2016 Finish-A-Long Quarter 2 list

Having completed 2 of the items on my list last quarter (both quilts) I'm aiming for the following this quarter, a mix of things from previous lists, things that haven't been on lists before, and new WIPs:

1 - Hourglass quilt

A hangover from my last list. I pulled and cut this quilt, and made the blocks last March for my brother's 30th - then decided I wasn't really sure about it, hadn't left enough time, and that an Amazon voucher was a lot easier. I need to find the blocks and make them into a quilt though - not sure what I'll do with it when it's done, we'll see.

2. Anything Goes Bee Quilt

Such an old WIP, I was in this bee in 2012/13 didn't make the blocks big enough for a quilt so need to make some more and then it's off to Sibling's Together, I need to find the blocks first, but I bought some more of the Kona solid I used so I can make the remaining blocks now. 

3. Leeds MQG Round Robin Quilt

I got this back yesterday so I can now so I can now work out what borders to add, add them, quilt and then decide on it's fate too.

4. Jelly Roll Jam Quilt

Started on impulse in January - need to make sure it doesn't become a long standing WIP. 

5. Shortcake Quilt

Started this on my retreat this weekend - need to get it quilted and bound. 

6. Star EPP

I'll be honest I don't know where this is, but I never finished it. Mission, find it, finish it, turn it into a lovely cushion and gift it!

7. Arragon Bag

So nearly finished, so hate the lining - after a year of sitting about very nearly finished it needs sorting! And the coordinating zippy and drawstring bags made so I can use it for taking to sewing days as planned so long ago now.

8. Noodlehead divided baskets

Hasn't been touched in the last quarter - after I've had my quilting binge I really should get this done, I keep moving this pile around my sewing room (well I did it's now packed in a box...)

Linking up with:

Splitting Squares Quilt Finally Finished

I won the pattern for this quilt, designed by Anna from Quilting Along the Grain in a giveaway on her blog in August 2013 and decided that the Rain Basics Fabric I'd recently bought from Simply Solids would be perfect for the pattern, along with some Navy Kona Solid, also from Simply Solids, as the background colour to make a change from white.

The pattern was great, well thought out and easy to follow, and the top came together quickly - but here's my recurring issue - I had no one to gift the quilt to and so the top got folded up and left in a corner of my sewing room.

In July 2014 it featured on my first Finish Along list and has featured on each one I've done since then:

Last April I decided to turn it into a quilt for Siblings Together and as it was a bit small as it was I got out my stash of Rain and added a brick like border which took it to an acceptable size:

Then, you've guessed it, it got put to one side again. It went on holiday with me last summer where it was basted (good old Ikea Numbers for the backing), and then spent 5 months rolled up waiting to be quilted before I did it pretty quickly at the Leeds MQG November meet - diagonal wiggly lines in Navy Aurifil:

I decided that more Kona Navy would be the best thing to bind it with - and, after another 4 months, it was bound this week and is now washed, dried and waiting for a label. 

It's ended up at about 49 inches square so it's a little on the small side but I'm sure they'll be a little person at the Sibling Together camps this summer who this will be perfect for. 

I really enjoyed doing something 'different' in terms of using colour rather than a really patterned fabric and I think it's striking. Along with the navy background it's something I would do again. 

So that's another off my Q1 2016 Finish Along List - 1 very long term WIP and 1 quilt that was in progress but was in danger of not being done if it was left. Lets see if I can knock a few more off in quarter 2. 

Quilt Number 38

I Spy Plus Quilt Finish

I wanted to be organised with my Christmas Gift Crafting last year, and I'd decided to some friends an I Spy quilt. They have two boys, one loves penguins, the other monkeys, so some eBay shopping in November helped top my my 'novelty' fabrics. Bright colours were important, as was big quilt for family 'sofa snuggling while watching a film' type activities.

So I had a grand plan, and naturally I started cutting on the 26th December.... Gripped to the news keeping track of the floods in York (where I live but thankfully on the edge of the city and relatively high up) I cut out lots of squares and decided on a layout. New extra space on the living room floor created by knocking a wall down came in handy for that!

I was a bit stupid and rather than tackling  it in section I chained pieced the whole thing in one direction, realised on the 27th I wasn't going to get it done before the 'grand tour' of relatives the next day and it was put to one side while I made my Mother in Law a bag to take the next day instead.

The quilt got taken to the January Leeds MQG meeting where I successfully finished the top.

Then it returned a month later to be basted and quilted (downside of new living room, no more basting on the living room carpet). I finished it off at home, then added the binding, and gave it a wash just in time to hand it over at the start of March.

The finished quilt is about 60 by 70 inches in a simple plus design, each fabric features either in one plus, or in one or more part pluses, but no more than 5 squares of each for a extra I Spy potential. Backing is some blue and red fabrics with life belts I've had in my stash for years. Quilting was just a quarter inch both sides of each seam line in a nice grid pattern.

I've already had photographic evidence of the quilt in use which is always lovely to see, and my stash of novelty fabrics has improved for future child orientated quilts too.

So 10 weeks start to finish in a particularly busy time of year for me work wise with a lack of time (and floor space) at home to finish so not too shabby. Hoping the next quilt is quicker though.


One finish from my Finish Along List at least!

Linking Up With:

2016 Finish-A-Long Quarter 1 list

New Year New Start

Last year the Finish-A-Long was a bit (ok a pretty total) fail.

This year I want to get back into finishing what I've started so I can clear the decks and start some proper guilt free sewing.

So I'm linking up with the Finish-A-Long to try and motivate me to get there, here's my list:


1. Splitting Squares Quilt

Perpetually not finished, has now been quilted (that was back in November) just needs binding, and I found the fabric I got to do that the other week. So no excuses, it's off to Siblings Together for this one soon.

2. Hourglass Quilt

I pulled and cut this quilt, and made the blocks last March for my brother's 30th - then decided I wasn't really sure about it, hadn't left enough time, and that an Amazon voucher was a lot easier. I need to find the blocks and make them into a quilt though - not sure what I'll do with it when it's done, we'll see.

3. Sophie's Universe CAL

I normally don't include crochet on here, but I joined in with the great Sophie's Universe CAL last year, being circular as each week progressed it got harder to carry around and also each round took longer. So in March it got shelved. I need to find it, the yarn, and the pattern and get it finished. I have a few crochet WIPs and I intend to add one to each of the FAL lists this year to clear these stubborn old projects.

4. Star EPP

I'll be honest I don't know where this is, but I never finished it. Mission, find it, finish it, turn it into a lovely cushion and gift it!

5. Arragon Bag

So nearly finish, so hate the lining - after a year of sitting about very nearly finished it needs sorting! And the coordinating zippy and drawstring bags made so I can use it for taking to sewing days as planned so long ago now.

6. I spy plus Quilt

Started on Boxing Day as a Christmas present for friends (obviously!) Really want to get this done over the next week.

7. Anything Goes Bee Quilt

Such an old WIP, I was in this bee in 2012/13 didn't make the blocks big enough for a quilt so need to make some more and then it's off to Sibling's Together too. 

8. Leeds MQG Round Robin Quilt

I can't share a photo of this as I haven't had it back yet - but I need to get my top back possibly add more borders, quilt and then decide on it's fate too - I'm going to wait until I've seen it to decide. 

So 8 projects at various stages to get out of the sewing room and in use/passed on this quarter. Thanks to the team running the Finish-A-Long this year. 

2015 Finish-Along Quarter 2 List

Not sure how it can be time to write my Quarter 2 list already but here goes:

It's a fairly easy one, 8 carry overs and then 2 new ones to add on the end. At the moment *touch wood* I seem to have my sew-jo well and truly back so *hopefully* they'll be some "I've finished something" posts soon.


1. Spinning Stars

Just needs quilting, binding and gifting....
Pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew.

2. Splitting Squares Quilt

Another long term WIP, mainly because it was lacking a purpose, this week I've added a border to this and it's destined for Siblings Together. Pattern by Anna at Quilting Along the Grain

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3. Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt

Another long term WIP, again already started working on it this week so it should be making it's way to Siblings Together soon.

4. Simply Solids Wonky Stars Quilt

I made progress with this in January and got the top pieced, but it's the lack of basting space that's the issue again and it got put to one side. I have plans to have a basting session on my craft room floor while it's empty so hoping this can be done and shipped soon.

                           

5. Noodlehead divided baskets

Hasn't been touched in the last quarter - after I've had my quilting binge I really should get this done, I keep moving this pile around my sewing room (well I did it's now packed in a box...)

6. Aragaon Bag

As I said in my Quarter 1 review I did make the Aragaon bag, but it isn't really finished as the way the lining is sewn in isn't good and there's a hole in the bottom - I've used it at Leeds MQG twice but it really needs some soul destroying unpicking and remaking without the sewn in lining and the hole and then some matching accessories making - I will move onto this after the quilts....

7. Sew Together Bag

Haven't touched this EPP - need to mix this in with the crochet.

8. Star EPP cushion

I did make a *tiny* bit of process with this in quarter one - think I just need to get a finished layout sorted so I know what I'm doing - I wasn't quite sure when I took it to London....

9. Home Sweet Home Quilt - Leeds MQG for Siblings Together

At our March meeting we made lots and lots of Home Sweet Home blocks, with ones we'd kindly been sent we had enough for two quilts tops there and then and started with blocks to make a third. I bought these and the leftover charm squares we'd collected home and after raiding my stash for more 'girly' fabrics to add to these leftover squares I managed to make the remaining 24 9 patches I needed. These need cutting, sewing back together as blocks, piecing into a top, basting and quilting.....

10. Pinwheel Quilt

I started this last week when I should have been finishing one of the things above, then had a change of heart so it's going on the list, not to be touched until some of the things above have been finished but don't want this becoming a long term WIP.

So 10 projects - 3 months - best get cracking... 

I'm linking up with Adrianne at On the Windy Side who is kindly hosting the 2015 Finish-Along: 

 

2015 Finish-Along Quarter 1 Review

I finished 2 projects on my Quarter 1 2015 Finish-Along list:

The HST cushion:

And my Posy Baby Quilt:

 Looking at the rest of my list:

I've made progress with my Aragon bag - in that it's now a functioning bag, however I don't like the finish and there's a hole in the bottom so I need to do some unpicking and work out how to do the lining separately to the main bag (it's sewn into the same seams which are then bound in the pattern):

 

My Simply Solids wonky Star quilt is now a quilt top and on the pile to baste.

  

I've added a few bits to this Star EPP cushion too but my EPP time was overtaken somewhat by crochet this quarter. I couldn't lay my hands on the bit I did in London this morning when I photographed this so there is slightly more than this.... 

 

Then no progress on these 5 at all - 2 of them were on my original list last July, oops!

 

 

I'm linking up with Adrianne at On the Windy Side who is kindly hosting the 2015 Finish-Along: