Thursday, February 2, 2012

Where Did January Go?


January was way to busy! I have been stitching whenever I can so I have some progress to share.


A year later and I finally finished Lori’s 2011 Humble Quilts quiltalong. I’m very happy with it. I hope it doesn’t take me a year to finish Pink Lemonade, her 2012 quiltalong.


I’ve also been doing a good bit of hand quilting and stitching on other projects. I’m doing a little every evening and, though I’m slow, I’m seeing a lot of progress after just a couple weeks.

On the Design Wall-


I’ve got a top! I’m so happy I finally finished this top. As I worked on it I was thinking about how to quilt it and I think I’ve settled on feathers in the big open spaces and I’m not sure what to call the quilting I’m going to do on the stars and diamonds (concave diamonds?) so you’ll just have to wait and see! ; c ) I need to practice the feathers and I hope I can come up with something that looks okay. Knowing ahead of time that I want this to hang in the Quilters Unlimited show makes me a little nervous. I’m usually more of a – “well if it gets done it goes in, if not, oh, well”. But this is part of a challenge and I don’t want to embarrass myself!

My two schoolhouses – don’t know when I will get more made, but I’m pretty sure I will stay with the dark blues.

I found some of my dark blue stash hiding with my spool blocks. I made 3 more at a swim meet last week. Hand piecing may be slow but it is more forgiving.

More baskets – one more (in addition to the first one) for my project using 19th century reproductions and a new one for an exchange. I’m on the Quilters Unlimited 2012 Quilt Show committee and at our December meeting we were invited to join an exchange/challenge. We were given half a yard of a new red Jinny Beyer palette fabric. We each picked a 6” block design of our choice and we have to use this red fabric and a white or white on white in the block. We are also allowed to add additional fabrics, but it looks like most participants are keeping it to just the two. I decided to do the basket because that was what I was making when the challenge came up and I couldn’t decide on anything else. I need to make 18 of these blocks for our May meeting. We will go home with 18 different blocks and are challenged to make a quilt to go in the 2013 show. Sounds like fun!


And here are 126 blocks from the McLean QU 9-patch exchange I organized. Some of us enjoyed it so much we are doing it again in February. I will get 66 more blocks. With the addition of some setting blocks/sashing/borders – whatever I settle on – it will make a large lap size quilt or maybe a twin if I add more 9-patches. The blocks will finish at 3 inches.

I guess that's it for now. I plan to practice machine quilting feathers this weekend and maybe make some baskets or 9-patches. I hope you find time to stitch this weekend. ; c )

15 comments:

  1. Maureen - lovely, lovely lovely!! Absolutely love all your projects!!! Thanks for sharing!! Have a wonderful weekend!!

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  2. I love that little quilt from last year's Humble Quilts QAL!
    That is a lovely star--I think I know what you mean by concave diamonds.
    How fun to have all of those 9-patch blocks to play with, but I know that a lot of work went into making them first!
    You had a great month!!

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  3. Your 2011 quiltalong quilt is beautiful....and your hand quilting just makes it! Lovely! And I love that sweet little red basket! What fun that will be when you get the swapped ones!

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  4. Lovely projects !
    Did you follow the Diane Gaudynski tuto for your FM feathers ? I too, not easy...

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  5. Your little quilt is lovely. Don't forget, a year is not a long time in quilting terms. That was quite quick!
    Your star glows, I hope you enjoy quilting it. I love all your 9 patches. I know that you will do them proud. Let me know if you need another one!

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  6. All your projects are lovely. What a great idea for a block exchange...all those wonderful nine patches are going to make a stunning quilt. Have fun with your FMQ this weekend.

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  7. I find a little red wine helpful when FMQ feathers ;-)
    Love seeing you design wall. I think your hand quilting is beautiful.
    Your nine patches have me thinking of mine - I got as far as looking at them...
    Thank you for sharing!

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  8. Marueen, your 2011 QAL is just such a sweet thing, congratulations on the finish even though it took a while!! I think we all know that that is like LOL! The Lone Star is looking wonderful too, I think feathers are very appropriate for this quilt, it is so traditional which I love!
    What a great collection of little 9-patches, they'll make up beautifully into a quilt!!!!

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  9. Beautiful finish! I'm sure it will take no time for you to make Pink Lemonade one ;) And I love what's going on on your design wall. Very inspiring...

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  10. your little quilt from last year's quilt-a-long is really awesome and now i'm wishing i had joined in on that one~!

    love the way that your lone star quilt top turned out and it sounds like the quilting is going to be lovely.

    :-)
    libbyQ

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  11. I love the border on your lone star. It's beautiful. You've got some beautiful projects.

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  12. I love your version of Midnight Stars!! Woo-Hoo on your finish!!

    I wish my design wall looked like yours- beautiful projects- every single one! That star is amazing!!

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  13. Beautiful lone star - love the border effect. Your nine patch blocks look great.

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  14. The Lone Star looks really good. I was looking at a Lone Star quilt on another blog earlier today. You have good space to showcase quilting on yours.

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  15. I'm totally drooling over your nine patches! they are my favorite block.
    Your design board looks like there is a lot of fun going on.
    Congrats on finishing SF i love the red binding - and hand quilting is always so soft and special.

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