Progress Report

Well I thought I had done more on this stocking than I have done.  But every stitch counts towards getting it done.  In case you are wondering I did the bottom straight line and the stems for the flowers that are pointed down.

On my Get RR Done project, The Free Motion Skill-builder, I feel like I have made good progress.  I had three elements done out of 25 when I last posted and now I have only have 7 more elements to finish. The yellow highlighter on the image below show all the things I have finished.  

I went in order except for #7, I am having a hard 

time figuring out the direction to stitch. 

A view of the top row of stitching,  It is hard to see the white thread on the white fabric. but maybe you can see the 

effect of the stitching. 

Some of the center part.  I have learned a lot and I have learned to stop and go without making big jumping stitches.  I have ideas of different designs to do in an area.  Plus I am learning the things to set my machine up correctly for free motion.  I was working too hard on a couple of elements, until I remembered some settings to change and oh what a difference that makes.

Hopefully I won't forget all I am learning.

This project has to be done in two weeks to count, so I can be placed in the monthly prize drawing. 

Happy Stitching!

Get RR Done Club

My local quilt shop has a Get RR Done Club that 

meets once a month for 6 months.  It is hosted by the 

fun and lovely Debbie.  Here is the link to her blog where she posts everyone's progress. So I decided to sign up for the 

club and see if I could get some projects done. 

We had to write down six projects we want to get done.  

I listed mine in the order I wanted to finish them.  

Which is not the order they will be finished in.  

Each month Debbie pulls a number from one to six and that is the project you have to finish in the next month.

My projects are as listed:

1. Design and Sew  Quilt
2. Stick Witch 
3. Stick Santa
4. Borders on my Dear Jane quilt
5. Pink Princess
6. Free Motion Sampler Skillbuilder

Guess what number got pulled first.  Number Six.  

That is right, the one I wanted to do last.  

Oh well in the spirit of fun I will do it first.  

Before I can really get started I need to clean my sewing room.  I am having some creative explosion in there. 

While at the meeting I did sew on my Design and Sew quilt, I finished one block.   

Here it is in the EQ7 version and in the real fabric

EQ 7 Version

The real block


Here is my Dear Jane, started in 2001
I have the backing and batting, and even have one border almost constructed and maybe 3 more triangles to do and 2 corners.  I just got overwhelmed with the borders and if they are going to fit.  So I put it down for a bit, which turned out to be a lot of years.  I have put too much work into it not to finish it.

Here is part of the top border of the quilt.  

You can see the last year I worked on this was 2007.  

I am so close!

This is from an online class from Crafty and it is the first in 

a series on how to make a quilt without a pattern.  

I don't even remember when I started this, but it was sometime in 2014.  Something about the random size of the center strips that is really hard for my structured nature.  I wanted to do it so I can learn to be more free in my style.  So far it hasn't worked,  I couldn't even work on it.  Little Bit will love the pink and the theme fabric matches fabric in her pillow case I made for her.  It has princess words all over it.  She is a little princess.  

So I call this Pink Princess. 

It is simple enough to make, I can do this!

The next two are projects I want to make.  The Stick Santa pattern I have had for a couple of years and the Stick Witch I picked up this year.  Halloween quilts are my second favorite quilts after Christmas.  I also want to work these up as classes this fall.  I can't wait to work on these.

Last but not least is my Free Motion sampler Skillbuilder.  I like to retake quilting free motion classes every now and then as I learn something new from different teachers. This last one had us buy a panel to help us do different designs.  I have done three of the details but I want to Get RR Done, so it was added 

to the list.  This is #6 and has to be done first by the June meeting.  

So wish me luck getting these done and I will keep you 

posted on my progress. 

Frame Quilting

I am sure you all have forgotten I have a short arm quilting frame.  I hadn't forgotten I had one because I see it every day.  I just haven't touched it in three years.  I stopped using it the January before I retired.  I was just too tired to bother and I felt I'll be retired by next year so I can use it all I want then.  Little did I know that two little girls would come bouncing into my life and turn my world upside down and that I wouldn't find the time or energy to use it again for two more years. 

So on February 6th I loaded a practice quilt.  Just a yard of two fabrics and some batting.  My first past of stitching wasn't two bad and the second one looked better.  Than I had some issues when I tried to work from the back of the quilt.  My machine would freeze up.  I re-threaded it, and cleaned out the bobbin area and started up again and it has been fine since.  I think I had my bobbin in the bobbin case backwards.

Yesterday I finished my practice piece. 

I did a variety of patterns just to get my groove back.  I even did a couple of Pantograhs for the first time.  I find it hard to work from the back of the machine and it is really hard to follow those lines. I know no one follows those lines perfectly but I would like to get some where close.  I even have this one section that I completely missed quilting.  I must have rolled it up too soon.  

I like doing free motion but it was good for me to follow the pantographs to find a more open design.  I am going to buy fabric today to do a second practice quilt.  I have a quilt a friend wants me to quilt for her.  One of her friends made her a T-shirt quilt.  I want to do a good job.  So I am practicing!

Happy Stitching!!

Quilting Update

One of my friends told me, "Now that you do Genealogy you hardly blog on your quilting blog any more."  Well Rachel I think I'm making up for lost time today. 

Meandering with stars and moons

Yesterday I was watching this video to learn or improve your frame machine quilting.  I decided yesterday was the day I was going to finish that practice piece I have had on the frame since January.  Yep it has been there for 8 months.  I didn't like the quilting pattern the mystery quilt was showing us how to do.  I'm really glad I was doing it on some practice fabric instead of the quilt I made for the mystery quilt.  I'll do something else with that wall hanging.  So I finished the practice piece with some meandering loop-de-loops with stars and crescent moons.   Boy you can get rusty in 8 months.  It was like meet my machine all over again.

Blue Moon

Yesterday I suddenly felt motivated to finish a quilt that has been waiting for just two borders.  This is Blue Moon by Whimsical.    I pieced the borders and sewed them on tonight.  I went and purchased thread yesterday to quilt it with.  I already have the backing but I have to check if I have batting.  If I don't it isn't a big deal I can buy it right around the corner from my house.  You can see why I was practicing meandering with stars and moons, I think they will look on this quilt.  I will go around the applique, not over it.

And yes since August 1st I have made four Farmer's Wife Blocks.  I'm thinking I might make three more and put it away for awhile so I can work on some other projects.  Quilt Camp is coming up in 3 weeks and it would be nice to have a small quilt for silent auction. 

So that is all I have to report from my little corner of the world. 

Happy Stitching!

A Cool Blog I Found

OK I have been spending a little more time then usual in blogsville today but I have found some interesting blogs. Like this one. 365 Days of Free Motion Quilting Filler Designs
Since I have a frame I usually quilt at my frame but some times on little pieces I sit at my table top machine. I'm always wishing I had a new idea for a design. Let's face it meandering, stippling and loop de loops can get old. Well I just found the answer to my wish. Maybe with a little (really a lot of) practice I can convert some of these designs over to do on my frame.
Have fun!!