Quilt Diary: First APQResolution2020 finish!!!

This is a crazy world we are living in right now.  I will keep my thoughts and views to myself as I know I think very different than most people on what is happening in the world today.  So let’s move on to more fun topics – like Quilting!!

Challenges

Smash That Stash Swap block has not come yet.  I know my partner made it but figure with current world crisis it could be stuck in mail hell.  So I am not sounding any alarms as of yet.  I have seen a picture of it and it is adorable.  I did hear that mine made it to where it was going and she loved the block which makes me a happy quilter!

Cosmos Mystery Quilt clue 8 was finished and the extra binding and backing was ordered and received.  I now just await the final clue to arrive and I think it was mailed on Friday.  I will have to go by the office to see if it arrived which will be tomorrow.  Meanwhile, here is Clue 8:

Name of the Rose Mystery Quilt clue 2 was finished last week as well.  These are my first mystery quilts and I find it fascinating how different each clue is.  Some with blocks that make no rhyme or reason and some with strips.  I love my Coloriffic color way.  It is bright and cheerful not that Cosmos isn’t, just different bright and cheerful.  Here is clue 2:

Quilters Planner 2020 Sew-A-Long March block has been cut and the first two pieces sewn together.  It is a log cabin block and it is going to look so cool.  You will get to see it next time.

Monthly Color Challenge 2020 March block is in the same state as the QP2020SAL.  It has been cut from Alison Glass fabric and the first line of sewing is done.  (Did I mention that I always sew 2 blocks at the same time?  I don’t chain piece exactly because I then lose track of where I am, but I do sew 2 or 3 blocks at the same time.)  The first step was to use the 4 flying geese at a time method.  I am so excited about this block.  I just love the colors I picked.

Lost and Found Quilt hosted by Paper Pieces is still in progress.  I have not yet finished block 4.  I am on the last row where I need to sew the triangles to the hexies and then onto the block.  I should have worked on this block Saturday night.  If I had, it would have been finished but I was feeling guilty because I had been ignoring all of my other EPP projects.  I have on my to do list to cut blocks 5 & 6 this week as well.  Here is the latest update on block 4:

Meadowland Quiltalong was not worked on this past week other than pulling together the precuts for six more blocks.  I will sew these after I finish the first two challenges.  My daughter is really pushing for a bigger quilt for her new Queen bed so this one may go to her.  I am still thinking on it.

All People Quilt Resolution 2020 has some great news to share.  I finished the January quilt Saturday!  I was so excited to wrap up this 10 year old quilt in the making.  It has a lot of “story” behind it.  I am 90% sure I will be keeping this one for me as it is one of my original quilt tops I did.

After finishing the binding on the January quilt, I hunted down the March quilt I am supposed to be working on and found it partially basted in my daughter’s room.  I laid it out on the her bed with its backing that looks like creamy chocolate and smoothed everything out.  I noticed the cats had found it and obviously really liked it so spent some time trying to get the bulk of the cat hair off the darn top.  Just need to spray baste the back to the batting and then it will be ready to quilt.

Sugaridoo Bernina quilt-a-long is totally suspended for me right now.  Hopefully I get back to this one soon.  Month 5 came out this weekend.  So now I am REALLY behind.

My Projects

ENGLISH PAPER PIECING PROJECTS

My other two projects, besides Lost and Found Quilt, that I am still actively working are Farmer’s Wife 1920 Quilt and what I like to call Ruby’s Garden.  I have done nothing with Ruby’s Garden this week even though last week I set a goal of finishing one block.  BUT I did make a ton of progress on Block 38 of FW1920.  I finished attaching rows 1-4 together and only have row 5 & 6 to do.  I was having a hard time “seeing” the pattern and translating the colors I picked so after sewing all the hst units, I broke the 6×6 block in groups of 3 and labelled them 1A, 1B, 2A, etc.  That really helped me a great deal.  Here is a progress picture:

 

APPLIQUE PROJECTS

This past week I have been able to make some real progress on these projects.  I am sure it is aided by getting back Alison, my Bernina 880.  I used my Bernina 7 Series between times and I was amazed at how different the two series are.  It did not translate very well and they use different bobbins.  Since I like to blanket stitch all of my applique pieces in place with a blending or matching thread, it did not make sense to start that on the 7 series machine when I have so many bobbins for the 8 series and many colors already wound just for this purpose.  So now I was able to work on these projects actively this week.

For the Blooming Series by Shabby Fabrics, I finished binding the Pansies wall hanging with my Bernina 71 foot.  I still have to practice more with this foot, but overall I am pleased.  I have been sewing the binding to the front, and then the back.  But next time, I will try doing it the other way to see which one I like better.  I finished free motion quilting the Leaves wall hanging.  I have on the to do list to finish binding this one.  Pumpkins is the only one I didn’t work on last week.  It just needs some green thread machine applique, then it will be ready to free motion quilt.  It is kind of exciting, to be able to knock these three off my list!

For the Year in Words Wall Hanging Series, progress has been made.  Give Thanks has been assembled and stabilized with batting.  I even already machine appliqued dark brown thread.  Yesterday found me working on Winter.  I did all the white thread machine applique.  Halloween is the one that I did not touch this week.  It is still waiting to be free motion quilted.  It was carried forward from last week’s to do list to this week’s.

The last series that I am currently working on is Adoornaments, another Shabby Fabrics series.  I was able to blanket stitch all the white applique pieces for both Santa and Snowmen.  That is progress for sure. When I finish these two, I will be more than halfway done with the series.

Sewing Projects

For the rest of this month, I have decided to set aside my Christmas Advent quilt and my 2019 100 days 100 blocks quilt and just focus on finishing a few small projects:  Halloween mug rugs, blue pinwheel potholders, and my star potholders.  The mug rugs just need to be bound and the potholders just need some quilting and binding.  It is not unrealistic they could be finished and that we make me have three quick wins fore the first quarter of the 2020 Finishalong.  Nine days left in March to work on the remaining items on my to do list.

In closing for this week, stay safe at home and quilt your heart out.  Look for the silver lining in these unusual times.

Peggy