What a busy week in the sewing room!!
First off, did you see my finish of the boys’ baby quilts?? You can find that post HERE if you missed it.
I stayed on a roll with finishing things. The Red Sampler quilt got a backing…don’t you love this??? I think it’s a perfect backing.
Then went on the frame next…
After that, a backing was made and the County Fair quilt went on the frame.
After that, a backing was made for Kelli’s quilt and it went on the frame.
My goal was to get the quilting done on at least one quilt each day while I was off.
I did pretty good.
Monday I did the two baby quilts.
Tuesday the Red Sampler Quilt.
Wednesday the County Fair Quilt.
Thursday Kelli’s Quilt.
Friday morning I was back to work but not before I was up early and put a backing together for the next quilt. Carver and Gannon were the only ones here for much of the morning so I could get the backing ironed. Here they are playing after it was ironed.
Carver moved just as I took the picture.
The next quilt that I am tackling is the batik charm square quilt I made a couple of months ago.
It was about a year or so ago that I promised myself I wouldn’t get behind on finishing quilt tops. I promised myself I would tackle them as I did them. These mostly just got finished all at once so it wasn’t really that I hadn’t been working on them.
I do have my double wedding ring quilt that isn’t quilted and I really wish it was. I am going to try to stay on a roll and do that one this month yet too.
Doing that many quilts at once was not the best idea for my shoulder. You might remember I have trouble with it from time to time. Machine quilting four days in a row is something that I really need to work to avoid as I am having trouble with it again. I think it’s just soreness at this point.
I did some piecing too. I got the borders made for my Show Off quilt. I did them leader ender style for much of the week and then I finally just finished them at the end of the week.
Next up I need to start sewing on the center of the quilt. This wouldn’t take long to make if I just sit down and sew on it exclusively but that doesn’t seem to be my style.
I am working on my Bitcoin quilt as well. I had a lot sewn together but realized that I needed to sew more strips together. I did quite a bit of that over the week. Anytime our adult children called on the phone I was either ironing or cutting the strips into segments.
I’m making mine bigger than the pattern and I’m well over half done.
I ended up pulling out another UFO…this is Garlic Knots. It’s a Bonnie Hunter pattern.
It was the July Dirty Dozen UFO I was supposed to work on and didn’t. I pulled it for something to do over naptime. I’m going to count and see where I am with this project.
I hate this part of UFOs…I don’t know why I don’t label them and count them before I put them away…UGH. I don’t know if I’ll actually tackle this or just pull it out and count. It sure would be nice to get it done.
I cut this one out long ago over nap times. It sat for a long time then last year I made some progress on it as part of the Dirty Dozen UFO but I never finished it. I’m starting to wonder if it’s time. The blocks are really fun to make…and I adore that border. If nothing else, maybe I could get the borders sewn together although it would be really nice to slide this one in as a finish!!
I know I am DREADING making the sashing for this. I don’t have a design wall and this project could use one. I have a more organized sewing room now so maybe I can figure something out. We’ll see. For now, it’s out and I’m counting and for now, that’s enough.
Did you notice that once again I have several projects pulled and I’m piecing on them?? That’s why I end up with four finished quilts all at once. Oh well, that’s how I work best.
Watch the blog. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be binding these quilts that were machine quilted and I’ll be showing them off as finished quilts.
As usual, your quilts are stunning Jo! I love the Red Sampler quilt and the County Fair quilt :-)
I remember getting scolded at that age for playing under the ironing board. Mom was ironic g linen table cloths, she didn’t want to have to wah them again. I remember how much fun it was. That and the old fashioned gas cook stove that had lots of room under it.
You have to devise a design wall. Even if it is just one sheet of foam insulation, covered in flannel leaning on a wall. It is so helpful. You are a champ though. Don’t get too down about not getting all the ufos done. You made a BIG list and you got a heck of a lot done! Remember you had other projects in between.
same suggestion re; design wall I was going to make
Hi Joe…So many beautiful quilts! Love the backing on the red one. Do you free motion all of your quilts? How is Karl feeling? Take care of your shoulder.
Love everything and that backing was perfect!
Hi Jo…. Do you have room in your sewing room to temporarily hang a flannel backed plastic table cloth to use the flannel side for a design wall. It holds the quilt blocks well, for me.
You get SO much done! Please, take care of that shoulder :)
Make your self a design wall like a window blind. You can buy the parts on line and get the PVC pipe at the lumber company. Mount it to the ceiling and pull down when you need it. Then it is out of the way.
You were certainly on a roll! How fun, but sorry your shoulder hurts now. All the quilts are beautiful, as usual!! I’m looking forward to seeing more of what you are working on now.
When a quilt has many units of the same thing, I almost never finish it all at once. It just gets boring. So I tend to work in fits and starts on many things. Like you, I pull them back out and have to spend time figuring out where I was.
Love those tractor quilts! We have 9 month old identical twin grandsons, but they are city boys. You’ve given me an idea, though. Another project to mull over, lol.
You quilted FOUR quilts in ONE week?!?! Jo, that’s enough to send anyone’s shoulder into a fit. I can see why your (already compromised) shoulder is giving you trouble, again. Mine wouldn’t be very happy with that workout, either. The twin tractors are SEW much fun and I’m looking forward to seeing the other quilts when they are completed!
I had the same problem with a design wall. I use Ikea storage cubes. I put wheels on them so I could roll them to the side of i needed to use the whole wall. My design wall is the foam insulation from home depot covered with batting. What a life changer to be able to lay it out and sew it together, speeds up the whole process as you know.
You put me to shame! Please gives us an update on how Karl is doing. And what pattern is Kelli’s quilt? It’s absolutely beautiful!
How about a plain inner border on the Garlic Knots quilt? I changed one of the borders on Bonnie’s Rectangle Wrangle pattern and I was happy I did.
You asked me a while ago if I could use Christmas fabric for my donation project. I’ve been looking at some finished quilts and decided, “Why not”. So if you still have some I would indeed use them.
What an amazing amount of sewing you accomplished this week! So many finished and several projects In the pipeline which I know you will be moving along in your usual organised fashion.
Is the pattern of the large tractor on the pinwheels quilt available free or is it a purchase one? Would love to make it for the center of a different child friendly quilt!
Is there wall space OUTSIDE of your sewing room (like the hallway) where you could do a design wall? I use batting-covered insulation sheets, cut just slightly shorter than the ceiling height, and they aren’t attached to the wall, so I can move them about as needed. Mine are just outside of my sewing room, since my sewing room is quite small (although better a small sewing room than no sewing room).