UFO Top Complete

I was able to accomplish my One Monthly Goal for December, which was to piece the top of UFO Complete. 

This quilt pattern can be found in the book Simple Strategies for Block-Swap Quilts by Lynn Roddy Brown. 

I was inspired by my friend Doreen’s version which you can see here.

The sky was so blue today. 

UFO (top) Complete will now join my quilts waiting for backing, and become a future One Monthly Goal (sponsored by Elm Street Quilts) to be quilted and bound, and one day become UFO Complete.

You are an unfinished work in progress. One of the good things about life’s challenges: you get to find out that you’re capable of being far more than you ever thought possible. ~ Karen Salmonsohn

UFO incomplete

My December goal is to piece the top of this quilt which happens to be called UFO Complete. 

You can find the pattern in the book Simple Strategies for Block-Swap Quilts by Lynn Roddy Brown.

When my customer, Doreen brought me her version of this quilt to Longarm I fell in love with it.  You can see Doreen's quilt here.

I love scrappy, and always like to have a leader ender project on the go, and this quilt certainly fit that criteria.

I think a few blocks might need to be switched around, so it’ll be laying on the design wall floor for a couple of days, until it feels right.

Take a minute to stop by Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal to see what others are up to, so many hopeful projects each month, most of which get completed

Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. ~ Christina Rossetti

Sunlight in the forest

A November goal complete.  Participating in Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal, my hope was to quilt and bind my Sunlight in the forest quilt, and happily it is finished. 

This quilt was started in a class taught by Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably at Out of Hand quilt store in Calgary, I believe it was January 2015.  It is called ‘Sunlight in the forest.'  Designed by Kaffe, you can find the pattern in his book Quilts in Sweden. 

For the quilting I chose a pantograph called Anne’s Garden by Anne Bright.  The quilt is busy and so is the pantograph, which makes it hard to see the flowers and hummingbirds and butterflies, however this reminds me of nature, walking in a forest, or even checking out a bush in your garden, which is very busy with life sometimes hard to see – camouflaged - unless you stop, be still and take a close look. Can you find the critters and flowers in these pictures? 

I found a suitable backing, another Kaffe fabric and added some back art with leftover squares which didn’t make it into the top of the quilt. 

QUILT DETAILS

Sunlight in the Forest Quilt 2020

The finished quilt measures 91 inches by 85 inches.

Started: January 2015.

Finished: November 2020.

 

There is no WIFI in the forest, but you will find a better connection.

Multi-colour Baby quilt

Last week I completed the blocks for this multi-coloured baby Mile a Minute quilt, and this week I added the sashing and a small border, keeping in the multi-colour theme. 

I used rainbow strips left over from recently completed Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts. 

This little quilt will now join my rack of finished tops, waiting for backing and then quilting, and I’ll be on the lookout for the right backing and binding. 

Color is a power which directly influences the soul. ~ Wassily Kandinsky

Multi-coloured scraps

Felt the need to just sew and play with my scraps, so I decided to participate with Soscrappy’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge November colour and dig into my multi-coloured scrap bag.

So much fun sewing these 30 colourful Mile a Minute blocks.  They all finish at 6 ½ inches, and will make a vibrant baby quilt.   I’ve already found a sashing and possibly border fabric in my stash, so plan to just keep sewing until the top is done. 

Be uniquely you. Stand out. Shine. Be colorful. The world needs your prismatic soul! ~ Amy Leigh Mercree

Green Floral Goal

Since I got the top of this green floral quilt pieced in July, I’ve been thinking about quilting it and decided that will be my (One Monthly) Goal for November.  I think I have just the right pantograph for it. 

This quilt was started in a class taught by Kaffe and Brandon at Out of Hand quilt store in Calgary, I believe it was in 2014.  It is called ‘Sunlight in the forest’ and is designed by Kaffe, you can find the pattern in his book Quilts in Sweden.

I’ll have to start with a trip to the quilt store to find the right fabric for the backing and binding, Deirdre at Out of Hand has a great selection of Kaffe fabrics.

Drop by at the end of the month to see if I have completed my goal, and which pantograph I selected.  Thanks to Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal for keeping my on track with finishing my quilty projects.

Starting is easy, finishing is hard. ~ John Calacanis

Scrappy Trip around the World

I was able to complete my October goal (and then some) which was to piece the top of this Rainbow Scrappy Trip around the World quilt. 

I had the top done by mid-October so I decided to try and push through and quilt and bind it as well.  Off I went to the quilt stores and found this lovely rainbow coloured fabric for the back. 

I had also thought to use up extra scrappy trip along squares and then decided on only the aqua/turquoise blocks.  I’m happy this the results. 

Initially I had considered a pantograph and a rainbow variegated thread for the top, however near the beginning of the first row, I just wasn’t happy and the little squars were talking to me.  So I picked out what I had started and proceeded to do some custom quilting and change the colour of the top thread in each block. 

I’m so happy with the results.

For the bobbin thread I used an aqua. 

While shopping for backing I found a small rainbow stripe which I thought would look good as a binding, however once the quilt was done I started auditioning fabric from my stash and a black and white stripe won out. 

The Scrappy Trip Around the world was inspired by BonnieHunter, The Rainbow colours by Soscrappy and moving forward in my unfinished projects pile by Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal. 

Both my husband and my daughter want to claim this quilt, I think the quilting appeals to them.

QUILT DETAILS

Scrappy Trip around the World Quilt 2020

The finished quilt measures 85 inches by 85 inches.

Started: June 2013.

Finished: October 2020.

2 ½ inch squares

A total of 1764 squares.

 

Create your own rainbow everyday.

Playing with Yellow

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for the month of October is yellow, so I pulled out my bag of yellow scraps and started sewing. (This is the bag after I sewed 48 mile a minute blocks). 

I thought 42 6 ½ inch squares might make a good crib size quilt.  After taking this picture I decided to add another row. 

Here it is with the blocks sewn together, now just to layer and quilt it, who knows when that will happen! 

Mile a minute is my go to block when I just need to sew, it was refreshing and cathartic to sew this little quilt top, and I’d say there is at least another crib quilt in the bag.  Perhaps next time I’ll go for a twin sized quilt.

Interested in the mile a minute block, I have a tutorial starting here.

My soul is fed with needle and thread.

A Goal for October

Working my way through unfinished projects, I believe the next oldest item is this Scrappy Trip Around the world. 

I have blocks in all the colours of the Rainbow, plus some black/grey, browns, and turquoise. 

By the end of October I would like to piece the top using the Rainbow blocks which are enough to make a full/queen size quilt, and perhaps a piece a quilt back incorporating the black, brown and turquoise blocks.

The Scrappy Trip Around the world was inspired by BonnieHunter, The Rainbow colours by Soscrappy and moving forward in my unfinished projects pile by Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. ~ Louis Armstrong

Rainbow Hearts complete

So happy to have completed my September goal and more.  I set out at the beginning of the month to piece my Rainbow Heart blocks into a quilt top, and I was finished that goal so early in the month that I thought I should see if I could quilt and bind it as well.

Here is the finished quilt. 

I was able to find a lovely rainbow stripe for the back. 

And this lovely white on white hearts for a narrow sashing and binding. 

Quilted with the 'I Love it' pantograph by Anne Bright. 

I even remembered to make a label for this quilt. 

Rainbow hearts started out with a few heart blocks given to me by a friend, which I then decided would make a nice Rainbow Scrap Challenge project following the Soscrappy blog.  These little hearts have been sitting in a container for quite a while, and now participating with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal I am happily finishing projects.

QUILT DETAILS

Rainbow Hearts 2021

The finished quilt measures 65 inches by 72 inches.

Started: A long time ago.

Finished: September 2020

No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart. ~ Kapten & Son

Rainbow Hearts for September

My goal this month is to piece the top of this Rainbow Hearts quilt. 

I inherited the first few blocks of this quilt from a friend, no pattern just blocks, and decided to continue making more heart blocks.  It was an excellent project to participate in Soscrappy’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  As with so many other projects, I end up putting them on the shelf once the blocks are finished.  It’s now time to complete this top and participate in Elm Street Quilt’s One Monthly Goal.

And I’ve already begun to play with it, a few cornerstones, and then some sashing.  Hopefully completing the top by the end of September. 

Your heart knows the way.  Run in that direction. ~ Rumi

Baby Rose Bud

I did it! I finished my One Monthly goal for August.  I wasn’t sure if it was logistically possible for me as I had two of my grandsons for part of the month and I had to drive them separately back to their homes in BC, as well as take some vacation time.  So I’m happy to have completed this project. 

I think Baby Rose Bud was one of the oldest projects in my stash of UFOs (UnFinished Objects) and that is why I chose it this month.  I have a book where I record my quilt projects and do my calculations, keeping track of pieces cut, blocks completed and such and I’m working my way through it.  

This little lovely was started at a quilt retreat at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge with Freckles Quilt Shop.  I have always loved mint green and pink and wanted to combine them in a delicate looking quilt.  I thought Rose Bud seemed like a good theme. 

Quilted with the Rambler Rose pantograph by Meredith England.

Happy to be linking up with Elm Street Quilts One MonthlyGoal (OMG) helping me to consistently finish projects waiting on the sewing room shelves, and hiding in drawers.

For each thorn, there's a rosebud... For each twilight - a dawn... For each trial - the strength to carry on, For each storm cloud - a rainbow... For each shadow - the sun... For each parting - sweet memories when sorrow is done. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

New Project for a New Month

My quilting goal for the month of August is to quilt and bind this delicate looking baby quilt called Rose Bud. 

Adapted from a pattern made by a friend that had rows of the Rose Bud block on point and some flying geese borders.  Once I started the blocks I knew I wasn’t going to continue to finish a full sized quilt.

I love the soft greens and pinks in this quilt, reminds me of tea roses.

I am linking up with ElmStreet Quilts One Monthly Goal which helps me to keep making goals of finishing fabric projects.

So excited to say that I was the lucky July winner of a $25 gift certificate.  Many thanks to Elm Street Quilts and the Fat Quarter Shop!

Winners aren’t those who never fail but… those who never quit. ~ Bansky

Double Bonus

My (OMG) goal for July was to finish designing and then piece a Kaffe Fassett quilt top, and I added that sashing and a border would be a bonus.  Well I got the whole top pieced including a sashing and border and then I used strips of left-over the fabric to cover a garden bench, so double bonus. 

‘Sunlight in the forest’ is designed by Kaffe and you can find the pattern in his book Quilts in Sweden. 

My inspiration for finishing this quilt actually was wanting to use some of this green fabric to cover the garden bench.  I saw a picture of another covered bench on the Kaffe Fassett Collective Facebook page and loved the idea, however I knew I had to finish the quilt first, so as not to accidently use fabric that I needed to complete the quilt top. Once I got the top done I was keen to add fabric strips to the bench. 

Neither the quilt nor the bench are finished, perhaps another months goal.  The bench needs a clear acrylic top coat and the quilt top needs backing and quilting.

Thanks to Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal, I am having fun completing unfinished projects.

We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us. ~ Jenny Uglow

July Goal

My One Monthly Goal (OMG) for July is to finish designing and then piece this quilt top. 

Sashing and border would be a bonus, my goal is just to finish selecting the fabric, cutting the blocks and get it pieced.

The quilt is called Sunshine in the Forest and I began working on it in a Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably workshop that I fortunate to attend at Out of Hand Needle Arts in Calgary.  It was a few years ago, so time to get this lovely pieced. 

And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul. ~ John Muir