Two More Off The List, Superbowl Prep, and the 2020 Pet Peeve

Every year I make a list of projects that I want to complete.  I call it my DO-IT CHALLENGE.  The first week of January my new list for 2020 included "complete 3 UFO's".  Well, by golly, here it is just past the first month end and I've knocked that one out of the park already.   

APPLE CORE  The pieces were cut using JAWS, and I used a pattern from the Accuquilt web site.  I increased the size of the quilt by quite a bit - it's plenty big enough for DH to take a nap under.

This is for the living room, to replace a quilt that has seen better days.  My plan for the OLD quilt is to cut it up into smaller bits and donate the little quilts to the SPCA.  I need to contact them to see what size they'd prefer.

I really like this pantograph, it has a nice modern feel to it.

STRIPPY HEXAGONS  Using the 2-1/2" strip die for JAWS made this quilt a lot easier than you'd think.  I pulled out leftover bits of cool fabrics, along with yellows & cream/whites.  Sew three strips together, then use a 60⁰ ruler to cut triangles. This gets you two blocks from each strip.

The colours make me think of Easter.

Pretty, leafy pantograph.

Along with the star quilt UFO from my last post, there's my three UFO's done. 

As a little reward for myself, being so GOOD about my challenge list, I granted permission to me to start a new quilt tomorrow.  Tomorrow is the Superbowl.  I will stitch during the game, but watch during the commercials and the entertainment bits.  I know some people might think that's a little backwards.  They're probably the same people who think cutting up perfectly good fabric is weird.  What do they know.  Hmm?
The traveling sewing machine is upstairs by the tv, along with a prepped project and the necessary supplies.  DH still has to fetch the card table for me.   The quilt is very simple, using charm squares that I bought at Missouri Star Quilt Company a couple years ago, on one of Diane's bus trips.

Supper will be a frozen lasagne popped in the oven, and if I get really ambitious I'll make a salad.

THE 2020 PET PEEVE

Geez Louise.  Longarm is ONE WORD.  Long arm is an adjective and a noun.  I do not have a long arm, I am actually rather short.  Longarm is a noun or a verb, depending on it's use in a sentence.  I use a longarm quilting machine to perform longarm quilting (or "to longarm").
This is seriously driving me crazy, people.  I know that all of our "devices" change it to two words but if you persist, your device will eventually accept the new word.  Take back control - don't let the devices rule the world.

Vintage Quilts (love), the Current To-Do List, A Bit Of Humour

Several years ago I went on a road trip to the Shelburne Museum for their 100 Best Quilts exhibit.  So many of the quilts were tagged with the comment "maker unknown" that I was walking around with a kleenex mopping up my tears.  Yes, I'm a total crybaby.  I'm pretty sure I embarassed my friend Sue. The exhibit was fabulous if you're into vintage quilts.  Keep an eye out, they may do it again.  They DO have a quilt exhibit on from May through October.
Anyhow...I have a new customer who is loaded with vintage quilts.  She brought these two to start with.  Dear God - a double whammy - vintage AND Grandmother's Flower Garden.  I almost had to sit down.

Here's the first.  I did s.i.d. alongside the white area to create the "fence".

Inside the flowers is a six sided motif.  These were pretty wonky.  Some of the fabrics are polyester, so when the top was washed those bits did not shrink, but some of the cotton fabrics did.  It doesn't matter, it's still beautiful. 💗

Here's the back.

This is number two. These flowers are MUCH larger and have a small flower at the intersection of each block.  In this pic I'd finished...

• s.i.d. around the large flower, the inner small flower, and the intersection flowers.
• stitched a motif inside the small flowers, both the yellow center ones and the intersection ones
• stitched a motif inside all the large flowers with a ring-around-the-posy type motif in the large flower zones.

But I was seriously, creatively stuck on what to quilt in the yellow background area.

I ended up with 1" diagonals which did a good job of nailing down the background without taking over the quilt. 

It also eliminates the worry of showcasing any crookedness in the piecing.

Another beautiful back. 💗

THE TO-DO LIST 

I'll leave you with a little humour if you have 20 minutes to kill.  This comedian is hilarious.  Zip in to about the 6:20 mark for his introduction.  Rob Pue.  Link HERE.  Go to the bathroom first - I don't want you peeing yourself.  Especially if you have any connection to the East Coast.

Some Pics from MQX

My trip to Massachusetts also included a visit to MQX in New Hampshire.  Hoo baby - there is no end of inspiration there.  Here are pics of a few of my favorite quilts.

This was the big winner at the show.

As a machine quilting show, the quilts are often hung so that you can see the BACK of the quilts too.  Here, you can see why.

This is a gorgeous red quilt, using hexies and other interesting shapes.

Another hexie quilt,

I love Dresden Plates.

Around here...

spring has sprung.  My arms and legs are scratched to hell from doing garden cleanup on a lovely warm day.  But the peas are planted.  :-)