2017 Finishes - Little Birdie Stitches - #31

This is the other project using the fabric line called Sunkissed by Moda.  Each month an embroidery scene depicting something special to the month it came out, featuring little birdies.  The embroidery work was fun, the little birdies are cute, and the colors were scrumptious.  I had a lot of fun doing this project.  Anything with little birds are right up my alley, since my name is so much like the little bird wren.  This was the first time working with gray as a background color, but it was a light gray, and this line had a couple of pieces of gray print, that went with all the other colors very nice.  I started the embroidery this in January 2012, and if you would like to read the progress of each block and finishing the flimsy, you can click here.

Unfortunately, I also have had this flimsy done since 2014 and it got stuck with the other project, waiting to complete the other two projects I had in mind to do with this fabric line.  But these last couple of years have been a diligent work of completing UFO's and not worrying about other projects that haven't even been started.  

Therefore, I sent this off to the long armer to get quilted, and it came back last August.  I got it bound in September 2017, but the weather was very cooperative until about a month ago.  Sometimes, it takes me awhile to get the whole package done.

Again, sorry for the wrinkles, it has been folded up for almost a year before I could get time and weather cooperation to take pictures.

Close up of border, binding, and quilting.

Close up of the backing.  Had to piece the backing with a couple of prints, as this line is hard to find now.

Size: 52" x 66"

Fabric Lines Used:  Sunkissed by Moda

Sherberts - pink, yellow, green, orange, gray

Pattern: Little Birdie Stitches

Designer:  http://littlemissshabby.com/category/birdie-stitches/

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Logan Nelson

Year Began: 01/2012

Year Completed: 09/17 

2017 Finishes - Block A Palooza - #30

Back in January 2011, there was a Blogger's Quilt Along called "Block-a-plooza".  It featured 16 bloggers, who designed a block.  Each week one of the 16 bloggers would post their block and in the end you ended up with sixteen 12" blocks and then they provided three different quilt top settings to finish the Quilt Along.  If you want to read more about this program and my progress you can click here.  I am not going to talk about this one much, as you can click on the link and read all you want about it.  I didn't take many pictures while working on this project other than to take a picture of the final block once it was done.

I will say that I had to remake two blocks, as they were so out of shape I couldn't work them in to fit when I started to piece the top together.  I actually had the top finished back in 2014, but it got put in a pile back in the closet, because I really liked the fabric line at the time and was making another 12 month program using it, and I had two more projects to do out of the fabric.  I did finally finish the other 12 month program and finished these two at the same time.  It is called Birdie Stitches #31.  You can read about it in a future post.

(It's been folded for a while, sorry for the wrinkles)

Size: 59" x 87"

Fabric Lines Used:  Sunkissed by Moda

Sherbert pale pink, orange, green, yellow, gray

Pattern: Block A Palooza

Designer:  Quilt Dad and Moda Designers

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Logan Nelson

Year Began: 2011

Year Completed: 09/17 

Update on Daisychain ABC Project

Remember last year I started this project as a way to have something else to do while sitting with my Mom while she was in rehab.  I am sitting with my Mom and Dad this year for different ailments, so I brought along this project to work on again.  So fare I have done the following letters this year:

The letter "K":

The letter "L":

The Letter "M":

The letter "N":

And the letter "O":

This completes another line in the sampler.  There are five lines/rows in the sampler, so I only have two left to complete the embroidery work.  I am using thread colors to match the color way from Moda's Sunkissed line of fabrics.  I have three quilts in the making using this line, and wanted this sampler to have the same colors to decorate my guest bedroom.  I will be using some of the scrap leftovers from the quilt projects to frame the sampler when I complete it.

Also back in 2012, here, I started a crocheted granny square project using the same colors as in the Sunkissed fabric line.  I brought it along too on this trip, to break the boredom of working on just one project.  So I have done about 10 more of these granny squares, and actually I am about done in getting the squares completed.  This is just a sample of three of the squares I have done,  I didn't get one with a pink border done in time for pictures.

Then I also did two more hexies.  

I seem to move right along during the down times with looking after my parents.   

Warmest...

Bloggers' Block-a-palooza Quilt Along

Back in January 2011, there was a Blogger's Quilt Along called "Block-a-plooza".  It featured 16 bloggers, who designed a block.  Each week one of the 16 bloggers would post their block and in the end you ended up with sixteen 12" blocks and then they provided three different quilt top settings to finish the Quilt Along.  The host of this quilt along was Quilt Dad, and you can find the original post by clicking Block-a-palooza and it will take you to the page listing all of the sixteen bloggers and the links to the blocks on their respective blogs.  Some of the links are still working with the patterns to each block, and some are not in existence.  If you really want any of the patterns that are missing and you are unable to get them, let me know, and I will email them to you.

I managed to keep up each week and made all of the sixteen blocks.  The fabric that was used is Moda's Sunkissed.  I believe this is my all time favorite fabric line of Moda.  This is the second quilt I have made using this line.  Remember I also used it in making the Little Birdie Stitches quilt.  You can read about this quilt here.  And I have another quilt that I have on my to do list using this line using a pattern called postage stamp.  Probably more about this one later in the month of April.

This is a collage of the blocks as I didn't want to take up gobs of space.  You get the idea of what the blocks are all about that are going into this quilt.

I chose the option of the quilt top lay out that has a large (24" X 54") appliquéd center.  This will make the overall quilt size about 60" X 90".  Which is a rather large quilt, but I am tired of small twin sized quilts, when I have queen and king sized beds in my home.  

Here is the appliquéd center that I worked on this afternoon and evening.  Right now the pieces are just bonded and pinned onto the center white fabric.  I will have to machine blanket stitch the pieced down permanently sometime next week.  Then I will have the task of cutting out the sashing, and borders and put it all together into the quilt top.

It's kinda whimsical to me, and I really like the colors.

Warmest...

Another UFO BOM Done

To begin with, I wanted to show that I got my rose bed done as I posted about it yesterday. Just a couple of words. I AM VERY SORE, but it is a great satisification to have it done and looking so nice!

As, promised, I also finished this top that I also posted about yesterday.  I did get the borders sewn on last night, and I was able to get a pretty good picture outside this afternoon.

This is a close up of the border fabric.  Really liking the polk a dot that has all the colors of the quilt.

Close up of some of the embroidered squares...

This is the fabric I am using for the binding and the backing.  The orange sherbert check is going to
be the binding.  and the other swirls fabric will be the backing.


















I am stock piling of the these UFO Tops so I can do them on the long arm rental machine after I take my class next month.  I think that is why I usually did not complete the blocks into tops, because I didn't have a good way of quilting them.  I have done four large quilts on my home sewing machine, but it took several days to get each one done, and for the longest time, especially while I was working outside of the home, I did not have that luxury of time.  So, hopefully, I can get caught up on all my tops and have an avenue to get them all quilted!!

Warmest...

Status Update

Just stopping in to say I am still here, just working on other things besides quilting and sewing.  The first project I am working on is gardening.  It is turning out so nice this Spring here in the Pacific Northwest.  Most of the time Spring brings weeks of rain, and it makes it difficult to get out and do the gardening I want to get done.  This week, we have gotten a break in the rain, so I have been busy on my first project, which is to dig out the grass that totally invaded my front garden bed.  If you know anything about roses, grass is bad for them, very bad.  My roses are heirloom roses from original root stock, not grafted stock.  So, I really needed to get the grass out of the bed.  If you look close you can see where the better grass is and where it has creeped into my curved rose bed.

This is my first section I got done last week for a short period of no rain, about 2 hours one morning.

My biggest issue became after I started digging up the grass, was where to put it, this little section filled up our yard debris container and then I would need to wait another week to fill it up again after collection.  So, I have another bed, that I will have to work on at a later date, so I filled up a garden cart, and hauled it over to this bed and unloaded it there, and hopefully hubby will rent a bucket tractor and haul it all off at once. (Update, hubby will be getting a tractor to haul off all the dirt!).

Today was just beautiful, and much progress was made, and plowing ahead I was able to complete this rose bed.   I am sore and will probably not be able to move tomorrow, but I am hoping to transplant my roses in the holding bed, and get the bark spread tomorrow, because rain is expected Friday!

And, this is not all that I have taking up my time,  I am brooding 24 Rhode Island Red baby chicks!  I got a mixed run this year, as I want to keep a rooster and about 6-8 hens.  The rest will go into the freezer in about 6 weeks.  

Finally, last night I did sort through some of my UFO BOM's and decided on one to work on, Birdie Stitches by Little Miss Shabby using Moda's Sunkissed line of 2011.  I did the embroidery blocks back in 2011 to 2012, and then put it aside and did not finish putting it together to complete the top.  Last night I did get the sashing cut out and pieced all the blocks together.  I have a border to add (hopefully tonight) and I will have another UFO BOM to cross off my list.

This is just a peek, I will have better pictures to post tomorrow if I can get to the borders tonight.  And, with it suppose to be sunny tomorrow I can get a full picture outside!

Warmest...