OMG July: Blocks for Quilts for Pulse

Quick post for my July goal. I received a fat quarter from Marcus Fabrics to make a block for #QuiltsforPulse. Not going to have much sewing time until later in the month, so not sure how many blocks I can get done, but I'm shooting for two. (If I get ambitious, it may be more.) I've been dragging my feet because I don't have many bright, rainbow colors to make the heart blocks. I may default to some bright batiks and my other text fabrics. I'd really like to sew my stash for these. 

OMG June: Library Quilt Project (update)

Whew!  I spent the first couple weeks in June working on these things almost non-stop, or so it felt.  But all 30 book blocks are complete!  Here are some of the final 14 blocks I completed this month.

Not only did I complete all of the book blocks, but I got them sewn together into the main part of the quilt.  I played around with the layout in EQ7 quite a bit, after scanning each of the blocks into the computer.  Here's the final layout.  (It's final hanging place is going to be on a boring beige wall--I think it will "pop" nicely!)

Here are the sashing strips and corner blocks all cut out.  I used leftover pieces from the "binding" part of the books in the blocks.  I decided to keep it simple and went with 5 different fabrics in rainbow order (of course).

After coming up with the final layout, I sewed the blocks together in columns of 3 and then sewed those into groups of 6, before combining the final 5 panels.  (Unfortunately it's so huge, that I haven't gotten a picture of all 30 blocks together, yet.  So you'll just have to accept my pictures of the panels hanging on my pantry cabinet with less than ideal lighting.)

I did purchase backing fabric--Connecting Threads has some wide backing fabric that's affordable, and I chose a simple chambray-type fabric since the back of the quilt will never be seen.  And binding fabric--a fabric that looks like a library book barcode.  Now I have everything I need to finish the quilt--just need to get the large border strips cut and sew all the letters.

Somehow the rest of June was a bust, and I didn't get any other sewing done, and haven't moved on to the letters.  I think partly because I'm putting off thinking about how I'm going to find space to bind it, and how exactly to quilt this monster.

OMG June: Library Quilt Project (more blocks)

This may get a bit boring, but I'm planning on finishing up my Library Quilt book blocks this month.  I finished 16 out of 30 last month, and have prepped and started piecing the last 14.

I only need to finish the top part of the blocks.  But the smaller part seems to be the hardest--choosing text-like fabrics for the pages, and then piecing the odd shaped piece above the text part (see last month's post for finished blocks).  In hindsight, I should have modified the block to have one more piece, then I wouldn't have to worry about the weird five-sided pieces.  But I didn't want some of the blocks to be pieced differently.
I've also purchased fabric for the sashing (solid black), background (royal blue), and letters (yellow), and photocopied the letter patterns onto vellum for piecing.  I'm not sure how much of that I'll get done this month, so my goal is to at least get the remaining 14 book blocks finished.
Maybe by summer's end, I'll have the whole top pieced.  Then it will just be a matter of figuring out how to quilt it (or finding someone to do it for me?).  Since I've been working on the book quilt, I've fallen behind on my Project 48 Quilt (should have never had that 5th Friday in April off--threw off my rhythm), and my Modern HST Quilt.  I'll catch up on those eventually.  I haven't completed a single quilt/mini since March, but I've done lots of piecing.

OMG May: Library Quilt Project (update)

Yay!  Not only did I get 5 blocks done for the month, so far I've made 16!  Once I got going, it was hard to stop.  I have certainly learned a few things along the way, and am happy enough with the methods I've come up with to construct the blocks.  I bought some vellum that would fit in my printer, and copied the blocks onto that.  I also bought some Scotch brand double-sided adhesive on a roll (basically micro glue dots in a dispenser that you roll on).  Yes, I know I could just use a glue stick, but I like this better--no mess.  One roll got me through 10 blocks.  I have since purchased about a half dozen more to hopefully get me through the rest of the quilt.  I also made a test of two letters from the book Quilt Talk.  I now have the book on order (shipped today) so that I can return the library's copy, and cut up the pattern sheet of my own copy.  Here are five of my blocks and the letter sample.  (The letters will not be in these fabrics; I just grabbed what was laying around closest to me when I decided to sew.)

Each "book binding" fabric will be shared by two blocks, one the dots background, one the swirls.  Yesterday and today I scanned all of my completed blocks and uploaded them to EQ7 as fabric.  This way I can virtually layout the blocks as I finish them, alternately dots and swirls, and keeping matching bindings far enough apart, I hope.  The finished size is going to be about 93"W x 41"H, so I don't really have design wall space big enough to lay them out for real.  I'm planning a solid black for the sashing, and using leftover fabric from the bindings for the corner blocks.  I haven't decided if the background and letters will be solid or print, yet.  Depends what I find when I get to the fabric store.  Here's what I have so far.  (Again, ignore the letters.  Just my quick block drawing for them.)

If you want to see all of my blocks, checkout the hashtag #hclbookquilt on Instagram.  I've been posting them as I complete them, tagging folks if they sent me the book fabric as part of #getyourquiltywishesgranted.  The rest of the fabrics I've purchased.

OMG May: Library Quilt Project (again)

Well, April seems to have gotten away from me, and I didn't get any UFO projects finished, and didn't meet my OMG goal of getting 4 blocks towards my library quilt completed.  In fact, I got 0 blocks done towards it.  However, last week I met with the library director to give her a heads up about what I was planning, and to allow her to pick the fabrics she liked from what I had collected.  And it's a good thing, because she didn't pick some of the ones I would have.  But she did pick 30 different fabrics.  Which is 5 more books than I was planning.  We also talked about where the quilt would hang in the library.  I basically have about 44" of height to work with, and as much length as I need.  So I went back to EQ7 to work out a new layout for 30 blocks, no taller than 44".  I came up with a 3 x 10 arrangement, which is somewhere about 90" long.  But I think I can handle it since it won't be too big in the other direction.  I also decided to add the library's name to fill space at the top (making it better fit the space).  Something like this...

I hacked together those letters just to get an idea.  I have since checked out from my library the book Quilt Talk by Sam Hunter, because it has paper piecing patterns for upper- and lowercase letters.  And instructions on how to resize things, so I think that will work for what I want to do.  Just have to sit down and get a rough idea of letter size.  And then find fabric to do sashing, letters, and background. I played around in EQ7 with a few ideas, and I like the basic one above best.  Blue and gold are the school district colors, so I'd like to use those.  I may change the sashing blocks to a rainbow of colors or some other novelty fabric, yet to be discovered by me.

I did make another test block, this time at the correct size.  Only had to add one piece because I miss cut something, and only had to rip out one seam (the last one).  I wanted to see if the background pieces would work being cut from jelly roll strips, and they will.  I also matched up all 30 book fabrics with background and accent fabrics (below).  Happy enough with how the block turned out, that I think I'm ready to move forward.  After I finish up some other family-related activities over the next week or so.  So for May, I will try again to get some blocks done for this quilt.  I'm shooting for 5 (since the project has grown in size).

Finish-a-Long: 2016 Q2 List

I finished three quilts for the first quarter of 2016 (Marina's Garden Quilt, Quick Finish Mini Mini, and my Rising Star Quilt).  I also made progress and completed two quilt tops (Paradiso Layers-of-Charm Quilt--it became a lap quilt instead of just a mini, and my Breast Cancer/Pink Hearts Quilt).  I just need to find space big enough to lay them out and baste them so I can get them quilted already.  I'm participating in two quilt-a-longs (Project 48 Quilt, and Modern HST Sampler).  I've been enjoying the weekly/bi-weekly blocks, but since those are long-term projects, they won't be finished until winter.  I still have plenty of other projects to work on.
So here's my UFO list for the Finish-a-Long (ones in bold are my main focus for the second quarter--but since I tend to be circular in how I finish things, meaning I go around and around, I can't say what will come next):

• Paradiso Layers-of-Charm lap quilt (need to piece the back, baste, and quilt)

  

  Paradiso Layers of Charm Mini Quilt Top

  
  

• Batik Pinwheel quilt (decide whether to turn into lap quilt by adding more blocks) 
  
• SueBeeStar quilt (have the design, need the fabrics)



SueBee Stat Quilt




• T-Shirt Quilt(s)



T-Shirt Quilt(s)




• Charm Quilt "Sister Quilt" (have the top done, just need to hand-tie or quilt)



Charm Quilt "Sister" Quilt




• Tulip Quilt (do something with tulip blocks from eBay) 



Tulip Quilt




• Homespun Plaid quilt (something with all the homespuns I collected)



Homespun and some Batiks




•  Fall Leaf quilt (just needs layered and quilted; have the backing fabric)

Leaf Quilt




• Heart Runner Quilt (finish borders and quilt)

Heart Runner Quilt




• Rainbow Batik quilt (not sure what, but I have a nice collection of batiks now)

More Batiks




• Books-for-Baby quilt for my local library (have started collecting fabrics) 

  

  Possible layout for quilt

Some novelty print for Books-for-Baby Quilt




• Elementary quilt (not sure what, but I have a layer cake of this fabric line that I really want to create something for me with; finally found some backing fabric for this old line) 
  



Elementary Fabrics




• Square-in-Square Quilt (do something with S-i-S blocks from eBay)



Square-in-Square Quilt Project




• Mystery Quilt (have the top done from years ago, just need to quilt)
  

  

  Mystery Quilt

  
  

• Denim Quilt 
  
• Hexies (make into quilt top; more long-term goal because I need to trade more hexies)



Hexie Friends Quilt Project




• Text quilt (something with all the text fabrics I've been collecting) 

  

  Some of my text fabrics

• Daysail Quilt (need to come up with a pattern for the charm pack/fabric I have) 

  

  Daysail Fabrics

• Yellow Brick Road Quilt Kit (bought it long ago, but never assembled) 
  
• Blue/White "All Star" BOM Quilt (blocks down, assemble top and quilt) 
  
• Green/White "My Favorite Things" BOM Quilt (top done, quilt) 
  
• Teal/Green "Mystery" BOM Quilt (quilt top done) 
  
• "Threads from the Heartland" BOM Quilt (some blocks finished) 
  
• "Century Quilt" BOM Quilt (some blocks done) 
  
• "Sunny Days" BOM Quilt (some blocks done) 
  
• Bright Floral BOM Quilt (top finished) 
  
• Pink/Green/Tan BOM Quilt (top finished) 
  
• Blue/Red/Tan BOM Quilt (top finished) 
  
• Breast Cancer/Pink Heart lap quilt
  
• Windmill Quilt (pieces purchased off eBay long ago)
  
• do something with my stash that is scrappy (maybe cut them into pre-cuts--not a FAL goal, but I'm leaving it here for me)
•  and do something with all the charm packs/mini charm packs I've acquired the past two years (ones I bought and ones given to me as swap extras; probably a half dozen projects in there) 

  

  Some of my charm packs

  

Quite a list, I know.  And that's only a small part of the projects swirling around in my head or that I have in my UFO pile.