I'm On A Mission...

...to complete projects and reduce my stash, especially my scraps.

Before I talk about that here are a couple of projects that don't fit in that category.

One of my quilting friends asked me to finish up a couple of knitted ponchos she had started a few years ago. For one I just needed to finish a couple of rows and stitch it together. The other needed completely redone. The yarn is bulky and knit on large needles so it didn't take long to redo it. On the last sew day I passed the completed ponchos to her cousin who lives almost next door to her. However, the recipient has been out of town so I haven't heard from her. I hope she is happy with the work I did.

I didn't think to take a photo of the finished ponchos, but the pattern shows how they went together.

Next, I started work on a baby quilt for my young neighbors who are expecting their first baby at the end of January. They are big - BIG - Disney fans so, of course, I need to make a Mickey Mouse quilt.

It took a few tries before I decided on how to arrange the Friendship Star blocks, which finish at four inches. I tried six-inch blocks but decided that was too big.

The top is finished, but the piece of fabric I have for the back, shown on the right, is just a smidge too small. I have been pondering how to make it bigger. I hope to figure that out and get it quilted this next week. I will bind it with the blue batik used on the front.

Then I saw a cute idea for using Christmas cards. Really, any greeting card would work, but I had been thinking of a way to use Christmas cards. They are just too pretty to throw away.

A YouTube video to make these Pillow Boxes from Sew Very Easy can be found here. There is a template in the links below the video that can be printed. I enlarged the template to 125% to make it bigger. I also used double-sided scrapbooking tape instead of glue. I made these five in less than two hours. I found that a package of Olfa rotary blades would fit if the top part is folded down. I think a gift card would fit nicely, too.

On to finishes and stash busting.

I finished the Disappearing Rail Fence scrappy quilt.

I decided to try, again, to do a machine sewn binding. I used a big zig-zag stitch.

I'm not crazy about how it looks, but it is acceptable. I haven't decided if I will keep this one, pass it on to someone or donate it. Speaking of donating I need sources to donate to. Any suggestions? I am in north-central Illinois and would appreciate the names of specific places.

I have two large shopping bags in my sewing room. They are were FULL to overflowing with fabric scraps.

I generated a lot of these scraps, but my quilt friends have also added to it a lot. Every time we are together some of them hand me baggies full of scraps they have saved for me. Quilters are so generous!

While I do appreciate their donations I have decided that I just will not use them all so I am going through and getting rid of the tiniest ones. And, it's taking much longer than I anticipated.

I'm sorting. 

And pressing.

And, trimming.

I am sorting out the HSTs and pieced units. 

I decided that 2-inch, 2 1/2-inch, and 3 1/2-inch are the sizes I want. After I decided on a pattern I discovered I need 4-inch squares also.

As of today I have this much left in one bag, less than half full. The other bag is empty.

I am getting a lot of this work done during phone conversations with Son.

EDIT: It has taken me a couple of days to write this post. As of this morning, my bag looks like this.

It's empty. Woohoo! But...

I am not quite finished. I still have this pile to finish up. That should happen today, hopefully.

In between all that I am piecing HSTs and squares together.

Then 4-patches.

Then 8-patches.

Then 16-patches and pinwheels.

The pattern is 16 Patch and Pinwheels by Mary Johnson. 

My blocks are smaller since I am using 2-inch squares.

I will work on these long enough to get them to the 8-patch and HSTs stage. Then it will be a good project to take to sew days if we get to continue. We meet at a local library that is also in a school. We have to follow the guidelines the school follows. They only recently were allowed to have groups up to 15, masked. That may change again with the Omicron variant increasing. 

We'll see.

To see what other quilters are up to go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Stay safe and well.

Happy quilting!

What's Happening...

To see what other quilters are up to go Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

The week before Thanksgiving I had company for a week while Son was on a hunting trip. He got his first deer! 

Pokie got lots of pets.

This is his favorite chair.

And, I finally decided I could sew and he hung out on the bed while I did that.

While he was here I got the futon cover parts sewn together,

quilted,

and all put together. I took it to Son's house for a fitting, fully expecting it to not fit. But it did fit! I left it there on the futon cushion and did not get a picture. My SIL will pick it up at some point. 

I also left the quilt I made for her there.

I'm not all that happy with the placement of the coneflowers on the back, but I know she will love it.

My quilt group was able to have a 2-day retreat in mid-November. I worked on Four-Patch Square Dance from Piecing the Past Quilts.

Also, at retreat, we brought out our Mystery quilt projects. Some had their quilts all put together. Some of us were still working on them.

This one didn't have a border yet.

This has a single large border. I think this one looks like snowflakes or stars in a night sky.

This one got two smaller borders.

This one was still in progress...

...but did get sewn together.

This one got put together in a completely different layout.

Here's another one before borders.

This one is completely scrappy and shown pre-border...

...and then sewn together with a thin white inner border and a lovely floral outer border.

This is mine. I was deciding which fabric to use for the border. I decided the one on the left was too blue.

Here it is in line to be quilted.

You probably can't tell in this photo, but there are seven quilts in line to be quilted in this pile.

I received three white backings to be used with some of these quilts.

After Son got home from his hunting trip some progress was made on his kitchen.

He is still waiting for the plumber to finish up the sink and dishwasher, and the cabinet maker to add the toe plate and attach the tall cabinet to the wall. Those things should happen this week. Son is anxiously waiting to get his kitchen back in working order.

Stay safe and well.

Happy quilting!