Another UFO NOT Finished in Febuary

Ok so my Febuary UFO didn't get finished.  This month my brain was not in the game! I had one project I was working on that gave me so much grief!  And the funny thing is that my project ( a little old runner no less) was actually a beginner, easy-peasy project!

Oh well, maybe March will be a little better for me.  I did have two finishes in Febuary.  One was the runner mentioned above (I wrestled it into submission, but there is no denying the distortion that resulted in all my stitching and un-stitching!)

I also finished another quilt for Quiltmaker Magazine.  I can't show you that one yet, but here is the sneak peek!

Oh, right, I almost forgot. This post was supposed to be about UFOs. Now my UFO List looks like this:

1. Road to California

2. Christmas Bauble Runner

3. Around the World Cottage Quilt

4. Old Tobacco Road

5. Kaleidescope Quilt

6. Flannel Crazy Quilt DONE! My January Project! This crazy quilt started as a few finished blocks and several bits and pieces. It ended as a flimsy. You can see a picture of it HERE. If you go look at it, let me know if you think I should put a border on it!

7. Cameron's Calender Quilt

8. Greenpiece - This needs to be finished, quilted and bound.

9. Robot Quilt

10. Rhapsody in Bloom NOT DONE! This was supposed to be my Febuary project!

11. Cinder's Best Day

12. Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll

Cheers,

Dionne

Feb. Stash Report and a Blast from the Past

Used this Month: 11.25 yards

Finished:
Raspberry Dessert Large throw - Look for this pattern in your next Quiltmaker magazine
Raspberry Dessert Runner - variation of the above pattern
Used year to Date: 24 yards

Added this Month: 20.5 yards

Added Year to Date: 27.25 yards

Net Used for 2011: 3 1/4 yards ~ I am in the red!

Picture from the Vault:

Here is a picture I found from 2008. This is my oldest daughter when she was 9. She is showing off the first quilt she had ever made. I had already taught her the basics of sewing on an apron project before she tackled this.

Cheers,

Dionne

New Jaybird Quilts Pattern coming in Quiltmaker!

I'm so excited about the new Jaybird Quilts pattern coming out in the next Quiltmaker magazine.

This pattern is fabulous.  It's everything you expect from a Jaybird Quilts pattern.  It's clean, simple and modern.  And even more, it's super easy!

Who could ask for more!

I can't show you too much yet, but here is a sneak peek of my quilt:

For another sneak peek by my fellow Scrap Squad member Kim check out her blog Pokeytown Kim .

Cheers,

Dionne

Just a little clutch

My daughter asked me to make her a little clutch she could put into her backpack.

She picked out the fabrics and I had a fabulous pattern to work from!
.

I was able to whip this up while I was cooking dinner. Easy Peasy!

Cheers,

Dionne

Great Guilds, Scrap Books and a Giveaway!

Diane Harris of Quiltmaker magazine recently posted on Quilty Pleasures about finding a new quilt guild. It's a fun post. Check it out!

She is also hosting a giveaway for a bundle of new quilting books. But hurry, this giveaway is over on Midnight, Monday, Feb 21st!

Also, do you have a favorite book about scrap quilting?

There are so many GREAT books.  I have all three of Bonnie Hunter's books.  I have found that although my color choices are often radically different from Bonnie's, her patterns are perfect (of course) for scrap quilts.  Her books also contain great common sense advice that are helpful to those of us that have been making and loving scrappy quilts for years as well as those new to scrap quilts.  My only warning about Bonnie's books are they use a variety of sizes so if don't have a lot of scraps already cut up, be prepared to do some cutting! But then, we do that for non-scrappy quilts all the time don't we.  Bonnie's books are:

• Scraps and Shirttails
• Adventures with Leaders and Enders
• Scraps and Shirttails II

The book Diane recommended is by Kim Brackett.  I don't yet have her latest book, but Kim also has a previous book called Scrap Basket Surprises  Unlike Bonnie's book, Kim heavily favors  2 1/2" strips and simple sewing instructions.  That makes her book excellent for new quilters, those who haven't yet built up an inventory of scraps, and anyone looking for a super quick pattern.  Scrap Basket Surprises is one of my 'Go-To' books for quick gift projects.  I can't wait to check out Scrap Basket Sensations!  Thanks for the recommendation Diane.

• Scrap Basket Sensations
• Scrap Basket Surprises

For using pre-cuts, there is also the book by Carrie Nelson called Schnibbles Times Two  This book, like Kim's book is great for those who love scrappy quilts and those who are new to scrap quilts.  Unlike Kim's books, this book has patterns for 5" and 10" squares. 

• Schnibbles Times Two

Two final books I recommend are Stash Buster Quilts by Lynne Edwards.  In this book Lynne presents her patterns in clear, easy to read directions and usually in more than one colorway.  Her book, like Bonnie's books, don't focus on any one size cut but offer a nice variety.

• Stash Buster Quilts

Also, Cozy Modern Quilts by Kim Schaefer.  This isn't a scrap quilt book per say, but the patterns in this book lend themselves brilliantly to using scraps.  The other thing I've found that makes this an ideal book is that the simple modern designs are very attractive to the young people in my life.  Those that don't have the same appreciation I have for more traditional quilting styles.  I can always find a quilt in here for my young college-age cousins.

• Cozy Modern Quilts

Okay, that's my list.  Check out more of the discussion at Quilters Club of America: Scrappy Book Discussions

Have you been to the Quilters Club of America website yet? It's a great discussion board and gallery that I recommend. You will have the option to upgrade to a paid membership, but the basic membership is FREE!

I have a free membership, and LOVE it!

Cheers,

Dionne

Happy Heart Placemats

Happy Valentines Day!

I made these stylized heart placemats to practice my freehand quilting. You can see, if you look closely, that I could use some more practice.

I used a JB Shiff pattern for the placemats!

Cheers,

Dionne

Feb Greenpiece

This month looks a lot like the previous months. These flying geese leave no left-overs, so nothing to add to my scrap basket~!

But the star blocks are quite nice!

Here are the applique blocks and the alternate colors.

Cheers,

Dionne

Another Local Quilt Shop is Closing!

I heard the sad news that another quilt shop is closing its doors. Pieces Quilt Shop is located in Renton, Washington. When I had a regular contract in Renton, I went into this shop quite regularly. But that was a couple years ago.

Since then, I've only made the drive down there once every couple of months. I made the drive because I believe that we should support locally owned businesses. I really do. It makes me sad that big corporations are taking over.



Now don't get me wrong, I do still shop at Joann's. It's really the only other place I shop at besides my local quilt shops because we don't have any of the other chains near us. The only Wal Mart is also in Renton, I don't even know of a Ben Franklin near me. Although I did hear about a Hancocks Fabric somewhere in Kirkland, only about a ten minute drive.

But I make it a point to support local businesses. Family owned restaurants, dry cleaners ~ ok, well it's not very often I visit a dry cleaner, but you get the idea. I drove down to Renton, at least a 45 min drive, every couple of months with the idea that I would buy something. Not because I needed something, but because even a couple of small sales help small businesses.


I heard a statistic that said that small businesses only need 5% of the sales large corporations get to stay in business. It's not that much is it? To give 5% of our sales to local businesses?

And where do I shop? Well, I certainly didn't give Pieces 5% of my business. I shop primarily at the quilt shop in Bellevue, Quiltworks Northwest, also at a local chain called Pacific Fabrics, and at the ubiquitous Joann's. But I do a lot of online shopping, and those are often small businesses.

What does all this add up to? Well, not much really. I don't have any great lesson to share, or any wise pithy remarks. Pieces quilt shop is closing, and I'm sad about that. That's all I'm saying.

Cheers,

Dionne

Something NEW on my list of OLD

The UFO chosen for this month is #10. Which I had just added to my list. At the end of January I had a new flimsy that I really want to finish. So I took a look at my UFO list and traded out the batik star quilt for my Rhapsody in Bloom flimsy.

When I inserted this quilt I actually thought I wouldn't be working on it for months, but here it is.

Well, you've seen this quilt before. But here it is again. By the end of the month, this flimsy will be a bonafide quilt!

Isn't that a word that isn't used often any more, Bonafide. It reminds me of that old George Clooney movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou"

And here is the quilt, Rhapsody in Bloom.

Well, there you have it. #10 is only a week old.

Cheers,

Dionne

January was Quite Contrary!

January is over and I've made progress on my #6 - Flannel Crazy Quilt

When I started it looked like this:

I had many other commitments this month, so my flannel crazy quilt was still just a sew-between, but still after sitting in a box for 13 years, even a sew-between is progress!

I also hit a speedbump when I sewed all the wrong pieces together because I thought I would just get a little bit done at midnight, when my eyes were already bleary.

It's not quilted and bound, but I'm further along than I was! And that's my overall goal. To get further along in my projects and not to add to my UFO list.

Here is what it looks like now:

My daughter and her friend are holding up my flimsy. Should I put a border on it? Right now it's a small, but cozy throw.

But of course my son had to get in on the action!

Also, I've decided to update my UFO Challenge list slightly.

1. Road to California

2. Christmas Bauble Runner

3. Around the World Cottage Quilt

4. Old Tobacco Road

5. Kaleidescope Quilt

6. Flannel Crazy Quilt My January Project!

7. Cameron's Calender Quilt

8. Greenpiece **CHANGE**

This needs to be finished, quilted and bound.

9. Robot Quilt

10. Rhapsody in Bloom **CHANGE**

This needs to be quilted and bound.

11. Cinder's Best Day

12. Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll

Cheers,

Dionne