APQ 2018 April UFO

No blood was shed in the making of this table runner!

This is another UFO that is now a FO!  I started this runner in a quilting class at the Quilter's Barn in Allentown, NJ, which is no longer in business.  I was very sad when they closed.  I loved taking classes there because I made many new friends, I learned new techniques and tips about quilting.  Oh, I did find new shops where I can spend my dollars and take classes, but as the saying goes, you never forget your first.

So this class was taken in 1996.  I was a fairly new quilter back then but I do remember that I liked this class because I was scared silly to sew squares on point and this was the perfect project to cure me of that fear.  I finished the top center with the squares on point while in the class, but as often happened with class projects, once it left the classroom, it was put in a bag, box or bin never to be seen again.  I have gotten much somewhat better since then but there is now a spiral runner that comes to mind!

I added this to my UFO list to finish in 2018 with all expectations of completing it.  It was a smaller project, I had all the supplies on hand, I was getting better at quilting my own smaller projects, I also learned the joys of spray basting!  I don't know what I will do with the thousands of bent safety pins I have collected over the years, but I will find something creative on Pinterest I am sure!

Finishing the top required adding the little yellow border and the wider print border, all straight stitching.  Then the top was sandwiched with the batting and backing with the basting spray.  Lastly, I made the 2.5" binding and attached it to the front of the runner with a .25" seam.

           

I had purchased a sizeable amount of Clover clips over the years but still used straight pins to hold down the binding on the back side of the project.  They worked great but I routinely pierced my hands and snagged other fabrics before the hand sewing of the binding was done.  This meant blood and band-aids were part of my quilting practices.  This time, I put away the pins and grabbed the clips.  My binding habit was to pin (or this case, clip) the binding down on all four sides before starting the hand sewing.  See the result below - no pins, no piercing, no snags!  This technique is certainly a do-over!  This dog learned a lot of new tricks with this small project!

I try to use each class project, including those hanging around for 22 years, as a learning experience.  So here is what I learned from this one: 

• If at all possible, purchase all the fabrics you will need to complete a project.  Of course this could be costly if your project is a king sized quilt, but when possible, get enough to at least make the borders and binding.  I bought all the fabrics for the borders and backing and even the binding for this runner, and I was glad I did.
• Learn a new technique that will reduce your time sewing, machine quilting or binding your project.  
• It's ok to leave a project unfinished but keep them together in a labelled box or bin.  If you decide you don't intend to finish it, recycle the fabrics into another project such as a scrap quilt.  Some guilds will also take UFO fabrics.  After all, it will give you more room for new fabrics and the UFO fabrics will be put to another good purpose.  All will be well in the quilting universe!  

May all your needles be sharp and your bobbins be full! 

APQ 2018 March UFO

Even though the number selections for the APQ UFO challenge for 2018 are totally random, I seem to be on a holiday themed run and this month was no different.  This is a Halloween project that was started in mid 2006.  It was a little kit I picked up during the annual NJ Shop Hop.  The pattern was provided in the kit which was the primary attraction for me.  Once I opened the kit, I saw that the fabrics were all Halloween themed which was ok in my book.  The kit also included the fabric for the top, borders, and binding.  I just needed to add the backing fabric.

The pattern name was "Frame Up" and was one of the little laminated cards you often find near the cash register in many shops.  I liked that it was a simple project and I that I could shop at local quilt shops.  This one was in Ocean City NJ and unfortunately, closed over a decade ago.

The project was easy to assemble with the fabrics provided.  I used a small piece of backing fabric from my stash to back the runner.   I used double sided fusible batting to sandwich the fabrics since it was a smaller project.   I machine quilted it using my walking foot with a quilting arm to make the stitching widths consistent.  I took the opportunity to practice my machine binding with a decorative stitch rather than hand sew the binding down.  I like using smaller projects like this to practice some techniques that I otherwise can't do on larger projects.  This runner finished at 14.5" x 36".  I look forward to using this Halloween runner in a few months.  The pattern is very small but will certainly make a big impact in some of my stash fabrics for other holidays!  

Can you guess what UFO project for April was chosen???

APQ 2018 February UFO

I decided to do the 2018 UFO Challenge this year.  I did this challenge in 2016 and finished 12 UFO projects.  It felt really good to get those projects off my plate.  I had a busy schedule planned for 2017 and did not continue the challenge.  At the end of 2017, I organized my sewing areas and found a few lot of unfinished projects that would work well for the UFO challenge and so it started.

The January UFO was actually the quilt I started for my sister (Sister's Surprise).  I wanted the post to be more about my sister rather than the challenge so it is identified that way.  It was already started so it was my newest UFO but a UFO nonetheless.  My next eleven UFO posts will be identified that way.  This is what I finished for February.

When I assembled the next eleven projects for the challenge, I just listed them on the challenge form in no particular order.  The number is drawn on the first of each month and I pull that project from the pile.  In February, the number chosen was # 9, a floral table runner that I started in a class in May of 2002 - yes, 2002.  The pattern used in the class was for the Waterwheel Tablerunner.  My favorite colors of the time were pinks and greens.  Working on this project again after all those years really brought me back in time!  I was really happy to finish this one and use it on my dining room table.  It brings a touch of spring to this room!

Pattern

Runner 77" x 22"

Rosebud backing fabric

Waterwheel block

 This was a great project, especially since it is 77 inches long!

 

Sister's Surprise

One of the quilts I had on my list of things to do was a quilt for my sister.  I did make a lap quilt for her many years ago as well as some table runners and table toppers within the last three years or so for her new home but this one was a larger size.

On a recent visit to my home, she used a quilt I keep in our family room which is a great size when watching TV on chilly nights.  She loved the size!  It is bigger than a lap quilt but smaller than a bed quilt.  I already knew her favorite colors so now that I knew what size would work I started formulating a quilt design in my head.  I found a pattern on the Missouri Star Quilt Company's website that had just published a tutorial for it.

This quilt was made with precuts, also from Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I have grown very fond of precuts and have a few many charm packs, jelly rolls and layer cakes from there.  This particular quilt was made from two layer cakes, one all white and one of many patterns in blue (Annabelle by Windam Fabrics).  I used yardage from the same line for the border and Charlotte by Kensington Studios for the  backing.

The HST blocks were made from one of the blue layer cake squares and one of the white layer cake squares.  This produced 8 HSTs when the squares were placed right sides together and then sewn around all four sides with a 1/4" seam.  Then the unit was cut from corner to corner and in half from side to side and top to bottom.  I love this method!  The blocks were pressed to the dark side and squared up to 6.5 inches using my Bloc_Loc ruler.  This ruler makes squaring up so easy!

Layout of squares

Testing border fabric

Testing double borders

Having lots of space to layout the quilt is a big help when chain piecing.  One mistake here could result in lots of unstitching!  Ask me how I know!  I was in a quandary about the border or borders.  I finally decided on a single border and would plan on using the white yardage to make the binding.  As is my usual practice, I made the binding once the borders were added so everything was ready after the quilting was finished.

At this point my sister did not know I was making this quilt for her.  But now it was time to get the quilting done.  This was the one thing I wanted her pick so I took her to the quilt shop where the quilting would be done and surprised her with the quilt.  She picked out a beautiful pattern!  I showed her the binding I planned to add but she wanted a bit more color in the binding.  When I showed her several samples of flange binding, she made her decision.  It did make a beautiful finish to the quilt and I was able to bind by machine this time rather than hand sew the binding down.

Quilt backing

Flange binding

This is the finished quilt after being hand delivered to my sister in mid-March.  She loved it and I am sure it will be put to good use!  I love this pattern and I am sure more quilts will be made using it!

My revised blog is almost up to date with finished projects.  I have a few more posts to make which will be done within a few weeks.  Then on to some new projects.  Stay tuned!