February UFO and a change for March

Here is my February UFO all finished and washed. It's been done for almost 2 weeks - I finished during Friday Night Sew-In on the 17th, you can read that post, here. I have since washed it and took it outside for better photos. Last week we had no snow. Now we have just enough to remind the kids they still need to wear their winter coats. 

I used some leftover bindings for this quilt. I use to have an overflowing bag of leftover bindings that I couldn't close. I have only used bindings from that bag this year and it is now only half full and closed.

This was quilted with random lines all over. Love how it turned out and that it doesn't distract from all the different prints in the quilt.

Judy picked #8 for March which is suppose to be working on a dresden plate quilt. I got out the 180 pieces I have cut and sewn so far and laid them out on the background I had picked. I no longer like it and my desire to do this project is completely gone. I will find something else to do with the dresden pieces but I am going to use the background for something else.

When I saw the Made in Cherry QAL that was happening , I really wanted to participate but since I was already working on the Fat Quarter Stars QAL and the Oh My Stars QAL, I decided it was best if I didn't. Then I started seeing people's finished tops and I knew I had to make it. So I am changing UFO #9 (which I had also set aside for the dresden quilt) to the Made in Cherry quilt using the yellow background and green. I have a lot of greens in my stash and have already started cutting a few. Looking at them on the yellow I like the lighter, brighter greens with the yellow but will still add some darker greens. 

I am replacing UFO #8 with the Oh My Stars QAL. I am almost done making the blocks and picked border and backing fabric from my stash this morning. I am making this quilt for my son and I'm really looking forward to completing it. Above is the layout of the quilt. The blacked out squares are being replaced with space themed fabric and the blocks with a "B" will have a star with black background instead of white. Of course this is just a guide and who knows what the actual quilt will end up like.

I was able to get 2 more blocks done this week for the Oh My Stars QAL. I have 6 big (12 1/2 inches) blocks left with the blue and white fabric and then I have just over 20 blocks left to make with the yellow and black fabrics. 

Go visit Judy's blog to see other February UFO's.

What was I suppose to be working on?

I think on Friday I commented that the vest for my BIL was to be my focus this past weekend. His 40th birthday is a week from today and I need to get it finished and in the mail. I know it's going to be late but I don't want it to be really late. So here's what I actually did this weekend.

2 big stars for the Oh My Stars QAL. These are 12 1/2 inches. I have 8 more of these to make before I work on the yellow stars with black background fabric. These don't look like a vest to me.

6 stacks of medium star blocks for the same quilt. These are 8 1/2 inches.

Here are all 25 medium sized blocks laid out. So... that's 27 quilt blocks done, what about that vest?

Friday evening and Saturday morning I worked on the second sock for my mom. I finished the leg and started the heel while my husband and I watched "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark". Forgot how awesome that movie is. We are planning to watch the rest of the original trilogy again but I didn't touch the vest on Friday. I did a bit on Saturday...

... but on Sunday I forced myself to work on only the vest. I finished the front, sewed the shoulders and sides together and started the neck trim. Finished the neck this morning and since this picture was taken I finished the trim around the right arm hole as well. Just have the left one to do and then I'll throw it in the washer and dryer and it should be in the mail tomorrow as long as it doesn't fall apart in the wash this afternoon. Glad to know I'll have at least one thing for Finish it up Friday this week.

The rest of my week

I was able to spend an hour Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon working on some Oh My Stars QAL blocks. I finished the smallest with the blue and white fabric - still have some this size with yellow stars and black background to make. There are 28 here and they are 4 1/2 inches.

Here they are all laid out after being ironed. Hope to get some more done this weekend. 

Been making a lot of progress on the vest front in the evenings. Divided for the left and right front last night so the end is in sight. Need this to be my focus this weekend and get it in the mail Monday or Tuesday.

The Long Weekend

The weekend started out good. I finished the first sock for my mom on Sunday. By the time I went to bed that night, I wasn't feeling so good and spent all of Monday in bed with a nasty bug. Glad it was a holiday so my husband was home and took the kids to their dentist appointments.

By Tuesday evening I was feeling a little better and cast on and finished the cuff of the second sock after the kids went to bed. I did two pattern repeats this morning. I really love this pattern and have already planned a second pair. 

Some time over the weekend I also added a couple inches to my BIL's birthday present. Probably going to be late but hopefully he won't mind.

And since I haven't touched my sewing machine since Friday night, I am hoping to tackle some Oh My Stars blocks this afternoon. I had the pieces all laid out so I could work on them over the weekend but that didn't happen. Fingers crossed I am able to keep my lunch down and spend the afternoon sewing and not back in bed.

Friday Night Sew-In Results with a Finish!

Last night was Friday Night Sew-In. Go visit Heidi's blog to see what everyone else did last night.

This is my February UFO. My plan was to baste this and maybe quilt between the rows since I hadn't decided how I wanted to quilt the whole thing. While I basted I thought of a few different things I could try. I knew I didn't want to do an all-over meandering free-motion and this quilt is so busy I really struggled trying to decide. I tried a few different ideas on some scraps and finally decided to do random lines all over. I started with a full bobbin and just kept going until it was finished. Then I looked it over and added a few more lines where there was too much empty space and it was done. I also decided to send this to my friend, Mary, in Michigan. Life has been a little crazy for her lately and I think she needs a "just because" quilt. (She also has a red couch in her living room that this quilt would look good with but I remembered that after I decided to give it to her).

Corners seem to be quilted the heaviest.

Blocks in the middle of the quilt have less.

The back.

I also did a little knitting. This is the front of a vest for my BIL - I finished the back earlier this week. His 40th birthday is in 2 weeks so I need to hurry and finish it, then mail it to him. 

Finish it Up Friday

Linking up at Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday!

Finished this scarf. My mother sent me 2 skeins of this yarn. It seems one is enough to make a scarf for a child so I have one leftover. Guess I'll be make another one for a niece. You can get the pattern for free, here. My mom says her local Wal-Mart had sold the yarn but she ended up buying this yarn from an independent LYS. 

Finished the back of a gift for my BIL who has a big birthday in a couple weeks.

Finished a charity square. You can find more information here.

Finished Block 10 of the FQSQAL.

With the Flying Geese leftovers I made these 2 blocks. I have some other leftover pieces from the other blocks that I might use to make some mini blocks for the back.

Making progress on socks for my mom. Did the heel last night. Need your foot measurement mom so I can finish it. Using the Faux Cable sock pattern, free on ravelry. This is a great pattern and gives you the look of cables without having to use a cable needle. Got to love that.

Got the back made for my February UFO. Hope to baste it this afternoon and maybe start quilting it tonight during...

... Friday Night Sew-In. If you haven't signed up, you should.

You can also check out my Monday post with the quilt and knitted baby hat I finished last weekend.

One Thing, One Week Challenge #10

Last Monday, Amy challenged us to get one thing done this past week.

I started quilting this quilt a few weeks ago using straight lines. After I had done a few I decided I didn't like it. I ripped out half of the quilting and then did some free-motion stippling, leaving the rest of the line quilting is as basting stitches. Then I ripped out the rest of the quilting I didn't like and set the quilt aside. I'm sure I got busy with knitting or another sewing project and this quilt just sat there, begging to be finished. I am happy to say it is now finished and is waiting to be put in the washer and dryer later this afternoon.

Finished the binding last night after the kids went to bed. 

Free-motion everywhere. I've seen other quilts with this block that used straight lines for quilting but for some reason it just wasn't working for me. I wanted this quilt to have a fun, spring feel to it and I think it does now.

The back. The multi-coloured flower print in the middle on the right was the worst. I basted this quilt twice because it wasn't lying flat. Still ended up with puckers - but only on that particular piece of fabric. I am blaming it and not me:)

And a little finish from Friday night. This will be gifted to my neighbour who had a baby boy Friday afternoon. Too bad there isn't going to be anymore babies in our family or extended family - knitting baby things is so cute and fast. Might have to find a charity that wants knitted baby hats.

Go visit Amy and see who else completed their One Thing, One Week Challenge.

Finish it Up Friday

I didn't finish up as much as I wanted to this week, but next week I should have a few to show. Linking up at Crazy Mom Quilts Finish It Up Friday.

Amy, is hosting another One Thing, One Week Challenge this week and my goal was to finish this quilt. I had ripped out the bit of quilting I had done (but didn't like) and quilted almost half of it but for some reason just didn't get it finished. I completed the quilting this morning. Just need to bind it this weekend and it will be a finish.

My only finish for the week is this pair of socks. Still need to wash them and then they will be mailed off as a gift to someone special.

Yesterday I forced myself to sit down and wind these hanks (and watched the first 2 episodes of Downton Abbey). I wanted the brown yarn for a sock KAL, hosted by Knitting Like Crazy this month, so I figured I would do the other hanks that were waiting too. The green will probably be socks or a scarf for myself. The 2 blue are lace weight yarn and I bought those planning on knitting a beaded cuff for myself. Soon hopefully. I haven't decided about the top yarn yet - it was just so lovely I couldn't resist.

Our neighbor is having a baby boy (today possibly as she was suppose to be induced some time today) and I am making him a little hat. This should be done by tonight. I will also be giving him a boy quilt from my etsy shop.

A box of Valentine goodies arrived from my parents yesterday. My mother also sent along this yarn and a pattern for a scarf. This has to be the craziest yarn I have ever seen and I really hope my mom wants the scarf for herself because it is so not me. Sorry mom - happy to make it for you though.

 This morning I read my sister's post  about making a pillow out of a shirt of her husband's that she shrunk. Then my daughter came downstairs in the above dress that had fit in September but is now way too short. I made her change and she left the dress with me and I began wondering - should I mail this to one of my SIL's since they both have younger girls, or keep it and cut it up to make something out of it. I don't know what I am going to do. What do you think? Pass it on or cut it up? If it helps, there are little Hello Kitty faces on the snaps as well - so cute.

And if I get bored this weekend, the postal carrier has been very nice in delivering these to my mailbox this week and they should keep me busy.

Finish It Up Friday

Linking up at Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday!

Glad to have some finishes this week.

Finished my January UFO. You can read the story about the quote, here. 

I used this pattern and...

... made myself this purse. I needed something with pockets but I prefer my pockets on the inside. Looking forward to being able to find my keys when I need them.

Inside. I love having everything organized.

I finished the first sock of this pair, and cast on the second.

I finished the back of my mom's cardigan.

And this morning I finished a sewing machine cover. I used the tutorial by Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts but boxed my corners instead of using ties. I also put a patchwork sewing machine on each side. She had the word sew on the other side. You can find the tutorial here.

This is the other side. I used leftover Terrain charm squares, 2 squares leftover from a Just Wing It layer cake and a few pieces from my stash. I cut my squares 2 1/2 inches instead of Jennifer's 2 inch squares so I didn't waste any of my charm squares. I quilted random lines over the green fabric.

I added 2 1/2 inch strips on each side to make it wide enough to make the boxed corners (the green fabric wasn't wide enough on its own). You can also see the purple fabric I used on the inside.

Head over to Crazy Mom Quilts to see what others completed this week and the nice pillow Amandajean made.