Finish No. 5

I started Finish No. 5 in January 2015 for my friend...but only got the top done by her birthday in February (I don't know what made me think I would get the whole quilt made in a month!)

The top sat around for a long time before it got basted...

...and then a long time again before I got started on the quilting...

...and then a long time before I finished the quilting...

But it is done now and I was able to finally give it to my friend...a year and three months late...

The pattern is called TV Dinner by Modern Quilt Relish.  It measures 60" X 80".  The center portion of the quilt calls for a charm pack, I used Bluebird Park by Kate and Birdie and a great taupe-y fabric by French General for the background in the center portion.  The borders are a fabric from Joann's (not linked, 'cause I couldn't find it on their website...but I know I've seen it in the store recently).

I did some straight line quilting and FMQ flowers in the center portion...

...and FMQ loopy swirls and flowers in the borders.

I pin basted this quilt...and did a poor job.  I got a lot of puckers and whiskering in the center portion...and almost didn't finish the quilt at all, I was so disappointed.

But I went back (after a long break) and spray basted the borders and got a much nicer less puckery FMQ.

After a good wash, all's well that ends well...and finished is better than perfect!  I hope this keeps my dear friend nice and toasty!

Fifth item checked off my UFO list!

This makes finish #15 for 2016...and 53 remaining UFO's (37 remaining on the 2ndQ List)

Finish No. 4

I am on such a roll!  I finished up No. 4 from my 2016FAL 2ndQ List.

Oh Americana! by Vicki Bellino from the book Bloom Creek Quilts.  The quilt measures 50" X 50" and is a perfect throw for over the arm of a chair.

I started this quilt on June 14, 2014 (Flag Day, coincidentally!) in a class at my LQS.

I really like it...but it just languished in my UFO pile...I think I was hung up on not wanting to do the appliquéd border, which is much more in the original pattern.  I ended up simplifying the amount of appliqué...and whipped it out PDQ with a simple raw-edge straight stitch...done!

Some flowers...

...and FMQ loopy stars in the borders...

...And the fourth item checked off my UFO list!

This makes finish #14 for 2016...and 54 remaining UFO's (38 remaining on the 2ndQ List)

Finish No. 3

For my third finish of the 2ndQ 2016 Finish-A-Long, I tackled my Penny Candy quilt, a pattern from Kathy Brown's book Strip Smart Quilts.

I made this quilt in a class at my LQS in August of last year...hmm, so really it's not to old of a UFO.  I made a few cutting mistakes, and had to modify the layout a bit.  After a lot of crawling around on the floor and shifting squares and cursing at the dog every time he laid across the blocks...I ended up with a rainbow-y layout.  Happy Happy!

I quilted this on my Pfaff Performance 5.0 with an odd semi-flower, semi orange peel pattern...it turned out,well, meh...I did get a better flower in the corner blocks...of course after I had already filled the center of the quilt...but picking out stitching was not on my radar.  Finished is better than perfect.

I did try out some FMQ loops in the borders...and discovered the Pfaff Performance likes FMQ so much more than the Tiptronic!  Super smooth quilting...easy-peasy!  There is definitely more FMQ in my future.

And then...disaster!

I washed the finished quilt, along with a few other quilts and TWO color catcher sheets...and had some pretty awful bleeding from my navy blue polka dot binding (a Stonehill brand fabric from JoAnns....that I L.O.V.E.!)  I'm still so sad...but I keep reminding myself that the quilt still works...it will still keep my lap warm (and/or cat hair off of the couch!), it is still completely usable...even a bit more vintag-ey looking, right?

Love pieced backings!

Did I learn a lesson to pre-wash all my fabrics...probably not, I'm just a rebel like that...

Will I complain when the really awesome navy blue polka dot bleeds again...probably, I'm not real smart like that...

Oh well...

Third item checked off my UFO list...and I even have two more tops basted and ready to go...

This also makes finish #13 for 2016...with 55 total (and 39 from my 2ndQ list) remaining WIPs!

I'm pluggin' along!

Finish No. 2

I made my second finish in the 2016 2ndQ Finish-A-Long for a silent auction donation to Cat Tales Rescue's annual Spaghetti Feed...a charity that is near and dear to my heart!

I used the free pattern from Cloud 9 Fabrics called Ribbon Box.  In fact, this is the second Ribbon Box quilt I have made (the first one is also on my UFO list...#28 on that list, in fact).  The pattern is great for showing off large prints. The layout diagram looks a bit intimidating at first...but careful labeling when cutting...and following the diagram make this a snap to sew together.  I mean...I have already bought fabric for my third one...it's a great pattern!

There is a lot of the Mon Ami line by Basic Grey in the top, with a great mustard-yellow mini dot print from American Jane for a pop of color (that matches the tiny little french bread in the bicycle basket on one of the Mon Ami prints).  The background is a Moda Grunge...I believe in Vanilla.  And the backing is a print I purchased at Walmart (Ack!) but it is soooo perfect!

I quilted this quilt, which measures at a nice lap size of 55" X 63", on my new Pfaff Performance 5.0...and even though this machine loves to FMQ, I used a technique I picked up in the Jacquie Gering Craftsy class...simple serpentine lines.  I love the look!

I did a piped binding technique I learned from my LQS, A Quilted Heart.  And I just want to pat myself on the back!  The tiny yellow piping in the white binding just makes me giddy!  I love how it looks!  FYI...I cut the piped part of the binding at 1 3/4" and the binding part at 1 1/2"...googling "piped quilt binding" turns up a ton of tutorials.

So happy!  And it earned a nice price at the auction for the kitties!

Second item checked off my UFO list...yay me!

This makes finish #12 for 2016...with 56 total (and 40 from my 2ndQ list) remaining WIPs!

Finish No. 1

First finish for the 2016 2nd Quarter Finish-A-Long...

My Strip-Pieced Mini...also know as Rooster's Cat Mat...

I started this mini in Amy Smart's Quiltcon class, Strip Piecing Crash Course.  The class was a lot of fun...definitely a crash-course, so much information in just a few hours! I wish I had been able to fit the full-day version into my over-packed Quiltcon schedule.  Amy is a great teacher, she is so enthusiastic about her material it makes learning the techniques a lot of fun.  I am anxious for her Craftsy class to open...I will certainly be signing up!

The main fabrics for this were donated by Moda to Amy's Quiltcon Class...so I'm not sure what line this is.  The gray border is something I had in my stash perfect for finishing it off.  The mini is 28" square...sized just right to fit under my cat Rooster (and help keep the couch some-what hair-free...sigh)

Eeeew...but it's working!

I did all the quilting on my Pfaff Tiptronic 6230...heavily influenced by a Craftsy class I am watching taught by Jacquie Gering...and a bit by the Quiltcon class I took with Angela Walters (More Dot to Dot Quilting)  Angela's class was for free-motion quilting, but the quilting on this mini was done with my IDF (walking foot), the Tiptronic does not like to free-motion quilt!

Perfect backing...yay!  It's from my stash!

Overall this was a great small piece to practice quilting on...and I love how it turned out!

Rooster (and Lainey) agrees!

And that is one item checked off my UFO list...and amazingly, I haven't started anything new in the last month!

This also makes finish #11 for 2016...with 57 total (and 41 from my 2ndQ list) remaining WIPs!