Richmond Reds

I took a class Saturday afternoon/evening with a couple of friends at Grand Country Quilters in San Marcos, CA.  It was so fun!  I have never taken a class there, and haven't taken a class in a very long time ... It was good for my soul.

We were making a pattern called Richmond Reds by Barbara Brackman ... We had the cutting instructions prior to class and by the size of the pieces, I was guessing the quilt was going to be quite large.  After just finishing the 88" x 88" mystery quilt, I did not want to make another large quilt.  I chose to make mine smaller and was happy to get it all cut out before class.

The original was 80" x 80"; I finished mine yesterday ... I am so excited!  My version is 55 1/2" x 55 1/2".

Isn't it pretty?  I used reds inside, and blacks around the outside.  Everything came from my stash.

I was a little concerned about how bright my light background fabric was.  In the original quilt, their fabric was more muted, but this was what I had.  I am really happy with how it made my stars POP.

I am pretty darn proud of my points!  This quilt was made using a ruler set called Tri-Rec rulers.  I usually do not do templates or funky rulers, so I was not sure I was going to like this process.  But after I sewed about three sections together and found out the best way to place the pieces so it would measure as it needed to, I decided I really liked the process.  It doesn't waste as much fabric, and it was really pretty speedy.

I did a lot of ripping out in this quilt as it is a bit of a process to get all the pieces in the right places!!  I am very happy to call this my 4th finish of the year!  I don't know what is going on ... I am never this productive, but I am loving it!  Really the only reason I have had so much opportunity to piece is because I haven't had any longarm business. I caught up in December, and I only have one small customer quilt at the moment.  This is the first time this has happened in 3 years, so  I am taking advantage of this rare opportunity!

Stash Report - Week 4

I have accomplished a lot this week!  Finished my mystery quilt which used a little yardage and took a class Saturday and made another quilt!  Woo hoo!  Finally report is going in the right direction ...

Used this Week: 7 3/4 yards

Used year to Date:  14 1/4 yards

Added this Week:  0 yards

Added Year to Date: 13 1/2 yards

Net Used for 2015:  3/4 yards

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt - Finish!

Oh I am so very proud of myself ... If you will remember I started Bonnie Hunter's GIMQ back in November, you can see the start of it here  http://quiltingunderthesun.blogspot.com/2014/12/grand-illusion-mystery-quilt.html.  We had 6 weeks of clues and of course I got behind because Christmas was in there.  I started putting it together the beginning of January and I must admit I ran out of steam!  This quilt is 88" x 88" and I rarely make a quilt that large.  There are over 2,000 pieces, so you can imagine how many seams there are!!

There was sun coming in the window and I could not get a good picture without some glare.

There are 52 pieces in each block; there are 25 blocks in the quilt!  That is 1,300 pieces right there!  There is also sashing in between each block ... 16 pieces in each sashing; and a pieced outside border.  I gave up counting pieces!

I will say I cannot believe that my pieced outside border fit!!!  I did have to ease it in, but no more than I normally would.

I am really impressed with myself because with all those seams, there was a distinct possibility that the border was not going to fit!

After I put it all together and finished the pressing, it was time to de-thread the top.  That was a lot of work, but it looks so much better now!

Then I cut all my leftover browns and pinks.  I didn't measure, I just cut them into strips and sewed them all together.  I measured after I was done sewing ...

I have enough binding for two queen size quilts!!  Haha ... It took a long time to wind that binding around the spool. 

This is my third finish of the year and I am

so excited!  I think I am going to quilt it in a dwirling pattern ... That is a term from the Pajama Quilter video .. It's a lot of fun and I of course will share photos when I am done.  Did you have any finishes this week?

Stash Report - Week 3

Ok, moving right along here!  Another week where I went fabric shopping!  I told you I found a great quilt to make, haven't done this in a while where I buy new fabric and a pattern just for me.  So I don't feel guilty about it!  Also, finished the top of my Christmas quilt, so at least I used something!

Used this Week: 2 1/2 yards

Used year to Date:  6 1/2 yards

Added this Week:  5 yards

Added Year to Date: 13 1/2 yards

Net Used for 2015:  [7] yards

Stash Report - Week 2

Oh dear it is week 3 and so I'm a little behind!

I had ordered Christmas fabric on sale, so got several yards of that.  I also bought 4 1/2 yards of fabric for the two Christmas quilts I am making.  I had no yardage for backgrounds, so it was necessary.  Not a lot used, just one row in the Silent Night quilt.

Used this Week: 1/2 yards

Used year to Date:  4 1/2 yards

Added this Week:  8 1/2 yards

Added Year to Date: 8 1/2 yards

Net Used for 2015:  [4] yards

In the hole already ... Haha!  That is ok ...as I have mentioned before, I have used a lot of fabric from my stash.  It is getting to the point where if I need big pieces, I don't have them.  Further, if I can get fabric for $5 a yard instead of $11 or $12, I am going to buy it.  It just makes sense.  The point is, shop your stash first ... If there is something you need, buy it.

Works in Progress

I have been really busy this last week working on several things ... A Facebook group working on this Silent Night pattern by Timeless Traditions ... as a block of the month ...

Still working on putting my monster mystery quilt together ...

Found a little time to visit a couple of quilt stores when I went to visit my mom

on Wednesday ... Have no greens in my stash, so here is some stash building

Then I found this adorable pattern and line of fabric ... The fabric has been out for a little while, but when I saw the aqua in the line ... Oh wow!!!  

The store was out of the aqua, but i managed  to find some on line ... Not a lot left!  Hope to start on this next week.

I am teaching a stash class in January and have been working on my sample ...

Getting there ...

Finally finished this afternoon in time to run it over to the store for the open house tomorrow!

It is called Christmas in January!  I have never done a Christmas quilt any other time except for December ... I am so excited!  My goal is to work on Christmas quilting every month this year.  Can't wait to see what I come up with!

Longarm quilts

I did some longarming in December, and saved it to share with you.  Since I have given a good friend of mine a very hard time for the way she usually puts her borders on ...

... Well I have to give her loads of praise for this quilt!  She measured her quilt top and added her borders the way I am always preaching at her to do!  It layed lovely and the quilting was so much easier because of it!!  Beautiful work my friend!

Isn't this an adorable little quilt!  It was a baby gift for a little boy.

The bear print she fussy cut ... So cute!

This is my friend that loves the swirl ... I threw in a star for good measure ... Because every child shines like a star ...

Adorable!  Part of the joy for me in quilting lies in thinking about the people that the quilts I longarm go to ... I can just imagine how much this little guy is going to feel loved and cuddled in his bear quilt.  I used my favorite Omni thread.

Just did this little quilt the other day ...

A Christmas quilt for next year.

I wanted to try a different design ... It started out as a small circle swirl, but as it progressed, it changed a little.  I have no idea what it became .... Haha ...

But it sure is cute!  Very fun to do, but especially time consuming as this design is very tight.

I love all the texture it gives ... I would love to try this design spaced a little farther apart.

After all of my own rush Christmas quilting, it was fun to take my time and do a little table topper ... Of course Omni thread and as usual, the design is all me, free motion quilting.

My First 2015 UFO

Okay here is my first UFO finish of the year ...

This is a mystery quilt from a couple of years ago ... A class I taught (not my own pattern).  I made the quilt, quilted and trimmed it ... There it sat waiting to be bound!

It was a fun pattern ... Nine patch in a nine patch.

Using 5" squares mostly ... It went together quickly and was a great way to use up some fabric that I didn't have lots of.

Most of the fabric I had in my stash, but I bought a small amount to fill in.  This was a great, fun quilt to make and I am so glad I put the binding on ... Finally!  Washed it and it is on my bed.  I hope this is the first of at least a few UFO finishes for 2015.  How about you?  Do you have any plans for those unfinished projects?  I do hate that name ... UFO ... I will have to think of something better than that.

Progress

Keeping busy in my sewing room today.  I made progress on my mystery quilt ...

Nineteen all together, only six blocks left ... I can only do so many at a time.  All those intersections and bumpy seams bug me!  I had no idea what the quilt was going to be like when I started it ... I used some thicker fabrics and also homespuns and wovens ... Nothing like making a complicated block even harder ... Haha!

Further progress on my January quilt ..

The stack of Reds will be matched by a stack of greens.  It's nice to work on something fairly simple after such a complicated quilt.  

I finished my first UFO of 2015, but it's im the other room and I need to take a pic. So I'll do that tomorrow when I post the second part of my 2014 wrap up post.

A Year in Review, Part II

Okay .. Finally getting this concluded!  

Backtracking ... I think this green quilt was from my class in July ...

In August, I finished this beauty ...

and started and finished this one!


September found me starting and finishing this ... one of my favorite for the year!

October I made this adorable quilt for my granddaughter ...
December brought these Christmas finishes just in the nick of time to get them in the mail to some very special people!

And this little quickie for my December stash project class

 

 

I know I have a finish or two that is not on my blog ... hmmm ... let me check upstairs in my closet ... the one that is holding the 15 million quilts that I have made and not had time to longarm!

This quilt is one of my all time favorites!  The same quilt I made for my daughter, but this one I finished before I started her's .. It's the yummy Laundry Basket fabric ... A line from maybe 2 years ago.

This little quilt I will call a finish, because I taught the class in June I believe, 

... But because I have so much red, white and blue fabric, I am going to make it much larger, so I won't call it a finish this year, but will count it in last year!

I believe that is 14 quilts done in 2014 ... Woo hoo!!! I can't remember when I have made so many ... And that is because I made 2014 the year of using my stash; and at the suggestion of my sweet friend, and Country Loft store manager, Kathy Reppenhagen, the year of teaching a using your stash class!

Just to clarify ...my "finishing a quilt" in these last two posts covering 2014, means finishing the quilt top.  They are all obviously not quilted!

A Year in Review

One of the great things about having a blog is being able to flip back like in a journal, and read and see what you have done.  I know I had a lot of finishes last year, so let's see what I was up to.

My first quilt of the year was my January stash project ... An adorable table runner

 

I also had a few unfinished projects that I got done in January ... this adorable bunny wool mat

Valentine wool mat

Spring wool mat 

 

 I made my granddaughter a quilt in February for Valentine's day ... why I can't find it in my pictures I am not sure, but I will represent it here with a picture that is similar.

Ha ha ... this picture is not similar, it is my friend Julie's quilt, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind me sharing it!

In March I had this great finish ... but all I can find is the 3/4 finished quilt!  Ha ha ...  Oh wait, I think the finish is farther back in my year!


 

 These are bunny bags I made at Easter ... I made 7 total!

 

 

 

July held this beautiful finish, which became a Christmas present for my stepmom.

 

I am going to continue this in another post!. I'll let you take a break and finish my post with the second part tomorrow.