Weekend Stitching - Finally, A Finish

Most of the time spent in the sewing room this weekend has been focused on getting En Provence ready to send out for quilting.  The back is ready, but there is still one row of blocks that need to have the loose threads removed from the back.  There's a reason I kept putting off this prep step, it takes forever!   

I did take a break from those prep steps Saturday night (my back could only take so much of being bent over the cutting table) to finish hand stitching the binding down on the Scientist in Training's quilt.  

Here's the "art shot"  of the finished quilt.  I forgot we have a test tube rack left over from one of the SITs science fair projects, that would have made a nice prop if I'd remembered.  Here's the whole quilt.  

Geek Chic
Pattern is Under Construction by the Missouri Star Quilt Company
found in Missouri Star Quilt Company Block Idea Book (Summer Vol 4 Issue 3)

I like it, the SIT likes it, My Guy doesn't. But since this is for the SIT and she likes it, that's all that matters.  I had a lot of fun with these fabrics. 

My two favorites are the colored squares periodic table and the fabric in the block next to it that has the word "chemistry" in it.  Not sure if the SIT has picked a favorite or if she just likes the whole quilt.  Trudy kept the quilting very simple, which lets the fabrics really shine.  

The back is made up of left overs from the front. 

Some of what's left may end up as cuffs on pillow cases if the SIT wants me to make her a couple.  Unfortunately, it's a bit late in the semester for the SIT to get much use out of it, but she'll have it for next school year.  

I'm glad to be able to claim at least one finish for this year.  Hopefully I've got the pump primed and the finishes will become a bit more frequent this quarter.  I'll be linking up with the 2018 Finish Along when the quarter ends.  Linking up with my typical parties today (Main Crush Monday won't go live till Tuesday this week).  

Monday Making
Main Crush Monday
Monday Design Wall 

Week 15: Stitching and De-Stashing (Happy Tax Day, US)

Is it really April 15th?  The weather here sure isn't spring-like.  We woke up to sub-freezing temperatures, strong winds and dreary skies.  The strong winds and dreary skies aren't atypical of the season, but the low temp isn't typical.  Though I'm sure this weather reflects the moods of those in the United States who don't have their taxes done.  My Guy has reviewed ours, so all that's left is to write the checks and address the envelopes for mailing. That will take all of 5 minutes. Otherwise my plan for today is to play in the sewing room.  It's too cold to do much else.

It's the fifteenth week of 2018.  A third of the year is almost over!  Wow, how did that happen?  But I'm getting off topic, it's end of the 15th week so it's time to stop and take stock of how much sewing room time we were able to fit in this week. 

I did well this week at finding time to stitch for at least 15 minutes each day.  Here's how the all the stats look as of this week:

Days with stitching time this week:  7 out of 7 days
Days with stitching time this month:  14 out of 14 days
Days with stitching time this year:  96 out of 104 days
Success rate: 92.3%

Having time to stitch has been nice.  The backing for En Provence has been prepped for quilting. The plan is to do the same for the flimsy today.  Since bending over the cutting table takes a toll on my back, I took a break last night from all the prepping and finished the binding in Geek Chic.  I hope to get pictures for tomorrow's post this afternoon if the sun comes out.  You can link up your stitching report at the bottom of the post. 

It was a successful week on the de-stashing front as well. 

Fabric used this week:  5.19 yards  
Fabric used in 2018: 5.58 yards
Fabric purchased this week: 2 yards
Fabric purchased in 2018:  6 yards
Net Fabric out for 2018:  15.77 yards

The incoming fabric is intended to be the border for Vintage Dresses.  Nothing in the stash worked well and I didn't want to just settle.  I did allow myself an incoming stash budget of 20 yards for the year, so I'm still on track with my stash busting goals even with the addition.  Hopefully most of it will be going right back out. Linking up with Quiltpaintcreate for this week's stash report.  

I'll close with a sign of spring in Oklahoma that's typical; the brilliant sunsets we get due to the smoke from all the farmers burning off their fields. 

At least there is something colorful to look at since the flowers haven't really been doing much as yet.  Hopefully we will start to see more signs of spring in the US this week.   

Here's the weekly link up for those tracking their stitching time: 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Greened Up but no Sunshine Yet

Greened up but no sunshine yet describes both my Rainbow Scrap Challenge efforts and our weather.  It's been dreary, cold, and often wet.  Things are greening up, but there sure hasn't been a lot of sunshine.  On the stitching front, green blocks are slowly making way for yellow ones.  I finally finished up the last of the green blocks for Squared Away.  Here's all the blocks through March. 

  Squared Away Sampler designed by Mari (The Academic Quilter)

I haven't started on April's yellow blocks yet, but that's on tap for today. 

The other RSC project for 2018 is to make sawtooth stars for the border of the 2014 RSC project, Inverted Stars. I need 60 plus blocks for that, so I've been making five blocks a month.  Only three of the green blocks are finished. 

 Just for fun, I put all the sawtooth stars up on the design wall.  

I didn't distribute all the dark stars well, but this was just to see how the colors and light versus dark balanced out.  The really dark stars are either dark, dark blue or dark magenta.  The last two green stars are still under construction, but should get finished this weekend.  Then I can make a start on the yellow stars.  

Linking up with Angela over at Soscrappy. 

2018 Finish Along - Second Quarter Projects

This year is supposed to be all about finishing up a few UFOs.  My plan was drafted back in December, twelve finishes for 2018.  I was so optimistic linking up with the first quarter of the 2018 Finish-A-Long, there were 4 quilts on my list.  

But here it is the second week of the second quarter and there are no finishes from my list.  😢   It's not that nothing happened, all the projects have been moved along, just not to the finish line. So looking at what's on the list and what's doable this quarter based on what I know is scheduled at work and home, here's the list for this quarter.  

1.  Geek Chic (Chain Reaction), from the first quarter list. 

This quilt is partially bound and will definitely be finished before the end of April. So unlike last quarter, there will be at least one finish this quarter. 


2.  Magnolia Mystery, from the first quarter list

  Magnolia Mystery by Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs

The backing is made, the quilt just needs to be prepped for quilting, packed up and sent out for quilting.  I need a weekend for that and March was very shy on free weekends for quilting.  Hopefully April will be better on that front.  This one should get done this quarter.


3.  EnProvence (French Cherry Blossums), from the first quarter list

 En Provence, A Bonnie Hunter Mystery (2016)

This is my April UFO.  It was on last quarter's list as all that was needed was the backing and I had hoped to fit that in somewhere. Didn't happen.  But now the backing is made and plans are to prep it for quilting this weekend, package it up and send it out for quilting next week.  This one should also get finished this quarter.  


4.  Vintage Dresses, from the first quarter list

 Vintage Dresses blocks by Charise Randell, Setting by Kate

This project was my March UFO.  Due to business travel, spring break and several nights where I had homework, this just didn't make it to finished top. The plan was to give this as a graduation quilt. Not sure I can finish it by May, but hopefully I can finish it off this quarter. 


5.  Christmas Angels

 Christmas Angels  Pattern by Kate

This is the last picture of it's status, but I'm pretty sure all the blocks are made, the quilt just needs to be set together, backing made and then sent out for quilting.  Hopefully all that happens in time for me to get it bound before the quarter ends.  


6.  Red, White and Blue Stars

  Red, White and Blue Stars, Setting by Kate

This is my oldest UFO, from 2005.  I still need to make a few more star blocks, plus the alternating blocks.  I doubt this one gets done, but I'll add it on as my stretch goal for the quarter.  

There are some easy finishes on my list and some I'll be really challenged to get finished this quarter.  But even if I don't get things finished progress will be made and that counts for a lot.    

Good luck with your finishing plans for second quarter.  I'm linking up with the 2018 Finish-A-Long over at She Can Quilt.  

Weekend Stitching: A Bit of This and a Bit of That

Snow on Saturday and light sleet Sunday made for a miserably cold and nasty weekend.  A perfect weekend to spend stitching.  It was nice to spend some quiet time in the sewing room after all the hustle and bustle of March.  

First priority was to get the backing made for En Provence.  

Done.  This is one side of the backing, the other side has the same pink/magenta strips.  The backing used up all of the Geisha yardage and I have about a quarter yard left of the other two.  It feels good to get some of these older stash fabrics into a project.  My stash report will look really good this week.  Next on the agenda is to get this back and En Provence pressed, prepped for quilting and packaged to send out.  I'll probably wait till next weekend to tackle that.  

A bit of hand stitching on the binding for Geek Chic also got done. 

Chemistry Geek: Pattern is Under Construction by the Missouri Star Quilt Company

Two corners done, so just passed halfway with stitching down the binding.  Hopefully this will be a finish by next weekend.  

A bit of progress was also made on Vintage Dresses. 

 Vintage Dresses by Charise Randell

  
The third row is assembled and has been sewn to the bottom two rows. Just two rows left to assemble.  I'm really liking how the sashing is working out.  I'll need to make a finial decision on the borders soon.  

So it was a good week in the sewing room.  There was also progress on a couple of Rainbow Scrap Projects, but didn't get any photos of that progress.  It was so nice to have the time to putter in the sewing room.  Now I'm good to go on the sanity front, at least till tonight when I'm sure I'll need another dose of stitching to be prepared for what's looking like a really busy Tuesday. 

Linking up with:

Monday Making
Design Wall Monday
Main Crush Monday