Once again the month of July has flown in and out so fast I can not keep track of what I’m doing or have done so I have to look at my blogs to remember?
First a big thank you Meredithe for setting up Ufosin2017 it’s keeping me motivated to work on my UFo’s sadly I’m not sticking to my list I made in January but still working on UFO’s as I have such a huge pile LOL. I’m guilty of starting two new BOM quilt tops this year and they are taking up far more of my time than I thought they would?
These logcabin blocks I rescued from a local Opp shop several years ago they must have been made by as new quilter as the strips were not cut perfectly and the seams were very irregular, they were made up quilt as you go and each block ended up a different size, I’m guessing the new quilt was so disappointed she never finished making them in to a quilt top. I unpicked many of them and redid them on the machine added the final dark fabric and another dark pink to be able to cut them all one size blocks. I pulled these out again and have been joining them in to panels and now sewing those panels together, have one join and working on the next then I will ahve two left and the top is complete as far as the logcabins go, I’m thinking of a black and pink wide border rather abstract!!!!! to finish it off. No quilting to do as its a quilt as you go quilt top. Loves these as when you finish the top its quilted!.
Ive yet again been sided tracked!!!!
This gigantic throw came in to the shop in need of a lot of repair work, many squares are badly damaged, they were going to sell it as is as a dog blanket!!!!! Well it would ahve had to be a gigantic dog to use it LOL any way I brought it home and decided to make it in to two throws so it could be washed at least..
One throw gigantic throw becomes two big throws!!! now to find time to do some of the repairs !!!!!
Not sure if this was on my list of 17 UFO’s for 2017!!!! Pulled out to work on restoring the last panel of my crazy panels I bought of eBay in America around 2000 Many of the patches had disintegrated completely these were mostly silks they had not stood up to the passage of time. I have repaired 5 of the panels and done herringbone stitch in any coloured DMC thread I felt like using at the time, I have one panel to do, it is repaired but not had the herringbone done yet. I’m doing these stitches through the patches and the backing calico that has been used to build the patches on to stop the top and backing from floating from each other.
3rd panel from the left is the one I need to finish all the others have been repaired and had herringbone stitched around every patchThere are 6 panels here none are sewn together, this is how I bought them from the USA around 10 years ago from eBay there were many completely disintegrated patches so its been a long slow progress restoring these panels. These fabrics are a real mixture from cottons , silks, velvets, and lots of rayon and a few polyesters. I love all the bright colours and all though there is no rhyme nor reason how they go together they all just look great in this one big what will be a quilt top one day!!!!!!
No herringbone Stitches added to any of these blocks yet.
I’ve repaired mainly with velvets, silks, some rayons, and even a cotton Peter Rabbit!!!! Many of the velvets and rayons were sent to me by a wonderful lady in the USA to help me keep the antique look.
Taken licence again and added some embroidered daises from an old cotton handkerchief!
These need the herringbone to be complete.
Will start on this missing panel tonight while watch a movie I wonder how many hrs this will take me!!!!! All these panels are uneven so I may add a black strip to join them rather than cut back the original panels as some I’d have to cut to much off to make them even seams.
Another distraction was working on DGD’s quilt we have been quilting together!!!!
My DGD has been learning about speed control using the foot treadle on my machine, she pressed the treadle foot and I guided the quilt through the machine. finally last week it was finished and she had her afternoon nap under it and took it home with her she was SOOOO happy and proud of it.
Not a UFO YET!!!! But what I have been working on.
Just completed hand appliquéing down the flowers and some of the leaves. Great to have a finish on this lovely block of The Secret Garden by Esther Aliu .
I completed making these wee 4 1/2 inch blocks part of The Secret Garden 2017 BOM
Plus Completed this little 6 1/2 inch block for The Secret Garden 3 more to go before the end of the month which is in 3 days time LOL you are right I will not get them finished by then. they are very time consuming but oh they are sure worth the time and effort.
Last month I received a wee parcel for Prue with over 5o wee scraps of green fabrics to help me finish making up my leaves for my wee square blocks for Secret Garden quilt how wonderful to have these lovely clean bright colours to give some more verity to those dear wee blocks, I had lots left over so the last week Iv’e been making up 126 more leaves for Diamond Hill by Esther I’m 1/2 way there on those.
Another finish but this time machine appliqué. I ahve arthritis in my thumbs and it is getting worse so decided I needed to learn machine appliqué so that when the day comes and I can not hold a hand needle I will still be able to make quilts so I’ve been learning how to sew a straight line and curves on my machine by making Esther Aliu free BOM this year.
Last night I pulled out another UFO and I don’t think this is on my list either LOL This was a mystery BOM by Esther Aliu about 6 years ago!!!!!!! I’m a great starter but life gets in the way often! One of our Sons and their family returned from over seas and stayed for several months with us so all my sewing was put away and this one never came out till last night?
We all like treasures and surprises on Sunday 30th of July I pulled open a draw I’d forgotten about for a couple of years!!!! Oh the surprises that were in there, some of them I’d been looking for some Id forgotten about.
Look at all those wonderful threads from silks to DMC box of threads that had been my mums!!!!! Those hexagons I’ve been looking for as I was sure I’d made them to finish my 1930’s antique hexagon quilt. an antique hand made hanky, thimbles, pincushions, and a wee pile of diamond english pieced blocks waiting to be basted LOL
Also these two mini round robyn;s were in the draw!!!!!
Two mini Round Robyn’s I was in around 10 years ago!!!! They are so pretty I must make them up in to mini quilts .
Centre of the pink mini. My first mini Round Robyn we had to start with a different log-cabin, even back then I was adding embroidery to my quilts LOL
Centre of green Round Robyn using Ginny Beyers fabrics to make my fussy cut centre, I had no idea what I was doing but I was having fun back then in 2007.
There was also a small bag of 6 1/2 inch calico blocks with some hearts I’d embroidered!!!! I was just making these heart blocks up as I went, its a lot of fun. Using 8 ply pearl cottons.
Well thats it for July once again Meredithe Thank YOU for a wonderful opportunity to join in your Ufosin2017 it sure is motivating me and keeping me on track working on my endless pile of UFO’s LOL
I’m linking up with other Ufosin2017 today 31st July happy sewing every one who is trying to finish your UFO’s too. LOL
Cheers ALL Glenda
So much fun to read through your post! You may not be sticking to the list but you sure are busy!
Thanks for dropping in Audrey, I started doing the herringbone on the last border of the crazy patchwork panel last night and spotted another patch that needs replacing, I think i have done them all and I find another one, when you are working up close to the patches you see the disintegrating threads much easier. I’m using some lovely old velvets to do these last lot of patches. I need longer day to be able to do the sewing I want to do LOL Cheers Glenda
Nice progress on so many projects! Good for you.
Thanks Pamela, Its so long since Iv’e looked at my Ufosin2017 list Iv’e for gotten whats on the list LOL But I guess as long as I’m working on UFO’s its OK I will just have to keep doing them next year too LOL Cheers Glenda
so many projects – I would never be able to keep up with you. How do you keep track of what you are doing! You must need a check list. They are all so pretty and the one you pulled out that has sat aside for six years (Esther’s pattern) is so pretty – hope you finish that one. Hope your little granddaughter is having fun learning to sew – sounds like fun
Hi Karen I’m one of those people who like puzzles but as soon as I work out how to do it I’m on to a new one, I’m like that with my quilts too LOL Once I work out how it will end up about 2/3rds of the way I’m on to another quilt !!!!!! But I’m happy going back and picking them up when ever I see some thing that reminds me of one of my WIP work on it again till I think or see some thing that starts me on another design!!!!!! Lucky I have a very big attic and storage area for my projects LOL Plus years of fabric I’ve collected in Japan and on my travels. MY DGD would not let the wee quilt go when she went home LOL I told here it was not for her bed just for cuddling under when she watched TV or a movie with the family, but no she had to sleep under it that night and ever since, her feet stick out the bottom but never mind its MY QUILT and all I need to sleep under she tells her mum!!!! Cheers Glenda
It appears you have wonderful UFO’s tucked away everywhere. Loved seeing the restoration work on your antique crazy quilt. You may not be following your original list, but you’re still making wonderful progress.
Dear Kyle thanks so much for visiting, and yes I have piles of UFO’s tucked away waiting for me to finish one day. I use to teach sample blocks in appliqué we would make 7 to make a quilt top. I would make them with my students rather than just use the same samples each time this meant I’d end up with a quilt top too. So I quilt end up with lots of sample blocks enough to make 12 or more quilt tops still not even a quilt top let alone a quilt LOL But one day may be they will turn in to a quilt? Cheers Glenda
Oh my, you have been busy! I love the way you have put the log cabin blocks together – a very striking setting. Isn’t it amazing what we find when we hunt through our stashes!!
What a wonderful treat to read through your post and see all your different projects! I was in awe of just the “rescue” projects. And all your wonderful applique – hope you continue to make progress on at least some of the projects!
All progress is good progress! I know what you mean about hard to stay on track, and you have some really gorgeous projects there to distract you lol! Particularly love those crazy blocks but what a lot of work!!!! Also think it’s awesome you are passing skills on to your DGD – she will never forget her first quilt (and such beautiful colors too!) 🙂 As always your applique projects just blow me away – Secret Garden and that other Esther Aliu – just WOW!!!!! Happy stitching!
Helen
Glenda, you have so much good stuff in this post! The Peter Rabbits and daisy portion are wonderful additions to that restoration project. I just *love* your granddaughter’s quilt and that you two worked on it together. You have some really pretty BOMs going.