Finished Objects - 2010

This year has been a busy sewing year.  In addition to everything you see in my list and mosaic, I have completed countless blocks for The Incredible Shrinking Quilters' Bee and the Modify Tradition project.




1. Luke's Quilt, 2. Cushion Covers, 3. Stuffed Toys, 4. Modify Tradition Top, 5. DQS9 Swap Quilt, 6. Geometric Pillow Cover, 7. Sea Glass Quilt, 8. Quilted Hexagon Needlebook, 9. Yellow Bricks Mini Quilt, 10. MT Swap Quilt, 11. Black Eyed Susans Quilt, 12. HEN ATC Swap, 13. Bow Tie Quilt, 14. Embroidered Valentine, 15. Embroidered Valentine, 16. Embroidered Valetine


I have plenty of goals for 2011, but if I don't post them here, I don't have to be accountable to them.  Wink, wink.  There are, however, many exciting things happening in the coming new year.  Mainly, I am getting married-- what fun-- and shall continue to approach graduate school with diligence (did I mention I've gone back and am now a UVA student?)-- I want to keep up with my 4.0.

What will the new year bring to you?

Joy in the New Year

I finished!  I finished all my goals for the new year!  Only six months late!  I'm so thankful to be done with all these projects-- some of them had been hanging around forever.  Now I've only got one unfinished object, and that's really more of a work in progress.  Yay!

Updated List

• Black Eyed Susan
• finish top
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Go Navy T-Shirt Quilt
• make top
• drop off for quilting
• make binding
• bind
• French Braid Quilt
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Alexander Henry Cars Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Ugly Eye Spy Quilt
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Brick Road
• bind

Yellow Bricks

I did it!  I finally finished this quilt-- you know, the one that I started January 18, 2009.

As discussed in the previous post, I was big time inspired by The Silly BooDilly to make this quilt.  She made some extremely bold, graphic mini quilts that really grabbed me!

So, I decided to make my own.  All these fabrics are Kaffe Fassett prints (I'm pretty sure).  I used two different prints, in two colorways each.  This mini is quilted in one direction with straight lines about a quarter inch apart.  The thread used is a dark red King Tut variegated thread.

I'm sure you know, this quilt was on my Joyeaux Noel, or Joy in the New Year list.  Like so many of my quilts, this one stalled in the binding attachment stage.  I just didn't want to sew it on!  Once I finally did, it stalled for several months in the hand-finishing stage.

I finished it this weekend while Josh was playing some disc golf in Albemarle County, outside of Charlottesville.  Of course, the picnic area was deserted (save for me) and I kept getting creeped out by random nature noises and the occasional grounds maintenance worker.  At one point I developed a plan about how to use my embroidery scissors as a weapon.  Hilariously enough, Josh suggested the same plan when he came to check on me!

I haven't decided on where or how to hang it.  Framed or not?  In the bathroom, above the bed, or somewhere in the living room?  Suggestions?

Another Finish!

I finished the Go Navy! quilt today.  I hand-finished the entire binding today while watching endless episodes of Super Nanny.  Thank God for television marathons!


The Go Navy! quilt spans my entire mattress, which is queen sized, with no drop.  It's the perfect size for two people to cuddle up or for one to take a cozy nap.  






This quilt is made up of t-shirts that belong to my sister, Gretchen. For those readers who don't know, Gretchen graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May. She took her oath of office and accepted her commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. While at the USNA, she participated on the women's crew team, rowing on the varsity eight scull (that's an eight seat boat, each woman with one oar, for you crew newbies).

Participating in this varsity sport allowed her to compete in many huge regattas against various teams, including Australia's Olympic team! The top of the quilt incorporates some USNA shirts as well as many shirts of teams she competed against at Eastern Sprints-- tradition dictates that you trade your team shirt with those of competing teams, including the Army team (ew!). See my favorite block?






The front is cool and all, but I think the back is my favorite part. I included uniform t-shirts from plebe summer, which is like basic training for midshipmen in their first year at the USNA. This is an extra special quilt that includes memories from four years of hard work, lessons learned, leadership, and accomplishments. I'm so proud of my sister and I hope she loves this quilt!








***


Here's a picture of the finished Ugly Eye Spy quilt with Kelsey, the momma to be! She loved it.

Updated List

• Black Eyed Susan
• finish top
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Go Navy! T-shirt Quilt
• make top
• drop off for quilting
• make binding
• bind
• French Braid Quilt
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Alexander Henry Cars Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Ugly Eye Spy Quilt
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Brick Road
• bind

Updated List

Sorry,  no pictures.  I already wrapped up the French Braid (forgot to snap a photo) for gift-giving and I gave away Ugly Eye Spy yesterday.  I'm sure there will be some photos from the recipients-- I'll see if I can post those.

Updated List

• Black Eyed Susan
• finish top
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Go Navy! T-shirt Quilt
• make top
• drop off for quilting
• make binding
• bind
• French Braid Quilt
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Alexander Henry Cars Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Ugly Eye Spy Quilt
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Brick Road
• bind

Progress Pics

I haven't quite mastered the hidden art of photographing whole quilts. Here's the French Braid quilt artfully displayed on my bright red couch. It's all quilted and trimmed-- see the quilting?-- and I've just spent what felt like forever ironing about 500 inches of quilt binding. Now, I must attach it. Ugh! But I do love hand finishing the quilts, so at least there's something enjoyable in my future.


Sadly, I cut up about a half yard of one of my Amy Butler Daisy Chain prints into 2.5" strips. It was the wrong fabric-- not the one I had purchased for the binding. I figured I'd go ahead and use it, but I didn't even have enough! Oh well, I'll just save those strips for future binding or some other strip-necessary project.


Also, I picked up the Go Navy! quilt from the quilter on Friday. Rebekah Richardson, of Kept in Stitches Quilting, did a gorgeous job on this thing. Here's a sneak peek.










Most of what's gotten done are things I can't cross off my list. I have cut the binding strips for the Go Navy! quilt and the Ugly Eye Spy quilt. I'm going to sew those together after I attach binding to the French Braid.

Updated List

• Black Eyed Susan
• finish top
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Go Navy! T-shirt Quilt
• make top
• drop off for quilting
• make binding
• bind
• French Braid Quilt
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Alexander Henry Cars Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Ugly Eye Spy Quilt
• quilt
• make binding
• bind
• Brick Road
• bind

Getting There!

Today was a productive day in my workshop, which is actually the dining-room-slash-kitchen.


I quilted the Ugly Eye Spy quilt in less than one episode of Law and Order. Daniel V, the new sewing machine, is wonderful! I tried free motion quilting on the Alexander Henry Cars quilt and did a not-so-bad job. Today, I continued with free-motion and did a pretty good job! Far fewer tension problems on the back, wonderful looking loops, and I only quilted myself into a corner twice! Having the extension table makes a huge difference, even though I'm quilting on a table the size of a postage stamp. I definitely need to get some of those grippy quilter's gloves!


Additionally, I made made the backing for the French Braid quilt and also made a pieced backing for the Black Eyed Susans quilt. Those items are hanging up in the closet waiting to get basted and quilted-- just gotta buy some batting for both. I also cut the strips for the binding on the Go Navy! quilt.

Getting somewhere!

Updated List

• Black Eyed Susan
• finish top
• quilt
• bind
• Go Navy! T-shirt Quilt
• make top
• drop off for quilting
• make binding
• bind
• French Braid Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Alexander Henry Cars Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Ugly Eye Spy Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Brick Road
• bind

Joy in the New Year

I never posted on Jacquie's Joy in the New Year challenge post, but I have been keeping a mental list of the items I would like to have finished before the start of 2010.

Original List

• Black Eyed Susan
• finish top
• quilt
• bind
• Go Navy! T-shirt Quilt
• make top
• drop off for quilting
• bind
• French Braid Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Alexander Henry Cars Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Ugly Eye Spy Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Brick Road
• bind

As you can see, there's a lot of quilting and binding that needs to be done.  I can finish tops with no problem, but I usually get paralyzed at the quilting stage.  I get nervous about wrecking my work in the quilting stage, and so the tops languish in their unfinished states.

I feel a renewed dedication to finishing these projects and have worked on things, finished things, and also taken things from storage so I can stare at them and feel guilty about not finishing them.  Feast your eyes on the updated list!

Updated List

• Black Eyed Susan
• finish top
• quilt
• bind
• Go Navy! T-shirt Quilt
• make top
• drop off for quilting
• make binding
• bind
• French Braid Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Alexander Henry Cars Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Ugly Eye Spy Quilt
• quilt
• bind
• Brick Road
• bind

Go ahead.  Congratulate me on some progress.

PS-- I went to the Handmade Holiday craft show, saw Krystal, bought some cute junk, and had a lot of fun.  I will definitely go again next year.  I love craft shows!