Riley Blake Challenge 2019

Back at the first of the year I signed up for a fabric challenge hosted by the Modern Quilt Guild.  The fabric for the challenge was supplied by the Riley Blake Designs fabric company.  And included 4 different prints, with at least 3 of them having to be in the final quilt.

The design for this quilt was inspired by one of the tiles in this picture.   A gal that hosts a block swap I've been in several times is using these tiles to create the back splash in the kitchen in her new house.    They are so tempting for me, but I really don't want to take down the tile already up in my kitchen...lol.

However, the tile on the very left end of the row that is standing up against the wall did prove to be inspiration for the Riley Blake Fabric challenge that the Modern Quilt Guild is hosting this spring.

I finished the quilt top this pass weekend and will be basting it this coming week so I can start on the quilting for it.  Working name is "Hot Plate" because the blocks remind me of the burners on my electric stove when they are hot.










All of the fabrics in the challenge quilt have to be from Riley Blake.  The one I'm planning on using for the backing is the top one shown in the pic to the right.   It is from their Sew Cherry 2 line of fabric I believe.

At the moment I'll either bind the quilt in more of the background fabric or the red used for the large circle in the blocks.   Am leaning towards the background fabric though unless I decide to buy something else.   I do have a navy/white 1/8th inch stripe (only an fat-8th) that I think would make a fun binding, but the fat-8th that I have isn't enough to do the binding. 

I'm tempted to buy enough to do the binding, but hate the thought of paying as much in shipping as the FQ I need would cost me.....so not worth it.   I might tho, piece enough strips to get a small flange for the quilt.  Will have to think about it.

Meanwhile, while I work on this to get it quilted I'll also be working to make two pillow shams that I've been asked to make for a friends DD to match the quilt that she had someone else make.  Those shams need to be back in Idaho by May 15th.

Gratitudes:

1. For not having to make the hourglass units for the shams, altho I do have to trim them from 3.75" to 3.5" unfinished.

2. For a knee and leg that did not give me fits this morning driving into work.

UFO's - Cross-Stitch and CQ

A friend asked me this week where my CQ UFO's were..........well, I have three of them....and these are them.

The first one is this pile of what was to be the front piece on cross-body cell phone bags.  Have had them pieced for yrs, but have decided that I'll used them to make quilted postcards from.   Will trim them to 6:" square to use all that I can from the pieces. 

Probably won't do any embroidery on them, but I've got plenty of trims, beads, buttons, and other assorted items that I can use to embellish them.

This piece started with a piece of cross-stitch that I did years ago.   So it counts as a double UFO.....lol.   I added the vine (embroidered and beaded) several yrs ago and then couldn't figure out what to add next.  Fabric colors were laid out to give the impression of the sun in the upper left, sky along the top and upper right, and then grass/bushes and soil at the bottom and sides.

Still trying to figure out what to add next, but this is one that I do want to finish at some point.  Guess I need to do some searching online to see if I can find some ideas.   Any one got any good ideas of where to look for something more along the lines of motifs vs just seam treatments?

Close up of the kitten and the vine.

And then there are these 4 blocks.  The fabrics, well most of them, came from a CQ kit that I had been given years ago by a friend as part of an annual Christmas swap that I take part in.  I had bought the silky prints of the kittens and combined the two into these blocks.

I have laces, trims, beads and I'm not sure what all that also came with the kit.  The kit was put together by another quilting friend of mine.

The blocks have been made for years w/o me working any more on them.   I think part of the problem is that I don't normally work with pastel colors so that makes it really hard for me........

At this point I have no idea what I'm going to do with them....I do know I won't be making more blocks tho to go with them even tho I have more of the fabrics.....lol.

Gratitudes:
1. For having plenty of projects to work on so I can't claim to be bored.....lol.

2. For knowing who provides all things in spite of how it looks after not getting paid for 4 weeks.

Hands 2 Help 2019

I finished up the last of three quilts for the 2019 Hands 2 Help challenge this week.   All of them will be going to Jack's Basket which is a group that gives a basket of goodies to families who have a baby with Down's Syndrome.  More can be read about the organization by clicking here.

This is the first quilt finished, and it started with blocks I made to test out new quilt designs yrs ago.

This was the second quilt finished.  The center was pieced from orphan blocks that I had picked up in a scrap bag from a quilt store at some point.   All other fabrics in the top were either from remnants and my novelties.

Backing for the quilt was from two remnants that had been in the stash.

And the third and final quilt for this year.  Orphan blocks and an orphan strip set formed the basis for this quilt.   Black was a remnant, and the backing below came from my novelty stash.


Gratitudes:
1. That the storm this week did not bring severe weather with the 24 hrs of constant rain.

2. For the gift of being able to bless others through my quilting

May - Goals & Plans

Did not get a look at this for the month of April because too much was going on.   However I did get a lot accomplished.  My initial focus this month will be on the items highlighted in Yellow.

Completed -

1. The large commission was completed during the month.   Totals were something like 31+ stockings, 7 totes, 15 or more pillows, and 18 or so ornaments.   
2. Minky Blanket for K (~24" square) - Completed and I've made the left over fabric into an extra one to sell.
3. US Map wallhanging (from Moda panel) - totally finished and ready to hang when I get a curtain rod up
4. Three 36" square quilts made for Hands 2 Help for Jack's Baskets.  These were made from orphan blocks and scraps, with all from stash.  - Completed

Commissions -

1. 16" pillow from bodice of wedding dress for KA
2. 4 or 5 10" ring bearer pillows from wedding dress for KA
3. Christmas stockings for J and J for RG, due no later than July 2019- I know the style she wants now, just need to piece at least one more "blank" and might do two so that the fabrics in them are the same.
4. Quilted Pillow Shams for J and J to match the quilt made by someone else (using leftover blocks) for RG, due back to R by May 15th, 2019.  - Have the extra blocks in hand, need to to to Hobby Lobby to get matching fabric to the background fabric used in the blocks.
5. Repair Skirt for SN's Friend - in progress

UFO's planning on completing -

1. Eye Spy (H-Blocks) (For family who lost all in Campfire wildfire) - Top Finished
2. Eye Spy (Snowball blocks) (For family who lost all in Campfire wildfire) - Top Finished
3. Old time Baseball quilt (For family who lost all in Campfire wildfire) - Top Finished
4. Teddy Bear, full-sized
5. Scrappy snail (to be sold)
6. Scrappy kitten (to be sold)
7. Scrappy puppies (to be sold)
8. Wolf (to be sold)
9. Whale and Anchor baby quilt (to be sold?)
10. Perhaps pull out a set or two of UFO blocks and put into tops

New starts/ Ongoing projects - 

1. Riley Blake / MQG Challenge Quilt, must be submitted around mid-May - Designed and have fabric for it
2. Quilt top from Susan (For family who lost all in Campfire wildfire) - Top Finished
3. Maze (strings and 3-d bowtie blocks) (planning to submit for possible publication) - Still only half assembled
4. Snail quilt for me - In Progress, Top third now together, assembly on middle third has started
5. Make the planned curtains using my F2F blocks
6. Batik string blocks, no plan for them yet - In slow progress
7. Make setting for Bear Family Album and write up for pattern
8. 2019 Row-by-Row possible....not sure on this theme, but I do like winning....lol....
9. Develop better photography skills for use in my quilting
10. Lap quilt for wedding present for J&J (wedding in May 2019), true blues/wow/silver, traditional pattern (dbl wedding ring?) - Pattern and fabrics need to be chosen for this before end of March

BOM - 

1. Release Marine Bear - Sample block made
2. Release Coast Guard Bear - Sample block made
3. Release Air Force Bear - Sample block made
4. Release Setting
5. Decide on next BOM Theme

Quilts to Sell - 

Realistically go through my quilts and think about whether I really want them or have a place to use them and sell the ones that I don't.

Think I'll manage to get through what I want to do for March?

Gratitudes:

1. For the knee being enough better that I can at least drive and sleep w/o the brace on.

2. For friends who check to see if I'm doing ok.

Progress on the Snail Quilt

The first complete band across the quilt is almost to full width before any border is added.  I still need 6-9 inches to square it up to the width that I want before I think about a border.

Second band is started.  These will be on the left side of the band.  May be adding onto the bottom of the blocks depending on what goes next to them.

Gratitudes:
1.  No accidents on the way to work.

2. The pickle juice is seeming to help my legs after driving to work today.

Blessings in the Mail

There are a lot of giveaways on Facebook, Instagram, various blogs and so on lately and I've entered many of them, after all someone has to win right?

Well as it happens, I've been blessed to win two of them in the last 10 days.

First up was this new cross-stitch book given away by @snugglemonkey on Instagram.   There are some really cute motifs in the book, many of which will also work for the scrappy quilts that I've been making to sell.  =)

And the second thing that I was this FQ assortment from Benartex Fabrics.   It is from the Cat-I-Tude II line that is new and it is wonderful.

Here are the lovely fabrics that were in the assortment.  And of the 9 different precut assortments they were giving away, this is the one I really wanted.   SO much fun to get it.   Now to decide what I want to make from it.....hmmm, maybe a purse for me, or a quilt.....or?


Gratitudes:

1. Little blessings such as these prizes

2. The rain we've received over night and today.

Cross-Stitch Progress

Progress has been made on this piece of cross-stitch.   This is where I had left it several yrs ago when I quit working on it.















And here is where I am today.  I've been workign one color at a time, so will finish off the red apple outline about the green heart next.   Then will fill in the black seeds and do the letters.

When completed this will be made into a quilted postcard.

Gratitudes:

1. That my hand is cooperating with me as I cross-stitch.

2. For good books to read

New start & finish

About 6 wks or so ago I went to the grand opening of a new quilt store with a quilt friend.  It's a tiny shop (as in it has less fabric than I do in my stash!), but I did find this quilt panel and loved it.  The store had it made up into a pillow, but I decided to make a wall hanging with it.  I added buttons to represent all the places that I've lived over the years.

There are 3 buttons that represent more than one town/city - AZ (Phoenix and Mesa), MA (Malden and Woburn - both just to the north of Boston). and TX (Rowlett, Garland, and Greenville).

The back was pieced from the coordinating charm pack, and then bound with a Moda Grunge that went with all of it.

The quilting was designed to look along the lines of  a topographical map.

Gratitudes:

1. For all the friends that I've made everywhere that I've lived. 

2. For those friends that I've made over the years that I'm still in contact with.

Contentment

So a little different post from me today.....

Many who've followed me for a while on here, or who know me personally know that I've moved all to frequently over the last 10+ yrs......and along the way have struggled at times financially.  And while at this point I'm not planning on moving again anytime soon (Lord willing that is!), the financial issues are still there as I deal with an income that has been anything but regular over the last 18 months or so, and doesn't seem to be getting any more stable at this point.

At any rate, my thoughts yesterday were challenged by an email I had received on the topic of contentment (from Rachel Cruze who is Dave Ramsey's daughter).

Some of the thoughts in the email that challenged me include these:

"You might have the head knowledge, the income, and even a monthly budget—but you still feel like a hamster on a wheel, running as hard and fast as you can."

"People who practice contentment . . .

• don’t spend as much money because they don’t feel the pressure to keep up with a certain standard of lifestyle they can’t afford.
• can break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck because they don’t have to spend money just to feel good.

But contentment isn’t a place you get to financially when you finally have “enough” money in your bank account or the brand of car you always wanted. It’s deeper than that. Contentment is the inner peace that comes with being happy and fulfilled wherever you are, with whatever you have. The Apostle Paul put it like this: “ . . . I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.” (Philippians 4:11–12 NLT)."

None of these statements mean just accepting things as they are without trying to improve things.  But instead for me, it does mean that I need to make even more of an effort to look at what is in my life (people, things and what's happening) with even more gratitude and from the work to be content while working to get out of debt and improve things in my life.

So, how are you working towards a life of contentment?

Gratitudes:
1. For unexpected blessings like the two prizes I've been blessed with  this week from two different giveaways on IG and a blog hop.

2. For unexpected early time off of work one day this week.

H2H quilt finished

Found myself not able to sleep early Sunday morning so I got up and finished pin basting this little quilt and then quilted it before getting ready for church.  Got it bound in the afternoon.

It will be going to Jack's Basket as part of the Hands 2 Help challenge this spring.  You can read more about the challenge by clicking here.

Backing was the perfect size and color and from my stash.  The four blocks in the quilt were all samples that I made as I was testing new block patterns several years ago.

Gratitudes:

1. Found the beads and other materials I needed to make the bracelet portion of the medic alert bracelet that I really should be wearing but haven't been.

2. For friends who challenge to keep growing in my faith instead of remaining stagnant.

Cross-stitch UFO Finished

Yippee - another cross-stitch UFO finished off.  The final three ornaments in this set have been finished.  Now to decided what to do with them.......

One lesson learned when working on the cross-stitch motifs - my eyes no longer like working on darker colored aida cloth.   It was a pain to try and see where the dratted holes were....lol.  Now that might have been because I was working on it too late at night and/or because I really, really need new glasses....but whichever, I'm thinking I need to stay with white or cream or even just light colored cloth in the future.




And this is the last cross-stitch UFO that I've found in my stuff.........well, at least in the smaller projects.   I haven't gone through the tote filled with my large cross-stitch kits to see what I've got in there.


Gratitudes:

1. One paycheck has been received...only one behind now instead of two.

2. found someone to mow the yard for me since my knee is still not at all cooperative.

Scrap-Happy April

Lots of fun with scraps this month as I worked with some bonus HST's leftover from a wedding quilt I made last year and scrap strips from the stash.

These are "blanks" that will be used to make Christmas stockings from. 

The three 'blanks' made from squares came about because I ended up with too many strip sets and just couldn't see them going to waste or ending up back in the UFO bin.

Two of them will end up going for  commissioned order that is due around the end of July.  The remaining ones will be finished off and sold.

Scraps leftover from cutting the stockings will end up in quilted postcards.


Kate and Gun host a monthly blog hop featuring the use of scraps.  Check out what everyone in the hop has done with their scraps this month.

Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn,
Lynda, Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan, Karen,
 Moira (me!), Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean, Johanna, Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki and Pauline



Gratitudes:
1. For the blessing of commissioned work and how it is abundant this year

2. For a stash that has most any color and type of fabric that I could want

Cross-Stitch UFO's

I finished off another cross-stitch UFO this weekend.    This little piece is about 5" in diameter and ultimately will end up most likely either in a postcard or mug rug.

 Once the hearts were done, I looked through the tote with the rest of my little cross-stitch kits to see what else might be in progress and found this. 

It was a free kit that came with one of my British cross-stitch magazines several years ago.   I had foolishly not kept the chart, but the picture is large enough to be able to count the number of stitches needed for the ornaments.  I had two kits and had done the stitching on two of them.    And even had sewn the first three together, but not stuffed them.

First three are now totally finished, and they are being used as the patterns for the remaining three ornaments.  I've got the stitching finished for Joy, and am working on the remaining two.   I'm changing up the colors a little so that all 6 ornaments will be different when completed.

Gratitudes:
1. Lots of rain yesterday means I don't have to water the yard (of course it also means I can't finish mowing the yard....but picky picky)

2. Hopefully one paycheck will come tomorrow

More snails arrive

Three more snails have been completed.   

The shells started with orphan blocks from many years and several states ago.  These were 8" blocks that were made for a BOM at a quilt store that were made with Thangles.  To bring them up to a usable size for the quilt I bordered each of the three blocks with a navy Fairy Frost that was in my stash.  All other fabrics are from scraps in my stash.


Gratitudes:
1. week is almost over

2. for savings.......

Commissions and orphan blocks

Last year I made this queen-sized quilt for a gift.   I pp'd the flying geese used in the stars and the pinwheels.......and as a result ended up with a lot of bonus triangles that I had just put into a ziploc bag and then set aside.

Once set aside they became orphan blocks / UFO blocks because I just ignored them instead of doing something with them.   So now I'm putting them to use to make up commissions (so things to sell).

 These are the ones that were in the true blue color range - meaning no turquoise, teal, aqua or so forth.  I'll be working with those colors at a later date.

I trimmed the middle pile on the top, and the bottom stack to 2.5" unfinished.  The other two stacks will be trimmed to 3" unfinished I think, maybe 3.5" unfinished.

And while not a great picture, but here is "blank" that I'll be cutting a Christmas stocking front out of.  I'll be doing some quilting on it at some point as well with a light weight batting of some sort.

I have a commission for two Christmas stockings in true blues (all shades) and creams or whites due later in the summer.......so this will be one of the ones that I let my customer choose from.

Gratitudes: 

1. Warm weather!  (In spite of all the allergy stuff now in the air driving me crazy.....)

2. For having been paid for this last finished commission....and the possibility of another one coming soon.

Final commissioned totes completed!

This weekend I finished off two commissions.   The first one I don't have pics of - two pairs of pants were hemmed for a friend at church.   Nope not something that I normally do, but he's a good friend and had given me a mower last year so that I wouldn't have to buy one.  So I didn't mind doing them for him.

The other commission that I finished up was the big one that I'd been working on the first three months of the year.   The last bit were these 5 small totes, and 7 denim heart ornaments.

Three totes, pieced from smaller sections of the overalls and denim shirts.  All have pockets added to the front of them.

 Backing of the three totes.   Straps on the top two were the straps on the final pair of overalls.

 These were made from the seat section of the final pair of overalls.   Because of where the brads fell on the top of the backs I ended up facing the top of the denim with extra wide, single-fold bias tape.








Backing of these two totes.


Gratitudes:

1. For this commission and all that it has enabled me to pay off.

2. For the new commissions that are coming in.

Final Stockings Finished

Finished up the remaining stockings for the big commissioned order that I've been working on since the first of the year. 

One stocking featuring a pocket from the overalls and part of the bib section, another one that was pieced with the flap portion of where the zipper was located, a grey knit one with a pocket from the overalls, and three that were pieced from the larger sections of denim from the overalls and shirts.

Pieced stocking featuring one of the pockets from the overalls, and three stockings using up the remaining corners of one of the bandannas.




















5 stockings using up the final bits of 2 different bandannas and one that was pieced from larger sections of denim.

Gratitudes:

1. For savings when payday comes late.

2. For my job even when things are frustrating there.

Balance

Balance - we all need this and it's one of the things that seems to be missing right now in my life, especially in what i need to be getting done when I'm not at work.

While I've got the blog postings to keep track of long-term and immediate goals for the year in a variety of areas, I wrote down everything on paper that is in more immediate need (as in the next 4-6 weeks) of being worked on and/or completed.   Sigh, was rather eye-opening because most of it is commissioned work or not for me (whether for me or for a gift).   

Now one of these items should be done tonite.....and I'm aiming to get two more of them done by the time the coming weekend is over with, and once done then I'll be paid for the jobs.....but still.....sigh.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the work that is brought my way because it's helping me pay off debt.  But it would still be nice to have time to work on something for me.....or get ahead on gifts....and thinking of gifts, it's time to start thinking about BD gift(s) for my mom....lol.....

Gratitudes:
1. The end of the overall commission is in sight!

2. Got to leave work early yesterday

MQG Riley Blake Fabric Challenge - Spring 2019

Last week I'd received an email from UPS telling me that they would be delivering a package from UPS on 4/1 and that the sender was Riley Blake Designs............well I knew I couldn't figure out what it was.

It arrived yesterday evening and after opening the package I found these lovely fabrics.  All are fat-Eights (9" by 22") in size....  All but the middle fabric were in the challenge.  The solid blue is an extra piece.

Thankfully we can add any other Riley Blake fabric we want to instead of being limited to only certain lines.   Now I need to figure out a design so I can get any extra fabric needed.

I had tried to sign up back when they first opened the challenge but the website had given me a message saying that too many had signed up and I was out of luck......hmmmm, not quite true....lol.

So now there's another thing on my to-do list to get done in the next 6 or so weeks.

And nope, I don't know what I'm going to do, but do know it won't be something big.  I do have some sanity left....lol.

Gratitudes:
1. That I like challenges

2. For savings to cover the bills when payday comes and goes w/o getting a check......

Weekend Hodge-Podge

Worked on a variety of things this weekend....first up was the snack mat made from the mystery fabric talked about here..

Then I made this little minky blanket for a commission.  It is 24" square and is for toddler to drag around.   This only used half of the fabric, so I have a second one in process.

















5 Christmas stockings for the large commission were put together.  Only 16 more stockings to go along with the 5 totes that are also needed.  =)  The end is in sight for this commission.










Next commissions to be worked on -

-- hemming two pair of pants for a friend (overdue on this one)

-- pillows from a wedding dress (same customer as all the denim and t-shirt stuff)

-- 2 pieced stockings w/names added for a friend

-- and finally, for a couple of months from now, a quilt along the lines of this one posted on FB by APQS this past weekend.  To be customized and planes used that correspond to what the recipient works on for the mission (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) they are a part of.


Gratitudes:

1. For my knee being better even though it has been a pill this past weekend.

2. For friends who do canning and then let me take home the leftover pickles.