Wonderful Wednesday - Summer UFO Club - {FINISH!!!}

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  I'm here to let you in on some exciting news...

I have a finish.

An actual UFO finish!

My first finish for the Summer 2019 (Ravelry) UFO Club:

The driveway shot of The Artist's Palette:

I had helpers on hand for the photo shoot...

G held one side of the quilt, while I held the other:

DS1 was the man behind the camera...

... And he was prepared to capture what would come next:

I hatched a plan when G first saw the quilt.  Even though it was SUPPOSED to be MY new quilt, I saw a sparkle in his eyes as he viewed the completed quilt top.  I felt the need to gift it to him.  He is an art major.  He expressed enthusiasm for the quilt at every stage of the game.  The black (and white) background is one of his favorites and the pops of color spoke to his artistic side.

Unbeknownst to him, he chose the backing for his own quilt:

Photo Currently Unavailable!!!

I texted DS1 from the quilt store, but didn't reach him.  Upon forwarding the message to G, I got an immediate response!  ALL of the choices would work well.

It's a gift for this very special young man:

SEW much joy shone on his face:

He got his hugs and a quilt, too:

Getting a good look at the cats...

... And another look at the front of the quilt:

He even helped fold the quilt:

Happy (College) Graduation and best of luck in Grad School!!!

Sadly, after the photo shoot, it was back to the sewing machine...

... As there was a(nother) tension problem discovered when I was finishing the binding.  :o((

Even worse, it took TWO nights to finish the job.  Alas, it is done.  The quilt was returned to G today.  Moving day!  Nothing like waiting til the LAST minute to get something done.

I think the quilt was trying to make me hate it so that I could give it away.  I really LOVE this quilt!  However, the quilt's new owner loves it, too.  That makes the giving SEW worthwhile!

Thank you to Gayle for sharing the majority of these Fossil Fern bright scraps with me.  Because of your generosity, only had to cut into a few of the pieces in my own collection of FQs.  There are enough scraps remaining for another quilt (which I'll be starting soon.)

Sharing with Finally Finished...

@ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Also sharing with Oh Scrap!
@ Quilting is more fun than Housework

Until next time...
Finish a favorite!!!

Mail Call Monday - Scrap Club Style

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  When I got home last Saturday, Mr. Basket asked if I had brought in the mail.  I hadn't, so he went to see what was in the box.  What he found included a package for me.  Yes.  I ordered it and paid for it, but STILL!!  It's always exciting to get mail (that's NOT a bill.)

Anyway...

That package arrived from Tea @ Tea Quilts:

She must do Instagram now, as her blog hasn't been updated in quite a long time.  Sorry, Tea!  I wasn't able to include a link, since I didn't have one.  :o((

What was inside the mailer, Joyful???

This little bundle of joy:

It was a newly released Kevin the Quilter Scrap Club t-shirt:

I unfolded it to get a better look:

Here I am modeling it (and waiting for Kevin to arrive!)  He will be along shortly:

Oh, WAIT!!!


I guess I better go change clothes...  Since he won't be here until April of 2020!!  LOL!!

Hey, Kevin!  I'm SEW looking forward to your trip to The Triangle area next year:

In the meantime, this is Kevin with his friend, Ree:

Move over, Ree!  In April 2020, this will be ME!!!

If you are in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina area the third week of April next year, plan on stopping by.  Kevin will speaking at my Quilt Guild that Monday evening and will be teaching his Goodnight, Darlene Class the day before the meeting.

NOTE:  Even though Kevin hosted Scrap Club for All this Summer, when I loaded these pictures, I realized that the shirt that I got doesn't actually have the Scrap Club logo on it.  I'm sad.  :o((

No worries, Tea!  I'll get over it... Eventually!!!

I'm already planning to wear it Guild in a few weeks.  It can't hurt to begin advertising Kevin's upcoming visit, can it?

Until next time...
Good things come in small-ish packages!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC19 - Week 30

Welcome to Week 30 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  Participants work on our fabric scraps one color at a time.  Angela is our host (So Scrappy blog) and she called for PINK during the month of July.  I've been working on them between other projects.

Let's see how the RSC Color of the Month wound its way through the past seven days...

SUNDAY - I took some time to balance out the completed columns of my (long neglected) Wedding Tee Quilt.  There was a BIT of disparity between them:

Nothing that a little nip and tuck couldn't take care of:

Now, three-fifths of the quilt top is ready for assembly:

Oh!  What the heck!!  I've come this far...

I might as well sew them together...

There!! I pressed them, too.  That's really starting to look more like a quilt top:

Now, there are only (portions of) TWO columns left to tweak:

(Instead of working out a plan for the final two columns of the
T-quilt) I practiced some avoidance behaviors by quilting this small donation quilt:

In addition to all that, I also released a new edition of Sew Some Love Sunday.  Whew!  I'm exhausted.

MONDAY - On again, off again.  Another hour of ripping and the Pecking Order quilt is back on the frame.  I attempted to balance the tension (again!) so that I could start quilting.

Alas, I'm having the same trouble as I had before.  I think it's time to toss that bobbin and try another.  I even installed a BRAND NEW bobbin case to see if that might be the culprit.  MAYBE that will help!  (Or... maybe not.)

At some point during the day, I released a new edition of Mail Call Monday.  If YOU like scraps, you may want to go have a look!

TUESDAY - I met a friend for coffee this morning.  This evening, I made another attempt at balancing the tension on the longarm.  It really makes NO SENSE!!  I just used the machine on Sunday and the tension wasn't too bad.  Sigh...

Today, I released a new edition of Tidy Up Tuesday.  I suppose it could have been a Sew Some Love Sunday post, but since the project spanned several months, this is where I felt it fit best.

WEDNESDAY - Today was filled with quilting and a visit from one of my favorite people.  At least, that was the plan.

Here's what REALLY happened...

I took care of some miscellaneous housekeeping chores, did a bit of sewing, and enjoyed a (short) visit from a DIFFERENT favorite person.  The originally expected guest had a change of plans, but I'll see her over the weekend.  :o))

I also quilted my Pecking Order quilt:

AND... I released a new edition of Wonderful Wednesday.

THURSDAY - I spent the day with friends, but the evening was devoted to deciding on the binding for my Pecking Order quilt.  Oh!  And I did some sewing, too:

While I was chatting with friend earlier in the day, Kevin the Quilter was busy posting the 2nd clue of his Mystery.

FRIDAY - It's pizza night at our house.  We're meeting DS1 and his roommate at our "usual" spot.  I've got some hugs to give before G moves to Virginia for Grad School... QUILTED hugs, of course:

SATURDAY - Week 30 has come to a close.  LINK PARTY day has arrived!!  Head over to So Scrappy and take a look at the PINK progress. 

I'm not sure when I'll be able to catch up with the RSC Quilters.  Today is a travel day.  Tomorrow is another.  I'll be thinking PINK thoughts!  :o))

Until next time...
Get SCRAPPY!!!

Wonderful Wednesday - 3rd Qtr. Owners Group

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  I'm here to share some photos from last week's quarterly APQS Play Date at Thread Waggle Quilting in Raleigh.  I really SHOULD be quilting, but The Beast (my machine) threw a temper tantrum last night!  I have a call into the shop, but haven't heard back, yet.

Me, sitting in front of Claudia Pfeil's incredible silk quilt hanging in the background, waiting for my turn at Show and Tell:

Mac and Carolyn brought plants for 4 lucky attendees:

Debbie showed her class quilt from a workshop with Claudia Pfeil at Thread Waggle Quilting:

Debbie's family block swap challenge quilt:

You can see Judy's version on the left in the photo (of a photo) below:

A close-up of Debbie's class quilt:

Edie has been busy:

She makes such bold quilts and here is another stunning example:

LOOK at her clever use of a border print:

Carolyn and one of her "quilt starters" made using her scraps:

This quilt began with Bonnie Hunter's FREE pattern Bricks & Stepping Stones:

 If I'm remembering correctly, this was made from a Quilt of Valor kit from Capital Quilters Guild in Raleigh:

Carolyn customized this "quilt starter" by adding the expectant mom's nursery theme on the border (and backing.)  She will add a machine embroidered label once the baby has arrived:

Her love of Halloween is revealed in the next two quilts, one small:

The other a bit larger and still unquilted:

Here is a closer look at the jack-o'-lanterns:

Dwayne's first quilt off the rails of his NEW longarm:

I can't recall where he said the pattern came from, but the barn  SEW makes this quilt:

I had to get a closer look:

Dwayne also brought this Christmas quilt top:

Carolyn has been keeping Mac busy with Donation Quilts of one variety or another:

SEW many quilts...

... That I couldn't...

... Keep up with which was for whom:

I'm pretty sure that the large lap quilts are for their granddaughter's Silent Auction at school:

Expanded panels work well for these quilts...

... And Carolyn is learning to use the machine, too:

Sara brought a bag of thread to share.  (Thank you!!)  I took this lovely green cone, perfect (in my mind) for any number of projects:

Judy has been busy quilting:

More Flying Geese:

Scraps!!  Take a look at those big, beautiful pebbles:

She included a pocket from the baby's great (great?) grandfather, among other family fabrics:

This amazing quilt wouldn't fit in Claudia's (Pfeil) luggage on her way back to Germany, so Angela has it on display in the shop:

Masterful quilting:

Couched circles:

IMPROV piecing:

Millie30 is quilting out the last row of this quilt to prepare Angela for today's Quilt Path demo:

Carolyn was wearing a fun quilty shirt:

This was Angela's class quilt from Claudia's 2019 visit:

This quilting sample is from Claudia's 2018 visit...

... As was this one:

Stitching out the border, prior to turning the quilt:

Preparing the quilt for turning is faster with 6 hands at work:

Turning the quilt is (apparently) MUCH faster than doing the math and rolling it to quilt out borders aligned vertically:

This shot is for my friend Helena:

Millie30 is stitching out the (now) top border, after which, Angela will roll to the (now) bottom of the quilt, stitch that border.  With trimming and binding, the quilt will be DONE months ahead of schedule: 

Zippers facilitate the turning process:

 I took a shot of the proper positioning of the tension area, as a reference for my (mechanically disinclined) self:

Until next time...
Convene for quilting!!