changed things up.

I sent it off to my Minnesota quilter, Janie Creates. She has already sent a picture back of what she is doing and I love it! Can’t wait to see the finished quilt!

I have the binding strips cut out, so as long as it doesn’t get lost in the mail, I should be able to have it done by the wedding. I need to get caught up on bindings so have top stitched two other quilts. My goal for this month is to get at least one of them completed. Really, how long should a binding take? This is the one I will tackle first!

If you go to Elm Street Quilts, you can view other people’s monthly goals as well. Such talented folks out there!

Coming from Minnesota, weather is always discussed. So here is a picture of the winter storm that came through Valentine’s week end. Actually it is the parking/road behind the back door of where I work. Super slick. I had to stay on campus 3 nights. Only packed for one because surely it won’t be that bad…

I also completed the December project from Figs and Friends.

Love how it turned out. Jeanette did a kind of orange peel quilting motif that reflected one of the fabrics. I think it will be a Christmas gift…

I signed up for Little Blocks 365 at Sentimental Stitches. It is no longer available, but Gay always has different sew-alongs going. This one is 3 inch blocks that are paper pieced. Every Friday she emails directions for a set of blocks. I am not an expert on paper piecing, and with much of my fabric stash unreachable, I think I may make a blue and grey quilt for myself with this project. I think I am in the mood to try and increase my skills. Since it is every Friday for much of the year, this will be another long term project.

Last year was a mixed up year in so many ways. The first half of the year, several things were accomplished and started. The summer brought time for a lot of quilts to get finished. After moving to Portland in August, I completed two quilts. I finished another ‘flimsy’ over break, but it is covered in so much dog hair, I don’t know that I want to do too many large quilts this coming year.

I have one must make on the list. My nephew is getting married! I really want to make Nick and Michele a quilt for their wedding gift. But it is in four months! I really need to get started and nothing too complicated. So I was thinking of doing the “Secret Santa” pattern from Temecula Quilt Company in the blues and greys Nick mentioned. I would like to make it a little larger, but since it is all squares and rectangles, I think I have a good chance of getting it done if I can find fabric. So far I have found a grey that I like for the background, but not a good mix of blues. The search continues…

Most of my quilt room is still in storage and not very accessible. When we transferred my belongings from the moving boxes to the storage unit, I pulled out one box labelled quilt kits so I have a few “shovel ready” projects. A few years ago now a popular sew along on Instagram was Sweet Escape by Camille Roskelley. I ordered a couple Honeybuns of Strawberry Jam and background fabric, printed off the directions and it sat waiting for me to make it. I told Kim about it and she made two of them! Fabric is with me, but the directions will need to be reprinted.

I am also a sucker for Block of the Months. At this point I think I have signed up for six of them, and completed two of them. The large picture at the top of the blog is one of the completed ones. I loved it and gave it away. Hopefully I will find another fabric line that would work well with the patterns. The other completed one is Charcoal and Cream from last year. But I had signed up for another BOM from them in 2018 called Autumn Splendor Mystery Sampler. I would love to get that completed this year. But of course I signed up for another BOM from them for this year as well. As well as a Sew Along from Primitive Gatherings…

Speaking of Primitive Gatherings, in 2017, Lisa offered a sew along called Triangles Gathering. I think she offered about 90 blocks made from Half-Square Triangle blocks. I saved the directions to all the blocks and loved how Nicole from Sister’s Choice Quilts put hers together. I bought fabric using some of the rich colors that Sandy Klop uses and even some paper sheet templates to help make all those triangles. I know I have seen that ‘kit’ lately so it must be in one of the boxes near the top.

Another project that I have seen on her blog and instagram was a quilt by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts called Aurora. I love the purples from several of Pam Buda’s lines of reproduction fabric and it just happens that that color grouping is also reachable in my storage unit. Today I bought a lovely cream fabric for the back ground and am thinking this would be a great ‘leader and ender’ project to complete along with the others.

I also have fabric half purchased for a quilt from a book that I won last year that is no longer on my kindle….

And I am sure more projects will spring up as the year progresses. Looking forward to all the quilts to be made!