Chronicles from the Sewing Machine

 I have put some serious time into the sewing machine this winter and have hardly taken any pictures!  As you'll see, I like to have several projects going at any one time, so if I want to piece, quilt, bind, or cut, I can dive into a project and get busy.  The only thing I don't have going is a pile of fabric in the planning stages.  With summer coming, I'll cut back quite a bit and be outside with just a little project or two along the way.  I actually finished and gave three away last month to quilt guild without taking any pictures to document them, so please, allow me to document my progress from the past few months.  :)

Completed:

 Project Linus Quilt

Both Timothy and Evelyn received quilts through this wonderful organization and I try to make a few to send and bring joy to another child (and their family) in the hospital.  This one is 27" x 40" and a disappearing nine patch pattern.

Quilt Guild Strip Quilt

We did a jelly roll race at our guild retreat last year and this is my entry.  It has sat on my shelf for awhile because it just didn't speak to me.  Now it is done and ready to be gifted to someone in our community.  Our guild supplies the dialysis unit in our hospital and people in the community that go through a crisis like a major accident, house fire, or cancer diagnosis.  This one is in the 45" x 60" size range.

XOXO Quilt

This one will be on its way to one of my college friends who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing treatments.  She graces everyone in her life with beautifully crocheted throws, us included.  We have a throw she gave us for our wedding, and Timothy has a yellow blanket from when he was born that he still uses and loves (I need to know what yarn that is because it gets washed a LOT and still looks great).  So I am gifting her back a quilt with lots of hugs and kisses in case she wants a change from all the yarn.  :)  We are praying for you Kim and sending you love!  Check your mailbox!

Binding:  

Project Linus Quilt

Same fabric collection as the one above, but different color way and bigger at 46" x 58", so perfect for an older girl.  I have been switching over to machine binding quilts that I know are going to get a lot of washing, but this one didn't look right with the cream sashing and solid orange borders, so I am handing binding this one, perfect for nights when I have been chasing little boys (Timothy and the kiddo I babysit) and I just want to put my feet up.

I love the little dogs on the scooters.  :)

Quilting: 

Jade's Quilt

My niece will be two this summer and needs a quilt for her big girl bed (It is 60" x 90").  It has been so much fun to use these girly fabrics!  Here is a picture from when I was pin basting it together: (with my helper)

And this is what it looks like with the quilting.  I am doing an overall pattern of mums and I love it!  I have about a quarter of it done and am starting to get the itch to work on it again.  Another 4 or 5 hours and I should be done and putting the binding on this one.  I have been really enjoying my new machine and doing a lot more of my own quilting (all the ones above I did, too).

Piecing:

Honky Tonk Strip Quilt

I really like this fabric and got my hands on a jelly roll, so I made a strip quilt.  I love the combination of florals, guitars, sheet music, and mustaches.  :)  This one is just for us and I am going to attempt to put a minky (that really plush, fuzzy fabric) on the back.  It is tricky to work with because it stretches one way, but not the other.  I am planning on using a lot of spray baste and pin it like crazy.  If all else fails, I'll give it to Nancy and pay her to do it on her long arm machine.  :)  It will get a border of that tan plaid first, and then it will be ready for the next step!

Scrappy Irish Triple Chain Project

This is my use-up-the-leftovers quilt and I love it with only half of it done!  It is a traditional irish triple chain pattern and those 18 blocks in the picture have 49 two-inch pieces each, totaling 882 squares.  The other 17 blocks that go in the spaces only have 17 pieces each, so less than 300 pieces to go!  :)  It will actually be a bit before I have this one done because I need to transition back to quilting to get Jade's quilt done and I have a banner in the works for church that needs to be done by the end of May.  However, this is fulfilling a use-your-scraps challenge for guild and is due in June, so it won't be that long.  Sometimes deadlines are good!

Timothy was hopping between the pieces and ribbiting like a frog.  Thankfully he stopped for a smile because I was kept trying to grab a picture and he was just this blur floating over my blocks!

Cutting:

Three more quilts in the works, the left bag is a churn dash quilt, the right is a squares and stripes throw, and the middle is part of a granny square pattern that I have been eyeing.  These are quilts that will probably end up as gift quilts or donation quilts that have no deadline or specific purpose in mind, so we will see when they get done, maybe not until next fall.  Unless something comes up and I need to whip a gift out.  :)