RSC - GREEN for March, February UFO Finish

Happy March!

How come it's March already?! Many of you are waiting for spring. Living on the Southern hemisphere, I'm waiting for 'winter in Mauritius'! 'Winter' here does not mean snow, it means the cold season. Beginning April the days are getting cooler. One more month to go, can't wait!

RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) color this month is GREEN

Do I have green? Ha-Ha! Silly question of course!

Update: Approximately 30 yards! 

What do I do with green? My goal is to use up as much as possible. Just got a bright idea to make a bed quilt for the little girl's (to whom I made the pink quilt) brother. I may not do the same D9P pattern, rather a 'rail fence'. I got so inspired by Cynthia over at Quilting is more fun than Housework, admiring several of her Rail Fence quilts.  

A dear friend has ordered two pillow cases in green and brown, hope to get them done this month.

A Christmas UFO I would like to finish. This is UFO #14 on my UFO list.

Any progress on your UFOs? 

I've not been working on UFOs so far this year as I intended to. However, I do have one finished UFO for February:

This is my UFO #13 - UFO list 2023

It was an easy finish. I ran out of Superior quilting thread and had to purchase online. Shipping is slow and when it arrived, it was passed the Advent Season. Well, now I can say it is done in time for this year's Advent Season!

Off to measure green fabric yardage!

HAPPY GREEN MONTH!

Linking up with Angela and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) 2023  
 

RSC Week #3 - Not much Done...

 The Blue Month continues

RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge, hosted by Angela

Not much has been done on the blues since I'm still waiting for 'Nina' to return from the Spa. It has been one week now, I just have to practice patience! UGH!

Update Saturday: 'Nina' has got the green light to return home! YEAH!

While waiting...  

...another blue UFO popped up while I was looking for something else!

I had completely forgotten this one. I know why it was put aside; the backing intended for it was used on two placemats (custom order) and I didn't bother looking for replacement at that time. I was searching through my stash some days ago, chose a yellow solid, and green leaves from the same fabric line. It will be just enough for the back and sleeve.

Look what I found in the embroidery box! 

'Bits of Blues' by Plum Pudding Needleart

Stitching on 28ct Pearl Linen, using #7037 'Freedom' from The Gentle Art

If you have read my previous posts, I've said I won't start anything new, rather work on UFOs. Well, now that 'Nina' is still at the Spa, I've sorted some of my fabrics and searched the net for scrappies free patterns. With all those tempting patterns, I ended up with three choices (from Fat Quarter Shop). 'Swirling Stars Quilt', 'Star Streams' and 'Brick House'. You may not be surprised if I say I'd love to make them all for the RSC! 

My first choice is 'Star Streams'. 

I love it because it has a variety of six star blocks and the step blocks. Since January is the blue (dark and bright blues) month, I've cut blue fabric for three different stars. Aren't they pretty in blues? 

1) Fair and Square Star block

2) Pinwheel Star block

3) Cross Star block

My head is spinning! Make the entire quilt in blues and white? Do another one for the RSC?

Decision! Decision!

Linking up with Angela and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2023

While waiting for 'Nina'....

 ...to return from the Spa....

The Scrappy Pineapple Quilt (UFO #3) is thread basted

Snowman Wall Hanging (UFO #18) is thread basted

I have another UFO (the NYB quilt) to be sandwiched. Two pieces of the backing fabric has to be pieced together

I borrowed MIL's vintage Singer. We are not sure how old the machine is, she bought it in 1956, the year she got married. Actually it was a gift from her late husband. 

We have tried all day trying to set the thread tension right. MIL came to rescue, but no way is it possible to get it right. I think next step is to change the needle to a lower number and adjust the bobbin a bit. 

Update: That didn't work either and my patience has expired! lol 

I have to wait for 'Nina' to return.

I have two FINISHED UFOs; 

'Winter Wonderland' (LHN) 

and

'Through the Woods' (LHN)

I struggled doing the French Knots on the snowmen. I don't know how many times I redid them, in the end they look OK enough. 

Yesterday I pulled out another stitchery. I think I bought the pattern in 2008 or 2009

Crabapple Hill Studio; Over the River and Through the Woods

At the end of 2010 I went to Norway and while there I bought fabrics in reds, browns and creams for the blocks. Take a look here, photos from the quilt shop in Oslo.

I don't know if I should call it a UFO since I've not done any preparation, except buying fabrics and embroidery floss?! But that is prep also, isn't it? Yes, I think it is a UFO! lol

This is why it has been stored in the closet all these years; tracing the pattern on to the fabric! I don't have a lightbox and I dreaded taping it all to the window for best light. Yesterday I decided to give it another try, and to my excitement I was able to trace it without taping it to the window! 

I'm using Moda Marbles - I think it is 'cream' - for the background. The fabric is thin enough to see the pattern underneath. I cut the pattern (it came in one big folded sheet) into each section, taped it to the top on the long buffet (in front of a window), then taped the fabric over and traced the pattern without any problem at all! YEAH! 

Next step is the iron on the stabilizer. I bought it in Norway too and I have no clue what it is called. It's loosely woven with glue on one side. 

I'm using overdyed floss from ThreadWorx for the stitchery; rustic brown cherry. Isn't that floss yummy?! 

This project is not done in a jiffy, it measures 51.5 x 57.5 inches / 131 x 146 cm. The goal is getting it done in time for Christmas. Let's see how that works out! 

We are in for rainy weather / possible cyclone (current status from JTWC: tropical cyclone, yet to be named) for the rest of the week. Perfect weather staying inside and stitch!

RSC Week #2 - Blues Updates

 It's the Blue month.

RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge, hosted by Angela 

I have not started anything new. I have 3 blue UFO's I hope to finish this year (previous post). I'm determined to work on those - until I get fed up with them! LOL Well, I hope that won't happen, because I love blues. 

The last week I have worked on 'I've got the Blues'. 

I've made 3 split star blocks (total 5)

 and 1 log cabin block (total 5).

I have cut all the dark blue and part of the light blue for the remaining 23 split star blocks. Some strips in both colors are cut for the log cabin blocks too. I don't have a good variety of light blues. In spite of being on strict fabric diet this year, I've ordered a blue fat quarter bundle (17 FQ's) from the UK (Because I need more light blues to finish this quilt!). It's on sale too, lucky me! It should arrive beginning February, depending on Royal Mail's backlog from the strikes last year. Not sure if they are still on strike, anyone knows?  

Dear 'Nina' (my Bernina 440 QE) went to the SPA Thursday (this week), expected to return home by next week. Servicing is long overdue, I think last time was 2017! YIKES! Lately I've noticed the stitches are a bit uneven and thread tension seems not  to stay where it's set. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious, just a proper cleaning / servicing! 

As you may know; I hate making plans, because they always fail! What I want to do while 'Nina' is at the Spa, is to prepare the flimsies for quilting. Since the RSC color for this month is blue, I'll start with the Irish Chain quilt. This is how it looked Thursday morning.

And this morning (Saturday); thread basting done! 

Next up is the scrappy pineapple flimsy

...and the New York Beauty flimsy. 

I just pulled out the backing for this one, but realized I have to add two pieces together to get it wide enough. So, how do I do that without Dear 'Nina'?! MIL next door may come to rescue with her vintage Singer! 

Linking up with Angela and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2023

It's that time of the year; to attack UFO's!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 

 So, here we go again! UFO's! 

2022 was not a good year for me to finish UFO's. Out of 15 UFO's, I finished 2 only; an Advent Calendar (waited for thread) and a vegetable wall hanging. Actually I loved those fabrics so much that I used it all up! Click here to see the items I made. After I finished these, I totally lost interest and haven't touched the UFO's. I hope 2023 will be a better year to finish some at least. 

I'm joining APQ UFO CHALLENGE 2023

Update: APQ's January challenge is #3

...the second UFO I finished in 2022 is the Advent Calendar #13. It seems like there's always something with those calendars, because I have another one that is not done. For the already finished one, I ran out of fabric for backing, sleeve and binding. Easy-peasy to finish.

For this one, 1/4 left to quilt when I ran out of quilting thread. More on the way. 

Cross-stitching

Knitting/crocheting

I'm not really that bad?! I've added 3 new Quilt UFO's and 2 Cross-Stitching UFO's to the list last year (2022)! There may be others hiding, out of sight - out of mind! 

UFO's to finish 2023

1) Basket Quilt

2) Scrappy 4" 

3) Pineapple Quilt (top done) 

4) Crumb Quilt

5) Irish Chain blue & white (top done) 

6) Got the Blues

7) Poppies Wall Hanging black & white

8) Flannel Quilt Scrappy

9) New York Beauty (top done)

10) Postage Stamp blocks 2.5"

11) Wedding Ring Quilt

12) Scrappy Christmas Stars

13) Advent Calendar Woodland

14) Christmas Card Holder

15) Gnome Quilt

16) Granny Square Quilt Moda Marbles

17) House Quilt (Dwellings) Moda Marbles

18) Snowman WH

Cross-Stitching

19) Through the Woods LHN (cross stitch)

20) Winter Wonderland LHN (cross stitch)

Knitting / Crocheting

21) Shawl (knitting)

22) Open Finger Gloves (knitting)

23) Santa (knitting)

24) Gnome (knitting)

25) Bed Cover/Tablecloth (knitting) 

26) Granny Squares blanket (crochet)

WISH ME GOOD LUCK! lol