2016 Finish-A-Long Q1 {List}

I am finally at a point in my life where I feel like I can sew and craft. For the longest time, I was so busy getting healthy and working on the house. So, I decided to participate in the 2016 Finish-A-Long: Q1. This does not mean the house is finished. In fact, it is a long ways from being finished. But, I think we are at a place where we are taking breathers and just working on projects we feel like doing.

All of the quilting projects I listed below were projects I have put on hold since coming home (the move). Now that life has settled somewhat and my room is basically completed, I will be working on finishing them. At least, I hope to finish them! Of course, I most likely will start one or two projects too because I like to work on new quilts or crafts.

So, without further ado, here is my list:

1. Finish Hand Quilting Dan's Quilt

I was in the process of finishing this quilt late last year until an incident with Abby Gail made me panic and I put this project aside. I had briefly set it down with thread and needle attached to attend to something. I turned around and there she was messing with the quilt licking her mouth. The needle was nowhere to be found. I searched and searched and could not find it. I panicked and ended up taking Abby to the vet to get an X-ray to make sure she did not swallow that needle. She was fine. It was worth the cost for my peace of mind.

I shut the cats out of the room and searched and searched for the needle. I ultimately vacuumed up the entire space in hopes of finding the tiny item. Nada. Zilch. None. It is my prayer that it was sucked up by the vacuum and I missed it or it fell through a crack in the floor board. My cats insist on being in the same room with me and the idea of a loose needle scares me.

Both of my cats have issues that I have to be vigilant with. Abby has a love affair with strings, threads, and ribbons and chews them. This makes life difficult for me in the studio. Gracie's problem is plastic. She will chew and eat them. So, I have to make sure plastics of any kind are either discarded or put in a place where she cannot get to them.

Anyway, I plan on overcoming my fear concerning Abby and her love affair with threads and pick up this project again.

2. Machine Quilt the "Layer Cake" Quilt

This is scary because I will be learning how to use a brand new sewing machine in addition to a "long arm" frame that I never got a chance to use due to the fact we moved before I could!

3. Machine Quilt the "Modern Basics" {Red/White/Black} Quilt

I have not decided yet if I want to use the "long arm" or the regular machine to finish this quilt.

4. Cross Stitchery

This is something that I will work on when I am down and out or when I am on the road. Cross stitching gives my hands something to do and is not so bulky to take along in my rare travels.

Quilting Tuesdays: WIP

It has been awhile since I posted any sewing/quilting related projects. I have a couple of quilting work-in-progress (WIP) projects I am working on.

Quilting Book Club: May

1. Information:
• Book Used: Modern Basics by Amy Ellis
• Quilt Pattern: Basic Ease (page 7)
• Fabrics:
  
  1. "Red" & "Green": Happy by Jennifer Ryan for In the Beginning 2010
  2. "White": Polka Dot Garden by Jennifer Heynen for In the Beginning 2011
  3. Binding: Redwork Rendezvous by Alex Anderson for P&B Textiles (It is a black fabric with tiny white pin dots)
2. Top Completed: May 27th
   
   Closeup Shot of fabrics:
   


3. Back Completed: June 9th
   
   Note: It takes me awhile to complete the backing because I tend to patch up a bunch of leftover fabrics. I rarely buy separate fabric just for the backing. I tend to buy extra fabric required for the front for 1) just in case I make a mistake AND 2) to create the backing with.


4. Sandwiched, Pin Basted, and Ready for Quilting: June 19th
   
   I am one frustrated quilter. There is so much I want to do quilting wise; but, I am so limited with my home sewing machine. I wanted to do something a little fancy with my mother’s Maxine Quilt; but, I could not due to my machine’s limitations. I do not want to pay an arm and a leg to send it out to be quilted by someone else. It is already expensive enough as it is with fabrics. I did a little research and purchased two items for my sewing machine. I am ready to give it a try again. I will have to set it up and practice on a sample first and see what happens.
   
   For now, it is gently folded up and ready for quilting. I think I am going to finish piecing the layer cake quilt (below) and get that ready for quilting too. And then, I will work on quilting two quilts.

Layer Cake Quilt Along

I am way behind on this. Heh. This is what happens when your machine breaks and sits in shop for two weeks -- you lose your focus and dedication. I am unfocused anyway. So, what does it matter? At least, I picked this back up and am working on completing this project. That is saying something. What am I saying? I don't know. I am unfocused, remember? Ha!

1. Block 12 Completed: June 15th
   


2. On my design wall last night (June 20th):
   
   Since my blocks are not all the same size, I am attempting to square them up by corrupting the PURE fabric line with the addition of a “Pound Hounds” fabric by Sue Marel ©2011 RJR Fabrics. This should be a piece of cake since I did the same thing for my mother’s Maxine Quilt (some of the panels were wonky) except I am stressing over the process.

By the way, I have been doing a little research into longarm (or midarm) quilting machines and Holy Cow! How can anybody afford to get one of these machines? They must either desperately saved up their pennies or got into debt by financing one. I do not believe in incurring debt and I would be an old lady by the time I saved up enough pennies to buy one of these machines. *sigh*. Hopefully, I will be able to use my sewing machine to do some quilting things I would like to do. We’ll see.