2015 Finish Along Quarter 3

How can it possibly be time for the third quarter of the 2015 Finish Along hosted by Adrianne
of On The Windy Side?

True confessions. I didn't do so well with my second quarter list. The ones highlighted below were what got done. Believe me though. . . these were BIG finishes that I am really thrilled to have done. Two new patterns have finally been published. You can read about them here and here. There's still a giveaway going on for a few more days just in case you haven't seen it and want to sign up.

This was the second quarter list:

• Matrix pattern. I don't know if stuff like this counts but I really really need to wrap this up.
• Offset pattern. ditto above comment.
• quilt the scrappy Matrix (from the first quarter)
• quilt the blue/green Matrix (also from the first quarter)
• Riley Blake MQG challenge
• piece and quilt blue/aqua/green Scrappy Trip Around the World
• piece and quilt green leafy Scrappy Trip Around the World
• Some type of wallet/phone case  bought one instead when I found a great deal on a watermelon and purple purse that was just right.

Sadly, the rest of my list suffered severe back burner syndrome. Everything else was shoved aside in my push to finish the patterns. Now I have a strong desire to start something new. I even have two fabric pulls sitting on the counter that I'm anxious to play with. What can I say . . . I'm definitely a starter, not necessarily a finisher. I'm guessing some of you are too, otherwise we wouldn't be signing up for the Finish Along now would we?    : )

Anyhoo . . . here's my new list for the third quarter. Hopefully with patterns behind me I'll do better.

• make a quilt from one of the two fabric pulls I have out
• quilt the blue/green Matrix (from the first and second quarter list)
• quilt blue/aqua/green Scrappy Trip Around the World
• piece green leafy Scrappy Trip Around the World
• start the next pattern

I'm just slipping in under the deadline. The linky for signing up ends today. Better get your post up if you plan to join.I'm just slipping in under the deadline. I'll announce a winner of the giveaway on Thursday. Maybe even two winners.

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Scrappy Trip Blocks

The second quarter of the Finish Along is well under way and I can't say I'm making much progress yet so I thought it was about time I did something. Anything. This week it was sewing together the bee blocks from my fellow Boulder MQG members.

I played with a few different layouts earlier. You wouldn't think there are so many variations, but depending on the colors you use and their placement within the block, plus the number of blocks you have, there are several design options.

In the end, I went with the diagonal line arrangement. This simple arrangement worked well with just 12 blocks. The smaller size, finishing at 36" x 48, will make a nice baby quilt. I think the colors are fitting for either a boy or girl. Once it's done, I'll be donating it. Hoping to do more charity work this year both personally and through the guilds I belong to so this was a good place to start.

Someday I'd love to make a bigger scrappy trip quilt, perhaps with lots of Kaffe prints. Having more blocks to play with would be fun. Someday.   : )

I've also made a few more leafy checkerboard blocks using the same scrappy trip block tutorial. Right now I'm undecided about whether to turn it into a queen size for our bedroom. That wasn't the original purpose so we'll see. I think I'll make another row of blocks across and down and then decide. That means 9 more blocks but I have the strips cut and ready to go. This is another one of those projects that I like to take to guild sew days because there's no prep. It's all ready to go and sew.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

2015 Finish Along Quarter 2

How did you do with your first quarter finishes for the 2015 Finish Along?

I listed four and got two done. Doesn't seem like much, but for me, any finish is a good thing. For the second quarter I think I'll go a little further. List more. And maybe, just maybe, several will get done.

These were my two first quarter finishes.

Here's my second quarter list:

• Matrix pattern. I don't know if stuff like this counts but I really really need to wrap this up.
• Tumble pattern. This will be the pattern for the quilts in the photo above.
• quilt the scrappy Matrix (from the first quarter)
• quilt the blue/green Matrix (also from the first quarter)
• Riley Blake MQG challenge
• piece and quilt blue/aqua/green Scrappy Trip Around the World
• piece and quilt green leafy Scrappy Trip Around the World
• Some type of wallet/phone case

Matrix pattern will be done soon. Really

The list could go on and on but I think I'll leave it there for now. We'll be pretty busy these next three months with company, trips of our own and art stuff so maybe I'm being too hopeful. We'll see. But at least I have something to focus my attention on. That's a good thing.

If you don't know about the 2015 Finish Along and you need a little motivation check out the link. It's a nice way to entice those of us with more UFOs and WIPs than finishes to finally complete a few things. I was amazed at how many finishes there were for the first quarter. Last time I looked there were 549 finishes. It will take me awhile to look through them. Thanks Adrianne for organizing it all. Good job!!

Done is always a good thing.  A very good thing!    : )

First Quarter, Second Finish

I'm really excited to share my second finish of the quarter for the 2015 Finish Along. It's another version of the quilt I shared here last week. That one was hot and happy, this one is cool and calm.

My Mid Century Modern bee mates pitched in to make several of the blocks. I then filled in the rest, balancing out the colors. It's always so fun to see the fabric choices everyone makes. Rarely are there repeat fabrics and rarely are there fabrics that I have in my own stash. All this adds tremendously to the variety of blocks. I asked for dark grays, lime to chartreuse greens, and light neutrals like these.

Look at all the variety of fabrics. Isn't it fun?

It was quilted by Karen of the Quilted Moose with the same boxy design used for the first quilt. I just love the texture this overall pattern adds. I chose a slightly darker gray thread because I really wanted the quilting to show rather than blend too much.

While I love the look of a pieced quilt back, I don't often take the time to make one. For this quilt it was well worth the effort. Our bee does signature blocks when we make blocks so I wanted to include them on the back as a record of all those who contributed to my quilt. I love my Mid Century Modern Bee!!! Thanks ladies for all the wonderful blocks. You're the best.  : )

Once a quilt is finished, I really enjoy trying to take styled photos. It's not always a success, but it's fun to find great outdoor locations or pull out interesting accessories around the house. I was hoping for some nice spring greens but it's just not quite that green here yet. I'll be trying for more shots once the leaves come out a bit. Does anyone else besides me scout out locations when you're running errands around town? I find myself looking at fences, stone walls, silos, buildings . . . anything that has good texture, color and background for a quilt. Here's what I've taken so far.

I loved this crazy fence. A plain chain link with plastic strips woven through and then this fabulous vine growing all over it. Maybe not the best fit for this particular quilt but I couldn't resist. I may try again with a different quilt and maybe even once the vine has some leaves.

This is the third time I've made a quilt using this block. The other two are shown below. The bright one at the bottom of the photo was blogged about here last week. The top one is from a jelly roll called Highstreet by Moda. Amazing the difference in appearance between these three quilts even though they all use the exact same block. These differences are one reason I have so much fun designing and then exploring variations on a theme.

This design, including many of these explorations, will be part of a new pattern I plan to release in about a month or two so stay tuned.

As a parting note, I named this quilt Tumble Weed because I have been calling the block Tumble since I first designed it last year. At this point in time, the greens remind me of all the weeds sprouting amidst the rocks in our side yard. There's definitely a similarity in the color scheme. The actual pattern name may change at some point, but in the meantime the weeds just keep multiplying. I really should go pull a few but I'd much rather sew.    : )

I'm linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday and the 2015 Finish Along.

First Quarter, First Finish

I've wrapped up my very first finish for the first quarter of the 2015 Finish Along. That's a mouthful.
This is also my first time participating in the FAL. Quite a few firsts. A couple of years ago I said I was going to do the Finish Along and then nothing. Zip, zero, nada got finished. This year I want to make a more concerted effort to finish at least one or two projects a quarter. I listed four things for this quarter. Yes, knowing myself, four was being optimistic. Two is what will be done. WaHoo!  Let's hear it for two! Any finish is a good thing for me.  : )

Here's my first finish. Right now it's called Tumble. Time may bring a new name. Any ideas?

I confess these photos were actually taken almost a year ago sans binding. Yup. A year ago this quilt was almost done . . . just needed the binding. Why did it take sooo long simply to sew on the binding? I have no idea. New fabric probably beckoned. What can I say?  I know for many of you this doesn't seem like a big finish, but for me it is. I have way too many tops and nearly done things, so to get something totally done is a big deal. I really need to feel this type of total finish satisfaction more often.

This was the first quilt made using a block I designed quite awhile back. I took a scrappy approach and used all kinds of dots from my stash in a very hot palette of pinks, yellows, oranges, and reds. It was quilted on a longarm by Karen of The Quilted Moose. I chose a boxy shape that had a lot of similarities to the block structure and was quite happy with the results. Here's a detail.

For the binding, I used Kona Cerise and inserted sections of striped fabric along each side. I love the extra touch this gives to the edge. Not overpowering, but a nice little spark of added interest.

I found the perfect fabric for the backing. A Michael Miller fabric that has all the colors from the front and is a very cheerful print. Couldn't have asked for a better fit to the quilt front.

Speaking of dots, it's not even funny how many dotted fabrics I have in my stash. (Note to self . . . don't buy any more dots for awhile). Seriously. Although in a QuiltCon lecture by Victoria Findlay Wolfe, she said if something isn't working just throw more polka dots at it. What a fun idea. I could throw a lot of polka dots at my quilts and still have some to spare. Stripes too.

If you ever have the chance to hear Victoria speak . . . go. Definitely go. She is a marvelous speaker. Well spoken, articulate and quite funny, not to mention very talented. It's obvious she loves what she does and it's so beautiful how her work ties in to her childhood with her grandmother. I don't share any history of quilting in my family and am envious of those who do. In my case, it's all starting with me and I need to pass on the love.

I'll be back soon with my second finish for this quarter. If you're playing along, how are you doing with your first quarter list?

If you're not playing and have loads of unfinished projects stashed away (come on admit it . . . I know you do) why not join in the finishing fun next quarter. Just click the link below and find out more.

Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday and the 2015 Finish Along.

2015 Finish A-Long, Quarter 1

It's high time I finish some of the many many many projects that seem to build up in my studio. My quilting fairies have apparently gone on strike. They are certainly nowhere to be seen . . . and believe me I've looked.  So that just leaves little old me to knuckle down and actually finish a few things.

Finishing is hard for me without a deadline attached. I'd much rather be designing and starting the next project than actually finishing the one I just got cut or pieced. Call it quilter's ADD or whatever, but finishing can be hard. So I'm going to join in the fun (and probably some frustration too) by listing a few projects I'd like to actually finish as part of the 2015 Quarter1 Finish-Along hosted by Adrianne at On The Windy Side. Check it out if you need a little reason to motivate and finish. There are prizes involved just in case that helps you commit. The deadline for signing up is Jan 17th.

I want to keep it realistic for my first attempt at this. Not to mention QuiltCon will be occupying a bit of my time. So here goes in no specific order.

1.  Blue Matrix;  a baby sized quilt made as an example of design options for my Matrix pattern which also needs to be finished and released. Needs quilting and binding.

2.  Scrappy Matrix; another example for the matrix pattern. Needs quilting and binding.

3.  Tumbler green/gray version. Top almost done. Needs quilting and binding.

Tumbler hot pinks and oranges. This one just needs to be bound.

Do you see a common element here? Most of these are projects are finished tops that just need quilting. Not my favorite part as I've said a thousand times before. But I can do it. I know I can. Especially when the quilt is smaller like the first two on my list. And for the larger sized quilts I have absolutely no problem sending them out to a long armer. Just wish I could afford to have more of them custom quilted but alas, edge to edge will do just fine for most.

So that's it. Four projects, all of which are nearly, but not quite, done. I also have quite a long list of projects to start. So many beautiful fabric groupings pulled and ideas percolating. But I'll save those for next quarter.

Wishing all of you who signed up the best of luck. Wish me luck too.   : )