What, already the end of the month ...

I can not believe it, already the end of the month. We have had a busy celebratory month both in the touristing arena and for me, the sewing and knitting arena. I sew when we are in site and knit while riding in a car, so lately I have accomplished a lot there (at least for me).

First off, we have the new UFO Number Game announced. Yup, here they are: Low number is #4

Other number is #41. Oh yeah, my #4 has been finished - so will replace it with #6, DS#1s quilt. I do not have high numbers which gives me more time to work on #1, OUR Quilt, to bring it to a finish as well. At least to the flimsie stage would be nice. February's numbers, #7 - got lost in the shuffle, and assigned #3, Mom's Quilt, to replace the lack of the high number - completed as a UFO to move me down the list. 

Remember the toque that I made? Well, it was made initially for DH but it is slightly snug on his head so it became a donation for my Mom's senior's group. But first I have to make a set for it. That means mittens and a scarf. Driving around Louisiana this last week, I started the mittens.

After many false starts and a couple of Mr Rippit's down to the ribbing, I have finally got it the way that I like it. I like the colours but am not sure if they are what a teen would like.

DS#1s quilt is giving me a pretty good learning curve. I am making a pattern called "Magic Cube" from KwiltArt. It is a pattern that I bought in Houston and got started right before the New Year so that it would be a good UFO to have.  I changed the colorway however, to  on a black background.
The learning curve involved the sewing of the triangles that made up the cube in the centre so that there was no "tenting" at the joins of all 6 triangles. Had yet to master that. IT came together beautifully and there is no "tenting" - so that is another skill that I have finally mastered.

The radiating spokes are also coming along once I figured out that the freezer paper method should have been drawn in the reverse. All is ok though, it will be reversed, but who will know - only me!

 The cutting instructions are very vague and after reading them numerous times, I still had to revamp what I was doing. They are coming along just fine now and should have all four sides completed in a couple of days of sewing off and on. The name for this quilt still has not come to me. Guess it needs to flow a bit more and get put together for the inspiration.

OUR Quilt has progressed with the completion another block last evening. Once again I thank my guardian angel that all the seams and points lined up. This is going to be a majestic quilt once finished and am hoping for it to be on the bed by the Christmas season, including pillow cases.

And to a new start this year, the 365 Challenge. These are definitely hard to get my fingers wrapped around. They are so little and I often have trouble working the very small pieces. I collect the patterns as they come out but have little towards completing the blocks and catching up. So much of the time was focused on completing the quilt for Mom and after, I never got back into doing them. My next JOT will be to cut out some of the blocks, ready to sew together.

I did finish up DGDs 2nd (requested) pillow case, which now needs to get put in the mail. I have decided to use up a lot of the 2/3yds of fabric that I have and make pillowcases or maybe the pillowcase dresses for African children. And from what I saw in Africa, some of those little girls could use them along with a pair of panties. 

On to more sewing ....    

February 13

February 13 is the start of our celebration month - my birthday.

My birthday present to myself? Well now, I will really have to think about that. Maybe it will be a set aside sewing time without interruptions.

Miss Mojo is very much in disgust - she is here waiting and I am not accommodating her on her whims. Lots of interruptions. For example... On Wednesday we drove over to DeRidder, LA where we met a friend from the AT - Bert. He is cycling across the lower US following Adventure Cycling's Southern Tier maps. Danny rode with him Thursday from De Ridder, LA to Kirbyville, TX. I on the other hand, sagged this endeavor, and got us home that night.

And now today, my birthday, we are heading to Houston to have seafood and maybe see a movie.

I will finish DGDs 2nd pillowcase today as I haven't done anything on it since the last post. THen I will continue to cut pieces for the NYB and DS#1s quilt.

UFO Bites the dust

Today I finished and claimed another UFO - this time a quilt that was requested by my mother for her granddaughter. I designed, pieced and quilted this quilt, amidst much frustration and wailing (albeit silently).

 "Wall of Dreams"

The design is that of photos on a wall. Hence the frames around the pictures and a shadow behind them. The pictures are actually cross stitch work done by mother.

 (Sorry for the shadows from the branches of the trees) The quilt itself is quilted in a simple double cross hatch which pops the actual pictures. The cross hatching goes right up to the fram around the pictures. For the backing I found a horse panel and coordinating fabric which worked well.

 

Total size is 56"x 81" for a total of 7.44 yards busted. It was immediately sent off by FedEx to my mother. Here's hoping that she gets it before this weekend. My niece is coming into town this weekend and Mom should be able to give it to her then.

So now with a sigh of relief, I am able to concentrate on what is next. I immediately got out the easiest of all of the UFOs - another pillowcase for my DGD, that is ready to sew. I thought that it would be a quick put together. Ha ha the joke is on me. I used the stitch width to do a modified basting of the turn on the hem. Then I proceeded to sew the seams. Yup, all in long stitch. So then Mr Rippit came to visit and it wasn't such a quick sew up after all. So it sits on the sewing table and I am on the computer!

All the fabrics came in for DS#1s quilt so that will be the next one up along with the squars that are with the 365Callenge and OUR Quilt. So I will once again be busy and with somewhat of a time constraint. I have decided to not stress about the 365 Challenge blocks - they will get done when they get done. OUR Quilt is much more time oriented as I want it finished and on our bed at Thanksgiving: After all, it is a Christmas fabric themed quilt.

Another time issue is that I need to organize all my stash that is in the RV. I want to put them into a "do next" pile so to speak, although it will be in a plastic container. so onward I go ....