Finally something to show!

I have been absent for a couple of weeks, but the sewing is still progressing.  I spent Saturday (all day) fitting and sewing these blocks together.  It really was fun.  There are a couple of seams left, but first I need to hand stitch the watering can down.  

I need to plan the border and piece it because I really want this one done in December.  It was a new start in 2018 that needs to be completed this year to stay up on my PHD challenge.

Speaking of the PHD challenge, I went back through the year counting UFO completions and discovered that I met my goal!  Yay!  I finished twelve.

I also got a quilt basted, one almost quilted, and another on the frames and ready to baste.  Progress is happening people!

I am linking up with:

BOM's Away
MCM
Freemotion by the River

A few things are progressing here...

I have made some progress on a couple of projects of late.  Below is a round robin owl quilt.  I added my border section and sent it off with my sister when I saw her last weekend.  I LOVE this quilt!  It was made by my daughter.  When she joined the family round robin she had two quilts that needed just a bit of work to be finished.  She sent them both off and they will both return to her after January as completed tops.  This one is special to me because I designed it as part of a mystery for my quilting family.  I have quilted three of them myself all with different focus blocks.

Next up is my bee quilt.  I LOVE THIS!  The top is done.  I hope to get it quilted in November.

I also have my mother's Quilters Garden loaded on the frames for basting.

I am linking up with:

Freemotion by the River

PHD Progress is below.  I have five more to go in 2018.

October One Monthly goal is achieved!

I am happy to say that my Quilter's Garden is quilted and bound!  One of my fellow bloggers commented that I should quilt lightly to get all my goals done for the year.  I took her advice and am pleased that I did.  This quilt had enough going on anyway that heavy quilting wasn't necessary.

I am linking up with:

Elm Street Quilt's One Monthly Goal

This quilt is also on my 4th Quarter Finish Along List.   Here is a link back to my original goal post.

This quilt was a goal on my 18 in 2018 list as well.

I am linking up with:

BOMs Away
Tish's UFO Busting
Moving it Forward Monday
Main Crush Monday
Esther's WOW

It is time to link up 4th Quarter finishes.

The last quarter of 2018 is here along with the 4th Quarter Finish -a-long linky.

Here is my final list for the quarter challenges this year.  I hope to finish the following:

1.  My Quilter's Garden - quilt and bind

The story:  
I designed this quilt one month at a time as a mystery swap.  If you completed at least one block the month the pattern released then you got the next one for free.  It was a fabulous group of ladies who joined in.  I swapped two blocks per row in this quilt:  one with a random person in the group and the other with my friend, Phyllis,  who wanted one of my blocks in every row in her quilt.  It was a grand time.

I LOVE this quilt!  I want it done badly.

2.  My mom's Quilter's Garden - quilt (My mother binds her quilts but doesn't machine quilt them)

The story:
Mom was in the group as well.  I like vibrant colors and she favors pastels.  You can feel the difference in our quilts even though many blocks were swapped and the group shared a color scheme.

3.   Bees Quilt - add a border, quilt, and bind

The story:
My dearest friend, Deb, and I set off in 2018 to make a couple of Buggy Barn pattern quilts together that we had seen online.  I finished the Santa/Reindeer in first quarter.  Her reindeer are done but her Santas are waiting in a box upstairs.  She loves them but doesn't like how many little pieces were involved.

The second one was this bee/flower quilt.  We just finished the tops last week.  She is making two:  one for a friend and one for herself.  Her friend's quilt is off to the quilter and mine is in this stage.  Deb's quilt needs the bees completed but her flowers are done.  
I LOVE IT!  

4.  Bear in the Woods Log Cabin - quilt and bind

The story:  
I designed this quilt as part of a family round robin for my sister a few years ago.  I decided I needed one too.  Last spring I went on a business trip and took the fabric with me to cut out.  I had been saving these colors in my stash and decided they were fitting for this project.  Well, when I got to the hotel the first night I quickly realized that I had enough fabric to make two quilts.  This one is for my son and the other for myself.  His is ready to quilt.

5.  Pieceful Country - assemble, border, quilt, and bind

The story:

I joined an online group where we were re-creating a quilt called "Sweet Land of Liberty".  I honestly didn't really like the quilt because it is busier than I prefer, but I loved the idea behind the project.  Each month the group would try to recreate the original quilt with some basic size guidelines, but there was no pattern.  We could improvise to fit out style and needs as desired.  Well, first off, I didn't have enough Americana fabrics to make the quilt.  I opted to make it anyway out of pastels because I had leftovers from my Dear Jane quilt.  

As the project moved along, I would change some blocks I didn't like or didn't think fit into my "different" theme.  For example, I used a chicken where an eagle belonged.  I embroidered a totally different angel that was supposed to be appliqued.  My house block was different.  I used a watering can instead of a basket, and my vine was different.  I converted a star into more of a flower - thinkgs like that.  Most of what I did came from patterns I already had in my house that I had either designed myself or had purchased.  

This quilt is still too busy for me, but I love the elements.  I wanted it to not get too big, but it will get bigger because I plan to add white space between major elements to make it easier on the eyes.  Wish me luck!

6.  Felicity's Log Cabin Star Quilt - quilt (Felicity will bind hers)

The story:

Felicity wants me to quilt this for her.  She is my dear sister-in-law who became a quilter only after joining the family.  We all make quilts.  She is not happy with it because she didn't disburse the light and dark blocks evenly and ended up with one section of all light blocks.  She likes things finished more than she likes them to be perfect, so she sent it off with me.

On a side note, I think we all do that sometimes.  We have to choose between perfect or finished.  Quilts that really matter to me go the "almost perfect" route while other quilts go the finished route.  As many quilts as I make, I sometimes just need them to be done as I'm sure Felicity can agree with.

In order to do this I will need to quilt two a month.  I do my own quilting so that may be a stiff  goal for me because I work full time.  I am going for it.

Most of these quilts were on my 18 in 2018 list except for the bees and Pieceful Country.  They have to be done because I started them this year.  My PHD challenge requires that I finish anything I start this year.  It has pushed me to finish but has not completely stopped me from starting new projects.  That is inevitable!

I am linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday.

Yay! My horses are done!

The horse quilt is bound!  I am keeping it at my house for the grand babies when they come to visit along with other quilts for them to choose from.  I dream of watching movies together or reading books cuddled in our quilts.

This is on my 3rd Quarter Finish Along List.

Here is a link back to my original goals.

I brought out my October quilts to display around the house.  It feels so festive.  It is also fun to see quilts others made for me among my own finishes.

I made this at my state's annual Quilt Fest from a class.  

The quilt on the couch was made and given to me by a quilt friend.  The one on the wall is made from a round robin.  So many people who are dear to me made blocks as well as ladies I met online.

The flowers were made for me by a quilt friend as well.

I am linking up with:

Freemotion by the River
Esther's WOW
Monday Making
Let's Bee Social

PHD progress report

While sewing with my friend last weekend she became frustrated with her bees.  She needed a yellow stripe in a spot when there was only a blacks left in the pile.  I took the one bee that she had finished home to do the applique' eyes and antenna (her hands cannot do applique').  When I lay it next to mine I saw the problem.  She has rearranged her pieces and sewn an extra yellow.  There should be three yellows and three blacks, not 4 yellow stripes.  I asked her to bring me the rest of her stack and I will be relayering them to help her finish.  She thought she would have to cut out a new set of bees.

Below you can see my bee on the right and hers on the left.  The pen in the photo shows where she went wrong.

I finished the embroidery smiles on my bees and was finally able to layout this quilt and audition borders.

I finished quilting my horse quilt.  I quilted a barn door on the side.  It is simple but I like it.

I made an extra horse for the back of the quilt.  I also used leftover triangles that I cut off while making the sky and the barn roofs.  I love it!

I have attached the binding and should have a complete finish tomorrow!

My PHD Report is below.  If I finish two quilts a month this last quarter then I will be 100%.  I had to finish everything I started this year and finish 12 previous UFOs.  I am pleased with what I have finished.

I am linking up with:
BOM's Away
Moving it Forward Monday

A finish for Christmas and results from Friday night friend sewing...

This little throw sized quilt is ready to give away for Christmas.  I am part of a group of ladies who love to quilt.  We draw names each year and make each other a small quilt.  We go out to dinner in early December and spend a lovely time visiting and opening gifts.  It is so much a part of my Christmas tradition.  

It feels good to be done early.

This quilt was also on my 3rd Quarter Finish Along list.
Here is a link back to the original post.  It is number 3 on the list.

My dearest friend invited me over for a sewing marathon Friday after work.  We had a hard time getting rolling because I didn't get done working until 6:00 pm.  As a school teacher that is pretty late.  I had to run home, load my vehicle with my machine and projects, and then stop and pick up dinner before going.  It was nearly 8:00 before we started so we ran for a caffeine drink to keep us going.   A Pepsi and a Coke was just what we needed.  We laughed and had a great time.  She is so much fun and someone I need in my life.

I worked on and finished my round robin for the month.  This is possibly my favorite round robin this year.  I will be sending it off next week when I see my sister.

 My friend worked on her horses and bees.  She will add eyes to the horses after the quilter does her magic, but she did get the top and back done and ready to send off.  This is a twin sized quilt for her grand daughter who LOVES horses.

Just look at this darling bee and flower quilt.  I love it.  She is making it for the person's name she drew in our quilty Christmas swap.  I wish she had my name - ha ha.  It is ok because my bee/flower quilt top is now done.

 It was fun to see the projects laid out together on her floor. 

It inspired me to go home and finish quilting my horses and embroider smiles on my cute bees.  They will appear in my next post.