Baci's Quilt

Today is project  number one in the parade of Christmas presents and year-end finishes.  This was a UFO - the guest room quilt - that had been in the works since at least 2012, if not before. 

The HSTs were all sewn, and all that was left was to piece the top.  Several rows were sewn in September, and then it sat.  At the beginning of December, the top was completed and quilted in utilitarian style, 1/4" on either side of all seams. 

Being very pink and not really my style now, I changed the quilt from a full-size model to a lap quilt and sent it to my husband's Baci (grandma) for a Christmas present. 

She is delighted with it and very protective of it.  And I'm glad to have a UFO done and quilt gifted. 

Finish it Up Friday - Clamshell Quilt

I need to update on my UFO goal for the year.  I have been working on it, but I haven't posted about any progress. Here is one update.  

I've been working on a clamshell quilt for just under four years.  For a while I was posting updates with the Clamshell Club, but I didn't hand piece as fast as those ladies.  This project was always more of a long term project, something I worked on when we traveled and such.

When we went to Nebraska earlier this month, I determined I would finish it on the trip.  I had about five rows left and figured a week in the car would provide ample opportunity.  Well, it didn't get finished on the trip, but I got close.  Since we've been home I neglected my sewing room in favor of the couch and hand-stitching.  Sunday morning before church I put the last stitch in this quilt top.  Huzzah!

I already have the backing and plenty of binding options in my Christmas fabric stash.  My plan is to quilt this as soon as I finish my Farmer's Wife quilt.

The applique is totally not perfect, but I cut, basted, and pieced the entire thing by hand.  The top measures about 54" x 65", so it'll make a good Christmas quilt for our couch.

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts!

Burgoyne Surrounded – APQ Quilt-Along

When I saw the APQ Quilt-Along (#APQquiltalong) back before Christmas, I was all about it.  I found the magazine at Barnes & Noble a few days before it was supposed to be on shelves, and I did a squeal and happy dance as I went through the store with it clutched to my chest.  I was even gushing to the cashier as I checked out. 

Why the love?  I had fallen in love with the Burgoyne Surrounded block in my copy of America’s Heritage Quilts back four years ago, and had even gone so far as to start cutting some strips and piecing sections with random scraps and a white background.  But I never got very far and wasn’t sure about the random scrappy look, so it sat in a project box.  The APQ Quilt Along was perfect for inspiration and getting me back on the wagon with that project.  I was able to figure out I wanted all white/low volume prints for the background and scrappy reds for the blocks.  A red and white but still scrappy quilt for our bed.

I went through and ripped apart the little pieces I had already sewn (thankfully there weren’t many) so I could reuse the already cut white pieces.  I had actually pieced a couple red/white strips, so those I kept.  I gathered up all the reds and all the whites I had, found a couple more white/low volume prints, and began cutting.  I did the math – I needed something like 4,017 pieces for a quilt to fit our bed.  Plus, it was December – can you say Christmas sewing?  You see where this is going. 

I rang in the new year cutting up charm packs (yes, I cut into all the reds and white background prints from my precious Fig Tree and French General charm packs!)  and later started to try and get one block together, just to keep me motivated. 

Finally I realized this was NOT going to be finished by February but would be a little longer term.  This is where I am now:

Fabric to be cut

Strips cut and ready to be pieced

Pieced strips

Sub-cut units and baggies of pieces

Most of a block (blurry because I zoomed in on an existing picture)

This is one of the projects on my UFO list – I pretty much put everything on that list except my Gypsy Wife since that’s a monthly quilt-along that I plan to keep up with.  I am committed to working on Burgoyne Surrounded/APQ Quilt-Along, and I’ll keep that block and any others up on the design wall just to keep it in my mind.  I’m thinking I’ll try and piece all the little pieces in the baggies and my strips into sub units and then into blocks.  Hopefully I’ll complete it this year. 

A girl can dream.  

**Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced**

WIP Wednesday

Since the Olympics started, I’ve been making a concerted effort to stay upstairs and watch the evening coverage rather than lurking in my basement sewing cave.  However, not sewing for a couple weeks isn’t an option if I want to keep my sanity.  So I pulled out the box with my clamshell quilt and have been working on it while we watch skiing, figure skating, and the like. 

The baby is in bed – because he is not a happy camper after 7:30.

My four-year old is full of questions – Who do we like (cheer for)?  :Answer:  Why are they doing X?  :Answer:  Why?  :Answer:  Why?  :Answer:  Why?  (You get the picture.) 

My husband dozes on and off in the arm chair (he’s worked a full day and then helped feed the cattle and sheep after work). 

And I, I stitch. 

I measured the other evening, and my quilt was 54” wide by 45” long.  To keep it the same proportions as a 60”x72” throw quilt, I am going to make it 65” long.  I then measured my clamshells and figured out each row adds 2” to the length (Are you kidding me?  That’s it?  Why didn’t I know this ahead of time?)

The good news: it’s just 10 more rows. 

The bad news:  it’s 10 more rows.  And I may need to make a few more clamshells - my box is running low on variety.

Since I measured, I’ve added one row and just last night pinned and got started on a second row.  So I have 8.5 rows to go.  We’ll see how far I get after the closing ceremony.

One of my “goals” for the year is to focus on one UFO a month.  Maybe not finishing them, but making a focused effort to work on them.  I hadn’t intended for February to be clamshells, but I guess it counts.  I’m hoping this one will be done for the Christmas season this year.  It’s only been four years . . .

I’m linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!