Sunday Catch Up Post

Here it is the end of January already!  It seems as if Christmas was just a couple weeks ago.  It is true what they say about the older you get the faster the days fly by!!

I'm going to catch up for the whole week -- first my progress on my sock knitting.  Still not finished with the second scrappy Frankensock, but a little more progress since last time I posted.

I've started the foot and hopefully I will finish it before the end of January.

I've also been busy getting some of the blocks put together into tops from the QOV Eastern Missouri Block Drive.  A few are still trickling in to add to the 800+  I had received by the end of December.  I arranged a sew day with three friends and we made a good start on the stack of blocks.  Thanks to these ladies, I think we are approaching the half way mark.

Here are three finished tops with borders.  More tops are made, but I am still searching my stash for border fabrics to add to each top to make them the appropriate size. They will finish approximately 60" x 80".

I'm determined to use more stash in 2017 and what better way than providing borders, bindings and pillowcases for all of these quilts from my stash as they are finished.!

Pieced by Coleen 

Pieced by Dar

Pieced by Dar

The shelves don't look any less crowded, but I know there has been some fabric usage.  I will post more finished tops after the borders are added.  

Stash Report

Fabric Added this week - 1 FQ (gifted from guild President)

Fabric Used this week -  13.5 yards - a backing and borders  cut for 6 QOV tops

YTD Added - 1 fat quarter

YTD Used - 19.25

Linking up with Judy's Patchwork Times. 

A Day of QOV Hand Quilting

This was a last minute idea that turned into a great time.  Because of the ice storm we had last weekend, our first quilting day in 2017 with the QOV Eastern MO group was cancelled.  Our regular group of 100+ meets throughout the year at many different locations and the distances we have to travel vary from 5 to 50 miles to each venue. In bad weather this can  cause problems, so we cancel when there is ice or a big snow.

But that didn't stop some of us from starting the year out with a quilting day. We had our last big group sewing day last Fall and some of us were having withdrawals from not quilting with our friends for so long. So I decided to invite some ladies that live close to my house to come over and quilt. We set up a frame and loaded a QOV top that I had pieced last year. There were 8 of us and it turned out to be a real fun day. I made a pot of soup, homemade bread, salad and dessert for lunch.

Loaded in the frame with lots of help

Marking the final border "With a little help from my Friend"

Are you humming the Beatles song yet?

All hands on deck and ready to quilt.

We made good progress on this top. I forgot to get a picture of the end of the days' progress. I'll post a picture when the whole quilt is finished.  Between all the laughing and eating, we did manage to quilt some too.

I want to thank Brenda, Coleen, Karen, Jenny, Mary, Kathy and Sheron for taking time to help get this quilt started.  Hope you all had a fun day.  Maybe we should have to another impromptu day to finish up.?

Yesterday, we started putting together some of the QOV blocks that came in during the QOV Eastern MO Block Drive. Those pictures will be in a separate post later. The quilting and sewing bug has taken over at my house this week.  That's a "good" kind of bug. Thankfully the flu and cold bug has missed me. I don't have time to entertain him anyway.!   

Stay warm and healthy till next time.  Hope you are finding time to quilt and sew during these winter days.

Happy Sewing and thanks for stopping by.

Dar

Fabric Stash Report - Jan. 15

This week was good in the stash busting department.  The fabric from the QOV quilt that was finished last week was counted on last year's stash numbers, but the binding was made and attached this week, along with the label.

Also made a pillowcase to match the backing of the quilt and gifted fabric to a friend for a few backings for baby quilts.  All in all, I'm off to a good start for the new year.

Fabric Added - 0
Fabric Used - 5.75 yds
YTD  Added - 0
YTD Used - 5.75

Linking up with Judy's Stash Report.

On The Needles and A Friday Finish

This is what is on my knitting needles this week. I'm still working on this 2nd pair of Scrappy Socks.

 Scrappy Frankensocks #2

Maybe now that the holiday hustle and bustle are behind me, I will get more knitting done this year and maybe a little quicker.

One of my New Year's resolutions was to work harder on my long UFO list.  I did manage to finish 5 quilts on my UFO last year; but that is just a drop in the bucket to the 75 UFOs on this list.  I hope to greatly improve on that number this year.  To that end, here is my first finished UFO for 2017.

Quilts of Valor - No. 1

This quilt was started last year when I launched the Block Drive for QOV Eastern MO.  I made three separate tops to test the block and several layouts.  I quilted this one with an overall design called Dancing Stars.  One down and many to go.

To see other knitting projects, check in with Judy at Patchwork Times HERE.

Winners of the QOV Eastern Missouri Block Drive

I know, I'm a day late in announcing the winners from the QOV Block Drive. So sorry. I hope you will forgive me.  My only excuse is I was under the weather a day or two and just couldn't get my mojo moving to write out all the names on the slips of paper for the drawing and taking pictures of the prizes. I really think it was because my body was frozen from the cold temperatures we have been experiencing the last few days. Just can't get used to single digits. Hurry up Spring.

OK, I've written out 135 separate names on little slips of papers and the drawings are done.  Here are the winners.

$50 Gift Certificate - The Stencil Company 

Brenda K - MO

 Glide Thread -  Donated by Ann @ Attic Threads and Quilts  

   If you contact me quickly you can have your choice of color.    

  Lou C. - Troy, MO

Jennifer N. - IN

Cherie M. - IL


Kit w/pattern, beads and fabric - from Patch Abilities Inc.
Debbie T - MO

Two patterns from Kathy Schmitz - "Be Mine" and "Little Acorns"

Pat H. - FL

Fons and Porter Ergonomic Seam Ripper

SUE  B - MO

"Learn to Quilt" Kit includes a Friendship Star pattern, Easy Angle Ruler and Quilter's pins

Suzanne M - MO

6 Spools of Madeira Machine Embroidery Threads
Rose Marie C - MO

 Fabric Doll Kit with Accessories
Jeanne C - MO

Clover 45mm Yo Yo Maker 

Carol P - MO

 Connecting Threads - 1,200 yds/spool

Each of the following will receive a spool of  CT thread
Katie B , Jerry W, Coleen S, Barb S, Rita B 

I will be contacting those who have won a prize. Those that are local, I will call you and make arrangements to get your prize to you.  If you are out of state, please send me your address (if I don't already have it) and I will get these in the mail to you next week.

THANK YOU all again for the sewing up a storm with these blocks and for making this such a success.  Thank you again to Jan of thecolorfulfabriholic for the block design. Also, a SPECIAL THANK YOU goes out to the Perky Piecers in Troy, MO for the huge numbers of blocks they produced.  I have a special prize in mind for your group to be presented at one of your meetings. This is something that can't be sent through the mail. 

The real winners of this Block Drive are the Veterans who receive the quilts made from these blocks. We will now begin the task of putting together the tops and getting them quilted.  I've already finished one complete quilt with binding on it, so we are off to a good start. I feel it's a privilege to be able to honor our veterans in this way and I hope you feel the same. Many blessings to you and your family.

QOV Block Drive Results

First off, I want to thank everyone who participated in the QOV Eastern Missouri Block Drive in any fashion - making blocks, donating prizes, sending fabrics to be used for backings and more blocks, and money to help purchase other supplies as needed.  I am so thrilled with the number of blocks we received and you don't know how thankful I am to you.  What a great way to start out 2017.

I bet you are wondering what the total numbers are, right? Well, I'll get to that in a minute, but I want to recognize a few more quilters who sent packages. The week between Christmas and New Years' Day there were still packages being delivered.

Jennifer of Quilting Mom's Blog sent in these great looking blocks.

from Jennifer, IN

Jennifer, you really do get a Gold star for taking time from your busy schedule right before Christmas to make and send these. Your efforts are much appreciated and they will add a little sunshine in our quilts. Thank you so much!!

A day later, I received these lovelies from Judy B.  She said she used her red and blue scraps, but after all was said and done, "couldn't see a dent at all in her stash". Thanks Judy, these will work with any of the quilt tops we will be putting together.

Judy B - MO

Then another surprise came from Karen of kaholly.blog in the form of a monetary donation for "whatever is needed to complete the quilts" she said. This was so thoughtful and much appreciated.It will come in handy for backings and batting. Thank you so much Karen.

Karen - TX

Suzanne, a good friend came by expectantly and dropped off these 12 blocks. Don't they look nice on the design wall? Sort of like diamonds in the rough. Thank you Suzanne for the 'special delivery'. 

So, if you've stuck with me this long, you are probably waiting to know the final number of blocks that were made and received.  

Well.......  drum roll please.............

There were 751 half square log cabin blocks, plus 65 HST blocks put together to make 12 1/2" blocks in the diamond pattern.  That makes a total of  816 blocks.

If my calculations are correct, we should have about 17 quilt tops when all the blocks are assembled.

THANK YOU all very much!

Now if you really wanted to get technical, those 65 - (12.5") blocks were made up of 4 HST per block. Individually that would make 260 HST blocks. Add that number to the 751 and you get an amazing 1,011 blocks!!!  lol - there's always more than one way to look at something, right??

Now the fun really begins. I'm putting all the names in a paper bag (after I get them all written on slips of paper) and on Friday, January 6th I'll post the winners of the prizes. 

I hope you had fun making these blocks. Thanks again to Jan of The Colorful Fabriholic for the easy, and great looking block and for offering it to us for the block drive.  This was definitely a successful block drive for QOV Eastern Missouri..

Welcoming in 2017

I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. I welcomed in the New Year by sewing and knitting.  My mother always told me that whatever you are doing at midnight on the last day of the year, will be an indication of what things you probably will be doing a lot in the coming year. I certainly want to be doing a lot of sewing and knitting. How about you? I have a very long UFO list. Sure hope she's right.  I have actually finished 2 quilts by the end of January 1, 2017. Well it is Jan. 2 now, but it was close. lol

Here's an accounting in a nutshell of my sewing and knitting statistics for 2016.

Finished 3 of my UFO's from a list of over 75.  Did not make much of a dent in the list. Hopefully 2017 will be much better.

Fabric Used - 105.5 yards - for making and finishing quilts as gifts, for kids charities, QOV quilts and pillowcases to go with some of the quilts and more for several children's groups.  Many odds and end of blocks exchanges, wine carriers, and small totes.

Fabric added  - 4.5 yards

Knitted 3 1/2 pairs of socks

Quilted over 50 quilts for others   This will have to change in 2017 if I plan to make any headway on that long UFO list.

Some of my goals for 2017 -- Not in any particular order.

Eat better and get more sleep.  Take more time for me.

Hit my daily goal of walking more than 3 miles each day. (or 30 mins. exercise)

Finish more quilts from my long UFO list.

Expand my knitting skills to try other patterns.  Of course, always have a pair of socks on the needles.

Read more books.

Organize my sewing and knitting areas.

Use 200 yards of fabric stash without buying new fabric.

I am already being bad on the "more sleep" one right now since it's after 1:30 a.m. as I finish this.  Oops!

Linking up with Judy's Patchwork Times.