January UFO Challenge Progress - Ombre Dutchman / Mini Red & White

I thought I'd check in as January is almost over. I haven't done a lot of quilting, but I have progress on my 2 UFO Challenge projects.



First - Ombre Dutchman - I have a completed quilt top! I love it! The directions were a bit misleading as sometimes I think the pattern referred to making 1 block instead of 2 per color... At any rate, I was able to make my 4 HUGE blocks for the quilt - can I say it again? I love it! Here's a picture of the top:


I needed a bit more of the white backing, so I had to add to a couple of the left over triangles to make them bigger and be able to use them. Here's a close up of a couple of the blocks:



I just love how I arranged the ombre blocks. The top is about 48" square.


I've been working on the back. In my true fashion, I've been using up the leftovers from this project. There's a 1/2 yard of pink ombre and the left over white triangles. Oh, and using the left over ombre triangles. I've got a gray batik that I'm using also, so we'll see what happens. I've got the bigger blocks together in a cool double pinwheel block. I'm working with the small extra triangles that are in a hourglass layout. Hopefully, I can get everything pulled together for the back.


Second - Mini Red & White - Sad to say, no progress on this one at all to date. I haven't even looked for it to tell the truth! There is hope -  since it's so small - that I just may still get it done in January. It's just second to the Ombre Dutchman!


I have been working on a new Swedish Weaving pattern and a cross stitch pattern...something easier to work on evenings after work. When I get further along, I'll post something.

2016 Beginnings

Last year, I made an effort to get all of my UFOs complete. And by UFOs, I mean completed tops into completed quilts. I was able to complete this goal - but I missed doing so in 2015 by a day.


Also late last year, I made a list of project ideas. Some were works in process but not quite a top. Some were ideas of quilts I had seen. Some were patterns I bought that I'd like to make. Here's my original list:

It's getting a little dog-eared as I add to it or just look at it. I did complete some of these projects - those that have an "X" next to them! My motivation has been lacking...I'm still trying to get my living room back in order after Christmas (the tree goes in this room so everything gets put away or shoved away to make room). Well, this weekend I decided enough was enough - I need to just pick a project and start. I decided to start on a project from V & Co that she calls "Ombre Dutchman". When I wrote my list, I didn't have the pattern in front of me, so it's called "V & Co flying geese (kitted)". I decided to start with this as I bought a shrink wrapped "kit" of five 1/2 yard cut ombre fabrics. I had also set aside some white on white fabric. Yesterday, I started pressing and cutting - but hadn't washed the ombre fabrics so I did that last night. This morning I started cutting the ombres.


Before I get to that, today I was web surfing while watching football. A Quilting Life is doing a "Quilt Your Stash" for 2016. I've been working from my stash for a couple of years... In reading her web post, she talked about All People Quilt 's 2016 UFO challenge. Others have done this...you make a list of 12 projects. Every month they pick a number and you work on the corresponding project. They have a pretty form here:allpeoplequilt 2016 UFO Challenge form. I printed it out and started adding my list to it - only I need 2 forms! I did cheat as I knew the number for the month (2) and I knew which project I was going to work (Ombre Dutchman). Other than that, I added the list in order (well, except I missed the first item on the list...which became #10 on the 2nd list). Anyway, here's my new list to work from:

Since I had two lists, I'm going to try and work two projects. I'm starting the Ombre Dutchman. The mini red & white may be a finished top - I have to pull it out and determine if I like the size or not...It's a good, easy project, so I'm happy with what I'll be working on this month - especially 10 days in. Now onto the Ombre Dutchman...

I did something a little differently in cutting squares and I think it worked really well. I noticed that the selvedges were pretty substantial on these fabrics. In folding them, I folded the fabric short of the selvedge. This way, when I cut - and I cut a little backwards - I'm maximizing the fabric and needed one less strip... Here's some photos of what I'm talking about... I folded back one corner so you could see the selvedge - fabric is dark blue on that edge and the selvedge is a light blue:

 Here's the same fabric, just with the fold in place (the color matches on this one):

Usually, the fold and the end of the selvedge would meet. Here I am cutting with my slotted ruler (LOVE this ruler!). I'm making 4 inch strips and I can only make two since I broke off the 12 inch edge of my ruler (I've been known to use that edge and cut, but decided not to here...). I've cut two strips:

 Here's my two 4 inch strips. I lifted my ruler and rotated my mat so that the selvedge edge is on the right and the fold is on the left. I LOVE these rotating mats too!

 Now I'm going to line up my slotted ruler with the 8 slot as close to the fold on the right as I can...

 I know, hard to see...so here's my attempt at a close up. The lighting today is really bad... The slot with the 8 is just barely to the left of the fold from above:

 After cutting at the 8, 4, and 0 lines, my waste is on the right, my cut squares are in the middle, and the left is the folded ends left over - that are over 2 inches so I can cut squares again...

 Here's the folded fabric unfolded...

 After cutting the squares above, this is the total waste from the two strips:

I was able to get 10 cut squares from this strip...and only had to use 3 strips instead of 4 for the quantity I need. With fabric being so expensive, it's nice to minimize the waste.
I cut four of my five fabrics this way. I've got my white squares cut and I'm ready to start marking to make 1/2 square triangle blocks.


The pattern is a free one and can be found here:
Ombre Dutchman


I'm using a similar color palette - blue, green, lime green, and gray...

Star Surround QAL (by Happy Quilting), Never Again #2

This is the last quilt I've finished this year...and actually the last UFO I had in 2015. Time to get some sewing done so I have more UFOs!


I started this quilt as part of the Happy Quilting's Star Surround Quilt A Long (QAL). I love Melissa's patterns and actually had downloaded and completed a QAL after the fact since I loved the pattern. I happened upon this one in time to do the QAL in real time...except I didn't complete my quilt in the time period. I took this one to the LAQ along with the Pickle Dish quilt. They are very similar as they both have double batting and very dense quilting.


Never Again refers to me never wanting to hand bind a double batting quilt again...too hard on the finger!


Anyway, here's the top:

This is another quilt that I pulled the fabrics all from my stash. I'm always drawn to blues when I look at fabrics. This one is blue and green leftovers from a variety of projects. I LOVE the fabrics! Here's a close up of one (or more) of the star surround blocks:

You can see the quilting in the closeups. Basically, the LQA marked a big X through the center of the quilt, put in some parallel lines and then quilted in between them. I love this - and will try and do something similar on smaller projects. I have the straight line part down!


Now for the back where you can really see the quilting.

and a little close up

I bound this in the same fabric as the Pickle Dish - I actually made one long binding strip and then cut off from the first quilt...and luckily had just enough for the 2nd quilt. Otherwise, I may have had an extra strip...which would have been ok as I would have cut them into 2.5" squares that I use for a variety of projects.


And there you have it - the last quilt finishes of 2015!


I'm still trying to finish my latest Swedish Weaving afghan - should be done this weekend. I'll post that and some other projects I completed this fall. I have to get a couple of things documented so that I can send them to their new home!


One last thing... here's a link to Happy Quilting's Quilt Along page.:
Happy Quilting QAL Listing
This is the Star Surround. I've also done the original one...and have my eye on two others to make from this list! If you like it, try one of her patterns - she's really good at both the written directions and the photos!

Pickle Dish Quit, aka Never Again #1

I finished this quilt top back in 2013. I didn't realize I had not done anything with it for a year - so sad. I took the quilt and plain white backing to a LAQ back in September and finally picked it up a couple of days before Christmas (not the LAQ's fault - totally mine for the delay). It's one of the most expensive quilting jobs I've had done...and you'll see why when you see the quilt:

I had to go outside to get some sunlight as my tree is still up and blocking the sun...hopefully, the tree will come down today as it was undecorated last night! Anyway, this is the finished Pickle Dish quilt. The pattern was from a Kaffe Faucett (sp?) book - I gave the book away to a friend visiting who loves Kaffe... I did keep some of the information on how to make the blocks as I may do this one again...
All of the fabrics are "leftovers" from other projects. I used a variety of whites and a plain white for the backing. I found a smaller piece of white fabric to cut up for the binding...
This quilt has double batting which leads to the Never Again #1 notation. The binding was so hard to hand finish on the back. I don't think I'll ever do a double batting again. It makes the quilting pop - but my poor finger hurts.
Here's the back - so you can see all of the quilting:

This quilt is about 46" square - so table topper size. Here's close ups of both front and back...

I don't know why but the back photos are coming into this post really big. I've resized them and from the preview they look the same as the front... hopefully it will stay that way when posted!