Stitching Stuff: Week 13 of 2024

Do you have Easter Egg hunts planned for today?  That was such a big deal with my mother in law when she was alive.  The grand kids always looked forward too the hunt after lunch.  Now our chick is way to big for egg hunts, but she still really likes those marshmallow bunnies and chicks.

As far as the stitching week, I managed to make it to the sewing room every day. 

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/Mar = 30/30 days
• 15 minute days/2024 = 90/90 days
• Success rate = 100%

Some days this week I just barely managed to work in my 15 minutes. The ranchers burn the fields this time of year here in Oklahoma and several days the smoke in the air was just overwhelming.  Those days it's hard to feel much like stitching.  The field burning should end soon, thankfully.  

How did you do this week at working in some stitching time?  

1. maggie f 2. Julie in GA 3. DonnaleeQ

4. Quilting Gail 5. Janice 6. Bonnie in Va

7. DawnyK 8. Frédérique 9. Dq at Dreamworthyquilts

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First Finish for 2024: A Flutter

I've been trying to shift my perspective to appreciate progress at least as much as finishes. I'm still working on making that shift.  But the truth is, the goal for every project is to get it finished. This one has been on the "to be finished list" for quite awhile.  

The blocks were started as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge sponsored by SoScrappy (Angela has done an amazing job of keeping this going for so many years).  My first post on this project presented this mock up as my RSC project for 2013.

The first block wasn't actually started until 03/26/2013.  I started with a trial block and then made the first one for the quilt.  The second block wasn't finished until January of 2014.  The last block was finished in March of 2015.  Then the blocks sat waiting for me to decide on a setting.  Finally in July of 2021 the final look was decided and I got busy on construction.  So almost 11 years from the construction of the first block, Scrappy Butterflies became the finished quilt, A Flutter, on 3/18/2024.

I'm happy with how it came together, maybe not so much with how long it took. But I do love it. It's currently on my couch and I've already snuggled under it a few times.  

Trudy quilted big swirls to look like wind. 

The same blue as the final border was used as the binding. The label was also framed in that blue fabric.  I didn't have enough of the blue/white stripe for the backing, so I added in a strip of a blue bonnet fabric that's been in the stash for awhile. 

A Flutter was my 4th oldest UFO. It definitely feels good to get this one off the UFO list and onto my couch were I can enjoy all the colors.  

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday over at Alycia Quilts and with Favorite Finish over at Quilting JetGirl.  

To Do Tuesday For the Week of 3/26/2024

It was a good week.  I've gotten a handle on the leg issues, physical therapy and anti-inflammatories are keeping the pain at bay. I do have to be careful on the stairs, getting in and out of the car and changing direction when walking.  But that's not been too hard to manage.  So I was able to spend a lot of time in the sewing room, which means really good progress on last week's to do list. 

To Do List for 3/19/2024

1.  Stay at Home Round Robin: Finish border # 6 ✔

2.  Guild BOM: Finish March block ✔

3.  Malted Mystery: Finish Feb, start Mar clues ✔

4.  Wild and Goosey: Make purple blocks ✔

5.  Indigo Way: Continue making blocks as leaders and enders ✔

For the first time in several weeks, all the to do list is checked off. Definitely a good week.  

The first quarter of 2024 has been dedicated to three quilt alongs with deadlines.  Two of those are quilt tops now and the focus UFO is also finished.  That creates a couple of slots on the in progress list.  Rather than finish off the two new quilt tops, I'm going to pull out some older projects and work on moving those to finished first.    

To Do List for 3/26/2024

1. Malted Mystery (Meadow Mist Designs): Finish quilt top

The February clue is finally finished and the March clue has been started.  Just three more pieced border strips and a final border of the dark blue is all that is left to do.  I should be able to get that finished this week.  

2. 2023 SAHRR (Quilting Gail): Assemble quilt back

I considered finishing this year's SAHRR first, but last year's already has backing fabric selected. I need to think on options for this year's quilt top.  I'd like to get this one finished before Father's Day as this quilt is intended for My Guy.  

3. Rhododendron (Bonnie Hunter): Add next to last border

This quilt just needs two borders and it will be a finished quilt top. Once that's done it can go hang in the closet till I figure out a backing fabric.  

4. Wild and Goosey (Bonnie Hunter): Make purple blocks

There's been good progress with the purple blocks this month.  I'm hoping to finish a total of 8 before it's time to switch colors for April. 

5. Indigo Way (Bonnie Hunter): Continue making blocks as leaders and enders

Almost finished with the last two A blocks.  Just one full B block and  four setting pieced B setting triangles left to make after that.  

This is the last to do list for March, next week's list will be the first one for April.  I'm hoping to focus on finishes for the next few weeks. We'll see how that goes.  Linking up with The Quilt Schmilt: For the Love of Fabric for To Do Tuesday. 

The 2024 SAHRR Quilt Top

I don't usually post twice in one day, but today is the last day to link up with the quilt parade for the 2024 Stay At Home Round Robin over at Quilting Gail's.  The last border strip was added late yesterday afternoon. Last year I didn't finish the 2023 SAHRR quilt top till June. I'm very happy to have a finished quilt top before the end of March this year. 

The prompt for border #6 was a letter or a number.  I decided to go with an hourglass block, which looks like the letter X.  

 

My end blocks for each row are partial hourglass blocks, but they look like V's. So two letters represented in that last border.  

I'm really happy with how this year's SAHRR worked out. 

The intent was to make an orange and black quilt for Grad Girl (Oklahoma State school colors), but that ended up becoming a Halloween quilt. She's thrilled with the outcome, that's the most important point. I also made a small dent in my Halloween fabrics.  The finished quilt top is 66" x 69".  So a nice cuddle on the couch size.  The inspiration for the quilt center is Queenie, Grad Girl's kitty cat. 

Now I need to raid the stash for a backing fabric and I'll need to get Grad Girl's input on a name.  The plan is to finish it up before Halloween so she can enjoy it sooner rather than later.  

Linking up with the SAHRR Quilt Parade, Patchwork & Quilts and Design Wall Monday.  

Stitching Stuff: Week 12 of 2024

It looks like spring outside, but it was still pretty nippy on Saturday.  We have another cool front and a chance of storms this evening. It's definitely spring in Oklahoma.  It's been windy and smokey, which means it's just more fun to stay in and play in the sewing room. Which I mostly did this week as my stitching time shows. 

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/Mar =23/23 days
• 15 minute days/2024 = 83/83 days
• Success rate = 100%

I've done well at getting in my stitching time this year.  Some days it's still hard to climb the stairs, but I usually make it to the sewing room for at least an hour each day.  All the sewing time is paying off, though it's not obvious on the blog as yet.  

How are you doing with your spring stitching?  

1. maggie f 2. Gretchen 3. Julie in GA 4. Deb in Canada

5. Frédérique 6. Quilting Gail 7. Andrée 8. Amanda

9. DonnaleeQ 10. Celine @ Espritpatch

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