Drop and Give Me Twenty - Wrap Up

Ok I think I did something sewing related every day last month.  Some days were pretty short and I'm not sure I got a full 20 minutes done, but most days were more than the 20.  Here is what I did on the last week.

On Sunday I got Sharla's first t-shirt quilt loaded onto the frame.  Both the top and back as well as the batting.  I also wound my bobbins and loaded the thread, oiled the machine and tested my tension.  I really wanted to start quilting it Sunday night, but I was tired.

Then on Monday I got it quilted.  It was a much smaller quilt than the other ones I've been doing, so it went quickly...well relatively quickly.  I did have some thread issues, and I'm not sure why.  I think it might be going from the t-shirt material to the cotton and back.  I did do loops on this one instead of the meander. Which was fun.

I also finished my Trails End quilt top on Monday.  I had pieced part of the rows last week and just needed to get the last couple of rows sewn and it all put together.  

Tuesday I got the quilt trimmed, and the binding cut, but that was it.  I got busy doing other things and didn't even get a photo that day.  On Wednesday I sewed the binding and got it pressed.  I have to say I am really liking my June Tailor binding express. It does make the ironing easier.

Thursday night was a made binding night. I attached the binding to the back and the front.  I do it by machine, because I hate hand work.  I had already created the label last week, but screwed up on cutting it, so I had to play with it a little to make it work.

And here it is all done.  Over all I've very happy with the progress I made this month doing the DaGMT.  I have quilted 4 quilts and pieced two tops.  And that doesn't include the ironing and organizing of fabric that I did as well.  

DaGMT Update

Happy Sunday everyone, I'm a little late with my update, but it has been a busy week.  Ok maybe not real busy, but busy.  I am happy to say that I did get in my 20 minutes every day this week.  I can see the benefit of sewing everyday, but boy is it hard to fit it in everyday.

On Saturday of last week I put together the backing for the Diagonal Squares quilt, I sewed it and ironed it. I was pretty tired, so I just left it at that for the day.

Last Sunday I got the back and top of Diagonal Squares loaded onto the frame.  I watched the Handiquilter webinar last weekend and it recommended putting the top/back over the back of the machine as you roll and that really did work so much better. It takes about 30-45 minutes to load the top and back, depending on how big each one is.  So I try to load the night before so I can start quilting in the morning when I'm fresh.

Monday I started the quilting.  This quilt was longer than the ones I've been doing, so it took more time. I was whooped by the time I finished quilting it, but I'm very happy with the results. I am still working on all over meander, and slowly mastering it.

On Tuesday I was busy, so I didn't get as much done as I would have liked.  But I did get the quilt trimmed, and the binding cut.  I probably would have gotten more done, but I kept debating on which fabric to use for the binding.  I ended up using the same fabric as the backing.

By the time I got off work on Wednesday I was tired, but I did manage to get the binding sewn and the label made. I am loving using the corner label because it means no hand sewing which I really dislike!!! I also got a couple rows of my Trails End top pieced together.

Thursday was a mad binding night. I sewed both the front and the back to get the quilt done!!  I sew both sides on the machine.  Again because I don't like to hand sew, but also because I want the binding to hold up to lots of washings, with three dogs in the house, everything gets washed a lot.

Friday nights are probably the hardest for me to get sewing done. I just want to veg out in front of the TV and do nothing.  But I was good and I got the next pieces for the test quilt done. Working with such large pieces is hard for me, because I struggle to sew a straight line. On small pieces isn't too bad but on these big pieces I really see it.

I was determined to finish the test quilt, so Saturday after work I sat down and sewed and sewed and sewed until it was complete.  I can't show you the top yet, because I don't have permission from the designer, but I'm hoping to reveal it to you soon.

I also did some ironing of fabrics and played with picking out fabrics for my next quilt.  Which is also a test quilt for another designer. She approached me and I'm very excited to get started on it.  I have to get the back pieced for one of our old t-shirt quilts because that is what I want to quilt tomorrow. Hopefully I will get lots done to show you at the end of the week.

GYB Party Winner and DaGMT update

OK first random.org has helped me pick a winner for my Grow Your Blog Giveaway and it was

lucky number 6, aka Gina.  I've sent her an email so I can get her goodies into the mail as soon as possible. I also want to thank everyone who stopped by and commented and started following me. GYB Party was lots of fun and I know I found lots of cool blogs to follow.

Now lets see what I've done this week on my DaGMT project.  I've done 20 minutes everyday this week...OK maybe Friday was a little less, but I did do something and the other days were more.  To start was last Saturday and I counted my time shopping for thread.  Now I can say I love shopping for thread almost as much as shopping for fabric.  There is just something fun about it.  We got ten cones, and the only duplicate is the Parchment which is just a basic cream and good for so many things. I think my favorite is the Dusky Purple, but that Hot Pink is very pretty too.

On Sunday I got my Skipping Squares back and top loaded onto the long arm frame.  I try to load at night so that I can start quilting in the morning without being tired from getting it all loaded.

Monday was a mad quilting day.  I finished quilting, then got the binding made, label made and got it bound. I was so focused on it, that I was late picking Sharla up from work.  I have to admit I love the backing on this one.  I used the Signature Parchment thread, and it just blends beautifully.

Tuesday I cut out and ironed fabric for a quilt that I am testing for a designer.  I have to admit when I started cutting my nerves really got the best of me.  I was really afraid that I wouldn't do the pattern justice.  For those of you who know me personally this probably surprises you because I don't come off as a fearful person, but after cutting I just couldn't make myself start sewing.

Now those colors my look familiar, but they are different fabrics than the Skipping Squares.  Well those fabrics are different, but I decided to used the fabric from the backing as the center square on the test quilt, because I love it so much. So the colors are very similar.

On Wednesday I made myself start sewing.  The test quilt is a very over sized block quilt and the first step is do to some very large flying geese blocks.  I did the 4 required, and two came out good and two not so good.  But I was tired and didn't want to try and fix anything when I wasn't at my best.

Thursday night I came in and fixed (to the best of my ability) the two bad blocks and then assembled them with the center and side pieces.  I'm only showing you a partial of the block, since this is a test quilt for a designer, I don't want to reveal it until she says we can. Working with big pieces does make the quilt go together very fast.  

Then last night I trimmed up the backing for my JoAnn's red/brown quilt. I pieced the top last year from a couple of kits Sharla bought me in 2008.  But I had no backing, so off to the store I went.  I found this fabric that has some of the colors in it, and I just love.  I'm going to be quilting it with Signature's Persian Red.  I'm hoping to get the back pieced tonight and maybe even loaded onto the frame.

Overall I'm very happy with the progress I've made this week. I am hoping to get lots accomplished next week as well.  I am finding that doing as little as 20 minutes a day does really help progress things forward. And hopefully I will have lots more to show you next week as well.

DaGMT Update

Ok we've had the first 7 days of Drop and Give Me Twenty and so far I've been very successful.  I've done some type of sewing/quilting related activity every day. Some more productive than others, but I'm just happy that I've gotten something done each day.

The first which was Saturday, I spent my time piecing the back for the coral paisley quilt and ironing it and the top so they were ready to load.  I was quite shocked at the seams on the top, but it was pieced in 2008 and my skills have improved some (not a lot, but some).  The top was also really wrinkled since it had been sitting in a tub for several years. I do love a freshly pressed top and back.  :)

On the 2nd which was Sunday and Superbowl Sunday., I loaded the top and back of the coral paisley quilt onto my Handiquilter frame.  It took about 45 minutes, because I loaded the top wrong and didn't realize it at first.  I had to undo it and re-load it. I'm getting better, it normally only takes me about 30 minutes to load the top and back.  I use Red Snappers which makes the process oooh so much easier!!!!

When the game got boring, I just had to find something else to do.  So I started folding fabric.  We bought a lot of fabric when our local JoAnn's was moving and they closed out everything in their old store.  It had been sitting in a big box and I wanted to get it folded and onto my fabric book case. This is only a small section of the fabric, but I felt good about getting something accomplished.

On Monday I quilted the coral paisley quilt.  It took well over my 20 minutes, but it was great getting it done. And what was even better was I really loved how the quilting looked.  It's not perfect, but I am seeing a real improvement, which is what I want.  

Because I took a long lunch with a friend, I didn't feel up to trimming it, so that was for Tuesday the 4th.  I trimmed it, made the binding, made the label and bound it.  Now this took a while, but I have to admit, I'm starting to like binding.  Not the actual process, but the idea that the quilt is almost done.

And it is done!!!!!!  I can honestly say, I love finishing quilts.  The sense of accomplishment is great, but also the feeling of wrapping it around you, is just wonderful.  I love my Handiquilter, because it makes this all possible.

On Wednesday the 5th (which was Sharla's birthday), we had lunch out, and then I pieced the backing for the Skipping Squares quilt.  The fabrics for this quilt where some we bought at JoAnn's, but I didn't have anything that would look good as the back.  So I went and found some that had the right colors in it.  I had to wash, press and piece the backing as well as press the top. I love the colors in this quilt, the blues, yellows and tans are just so spring like and we need that with all this cold weather.

So now we are on Thursday, which was the toughest day so far.  I was very very very tired and really didn't want to do anything.  I did fold some more fabric, and have it almost all folded.  Then I decided I needed to get my Trails End quilt up onto the design wall.  The problem with that is it is very hard to photograph and once it was up I really didn't like any of my layouts.  I finally just snapped this photo and said I would play with it more later. I didn't turn on enough lights so it is a sucky picture, but I got my 20 minutes in for the day.

And that brings us to Friday, the 7th.  While watching the opening ceremonies for the Olympics, I pull all the quilt tops I could find, and matched them to the backing fabric.  I know of at least 3 that are still packed somewhere.  But then Sharla and I went through the tops and several of our todo projects to see if we had thread to quilt them with or not.  We plan on going to the store to buy thread today and since it is a little far away, we wanted to get samples of as many projects as possible.  The only way to get on our to buy list was to have the top and backing fabric or all of the fabric and backing fabric for the project.  I think we have about 10 projects where we need thread.  The rest we were able to use from our stash of thread. Now this photo might look like a mess, but it is really a good thing.  Backing fabric is right next to completed tops.  So there is organization that isn't quite view-able.

So that is my first week of Drop and Give Me Twenty.  Overall I'm very satisfied with what I got done.  I know without the challenge that I wouldn't have gotten most of the fabric folded, the Trails End quilt onto my design wall or even all the tops and backing fabrics matched.  Could I have done more, sure, but I'm ok with where I am. 

DaGMT 2014

No I'm not cussing at you, I'm committing to Drop and Give Me Twenty 2014 at Quilting Hottie Haven.  Now that may sound like an exercise program, but I've not gone that far out on a limb.  No I'm committing to 20 minutes every day of sewing/quilting stuff for the month of February.  To participate I have to pledge to the program and here is my pledge.

I, Shauna Trueblood, the owner of way too many unfinished projects, do commit to sewing/quilting activities for twenty minutes a day, for the entire month of February even if that means I don't cook, clean or do anything else productive (wait I don't cook or clean now, but we will just skip over that issue). In doing so I hope to quilt at least 4 quilts, piece at least one top, debone a bag of shirts for some memory quilts and organize my fabric stash in hopes that someday my list of UFOs won't contain over 50 items.  I think Beth Helfter is brilliant for coming up with this concept and inspiring me to join.

So if you have a list of UFO's feel free to join in and possibly win a prize.  You can check it all out at Drop and Give Me Twenty 2014.