This is Maine in December??

Marathon Finishes #1 and #2

I am participating in a Quilting Marathon on the Stashbuster yahoo list. We are working on getting our quilt tops finished and we're working from Dec. 26, 2011 until Jan. 31, 2012. I have 20 on my list and I am hoping I can get quite a few of them finished.
One is obviously a Tumbler. The other - Double Slice Layer Cake, the pattern from Missouri Quilt Company. It starts out with 42 - 10" squares and is pretty quick and nice and scrappy, just my kind of quilt.

Carter's Christmas Gifts

I started this sweater in June, then promptly put it on hold. It's now finished but I don't think I ever want to make an adult size Aran knit.

The ball is made from 6 strips of knitting. I found the pattern on Ravelry.

Orca Bay Quilt, Step #4

Here are some of the red string blocks for Step 4.

Christmas Stocking

Carter's uncle, Peter, asked me to made him a stocking like I had made 20 some odd years ago for Peter and his two cousins, who are my grandchildren.
I sometimes can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I could picture the book this pattern was in. I found it, and it was even folded back to a different page.
The originals were made on a punchcard machine. I now have an electronic so I had to program the designs into the machine and really think hard about getting the name right side up and not backwards.

8 Pints of Dry Beans

I know this doesn't excite everyone, but I really like to do canning and 'putting food by'. These will come in handy to put in chili, minestrone soup, or refried beans for tostadas or nachos.
This is a group of assorted beans, emptying partial bags, etc.

Last of the Scrappy 4-patch Quilts

for now, anyhow, until I get the urge again to make some quickie quilts.

I know that the 'Quilting Marathon' doesn't start until 12/26 but I'm working on mine so I don't have to think about Christmas. I MUST get the Aran sweater done but that's all I'm planning to do. For goodness sake, it's only a size 9 month. Come on. Get knitting!

I think I'll start putting my cooking on my blog. Other people do it, so why can't I. (If they jumped off a bridge, would you do it? In all likelihood, if it looked like they were having a good time.)

3 Finishes Today

Well, these are 3 out of 4 of this particular design. I guess I must have gone a little crazy when I started cutting the pieces for these.

These are part of the 'Quilting Marathon' that some of us on Stashbusters have planned for 12/26/11 through January 2012. I had 24 tops on my list to get quilted and bound. (Now have 21.)

I got started a little early as I want these to go someplace that will give them out for Christmas. I hope to get the 4th one finished also, but it will be ok if I don't.

Orca Bay #3

#3 finished today. Over 2000 pieces in this quilt so far and we're only on the third step. I hope the next step uses red.

What did you do today, honey?

Oh, I made a flower out of newspaper circles and painted it with watercolors.

Zipper Purse

Just finished - to be a gift at Clamshell Quilters Christmas exchange. I want to make more of these but first I have several other projects in the works.

Sponge Bob quilt done

This is a Mary's Quick Strippie. I cut it and stitched it together on Saturday and today (Monday) I finished it.
A group I belong to is adopting a family for Christmas and this is for the little boy. The girl will be getting a Jellyroll 1600 quilt in pinks and roses.
Whoops, I forgot to take pictures of matching (or coordinating) pillowcases that I made also on Saturday.
The light color is yellow but looks more off-white on my monitor.

Orca Bay #2

And here they are..............Orca Bay Mystery #2
String blocks are right up my alley and they didn't take very long at all.

Am I an Artist Yet?

Here are a couple of 2 page spreads in my art journal. I just started and I'm taking an online class with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. I wish I was better (quicker) at making links but I've only done it a couple of times and I haven't quite got it down.

Anyway, this is the sort of thing I've been wanting to do for a long time. Making messy pages with watercolors, water soluble crayons and pastels. Gluing stuff in, stamping and all that sort of stuff.

Orca Bay Mystery Quilt

Starting on Bonnie Hunter's latest mystery quilt.
These are the 244 (2 1/2") blocks for part #1.
I'm looking forward to next Friday's clue.

Here is a purse I just finished. I have another one ready to sew that'll be a gift for the Clamshell Quilters Christmas exchange. I just love it and it went together really slick - and there are no raw edges anywhere. Just great.
The pattern is from Projects by Jane. She is having a linking party and I want her to see that I've already used the pattern that I bought from her.
Now let's see if I can figure out this 'linking party' thing.

Quilt for Teresa's friend, Tyler

This quilt is the Double Slice Layer Cake. It can be found at Missouri Star Quilt Company. A really quick one that looks more difficult than it is.

This one is going to my daughter's 8-year old former neighbor who has moved away.

Here we go again...............

being sorry for not posting more often. Let's face it, I just can't seem to keep up with all I want to do.

And, would you like to hear the quote of the week? I told DH that I shouldn't be starting this mystery quilt, I should be getting ready for Thanksgiving. His reply: "Can't you just get ready the day before?" The man has no clue.

So, anyway, I'm starting Bonnie Hunter's latest mystery. I have 57 (of 224) little, teeny, tiny, 2 1/2" black and white blocks done. This is going to be fun.

Now I have to print out the recipe for corn bread to go with the moose chili. Supper will be easy.

Crocheted Rag Rug

Every now and then I get a hankering to crochet (or knit or weave) something with rags. This is crocheted.

Red, White, Blue Quilts

During May and June I finished two red, white and blue quilts. The pattern is at maryquilts.com. They are.just about identical except for the back. The first one I sent to Robin in Minnesota for a project she is working on trying to get 100 quilts for returning warriors. The second one I will take to the Maine sew-in for donation for the veteran's home that Bev delivers to.

Catching up

So I don't recall what happened in April so I'll start getting caught up with the May finishes.

There were two lime green finishes and another one that I've already forgotten the name of the patten. I' m doing this on my iPad at the laundramat so I'll see if I can get some pictures added. Can't figure it out - I'll try it on my laptop when I get home.

IPad test blog

So yesterday I won a drawing for a quilt kit from a blog that I follow. Marilyn, the blog owner, said she had visited my blog. Well, let me tell you I am very embarrassed to say I haven't updated since sometime in March. Ever since I got my iPad, I've been busy fooling around and trying to learn all the features of that.
So now I'm going to try to update and keep up to date on what I'm doing and getting finished. I have been entering them in Notetaker in a file called 2011 finishes.

Catch-up time in ole Blogland

The first 3 may look alike but I assure you, they are three different quilts. They are bricks with borders and seem to be Project Linus numbers 9, 10, and 11.
The next 2 are Mary's Strippies, PL # 12 and 13.
Finally, a flannel Scrappy Four Patch made for new great grandson, Carter Jacob.
These were finished in February.

February UFO #10

Oh goodness, it's March 1st and I haven't updated my blog in ages. I have quite a few things to put on but I'm getting this one one before I look for a message from Judy L. with her March number.

This was #10 on my list. I only had to make a back, then quilt and bind. It was a kit I bought 2 years ago at the Maine Quilt Show. Most of the UFO's on my list are at that stage so it's not much of a problem getting them finished. Now - the biggest problem is making more tops. I've added 5 or 6 just this month and I have more in the thinking stage.

Newborn Hats out of my System

There. I've got that out of my system. Three of them are handknit; the rest are machine knit. The handknit ones took a day each to make. The machine knit ones way, way less.
My latest rule: Knit through the yarn stash!
So.....think I'll start working through the sock yarn. By machine, so I can get it done in this lifetime. I have a nice pattern, very thorough, that makes a sock with no seam except in the ribbing. I've made my gauge swatch which took less than 10 minutes. I don't know why I dislike making them. No more. I'm going to start liking making gauge swatches.

UFO finishes

Oh dear, am I cheating by finishing these 2 quilts that are listed as #2 on my 2011 UFO Challenge list? I guess not.
I just found out about 2 women expecting baby girls in February. They don't have much in the way of baby things so I thought it might be nice if they each have a flannel quilt. Pattern is Mary's Strippie and that just about uses up the last of the flannel I bought at Marden's in September. I'll be going again on Tuesday. I'll check to see if there is anything I just have to have.

UFO FINISH

This was a very easy finish. Just quilt and bind. I'm sending it to Alycia for the qov project. I even made a pillowcase to put it in.
Now, on to #6A. It's the BOM from Joann's, circa 2000. I've made the remaining 9 blocks only to find there was a setting/finishing kit necessary. Hey, I know I can figure it out but it almost feels like another UFO coming on. I WILL finish it.
In the meantime, I'm rewarding myself by stitching 2 1/2" strips together for a quilt I saw on the Moda website. It's called Sugar Pop N Change designed by Melissa at Happy Quilting. I'm going to sash it with black. http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/12/sugar-pop-n-change-quilt.html

UFO #6 - 2011 Challenge

Here is the patriotic rail fence that I'll be finishing this month. The top and back are all done. All I need to do is cut the batting, quilt and bind. (And I will be binding by machine.)
My #6A ufo is the set of blocks from JoAnn's. I've made a few but less than half of them. This one will take much longer.