January Goal Üpdate

January has been a good month for sewing for me! I had the first week off of work because my school didn't go back from Christmas break until January 9th and January 16th was off as we observed Martin Luther King, Jr Day. 

This added up to lots of sewing time toward reaching my goals!

On my January 4, 2017 post I listed several of my goals for 2017. 

I joined the One Monthly Goal challenge over at Elm Street Quilts and chose my delectable mountain quilt as my January goal: 

My goal will be to finish the blocks, decide on a border or not, and get it to the flimsy stage.  

Not only did I meet my goal but I surpassed it! 

It is amazing what a deadline (and a lot of sewing time) can do for you! 

I finished all the blocks, decided on a 1/4" inner border of purple and a 2" outer border of black, sandwiched, quilted and bound this quilt!

The only thing left is to label it!

Although we have had very few sunny days,

 I took advantage of last Saturday's sun (we have not seen the sun since) 

to do a photo shoot. 

Presenting Splendid!

I quilted this quilt with organic straight lines about 1/2" apart from the top to the bottom inside the borders.

The outer border is also quilted in organic straight lines (seen in detail photo above).

The backing of this quilt was pieced with a fabric I had in my stash and the remaining scraps from the floral print. I really like how the back coordinated together!

The binding is left over scraps from the backing of my 

Diamonds in the Rough quilt.

This quilt finishes at 55 1/2" x 65"...a nice nice throw. 

Another of the goals I mentioned was #5: 

learn to crochet a border around it (flannel) for a sweet receiving blanket. 

Taking a break from the crochet blanket that I have been working on at my Knitting Club, I started crocheting an edge around a piece of flannel. I have made several crocheted edged fleece blankets using yarn but not flannel using pearl cotton. Some differences are: fleece doesn't ravel and with fleece, I rotary cut holes along the edge with my skip blade. 

I started by squaring off the flannel, then rounding the corner and finally serging around the edge. 

With pearl cotton and a steel hook, I started crocheting the edge with a stitch that kind of looked like a rose bud.

The pattern I followed said that you could push through the fabric with the hook but I found it difficult so I used a large needle to start the hole. I crocheted every 1/4" (eyeballed) around. It used a lot more thread than I thought that I actually ran out of pearl cotton. 

I couldn't find the same color so I used a coordinating color. Why not? We make scrappy binding for our quilts! Can you see the 3 colors I used?

This baby blanket finished at 33 1/2" x 38"

I'm linking up to One Monthly Goal ~ January Goal Finishes 

over at Elm Street Quilts. Linking up at Em's Scrapbag ~ Moving it Forward.

How did you do with your goals?

Project Quilting ~ Challenge 2

The second challenge for Project Quilting was announced last Sunday 

~ Carolina Lily.  

I really wasn't much of a fan but a challenge is a challenge!

 So I set myself doing a little google research. 

I didn't want to do a traditional block so I decided I would do a more modern version focusing on the blossom. 

I drew up a 6" paper pieced block on graph paper. 

I made 3 of the blossoms this size in a bright yellow orange (Kona paprika) with the bottom triangle being a bright green (Kona grass). To make the colors pop, I set them on a black background. 

While playing on my design wall with the layout I decided to make one more block that was 8" in size. So I enlarged the 6" block to 8" and using the same colors made one more block. 

After finalizing a layout, I began the puzzle of fitting in the remaining background pieces. 

This is what I came up with in the end.

The layout gave me plenty of negative space to practice some FMQ. I followed several tutorials from Lori over at The Inbox Jaunt. I used 3 different colors of threads, black, green, and bright yellow. 

You can see the quilting better from the back (besides the yellow Ü)

This little quilt finishes at 20" x 22"

Linking up to Project Quilting at Persimmon Dreams.

Created in Des Plaines, IL

Rainbow Scrap Block for 2017

I have decided to make small spool blocks for my RSC this year. With January's color being purple, I pulled out my purple scrap bin and found 4 different purples. I arrange 6 of each to make the 'thread' for the spools. I used brown scraps for the spool top and bottom. 

These spool blocks will finish at 4" x 5". They don't use a lot of scraps so I may decide on another block...

Can I afford to start another project???

Head over to So Scrappy for other RSC projects. 

Also linking to SoScrap!

I did join the Milky Way QAL over at Blossom Heart Quilts. The first star block is called Sirius. This QAL will coincide with the RSC if I choose to do the monthly stars in the monthly color. Brilliant! Here it Sirius in purple!

I have been working on my 2017 goals as stated a few posts back. It helped that I had a full week off before school started. It was a nice jump start to accomplishing my goals. More to come....

A New Challenge

I found a new challenge (new to me) by reading a couple of blogs this week. 

Apparently this is season 8 of the challenge...I'm glad I finally found it! 

It is hosted by Persimmon Dreams and the theme for the first challenge is: 

Eight is Great!

The challenge must be completed in 1 week. This challenge was announced on January 1st and therefore must be complete and posted by January 8th at noon. 

I think I'm just in the nick of time...not much room to spare. 

I wasn't sure if I would participate since I have so many projects going right now but I love a challenge so....

Gr8 is a pillow/cushion. It is 24" square. 

I pieced the G and R and paper pieced the 8 using a navy pin dot fabric from my stash and some Kona. The pillow form has been in my quilting room for quite some time. Feeling good about using things I have. 

I hope this year is a GR8 year! 

Linking to Project Quilting~ Challenge 1

Welcome 2017

Today I am setting a few goals for 2017. 

Many of the quilts I make are a challenge to me as a new technique or pattern. 

It is a rare bird for me to make a quilt over again. 

I can only think of 2 repeat quilts patterns since I started quilting in 1996.

At the end of 2016, I had a few UFOs that carry over to 2017. 

First is my mini blue houses. When I started these little guys, I didn't have a goal in mind...just letting the neighborhood grow at its own pace. At the end of 2016, the population stood at 38!

The houses are 4"

This is the last addition to the neighborhood in 2016. 

In 2017, I will continue to add to the neighborhood until I run out of blues. 

(Ha! That maybe never!)

The second UFO from 2016 is my Sail Away! quilt. This is all pieced and at the flimsy stage. 

My goal will be to sandwich and quilt this nautical quilt. 

Third in line is my Chicago Cubs quilt. I'm using the economy block for this quilt. 

So far I have 10 blocks made. 

My goal will be to start making the alternate block to compliment these blocks. 

My fourth project is this delectable mountain quilt. My goal for starting this quilt was to use some of the fabric that was donated to me and try a new technique. 

(The bright large print flowers that I paired with Kona black.)

When fabric is donated to me, I feel guilty not using it even if it isn't my colors/style. So I use it as an experiment to try a new technique and often donate the finished quilt. 

My goal will be to finish the blocks, decide on a border or not, and get it to the flimsy stage.

The 5th project that I am setting a goal for is to use this pretty scrap piece of flannel (donated) and learn to crochet a border around it 

for a sweet receiving blanket.

And finally I will once again join in the 2017 Rainbow Scrap Challenge over at So Scrappy. January's color is purple! 

I need to choose a block that I will do this year. 

I will also link my scrap quilt progress to Oh Scrap! over at 

Quilting is more fun than Housework.

This year I will also join and link up to One Monthly Goal over at 

Elm Street Quilts. 

For January, I have picked my fourth project ~ the delectable mountain quilt. 

Head on over to see other quilty goals!