Joseph's Coat of Many Colors

 APIP#4 and APIP#6 - Joseph's Coat of Many Colors;  I have been working primarily on these two projects this past week.  I will be teaching the block to my club this Wednesday and needed to really get comfortable with making the blocks.  I am enjoying doing these curved pieced blocks and hope my club will enjoy them as well.  I am making a quilt 60" x 68" and a much smaller table topper.

Blocks made for the quilt so far.  No melon fabric will be repeated in the quilt.  I was auditioning the fabric to be used for the center circle and have chose the black and white polka dot.

Table Topper I made for kitchen table.  Kitchen is grey with red accents.  I chose to use just greys, reds, yellows and teals.

APIP#1 - Merryton;   I did complete the third Block 1 blocks, one more to go.

Have to make four of these.  I have the applique shapes prepped and ready to applique.

APIP#8 - Spellbound Block;  I taught this block at retreat and finished mine at home this morning.

APIP #5 - Christmas Ornament - Candle Wreath;  I am making three of these and have the embroidery completed on two of them, started the third this afternoon.  It was so pretty outside, I took my sewing to the porch and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  I learned that I can not do my embroidery very well outside - too distracted.  had to rip out what I did this afternoon and start over when I went inside.  These are Mary Corbet designs and very detailed.

Progress on Meryton, Bloom & Sew and a few others

 APIP Report

Meryton - Finished the second block of Block 1 for border.  Have the third one prepped and basted in place:

Bloom & Sew - Gail Pan 2025 BOM - Completed Block 1

Sewing Machine Mat - Completed at Retreat 

Spellbound block - Got three sections completed at retreat.  Hope to get them together tomorrow and have it quilted and bound by next week:

That's all I worked on this past week.

2025 - Active Projects in Progress

 Its hard for me to believe my last post was Nov 27.  Time just seems to go by so fast, especially the busy month of December.  I have decided this year to try to track those projects I am working on on a regular basis, posting my progress on this blog.  I am hoping this will keep me on track and making good progress toward completion.

I have listed my APIP items and was surprised at how many I currently have active.  When I first started this list the first week of January, I had 5 items and I thought that was a lot to be actively working on.  But the list grew to 9 during the last couple of weeks. At least two of those are now finished.   So here is my list and the current status:

1 - Meryton; Designed by Katrina Hadjimichael - started 08-24-24.  To date I have completed the center of the quilt and one of the large (15") blocks that make up the outer border. There are 16 blocks in the outer border - 8 machine foundation paper pieced and 8 EPP/Applique.

2 - Bloom and Sew - 2025 BOM by Gail Pan; Started 12-16-24.  To date I selected my fabrics (Moda EMMA)  and have begun embroidering one of six stitcheries in the first block (pattern received Jan 11).

  

3 - Daphne Table Runner - Started November 2024 and Completed -1-20-25. This is a table runner designed by Katrina Hadjimichael and taught in a zoom workshop in November.

4 - Joseph's Coat of Many Colors - Started 12-23-24 - I found this project on-line when browsing through some pages and instantly was attracted to it.  The pattern is free pattern offered by Kona Cottons and is a pattern designed by Darlene Zimmerman.  She titled her pattern Joseph's Coat but I have pictures of vintage quilts that call it Joseph's Coat of Many Colors.  I tried to find a USA distributor for the templates, but none were available - I even had my LQS owner looking for them in Houston.  I did find a company in California that was able to make a set for me fo $5, compared to the $32 I paid for the set I ordered from Australia.  They actually sold for $16 but the shipping got the price to $32.  I am going to teach this pattern in February to my quilt club and have ordered templates for all of them.  We will be starting with a small table runner, but I am also making the quilt.  To date I have all the fabrics cut out for the quilt and will start sewing them together in February.  My Fabrics all came from my stash and each melon shape in the quilt will be a different fabric.  Below is a picture of the quilt from the pattern:

5 - Christmas Ornament - Candle Wreath; Started; 12-27-2024 - These are embroidered ornaments from a book by Mary Corbet.  I love her embroidery designs and for 2024 I made quite a few different ones, keeping one for myself, one for gifts to friends, and one to my guild to sell at our Arts and Crafts Festivals.  I hope to do the same this year and this is the first design I have chosen.  I did add beads and sequins that Mary did not have in her pattern, but basically it is her design.  Todate I have completed two stitcheries, and one more prepped and ready to embroider and then need to complete the ornament.

6. Joseph's Coat Table Runner (See #4) Started 01-15-2025 - Have not yet selected my fabrics.

7 - Love Table Runner - Pattern design my Tracy Perks and Kit received from SewEndipitous, my LQS.  I joined their VIP club and this kit was a gift for joining.  We had on-line workshop Monday, Jan 20 and I completed the table runner this morning. 

8 - Spellbound Table Topper - 01-21-2024.  This is a block presented in the American Quilter Magazine September 2024.  I will be making this block at my club's retreat next week and chose to make it in Patriotic colors.  I have prepared a chart of fabric required and the cutting instruction.  My fabric as all cut and ready for retreat - hopeful I will come home with a complete block.  This is my own chart design to help me keep my fabrics straight.

9 - Sewing Machine Mat - Started 01-21-2025; A member of my club is going to show us how to make a mat to set our sewing machines on, with pockets to put our tools.  I have my fabric cut and ready to go, and once again will hopefully have it completed at the of this month.

So that is it for now with my first APIP report. Hopefully my list will go from 9 to 5 by my next report.

Days of Delight - 2022 BOM by Val Laird

 Another UFO that I finished this month.  I started on this BOM back in January 2022 and kept up with it until October which for some reason, I stopped working on it.  I challenged my quilt club, Stitchin Friends, in January of this year to name three UFO's they would complete during 2024.  This was one that was on my list and therefore I got busy and finished it this year.  It now hangs proudly in my kitchen and each morning when I make my coffee, I update my calendar.

There is a separate embroidery for each day of the week and each Month.  The numbers are 0,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.

Its just the right size to hide the fuse box that hanss between the two cabinets.  This used to be my laundry room and when we took out the washer and dryer, hung cabinets we could not cover up the fuse box and it has always been an eyesore that I cover up with small wall hangings :)

2009 BOM Christmas Wish by Gail Pan

 Its been since September that I posted.  Time sure flies when you are busy busy busy.

Today I completed a 2009 BOM by Gail Pan.  I have had the embroideries completed since 2009, but never got around to making the wall hanging.  My granddaughter, Tess, is putting together an art showing at our church where members can display their art that depicts the true meaning of Christmas.  She did this last year for the first time and it was much appreciated by the congregation.  She asked if I had something to enter, and really all I had was a Nativity scene that I made and it has hung over my mantle for many Christmases.  She wanted to use it again, and I agreed, but I also wanted something new.  I remembered these blocks made so many years ago, and decided to finish up the wall hanging.  I worked all day yesterday making the wall hanging and hemmed it this morning.  

I did have to change one block, that said "Magic" which she did felt was inappropriate for the spiritual aspect of the art show, and suggested I use the word Faith.  So I also had to make a new block for Faith, and was so pleased that I still had the background fabric and the matching embroidery thread in my stash.  Haha...I have had it for 15 years now, and probably much longer than that.   Sound familiar?

Meryton Progress

This morning I have been working on completing the center star - one more round to go.

I also finished they York County Block of the month.  Not to interested in quilting this one, but one of my dear quilting sisters (Donna) loved it, and she is a long-arm quilter, so I gave it to her.  Another on of the UFO list :)

Meryton - A beginnng

 I have started another Katrina Hadjimichael quilt in the Jane Austin Series called Meryton.  Meryton is a fictitious town in the novel Pride and Prejudice.  This is the internet picture of Katrina's quilt.

I have started working on the center star and am thoroughly enjoying the English Paper Piecing.  Here is my work so far.  My main fabric selection is called Songbird Serenade by Moda.  I have purchased miscellaneous other fabrics that blend. 

I devised a worksheet of how I will assemble this block, which is  differently than the way Katrina instructs in her pattern. The results are the same, but I  like sewing on my hexies one at a time and removing papers as I go.  Once the hexie has other hexies attached on all sides, I remove the paper.  This way I can keep re-using my papers and do not have to cut out paper for all the hexies at one time.

My worksheet identifies what fabric will be used in the block and also shows "rounds" of each hexies,  similar to how you assemble a Grandmother's Flower Garden block.

Looking at Katrina's picture, you see the center hexagon containing the star in surrounded by a background fabric with appliques and then a petal frame.  I intend to make that entire center square with hexies and do the applique on top of the hexies.  This will take a bunch of hexies, but I think it will look perfect.  

I am also working on one of her quilts called Delaford.  I have nearly completed hand quilting this quilt and hope to have it done by the end of September.

Once upon a Christmas Time

 Finished the quilt top for the Gail Pam BOM - Once Upon a Christmas Time today.  Completed Block 6 of 6 yesterday and so glad to get it done today.  I had planned to machine quilt it with a simple cross hatch (as that is about all I do with machine quilting) but decided after finally getting the top done, to just get some with a long arm machine quilt it for me.  

The pattern calls for it to be done in all red and white/cream, both piecing and embroidery.  I elected to use multi colors.  The pattern also called for a border comprised of HST but I decided to go simple with this plaid fabric that I found and really liked.

This is block 6 of 6

Completed quilt top

Delaford Quilting, Once Upon a Christmas Time Block 5 and Clemson quilt

 Wow, that is a long title, but thought I would just do a little cattching up.

On the Delaford Quilt, I have reached the outer bird and flower block border row with my hand quilting.  There are 22 blocks in this border, and so far I have hand quilted 4 of them - it does take awhile to accomplish.   I have been tracking my time and so far I have 133 hours + some minutes in my quilting.

I am using a variety of color threads, only one of which is actually a hand quilting thread.  Its a sample of YLI handquilting thread which they sent to try out and see if I like it.  A new supplier of their hand quilting thread and I love the thread.  Unfortunately YLI told me they will only be offering it in four basic colors at first (ecru, white, black and grey) but hopefully they may have a variety of colors.  I am using this for background.  For stitching around the appliques, I obtained 30 or 25 wt threads in a variety of colors and manufacturers.  Some are Aurifil 30 wt, which the others are machine quilting threads from Coats and Clark.  I find for all of them, I have to a silicon thread treatment to keep them from freying and breaking on me.  Such a pain, I do wish someone would offer good quality hand quilting thread in a variety of colors !!!!

1" stencil I am using for the background

Thread tray

Blue bird block  - it takes me approximately 5 hours to quilt one of these blocks.

Blue Bird Back of quilt

I have also been working on the Once Upon a Christmas Time BOM by Gail Pan, completing Block 5.  I just have one more block to make on this quilt and all the blocks will be completed.  

Block 5

One stitchery started for Block 6.  The pink check is just what I call "extendors" so that the stitchery will fit in my hoop.  A great use of unused binding strips.

Then finally, a quilt top, with only the binding hemming and label yet to do.  This is for Timothy, my grandson, who will leaving for Clemson freshman year on August 15.  He will be studying to be a park ranger and the quilt backing is a panel with 63 National Parks on it.  I will show  a picture of that in another post.

Before sending to Long-Arm quilter.  Not gonna hand quilt this one.

Now to be hemmed and labeled!

Christmas Ornament Fun

 I have been working on making Christmas ornaments in May and June and just having so much fun with the embroidery and beading.

I purchased a pattern from Mary Corbet's website Needle n Thread for making Christmas Wreath ornaments and Christmas Tree Ornaments.  So far I have only completed one wreath, but I did make three of them.  Learning her method for tying the bow was a challenge, but it does make a beautiful bow.  Her patterns are all so beautiful, I am anxious to make some more of the wreaths and start on the trees.

I also discovered some fun embroidery / beading patterns of Folk Art Scandinavian Ornament pattern by Patricia Welch Designs.  She offers her patterns for sale on her etsy shop as .pdf downloads ($6 each)

Here is what I have made so far:

Once Upon a Christmas Time progress

 Spent time this afternoon prepping the stitchery blocks for Block5 and realized I never posted about Block 4, which I completed around the first of June.

Here are the blocks 1,2,3,and 4 sewn together:

And here is Block 4 all by itself

Delaford -Hand Quilting

 Finally, I am hand quilting my Delaford quilt.  I got it back from the longarm friend who basted it for me.  She does a much better job than I can manage on this large a quilt.  So the quilting began on May 31 and I am enjoying it so much.

Trying something a little different.  Using machine quilting thread or other 25-30wt thread to quilt in color around the applique, with thread that matches the applique.  I find I have to use a silicon treatment on the threads as they fray and knot when pulling through the quilt after 4 or 5 inches of quilting.

I filled out a survey from YLI and they sent me a spool of their new hand quilting thread thankfully in the color I wanted for quilting the background of the quilt.  I have started trying it out, and I do like the thread very much.  There was no fiber content label on the test spool, so not sure if it is 100% cotton or not, but I do very much like the feel, strength and weight of the thread.  So far I have had absolutely no resistence, freying or splitting of the thread.  Below is a picture of the quilting on the back as the thread shows up a little better.  On the front, I have not rinsed out the blue water soluble lines yet so the thread is not so clear.