Meryton and other project progress

 Its been a good week, accomplishing many goals that I had set for this week.  Having my APIP list (Active Projects in Process) is really serving to keep me on track.

APIP#1 - Meryton; I do love working on this quilt and this week I was able to complete the applique prep work on the remaining three Star Flower border blocks. Here are all the pieces I got prepped.  The stars for Star Flowers are English Paper Pieced.

APIP #2; Bloom and Sew, Gail Pan 2025 BOM;  I had thought I might get to do some of the actual stitching today, but it has been a little crazy.  I did get all the prep work done for the Block 3 stitcheries and hopefully will get at two of the stitched this coming week. My prep work involves printing the patterns on Stick and Stich by Sulky, Cutting out the back ground blocks and adding the light weight fusible to the back of the background pieces, sticking on the patterns to the background, and then sewing on the embroidery extenders so the pieces will fit by embroidery hoop.  

I was excited to receive a new embroidery stand in the mail.  I let my daughter try out my older on and she found it so helpful to not have to hold on to the hoop that I let her take it home (she lives in NC) and I was just going to order another just like it for me.  But I found one I like better, and I am really enjoying using it.  I used it in finishing up my Christmas Ornaments (APIP#10)

APIP #4; Joseph's Coat of Many Colors; This afternoon I had the joy of gift this quilt to the young lady I made it for.  She was thrilled to receive it and we were both (as well as her Momma) teary eyed.

APIP#11 - Quilt Maker's Journey Quilt; This is  a new project that I have started. I am heading up a quilting presentation at a local library this coming weekend and I wanted a very simple block for someone to be making at the presentation.  Since it is a library, I decided to use something from the Quilt Maker's Journey children's story book.  This quilt is on the cover of the book, and in the book they call it Bright Hopes.  The presentation will talk about how quilts can be used to reach out to the community.  So I thought this a good choice.  I had to write my own pattern as for the block, but it is a simple block to make.  We will be making a baby size quilt and donating it to our guild's outreach program.

APIP#12; Wool Applique Table Topper;  This is not actually a new project.  I did the applique at a workshop in October 2014, but never got around to quilting it.  At the library demonstration I mentioned above, I will be doing a hand quilting demonstration, and I needed something to quilt.   So I started looking through my UFO's and found this little table runner - perfect for what I needed.  I got it basted together and did a little stitching just to make sure I remember how, haha.

APIP#10; Snowflake Christmas Ornament;  Yea - I finished these four ornaments!

So that is it for this past week.  Its been fun having different projects to work on.  Funny, I completed two project on my APIP list, and I added two more.

Snowflake wreath - Mary Corbet Pattern

 This week I have primarily worked on two projects, the Bloom and Sew (Gail Pan 2025 BOM) and some snowflake Christmas ornaments (Mary Corbet pattern).

APIP#2 - Bloom and Sew - I finished block 2 and now to move on to Block 3 which I received March 11. I love working on these blocks with all the hand embroidery and patchwork piecing.  Is kind of like putting together a jigsaw pattern.

This is Block #2

Block #1 and 2 sewn together

APIP #10 - Snowflake Wreath.  I am making four of these ornaments.  I have completed 1 and need to add the beading around the edge of the other three.  I do like beading!  The snowflake wreath is a design by Mary Corbet.  She does not use the beads and sequins on her creation, but I do love the bling.  Hope to have all four ornaments completed by the end of next week so I can start on another pattern.

APIP#1 - Meryton; I did do a little applique prep work on my Meryton quilt.  Working on the EPP star flowers.  Using the fabric line Songbird Serenade, and having fun fussy cutting all the little songbirds.

(Chickadees are my favorite.)

Joseph's Coat of Many Colors - FINISHED

 APIP#4 - Joseph's Coat of Many Colors is FINISH as of this afternoon.  I got it back from the Quilter on Wednesday and by Friday I had the binding sewn on, hemmed and today I made the label.  I will give it to Kathryn after church on Sunday March 23.

Finished Quilt Top

APIP#1 - Meryton  -I completed the first of 4 border blocks.  This picture looks kind of wrinkled, but it really does lay flat.  Maybe my next block will look better.

That's it for this week.  I worked diligently on the Joseph's Coat quilt and that was about all I did.

Meryton Applique Prep

 Well my goodness, it is 11:32 Sunday night and I just remembered I had not posted my progress on my active projects. 

APIP#1; Meryton - This week I did some applique prep work and even got two little star flowers completed.  I need 16 of these, which translates to 96 EPP jewel pieces and 16 hexies.  These are all 1/2" paper pieces and quite small compared to what I usually do. The center hexie will be bird images from the Moda Songbird Serenade fabrics.   I just love these little birds and am featuring them in my quilt....the Chickadee is my favorite.

APIP#4: Joseph's Coat of Many Colors - This is what I spent most of my week working on.  I am trying to get it completed by March 27 to present to a sweet girl who loves vintage things on her 14th birthday. I completed the last row of the quilt, and now need to sew the last 2 rows to the quilt top.  One of my friends said she will quilt it for me on her long arm, which is a big relief. I am not much of a machine quilter, but do most of my quilts by hand quilting and did not see how I would be able to get this done in time, even doing big stitch quilting.  I have a little more to complete which hopefully I can get that done tomorrow, then she will quilt it and I can then put on the binding and label.  Was so happy to find someone to do the quilting for me.

I found, what looks to me as sage green, backing fabric.  I had my granddaughter ask her what her favorite color is, which she said sage green.  I found this fabric at my LQS and I felt it just had that vintage look to it.  It was not until I got it home and read the selvage that I saw it is in Moda's Collection for a Cause line and Benefiting Feeding America.   I like that!

New Christmas Ornament - Snowflake Wreath

APIP #10 - Snowflake Ornament;  Today I started a new design by Mary Corbet for a Snowflake Ornament.  I have modified her pattern just a little to add beads and sequins.  I completed the stitching and beading/sequins today on the first ornament.  I plan to make 4.  I chose to use a "forest green" for the background thinking the snowflake would show up pretty on the tree,  Next step will be to place it on a circle to form the ornament.

APIP #4 - Joseph's Coat of Many Colors;  I have been mainly on this project this past week.  I completed the third row and appliqued on the center circles on all the completed rows.  Three down, two to go.  Going to give this quilt to a young lady for her 14th birthday March 27.  I have been told she has an "old soul" which refers to her loving things vintage.  Since this is an old pattern and I am doing it scrappy, thought it would look fairly vintage.  I hope to get it hand quilted in time for her birthday, so going to try really hard this week to complete the last two rows this week.  I did get the remining pieces for the triangles and circles cut this morning....so ready - set - GO!

APIP #2 - Bloom and Sew; Gail Pan 2025 BOM -  Completed all the stitchery for February. Made a mistake in trimming one of the blocks (the one with the bumblebee).  Cut it too short so I had the choice of remaking the entire block or adding a background strip to the top and bottom of the piece.  So I choice to add the strips, and had to restitch the poor bumblebee's antenna.

Mary Corbet's Wreath with Candle ornaments

 APIP#5 - Embroidered Wreath with Candle - This a pattern designed by Mary Corbet with a few modifications I made - primarily adding beads and sequins.  I do love the sparkle it gives them when hanging on the Christmas tree. Mary also used a white candle against her beautiful linen background.  I chose the red candle for mine. I made three of these - one for my tree, one to give to friends and family at Christmas and one to give to my guild for the Christmas Arts and Crafts festival. 

APIP#1 - Meryton; Finished up the fourth block of the Border block 1. Now I can begin prepping the applique pieces for Border Blocks 2

APIP#2 - Bloom and Sew - Gail Pan 2025 BOM;  Received the February block this past week and started working on the stitcheries.  There are 6 to do, and I finished 2 of them.  I have not trimmed them up yet and they still have the Stick and Stich on them, but the stitchery is complete.

APIP#4 Joseph's Coat of Many Colors;  Have completed Vertical row #1 and most of #2. Have all the blocks done for Row 2, but still need to do the connector triangles and sew the block to each other.  I finally decided on a circle for the block centers.  I thought I would go with a black and white polka dot, but change my mind again today to go with a Lori Holt fabric - white background with little 6-petal flowers of many colors.  I think the black and white polka dot looked better, but the quilt is for a young girl and I just did not want to put that much black on the quilt.

With this post, I am down to just three projects in progress and have completed 6 others this year.  The three I still have going will take awhile to complete.

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?