F.O.'s in Quilting

In my last post I mentioned the fun of beginning a new quilting project.  Today I want to look back at this last quilting season (October to April) and reflect on some of the projects that I finished.

At the start of our quilting group meetings I felt pushed to complete some unfinished projects, so I worked determinedly at them and managed to finish up several.  The first one finished was a lounge or patio dress that I designed myself.  I drew up a sketch of what I wanted to started working toward it.  Along the way some things worked and were used

 as I planned.  Other parts looked awful when I sewed them as planned, so they were discarded and a new plan was substituted.  When the dress was finished I was quite pleased with it.

I made a square table topper for our younger son and his family, but when it was put on their table, it became obvious that it should be oblong, not square.  So I took it home again and made a new one in the oblong arrangement.  That was sent off in time for Christmas, along with handknit leg warmers for the two granddaughters.

Last summer I had asked our older son if he would like another quilt, and he said Yes.  So I started sewing madly, trying to finish a single bed-sized quilt in about 6 weeks.  I chose to do an all scrap, controlled placement 6 x 6 block design.  About half way into the project I had another talk with him, and found out that he didn't mean a bed-sized quilt, but another wall hanging.  So I set aside the quilt I was working on and promised him I'd try to produce an original design wall hanging.  After we returned from our holiday which included visits with both sons, I set to work to finish both of those projects.  The wall hanging, which I had originally titled "Green Dreams" was sent to him in the mail. 

The bed size quilt is still at home here, waiting to find a new owner.  I have an idea it may go to son #2's nephew, who needs some encouragement just now.  I'm thinking of calling it "Zig-Zag RazzMaTazz," just for something upbeat.

Then I actually finished up a chenille jacket I was making for myself.  I had become discouraged about this project, because it was turning out way, way too big.  But then I

figured out a way to take the sides in, and, though it will never be a favorite because it still feels too bulky, it is now wear

able.  

 

I just love the "buttons" I found for it.  They

 are actually pendants from Michaels.  I love

 the way they echo the stitching in the jacket.  

My next project was a Country Creations kit that I started in a class in Edmonton that Lorraine Stangness taught.  It's called "Log Cabin in the Round." 

And last of all I finished the main part of a scrap quilt for our bed.  Elaine Adair had posted pictures of the quilt twice on her blog "Elaine Adair Pieces."  She wrote that it was just pinwheels and four x fours.  I thought it was so attractive, so I charted it up and started working on it just before Christmas.  I didn't finish it until the last day of quilting group.  Now it needs a border, and then the sides and bottom that hang down. I do think it's really attractive, but found the pinwheels extremely hard to do well.  I don't think I'll ever go back to that pattern.

All in all, it's been a good year of quilting, and I'm happy with what was accomplished.

 

A New Quilting Project

Well, at last we're going to talk about some quilting.  Tomorrow is the last meeting of the quilting group I attend here.  Our leader is a woman who farms, i.e. she farms, her husband is a builder.  So she will be wanting to get out on the fields soon.  The ratty snow we had yesterday is gone, and our current temperature is +6 C, so the farmers will be anxious to start their spring work.

Last week on Tuesday this group went for a "quilt shop hop."  Seven of us left town about 8:30 in the morning and went to Cotton and Candy, a quilt shop in Strathmore. This shop used to be in Standard, a really, really small rural town, and moved about a year ago to the large and growing center of Strathmore.  I was so impressed with how much nicer their shop is in their new location.  So much more room!  So much more material!  So enjoyable to see.

Then we visited Country Creations, south of Strathmore.  Lorraine Stangness lives in the country and has a quilt shop in her basement.  Lorraine is a wonderful quilt designer and teacher.  I've used several of her patterns and bought quite a few of her kits.  I've also taken a few classes from her, including machine quilting.  She had some "how to" demonstrations prepared, and did an excellent job of showing the techniques to the group of us.  I bought her "Spring is in the Air" kit for a wall hanging.  Look it up at her web address: www.countrycreations.net.  The jacket I'm wearing in my blog picture is one of her patterns, and here's a blouse I made from one of her patterns:

From there we went to Calgary and had luncheon at Millstone's.  Noisy and busy, but the food was excellent.

And in Calgary we visited two more quilt shops, whose names I have forgotten.  But I did find a pattern for a new quilt for our bed.  About three years ago I bought 44 fat quarters of Moda fabric, "Aunt Purdy's Parlor" at the Heritage Park Quilt Show.  I later realized that was not enough fabric to make a floor to floor quilt for a queen sized bed, so two years ago I bought another bunch of 44 fat quarters from Moda, also designed by Kansas Troubles, this one called "Bound to the Prairie".  So that fabric has been waiting in my cupboard for the right pattern to come along.  Here's a picture of the first block out of thirty-six.  This will be my sewing over the summer months.  

It's always such a treat to start a new quilting project.  I'm really looking forward to sewing on this gorgeous material this summer.