Time to link and mail - Hands to Help charity quilt challenge

Happy Sunday!  If you joined the Hands 2 Help charity quilt drive over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, today is the first day to link up your finished quilts for the drive.

I've been participating in the drive for 2 years now, and I always get such a good feeling from seeing all the quilts linked up and from mailing mine off to be used.

This year I am donating 2 quilts.  This quilt is headed off to Quilts of Compassion, a charity that gives quilts to all kinds of people, but tends to mobilize during times of national disaster, like the Oklahoma tornadoes, etc.

I am also donating my finished OBW QAL quilt to Happy Chemo.  Emily at Em's Scrapbag has challenged herself to donate 1500 quilts to Happy Chemo and this quilt will get her one quilt closer to her goal.  She has already donated over 600!

Starry Night One Block Wonder Quilt

Happy Chemo provides all kinds of services to those undergoing chemotherapy including providing quilts.  I think just about everyone has known someone who has had to be treated with chemotherapy.  I started donating a quilt a year to Happy Chemo when my niece was diagnosed with AML Leukemia.  I made her a quilt during her hospital stay and I think it helped having something homey in her room.  My mother also underwent chemo several years ago, and I just wish I could have sent her a quilt during her treatment, especially since I couldn't be there myself.  By donating each year, I know that one less person will go quilt-less during their treatment.

If you have any finished quilts hanging around without a home, consider donating to one of these charities or one near you.  It is truly a wonderful feeling.

Thanks for reading today,

Jen

Hands 2 Help finish - a finish Friday-ish

I have a quick finish to share with you today.  It has actually been done for a few days.  I was waiting for Friday to link up with all the finish Friday links, but got so busy on Friday that I never had time to sit down and write this post.  That's just the way it goes around here.  Oy vey!

A couple of months ago, I visited the Glendale Annual Quilt Show in Pasadena, CA.  It was a lovely small show, complete with a ton of raffles and door prizes.  I actually won one of the door prizes and it included this quilt kit.

Now, these fabrics weren't exactly "my style", which I find funny because I am still trying to figure out what my style is!  But, at this point, I find it easier to identify what ISN'T my style, and these fabric weren't.  Since I still needed to make a quilt for the Hands 2 Help charity quilt challenge, it seemed fortuitous that this quilt kit become one of the quilts for the drive.

I even tried using the pattern that came with the kit, but ran into some little execution problems.  First, the kit didn't quite follow the supply list for the pattern.  Also, if you look at the fabrics included, there are a lot of lights, one medium (the yellow) and one bold color (the red).  It didn't seem like this pattern was going to look right with that imbalance.  So, I looked through my stash and added a dark blue to the mix.  Another execution problem came with the piecing.  Despite reading the pattern a couple times before I started, my brain did not take notice of one of the steps.  And as many of you know, once fabric is cut, it is a little hard to make it bigger again.  I made the mistake of cutting all of my pieced strips into units, and I was supposed to leave a few of them long.  DOH!  So I had to improvise a little and arrange the units in a different configuration.  I think it still looks alright...

For the quilting, I just did some organic chevrons with my walking foot.

And I was able to use that one big cut of the yellow fabric as the back.  It was a tight squeeze, but it worked.

Have you ever won anything that wasn't your style?  What did you do with it?  Give it to a friend?  Put it away in case your style changes one day?

Thanks for reading today,

Jen


Linking up with:

I'm in! - Hands 2 Help charity quilt drive

I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know that the Hands 2 Help charity quilt drive is going on right now!

You can read all about it HERE at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  If you are interested in making a quilt this year for one of the 3 charities listed, you can sign up HERE.  There is a little giveaway going on if you sign up before Saturday, March 22nd!  And don't worry, you have until the end of May to make your quilt and send it off.

donated to Happy Chemo via the Hands 2 Help charity drive in 2013

I've participated in Hands 2 Help for the past two years and it feels great to make something for someone in need.

donated to Happy Chemo via the Hands 2 Help charity drive in 2013

In the past, I have sent my quilts to Happy Chemo, but there are 3 different charities to choose from this year.

Won't you join me?

Thanks for reading,

Jen

Bee Happy quilt donated to Happy Chemo via Hands 2 Help 2012

May progress report and June goal setting

Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you are SUPER busy, you are also more productive in general?  I feel like I have had a lot fewer sewing days this month, yet I am very satisfied with what I've accomplished.

And the best part is that I'm not just talking about my sewing list.  I've also made a few dinners and even exercised a couple of times!  GASP!  Yep it is true.  Esther at Threads on the Floor, who I find inspiring in so many ways, once mentioned that she had started a Couch to 5K program on her new phone.  I have had the app for a while and even made it through the program about a year ago before I promptly stopped exercising completely.  Well, I started it up again and it feels good.  But, this is a quilting blog so let's get back to that sewing list....

May  UFO's

I was determined to do something with my fusible rose project - a project that started back in, oh the beginning of 2011.  Now that I have the blue and white OBW done, this was probably the oldest UFO I had.  I am happy to report that it just needs the binding sewn on!  I would love to show it to you, but I have to save it as a surprise for my day on the "Say it with Flowers" blog hop  - June 4th will be here soon!

May New FO's

I wanted to start and finish my quilt for the Hands2Help Charity Quilt Drive and hooray!  It is done!

It just needs a label and it is off to Happy Chemo.


Now for June.....I'm declaring June for Jen!  I've made a few charity quilts and quilts for others the last few months, and as good as that feels, I plan on being a bit selfish in June.  Since I haven't actually started any projects for myself in a while, June is going to be heavily weighted on the NewFO side.

June UFO's

I will continue to work on piecing the backing for my Beginner QAL quilt.  I am using this is a leader/ender type project so a little gets done every week, but I fully admit that this one isn't really striking my fancy these days.

I have also decided to go back and machine SID some of my Handstitched Medallion Quilt.  After reading some blog posts about hand quilting not keeping the quilt layers together forever under some circumstances, I felt I needed a little reassurance.  I don't know yet what I am going to use the quilt for, but just in case it gets more wear and tear than is meant, I would at least like the layers to stay together, especially since my quilting is not 10 stitches per inch quality.

June New FO's

I was glancing around my sewing space (AKA the dungeon) the other day and I noticed a few areas of need.  For example, I have completely worn holes into my ironing pad cover and what isn't holey is somewhat scorched.  I desperately need a new one.   I could buy one, true, but I want to make myself one.  I've got tons of fabric, even some home dec weight stuff.  Surely, I can figure it out, right?

I also need a sewing machine mat with pockets and it would be really nice if it had a thread catcher component.  I keep shoving all kinds of stuff underneath my machine's quilting table, but it looks terrible and sometimes it isn't even convenient to go digging under there.  I should also make myself a machine cover while I am at it.  My machine came with one, but it is pretty plain.

I am also going to get started on some of those bucket list quilts that I've been putting off way too long.  The Swoon craze is nearly over and I haven't even started mine.  I'm going to get started this month if it kills me.

I've also shown interest in the Impromptu QAL at I'm a Ginger Monkey.  My interest generally comes from having at least 2 layer cakes languishing around with absolutely no plans for them.  The Impromptu pattern is cute, looks easy, uses a layer cake, and would be perfect for the big girl bed I ordered for Olivia's room!

So here's a quick summary of New FO's I hope to tackle in June:

• new ironing board cover
• sewing machine mat and cover
• Swoon
• Impromptu

A quick look ahead to July.....we are going on vacation!  I hope to have made enough bee blocks, etc. to pre-schedule posts for Building Blocks Tuesdays, but other than that posts are going to be rather sparse.  I want to take a hand sewing project with me, but I doubt I will post any progress until we return at the end of the month.  

Thanks for reading today,

Jen

Linking up with:

Jacob's Ladder - a Friday Finish

Hooray, hooray!  I have actually finished something!

This little quilt is about 48 inches square.  I used a layer cake of Deb Strain's "Spa" fabric, plus a few squares of solids to round it out.  I quilted it quite simply - just SID and then 1/4 inch on either side of each seam.  I am sending this quilt off to Happy Chemo as my contribution for the Hands2Help 2013 charity quilt drive.

I also spent quite a bit of time this week putting together a display of the art work that Ashley's class created as part of the school's Open House event.  At the beginning of the school year, we are told which art project to hold onto for Open House.  I was disappointed that our class had to display this project, but only because it was a difficult project to complete and the students did some fabulous art in other projects throughout the year.  Here is the display:

The project entailed scraping a black paper (with some sort of clay surface) with engraving tools so that the white surface showed through.  It was supposed to be a night scene, but the docents got fair warning ahead of time that the supplies chosen for the project weren't easy to work with, so we allowed the kids to basically draw what they wanted.  The engraving tools were difficult to work with.  You had to scrape at a special angle to get any of the black off and then if they scraped too hard, the paper would end up with holes in it.  I teach 1st graders.  Like I said, it was a tough project.

I am so happy that this part of my volunteer job is over.  I stress so much about the display even though it was only for ONE hour.  Some of the docents really go all out, spending hundreds of dollars on supplies for their displays.  I had to remind myself several times not to get too caught up in the competition.  Still, the kids deserve to have their creations exhibited.

I have one more project to teach - a Picasso inspired painting!

Thanks for reading today,

Jen

Linking up with:

Time Out! - WIP Wednesday

I declared this week to be a paper piecing week.  I have so many projects that needed to be paper pieced, but I get a little worn out sometimes by the process AND the mess.  But I knew I needed to do it.  Only 2 days in and I want to quit.  This is mainly because I manage to mess up 2 different blocks yesterday!

The first one was a bee block for the Make it Modern Bee.  I put together a pretty darn good-looking Lone Starburst block - completely put together - only to realize that it wasn't to size.  My printer settings had been altered somehow and though I checked the little inch line (which appeared to be to size), the block pieces were actually 1/4 inch short.  If it hadn't been for the pattern designer's blog post, telling me the length the sides needed to be, I would probably still be scratching my head.  A second block is now complete (below).  The short one will likely be made into a journal cover one day, or a pillow.  Can't have anything go to waste, right?

The second block I screwed messed up was my house block for my Star of Africa bee.  This block is ridiculously overdue.  I chose a difficult paper piecing block - not my own design (maybe that is breaking the rules for the bee??) - and tried to fussy cut some things for the windows of the house.  All was going well until I accidentally sliced through an entire section of a house.  Needless to say, I had to put THAT block away for a little while and go sit in the time out chair to cool down.  I'm really starting to wonder why I even choose to paper piece this block when I could have appliqued it more easily.  Plus, the block wouldn't have really represented me or my country very well.  I think I may go back to the drawing board on this one.

There is a 3rd paper piecing project that I have all printed out and ready to go, but now I am doubting whether I should even start it.  I am not sure I have the patience.  But then again, perhaps 3rd time is a charm?

I also put together the backing for my Hands 2 Help quilt.  Now everything is ready to be basted.

This Wednesday...

Completed Projects:

• Bee Blocks - We Bee Learning (4 blocks), Simply Solids (1 block), Make it Modern (2 blocks)
• It's for the Birds Blog Hop items - you can see them here

On-going Projects:

AKA - "stuff I plan to touch this week or next".

• Bee Blocks & BOM blocks - Lucky Star May (1 block), Guild BOM for charity (2 blocks)
• Star of Africa Bee - I have really slipped behind.  Need February, March, April, and one more done.
• Beginner Quilt Along at Quilting Gallery - Piecing the backing is in progress
• Quilt for Hands 2 Help Charity Drive - basting in progress
• Items for the "Say it with Flowers" Blog Hop starting at the end of May (my day is June 4th) - I have a plan, but haven't put in into action yet.

Back, Back, Back Burner:

These will likely be touched sometime in the future - I should really rename this category to "I want to remember that I have these projects, but realistically they won't be touched till 2015 because I'm too busy doing other stuff"

• Handstitched Medallion Quilt - quilting in progress.  This is the project is going to take FOREVER!!
• Discontinuity 2 - crib sized top is complete, but now I am thinking it really needs to be twin sized as all the girls are about to be in big girl beds.  On hold for now.
• Curves Class goodies - catch up in progress, but on hold for now.   
• Skill Builder BOM blocks (now 3 months worth) - I am saddened by putting these down here, as there are some wonderful blocks to make, but I just don't have time right now.

This week's stats:

Completed projects - 1 plus a handful of blocks
New projects - 0
Currently in Progress - 6 ish

Don't forget to link up any blocks you have been working on to the Building Blocks Tuesday post!

And as always, thanks for reading,

Jen



Linking up with
 

Why does the Universe want me pregnant (again)? - WIP Wednesday

As the mother of 3 girls, I am constantly being asked if we are "done" having kids or if we are going to try for the boy.  Evidently the tired look on my face isn't enough to answer this question.  Having a husband who thinks it would be no big deal (especially since he travels A LOT) doesn't help.  Well, with little Olivia approaching 3 years old, and all our kids about 2 years apart, the questioning has intensified lately.  Then it happened......twice in the last week I was asked - outright asked - if I was pregnant!

Now I've checked (about 10 times), and I haven't put on any extra weight.  True, I might have let my eyebrows go a little longer between pluckings and I'm a month overdue for a haircut, but still!  The first time I was asked actually seemed reasonable.  Olivia had been acting unusually cranky at school and it has been in the experience of the manager at preschool that little kids can "sense these things", so she asked.  Lucky, she and I are on very good terms so I didn't take offense.  But the second time I just answered a "How are you doing?" with a "Hanging in there" and the person immediately jumped to "Oh my gosh, are you pregnant?".  Say what?

Universe, if you are listening, I am going to ignore these little hints.  This is NOT a WIP I am working on!!!!!!!  I'm far to busy, tired, and selfish at the moment to even consider it.  Thanks, but don't you have some asteroids to hurl about space, stars that need birthing, black holes to fill, etc.?

For the rest of you, I have been working on my Hands 2 Help quilt top.  I've gotten this far:

I can't believe how much trouble this top has given me, but I am wholly to blame.  I started with a layer cake of Deb Strain's "Spa", and a pattern that called for charms squares.  I figured I would just cut up the layer cake, and whip it together.  Well, I cut a few things incorrectly, my math on the number of darks, mediums and lights needed was way off, and of course I didn't realize this until I had already pieced all my HST's together and sewn them to some solid squares.  Whoops!  Start searching for a pattern that I could use these pieces in, and arrive at the Jacob's Ladder pattern.  Unfortunately, I still had to rip out a fair number of seams and my head must have been missing for a few days because even looking at my diagram I managed to turn things around the wrong way a few times and had to do more unpicking.  But, this part is finally done.  I'm trying to decide if I need a border and what might work for it.

This Wednesday...

Completed Projects:

• Baby Boy Quilt - DONE!  I missed last Friday's finish party by 20 inches of binding, but it is ready for this Friday.  I hope you come back to see it.

On-going Projects:

AKA - "stuff I plan to touch this week or next".

• Bee Blocks & BOM blocks - May Make it Modern (2 blocks), We Bee Learning (4 blocks), Simply Solids (1 block), Lucky Star May (1 block) Skill Builder BOM blocks (now 3 months worth), 
• Star of Africa Bee - I have really slipped behind.  Need February, March, April, and now May done.
• Beginner Quilt Along at Quilting Gallery - needs backing, basting, quilting, etc.  Piecing the backing is in progress
• Quilt for Hands 2 Help Charity Drive - top done?  backing in progress
• Items for the "It's for the Birds" Blog Hop - my day is May 13th - in progress - piecing done, quilting happens next and shouldn't take too long.
• Items for the "Say it with Flowers" Blog Hop starting at the end of May (my day is June 4th) - I have a plan, but haven't put in into action yet.

Back, Back, Back Burner:

These will likely be touched sometime in the future - I should really rename this category to "I want to remember that I have these projects, but realistically they won't be touched till 2015 because I'm too busy doing other stuff"

• Handstitched Medallion Quilt - quilting in progress.  This is the project is going to take FOREVER!!
• Discontinuity 2 - crib sized top is complete, but now I am thinking it really needs to be twin sized as all the girls are about to be in big girl beds.  On hold for now.
• Curves Class goodies - catch up in progress, but on hold for now.   

This week's stats:

Completed projects - 1
New projects - 0
Currently in Progress - 6 ish

Don't forget to link up any blocks you have been working on to the Building Blocks Tuesday post!

Speaking of blocks, I think I better get back to making some.  That is quite a list up there.

And as always, thanks for reading,

Jen



Linking up with
 

Hands 2 Help 2013

Just a quick note to let you know that sign ups for this year's Hands 2 Help charity quilt drive start today over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  There are two charities to choose from.


I participated last year and sent a quilt to the Happy Chemo charity which gives quilts to those undergoing chemotherapy, and I must say, it felt darn good!  I'm all signed up to do another quilt this year, and I hope you will join me.

Thanks for reading,

Jen

Beginner's Quilt Along - Trial and Error Tuesday

The fine folks over at Quilting Gallery are hosting a Beginner's Quilt-Along.  Since this blog is supposed to be for beginners, I thought I would pass along the info.  And after last week's quilt related "issues", I figured I could use a refresher myself.  Join me, won't you?

If nothing else, you will have a lovely quilt sampler at the end.  I am sure that you know someone who might like one, or you can give it to charity!  While the Hands2Help challenge is officially over, see the quilts donated here, I am sure that quilts are accepted anytime for next year's drive.  I know for sure that Happy Chemo would take them, and Emily mentioned in one of her last posts that she is in particular need of manly colored quilts!

So what do ya say?  Quilt Along with me?

Jen

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back - Finally Finished Friday, uh Saturday

Here it is, my Bee Happy Quilt, finally finished.

Yesterday, I spent the majority of the day doing: Sew 10 inches, Rip out 3 inches, re-thread everything, repeat.  Little by little, I got it done.

Wow, what a process this has been.  When I signed up to complete this quilt, I actually got started right away.  At the time, I had plenty of time to complete, but I didn't want to wait until the last minute (like I usually do). I was actually hoping to be the first one done!  I had my pattern in mind when I signed up, it promised to be an easy one.  I prepared my applique pieces, got everything cut, and the whole top pieced together rather quickly.  I stalled a little when it came to the back, waiting for some additional fabric, but it too came together quickly.  The quilting pattern suggested was easy enough too - a meandering loopy bee trail.  I sandwiched my quilt and got ready to get down to it.  That's when "easy" ended.

I am not sure if I have been quite so frustrated in a long time.  The machine issues, which I am sure you are tired of hearing about and I am tired of thinking about, really threw me for a loop.  I don't really understand how a machine can be fine quilting one thing, but then completely stink at doing another.  My best guess was that it had to do with the needle flex that occurred when sewing through the applique parts with their fusible web.  I is the only thing that makes some sense to me.  So, I pulled out my notes from my long arm class with Dawn Cavanaugh.  She talked a bit about needle flex and I tried out her suggestions.  I switched to a bigger needle, with only some improvement.  I sewed slowly, no improvement.  If I hadn't already quilted half the quilt, I would have changed thread.  In the end, I just had to battle it out.

I certainly wish I had done things a little differently from the start.  I felt confident with the machine quilting, so I choose a pretty, shiny, variegated thread for the quilting.  Unfortunately, it just shows off all the issues I had quilting!  And perhaps, putting appliques on the back wasn't such a good idea.  I haven't had any problems in the past sewing through them, so I didn't really think it would be a problem this time either.

It is not my best work, but it is done.  And, I learned some things about myself.

This quilt is destined for Happy Chemo, part of the Hands2Help Challenge at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, which gives quilts to people going through chemotherapy.  While I have never been through chemo myself, I imagine that I encountered some of the same emotions going through making this quilt - obviously, less intense as I was not fighting for my life!  At times I cried, I was angry, frustrated, and even wanted to give up.  And I was just making a quilt!  Heaven help me if I have to go through anything as major as chemotherapy.




Jen

Making lemons from lemonade - WIP Wednesday

Today was my first opportunity to sew since last week.  I figured it was high time I did something about my Bee Happy quilt, especially since it was supposed to be completed last Sunday.  Ironically, this was the only project this year that I started early, with the intention of being the first in the group to complete!  That obviously did not happen!  With deadlines, whooshing past me, I decided I better put my frustration aside and get it quilted with Big Brother.  Unfortunately, he had other plans.....

"P" is for Pissed Off!

I would be zooming along with my loopy-loop stitching and then all of a sudden, the above would happen.  Soon, I had a mountain of thread trying to figure out what was going wrong.

Yes, I had to take a picture of this.  It is actually about half the thread that I had in the trash.

Finally, I figured out that he would accept some stitching through the appliques, as long as it wasn't an area that had appliques on the bottom also.  So, I marked the top using painters tape to show the areas where the appliques were on the bottom.

Add caption

It sounded simple enough = avoid these areas, at least until Ms. Kitty returns (presumably fixed)!  However, Big Brother still didn't like spending too much time on the top appliques.  If I did more than one loop before getting back to the background, he protested.  An hour and a half of sewing later, I am now half done with the quilt (I started at a third done).

To add to the frustration, I KNOW I am not doing my best work.  My stitch sizes are very inconsistent (versus my usual average amount), in part because I feel like I have to hurry over the appliques to get back to the background, and in part because of all the stops and starts I have to do every time he protests.  Let's not even discuss all the ripping out of stitches and the small holes it leaves in the appliques.

I feel very badly because sick people deserve nice quilts too.  I know they don't expect perfection, but this quilt is so far from that, I'm sure it will end up in the trash instead of a hospital.  I hate giving up, but I think if I had an extra week, I would be tempted to start all over again with another design.  I have until Saturday to get it done and in the mail.  Ms. Kitty is supposed to be ready Thursday afternoon.  Doesn't give me a whole lot of time!

Back to trying to make lemons from lemonade.....



Completed Projects:

• Are you kidding me?

On-going Projects:

• Hands2Help Bee Happy Quilt - quilting in progress 
• Red, White, Blue New York Beauty - piecing in progress
• Urban Nine Patch - just blocks for my 3 x 6 Bee, they are cut and ready to be put together
• Urban Nine Patch Tablerunner

Back Burner:

• New York Beauty Quilt A Long - actually different from the one above.
• Batik Stripe Quilt - still sandwiched and ready to be quilted!
• Thank you quilt for Ashley's teacher - due second week of June!  Plenty of time, right?
• Lincoln quilt - need to put the borders on this baby and finish it up.
• Blue & White Stack-n-Whack for May UFO challenge 

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 0
New projects - 0
Currently in Progress - 4

Linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday's

WIP Wednesday

My "Bee Happy" quilt top is done for the Hands2Help drive

Hurrah, Hurrah!  The top for my Hands2Help quilt is done!  I finished up the borders and hive applique this morning.  Now on to the back and quilting, right?  Ms. Kitty has been acting up a little since her trip for annual servicing.  I am a little disappointed, since she was working just fine BEFORE I took her.  I just hope I can get the quilting done on this project before I have to take her in again.

I've also been working on my monthly challenge for the Free Motion Challenge at SewCalGal.  This month's challenge includes a transfer technique that is used to mark your quilts, and I sure am glad to learn it.  I just wish I had known about it before I quilted those feathers on the peacock quilt!  Here are a couple of shots of my practice motif.  I still need to do my final project for this month's challenge.  Hopefully, I will get to show it to you on Friday as a finish.

Completed Projects:

• I completed my little gifties, which I cannot show pics of until they are delivered in a few weeks.  But, I am very pleased with how they came out

On-going Projects:

• Hands2Help Bee Happy Quilt
• Free-Motion Challenge Placemat
• Batik Stripe Quilt - still sandwiched and ready to be quilted!

Back Burner:

• New York Beauty Quilt A Long
• Urban Nine Patch - I am sew excited about starting this new project, but it really should wait until Bee Happy is done.
• Thank you quilt for Ashley's teacher - due second week of June!
• Lincoln quilt - need to put the borders on this baby and finish it up.

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 1 (actually 3 gifts!)
New projects - 3 (basically most of my back burner quilts)
Currently in Progress - 3

Linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday's

A Change of Plans???

I need your help deciding on the background for my Hands2Help quilt.  I had planned to use white, as the pattern called for, and had it all cut and everything; but then my border fabrics arrived and I started to second guess myself.  Plus, I was using slightly different fabric than the pattern called for anyway, so.....help me make my final decision, please!

Here is the white.  I am a little concerned that my lighter bees will not look as nice.  And, does someone going through chemo really want a mostly white quilt??  Yet, the picture of the pattern does look very cheer-y in white.

Or, I just happened to order this aqua for a later project, but I could just as easily use it now.  Problem is, I have aqua bees.  Do they show up enough or just blend into this background?

Here is the white next to my planned border fabrics:

And here is the aqua:

Well, what do you think?

March UFO progress - Land of Lincoln

It is officially a flimsy.  Now, I know that doesn't count as completely done, but considering this was just a bunch of fat quarters at the beginning of the month, I say it is still progress.  It is a pretty big top too!

The pattern calls for some borders, which I haven't decided if I want to add yet.  Part of the problem is that the only brown fabric that I have enough of, I'm not crazy about how it looks next to the rest of the quilt.  I suppose it would make a suitable backing, but I think I should keep looking for something else.  Of course, Lent is not over yet, so I won't be purchasing any border material for at least another week.  :(

Now, I know you are wondering, when will I actually finish this quilt?  Honestly, probably not for a while.  I was just thinking a few days ago what a complete failure I have been at Judy's UFO challenge.  The first month, I rearranged my list so I could work on the quilt that was at the greatest stage of completion.  It is the only quilt on the list that I have actually finished.  February's quilt - well I did get the backing done. It is marked and sandwiched and awaiting quilting - but it is not done.  March, not finished.  As I was thinking all this, I wondered which quilt would be chosen for the April challenge.   I was really hoping it would be one of the small, partially completed quilts on my list. "Please", I thought, "don't let it be those T-shirt quilts for the girls".  While it would help my spring cleaning along to have those done, T-shirt quilting is an involved process.  You have to iron on interfacing to your knit fabrics, then cut it to size, then sew together, then sandwich and quilt as you would a regular quilt.  OK, so that's really one extra step, but I have a lot of little T-shirts to do.  It's going to be a lengthy process, and my April is shortened because next week is Spring Break and we are going on a trip, so no sewing for a while.... So which quilt was chosen for April?  You got it, the T-shirt quilts.

I won't be doing them this month.  There just isn't time, and I have other more important projects that need to be completed first.  Primarily the quilt I have promised for the Hands 2 Help challenge.  I feel a quilt promised to someone else takes priority over one you might be making to live in your own house.  I have a pattern picked out, some of the fabric in my stash to be used, a few additional purchased to be made after Easter, and a quilt to be made for April.  Thus, I will be replacing my T-shirt quilts on my UFO list, with the Hands 2 Help quilt.  And you know what, I feel pretty good about it!

Hands2Help

As Karen pointed out the other day, sometimes doing something EXTRA is nice during Lent (or other holidays, heck, shouldn't it be any day).  So in that spirit, I have decided to join Sarah's Hands2Help Challenge.  I know I need another challenge like I need a hole in the head, but this one strikes a cord in my heart.  I know I have mentioned my niece that has been having an extended stay at the hospital.  Well, the truth is that she has AML Leukemia and despite just finishing her last round of chemo, has been having a rather rough week.  So she is on my mind almost constantly.  It made the decision to join this challenge rather easy.

Sarah has chosen two different charities that you can make quilts for.  One charity is the NOLA project, which sends quilts to St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans, which despite the time elapsed, is still feeling the effects of Hurricane Katrina.  I know the people in that area could use a little comfort - like the comfort of a quilt wrapped around them.

The second charity is called Happy Chemo, which provides quilts for chemo patients.  I have committed myself to make a quilt for this second charity because I know how much comfort a quilt can be to someone going through chemo, or even a family member watching someone going through chemotherapy.  If I am able, I will also try to make a quilt for the NOLA project as well.

If you have ever thought to yourself, "Hey, I'd like to make a charity quilt, but I don't know who to give it to", or even if you have a few finished quilts lying around that don't have homes....I invite you all to visit Sarah's Blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict to learn more about the Hands2Help Challenge.

Quilt on!