ONE SEAM LEFT

I've got it almost all sewn together.

Just one more long seam to go.

I had to stop and go make dinner.

STARTED A NEW QUILT

It's not like I don't have a dozen or more unfinished projects I could work on....

But I've had this group of fat quarters for the last 15 years or so and I finally got inspired to do something with them.  Maybe I could consider the collection of fabric an unfinished project.

I made one block.  I'm thinking there will be 30.  There are 64 fat quarters and I'll pair them up to make one block.  It may be a long time project, too.

Here's the first one.  Easy-peasy to sew, but it's a lot of sewing.  1-1/2" finished squares.  

100 little squares per block.

Here's the pile of fat quarters, on the selvedge is written:

Moda Fabrics 1999 "Floral Trails".

START THE NEW YEAR SEWING

Didn't do much but at least I did some...

BORDERS AND DONE

After the body of the quilt is done, I added a 2" red border (same color as the outside triangles).

I measured the quilt top across the middle both directions and cut the border strips to length.  I was amazed at how much easing into it I had to do.  I hope the quilt top will be flat.  Better then a ruffly border though, I guess.

Then I added a 5" purple border.  It's now done.

My sewing machine started making a clunking noise just as I was finishing up the blocks.  It wasn't sewing quite right when I put on the borders.   I had to take it into the shop for a good cleaning and tuning up.  It will be gone for two weeks.  Yikes.

I'd bought the machine in 1993 brand new, a Bernina 1230.  It's 20 years old and has a lot of miles on it.  But it's been a great machine, I have a newer one I've never used because I like my older one so much.  I'm going to have to get the newer one out while mine is in the shop.

Post:

The newer one doesn't work either, the repair shop says it's just gummed up from not being used, so it's going to get a good cleaning, also.

My sister loaned me her Bernina, I'll have to clean and oil it too, probably.

BLOCKS INTO ROWS

Then, I put the blocks and sashing and cornerstones up on the design wall.  I need to make sure I get the pattern and colors going the right direction.

Then I take them down, a row at a time, sew the row together, then put it back up on the wall.

FOUR PATCHES INTO BLOCKS

Using all  those Four-Patches I made and some solid purple squares they become the blocks for the quilt:

All the little blocks, stacked up and ready to go..
First row sewn together

Two rows sewn together, keeping them in order so I don't mess up.

The Blocks - sewn together. 

LAST ROWS ON WINTER QUILT

As I started putting the last blocks up on the wall, I realized I didn't have enough variety.

Arrrrgh.  It was back to making more blocks.

I hate going backwards, but I only needed a few and I had lots of parts, and it only was a short set-back.

Having a few extra blocks to pick from really made a big difference in how it looks anyway.

I started the day so excited about getting it finished, but it seemed like there was set-back after set-back.  Just little things, like breaking a thread, spilling water all over everything....you know, annoying little things, and I think I'm still tired from the big push yesterday.   And, I'm tired of being in the house all the time - I need a good walk!

Enough whining.

Here it is, too big to fit on my work wall, so it's flowing down onto the floor.

This is Connecticut Winter Quilt:  (the top)

I really am liking how it turned out.


Hours today sewing were only 3.5, and 1.5 hours dyeing some fabrics for the back.  That brings the grand total to date to:


drum roll, please...


76 hours!


Turns out, the sun came out this afternoon, and Lucy and I were able to get to the park for a very nice walk.  Boy, did I need it.  Lucy wasn't too happy about the snow and ice, and her muddy belly.

SECOND AND THIRD ROWS

Back at it, after finishing up Victoria's projects.


Here's the next couple of borders.

I got the second side, opposite the last one.  Then I flipped it sideways, so it would fit on my work wall, and added the third row.

1/19 trimming - 0.5 hours
1/20 piecing - 3.0 hours
1/20 piecing - 3.0 hours
1/20 dyeing - 0.50


I'm tired.


Total hours so far - 71.0 hours.    Almost there!

SNOWED IN

Well, the storm came and we are officially snowed-in.  I should say we choose to be snowed-in.  There's no school (in the whole state I heard), I don't have to work this week, Darrell works right outside the backdoor.  So, there's no reason for anyone to go anywhere - which is good, because when we get 5-6 inches of snow like this the roads are impassable.

I spent my morning adding another row to the quilt, and the afternoon working on a sewing project with the granddaughter, Victoria.

It's getting bigger...

Only 2.75 hours today.  Bringing the total hours to 64.

SECOND SET OF ROWS

Another day back at it.  I'm really liking how it's turning out.

Today I spent 3.25 hours piecing rows and trimming blocks.


Total altogether - 61.25 hours

WORKING ON WINTER QUILT

It's going to snow!

The city is planning for a big snow storm, and I'm on fire to get my Connecticut Winter Quilt finished.

How appropriate to be working on my Winter quilt in the snow, huh?

I pieced the middle lights and added the three medium rows.

Then I had to stop and trim some more blocks

Total hours today - 4.25 hours

TRIMMING THE BLOCKS

I pieced all 700-something of these blocks over-sized so that I could re-cut the blocks so that the center slash through them would be on an angle.  (It would have been way too difficult to cut and piece all those weird angles - this way used more fabric, but probably doesn't take any longer, even figuring in all the trimming, and at this point I'm all about using as much fabric as possible).

I did this at work on the weekend, when it's really slow, in my spare time - but don't tell my boss.

I went out and specially bought this little rotating cutting mat.  I opted for the least expensive one, because I figured I'd only need it rarely.  The Olfa mat was like $40, and had ball-bearings, I think.  This one, I won't say what brand, just rotates on another mat below it.  Doesn't work very well at all.  In fact, I didn't use the rotating feature.  I needed to cut all the way around this 4" ruler, so I just stood up over the table and was able to cut all the way around without moving the mat or ruler (wasted money on the mat).

I ended up having a really difficult time cutting because of the seams in the middle of the block.  The ruler wanted to rock, and it shifted easily.  I had to be very careful.

When I got home Saturday night, my husband Darrell gave me some sticky-backed sandpaper and I put some little squares on each corner and it was a lot easier on Sunday.  Sunday, the weather was bad - it was snowing here and there and we got very little business.  Most everyone was sitting around doing nothing (in my office).

I got all of the lights, and most of the mediums cut out over the weekend.

January 14 - 3.00 hours total

January 15 - 4 00 hours total (in little fits and spurts)

Total hours up to now - 53.75 hours

FINISHED THE BLOCKS!

Finally, in a flurry of piecing, I managed to get all of the blocks pieced for my Connecticut Winter Quilt.

I need 675 blocks for the quilt top - I made extras.

January 2 - 3.25 hours

Total hours - 46.75

Now there's a lot of trimming to be done.

PIECING MEDIUM COLORED BLOCKS

Here I am back on the Connecticut Winter Quilt, keeping track of the hours as I go.

December 10 - .75 hours piecing
December 11 - 1 hours piecing

Total hours - 43.50 hours

ON TO THE MEDIUMS

I finished piecing the light blocks and have moved on to the medium colored blocks on my Connecticut Winter Quilt.

November 27 - 1.5 hours to finish the lights
November 27 - .5 hours cutting and sorting
November 27 - .5 hours starting on the mediums

Total up to date -  41.75 hours

PIECING THE LIGHT BLOCKS

It's been a while since I worked on my Connecticut Winter Quilt.

I'm piecing the light colored blocks.

November 13 - 2 hours

A COUPLE MORE HOURS

Still keeping track of hours on my Connecticut Winter Quilt ...

August 2 - 2 hours piecing
August 3 - .75 hours piecing

Total so far - 37.25 hours (but who's counting?)

MORE HOURS

Still keeping track of my Connecticut Winter Quilt hours - 


May 10 - 1.5 hours 
May 11 - .75 hours

Total hours to date - 34.50 hours

CAMP HUSTON RETREAT

I packed up all my sewing stuff - my machine and tools, packed up the stuff for my Snitzels and my Connecticut Winter Quilt and headed north to spend a few days with the Snitzel gals at Camp Huston.

There's a large room where everyone set up their 'stuff' and set about working on Snitzels, quilts and whatever, long into the night (and in my case, early in the morning).

I mostly worked on my quilt - put a lot of hours in.

Everyone spread out their stuff and got busy working

There were even demos

My space over by the window

I couldn't sit and sew all day, so I went out for walks in the beautiful surrounding woods (rain forest).

April 27 - piecing 1 hour


April 28 - piecing 2.5 hours
April 28 - piecing 2.25 hours
April 28 - piecing 2  hours


April 29 - piecing 1 hour
April 29 - piecing 6.5 hours
April 29 - piecing 1 hour

Oh, my aching butt...


Total hours, so far - 32.25 hours (still making lots of little blocks)

KEEPING TRACK OF HOURS

Cutting fabric and sewing on my Connecticut Winter Quilt and keeping track of the hours...

April 16 - cutting 5.5 hours

April 22 - sewing 1 hour

April 25 - sorting and cutting 1.5 hours

April 26 - piecing 1.5 hours

Total all together so far - 16 hours