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November's UFO Challenge quilt is done early...how about that? this was a pretty simple pattern...snowball blocks and 9 patch blocks. and i made the blocks bbiiiggg. LOL this was my 'pattern'...i drew it in EQ
This used up some blue and brown fabrics. it's a pretty good bed size.
Snowball blocks
And 9 patch blocks...how simple is that. then why did it set in a box as an UFO for months? sigh!!
Borders of tan and more blue....binding yet another blue. i seem to have a lot of blue fabric.
Backing was plain muslin and i quilted it with my 'go-to' quick and easy maze board from Quiltazoid.
Just one more UFO Challenge quilt for this year...December. i've already started it....ssshhh...don't tell Judy. LOL in fact, December's box of 2 1/2" strips has sooo many.....there will be 2 quilts.
Then it is time to start the UFO list for next year. dare i try for 2 each month? mmmmm....maybe every other month could be 2. we'll see.....there are still lots of UFOs living in my studio. are you sure you didn't sneak some of your UFOs in with mine when i wasn't looking? i might have to check on that....
Later
I was afraid i might need more days in October to finish the UFO challenge for this month.... #6. i just finished it yesterday. in the interests of time, it was quilted with Baptist Fan boards from Quiltazoid. there was no time for custom quilting.
I am kind of glad this year is about over....only 2 more challenges to go...and my last 2 are simple ones....thankfully.
This one started out with this idea...just a page pulled out of a magazine somewhere.
I had several blocks paper pieced....but not the fabrics that i used for all of it. i realized early on that this original pattern wasn't going to happen if it was to be done by the end of the month.
i had these corners....when you put them together they actually don't join to properly make a circle. unless that was operator error...it's possible.
I only had 2 of these star blocks done...so 6 more of those to do.
The black in one of these corner blocks doesn't match the others. i found the black fabric that i used originally....AFTER i finished the fourth block with a diferent black. i was NOT going to re-do it. it is what it is. you might not notice if i didn't point it out. 3 blocks have dots and one block is plain black.
Did not have any of the log cabin blocks made....but they go together fairly easily and quickly. by this point i realized i better call it done or it would never get finished.
Many little other paper pieced blocks had to be assembled. i sure like paper piecing but it is time consuming.
I had to add the rows of red and gray/brown lattice to make the size match up with the corner blocks.
Those stars seem to take forever....there are 8 sections for each one.
It wound up being about 77" square...not a bad size but not anywhere near queen size. but i am ok with that. i hung onto the pattern. i still might go back and revisit that one day and make it as the pattern shows. i still like it.
This is the back.
Don't you love my bright yellow binding? LOL i thought it needed it to tie back to the yellow in the middle.
I was anxious every month that Judy pulled a number....i knew this one was going to be a bear to finish. i pulled it out about 3 months ago and worked a few blocks when i could....and good thing, too, or it still might not be finished.
November and December are gonna be a breeze....nothing elaborate like this. thank you, Judy, for pushing us to finish those UFOs. Dare i try 2 UFOs a month for 2013? we'll see...
Later
The stars are aligned correctly and my mojo is working....thus, the UFO #11 for September is finished well ahead of time. and it would have been done last week but i had to make a trip to help my sister tear down her garage and install some windows at the Duck. but, hey, i'm still done early.
This one is kind of small but that is all the rooster fabric i had. it's a square in a square in a square block.
That pinkish rooster fabric does not photograph well.
I like the chicken wire sashing....that was used for the binding, also.
The last bits of fabric were incorporated into the backing. Roosters now all gone and another monthly challenge finished.
Three more months to go for this year's challenge. i have managed to make the deadline for each month so far. I think i can keep it up for the rest of the year.
Am starting to work on those other 77 UFO projects that i have in the studio. i might be buried for a while. catch you
Later
Finished my UFO Challenge #7 for August. with a day to spare. This is called Nantucket Knots. It's a pattern i have had for a while....don't know where i got it. years ago i cut all my reds and blues to make these blocks. the blocks are 5.5 inches finished. the pattern was for a quilt about 36" so i really didn't calculate how many blocks to cut.....i think i just cut pieces until i used all my red and blue fabrics at the time.
I had maybe 3 rows finished. this box lived in my sister's closet for years. whenever i went to visit i would sew a few blocks together. finally i brought it home and it became an official UFO for 2012. i made 130 blocks....set them 10x13. i figured that was plenty. it came to 65x86 inches. good enough.
I had cut so many blocks years ago....that there were still enough pieces in the box to make at least 150 more blocks. yikes!! what was i thinking? so, when i went to quilt class last Monday i gave them to Brenda. she makes a lot of veterans quilts and i was hoping she would take them...and she did. thank you, Brenda.
I wasn't going to put a border but finally caved and did it. there was a piece of red/blue/purple fabric in the stash and i had just enough to use it up. it was fate! and found a maroon in the stash for the binding.
I used a panto on this one....Star Swirl. it's one of my favorites. dark green Glide thread on the top and white Bottom Line on the bottom.
So, another UFO is finished and 3 more to go for this year. i'm hoping to finish more than 3 though.
But if the weather cools off some i might have to do some yard work and save the quilting for ...
Later
July's Color Palette Challenge was a picture by Picasso. no pressure....hahahahaha
I started several times and couldn't get an idea to gel. i kept thinking of duplicating the photo. yeah, right! LOL
So, here i am...down to the wire and it's time to do SOMETHING....even if it is wrong.
Here is our photo....thanks, Vicki ....
Here's my take on it....just look from far away and squint....it'll pass. LOL
I'll give you a closer look if you don't look too close.
A couple hours work and i made the deadline.
I cut my colors into itsy bitty pieces and put some steam a seam II on the background fabric....dropped the colored bits onto it....put more steam a seam and a black net over all and ironed it all down. i've always wanted to try this method and granted this time was not my finest moment....but i'll live with it. may have to try this again one day.
Here's hoping i get a good idea quickly for next month's challenge. thanks to Judy Laquidara at www.patchworktimes.com for organizing these challenges.
Later
Finished my challenge quilt for July. this is the yearly challenge project sponsored by Judy Laquidara at www.patchworktimes.com so far i have managed to get each month's done on time.
This is from a book called Fabulous Fractures by Brenda Esslinger. i had the middle part done for a while and then lost interest. i wanted to just throw it away but once it got in the challenge for the year it had to be finished.
It turned out to be 57x63"...weird size. don't ask me how it got there...there was no planning involved. that's how you know it is mine....right? hahahahaha
It's not a real complicated process....but tedious. cut 4 equal pieces of fabrics....slice them up....move them around...sew back together....turn....slice them up....move them around...sew back together.
Don't think i'll be doing that again. why do i always have to try something new? can you explain that to me? that is probably why i have 42,849 UFOs. hahahahaha
The pointy triangles were appliqued down by machine...otherwise i would STILL be working on this.
Did a meander on this to practice for a customer quilt. she wants meander with King Tut thread and it doesn't always behave for me. so i changed to a larger needle and it seemed to work ok.
This fabric in the border is the original fabric that the middle fracture came from.
The back was a piece that i had...kind of a watercolor with the same colors. works for me.
A closer look
Glad this one is done and out of the box. now to find a home for it. i need more donation places.
Wait till you see what i have up next....but you have to wait till..
Later
I finally decided what to do and pieced my Color Palette Challenge for June. This is a monthly challenge for the year...organized by Judy Laquidara .... www.patchworktimes.com with color palette photo given by Vicki Welsh .... http://vickiwelsh.typepad.com/
Here is our photo for the month. a close up of a flower with purples, greens, a yellow and an orange. ... and my chosen fabrics. ... Moda solids.
And, as usual, i could not decide what to do. i wanted to do a one block piece this time. i played in EQ for days...changing my mind and re-coloring. yesterday i thought i had it...and hit a wrong key and closed EQ out and lost it all. i got frustrated and went on home. finally i decided on the Storm at Sea block and got it set up. this was a paper pieced block. my piece is rectangular so it looks stretched out.
And here is my finished piece. Looks like i moved the camera....i have shadows. why is it when i look at a photo of what i have done......i always want to change it. LOL i'm thinking i would have liked it if the inside corners of the block would have been yellow......the pieces between the other 2 yellow pieces. wonder what that would look like. well.. who knows...i'm not making another one.
So, one more thing crossed off this month's list. now if i could only finish the customer quilt on the frame. i am such a procrastinator these days...and that is so not like me. i should go finish it now....or.....
Later
It is not even the middle of June...and i have my UFO for this month.....#12....finished. a great sense of accomplishment. the pattern is a split 9 patch. no idea where i got the pattern.....possibly EQ. all the pieces were cut out and most of the blocks were done. had to piece about 8 or 9 blocks, assemble and quilt. i like finished.
This is the printout that i had.....so i believe i put this together in EQ. it was designed larger...30 blocks. but i stopped at 20 when there were no more brown pieces left. good enough.
I also changed the layout that i had. i like the new layout better. it's about 82x98". only about a 5" strip of that border print left.
Glide thread on the top....Bottom Line in the bobbin. goldish colors
Used panto called Star Swirl...i like that pattern....quick and large.
The back was pieced with the last of the yellow...the last of some gold floral i had in the studio...and some dark brown to make it long enough.
I haven't used muslin in weeks....i wonder how many more backs i can piece from my stash.
Now i shall go dig through the UFO pile and see what else i can dig out and finish up. .... or at least work on for a while. if i finish anything else ...i'll show you...
Later
