Updating September Quilty Goals

Since we are over half way through the month I thought that it would be good to check in on my goals for September

1) Jeans quilt. The circles are all cut and 190 of them have the 5" square traced onto them. I want to get the other 65 circles marked and the 255 5" squares selected. The circles are all cut and marked. the 5" squares selected. Now call this quilt Jean's Jeans Quilt.

 


2) Finish tracing off the applique pieces for the tea shop quilt. Select fabric and get the applique ironed onto background fabric ready for our trip. Sort out embroidery threads to take with us. All the applique squares are prepped. I am still hoping to get more of the backing fabric cut up for the finished quilt so I can make more blocks if I finish off what I have already made. I will take patterns, backing fabric and fabric with me.

3) continue working on Disappearing Hourglass Vanishing Hours quilt. All the blocks for the quilt are made (unless I decide to make another 10) I have only 2 more quilting days left before we leave and not sure I will get to spend much time there on these days. Working out if I am going to sash the blocks or not

4) put together the quilt that is currently on my design wall. This was my orphan block quilt. The top is finished. I am not going to give it away as a donation quilt as making it made it rather special and so want to give it to someone special. Would have loved to have gotten it quilted before I go on holidays but that is not to be. (this is photo of it unfinished)

5) Do that Photography class on Craftsy. No progress made on this. Sigh

6)  So Make curtains as required for Fangirl's townhouse. Have started to make these. Fortunately she has chosen blinds for several windows so it is only two sets of window that need curtains. I have one set made apart from the hems which I won't do till I can check them off on the actual windows. The other set are started. I have the gathering tape pinned along the tops of the curtains but have to sew them on.

So two thirds of the way through the month I have made good progress. I have completed 4 of the 6 goals - ie 1,2,3 and 4. One has been started - 6. Only one not done at all. I am wondering if I should just give up on that Craftsy class and move on.

What progress have you made this month?

Sunday Stash Report - Zippo

Its been another nil all draw here this week. Nothing in nothing out. I think this is going to be the case for the next 3 months as we will be travelling for 10 weeks and whilst I will keep busy (my sewing machine is coming with us) I doubt I will get anything finished. But since I might visit a few quilt shops whilst travelling I guess I could get a few purchases. I am going to have to make sure purchases stay well below 30m so I end the year in positive territory!

Used this week:                                0m

Added this week                               0m

Year to Date Used                      122.28m
Year to Date added                      90.82m
Net Used                                          31.46m

Linking up with Sunday Stash Report @Patchwork Times

I have been working on a couple of projects but none are completed. 

Vanishing Hours had all the blocks that I was planning on making done but now I am contemplating whether or not to add sashing between the blocks, which was my original plan in order to make the top big enough (it will have a series of borders as well) however now I am wondering if I should just make more blocks to extend it by a row in each direction (would need to make 10 blocks as currently have 32 blocks - its 5x6 blocks  plus two extras. 6x7 rows would need 42 blocks) I just can't decide. Currently its on my display board without borders and I do like to little hour glasses that have formed in each corner where the blocks meet.

Then I spread them out a bit and see what it would look like if it had sashing. Can't get the full affect cause my design board is not big enough but I could get an idea. Still not sure which I prefer though

Orphan Annie (my default name for my orphan block quilt) is at a standstill. The top is done. Now I have to make a backing. But am undecided there. Was thinking about giving it to a dear friend in which case I would use minky as she loves the feel of that but really think there is another quilt I have in mind for her so this is as yet unclaimed. So it can have a non minky backing. Just have to organise it

I have at last started working on the applique quilt that will feature all things tea shop, using the applique patterns I ordered from the UK. I got three separate patterns and they are designed to be miniature quilts and a tea cosy but I am making them up as a quilt. Not sure what I am going to do with it in the end but it is fun making it meanwhile. At the moment what I have been doing is the preparation for stitching ie tracking the patterns out on fusible webbing, choosing my fabric and fusing the shapes to the background. This is my hand project for whilst we are travelling. I am going to take the patterns with me and some scraps of fabric plus cut up pieces of the background so I can make myself more as we go along. I am not sure how many more I can get done before I leave and I don't want to run out of hand sewing whilst I am away.

I do need to get one finish before I leave. I have to make my postcard for the postcard swap that Sandi @ quiltcabanapatterns is running. I haven't started it yet. Its a bit tricky for me cause part of me wants to do something uniquely Australian but where I live in Australia we don't really get much difference in our seasons. And we are now in Spring anyway but I will think of something soon.

I will also get another big finish shortly before I leave. Curtains for Fangirl's new home. However since I didn't count the fabric in I can't really count the fabric out now can I. Can't get them finished though until I actually get them started so better get off the computer and get sewing!

Hope you have managed to get some sewing done this week and even a finish or two!

Fitness Friday - -Been a Great Week for Walking

I have had a great week as far as my walking goes. Each day I have made my 10 000 steps and then some. Having zero steps for 3 days the previous week on mmy Fitbit and only half my steps another day I really slipped down the rankings of my friends and I was working hard to try to improve my standings in the 7 day totals. It was a real incentive to get out and get moving and do extra running on the spot when possible. I managed to drag my ratings up gradually and by the time I got back to replacing the missed days I was able to not only jump up the rankings but also reached some great weekly figures. The last couple of days I have been in 2nd or 3rd position. I have a new leader amongst my friends. My Fixit Guy is an incredibly active guy I have realised. He even beats Terje! He doesn't run but he does come walking with me twice a day and the rest of the day he just buzzes around all the time obviously. Even the days that I walk with my friend and he doesn't come he still gets more steps than I do (Our walks are 5000 steps usually) It drives me nuts!

Our Steptember efforts are continuing. Our Team, the Emerald Walkers has still not achieved our fundraising target so if any of you would like to donate this is the link. We have improved our rankings this week though as far as steps goes. We are now 203rd in Australia.  Our combined step total is 724,943.There has only been one day that I haven't made my 10 000 steps since it started. Fangirl got sick just as Steptember started and had 7 days of colds and tonsillitis and generally not feeling up to par so her step efforts were not great. Fixit Guy has challenged her. He is going to donate $10 each day she makes her steps and has challenged her that she should make a donation each day she doesn't make her steps. She has agreed and the push is on

Today Fixit Guy (I almost called him Fitbit Guy! ) Fangirl and I are in Rockhampton looking for  curtains and blinds for her new townhouse as well as furniture. Well that's what Fangirl and I are looking for. Fixit Guy has some camping related stuff he is going to look at and other stuff that is going to require him to go to hardware shops. Funny story about this trip. We left home yesterday afternoon. Fixit Guy and I picked up Fangirl at her place. She had just hopped in the car when she realised she had left her sunglasses in the house so she ran back in to get them. Fixit Guy realised that he had left his wallet at home so we went back to our house to get that. I was laughing at them both for their forgetfulness and said I hadn't forgotten anything... or at least hadn't realised and I would remember when we got to C, a little town 20 minutes on our way to Rockhampton. No... I didn't remember anything then.... but 2 hours into the journey remembered that MY wallet was in my car. I had taken it with me when I went out to teach religion and had put it in the centre console of the car... and it was still there. Ooops. Guess I am not spending much money this trip!

I am not going to go near my weight loss woes. At least with making a big effort with my steps I am not putting on anything -much. I am back into the 89kgs though so really have to try a bit harder to watch what I am eating. 

My Steps for this week
Friday 17 540 I had realised I had lost 3.5 days of steps so was really trying to get extra steps
Saturday 15 633 Went to an open day at a local museum with a friend
Sunday 13 941 Despite only getting one walk and having the morning in church was able to get steps up  due to volunteering at a bike day for ORH and serving at cafe at aged care home
Monday 16 737 2 walks and house cleaning can help the steps
Tuesday  16 219 2 walks and some determined extra steps about the house
Wednesday 14 790 2 walks and a day at patchwork sewing but a few extra steps around the place
Thursday 15 461 Despite driving into Rocky we still got a second walk in cause we walked up to find tea and then because Fangirl was still short on steps we walked a bit more to get some ice cream. yeah defeated the purpose a bit but at least we didn't do as much damage as we might have without the walk

No photos for you this week so here is one from last week when we were camping.

An InLinkz Link-up

Throwback Thursday

Quilts on the Double

Several years ago our quilt group had a workshop run by one of the members. She had attended a workshop run by the authors of a book called Quilt on the Double. The patterns that this book contained involved sewing strips of cloth together, slicing the units up and then using the units to make different types of quilts. For my quilt I used yellow and green fabric for my 3.5” (I think) strips and purple for my 1.5” strips. 

That is a rather poor explanation of the method. To have made just one of the quilts was a very wasteful procedure given the amount of fabric that would then not be used in the quilt. The units cut out were triangle units. As well as the two different triangle units that were cut out (called Tops and Tails respectively … I think) there were several other bits left over. I didn't buy the book the patterns came from. I got the units made at the workshop but didn't get back to putting them together (the workshop occurred just before the terrible bushfires that swept through Victoria. Our group became involved in making quilts that were sent down to the people who had suffered in these fires.)

I had all the pieces though and some notes from the workshop but when I was doing my UFO busting stint a couple of years ago I had no idea what to do with the pieces. Fortunately my neighbour and friend Sharyn had bought the book (and had completed both her quilts) and she loaned me the book so I could finish off the quilts. The book contained a good number of different ways the units could be used to make very different quilt tops. I was keen to use as many of my units as I could and not have to buy any more fabric.

This picture is of the first top. This is before I put borders on it.

Here it is afterwards. The outer border was made from some of the little left over bits (the book had a name for them. The corner stones were also made from left over bits – really cute little pinwheels.

This was the “Tops” design and this arrangement was spools… I think. I really am going to have to see if I can find my notes

The pattern in the quilt ia 3 dimensional to me. The yellow and green crosses seem to pop in and out

The Point of Sunny Tails.

This is the second quilt made from the left over bits from the first quilt. 

Despite not wanting to add too much extra fabric I ended up doing so because I really liked this design. The fabric came from my stash so didn’t break my fabric diet at the time. I was very pleased with the way I extended the pattern into the border. I did have to do a bit of unpicking of some of the units and restitching them in order to get the right  number of units required in the various colours. For some reason I had extra green and not enough yellow.

WIP Wednesday

 Applique Project
Its  just over 2 weeks now till we go away and I finally got started on prepping my applique project which is going to be my hand project for our 10 week trip. This is the first block started. Need to get the others done as well.

Vanishing Hours
At Patchwork today I got stuck into this project and got all the blocks completed apart from one which I had mislaid the part of one block. I thought I must have left it at home but eventually found it in my box of fabric for this project. I also found that I had made a mistake on 3 blocks so have some unpicking to do but hope to get them made tonight. I have 32 blocks which is 2 more than I need but thought I would put them on the back. Now though I am wondering if instead of doing sashing between the blocks if I will make another row each way. Still thinking about it. 

Orphan Block Quilt

I got this finished during the week. I had some troubles with the borders but eventually got them on okay. 

Its sideways but you get the idea!

Now I have to make a backing for it. I had hoped to get this finished before we went away but have run out of time now. My daughter, Fangirl has bought her own townhouse and will be moving in a week before we leave and I have agreed to make her some curtains. We are heading off to look at furniture and curtain fabric on Friday so I will be busy with that for a while as well as 

So its been quite a busy week for me, especially given I was away from my machine for a few days and had a very busy time. How has your week been?

Linking up with 

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Sunday Stash Report

I got a parcel in the mail this week. It contained 15 fat quarters from a bundle I had bought on Massdrop. I had totally forgotten that I had ordered it. Its from a fabric line called Pearl Bracelets by Lizzy House for Andover fabrics. Its the first time I have bought a complete fabric line bundle of any sort. Its a lovely lot of fabric and I have no idea what I am going to do with it. They are all tone on tone but in a range of colours. Not sure what I will do with them but it will be fun working it out.

I love Massdrop. They have recently started a craft department and have some really great deals. I just bought a gingher seam ripper. I like the fact that they post to Australia and that their postage rates are reasonable. They have had patterns, kits, gadgets as well as fabric as well as all sorts of technological gear. Check it out here

No finishes although my Oprhan block quilt top is ALMOST put together. I am just trying to get the borders on... had a few ISHEWS with it but its so close to done now. That has been the only project I have worked on this week as we were away camping and no sewing got done.

Used this week:                                0m

Added this week                               3.43m

Year to Date Used                      122.28m
Year to Date added                      90.82m
Net Used                                          31.46m

Linking up with Sunday Stash Report @Patchwork Times

WIP Wednesday on Thursday

I can tell you now that at the moment there is no working going on. Fixit Guy and I are camping at a place where we have to rely on solar power so not enough power to run my sewing machine so I didn't bring it. For some reason he thinks that the fridge and the lights are a priority for the power we generate! The hide of the man! There is also no mobile phone (cell phone) reception so I can’t connect to the net out here either. A time for hand sewing – yeah only I didn't leave myself enough time to prepare any to bring with me. Arghh. We shall see how stir crazy I go over the next few days. (so far so good)

My current WIPs are

Vanishing Hours (Disappearing Hour Glass)

No progress from last week. All the blocks have been cut up and 8 have been put back together. I am loving the way the pattern is working out. My blocks aren’t all uniform but I will be able to fudge them and make them work I hope. Have been wondering about whether I will sash the blocks or not. Will get them put together and then put them up on my design wall and think about it some more. Because I am camping I won’t get to sew them this week at patchwork but I might break my self imposed rule and work on them  a bit at home.

Jean’s Jeans. (Denim jeans quilt)

No more progress from last week. All the circles are made and marked, the 5” squares are selected. All ready to sew. I will make sure I pack a denim needle to help my little machine cope with the fabric. I still have more jeans I could cut up. I nearly put them in to bring with me as my hand project. I could have drawn the circles cut and marked them but since I am not convinced I want to make a second one thought that I would leave it till I was sure. This is the method I am using. Its the Blue Jean Quilt by Penny Halgren 

Orphan Block Quilt (need to come up with a proper name for this one)

I have really enjoyed playing about with this quilt. The centre is together and I have been working on the borders. I made one that is checker board pattern from 4 patches. I haven’t attached it because I have decided that I will make a second border from flying geese units and sew the two borders together first. Then I will make one corner stone block for both quilts together. I am thinking of doing a pinwheel or a square in a square. Will see when I get there. I am still making the flying geese units.  Some of them I am making in pairs so that I will be able to put them together to make square in a square units. I am thinking of having 5 of these per side so have made 20 sets of pairs. Still need to make the other 64 flying geese for the single units that will go in as flying geese. 

The 5 designs. Favouring the far right one or 2nd left one. Not keen on the 2nd right one

Sorry no photos yet of fling geese border cause its not made. LOL.

I was doodling border designs in church and have come up with 5 different ones and will choose the one that I want to use when I go to put them together. I have ruled out one but like the other 4… maybe I will do a different one on each side. That would work.

Spring Organising Challenge.

Yeah – this hasn't really happened although I did clean out the freezer and the cupboard in the laundry on Saturday. It was good to get them both done. As a result of having every thing out of the freezer I decided to cook up a few of the things that had been there a while. I made Spinach and Feta rolls to use up some filo pastry and frozen spinach. They worked out quite well even though the feta cheese was just ordinary grated cheese. I also made up a quiche to use up more of the pastry and some ham. That worked well too. We had a lunch at church on Sunday and I took both with me as our contribution (spread the love and the danger… no one got sick so they were all okay obviously) It was good I had done the cheese substitution as one of the women who stayed for lunch can’t eat feta but can eat ordinary cheese.

Linking up with