OMG Success - Stellar Stars BOM

My final UFO is now complete!!  (The 2019 and 2020 temperature quilts may or may not be completed at some point.)  My OMG goal for January was to finish my Stellar Stars BOM.  Patty @ Elm Street Quilts hosts One Monthly Goal (OMG).

Kona Quicksilver became the new background when I couldn't find Art Gallery Snow in Canada.

I was about an hour too late to get decent daylight photos, but I liked how some of them turned out, so here's a mix of indoor and outdoor photos.

I did an all-over stipple in Silver thread by Connecting Threads, with my favourite Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 batting.

The quilting gives great texture.

I could have added one more border with the flying geese blocks I had, but I was ready for this project to be finished.  As it turned out, I needed to increase the size of the backing so I made good use of the blocks.

I like how the shadows of the tree branches look on the backing.

All the snow we recently received is slowly melting, so there are patches of grass throughout the yard.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Kathleen McMusing

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting 

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland

Stay at Home Round Robin - Round 2

Are you sewing along with the Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR) hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail?  There's still time to join in.

Round 2 is being hosted by Emily @ The Darling Dogwood -- plus signs.  I used strip piecing to make the plus signs, which finish at 3 inches.

As one of the bloggers, I already know each round.  Although I did make a rough plan in EQ8, I'm making it up as I go along each week.  I made as many plus signs as I could with one WOF strip.

I used Kona Grass Green, Clover, and Natural.  It is now 22 inches square.

Thanks to my friend Dena, I have an awesome idea for the next round.  I better get sewing because I'm hosting next week.

Each week, there will be a linky party hosted by the blogger who designed that week's round.

January 11 - Centre - Gail @ Quilting Gail

January 18 - Round 1 - Chris @ Chrisknitssews 

January 25 - Round 2 - Emily @ The Darling Dogwood ✻don't forget to link up your Round 2

February 1 - Round 3 - Anja @ Anja Quilts 🠜 This is my round.

February 8 - Round 4 - Roseanne and Sue @ Home Sewn by Us

February 15 - Round 5 - Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

February 22 - Round 6 - Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

February 28 - Round 7 - Gail  @ Quilting Gail

Project Quilting 12.2 - Fussy Cut

Project Quilting is hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Tish @ Quilt Chicken,  and this week's theme is:  Fussy Cut.  

I started this week's challenge yesterday -- it's been a busy week.  I made a 14-inch pillow for my nieces.

I found a small piece of an adorable animal print in my stash, so I made some economy blocks.

But in my haste to get this pieced, I sewed the wrong fabric for the corner and setting triangles.  The appearance of economy blocks disappeared.  Oops...but I definitely wasn't doing any unstitching.  I added some Kona Sour Apple.

Look at these adorable animals.

Now to make a second pillow because I can't send one pillow for two little girls. 😉

Now a week's break before the next challenge is announced.

WIP Wednesday - Quilt Alongs

I'm participating in three quilt alongs, and I am up to date on all of them.

First up is the Morewood Mystery QAL hosted by Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs.  We've been piecing smaller blocks over the course of the fall, and January's instructions resulted in these larger blocks.  Choosing black as the background sounded like a great idea at the time...until I started piecing.  I keep forgetting that sewing black is hard on the eyes.

Next is the Bokeh QAL hosted by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl.  This QAL just started a few weeks ago with the cutting instructions.  I'm using Kona:  Storm, Blueprint, Quicksilver, Chartreuse, and Natural.

The third is the Exploding Hearts QAL hosted by Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts.  I'm using fabrics from a fat quarter bundle Sunnyside Up by Corey Yoder.
 

These are the 15 prints I chose, with the background being Kona Quicksilver.

I used by Accquilt Go cutter to cut the many triangles needed.  I've starting piecing the QST blocks -- we have two weeks to complete the piecing.

Today was a great day!  A great day for women.  A great day for Black women.  Well done Madam Vice President.

Stay at Home Round Robin - Round 1

Have you seen the Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR) hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail?  The round robin started last week, and you can see my centre block here.

Round 1 is being hosted by Chris @ Chrisknitssews -- piano keys.  I took some creative license. 😉  I used Kona Pacific and Ocean.  My block is now 14 inches.

Each week, there will be a linky party hosted by the blogger who designed that week's round.

January 11 - Centre - Gail @ Quilting Gail

January 18 - Round 1 - Chris @ Chrisknitssews ✻don't forget to link up your Round 1

January 25 - Round 2 - Emily @ The Darling Dogwood

February 1 - Round 3 - Anja @ Anja Quilts 🠜 This is my round.

February 8 - Round 4 - Roseanne and Sue @ Home Sewn by Us

February 15 - Round 5 - Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

February 22 - Round 6 - Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

February 28 - Round 7 - Gail  @ Quilting Gail

TGIFF - 2020 Monthly Color Challenge

This is one of my UFOs that I finished over the Christmas break.  This is the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen @ Patterns by Jen.  Jen is hosting a 2021 Monthly Colour Challenge.

I didn't follow the finishing direction and did a plain sashing instead.  It finishes 46 x 60 inches.

I did an all-over stipple in a variegated thread by Connecting Threads.  Sadly, they don't seem to stock the variegated thread any longer.  And of course, I used my favourite Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 batting.

Jen is hosting a quilt parade for all the finished 2020 Monthly Color Challenge quilts.  Head over to link up your own finish and to see all the other finished quilts.

Here are links to some of the bloggers that participated throughout the year.  Stop by to see their finished quilts.

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Fawn - Quilty Creations by Fawn

Roseanne - Home Sewn by Us

Sarah - Sew Joy Creations

Alla - Rainbows Bunnies Cupcakes

Wendy - Pieceful Thoughts

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Lisa in Port Hope

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting 

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland

Stay at Home Round Robin - Centre Block

Gail @ Quilting Gail is hosting a Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR).  Gail hosted a SAHRR last spring, and you can see the two quilts she created here.

In the usual course, a round robin is done in person.  Each quilter creates a centre block, and the block is passed to another quilter who adds a row/border.  Each quilter in the group gets a turn to add a row/border.  With the SAHRR, you are the only quilter working on the project.  You choose all of the fabrics and how you want to create each week's theme -- it's your quilt and you choose how you're going to create it.

There are seven bloggers participating, and each week, we will reveal our chosen theme.  You then interpret the theme how you wish -- you decide the colours, the size of the border, etc.  This is meant to be fun and stress free, as we all sew along together.  Since most of us are unable to gather to sew together with our sewing friends, this SAHRR is virtual way for us to sew together.

This week is for creating the centre block.  I decided to start with an 8-inch star centre.  I pulled out my EZ Flying Geese ruler to make the flying geese.  This saves fabric waste, and the triangles fit together.

 

I used Kona Orange, School Bus, and Natural to make my Sawtooth Star Block.  I haven't decided on my fabrics yet, but I will be using Kona solids.

Each week, there will be a linky party hosted by the blogger who designed that week's round.

January 11 - Centre - Gail @ Quilting Gail ✻don't forget to link up your centre block

January 18 - Round 1 - Chris @ Chrisknitssews

January 25 - Round 2 - Emily @ The Darling Dogwood

February 1 - Round 3 - Anja @ Anja Quilts 🠜 This is my round.

February 8 - Round 4 - Roseanne and Sue @ Home Sewn by Us

February 15 - Round 5 - Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life

February 22 - Round 6 - Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

February 28 - Round 7 - Gail  @ Quilting Gail

I hope you'll sew along with us.

Project Quilting 12.1 - Illuminating and Ultimate Gray

This is my fourth year participating in Project Quilting.  Project Quilting consists of six weekly challenges and is hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Tish @ Quilt Chicken.  The weekly theme is announced at noon on Sunday, and you need to submit your finished project by noon the following Sunday.

This is season 12 of Project Quilting, and the first challenge theme is Illuminating and Ultimate Grey -- the 2021 Pantone colours of the year.

I started out strong at the beginning of the week, making great progress.

And then the week got busy, and this block sat for a few days.  I'm glad I decided on a pillow early on.  The key is making a small project, so if the week gets busy, you still have a chance to finish by the deadline.

Yesterday was all about quilting and finishing the pillow -- simple straight-line quilting using Custard thread from Connecting Threads (thank to Sandra @ Musings of a Menopausal Melon for the thread tip).  A simple pillow envelope for a quick finish.  I used my usual Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 batting.

Now we get a break until the next challenge theme is announced next Sunday at noon.  If you haven't played along with Project Quilting, I encourage you to give it a try.  Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts encouraged me back in 2018, and it's been a fun adventure.

TGIFF - Saltwater Taffy Pattern Testing

Over a year ago, I tested a pattern for Becca @ Pretty Piney Quilts -- Saltwater Taffy.  I'm finally getting around to quilting the quilt top.

I used the last of my Michael Miller Hash Dot fabrics.

I did an all-over stipple in white thread.  It blended very well with the blocks but stands out in the blue plaid-ish border. 

I love finishing up old projects.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Devoted Quilter

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting 

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland

WIP Wednesday - Stellar Stars Update

Earlier this week, I set my One Monthly Goal (OMG)  -- finish my Stellar Stars BOM quilt.

I'm using Kona Quicksilver as my new background.  The centre is pieced, and I hope to get the flying geese borders added over the weekend.  

Linking up with:

WIP Wednesday @ The Needle and Thread Network

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

OMG - January 2021 - Stellar Stars BOM

Patty @ Elm Street Quilts hosts One Monthly Goal (OMG).  Last year, I struggled with linking up my goal in time each month.

As I mentioned in my January 1 blog post, I have one UFO (not including my two temperature quilts).  I won the pattern for the Stellar Stars 2018 Block of the Month by Cristy @ Purple Daisies Quilting.  I also won the monthly dyed fabric and matching thread collections.

I last shared an update in December 2018.   I fell behind and then I ran out of the background fabric - Art Gallery Snow.  I wasn't able to find any in Canada, and it was too costly to order from the US.

Here are my blocks.

After having a discussion with my quilt friend Dena and playing in EQ8, I have come up with a layout that uses the the blocks I have.  I'm going to use Kona Quicksilver as my new background.

My January OMG is to piece these blocks into a top and then quilt it so I can mark this project off my to-do list.

Goodbye 2020 - Hello 2021

Here's to a great 2021 with lots of creativity.

I can't say that my sewing room is perfectly tidy...it's tidy-ish.  LOL  But I can say that all my UFOs are finished, more or less.

UFOs

I had a self-imposed deadline of December 31 to quilt my pile of quilt tops.  All ten tops are now quilted!  I still need to add the binding (which are all made) to them.  Since this is my sewing space, I'm calling those UFOs now finished.  😉  The bindings will be added in the coming week.

I gave away a UFO that was partially pieced to a guild mate, and she finished it the next day.  Clearly it went to someone who could appreciate and love it.

I decided not to complete the 2017 Milky Way Sampler -- I only made two blocks.  Why did I decide to make a paper pieced pattern back then when I had no love for paper piecing?

I also decided not to complete the Sewcial Bee Sampler.  I pieced my 12 finished blocks.  This is one of the ten tops I quilted.  Stay tuned for a post on that finish.

And yet another project I've decided to end before it's actually finished -- Stellar Stars 2018 Block of the Month.  I won this pattern in a giveaway, which included the fabric and thread.  I ran out of the background fabric and wasn't able to find it in Canada (too costly to order from the US).  This is a very old UFO, and I'm ready for it to be done.  So I need to figure out a layout that works with the blocks I have finished to date.

That leaves two remaining UFOs -- two temperature quilts.  Temperature Quilt 2020 is half done - I have pieced January to June.  I got out of the daily habit of making each block, and then before you knew it, I was behind.  And I'm still working on Temperature Quilt 2019.  I didn't consider the best way to piece this, and so I am struggling with piecing the long columns for each month to the previous month.  These are not priority projects, and they'll get done eventually.

Current Projects

I have five current projects on the go:

Morewood Mystery QAL - This QAL started back in July 2020 and will finish up in April.  I am current with the instructions and think that we'll begin piecing the top this month.

Bokeh QAL - I'll be sewing along with Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl.  My fabrics are chosen, and I'm ready for the cutting instructions which will be released next week.

Exploding Hearts QAL - This is another QAL that starts next week, hosted by Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts.  I washed my fabrics today, and I'll be using my Accuquilt to cut the pieces.

2021 Monthly Color Challenge - I'm sewing along once again with Jen @ Patterns by Jen.  I'll be blogging along with Jen, with January and August being my months.

Stay at Home Round Robin - Gail @ Quilting Gail is hosting another Stay at Home Round Robin, and I'm one of the bloggers involved.

I'm not going to make any goals for 2021, other than that I plan to quilt all finished tops as quickly as possible and to only make things that make me happy.  Happy New Year.

2021 Monthly Color Challenge - January

Happy New Year!

I'm once again sewing along with Jen @ Patterns by Jen for her monthly color challenge.  (It's hard not to spell it colour. 😉)  It's a great way to try new techniques and then end up with a finished quilt at the end of the year.

If you're visiting here for the first via the Monthly Color Challenge, welcome.  If you are a regular follower, thanks!  I've been quilting since 2003 when I took a class to make a flannel rail fence quilt for my nephew.  I've been blogging since 2014 -- I started the blog in an attempt to win a prize.  LOL

You can find the details in Jen's blog post.  You can sign up for monthly e-mails so you don't miss the monthly instructions, which are free for the current month.

I'm here to share my version of the January's block -- I'm making the 12-inch version.  This month's colour is purple which is based on eggplant.  The block starts out with small and large triangles.

I like to glue baste bias edges.  I find I have better accuracy than from pinning.  A fine tip screw top for Elmer's school glue limits an excess amount of glue.

I love using my Bloc Loc rulers to trim whenever possible.

Piecing didn't take long.

The other bloggers sharing their blocks this month are:

Jen Shaffer

Wendy Tuma

Joanne Hubbard

Jen Frost

Ashli Montgomery

Kathy Bruckman

Crystal Drummond

Raylee Bielenberg

Andi Stanfield