Spring and the Shipshewana Quilt Retreat

The quilt retreat in Shipshewana Indiana is fast approaching. It officially begins 2 weeks from tomorrow but we plan to arrive Monday April 8 in the afternoon for a whole week of time away from home responsibilities and little people. Not that I don't like spending time with little people, but this is a quilting retreat. It will be me-time for those of us going. The retreat was sold out weeks ago so it will be a full room of quilters quilting quilts. I have been considering what projects to take along and have narrowed the list down to 5.                                        

1. Beyond the Cherry Trees

I have been working on this hand applique sampler from 

sentimental stitches

on and off for nearly 5 years. It is on now. There are just 4 more of the 25 sixteen inch blocks left to complete. Then the borders. 

This is my hand applique project for this year. 

2.  Huguenot Friendship Quilt

This was an impulse purchase a year ago. All the blocks are laser cut fusible appliques that I arranged and pressed into place. I have some of them machine appliqued down but still many of the 36 blocks to go. It is on my 2019 ufo list. 

3. Morrell Sampler

There will be 60 ten inch blocks and a twenty inch center block. 

I have several more than these blocks fused and pressed onto background squares ready to machine applique in place. Hopefully I will get a few more arrangements made now that I have located some amazing chintz fabrics in my cupboard. 

4. Almost Amish Irish Chain 

This is another ufo I want to complete this year. 

I thought it would be a super simple project for the retreat since all the hard work is done and I only have to sew everything together. 

Not quite. I still have to prep the heart applique shapes and I plan to practice 

the turned-edge-with-starch method. 

5. 150 Canadian Women

This is not on my ufo list for this year but it lends itself well for a 

leader-ender project so that it will be. 

There are many of the 6 inch squares already cut out and ready for stitching just waiting for me to pay attention to it. 

 

I still have some machine quilting to do on Dear Daughter

 before we leave so I can take it for show and tell. 

I have not done much of any kind of quilting this past month. What I did do was look after  my wonderful little boy and little girl grandchildren. March Break ended up being one sick week. Literally. Seven of the 9 people here were sick with a stomach bug that lasted for 2 days each. Fortunately for me, the little children's parents were both here to tend to the details and clean ups. I remained healthy. What I did do, however, was read 7 of the 8 Anne of Green Gables books. I read the 8th one last month. I also reached level 1000 of Candy Crush. I decided to retire there. I have written several thousand words for my book SMOWJ and the research continues. Now to finish the machine quilting so I can start quilting the next one while everything is ready. Spring is here and little things are popping up in my flower beds and the lawn is beginning to look a bit green. 

Blessings, 

Chris

BTW Sun I woke up to 3 inches of snow. 

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2019 UFO Challenge

Judy at patchworktimes has posted the ufo number for March and it is #4. But I did number 4 last month instead of #10 so I should do that one this month. I wanted something that did not take much time since I was working on lots of other things including 6 snow days with little children. It has been nearly 25 years since I had to deal with little children and snow days. But I survived and so did they.

For my Feb ufo I hand appliqued the last few bits onto this Antique Wedding Sampler block. I finally found the missing blue leaves and flowers among the stuff as I was looking for something else.

The Shipshewana Quilt Retreat is fast approaching next month and I am starting to prepare  my project boxes. I am hard pressed to not just start working on some of blocks but I am writing and anticipate having the first draft of my new book before I take the 7 hour drive to Northern Indiana.  That has not stopped me from putting blocks up on the wall and dreaming. But then I get so distracted looking at the design wall and trying to figure out how I would put the thing together or quilt it so I have taken everything off all 3 design walls. It looks so bare and boring but I need to focus on my writing.

Number 10 on my list is the Stack-N-Whack Butterflies. The focus fabric has very fine body lines in different colours. I could just add these with a pen. And I can make the antennae with a black pen. Easy peasy. I worked so hard to get all those points to come together. It would be a pity to cover them all up with a thick appliqued body.

I have seen so many new quilt-a-longs that I would have liked to join, but I determined not to start a new project this year. Two months down and only 10 more to go.

Blessings,
Chris

12 UFOs for 2019

Judy at patchworktimes has posted the link for 2019 ufo challenge. But I have a doctorate to complete. At least that is what I keep reminding myself. In case I decide to join in, I will be ready.

1. 1857 Album Quilt

Machine quilt and bind.
This was the  Sentimental Stitches BOM for 2016-17. I collected all the free patterns when they were free. The top is completed, sandwiched, basted and ready to machine quilt. It has been sitting patiently waiting for nearly a year.

2. Almost Amish Irish Chain

There is so much work done here that it would be a shame to not put this on the list. Machine piecing. Machine applique. Machine quilting. Sounds pretty straight forward.

3. Morrell Sampler

Machine applique all the broderie perse blocks that are already prepped. Change that center pinwheel.

4. Antique Wedding Sampler

Complete this one block finally. Been working on it off and on since early summer. But first, have to locate the last bits of leaves and flowers to hand applique on.

 5. Dolls of the World

This is my oldest ufo from 1979. It also is the simplest and most close to being completed of all my 40 some ufos. I wrote about it a few months ago and have some thoughts about completing it. Check back later to see what I do.

6. Dear Daughter

Complete the hand applique, assemble the top and machine applique and bind then gift. Whatever number is called for January, this will be the project. I need it complete and ready to gift by mid Feb.

7. Huguenot Friendship Quilt

Finish the machine applique with silk thread on the 36 center blocks and assemble the center so I can lay out and prep the borders.
This was an impulse purchase last winter.

8. Country Bride 2

Here is my opportunity to practice some machine quilting with rulers on the already pre cut alternating squares and borders. The backing and batting have been cut and ready to go for nearly 22 years.
I still have to do some embroidery for the stems before layering these already machine appliqued blocks.

9. Green and Gold Irish Chain

There really is so little to do on this one to get it to a flimsy. This will be another I can practice my machine quilting skills.

10. Stack-N-Whack Butterflies

Stop being a coward and just make some bodies and antennae so I can add the borders and machine quilt to my hearts content. I think loopy flowers would be nice. But what colour? White to disappear? Varigated?

11. GO Not So Fast 

My goal here will be to get the center medallion to be a square.
I saw a completed quilt using the same Winterthur panels that has given me some ideas.

12. Dear Jane

Last but by no means least, this one. I started quilting it by machine last winter but had much trouble with tension and my machine was in for repairs for a mere 3 months. Turns out if you do not use it, parts seize up. Who would have know?  I want to remove all the machine stitches in so far and start over. No promises.

Bright Jane

Rainbow Scrap Challenge for another year. I plan to put it on the wall to stay when there are 100 blocks complete. As I get sections of blocks done, I will sew them together into 9 units. But for now, the blocks are easier to store individually. And besides, the little grand children love putting them up on the design wall.
I will not be making the pieced triangles for the border. I am planning to make the corner kites.

Beyond the Cherry Trees

This will be my hand applique project for the year. There are 3-4 already started blocks to complete the 25 for the top and then begin the 4 borders. The 200 cherries are all cut and waiting but the 20 yards of bias stems still need to be made. After the stems are cut I can run the left over fabrics through the GO Cutter and make a few hundred leaves. This took a time-out when I started Dear Daughter.

 One Block Wonder

This can be my hand piecing project for the year. After making a whole bunch of hexies, I realized that if I made half hexies, I could easily sew a long straight seam to connect the rows. Live and learn.

I am not planning to start any new quilts in the coming year. That's not entirely true. I have been considering making a couple of tractor quilts for the little boys. But I could start them this year. I am making small goals for these ufos. Maybe only 2 actual completions of quilting and binding.

Blessings
Chris