Week ending January 30, 2022

I managed to be productive this week and was able to get 2 quilt tops completed and finished a quilt that was in my WIP pile. Below are bits and pieces of my First Bloom Quilt Pattern test for Kelly Renay. 

Here's my flying geese waiting to be sewn into rows for my Blue Grotto Quilt Pattern I'm testing for Lifting Limits Quilting. 

Here's my First Bloom Quilt Top! 

All my rows for the Blue Grotto. 

On Saturday I made a trip to Urban Spools to puck up my fifth Saturday bag and filled it with two Ruby Star Society Quilt Backs and three Anna Maria Horner prints. I only got a yard each of the AMH prints. I'm really trying to be good. 

Here's a sneak peek of my finished Blue Grotto Quilt top.  I'll share more photos and info soon when the pattern is released. This was my first pattern to sew that uses templates. My points are off and my quilt is a bit wonky, but I love how it turned out.  If I have some time, I'm going to try to make at least two partial rows of another one to check if making the flying geese slightly larger helps. 

I came home and immediately used the Navy Speckled quilt back from Ruby Star Society. This was my first time using one of their quilt backs. It feels so luxurious. I used my yellow thread that I use for everything and love how it pops. I did simple quilting using my walking foot on my Bernina 770QE. 

I used one of my Satin tags from Ever Emblem for the first time. 

Check out the sparky message underneath. I wanted to include some cuss words, but my husband gave me that look that said - really? So I decided to be good and keep it PG. Next time I probably won't ask him for his opinion. I'll share more photos of this quilt soon in its own post when the pattern is released. 

I've been using this spool of yellow thread nearly nonstop since the beginning of 2020.  I feel like it's stayed the same size. 

I pulled out it's unused sister to check and I've actually made a pretty good dent in the 34000 yard spool! I wonder if I can finish it off before I turn 50? I'll be 46 this year. Hmm....

I finished the 20" size First Bloom Quilt and it's now going to be a kitty quilt. I would hang it on the wall, but I really don't have a spot for it. I've been toting it around the house and putting it anywhere the kitties like to lay. 

On Sunday I had a package delivery and it was my first one from Jaftex as a Brand Ambassador! I got these cute fabrics from Studio E Fabrics from the Seas the Day collection by Diane Eichler. They are so cute and I'll be using them in my next quilt pattern test. 

We have some cold weather coming this week and I'm hoping to make good progress on my Seas the Day fabrics and the Quilt I'm testing. 

Week ending January 23, 2022

With my Monday off from work, I did some sewing, went to a doctor's appointment and got sosme seeds started in my greenhouse  in my garage. First off, I wanted to do some work on my 2021 temperature quilt and got it pieced through April - I think. I love how it looks so far. January is on the left and those white and light pink pieces are Winter Storm Uri.

I got fabric in the mail this week. I had to order some for another pattern test that I'm doing - I'll share more photos of it next week as I didn't work on it this week other than to cut into the fabric I had to order. I had run out! But I got these Ruby Star Society Charm Packs in the mail from Stitch Supply Company from an Instagram giveaway!  These came in a nice zippered project bag.

I signed up for another quilt pattern test! This one is for Lifting Limits Quilting and it's going to be so good! I am determined to use my "good" fabric especially my hoarded fabric from Anna Maria Horner. She's my favorite fabric designer and I have hoarded some fabric from her for way too long. I really need to use it and get more enjoyment from it. I agonized over my fabric pull for way too long. I needed 12 fabrics - which I always feel like the more fabrics the better. But it can be so hard to make a final decision. 

I started cutting them out and kept checking how I liked them all together.

I was happy and relieved once I had everything cut out.

After everything was cut, I took some time to fold and organize all my Anna Maria Horner remnants and scraps. I think at some point this year I want to make a scrappy quilt with my AMH scraps and remnants - and any bonus blocks I make along the way. The bag on the bottom left is filled with truly scrappy bits and is the project bag that was part of my prize from Stitch Supple Company. It can hold a  lot!

 

I made quite a bit of progress over the weekend and got all my flying geese made.

I took some extra time to sew a second stitch line so that I could use the trimmed wings for a bonus project later on. I now have a whole bunch of HSTs in these fabrics. 

Here are my flying geese.

Now I just need to get them all trimmed this coming week. My bonus blocks are in the box shown at the top of the photo. 

I'm hoping to get at least one quilt top finished this coming week - but that might be a stretch. Thankfully I have plenty of time to get both done and  don't need to rush. One silly project I have in mind to do in the coming month is to make the cats their own quilt. Yes - that's right. I'm making a quilt for the cat. I'm thinking a 20" quilt or two that they can have in their kitty beds. 

Hamilton Transparency Quilt by S-Renee Designs

I recently tested the Hamilton Transparency Quilt pattern by S-Renee Designs. I really love the look of the blocks and signed up to test just the block. At the time of the test I was getting ready to head to my mom's for a week and wasn't sure how much sewing I'd get done at her house. On the bright side, since I was going to visit my mom, my mother in law lives in the same area and I was able to put the block on a back of a knit jacket for her. 

The construction of the block is not overly complicated, but it is an intermediate skill level. The pattern includes instruction to make the construction of the blocks "zero waste". As an environmental scientist - that is something I really appreciate. The blocks finish at 22" and nearly filled the back of a ladies 3X knit jacket. 

I used some of my bonus blocks to make a decorative detail on the front of the jacket as well. 

I thought it turned out pretty cute. I'm really loving all the ready to wear clothing that has quilt inspired designs added as accents recently. I love making t-shorts with quilt blocks, and doing a jacket was so fun.

There were some really gorgeous Hamilton Transparency Quilts made made other pattern testers and they have inspired me to make a throw version. Hopefully I can get to it soon. 

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Week Ending January 16, 2022

Here's what I worked on this week. I organized my scraps using a three drawer cart I got from my mom and some stackable drawers I found at the thrift store. Here are all my Anna Maria Horner remnants. 

I signed up to do a pattern test for Itch to Stitch.  My first apparel pattern test in a long time! I had to get my paper cutter out to assemble my pattern. 

I went to work on a pattern test for Kelly Reney. 

I used fabrics I designed to make the 20" sized Block intended for a pillow. 

It's going to be the first mini quilt I've ever made. 

It's going to look so cute on my mini quilt rack. 

I got out my charm packs and made a bunch of half square triangles using the four at a time metho. 

I quilted them onto cotton lycra.

Then used the piece to cut out pattern pieces for the pattern I was testing. Here's a little sneak peek.  

I ended the week putting more pieces together for my 2021 temperature quilt. 

I'm off on Monday for the holiday and hope to get more sewing done. I had to order a new rotary cutter and hope it shows up soon. 

Week ending January 9, 2022

I spent last week with my mom.  She had cataract surgery and I served as her chauffeur and food delivery service. I packed up some sewing machines and set up shop in her dining room.

She had a few projects for me. I had to put a warner brothers embroidery from one Sweatshirt and applique it onto another Sweatshirt. 

I also made a few lacy top extender things. 

I took my temperature quilt to work on. I got all my month markers and my temperature scale embroidered. 

I also embroidered the year on a solid piece of black. I'm not sure I like it. But it's too late now, I'm not changing it. 

My months are a bit small, but they will do.  It's hard to see January on here, but I kinda like it that way. 

I trimmed blocks going to June 13th. I sewed blocks together through February. I'll hope to catch up soon and finish it. 

I came home on Saturday and pulled fabric for my next quilt pattern test 

I took my mom to her favorite thrift store on Friday and found this miniature quilt rack. Now I need to make mini quilts to put on it. 

I plan to casually participate in the Cut it Up QAL with Molli Sparkles. I found his IG recently and his quilts are fun and inspiring. The idea of the QAL is to cut into your good stuff - those prized fabrics that you are saving for the perfect project. It spoke to me as its something I've written about here as I hot back into quilting. When I moved I got rid of a lot of fabric. I held onto some spe I'll stuff and everything I had, had been Saved waiting for the perfect pattern.  Well, who knows what the perfect pattern is until you sew it. I also have come to realize that I can always buy more fabric.

Week ending January 2, 2022

The end of December was unseasonably warm. It was near or at 80 and my husband and I got a lot of work done outside. I got a greenhouse set up in my garage with a grow light and just in time for the freezing Temps that came with the start of the New Year. 

I took the Dresden plate i found in my sewing stuff and placed it on a Sweatshirt fir my mother in law. She works with kids and really loves Dr. Seuss. I made her a shirt with a Dresden plate as the back neckline 8 years ago in this same fabric. I made these plates first and found them too small for a plus size shirt neckline, so I had to enlarge the pattern and make new ones. These work perfectly for the front of a top as they are smaller. 

Here's a closeup. My Bernina sewing machine has some great Patchwork stitches and I love the extra detail they give to appliques.

I photographed and blogged about my Chantli quilt top- pattern by Jess Poemape.  

I packed up my sewing room to go to my momom'house for a week. 

I arrived on January 1 at my mom's house and took over her dining room.   First thing I did was embroider blocks for my temperature quilt - I need to snap a photo of those. 

Then my mom had a few projects for me. One was to applique this warner brothers embroidery from an old Sweatshirt onto a new one. Here's a photo I took as I trimmed away the old Sweatshirt. It took a bit of patience,  but I got all the nave Sweatshirt cut off for the most part. 

Then my mom wanted some shirt extenders. I made her two lace ones. We might make a few more. 

I'll have to see what else my mother has planned for me. I'll probably work on my temperature quilt a little. It's the only sewing project I brought for myself.