UFO Challenge 2011

This tub contains a dozen UFOs, selected more or less randomly as I tidied up my sewing area. Some of them are quite new (I guess that’s why they were near the top of the piles) while others have been around for some time. There is one in there that has travelled to and from retreats with me for at least three years!

I’m committing to a year-long UFO Challenge on the Patchwork Times blog by Judy Laquidara. Each month she will choose a number randomly, and that’s the UFO to be completed that month.

The easy part was finding twelve candidates for my list. The challenging part will be completing them! But if all goes to plan at the end of the year my bin will be empty and I’ll have a stack of finished projects!

Here's the list!

1.      Wonky Pumpkins
2.     Irish Chain baby quilt
3.      African collage
4.      Halloween strips
5.      New York Beauty blocks
6.      Hudson Bay log cabin
7.      Hexagon table toppers
8.      “Ugly” and curves blocks
9.      Cows baby quilt
10.   NOEL blocks
11.   Coffee cups
12.   Pink hexagons

Those Hallowe’en strips

Those strips we exchanged at guild finally were made into a table runner.  It isn’t finished yet – I need to find some more of the blue fabric for a narrow border, or for a binding at the very least.    

The blue fabric is a border fabric that I purchased  sometime in the last century.  So I’m not likely to be able to purchase any more of it.  I’m sure I had another strip or two around her someplace…….

Ready for Christmas!

This is the tree in the public library wearing its new tree skirt. Pattern is from French Braid Obsession by Jane Hardy Miller (that's a library book, ask for it!).

This was made in memory of a library patron who asked friends and family to donate to the library.

Village Wall-Quilt

This was made working from the book Happy Villages by Karen Eckmeier. The pieces are collaged onto a backing. Then all are covered by a layer of tulle and held in place by machine stitching.

It is great fun to work on this with friends -- we'll see if there's a free weekend for a class at Granny's House for this.

More 9-patch blocks

The Cow Quilt is done. Those versatile little 9-patch blocks stand so neatly in their columns when you put them on-point!

The quilt is on its way to the recipient. I hope he enjoys using it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Making a Christmas Tree napkin

I struggled with this blog entry and found that the pages and the text kept moving around or disappearing.  So I've moved this information to a Page.  See the list over on the right side.  I'm hoping that will be a bit more stable!!

Strip Challenge

My strips from last evening's guild activity. We are to make something with them by next meeting. A checkerboard of these with the black fabric would be simple to make and very autumn-y. But what would happen if ....?

What colour is this?

The last of the beets from Dad's garden. They looked like jewels when we had our Thanksgiving dinner.

Everyone knows that beets are beet red, but what colour is that?  The dinner guests suggested red,  burgundy, or purple.

I used my 3-in-1 Color Tool by Joen Wolfrom to check.   As close as I can tell, beets are a shade (pure colour plus black) of either fuschia or magenta.  Which places them about halfway between red and violet on the colour wheel. 

So now we know!

Quick Method for Nine-Patch blocks

Start with two 6" squares.




















Place the squares right sides together and stitch a 1/4" seam down each side.



Cut through both layers 2" from the edge. The cut is parallel to the seam you just made. Cut 2" from the other seamed edge.





You now have two seamed portions and two loose strips.
 .














Press the two seamed portions open.









Add a strip to each one to make two rail fence blocks.

.Place these two blocks right sides together and match the seams carefully at the end



Stitch across the ends where you match the seams.








Cut again, two inches from the ends where you made the new seams.

Press the seamed parts open.

Add one of the loose strips to each part.

You have made two nine-patch blocks!




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Faced Applique

Cut a piece of lightweight non-woven interfacing a bit bigger than the piece you plan to applique. I have drawn the stitching line for the heart on the back of the red fabric.









No stitching line is needed for this block -- we will stitch 1/4" from the unfinished edge.












Place the applique piece face down on the interfacing and stitch all the way around.


















Trim through both layers leaving a scant 1/4".

Trim the corners to reduce bulk. (Blurry photo, but you can get the idea.) Snip to the stitching line at the inner point of the heart.













Carefully make a slit in the interfacing only. Then turn the piece to the right side through this slit.

















Make sure the edges are turned right along the stitching. Use an iron to make crisp edges.















Your appliques are ready to be stitched in place on your project

Fantastic fall weather

We went fishing last weekend.  It was awesome to be "in on" one of the largest salmon runs in recent years in this part of the province. 

I loved the shapes of these rocks on the beach.   There could be a quilt in there somewhere!

Beach Rocks

Ninepatch Fun

Scrappy Nine Patch blocks are about as traditional as we can get. I used this little runner as an opportunity to play with the quilting. There are feathers in the centre squares and ribbons and pebbles around the border. That's an odd combination, perhaps, but the quilting hardly shows on the printed fabric, so it doesn't matter!

Harvest time

Acorn Squash! We planted a couple of seeds early this spring. My son faithfully watered the plants through the hot weather. Frost hit the leaves the other morning, so we took out the vines and these beauties were found hiding amongst the tangles of the plants.