2017 Finish A Long - Goals for Second Quarter

Today is the last day to link up goals for 2017 FAL Q2. Last quarter I finished 2 projects on my list out of four, a 50% completion rate is not too bad! There are always popping up other projects that pushes their way through!

For this quarter I will continue trying to finish the last two projects on my list from Q1 and add a few more.

My first goal is continued from the first quarter, and is to assemble the 24 blocks of the Modern HST Sampler, add sashing and quilt it.

Last year I joined a Quilting Bee, and these are the resulting bee blocks I have for my quilt. I will make a few more Houndstooth Blocks to make a decent quilt size. The backing fabric is already chosen, and I look forward to finishing the quilt. This is my second goal.

My third goal is to assemble all the blocks I made for the Splendid Sampler into one (or two) quilts. The picture shows my first 65 blocks, more blocks have been made. 

The fourth and last goal on my Q2 list is this skinny/table runner. This is a project from the Moda All Stars All in a Row book, and the row is designed by Brenda Riddle. The row is actually too long to fit on my table, so I think it will end up as a skinny on the wall.

My proposed goals are linked up to one the official 2017 FAL host blogs here .

Keep on quilting!

My Very Own Quilt

I have been quilting for over 2 years now, but I have never made a quilt just for ME, before now!

This quilt was started in 2012 as a Row Along with Lori Holt.  Every one/two weeks we got a new row to make. In the spring of 2013 I assembled the rows and attached the border. The back was pieced and the cute Bee Block attached, this can be seen in a later picture.

I started quilting it with decorative seams in between the rows, but then I stopped... I don't know why I just stopped, but the project was put aside. Last month I joined a UFO-busting project, and one of the projects I chose was this one.

There was not that much work left, but it is just the treshold to step over! Last weekend I finished the quilt, and here it is on a sunny, cold day in the forest:

The quilt is twin size, and it is basically made of scraps. If you click on the label "Quilt Along" on my side bar, you can see the different steps in the process.

In the nice late-winter lighting you can see the quilting. A decorative seam in between the rows, and then slanted parallel lines using the walking foot. The wind did its best to mess up the picture.

Here is the back with the Bee Block which I used as the label. But the block is so nice; maybe I will make a whole quilt with these ones?!

This stack of timber just begged to be used as a quilt display!

The last picture was not meant to be taken. I walked on my way home when I came upon this over-turned tree.  It went down in the storm during New Years.The quilt was thrown over what was left of the railing, and together with the tree it creates a dramatic display!

There is a steep drop next to this path, and the tree is just resting its top on the rocks to the right of the walkway. The poor tree had very little soil to grow in, and it couldn't take the tough winds. But, that's nature!

Keep on quilting!



Linked up to Link a Finish Friday and Crazy Mom Quilts .
 

BIMB quilt top finished

Today I finished my Bee in my Bonnet Row Along quilt top. The outer border is successfully put on, and the top now measures 68" x 86". Here is an indoor picture with the assistance of my DH.

I had to take an outside picture of the top, too. The low rays of the spring afternoon sun give their best to lighten up my quilt.

I have loved this project from the very beginning, and it is almost sad that it is getting close to the the finish line.

The inner border is on

This is a picture I took last night to show off details of the inner border. Today when I came home from work the weather was just perfect for a photo shoot; a pale spring sun, no wind, and a snow-free porch. Here is the quilt top in all its glory, I just love it!



I have chosen the fabric for the pieced, scalloped border, and will start cutting today. My goal is to finish the whole quilt within the end of this month. Lori Holt's Row Along is getting closer to finish.

The bee has arrived!

We are getting closer and closer to the finish line of the Bee In My Bonnet Row Along. Today Lori Holt presented the label with the bumble bee that will go on the backing, eventually. I made the block already, except for the last finishing embroidery stitches. I just love the block! I will try to do the stitching in a couple of days to make the block perfect.

BIMB - assembled rows

Yesterday I sewed all my thirteen rows in Bee In My Bonnet Row Along together, so now I have a bright and cheerful quilt top here. Only the pieced border is missing, and that will be revealed in a week or so.


The top, this far, is 50.5" wide, and approx. 66" long. I really look forward seeing the borders Lori Holt wants us to make, I guess they will be very colorful!

I have used fabric from my stash for this quilt, a lot of scraps, plus solid white of course. I will not even try to count all the different fabrics/colors in the quilt top, it is a lot!

The thirteenth and last row is sewn!

Lori Holt came with the last row, #13, of the Bee In My Bonnet Row Along last week. Yesterday she revealed the order of the rows. The link shows the progress of the participants in this row-along. Here are a few pictures of my last row:

The left half:

...and the right half:

These are bright and cheery tulips, and I really feel the spring mood coming, even though it is full winter outside. I have to go out this weekend and buy a nice bouquet with the real flowers to brighten up my living room.

One of my favorite tulips in this row is the black one; I would love to have one like this in my garden!

Now I will start sewing the rows together, and soon Lori will present the tutorial for the pieced border. When it is finished the quilt will be a twin-size, 70" x 88". I have loved this project from the beginning, and it was perfect to end with the tulips, my favorite row.

Lots of progress today!

Row #12 of Bee In My Bonnet Row Along is completed, and I really enjoyed making these cute, little baskets. Spring is on its way here, and my porch is free of snow, ready for display of the row.


The light is somewhat poor this time of year, and with the assistance of a close-up picture and flash the details are shown better. Here is the left half:


The right half:


The rows are coming to an end in a few weeks, and I look forward to see the final order of the rows.

In addition, this week I got my Easy Street back from the quilter. She did a beautiful job, and I am very pleased with the result. Now I just have to start preparing the binding. This is a big quilt, approx. 100" x 100", and it will require a lot of binding. Here is a picture showing off the great quilting.

Row #11 finished

The eleventh row in Bee In My Bonnet Row Along is done, and we are getting closer to the finish line. Sorry about the picture, my fabric seems to need some more ironing before the quilt is done...

Row #10 completed

Now I have caught up with the rows in Bee In My Bonnet Row Along, row number 10 is completed.

It was fun to sew these little houses, as it has been with all the other 9 rows this far. Now I just have to wait and see what Lori comes up with next!

Building houses

I have good progress in my house-building project in Bee In My Bonnet Row Along , by Lori Holt, row #10. I just love this Row Along!. Here are my houses (in poor indoor light):

Tomorrow I will sew them into their proper order in the row, and put on the borders. Then I will be finished with row #10, and up to date in the Row Along. The next row is posted this coming week, and I wonder what it will bring!?

I have started doing the appliqué for the first mug rug in the Mug Rug Swap, cute little owls! This one is still "blind", poor little one, but that will be fixed soon!

Lets see what I will be able to do during the weekend!

Lori Holt's row #9

Before Christmas I had to make a difficult choice: for my vacation in the US during Christmas, should I bring all the Bee In My Bonnet Row Along fabrics or all the bits and pieces for Easy Street? I chose Easy Street, and it turned out to be a very good choice since Lori took a Christmas break in the rows. This way I was able to complete the quilt top of Easy Street in the middle of January, while I fell only a little behind in the row along.

During the weekend I managed to complete Row #9, the easy-peasy Star Row. It is looking good, isn't it?!

I should be able to complete the house row, row #10, in good time before the clues of #11 are posted.

I should also be able to start on the first mug rug in-between. It looks like it is going to be a good sewing-week!

Progress on Easy Street and BIMB Row Along

I have had a very productive weekend, and it is not even over yet!

The two first parts of Easy Street are completed, and Row#8 in Bee In My Bonnet Row Along is also done.

Easy Street: 128 flying geese and 192 4-patches

BIMB: All the 8 rows on my porch in poor winter daylight

BIMB: Left part of row#8

BIMB: Right part of row#8

The rest of the day will be dedicated to basting a twin sized quilt for my son, and maybe I will be able to just start on Part 3 of Bonnie's Mystery.

5 pairs of mittens for row #8

Today I have worked on Lori Holt's Row Along row #8. Today's theme is mittens, and I made 5 pairs of them. Tomorrow I will show you the completed row, daylight makes wonders!

Rowing along with 7 rows

Today I got good pictures of my rows in the Row Along. There is no snow on my porch, but it is freezing cold, around minus 8 degrees Celsius (~18 deg F). My porch is creaking like crazy!

Here is daylight picture of row #7:

And here are all the 7 rows made so far: