December Goals

In November, I wanted to...
1.  Keep scrapping.  I will trim the scrap bucket, finish one 16-patch quilt, finish the churn dash blocks, move the Assistant's scrap project to finished (or at least a flimsy), and cut the wings for the 9 patch and stars quilt.  Done, including a finished 16-patch quilt, churn dash quilt, and the Assistant's scrap project.

2.  Finish Emily's quilt.  Yes.  She was so appreciative, particularly of the quilted prayer words, so my heart was filled with her gratitude.

3.  Cut and begin Nicole's quilt.  Yes.

4.  Make 8 market bags.  Nope, I scratched this plan.  I decided I've done enough for Christmas gifts this year, so I'll use the market bags for next year's gifts.

5.  Mending.  I want it done before Christmas decorating and preparations begin at the end of the month!  Surprisingly, there were very few items despite their bulk, so this onerous task was done in a day or two.

6.  Bonus: Jude's placemat is done, I made a purse and inner bags, and an apron!

In December, I would like to...
1.  Oh, the scraps.  There is a ridiculous pile of scraps due to November's multitude of quilt backs.  I'm also going to keep on with 16-patches, since they are mindless enough to be quick to sew between concerts, parties, projects, and visitors.  I might begin sewing on the wings of my stars quilt, but I'm making no promises.

2.  Finish Nicole's quilt.  I have few scrappy projects, so I should be able to make this beauty come together.

3.  Begin Miss G's pink quilt.  It's going to be large pink squares, so an uncomplicated quilt.  The cutting will take a bit, as my hand is aching again, but the actual stitching will be quick.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

LEFT-EZE Rule

This is a long-delayed review for which I was not compensated in any way (or she would have fired me by now).  I think the broken left hand contributed to my delay, but I also forgot to add it to my "to do" list!

You may not know I'm left-handed.  It's a surprisingly common trait in my family... my maternal grandmother was, my mother (out of three) is, my two sisters and I are, and so far, my three boys are lefties.  Growing up, the girls sat on one side of the table and the boys on the other just to manage elbows when eating!

In most crafts, being a leftie has made learning a challenge.  My first 10+ years of crocheting were a terrible mess of incorrect stitches because the pictures never looked like my work, and I simply didn't understand what I was doing well enough to read the directions correctly.  I finally got that figured out!

When I began quilting, it took me a significant amount of time to twist and turn rulers to be able to cut correctly and accurately.  Again, a certain portion of the trouble was me, but it's always frustrating when a right-handed quilter (or any other crafter) says "just flip it."  Have you ever tried to "just flip it?"  That doesn't work in a number of situations, and rarely having pictures to compare your own actions to proves challenging.

A Left-Handed Quilter has been outspoken about the need for better tools for lefties, so it was with great excitement that I read she created a ruler for cutting half-square and quarter-square triangles that were designed for left-handed use.  I, of course, ordered one early on.  Check it out here.

Did I use it as frequently as you would imagine?  Not at first.  I had wrapped my brain around using the Easy Angle Ruler so I would use whichever one I could find at .he time.  Recently, however, I accidentally destroyed my Easy Angle Ruler, and I am enjoying getting to know my LEFT-EZE Rule better!

Fortunately, any time I am stuck on how to cut without awkwardness, there are tutorials with pictures (in the same direction as my hand!) to which to refer.  I also really like that I don't need two rulers (Easy Angle and the Companion Ruler) to cut different types of triangles.  It's much more convenient to flip the ruler orientation and keep cutting.  Also, it's one less ruler to lose!

So if you are left-handed or have leftie friends, I would love to recommend you check out the LEFT-EZE Rule ruler, and even if you aren't left-handed (shocking!), you might enjoy reading A Left-Handed Quilter's blog on occasion.  It's a hoot!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

November Block Count

Given my plan for the rest of the week (block components, trimming, and binding), I don’t anticipate any new blocks for the month so...

I’m calling it 28 new churn dash, as I think I “lost” 10 somewhere over the course of the year.  The quilt required 170, and I made an extra, so 28 for this month.

I’m also estimating my contribution to the Assistant’s quilt, as I suspect I made a few more than 40, but what’s a few blocks between mother and daughter?

That brings my Block Count for November to 68, for a grand total of 1558 for 2018.  I don’t know that December will bring too many more blocks.  I have already surpassed the block total for any past year, so that’s fine if this is my quitting point.  I love that all the blocks but the 16 patches are ending the year in a finished quilt, and the 16 patches have big plans for 2019!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #47

This week, I finished off a placemat, three sorting bags for my purse, and a new purse.  This is what I like to write in a stash report!  It generally takes me to the end of the year to see nice numbers out for the year (which is quite my own fault), but I do enjoy buying fabric on sale, and I do finish plenty of quilts each year.  It is hard to keep a good balance between a stash that is “just large enough” and not having enough variety to complete projects without shopping.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 1 3/4 yards

IN YTD: 102 1/3 yards
OUT YTD: 120 yards
YTD Total: 17 1/2 yards OUT

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Dithering

With last weekend ending in a funeral and long drive, rolling right into a week off for the kids, I’ve definitely lost my regular routine.

I did finish Positivity, wash it without incident, and dry it.  The Assistant is pleased with the outcome.  Although she thinks it’s a little small, it looks just right to me!  It will be a teacher quilt gift, and as I can never presume to know one's decorating scheme, it's easier to make a lap quilt than a bed quilt they can't/won't want to use.

Instead of regular block construction this week, my dithering centered around attempting to follow a poorly written Simplicity for a new purse/tote bag and some inside bags to keep my purse more organized.  All the diaper supplies can be in one pouch, all my change and envelopes for cash in another, band-aids and lipgloss in another.  The bag is a little small and flimsy, but I have some ideas about that, and it will serve for now.  Eventually, I won’t have anyone in diapers, and having the inner pouches means I can remove such things when I don’t need them.  Three pouches and one purse later, I’m fixed up.

Finally, on Friday, after procrastinating, I basted my churn dash quilt.  I can see some of the purple blocks are slightly larger than the other blocks, but it will be okay in the end.  I’ll just be careful about my quilting.  The backing is a geode from Vicki Welsh.  It was the perfect width!

My biggest bit of quilty news this week is a rather large, expensive purchase.  I ordered a Juki sewing machine, as I’ve been saving up for one for quite a while.  It’s going to be a slight learning curve, but I keep reading directions and trying again.  I’ve never had automatic anything, so cutting the thread between pieces has been fun.  Unfortunately, the 1/4” foot was out of stock, so I’m making do with painters tape for now, but I found one in stock last night, so it's ordered already.

I’m looking forward to quilting on it for the first time next week!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

P.S. Each Saturday, I link up to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I invite you to enjoy the glorious rainbows too!

Stash Report Week #46

I finished TWO quilts this week, so I finally have used more than I purchased.  Woohoo!  I’m looking forward to the next six weeks.  I foresee a quilt, a placemat, a bag, and an apron.

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 16 3/4 yards

IN YTD: 102 1/2 yards
OUT YTD: 118 1/4 yards
YTD Total: 15 3/4 yards OUT

I’m also at 27 spools of thread used up for the year.

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Positivity

This week, I hustled through getting the blocks into a flimsy for this quilt.  I had high hopes that, if I could quilt it before late Thursday morning, I could machine sew on the binding and have the hand binding for the drive to my grandfather's funeral.

I paired this plus quilt with a backing full of positive phrases.  Despite breaking my backup sewing machine (sigh.  I need a new non-computerized brand of sewing machine.  Suggestions?), I did quilt the entire project and sewed on the binding.

As it would turn out, I didn’t do much hand sewing, so it’s not quite done, but it was nice to have along for a few spare moments.

It was good to gather with my family to remember my grandpa and to support my mom in her loss.  All but one brother were able to come, including another brother I haven’t seen in two years.  DH manfully handled the kids during the funeral luncheon so we could have a good visit.

After the lunch, the entire family visited some dear old friends.  We took shifts, as one of sisters, in her late 90s, is dying and we didn’t want to overwhelm.  I am glad we had an opportunity to say goodbye, if that’s the case, and to introduce all our kids.

I hope today, other than endless loads of laundry, I can finish the plus quilt and have a little blog reading time!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Wednesday UFO Update

I love finishing a quilt when all the steps go right.

Since I often work with 1.5” pieces, these 3.5”x6.5” bricks felt enormous when I started cutting and sewing the strip sets.  It’s amazing how fast a top comes together with such large pieces.  And now, it’s quilted with prayer words for my friend who is recovering from a TBI.

At one point, I considered mixing up the red and tan prints, but then I realized it could be fun and not too complicated to run them down in diagonal rows.  I like it.

I soaked the backing ahead of time, knowing the red and black fabric, a batik, was highly likely to bleed.  It took quite a bit of soaking to release all the extra dye, so I’m glad I took the time.  When I washed and dried the quilt, I did look for bleeding, but this time, all was right with the world.  It's a comfortable lap size, about 60" x 72".

Now I need to pack it up and ship it away!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #45

I didn’t finish a quilt this week.  It was a matter of three feet of binding, but that will make next week’s stash report all the more lovely.

I did use up three different spools of thread, so now I’m at 26 spools for the year!

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Rainbows of Scraps

Progress is being made.  I quilted last week's flimsy, but it's by my chair waiting for binding attention.  I'll snuggle down in that right after I finish this post.

I've already done my morning duty of attending to our chickens in the 17 F weather.  My pointer finger nails still burn, despite the gloves and winter gear.

Here are most of my churn dashes, ready to piece together,  I've pulled the center squares to work on, so you'll have to wait to see the finished product for a few weeks!  I'm so glad the color balance works out pretty well, despite no replanning.

I also have been piecing together the rows for the Assistant's Plus quilt.  I bungled sewing the rows together after the first two, but I decided I didn't want to rip the rows out so you can see two white blocks touching.  Oh, well.  This is by no means a perfect quilt.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Wednesday's Work in Progress

Ordinarily, I would post about one of my 12 chosen "UFO" projects for the year.  In reality, none of them were UFOs, but patterns or quilts I wanted to make, or collections of fabric that I wanted/needed to use but kept delaying.

Here's my original list:

1. Red and white Ohio star completed 2/20

2. Dragon quilt completed 6/7

3. Aegean Sea completed 10/6

4. Red and green Jared Takes a Wife completed 7/5

5. St. Patrick quilt

6. Rainbow Log Cabin completed 8/3

7. Green and brown fabrics for a boy quilt completed 9/23

8. Baby fat quarters completed 3/19

9. RWB triangles completed 5/20

10. Charm pack completed 1/9

11. Hand pieced hexies

12. Chubby pinwheels

In reality, number 11 was never going to be finished in the space of a year, particularly after I broke my hand and couldn't hold a needle for months.  I think numbers 5 and 12 will be combined into one project.  Right now isn't the time, however.  Other, unplanned, quilts have demanded precedence, I will be working, as part of this challenge, to finish the Assistant's abandoned plus quilt and my friend Emily's quilt.

I have four rows together, and everything else arranged for sewing.  They're a bit tedious to line up since I need to keep turning blocks to make seams nest, but it's exciting to see it finally coming together.  The garnet background fabric is a leftover from dresses I sewed for all the girl cousins when my youngest brother married a few years ago.  It seems to be the gift that keeps on giving, you know, one of those fabrics you keep using and it never disappears?!

I look forward to another list for 2019.  I guess it's already time to begin the list.

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

Stash Report Week #44

I finished the binding on my teal 16-patch last night, so I get to count a finish!  I am only 1 yard away from finally using more than I’ve purchased for the year.  It is possible but unlikely that I will finish another quilt this week, but being so close may be enough to spur me on!

IN this week: 0 yards
OUT this week: 12 yards

IN YTD: 102 1/2 yards
OUT YTD: 101 1/2 yards
YTD Total: 1 yards IN

from the room of Zana’s Ninis,
katie z.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Measured in Inches

How was your sewing week?  With Halloween in the middle, I expect it was out of the ordinary for nearly everyone.

Of my 18 remaining churn dash blocks needed, I made three.  Yup, that's it.

 Instead of finishing those blocks, I finished my red and white bricks into a flimsy, soaked and prepared the backing (yes, it bled profusely), and thought about basting it until I woke up Friday with a sore hand.  I opted for basting next week.

I also soaked my Stained Glass Stars, as I was afraid of the backing on that one too.  It took three bathtubs of water before I was comfortable washing it, but now it's splendid!

The real time-consumer this week was the yards and yards of straight-line quilting on my 16 patch quilt.  I've just begun the binding, hence the "measured in inches."  I'm looking forward to this quilt.  You can see, behind it in the picture, the original 16 patch quilt that lives on my armchair.  Huzzah!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

October Block Count

October was a little slower for blocks, but that's because it's the time of year for flimsies and finished quilts!

I made 20 rows for a brick quilt and 54 16-patches, for 72 blocks.  That brings me a total of 1490 blocks for the year!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.

November Goals

In October, I had hoped to...
1.  Plow through more scraps: trim, cut the star points for the 9 patch and stars quilt, make one 16-patch flimsy, finish the light blue 16-patches, and finished the Stained Glass Stars quilt.  I also want to sort the fabric for the remaining 18 churn dash quilts.  Done, done, done.  

2.  Finished my UFO, Aegean Sea.  Done

3.  Maybe start another quilt?  I did!  It's a flimsy.

In November, I would like to...
1.  Keep scrapping.  I will trim the scrap bucket, finished one 16-patch quilt, finish the churn dash blocks, move the Assistant's scrap project to finished (or at least a flimsy), and cut the wings for the 9 patch and stars quilt.

2.  Finish Emily's quilt.

3.  Cut and begin Nicole's quilt.

4.  Make 8 market bags.

5.  Mending.  I want it done before Christmas decorating and preparations begin at the end of the month!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,
katie z.