PROPOSALS

I am going to write a post unlike any I have written before.  I have shown some of my WIPs and UFOs in the past, but the twist here is that I am going to get specific about completions.

This month I want to finish at least 4 more of my QAYG Improv blocks for my grey/yellow/black guest bedroom decor.  I also want to get at least one pair of pillowslips finished for this room.

I have two wall hangings that are ready to quilt.  The first block that I show is from a class I took with Bonnie Hunter in 2012.  I have several of these blocks finished and I have decided to use them in a small piece as a wall hanging instead of trying to make more blocks to have a bed quilt.

This is my Kaleidoscope and I have decided to finish it at the size it is now instead of adding borders to it.

Another workshop that I will be attending will be on making pineapple blocks.  I plan to make enough of these to have a wall hanging.  I want to take this project to completion this month.

These are the only things I am committing to do this month.  If I find I have extra time then I will do some others.

My completions for January included getting my husband's quilt quilted and bound; and completing two of my QAYG Improv blocks.

                                          -sandi

CHILLING OUT ON A LILY PAD!

Over here at the Frogpond Studio we do this frequently.  I will spend my weekend getting last minute details taken care of to head to Grand Oak Retreat for four glorious days of eating, sleeping, and stitching with fifteen wonderful gals next week.

I am taking a few of my WIPs with me.

Easy Street designed by Bonnie Hunter.

My ticker tape project.  Love these colors.

STILL working on Farmer's Market.  Maybe this will be the week it gets finished.

I have another project or two I will toss in "just in case" I run out of something to do.


                                    -sandi





 

WIPs TO FOCUS ON

 

ALL OF MY UFOs AND WIPs ARE FINISHED!!

 

Gotcha!  April Fool's!?!?!

 

Now for the truth of the matter.

 

 

Every year I take time to re-assess my WIPs list.  It is quite a long list.  I simply re-arrange the order of the list and continue to do new projects.  Since I will be going away on four retreats this year, I have chosen to focus on some of my specific
WIPs with the idea that they will get finished.  I do not know which is the better way to approach this:  Do I start with the most current and work my way back to the oldest one?  OR Should I go back to the oldest one and work my way forward?

 

After looking at the list of the seven projects that I chose to focus on, I have decided to start with the most recent and work in that direction.

 

In November/December 2012 I started Bonnie Hunter's latest Mystery Quilt called "Easy Street".  This year I knew that I would not have much time to devote to it as it was happening so I decided to do some of each step.  For me that was not the best idea.  It has taken me more time to sort out what number of components are lacking.  In the future I will know that is not a good style for me.

Here is a sample of some of the units I have done.

 

 

 

 

Another Bonnie Hunter project that is still sitting in its little box is "Virginia Bound".  This one was started at a Workshop I attended in Pelham, Alabama when Bonnie came 2 years ago.  In reading her blog and checking her calendar I discovered that she would be coming to a "town near me" and I contacted the sponsoring guild and was able to get the last slot.  That was a really fun day.  It was great to meet Bonnie and to see her style of teaching a Workshop.

I have about half of the blocks done for this quilt that uses strings.

 

 

 

 

 

My landscape quilt and my kaleidoscope quilt are both small pieces and only need to be quilted and bound.  This should not take very much time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A third Bonnie Hunter pattern that I have going is the Lady of  Lake Erie pattern that appeared in Quiltmaker Magazine.  A few years ago I made a picture of the produce section at my local grocery store because it inspired me to think of a quilt pattern to use these colors. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I have chosen to use the Lady of  Lake Erie pattern and am naming this project "Farmer's Market".  I have about a third of the blocks completed and the rest are cut and waiting.

 

 

 

The topic for our projects for this month in my Art Quilt Guild is collage.  I have a fish collage that I started over five years ago.  It needs to have the thread embellishing done and it will be complete.

The first retreat is early in April and my guild meeting is at the end of the month.  This really could get finished.  Of course, that means I will be changing the order again of when to do these WIPs.  But isn't that what life is about?  Being flexible and willing to make changes?

 

 

 

 

 

And, of course, I don't want to forget about my Ticker Tape quilt. 

 

Now I am motivated to get started.  I wonder how many of these I will get finished at the first retreat in April????

 



 

 

-sandi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LET FEBRUARY BEGIN

February 1st has come and gone.  That day was devoted to wishing my daughter a special "Happy Birthday".

 

Now I am ready to talk quilts.  I am going to show you some of the projects that I have going that are all being done by hand.  These take me longer to do.  Hoping to keep an update of these projects as the weeks and months go along.

 

The first one is a pair of socks I am knitting.  This is only the second pair of socks I have ever made.  When I made the first pair I used one set of double pointed needles and made one sock at a time.  When I reached the end of the first sock and still had to do a second sock, it was a little harder to get myself going.  So, my solution to this was to use a discount coupon and buy another set of needles so I could do both socks at the same time.

I am trying to set aside about an hour or hour and a half about 3 mornings a week to work on this and then work on it again while I watch television with DH for Wheel and Jeopardy after dinner each night.  I am not a very fast knitter.

 

I am using this self-striping yarn and I tell myself that I will knit through a certain color then switch to the other sock and do the same thing.

So far it is working.

So you can see where I am as I start this month. Doing the heel is the next step.  I will do the heel on one sock then do it on the other sock.

 

  

The next project I am showing is an applique that was all done in needle turn method.  I used batiks and I love it.  This year I have sandwiched it and am hand quilting it.  This is the project to take to my hand quilting group that meets twice a month.  We are together for about 3 hours each time.  This will give me time to really make some progress on this little wall hanging and I will be able to finish it before the year is out.  After it is hand quilted I will add some buttons for embellishment.

 

Lil Bit likes to oversee things.  This project is about 24 inches square so this gives you a "little" idea about how small LilBit is. 

 

 

 

 

My third project is quite a large project.  It is my Hexie Star Table Topper in very contemporary colors.

 

I am choosing to work on this one when I get together with another of my hand groups.  We meet once a month for a few hours and during that time it is easy to work on the hexies.

 

 

 

 I have not worked on this since before Christmas, so I have a ways to go.

  

 

Well, this all sounds well and good.  Let's see if I stay focused and don't wander off on some other project.  Sometimes I get off track.  It reminds me of the way it is when I take LilBit for a walk.  She just has her nose to the ground and follows every scent she comes across.  That's why a harness and leash are important.  Too bad I don't have a harness and leash to keep me focused.

 

Stay tuned for updates.

 

 

-sandi

TAKING THE CHALLENGE

One of my favorite quilt teacher/designers is Bonnie Hunter.  She has issued a challenge for each one to do an hour of Needle and Thread time by Hand. 

I have three projects to work on.  The first is a preprinted small quilt that I am hand quilting.

I am also working on my Hexie project.
This is the one I am starting with today.

This is the fifth section to be added to the total project.  You can see that the red hexies need to be added and then there is another row of white.

This is Lil Bit and me in our favorite quilting chair.  Currently we are doing this hand sewing in the Living Room with the DH as he recovers from his first Hip Replacement Surgery.
My third hand project involves applique.  This is Tiny Town that I started about 2 years ago.

I will post pics as I go along.  This will certainly make a difference in my unfinished hand projects.


                                        -sandi

EAT, SLEEP, STITCH

I love this shirt and I have adopted this as my motto.   You can find it over at Beth Gilbert's site:    http://www.bethsneedlenest.com/.   

I am headed out to Retreat again this week.  I don't usually go 2 months in a row, but I was given the opportunity --  so what could I say?   YES, YES, YES!!!

I am taking lots of projects with me.  Not sure what I will get finished.  Of course I will be taking this month's WIP with me.



Then  I have others I am working on and some I will start as new projects.

This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern "Lady of the Lake".  Maybe I will use it as a leader/ender.

Batiks to make a table runner for my dining room.

Of course, a hand project.  This is a red/white/blue flag wall hanging.  Maybe I will have it ready for next year's Fourth of July.

My version of Espresso Junction.  I am excited to get this project underway.  I want to see how changing to a light colorway will evolve.

Not sure if this is all I will be taking, but at least it is a start.  I may add another project or two.  After all, I have three days to sew, sew, sew.  Lots can happen in three days!

-sandi

AND THE NUMBER IS . . .

Another WIP number has been chosen.  This time it is number 8.  The list in the binder identifies this project as Convergence in Music.  This little piece needs borders and quilting for completion.

Convergence in Music to be completed in July!

I think the challenge on this completion will be the quilting.  Want to do something creative on my domestic machine. 

Stay tuned!

                                    -sandi

WIP # 1 FINISHED!

Contemporary Dresden Plate Quilt

On the first day of June, I had my DH choose a slip of paper from the bowl of all of these WIPs (Works in Progress).  This would be the project for the month to have finished by June 30.

The number he chose was #1 and this corresponded to the list in my binder.

#1 on the list was Dresden Plate.  I started working on it.

I took it with me to Retreat with my quilty buddies.

I worked on it diligently until I had the top finished.
I brought it home and started working on the back.  I wanted to use up all my 30s scraps.

I had some components left from making the Dresden Plates that I wanted to use up so I made the label from these.  The label tells the observer that this quilt was started two years ago with my friend, Linda Meck, who completed hers that first summer.

The original traditional pattern I started with called for 30 blocks to be set in straight set with sashing and 9-patch cornerstones.  After I made 15 of the Plate blocks, I decided I was finished with making Dresden Plates.
I still had all of the white squares that I cut to put the appliques on.  It seemed to me that I could use those and the 15 completed blocks I had and get that top finished.
I chose to set these on point simply to gain the extra inches to make the quilt a good sized twin.

I still had fabric left.  Since I had given up on a traditional setting I began to play with strata strips to make the borders.  I opted for borders only on 3 sides and one of those was one-third the width of the other two.
I liked all of the negative space that was left on this quilt.
It is quilted in an overall side to side pattern in medium density.
It is great to be able to say that the June WIP is now complete!!!

-sandi

TIME TO FINISH IT

The other day was time to clean up the studio.  It was a really big mess from several projects I had completed.  I started to straighten out the fabrics on the shelves and discovered that I was constantly re-arranging plastic bins, tubs, and boxes. 

The time had come!!!  Get these boxes sorted out and stacked together so I could see just how many WIPs (Works in Progress) I truly had.  This is certainly not ALL of the WIPs, but I could not safely stack anymore. 

Okay, let's get a system here.  I decided to list these projects in a binder with a little information about how much was completed/started on each project.

This is about 15 projects.  Some would take an hour or so to complete and some will take a week or two.

I have made these lists before and I am bored with the list making.  June is the mid-way point of the year and a good time to settle down and finish off some things before the New Year.

I don't know if I will finish all of these, but I certainly want to see the stack go down.  We will keep tabs on it each month.

After getting the list in the binder I needed a way to get myself to complete a project.  Maybe I could get someone else involved.

A few of my friends are in guilds that have a UFO/WIP challenge.  I am not in one of those guilds.

The next best thing was to ask my DH to help with this.

I made little slips of paper with the corresponding number of the project in the binder and folded and put them in a little bowl.  You will notice that I am using recycled paper so there is printing on one side and I could write the numbers on the other side.

I explained this to my DH and told him that he would draw one number out of the bowl for me on the last day of each month until I had completed this stack of WIPs.  If I finished something in a day or two we would then draw another project for the same month.

So yesterday was the last day of May and he drew the number for me.   I started laughing when I opened it and saw what number it was:

No better place to start than with the number 1!  So I looked back at the list and found that the project #1 is Dresden Plate.
I started this project with a friend of mine 2 summers ago because she wanted to learn how to do machine applique and she chose the Dresden Plate.  She and I met several times and sewed together as I taught her how to do the applique, etc.  She caught on quickly and did not need me anymore.  She went on to complete her project and mine stayed in the plastic box.  I have several blocks completed, but still have many to go. 

The WIP for June is Dresden Plate:

I will keep you posted on my progress this month.

This will not be the only project I am working on.  There are always other things that get mixed in too.  The goal is to make sure this one is completed by the end of the month.

Stay tuned . . .


                                         -sandi