In my work bag I have a small quilting bag with thread, scissors, needles and scraps. When I’m not organized enough to have a prepped applique project with me, I use the scraps to make tile blocks. I finished my third one on the way home on the Metrolink last night. These are really quite fun and I have no rules other than I use the scraps in the bag. I just felt like making a blue tile block 
Happy Valentine’s Day My Design wall has more of the same and something new. I finished another piece of the Vicksburg border applique and block 7 of Barbara Brackman’s civil war BOW. What’s new are the two plaid squares in the middle. Check out Kate’s post here to see where I’m headed with them. Be sure to hop over to Judy’s DWM post.
Here’s block 7 for the civil war BOW.
These are the shirts I’m using for more blocks like the green/blue ones in the middle of my design wall. I think this quilt will be fun and should go fast.
I’ve continued to cut and sew leader/ender sytle more half square triangles for step 5 of RRCB. There are now over 200 (each stack is 20) …… less than 400 to go!
I got a couple of other things done this weekend including cutting block 5 of Moon Glow, my UFO 2011 Challenge for Feb. I probably won’t get it together this month as I’m still working on Jan’s block 4. I’m hand piecing these as doing them on the machine wasn’t working out very well. I’m keeping at them and that’s more than I can say for 2003-2010!! I pieced the binding for the animal quilt too.
Stash Report:
Time for Design Wall Monday! Be sure to stop by Judy’s DWM post to check out other design walls. I have the 4 corners and one side segment for the Vicksburg border finished. My Stay-at-Home-Robin (SAHR) is still up (round 8 is to applique or embroider something on it), there are two blocks from Barbara Brackman’s Civil War BOW and I’ve added a second tile block on the right side.
Here’s a close up of the 6th civil war block, Richmond, in the works. I followed the colors on the pattern but the flicker stream shows lot’s of variations. I like some of them better than mine but I think I’ll leave mine the way it is. I’m pleased the stripes on the brown are all going the same direction as are the cream ones….let’s just hope I get it sewed together that way 
I arranged to call about my problems with Sophie (thread broke every 12 inches) so I loaded Sophie with a practice piece and changed to a new needle. Before calling, I decided to try and get the tension adjusted since I’d gotten it all out of whack trying to fix the thread breakage problem. Well, wouldn’t you know it? She’s quilting along just fine now. Dog gone it!! I had recently changed the needle so I didn’t think it needed a new one when I was having my problems but that’s about the only difference between last week and this one. Anyway, since I had the practice piece loaded, I did some practicing.
I can do feathers. Not real organized or perfectly done but, hey, they look like feathers This week I’m going to finish the animal baby quilt and get my January 2011 UFO challenge piece quilted. Gotta strike while Sophie is running well.
Happy Quilting, Cherie
On my design wall this week are sections of the lap quilt project from Moda found here. This was the project selected by Teajuana for the scrap club I went to on Saturday and I pulled all the fabric from my strip & square bins with a few cut off actual yardage.
Over on Judy’s DWM post you can check out what other quilter’s have on their walls In other sewing news, I got the backing to the animal quilt finished and continued working on the 600 half square triangles for step five of RRCB.
Included in the picture are cut off ends from RRCB step 4 which I sewed together…….maybe they will be the start of my next AAQI Priority Quilt. I also finished the third block in Barbara Brackman’s Civil War sesquicentennial block-of-the-week (BOW). I like it
Stash Report:
I completed the last of the Vicksburg BOM blocks. I still have the border swags to applique but they should be easy and quick to do.
I didn’t show the previous block so here it is:
Here are all the applique blocks:
Since this project is on my 2011 UFO Challenge list as number 4a, it should get to the flimsy stage this year
Happy Quilting, Cherie
Judy has issued a UFO Challenge for 2011. Here’s my list:
1 -10 Moon Glow – complete one of the remaining 10 star blocks
Picture from Jinnybeyer.com
11 First Saturday Foxy Fassett quilt – backing, quilting & binding
12 Crumb Quilt – backing, quilting & binding
1a Pinwheel Party Quilt Navy – backing, quilting & binding
2a Pinwheel Party Quilt Orange – piece top & backing
3a Flower Wall Hanging – finish hand quilting & binding.
4a Vicksburg – applique borders & sew together the top
5a & 6a Antique Reproduction Baby Quilts 1 & 2 – quilting & binding
7a Seeds of Time – quilting & binding
8a – 10a Moon Glow – complete 4 of the 12 alternate blocks
11a Topsy Turvy Nine Patch – borders and backing
UFO’s I’d like to get done but will take longer than a month or didn’t make the list:
Hand quilt Cherrywood Bricks -
Quilt & Bind Liberty Quilt -
Quilt & Bind Summer Cabins -
Set First Saturday Asian Surprise blocks -
Set First Saturday Tipsy Fox blocks –
Finish & set Scrappy Star blocks –
Quilt & bind Technicolor Yawn –
Folk Style Sampler – applique three remaining blocks
Wowsa!! I think this is, perhaps, too challenging of a list to accomplish in one year. I do, however, work best with deadlines so perhaps Judy’s challenge will be just what I need to drive me over the edge help me finish up some things that have been hanging around.
It’s the first Design Wall Monday in December and I’ve got new blocks on the wall I made 11 RRCB string blocks (only 49 more to go), finished the 8th Vicksburg applique block and completed step 5 of the stay-at-home-robin.
Be sure to stop by Judy’s DWM post for links to other DWM blog postings Oh and one more thing…..while removing the phone book pages I used as foundations for the string pieced blocks, I realized I was making bedding for my worm bin!! How’s that for recycling? Use the pages for quilting and then for worm bedding which gets made into worm castings to be used in the garden You can see the phone book bits in with my regular shredded newspaper.
While trying to get better pictures for my blog I took some pictures of the finches out my window.
This second picture captured a finch just as it was landing. These little guys were getting the seeds that fall from our sweet gum tree and that white stuff? That is all the snow we’ve gotten. That’s all. Family in Pittsburgh has snow, family in Rockford has snow….I want SNOW!!! Enough snow to make one of these:
Today, on my way to work on the MetroLink, I finished the 8th block of the Dawn’s Vicksburg BOM. Only two more blocks to go! It’s been so long since I started this one, I can’t even remember if I have the next block prepared or not…..guess I know what I’ll be doing tonight
Dawn at Linen Closet Quilts is offering another free BOM, Folk Art Tribute. This BOM will have different sized blocks…one will be 12″ x 48″!! Since I can’t resist folk art, I might just have to join in on this block of the month. Not sure how I can justify a new one since I haven’t finished the Vicksburg BOM yet. But look I’ve competed 7 (okay, I CAN count & there are only 6 pictures below……only 6 months were applique blocks….one of the months was 4 pieced blocks) of them…..only 3 more to go!
