A year in review

I was thinking I hadn't really done much this year, but looking back at my blog posts I see that I have finished a few rather large quilts and some tops. I also have a few more things in progress. They aren't UFO's yet!

For the record, here are the 2012 finishes.
Completed quilts:

Pointless Lone Star, 86 x 86,
pattern by Sarah Fielke

Transformer Stars, 76 x 81,
original design by me

70 x 84 inches.

Texas A&M zigzag quilt, 56 x 76.

Triangle Love, 69 x 84,
modified Chopsticks pattern

Scrappy Churn Dash, 61 x 61,
modified Bonnie Hunter mystery

Tops added to the pile waiting for quilting:

Humble Quilts QAL, 19.5 x 26 inches.

Pandora, 63 x 63.

Monkey Wrench, 69 x 75.

Some non-quilting finishes:

Potholders using this tutorial.

Reversible apron using this tutorial.

And another reversible apron using the same tutorial.

And now I can look forward to the new year. Hope you are having a happy one so far.

End of the year finishes

These two have been finished for a few weeks, but I didn't have both a sunny day and a tall enough quilt holder at the same time until yesterday.

This one is going to my new niece, who was born at the beginning of the month. The size is a bit big for a baby quilt, but I think she'll grow into it. The fabrics are so cheerful they make me smile.

Scrappy Churn Dash, 61 x 61.
My version of Bonnie Hunter's mystery Roll Roll Cotton Boll.

Scrappy Churn Dash back.

This one was claimed by my husband while I was making it. I was surprised, but if he wants it, he can certainly have it. He's worth it.

Love Triangle, 69 x 84
"Chopsticks" pattern by Jaybird Quilts
with some fabric placement changes.

Love Triangle back.

In preparation for the new year, I have updated my UFO list and list of tops that need quilting. I've made backs and binding for all those tops too. Now I just need to get them quilted! 

I also gave my sewing machine a good cleaning and a new needle, and I replaced the blade in my rotary cutter. Wow! I hadn't realized how dull it had gotten until I cut something with the new blade. I'm ready now to quilt those tops, finish those UFO's and, of course, start some new projects in 2013.

The story of a very bossy quilt

Once upon a time (a couple months ago) I found this white dotted fabric and brought it home to keep some of my stash company. The fabric kept begging to become a baby quilt. A churn dash quilt of six-inch blocks to be exact. I pulled some fabrics from my stash, but I needed at least another orange and something to balance the brown with blue spots. And I didn't need to make this baby quilt. I needed to make a gray and yellow one.

I tried to ignore this pile of fabric, but the begging grew louder. The only solution was a trip to the quilt shop, which I was pleasantly surprised to find has expanded into the space next to it! I bought more fabric, not all of which will be used because this is to be a baby quilt after all, not a king. I was a little low on orange fabric anyway so this should all work out.

With the fabric all washed and ironed, I started making the parts of the churn dash blocks so I could arrange them on the wall and see which layout it wanted to be. 

Option 1: Checkerboard

Option 2: Rows

Option 3: Medallion style

Option 4: An X 

Option 5: Four patches

Four patches it was. But a disagreement had developed between the brown with blue dotted fabric and the other fabrics so a butterscotch fabric was substituted.

The butterscotch was better, but not a perfect fit so one orange and one blue-green block were substituted.

The fabric has stopped speaking to me, but I know that if I don't get these blocks sewn together soon the begging will resume. I wish the yellow and gray fabric would speak to me. I need to get that baby quilt started before that baby arrives next month.

Work in Progress

Thanks to six hours in a small plane over the Thanksgiving holiday, I have finished appliqueing one of my Pumpkin Peel blocks. 

I tried to prep a second block before my trip, but didn't get enough arcs made. I've been working after work most nights on making more arcs, and now I have enough for another block. These suckers take a long time to make and cover the sewing table in lots of little scraps.

I have a couple quilts waiting for bindings as soon as I clear some space to work on them, and a quilt idea nagging at me for attention. And then, like a squirrel to a dog, I went off in another direction after getting a jolt of inspiration.

A holiday wall hanging of 3-inch wreath blocks. I have the center block sewn and only eight more to go! I'm not sure why I'm gravitating toward applique lately. I don't have the best track record in finishing those projects, and with this weekend's weather in the 60s (15 C), it's hard to believe it's December.