My kind of fishing!

One of the projects I worked on as part of the 2021 APQ UFO Challenge was this little table runner.  My husband is a big fisherman so when I saw this pattern, I knew he would love it!  The pattern was one of those business card sized laminated patterns that are easy to find at many quilt shops.  They seem to call to me and are often an impulse purchase for me!  

It was all made with fabrics from my stash and I did the machine quilting as well.  I love projects like these.  Another UFO to cross off the list!  

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!

 

Jelly Roll Race Quilt - The Finish Line

I wrote about this quilt several times over the years (yes, years!) but I am happy to report that this project has finally crossed the finish line! 

I started this journey in July of 2014.  That story was told in this blog post.  Here is how the quilt started:

If memory serves me correctly, this was the first jelly roll I ever used.  It certainly has not been the last.  I do have a few more jelly rolls waiting in the wings.  Some are already assigned to a future project, but the others are waiting for my inspiration to kick in. 

The top was completed in August 2016 when the borders were added and the backing was cut to proper size.  The binding fabric was chosen as well and cut to size.  Now all I needed to do was find the time to quilt it - or have it quilted by a local long armer. 

I am a big fan of MSQC (Missouri Star Quilt Company), as a matter of fact, the video of Jenny making a jelly roll race quilt was my inspiration for my quilt.  All of the materials were purchased from MSQC as well.  I thought it only fitting that I send the quilt there for machine quilting even though they were far from being local!  It was a very simple process using their website.  I did send the quilt to them just before the holidays so I knew up front that it would be added to the queue and would take a bit longer to be returned.  I purchased their batting as well.  I was not in a rush for completion so I was willing to wait.  Under ordinary circumstances, their wait time could be 6 weeks. 

I chose a holly leaf quilt pattern since this quilt used winter woodland themed fabrics.  My plan was to use this quilt at our cabin in the mountains.  I was a bit nervous about mailing my quilt out and making all the arrangements online, but I was so thrilled when I received the quilt back in mid-February 2017.  All the excess borders and batting were cut off and it was ready for binding.

                                              

 I was able to get to the binding step in May of this year.  I machine sewed the binding to the front of the quilt but the hand sewing of the binding to the back of the quilt was done at our cabin.  The weather was still cold there so the quilt was a welcome cover for my legs. 

Once I finished the binding, it was picture time.  I thought somewhere in the woods near our cabin would be appropriate.  I found the perfect spot right across the road!  As you can see, the completed quilt has come in very handy right into June since the weather remained in the mid-50s.  My husband has since adopted this quilt which is now warming his legs at our cabin!

I do have another jelly roll scheduled to be a repeat race quilt.  When I ordered the border fabrics for the first race quilt, I ordered enough for a second quilt so I have all the materials ready to go.  I hope the second quilt top will go just as quickly as the first one.  It's called a "race" quilt for a reason, but hopefully the finishing of the second one will go as quilting as the "race" sewing!  This quilt is now aptly named "Finish Line". 

I will have no hesitation about using the MSQC quilting services again.  I was completely pleased with the service, the quality of the work and their prices. 

I have several quilts in various stages of completion so hopefully I can blog about those soon.  We had quite a heavy travel schedule in April and May which I am certainly not complaining about, but it sure felt good to fondle my fabrics again! 

Until the next time!