Thank goodness for goals

If it weren’t for setting a goal with Elm Street Quilts OneMonthly Goal (OMG) this quilt top would not be complete. 

My goal for August was to finish this One Block Wonder quilt top while participating in OMG, and I thought it was a hefty goal and I was correct.  Were it not for the goal I would have stopped and put the quilt back on the shelf.  Piecing the top took more time than I thought and then adding the border involved more planning and calculating, however with the goal in mind I persevered.

This project definitely took shape as the month went on and thoughts for the border emerged.  I initially thought I would incorporate a piece of the fabric which I used in the back of the quilt, so you could see what I started with, then I had a better idea to use some of it in the border, so it’s actually on the front of the quilt.  I like the results. 

There are a few cubes in the quilt, can you find them? 

So happy to have this top complete.  It’s my first One-Block Wonder, and probably my last – been there, done that, got the quilt.

On another note I was able to see Beyond Van Gogh, the immersive experience, which is showing in Calgary, it was truly a moving experience, and while working on this quilt I was continuously reminded of the vibrant colours Vincent used in so many of the paintings that we have come to know and love.

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Teal, aqua, blue-green

These are the colours for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for the month of August.  I decided to make a few more squares for my High Five quilt. 

High five is a pattern from the book Sunday Morning Quilts by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison. 

Now I just need 73 or 57 more squares.  I was keeping a tally which says I need 73 more squares, however when I counted last night it seems I might just need 57 more.  I’ll keep adding with the colours of the month and lay them out eventually to get an exact number and finish up.

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. ~ Amelia Earhart

August goal

I have a goal for August and it is to piece the top of this One Block Wonder quilt. 

After Christmas last year I placed this out and played with the blocks, moving them around every day.  I just couldn’t seem to get a pleasing layout.  So I picked up the pieces and thought I’d try again another day.  Well it is one of the oldest things in my unfinished stash and I think it’s time to get it done, and now as I look at this picture I took before I picked the pieces up, I think I can live with this layout.  Anyone see any blaring block or colour problems?

I started this quilt with my youngest son Callum in mind, as he was always attracted to my One Block Wonder quilt book, he also loves the colour orange.  I would like to get this top complete this month with the hope of quilting and binding it next month.  September is his birth month, and I think he would be happy with a quilt gift.

Wish me luck, as I attempt to piece this quilt and participate in Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal.

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples. ~ Mother Teresa

July’s goal complete

My goal for July was to quilt and bind this queen sized postage stamp quilt, and happily I did it, also enabling me to take part in ElmStreet Quilts One Monthly Goal. 

In January 2015 that I started sewing together 2 ½ inch squares as leader/enders, hoping one day to have a full sized postage stamp quilt. The top came together and July was the time for finishing. I always like to have a leader/ender project and I might have to think of what my next one will be.  Any ideas? 

There is a piece of nearly every fabric in my stash in this quilt of 1936 squares, 968 coloured fabrics and 968 whites. 

Quilted with continuous curves and an off white Glide thread called linen. 

 

QUILT DETAILS

Postage Stamp Quilt 2021

The finished quilt measures 89 inches by 89 inches.

Quilt has 1936 squares.

Started: January 2015.

Finished: July 2021

Color! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams. ~ Paul Gaugin

Slabs or Mile a minute

In keeping with dark blue, the colour of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I pulled out my bag of darker blue scraps and began sewing.  These blocks are a cross between Slabs, by Cheryl Arkison and Mile a minute blocks.

I decided to make them 12 ½ inches unfinished.  I also wanted a pop of colour.  After examining the colour wheel, I decided to throw it aside and picked lime green.  

Looks like had enough fabric in that bag to get a twin size top, I’ll be adding one more row of blocks to the bottom to make it long enough.  This has been my obsession for this past week, while trying to finish my One Monthly Goal and clean my sewing room.  Cleaning always finds me distracted.  

You never know what you have, until you clean your room.

Dark blues and others

I decided to have a look at my well begun and/or unfinished projects and was inspired to sew a few high five quilts blocks, both to get things done and also to take part in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for July.

According to the pattern I needed 108 more of these little five inch blocks, so I decided to make ten in dark blue and ten in brown.  Now I just need 88 more. 

High five is a pattern from the book Sunday Morning Quilts by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison.  I like so many quilts in that book and thought high five would lend itself nicely to quilting through the rainbow. 

Enjoying a sunny warm day in Alberta.

Enjoy the little things for one day you might look back and realize they were the big things. ~ Robert Brault

Postage Stamp quilt

I have a goal – One Monthly Goal – to quilt and bind my postage stamp quilt. 

Looking back through my blog posts, I think it was around January 2015 that I started sewing together the 2 ½ inch squares as leader/enders, hoping one day to have a full sized postage stamp quilt. Well it came together and now it’s time for finishing.

I’m happy with this purple dot fabric that I found for the back. 

Happily participating in Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal, which I use for motivation to keep completing my quilt projects.  And please come back at the end of the month to see if Postage Stamp is quilted!

Dream big. Start small and then connect the dots. ~ Dan Millman