Monkey quilt progress

Jeff is taking certification exams every morning this week. He's out of the house for about two hours each day so I am planning to use that time to work on my monkey quilt. I didn't use that entire time this morning to quilt, but I did make some progress.

I added two strips of binding this morning and plan to add the other two tomorrow. Then I can add the borders! I'm excited to be making progress, no matter how small.

June quilting goal

I have not touched my quilting in several months. Earlier this year I was on a roll when I pieced an entire quilt top in several days. But then I got sick and have not touched it since.

Melissa at Sew BitterSweet Designs is hosting a challenge to finish something in the month of June. I want to return to the quilt that I am making for my nephew. The top is almost complete and I plan to have the quilt completed and shipped to my nephew by June 30.

Happy quilting!

Quilt top finished!

I'm so proud of this one!

I hope to baste it tomorrow and get started on the quilting. I'd like to have it completed by Sabbath so that I can take it to church and pass it along to the new baby!

2014: The year of UFOs

This year I didn't really make any new years resolutions, other than to finish up the myriad of half completed projects laying around my house. Today I made an inventory of every project that has been started but is incomplete. This list will keep me busy for awhile!

Quilting Projects

Monkey quilt
Christmas tree table runners
Disappearing 9 patch quilt
Hazel's Diary mystery quilt
Rail fence quilt
Denim quilt

Knitting Projects

Mom's book bag
Jeff's secret project
Growing leaves cowl
Baby blanket
Winged scarf

Home organization

Spare bedroom
Living room storage
Pantry
Clothes closet

Digital organization

Digital photos
Cookbook
Blog redesign

I'm excited to tackle some of these projects. I need something to keep me busy while we wait for the adoption to finalize. It'll be a relief not to have half completed projects laying around when our daughter finally comes home. Then I'll be able to start new projects with her! I wonder what her interests will be...

Quilting Progress

I write blog posts in my head and then forget to post them. By the time I remember, it's too late in the day for me to sit down at the computer to write... Silly me!

I'm making progress on my monkey quilt. I'm so excited to see this one coming together!


I still have to sew the blocks into rows and then add the sashing between the rows. I love this quilt!

Monkey Progress

Yesterday I cut out a ton of fabric in preparation for my monkey quilt. As you can see, Bruno "helped."

I ended the day with a stack of fabric squares to sew together.


This evening I practiced chain piecing and ended up with...


When I asked Bruno to come sit on my newly sewn squares, he promptly plopped down on my cutting mat.


Sure, cat, you ignore my fabric the one time I want your help to show off how long this chain is! Tomorrow I cut these squares down the diagonal and press them open to form two half square triangles. Then comes tons of ironing and a lot more pinning!

Concrete Goals for 2013

Kat has been discussing goals recently and how important it is to create specific goals rather than general New Years resolutions. My second 2013 resolution is to become more intentional, to spend my time more productively. I thought it would prove useful to write up specific goals and completion dates for several of the most important areas of my life.

Quilting
Abstract Goal - To improve my quilting skills.

Concrete Goals

• Participate in the 350 Blocks Project. I have no intention of completing 350 blocks as that is way more than I have completed in the past three years total! But I am going to use the project as an opportunity to push myself to finish more (ongoing).

• Complete four quilts this year. I am currently working on two, a personal lap-sized quilt (March 31) and a baby quilt (Feb 28) for my husband's college friends' baby. I also want to start and finish a quilt for my new nephew (April 30).

Japanese
Abstract Goal - To become fluent.

Concrete Goals

• 30 minutes of study time each and every day (ongoing).

• Find a language exchange pen pal and write an email once per week (Jan 31).

• Take the JLPT N3 exam in December 2013. The exam tests reading and listening comprehension and is only offered once a year outside of Japan. We have a testing center here in Seattle. (Registration opens in the fall.)

Health
Abstract Goal - To lose weight.

Concrete Goals

• Incorporate more fresh food in my diet by including at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal (start by Jan 31).

• Start eating raw breakfasts at least three times each week (start by Jan 31).

• Run at least three times per week and train to race a 10k by the end of the year (ongoing).

Homemaking
Abstract Goal - To become a better homemaker.

Concrete Goals

• Finish organizing my recipe book so that I actually utilize it (March 31).

• Try at least two new healthy recipes per week (ongoing).

• Create and follow my daily chores list (Feb 15).

Of course, this does not cover all areas of my life. While I appreciate the challenge of tackling each of these goals, I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of changes it will require. This is why I will have to prioritize and revisit these goals often to make changes based on what is or is not working. I know that January is almost over but there is no better time than now to refocus!

WIP Wednesday

I've been wanting to link up to WIP Wednesday for awhile! It was only recently that I purchased an iron and an ironing board and was thus able to return to my quilting. I've been alternating between knitting and quilting, enjoying my time with both. Quilting takes place when I have a large chunk of time availiable and knitting is done while watching tv.

My ironing station
What I'm currently working on...

Last night I finished this denim quilt top and now need to add the flannel backing.

I'm also starting a Christmas project. I am so happy to have an entire pile of fabric! Everything is washed, ironed, and ready to go.

And, of course, my kitty decided he had to help. "Fabric? I have to lay on it!"

Birthday present

Last night we went to Joann Fabric and picked out my birthday present. Both my mother and mother-in-law gave me some cash and it was burning a hole in my pocket. I really wanted to go fabric shopping but decided there was no point when I am still missing some vital quilting tools.

Instead, I picked up this beautiful rotary cutting mat.

Of course, my cat decided he needed to "help" with the cutting process.

I don't have a table large enough to cut on so I have to use the floor. Good enough for me!

This afternoon I cut out the remaining squares I need for my denim quilt. I want to add a second additional row to make it even longer, but the flannel backing I have isn't long enough to allow for that. Now I just have to figure out how to iron without an ironing board...

One Step Closer

I am one step closer to quilting! My wonderful husband bought me an iron. Woohoo!

And of course, since it has to do with quilting, one of my cats had to come check it out.

Now I just need a new rotary cutting mat and an ironing board. I cannot wait to get back to my quilt!

Thursday's Homemaking

Today I had some additional incentive to finish with my house cleaning early: the library! I thought I had some books due back today and knew that hubby wouldn't be able to go with me after work. Today there is no "after work" as it's after seven and he's still working...

Thursday Cleaning - Stairs and Downstairs Sinks

Sweep and mop stairs

Sweep and mop downstairs hallway

Sweep bedroom floors

Scrub both bathroom sinks (one in master bedroom, one across from washer/dryer in hallway)

Wipe off top of washer and dryer

Tomorrow's cleaning - the shower and toilet in the downstairs bath.

I am so happy that I have a checklist now. I love lists. Next week I will have a printed list for each day and that will provide its own incentive, getting to check things off the list.

As it turns out, I had nothing due back at the library but I was dying to go regardless. So, come 2:30 this afternoon, I finished my cleaning, took a shower, and then hopped in the car. Library, here I come!

When I left for the library, I had 66 items checked out and took a bag of books with me to return. Now that I'm home again, I have 76 items checked out. Oops. That number is supposed to be going down, not up! I spent an hour browsing the shelves, mostly in the quilting section. I am looking for inspiration for my brother's new baby (due in December).

Of course, Bruno demanded that he be included in the photo. I tried to explain to him that they were just books about quilts, not actual quilts, but he insisted.

And two of the books I checked out just for me. My husband was shocked that I dared suggest that I desecrate his precious French press with YARN but finally acquiesed and I said I could knit him a coffee cozy. ;) Ah, true love.

Blog Hop Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! I had a lot of fun reading all of the comments. My husband and I are slowly but steadily working our way through the pizza sauce recipes that were shared. My husband thanks everyone for the excuse to eat more pizza!

The winner is...

Painting 4 Him!! Congratulations!!

It's a blog hop party!

It's a party!! Quilting Gallery is hosting another fun blog hop and giveaway. I've not been able to quilt since we moved (no iron or ironing board yet) but I still wanted to participate in the giveaway.

I'm giving away two Christmas fabrics. I'm unsure of the exact yardage, but I know they are at least half a yard each.

The two fabrics together

Close up 1

Close up 2

To enter the drawing, leave a comment below. That's it! And I am happy to ship internationally! The drawing is open until midnight on September 3 and I will draw a winner on September 4. Make sure that I have a way to contact you if you win.

If you feel like being extra kind and have a great pizza sauce recipe that you're willing to share, I'm currently on the hunt for the perfect pizza.

Visit Quilting Gallery on Sunday to see the entire list of blog participants. Happy quilting!

D9P quilt - completed!

I am very happy to say that my Double 9 Patch quilt is now complete!

front

back

Bruno inspecting my work

Folded and ready to go

This quilt was a struggle but I learned a ton. Back at the beginning, I found that not all of the fabric from the church was 100% cotton. I'm not ready to mix fabrics yet and had to give up using all of the donations. Instead, I went to Joann Fabrics and purchased a lot of my own fabric to incorporate into the quilt.

I still have a lot to learn about color and value! My quilting and piecing skills improved but I can see areas that definitely need work.

Overall, I'm happy to be done and looking forward to the next project! I've already started sewing together the blocks for my denim/flannel lap quilt. While I'm excited to work on a quilt for me I should have worked on this quilt in the fall when it would have been more needed! I'll finish it just in time for the hot Arizona weather.

D9P quilting completed

I am finally able to join in at WIP Wednesday. I've been wanting to join ever since I found the link up but didn't have anything to show.


Quilting complete!
I finally finished the quilting on my Double 9 Patch quilt. This is only the third quilt that I've machine quilted and it's the biggest one so far. It was definitely a learning experience. Half way through the quilt, I finally figured out how to start and end my quilting lines without leaving a big knot on the back of the quilt.


Quilt Front
Surprisingly, the quilt does lay flatter than it shows in this photo. I was surprised to have no major bunches in the quilting and I think it's a case of beginner's luck! Either that or because I went overboard and used spray binding AND pinned the entire quilt.


Quilt Back
For the back, I made a mistake which I think is due to not enough pinning in the border. The pieced strip goes really crooked on the top of the quilt and it looks funny. You can kind of see it in this photo but it's more obvious up close.


Binding Selection
For the binding, I am using this floral fabric that is used in the center of each of the 9 patch blocks. I think it'll work fairly well. Tomorrow I'll be sewing strips together to make the binding long enough to go around the entire quilt. I had a scare this afternoon when I went looking for the leftover purple fabric! I only found half of it and was about a foot short. Thankfully, I dumped out a bag of fabric and found another half yard folded on the bottom. Whew! If I hadn't found the other fabric, I'm not sure which print I would have used.

I can't wait to be done with this quilt and move on to my next one! I don't yet know what quilt pattern I will choose, but I will have fun looking.

D9P quilting progress

I am finally making some progress on my Double 9 Patch quilt! My quilting sessions aren't as long as I would like but at least I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This quilting is mostly stitch in the ditch with straight lines connecting the 9 patch blocks. Well, the lines are semi-straight. I definitely need more practice!

Quilting

In moving news, we bought a kitty harness today to start leash training both cats. Here is Bruno, looking a bit unhappy with his new accessory. The photo makes the harness look way too small for him, but it's not. He's just sitting really weird.

Harnessed kitty

I'm so glad it's almost Sabbath! It's great to have a weekly break with God.

D9P backing and the beginnings of a new quilt

Yesterday, hubby and I visited Joann's and picked up the backing for my double 9 patch quilt. I had such a hard time deciding what to use! Should I buy a solid or a print? Should it be a subtle print or something bold? Purple? Pink? Blue? Green? I looked at the walls of fabric and felt completely overwhelmed.

I found a simple floral print I liked, printed on a white background. However, I've been hesitant to use any white in my backings as I know it will get dirty very fast. I decided that since this quilt already contained fabric choices that were not... wonderful... I would just go for something simple: a light pink to offset the very bold top.


I'm not sure I made the best choice, but I've found I learn better by trial and error. If this doesn't work, then I will know better for my next quilt.

Over the weekend, while I waited until we had an opportunity to visit the fabric store, I started another quilt. I just couldn't help myself. Since high school, I've been wanting to make a denim quilt, one I saw on HGTV. I couldn't find the exact pattern, though I had printed it years ago. Who knows where those papers disappeared to! I'm still not sure exactly what pattern I'll use, but I decided to start prepping the fabric.
A bucketful of jeans
I've been saving jeans for years. Some of the jeans have holes in them; others I grew too fat or too skinny to wear. Now I only wear skirts so all of these jeans are going into my quilt. Who knows? Maybe I'll have enough denim for more than one quilt.

What I have cut so far
What still needs to be cut

While at Joann's, I found the perfect flannel backing for my denim quilt! Even better, it was 70% off! I bought the rest of the bolt.
Kitties!

There is still a ton of prep work to be done on the denim. I haven't cut squares out yet. I've only cut the useless parts of the jeans away from the usable fabric. Once I determine the size of my squares, I can actually begin cutting the blocks. First, though, I need to finish the double 9 patch quilt. I just needed something to keep myself busy while waiting to buy the backing fabric!

Happy quilting!

Double 9 Patch Quilt - Borders Added!

It's really late for me to be posting but I was so excited that I just couldn't wait until tomorrow.

I finished adding the borders to my quilt!!


I'll have to see about getting a better photo of the quilt, probably laid out on my living room floor. My photo accidentally cut off part of the blocks in the top corners! It's hard holding anything up in the air when you're in the middle of an intense workout program...

At the beginning, I wasn't sure I liked this quilt. It's a bit too bold for me. However, I had to work with the fabric the church gave me and then supplemented with a couple trips to Joann Fabric. The quilt is growing on me now. It still won't be my favorite, but at least I'm willing to admit now that I made it!

On Sunday, we're headed to Joann to buy backing for the quilt. Then I can start the sandwiching process and the quilting. I can't wait!

Quilting Update

My husband had a four day weekend so I have yet to brainstorm my schedule and priorities. We went to church, played games, watched a movie, and just enjoyed the time at home. However, I did spend a few hours working on my quilt! I would consider that productive.



The only thing left on the quilt top is to add the borders. Then I get to shop for backing! I'm excited that this quilt is almost done. I have no idea what's next on the project list, though I have a few ideas in mind. I guess we'll just have to see how long it takes me to finish this quilt.

So many quilts and so little time!

Quilting update - two rows complete

My quilt top is finally coming together. Last week, I completed the last of the 20 blocks.


Today I sewed the first ten blocks into two rows.


I want to sew the other half of the blocks into rows before sewing these two rows together. The quilt is coming out a bit smaller than I had hoped. I think it was a problem with my seam allowances not being exact and having to cut each block down to the same size. If I have enough of the dark pink fabric or can find more at Joann, I will add a small border before putting together the quilt sandwich.

Hopefully I'll finish the top this weekend. I can't wait to finish this quilt and move on to my Christmas projects - table runners!