Summary of the August

Well, another month gone, and I didn't do much, too much travelling, but it was fun as heck so I'm happy.  This month, I'm showing some before and after pictures.  First and most importantly, the "A Year of Lovely Finishes". I started this as my New FO Challenge.  Here is a Before picture  ...

Before...

And now the after picture:

Bed runner with big pocket.

Great quilting on it.

Material Girls's quilt just didn't materialize.  Didn't get to the squares that still need to be quilted.  But it looks great with its binding and most of the blocks done.  Just need to sit down and "get er done."  Will probably be my next "AYOLF".

As for my BOMs, all of them - they're listed below and some pictures or links to the blogs that show them completed.  Enjoy:

• Sycamore Rose
• block-2  (February)  -  Half way done.  Took it on a plane trip but not yet done.  5 more leaves to do.  Boy, am I behind!
• block-3  (March) - not done.
• block 4 (April) - not done.
• Block 5 - May - not done.
• Block 6 - June - not done.
• Block 7 - July - not done. 
• Block 8 - August. - not done.
• Then I have Block 9 an extra one, not done!!!!
• And anther one was added for September...

MAN!!!!  Am I behind!!!  Look at all the pieces on Flickr by Sycamore Rose.

• Free Motion Quilt along  - been doing this on all quilts now.  But this is the course to teach so I need to keep going.
• Block 2 styles 
• Block 3 - 4 styles
• Block 4 - 4 styles
• Block 5 - 4 styles   
• Block 6 - 4 styles.    
• Aurifil August finished. Lots of details.  See the diagram to the right of August's block. And this link to show all of them so far.  

Aurifil Button.

• Prairie Flower #11 completed.  Looks fantastic. Have one more to go!!!  So excited!
• Vice Versa August  - not completed.  First time behind in this one.  But have the material cut out.
• Galaxy of the Stars - have July to do and I didn't get the pattern for August so I have to tell the girls.
• Block Lotto pattern
• June - It's a sun!!!  Only got one done but I need to catch up.
• August was 14 windows. .  All 14 are done.  Wow!!!
• July - spokes pattern.  Had 6 done but need to do 8 more..
• Crafty 2012 BOM  - did do one more even though I said I wouldn't because this one is Septembers.  See the diagram to the right below.

Crafty 2012

• Globe Trotting 2014 Mystery Quilt - I'm behind on this one only one month - August is cut out but can do it in one day on Sunday.
• Doodle Design - august - it's really coming together - have 3 more blocks to do to complete this one and it's been so fun. See this link to see all the blocks together!!

• Modern quilt that I have cut out - green and purple for the newFO Challenge and preparing it for the "Modern Quilt" Flickr Group. Nope!!!  Need to try to complete this one for next month's challenge.  
• Apple Thangles -didn't do one.  Been too busy with the Thangle table runner below.  Now that turned out great!
• Thangle table runner for the table - pinks and white with dots.  Very modern for the Modern flickr Group and the New FO Challenge.  DONE!!!  Blogged about here. and completed picture below.  Also have a link-up here!!!!!!

• Didn't cut out the Carpenter Star for the New FO Challenge.  Only did a couple of squares. The AYOLF is just taking all of my time.  But it is my next one for September!!!
• Continue on with my Pixulated quilt!!!  I have 3 sections completed, and continuing on with the others.  It's starting to look like the sunflower picture I did.  I'm so excited and really enjoying the free class at Crafty.  YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY IT!!! This was another New FO Challenge linked here.  

each square finishes at 2 inches.

That' a lot for just two weeks of quilting (roughly).

Finished Aurifil's Bed Runner.

I can't believe I'm finished my August Lovely Year of Finishes.  The colours are fantastic - indigo, its almost black.  The background is off white, the binding of the quilt is stunning.  So now I'm completed.  This quilt design is Aurifil Threads, a modern QAL that has been going on since January.  One of the blocks was a spool pattern from Chez Claire's for February's block (click on the Aurifil tags to see all the blocks or this blog entry for a picture of all the blocks), but she was also nice enough to give  a free pattern for making a small quilt runner.  I lengthen the pattern into a bed runner, with a side pocket for your book or eye glasses.  

How's this?  The quilt is on our dining table, the bedroom was too dark.  Sorry about the darkness of some of the pictures, but just so excited to say "I'm finished!!!"

See the Pocket (there's a button between spools).

Now you see the pocket better.

See the quilting?

See the quilting better.  13 hours of quilting
around the spools.

See my inspector of
quilts? He says it's done!

My husband took the picture.  That giant thing is his cat, who won't let me lay down a quilt without rolling around on it.  Now you can see how big the bed runner is.  The quilt hangs on both sides of the bed, and is quite heavy with all the quilting on it.  Really is spectacular (ok I'm prejudice with all the work I put into it).

I used Chez Claire's February's block but made 38 block, added 1 1/2 inch border on two sides of the block, then 2 1/2 inches in between each spool section, put them all together with three blank squares for contrast, and made the quilt.  In the end I added 3 inches at the end of bed runner to lengthen it.  When the length was completed, I cut one of the ends with two rows of blocks (for the  pocket), measured the length of the cut, then doubled it and added the fabric that was to make the pocket inside.  I then quilted the entire length (with the pocket length and the end piece, and once that was completed, I folded the pocket, then binded it.

Quilt stats:
Type of quilt:      bed runner
Size:                    26 inches in width and 97 inches in length.
Fabric:                 Inkwell by Judie Rothermel and
                            Kasuri by Moda
Pattern:                from Chez Claire's for February's block

Aurifil and Block Lotto Mania with a little more...

It seems thats all I have been concentrating on this month (which was only two weeks).  But I had the AYOLFs as the Aurifil bed runner, and I also completed this August's block.  So Lets see that one first...

August Aurifil.  Buttons.

All blocks so far.  I still need to square up two of them.

The quilt has been made with all flower fat quarters that I had been collecting randomly over the years.  So I thought this would be a great way to use it.  So far, so good I think.  What do you think?

But I've also been trying to catch up with the Block Lotto quilts.  I missed one, the sun paper piecing, and I was behind in the spokes and windows, but this week I caught up.  Here is it.

Blocks for the lottery

14 blocks for my quilt.

As for the rest of the time today - spent more hours (2 more) for the Aurifil bed runner (almost complete), and continued on with my blocks of the month.

And finally, the Doodle quilt...  It's really looking great, I'm so excited !!!  And so happy I entered this BOM!!

August's Block

Doodle Christmas Quilt - Looking spectacular!!!  Need to sew the blocks together!!

Happy with what I have accomplished today.

Half Way point....

Well, I was gone this month for 2 weeks, visiting Friendly Manitoba, and running around there, visiting

people I only see once a year.  Didn't leave much time for hand quilting (which is what I brought with me).  This week back I came back with a fever and chill, that I tried to ignore for 2 days but finally it caught up with me, and I stayed home.  But I can't just sit, especially with a deadline in my head ("A Lovely Year of Finishes") and a list of quilts that I want to get to this month.  So I started up again.  Here's what I've gotten done today....

"Thangle This" Table runner.

Binded and did a label  ;)

Quilted around each section.

Middle star.

I also worked on my project for the "Year of Lovely Finishes".  Here's a sneak peak...

6 hours already, 6 - 7 hours to go.

These items are what I've done this week:

Got the first 3 square sections completed

• Cut out 10 sets of these windows for the block lottery.  Put them up for the draw but realized that they need to be black and white, so I'll cut some more and make them in the next two days.  
• Cut out Aurifill block of the month to sew this week.

You're probably saying "Why are you trying to do all this in one week?"  Because I have one more week of vacation before I go back to teaching, and that last week my husband took off so we're doing local stuff.  Won't have time to finish anything that week with hubby, so it's this week or nothing  ;)

Things to do for August - all of them..

Well, another month gone, and I did quite a lot but still I'm behind.  I thought having the summer off would give me time to catch up but what it did is make me start so many more little (and big) projects.   

Last month I missed the deadline for  "A year of Lovely Finishes" so I am bound and determine to not miss this one.  I'm making a small/long quilt for the bottom of my bed in indigo.  I have two lines done, I need a third and then I need to quilt it and make pockets for both sides.  Here's the start...  Here is where you can get the pattern for this from Brigitte Heitland - there is not a single pattern of her's that I'm not crazy about (mostly modern twists on all), and the material - I can't say enough, I bought so much of it.  She was January's Designer of the month on Aurifil's web blog.  The pattern I'm using is right on the blog and it's free, so by all means pick it up, it's well worth it.  I'm loving the look of the modern spool.  After missing last month's deadline, I'm not going to miss this one.

Which brings me to my next goal (still a part of "A Year of Lovely Finishes" but  a goal I didn't complete last month and I hate not meeting goals).  I still have 6 blocks and the top of this lovely quilt from Material Girls (I had so much fun doing it and all you need is two layer cakes or one layer cake and enough material to cut into another layer cake).  Over 16 hours of quilting on this one!  Binding hand sewn on (that took over 2 hours!)  and still more to go, the top part and 6 blocks in the center.  That means at least another 16 hours, but at least the binding is done - hand sewn.  

• Completed the 2nd quilt I made form the 50 pieces of fabric a friend gave me.  Ended up being a lap quilt in pink and black.  See below for the pictures

• Sycamore Rose
• block-2  (February)  -  Half way done.  Taking it on a plane trip - that should finish it off!  Boy, am I behind!
• block-3  (March)
• block 4 (April)
• Block 5 - May
• Block 6 - June
• Block 7 - July
• Block 8 - August.
• Free Motion Quilt along 
• Block 2 styles 
• Block 3 - 4 styles
• Block 4 - 4 styles
• Block 5 - 4 styles   
• Block 6 - 4 styles.    
• Aurifil August to do
• Prairie Flower #11 and 12 to complete then the pattern is done, and I need to do the corners. 
• Vice Versa August - already got the pattern - it has a template but looks simple enough to do.  You always make two blocks for this pattern every month, and mine are 12 inches.
• Galaxy of the Stars - have July to do and I didn't get the pattern for August so I have to tell the girls.
• Block Lotto pattern
• June - It's a sun!!!  Still not done them!!  And paper piecing!! Will try in August!
• July's was 14 spokes.  Made 9 of them.  Need to do 5 more. 
• August - nice pattern, got it early but no time to start before I'm gone.
• I'm going to give the Crafty 2012 BOM a month off because of everything else I have, I'm in September now and it's a pattern that I'm not good at.  I need to practise it more before I start.

Getting there!!!

• Globe Trotting 2014 Mystery Quilt - I have august now - I'm up to date on this one.
• Doodle Design - august - it's really coming together - have 3 more blocks to do to complete this one and it's been so fun.

• Do the modern quilt that I have cut out - green and purple for the newFO Challenge and preparing it for the "Modern Quilt" Flickr Group. Love there work there, so inspirational.
• Thangles - 4 more blocks for my quilt.
• Thangle table runner for the table - pinks and white with dots.  Very modern for the Modern flickr Group and the New FO Challenge.  Half way completed.  Blogged about here.

• I wanted to do at least one "Garden" paper piecing. .  
• Want to start one of the patterns from Vintage Quilt Revival by Katie Clark Blakesley.  
• Need to cut all pieces for the Carpenter Star for the New FO Challenge.
• Continue on with my Pixulated quilt!!!  This is becoming so much fun!

OK, the list is smaller (yes this is smaller compared to all the other ones I've done.  I am even not doing a couple of BOMs because I'm ahead.  But two quilts to complete?  My oh my, I love a challenge.  And lets just make it easier, do it in two weeks  ;)

Missed it by that much!!! August's "ALYOF"

OK, I didn't make my goal last month but gee, was that hard to do!!! Over 16 hours of quilting on a small machine in 30 degrees heat.  OK> enough complaining.  So I'll do something smaller, and that will give me time to finish the old goal (I hate leaving something unfinished).

This is from Aurifil Threads, a modern QAL going on.  One of the blocks was a spool pattern (I'm doing all flowers) from Chez Claire's for February's block (click on the Aurifil Label to see all the blocks), but she was also kind enough to show a pattern for making a small quilt for the end of the bed.  I was gathering up some indigo and I thought that would be the perfect think to do.  Make it so it also has a pocket at the end so you can keep some stuff in it, like your book, reading glasses, etc.

My quilt will be for a queen size quilt, so I want it to hand a lot on the sides (to protect those glasses), and I like quilts draping.

I"m gone for two weeks, so that's all the time I'll have to complete this, 2 weeks, but I think it's doable, just not with all the other BOMs that I'm in.  So I'll try.  Then I'll complete my other one, the top section to quilt going vertical lines (1/2 inch apart), and 6 more blocks to complete!!

Vertical lines to do on the top part (missing those
yellow squares on top...

6 more 12.5 inch blocks to complete

Darn, there I go complaining again!!!  By the way, the husband loves this quilt, and right now the cat is under it in 30 degree heat!!  Crazy cat!  He wants to break it in  ;)  Notice the bump?

OMG for the Lovely Year of Finished!!!

OMG!!  OMG!!  That's all I can say for this one!!!  Down to the very wire!!!  And I missed it!!!  But that's OK because I"m not done still!!!

Material Girl's BOM

20 blocks - all using a layer cake and material of my choice

Free style bubble quilt.  Can't see it well,
but you can definitely feel it.

Real small circles around the circle.

Picture was above that pink triangle
That' small the quilting

That's it.  Hand binded as well.  The back is all black with white dots as well except for the top (had left over squares), which is light pink.  I still have 6 blocks to do!!!!  OMG!!!  I didn't make it!!!

As for the other things in total, here is my done list - I must be nuts!!!

Another end of the month....

Here it is another end of the month, and I have a couple of things already done.  Feeling good about it.

• These are the big ones for the "A year of Lovely Finishes"


• Material Girl's Layer Cake BOM -  Quilted!!! Over 16 hours of quilting on this one!  Binding hand sewn on (that took over 2 hours!)  And I still have 6 more to go!

• Aurifill's spool quilt for the end of bed (2 rows completed, need one more row, and binding)  That's my next ALYOFs!!
• Completed the 2nd quilt I made form the 50 pieces of fabric a friend gave me.  Ended up being a lap quilt in pink and black.  See below for the pictures

• Sycamore Rose
• block-2  (February)  -  Half way done.  Taking it on a plane trip - that should finish it off!  Boy, am I behind!
• block-3  (March)
• block 4 (April)
• Block 5 - May
• Block 6 - June
• Block 7 - July
• Free Motion Quilt along 
• Block 2 styles 
• Block 3 - 4 styles
• Block 4 - 4 styles
• Block 5 - 4 styles   



Aurifil July

• Block 6 - 4 styles.                          
• Aurifill July -  picture at the right.
• Prairie Flower #10 (just 1 more to go then the corners, can't believe I'm almost done).

Prairie Flower









Vice Versa - July's was nice and simple but I do need to take my time on these things.  

                  

Galaxy of the Stars - 


• June - Done at the start of the month.
• July - will do next month.




Block Lotto pattern



•        June - It's a sun!!!  Still not done them!!  And paper piecing!! Will try in August!
•        July's was 14 spokes.  See to your right.  Made 9 of them.  Need to do 5 more. Didn't win this month but still will end up with a Queen size very very modern quilt.

• Crafty 2012 
•        July  - all done.  See the link here for some great pictures and all the blocks together to show how it will turn out.  Spectacular.  Recommend this FREE class to everyone.  Amy is a great teacher, learned a lot of new techniques (hexagons, and first time with Dreisdons), and did the class on my own time, always a plus for learning anything new.  
•       August - done!!!

Getting there!!!

• Globe Trotting 2014 Mystery Quilt - July - All done, it was an easy one to complete.
• Doodle Design - July - took longer with the hand applique.

• Finish table runner beads on a string (FOUND IT! and it's done.)  Was submitted at Block Lotto by a friend.  the link is here.

Take a look at the quilting - Free style.

• Do the modern quilt that I have cut out - green and purple for the newFO Challenge and preparing it for the "Modern Quilt" Flickr Group. Love there work there, so inspirational.
• Thangles - 4 more blocks for my quilt.
• Thangle table runner for the table - pinks and white with dots.  Very modern for the Modern flickr Group and the New FO Challenge.  Half way completed.  Blogged about here.
• Debbie Mumm's Patriot's Quilt - for July and August - simple to do but did take some time. They look great.  See to the right just slightly down.

Debbie Mumm

• I wanted to do at least one "Garden" paper piecing.  I've been doing the Galaxy of Stars as a paper piecing pattern and although I promised myself I would improve on paper piecing using the "Garden", I did do the Crafty Block of the Month 2012 block with paper piecing.  It is getting easier but I do seem to waste a lot of extra fabric.  
• Want to start one of the patterns from Vintage Quilt Revival by Katie Clark Blakesley.  
• Piece out the Carpenter Star for the New FO Challenge.   

  

  Carpenter Star.

  

  Crafty 2012 Paper piecing