Fall Finish

Yes, it is January!  You would be hard pressed seeing brown and green grass and temperatures in the high 40s for Wisconsin.   But it is a fall finish none the less.

I  am so happy this is done:  First of all it is a UFO now crossed off the list. It is a project for my small quilt group challenge. ( 2 birds with one stone).  Plus I am proud of the stitching, and how my Y corners met. It took a while doing the ladder stitch around the edges while watching the Packer game.  We won't go into the results of that. But Sunday slow stitching for sure.


Further, I am keeping up to date with my Log Cabin Sew Along.



I decided to start the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Oh,  Quilt Squirrel for sure!  I have 4  6 inch blocks cut out. Here is the pattern I am making.  Good for scraps; Here is the link: Rainbow Scrap Challenge  I have the miniature pattern from Primitive Gatherings and have always wanted to make it.  This month is purple.
Here is the link for the challenge: Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2017





Not as much sewing this weekend as normal. My daughter had a birthday; we met her, her boyfriend,  and her friends for a Monster Truck Jam in downtown Milwaukee. He went all out and got her balloons, lunch, roses, and birthday tiara. And I was surprised by just how much fun we all had.  Then on Saturday, the whole family came over to celebrate; I had an extra turkey in the freezer and it was good with the stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  Food, family and fun!

Monday: Free day!

Don't you love having a 3 day weekend!  Oh, yes, more time to quilt.  So I am taking the time to do "putsy" stuff: lots of details and steps requiring concentration and time.

First off, a pot French Vanilla coffee made with a paper towel.  I need to get out to the grocery for those accumulating items on the list.

Next, I found a striped back perfect colors for the back and  layered the big Hexies. I found a batting that was smashed under my seat cushion of my sewing chair rather than the flannel I was thinking. ( for added height for me but had the reverse effect on the batting.)



I quilted a quarter inch around the center blocks, back stitching when I reached the starting point.
Now for the "putsy" part: I cut around the odd shaped edge and then trimmed the batting a quarter inch from there.  Now I am halfway pinning the top and the bottom having turned under both seam allowances.  Yes, putsy.


As I was getting bored, I decided to work on the applique for my Log Cabin quilt along. I cut a medium green on the diagonal 2 pieced for extra length and 2 shorter ones. I then found my bias bars from Clover.



After stitching down the long side, wrong sides together, I inserted the bias bar and pressed the trimmed seam to one side. I felt like an inchworm pushing it down the tube and then pressing each new length. After being pulled out, I repressed them to get rid of the wrinkly ridges.  Ta Da!  Great bias stems for curved seams. Pardon the dirty ironing board.


Onto the the berries, I found a red with yellow crows feet for them. I get to make 54 of these 1 inch beauties.  I am using  Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Circles.




 You cut the fabric a quarter inch bigger than the round template, gather the edge, and then press with sizing. Perfect!  the package has so many different sized circles up to 2 inches, with multiples of each and a binder ring to string them on.

Progress on projects

I got many things accomplished!  I even cleaned off my cutting table which had been mounded with luscious colors for my Log Cabin quilt along.  In the process I even found some extra strips.

Plus I got a little more of En Provence together:  4 blocks and sashings strips. This is what it will look like. Just 5 more blocks to go. I am going to make it 3 by 3.




But the purpose had been to have a flat area to cut out curtains for my daughter in law.
I was able to make a valence and a set of curtains for her kitchen. These are a great teal, blues, and brown or a cream background.


She and I and the 2 grandsons picked out the fabric over Christmas vacation. Decorator fabric was on sale and I had a coupon for an additional 15 dollars off.

The project went quickly with this gadget, which also has straight lines on the back. I don't like to buy gadgets only to leave them in a drawer. But this one is a life saver!  All I had to do was press the fabric up to the line and iron. Roll again for the hem  which was a 3 inch double rolled one. or the top which was 1 and 1/2 inch casing. The sides were just double rolled. Top stitch and then done. I was able to do both in an hour and a half... Done.



Lastly, I decided to work on finishing a UFO, and my hexie project for next month.  I had seen the table topper in a magazine and the pattern is on All People Quilt.  But I found my own clip art images and made a hexagon to fit a charm pack. the fabric is an old Sandy Gervais fall line. The embroidery was completed the last 2 summers on a car trip with a small outline stitch and 2 pieces of embroidery floss.

I traced around my paper pattern either with a fine mechanical pencil, Frixon pen or a white chalk pencil for the sewing line depending on the color on the back of the fabric..  I then cut the quarter inch seam allowance.  Great project in front of the Packer game.  Another win!  Go Pack Go!




Then I machine stitched each line together, pinning carefully at each corner and back stitching both at the beginning and end of each seam. It is like a Y seam. But the marking lines were so helpful as was the consistent seam allowance.

 Photos at night don't do the rich chocolate brown, warm butter yellow, or rust justice. Oh, I can tell some moved on the transfer from living room to sewing machine. It will just have to stay. On the back I pressed my seams open.  Now for a flannel layer instead of batting and a backing. I will turn under the quarter inch hem.