UFO Invasion

How does is happen?  Where do they come from?  You sit down at your machine or with project in hand...inspired, motivated....knowing that THIS TIME the project will be finished from start to finish with no interruptions!  This is how it is supposed to happen, isn't it?  But then...10 yrs later, you pull out a quilt top...actually not just a top but a quilt already prepped and ready to quilt!  How does it happen?  It's right up there with the mystery of the missing sock!!

Somewhere during the past 10 years, life happened and this little project ended up in the bottom of the bin, just waiting to see the light of day again.  I started this wall hanging for a workshop that I taught while pregnant with my second daughter. Sure, I could teach the class...no problem....I have almost 4 days weeks before I am due.  Little did I know at the time, my 9 lb daughter would be showing up five days after teaching this class.  At least my tummy served as a good felt board to display the various stages of the block on while I walked from table to table to see how everyone was doing.  

Ragged Hearts Quilt

Designer ~ Unknown but I am looking for the name Update:  Thanks to Cheryl over at Grandma Cocos Designs...she was able to track down the designer name for me.  It was designed for Homespun Quilts by Anna Laura Reidt (HQ105).

I modified the original pattern to add the inner striped border...without it, I just found there wasn't enough "Zing!" for me.  I machine quilted it with a stipple...I curse myself for trusting the spray on adhesive to hold the sandwich together all these years.  After it was all quilted and bound I realized there was a slight massive pleat down the back of my quilt and the backing had completely shifted...plus, it was my first time quilting with my new machine and the stitch tension was not cooperating with me.  Lesson learned...it all makes a beautiful area to place a label over!  Not letting the perfectionist in me win out this time...the one telling me to rip out all the quilting and start again!  It is done and it is happy.  If you put your ear up the screen you can hear it cheering because it is so happy to be saved from the UFO bin!!

Back to UFO #1...the Lone Star

I'm so happy with how this is finally coming together.  This week I hope to get the triangles set in and then decide if it will become a bed quilt of a large hanging for my stairwell.  What to do?

Just a little peek behind the scenes.  Nothing says love like well pressed seams!  I love my iron and my wooden pressing block!  I love ironing (disclaimer: quilts and fabric only).  Creating a pressing cloth was optional...take my word for it...if you ever make this star then MAKE THE PRESSING CLOTH.  It was wonderful to pin all my seams to and press.  All my star points came out perfectly and the same size.  It was well worth the time to have my husband draft out the cloth.

The Newest UFO Project

I swear...this will not become an UFO! (I don't know...grammatically should there be an "n" on "an" before UFO?)  Shortly after starting my UFO bin purge, my daughter came down with a horrible cold.  She is 9 (yes, my preemie 9 lb girl that was my flannel board for the Ragged Heart Quilt); she is extremely cuddly when she is sick AND she loves quilts.  I was on a roll but really it is soooo hard to sew at a sewing machine AND cuddle at the same time so I needed a new plan.  Not too long ago, I won the blog draw for a Grandmother's Flower Garden kit from Sew Sisters.  Shortly after, I received a couple more kits with my newsletter...was this a mistake?...or did they just know that I was feeling a little blue and receiving those little wrapped bundles in the mail was like getting a hug from a long lost friend.  These were so easy to put together.  Each little kit comes with enough fabric (pre-cut squares) to make one flower plus hexagon templates.  The templates are durable and can easily be used for multiple flowers.  To baste, I used a technique that I found on Youtube.  Rather than being redundant and posting instruction here, Katie over at Katie's Quilting Corner gave me permission to link to her tutorial.  Click on her blog name and it will should take you directly to the English Paper Piecing video on her blog.  Sew Sisters also recommend this handy little tool to bypass the basting.  It's called a Bohin Temporary Glue Stick Pen.  I believe they have also done a tutorial for paper piecing as well...I'll pop over to their blog to see if I can find it...they explain the use of the pen.  Sadly, I haven't had the chance to try it out...I pledged to stick within our family budget to help set a good example so my sacrifice...fabric and quilting tools.  I wonder if Santa is on a budget?!