Friday FOs or No

Today I have a FO!! And it’s one I adore! I had a charm pack of some modern colors that were dying to be used. And once I saw the Trafalgar pattern in my Tabletastic book I knew they would work well together.

Block and border pieces before sewing

The pattern calls for HSTs cut from 3.25″ squares. Eek! Not possible to get all those pieces with 5″ squares. Easy Angle to the rescue! I tested my method with scraps and it worked so I was good to go. I used a gray/white background from stash, it was the perfect tone for the colors. Over the course of a few days I got it all pieced and was ready for quilting consideration!

I thought I would like the quilting motif in the 1st mock up, but then I tried an Orange Peal, and it was over, the search had ended. At this point I couldn’t wait to get it on Gigi and try it out. Perfection!

I found a remnant that was more than big enough for the back, and would give me leftover for binding. I thought it was a great match, but now I dislike the binding against the top. Oh well, it’s just a mild irritation, and if I find I am still regreting the choice I can change it out. But the back stays, I am NOT ripping out all the quilting!

As soon as Easter was over I took the Easter Runner off the dining room table and put this baby out. I haven’t even washed it yet, and probably won’t because I love how crisp it looks!

That’s where I’m at this week, how about you? Linking with the Friday hosts in the sidebar.

Whatever Wednesday

Here we are, a week into a new month. Time seems to be fleeting, so I am trying to enjoy it, but sometimes, Time gives me whiplash! LOL.

I am trying to squeeze as much time in my sewing studio as I can. But things like cooking, partying, and laundry get in the way. So I decided I need to give up some things. Cooking and laundry have to go.

One reason why I need to keep on track is a very special friend of ScientistGirl is expecting a baby boy! MissVet has been with SG through thick and thin, aka 4 years of College. They went to Spain to do the Camino de Santiago Hike their Sophomore year, cried through breakups in College, and then rejoiced last year with their weddings. She is very homemade worthy!

Work on BabyB’s quilt started Sunday. I got the animals cut out from this panel.

The FQs with the panel is for sashing squares that will go all around the blocks. The EQ8 mock up doesn’t have the animals in the blocks, but you can see how the fabrics will play together. 

My dilemma was, the blocks are not perfectly square, there’s 1/2″ difference in width/length. So I ended up cutting my strips 2.25 for the top/bottom and 2.125 for the sides. Once I sewed the strips together I cut subsets at 2.125 to sew to the blocks.

Once the blocks were sashed top/bottom, I sewed subsets together for the sashing to join all the columns together. Man was that a train wreck! Seems the sides were a little harder to get the measurements right. So it took a lot of ripping and resewing to get it done. After that, wide borders were easy! Now to decide the quilting and get this done. If I am swift I can have it ready for SG to take to the shower later this month.

While I had the scraps from the strip sets out, I went ahead and made a placemat for April’s donation pile. It doesn’t look so scrappy because the sets were almost uniform, but that’s OK, it still functions the same! 

I quilted it with gentle curves. Reminded me of an ocean tide. 

Linking with the Wednesday Linkups in the sidebar! 

Tuesday To Do

This link party is open to all, it’s not just for quilters.
If you use fiber of any kind, please link up your weekly To-Do list!

Last Week:

1. Afghan knitting, the yarn came! /
2. Knit on Shawl while traveling /
3. Sew the backing for Autumn Reign X
4. Prep fabric for a baby quilt /
5. Choose baby sweater pattern /
6. Extra: April Table Scraps Paper Moon √
7. Extra: UFO #4 Wash and Rinse /
8. WOOFA: Coco Puffs /

I started the last afghan square during the Gonzaga/UCLA game, it’s an easy pattern. I knit on the shawl while traveling home on Thursday, discovered I missed half a repeat, not sure how that happened, but left it a mistake. No one will ever know, I swear! No back for Autumn Reign. Baby quilt prep was begun!! Gramps is the winner for the baby sweater, I’ve made it enough times I can do it in my sleep! And I got lots of piecing and quilting done!!

This Week:

1. Baby Brook’s quilt
2. Knit/seam Afghan
3. Knit on Shawl
4. Quilt something

I have all the animal blocks cut out for the baby quilt, now I need to start piecing the sashing squares. Below is the plan for the flimsy. Imagine cute animals in the blank blocks. LOL. Knit on the last afghan square and then seam the 6 blocks into the blanket. Continue knitting on the shawl, I am 4 repeats from starting the short rows of the body. I probably will throw a charity top on Gigi and do a panto to get it done quickly. But not until the baby quilt is pieced.

So, that’s my list, how about yours? Small, large, over ambitious, or underachiever?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Monday Making Designs

What a great weekend. I sewed all day Friday, half of Saturday, and half of Sunday. And what do I have to show for it? Finished tops, half finished tops, and another top ready to start piecing! 

Friday I finished getting Paper Moon pieced and then started on Wash and Rinse. Paper Moon is a table topper I am doing for April’s Table Scraps Challenge. Wash and Rinse is the Laundry Basket QAL from 2020, which is my 2021 UFO Challenge #4. 

Saturday Hubster played golf and we had friends over to watch the Gonzaga/UCLA game. So while I was home alone I pieced another row for Wash and Rinse and got Coco Puffs into a flimsy. 

1 more row of Wash and Rinse is prepped, but I ran out of steam to add it. Coco was a bear to put together, I kept getting the placement turned around. Then I prepped the borders and came up short! So, the solution was to add cornerstones. I don’t hate it, I don’t love it, it’s just what it is. I could have gotten more Grunge, but trying to determine which color it was didn’t appeal. Done is better than whatever it was. 

Sunday was for Quilting!!! I should have grabbed a charity top, but decided Paper Moon was the winner. Only, how to quilt it. Which wasn’t the dilemma it usually is. I just had to choose between options 1 or 2.

Version #1 appealed to me. But trying to find the path around it was sure to include backtracking. But Version #2 really spoke to me, because I love Orange Peel!! So, I went with #2. But you will have to wait to see the results. I’m saving it for Finished or Not Friday. 

And while I was planning quilting for Paper Moon I went ahead and mapped out Coco Puffs. 

I did the Orange Peels into the corners first. And then I added the smaller Peels on an angle to overlap. Not wanting to include the Peels in the border I decided a cross hatch might add some texture. So that might be the final form, who knows. And that’s the facts Jack! Monday links are on tap for today.

Design Wall
Monday Making