APQ UFO Challenge 2020: October and November Finishes

The weeks since my previous post have flown by like a whirlwind! I've been busy painting the bath/wash room, TV-room and part of the staircase. I can't say the reno is completed; a few things are left to be done. The reno has kept me away from sewing and I have enjoyed the break from sewing and doing something else! The Christmas Quilt top is done, that's all the sewing I've done lately. 

During the lock-down (April & May), I was determined to finish as many UFO's as possible. What else to do when you're not allowed to get out, except for grocery shopping twice a week?! Here are a few more finishes.  

This is APQ & Quiltsy Team's UFO challenge #3 (mine #15), November challenge

Another scrappy quilt, a lap quilt size. 

It is made of several 1.5" x 2.5" rectangles and 1.5" squares. Yep, insanity! LOL 

I had to be a bit creative with the back since I didn't have enough of the main fabric.

Some of the strips are fabric from years back, when I started quilting. Fun to work with them again. 

UFO Challenge #6 (mine #3) October challenge

Nurse Wall Hanging

https://www.etsy.com/listing/846910843/quilted-wall-hanging-nurse-wall-decor

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APQ & QUILTSY TEAM UFO CHALLENGE per November 2020  

  

#1 – Log Cabin #1 (my list #13) April – FINISHED!  

#2 – PSQ / Pinwheel Lap Quilt (my list #10) January – FINISHED!   

#3 – Scrappy 2” strips (my list #15) November - FINISHED!  

#4 – Black/White Wall Hanging (my list #7) December – NOT finished  

#5 – Deer Log Cabin TT (my list #17) July – FINISHED - photos missing 

#6 – Nifty Nurses WH (my list #3) October - FINISHED!  

#7 – Log Cabin #3 (my list #18) March – FINISHED!   

#8 – Snowman Village WH (my list #9) August – FINISHED - photos missing  

#9 – Log Cabin #2 (my list #14) February – FINISHED!   

#10 – Snowman Village Attic Window (my list #8) September - partly finished  

#11 – Scrappy 1” squares quilt (my list #16) June - FINISHED!  

#12 – Star batik quilt (my list #12) May – FINISHED! 

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APQ's UFO Challenge 2020 - May Finish

HAPPY SEPTEMBER! How come it's September already? That means we are heading towards summer (this side of the globe) AND Christmas! 

Thank you everyone for your comments on my previous post! I intended to make a few more blocks, but that did not happen. Instead I've made some mug rugs, but that is for another post.

As mentioned earlier, I worked on UFO's during the lock-down.

Here's Quiltsy Team and APQ's UFO Challenge 2020; #12 - May challenge (my UFO list #12)

Scrappy Star Batik Lap Quilt, finished May 3, 2020. The photo is not the best; too much light from the window makes the colors look washed out on the left corner.

I enjoyed working with these bright colors

Closeup of the star

Lots of yummy bright colors! 

For the back I have used a light blue batik.

I can't figure out what the problem was while quilting it; lots of skipped stitches that almost drove me nuts! I tried needles from 75/11 (as I usually use) to 90/14, (I always use a new needle), re-threaded several times, checked thread tension, Masterpiece quilting thread, a bucket with swear words! I'm quite sure the devil was sitting on my shoulder laughing his head off! lol Well, in the end I did finish it! 

Today's question; do you have skipped stitches issues while free motion quilting batik quilts on a domestic machine and how do you solve the problem? My sewing machine is Bernina Aurora 440 QE.

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APQ & QUILTSY TEAM UFO CHALLENGE per September 3, 2020.

#1 - Log Cabin #1 (my list #13) April - FINISHED!

#2 - PSQ / Pinwheel Lap Quilt (my list #10) January - FINISHED!

#3 - Scrappy 2" strips lap quilt (my list #15) ?? - FINISHED! photos missing

#4 - Black/White Wall Hanging (my list #7) 

#5 - Deer Log Cabin TT (my list #17) July - FINISHED! photos missing

#6 - Nifty Nurses WH (my list #3) ?? FINISHED! photos missing

#7 - Log Cabin bed quilt (my list #18) March - FINISHED!

#8 - Snowman village WH (my list #9) August - partly finished

#9 - Log Cabin bed quilt #2 (my list #14) February - FINISHED! 

#10 - Snowman Village WH Attic Window (my list #8) September - partly finished

#11 - Scrappy 1" bed quilt (my list #16) June - FINISHED!

#12 - Star batik lap quilt (my list #12) May - FINISHED! 

My UFO for July is finished as well, yet to take photos.

UFO's for August & September are partly finished. I ordered beads from the UK in July. Still haven't got them due to Covid-19, closed borders and no regular flights. 

HAPPY QUILTING!

 

APQ's UFO Challenge 2020 - April Finish

As I have mentioned earlier, I focused on UFO's during the lock-down. No I-net, dead computer and stuck inside, quilting kept me sane. Thank goodness the sewing machine didn't act up! I didn't feel for taking photos after a quilt was finished and now I have lots to catch up. 

This is Quilty Team and APQ's UFO Challenge 2020; #1 - April challenge (my UFO list #13). 

Full / Double bed size quilt; 79.50 x 95.50 inches / 202 x 242.5 cm  (Pic taken on bed measuring 47 x 79 inches / 120 x 200 cm)

These are log cabin blocks I've been working on since March 2016. Already at that time I had lots of 1.5 inch strips just stored in boxes and no idea what to do with them. 

Log cabin quilts is and will always be my favorite. I had so much fun piecing together these strips. Some of the fabrics are from when I started quilting, in 2005!

No wide backing for this quilt either. I had to put on the thinking cap and came up with this design. I had just enough blocks to add to the back. The yardage is different floral fabrics from my stash that most probably had never been used for anything else. Yeah me using fabric from my stash! 👍

Closeup of the back. 

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APQ & QUILTSY TEAM UFO CHALLENGE LIST per August 17, 2020

#1 - Log Cabin #1 (my list #13) - April FINISHED!

#2 - PSQ / Pinwheel Lap Quilt (my list #10) January FINISHED!

#3 - Scrappy 2" strips (my list #15)

#4 - Black / White Wall Hanging (my list #7)

#5 - Deer Log Cabin TT (my list #17) July

#6 - Nifty Nurses Wall Hanging (my list #3)

#7 - Log Cabin #3 (my list #18) March FINISHED! 

#8 - Snowman Village Wall Hanging (my list #9) August

#9 - Log Cabin #2 (my list #14) February FINISHED!

#10 - Snowman Village WH Attic Window (my list #8)

#11 - Scrappy 1" squares (my list #16) June FINISHED!

#12 - Star Batik Quilt (my list #12) May

My UFO's for May and July are FINISHED as well, I've yet to take photos. 

 

APQ's UFO Challenge 2020 - June Finish

 It's already Tuesday afternoon and a week since my previous post where I posted a sneak peek of a UFO I worked on during the lock-down. 

This is Quiltsy Team's and APQ's UFO Challenge 2020; #11 - June challenge. (My UFO list #16) Twin size quilt. Finished August 6, 2020. 

To create this quilt, I have pieced together 1.5 inch squares to 36-patch and 9-patch blocks. Each block measuring 6 inch square.

 I don't remember exactly when I started cutting and piecing these blocks, it may be back in 2018 or earlier. Madness? Maybe! LOL One suggested 'Covid Madness Quilt', perhaps that's what I'll call it?! 😊 

The idea was to free-motion-quilt it in an allover meandering pattern. After several tries, skipped stitches and lots of swear words, I gave up! I even tried different size needles; from 75/11 (as I usually use) to 90/14, nothing worked! Second attempt was 'stitch-in-the-ditch'. Not a problem, but after two seams on the long side I gave up because I didn't like what I was doing. It did not look nice! (Fun to unpick! NOT!) Third and final attempt was diagonal seams, which made me satisfied! 

This is the back. I didn't have any wide backing and purchasing fabric from the US during the lock-down was out of the question. I put on the thinking cap and after some days I came up with this idea. I had more of the 36-patch blocks and I pulled out some fabrics that have been sitting there 'forever' and I didn't think I was going to use them for anything else. 

Closeup of the back. The pieced blocks on the front and back are the reason why the FMQ didn't work out; it became too thick. It may have worked on a longarm, but not on dear 'Nina'. 

It feels good to have finished this UFO and that I have used scraps and fabric from my stash. I didn't use all the 36-patch blocks I had for this quilt; I have 16 blocks I didn't use. Madness is I'm still making more and can add 8 to the 16; 24 blocks. I have a few ideas, but that has to wait!  

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APQ & QUILTSY TEAM UFO CHALLENGE LIST per August 11, 2020

#1 - Log Cabin #1 (my list #13) - April

#2 - PSQ / Pinwheel Lap Quilt (my list #10) January FINISHED!

#3 - Scrappy 2" strips (my list #15)

#4 - Black / White Wall Hanging (my list #7)

#5 - Deer Log Cabin TT (my list #17) July

#6 - Nifty Nurses Wall Hanging (my list #3)

#7 - Log Cabin #3 (my list #18) March FINISHED! 

#8 - Snowman Village Wall Hanging (my list #9) August

#9 - Log Cabin #2 (my list #14) February FINISHED!

#10 - Snowman Village WH Attic Window (my list #8)

#11 - Scrappy 1" squares (my list #16) June FINISHED!

#12 - Star Batik Quilt (my list #12) May

My UFO's for April, May and July are FINISHED as well, I've yet to take photos. 

  

Another UFO on the table

I hope you all had a great weekend. 

Yesterday (Sunday) was cloudy and gloomy (not better today!), rain in the morning. I didn't go outside the house, except on the porch. Last week came and went. I spent a couple of days cleaning the bedroom. Went through the wardrobe and removed clothes I haven't worn for years. Most of it goes to charity. 

Yesterday morning I finished hand sewing binding on a small table topper/candle mat and two Christmas card holders. (No photos yet). I was pondering what to do next and decided to work on a UFO. Lock-down, no I-net and computer issues, I must admit I've lost a bit track of which UFO's I have finished, since I have yet to take photos.  What I know for sure; the one I'm going to finish, is APQ's UFO Challenge #11 - June challenge! (And this is my original UFO 2020 list, #16).

During the lock-down, I decided to work on UFO's as much as possible. For some years now (can't remember when I started) I have cut 1.5 inch squares from leftover fabric and when I had enough, sew the tiny squares into 36-patch blocks. I also made some 9-patches. Yep, I know; insanity! LOL 

I have this part left to thread baste. 

You may wonder why I prefer to thread baste? I have had too many oopsies (puckers on the back) with pins only that I prefer to take the time it takes to thread baste. Actually it doesn't take much time! :) 

Here's a sneak peek of the back. I didn't have any wide backs so after putting the 'thinking cap' on for awhile, I decided to use more of the 36-patch blocks and fabric from my stash that have been there forever! Not sure how I'm going to quilt it; either straight seams or just meandering FMQ. 

APQ and QUILTSY TEAM UFO Challenge March Finish

APQ & QUILTSY Team's UFO Challenge for March 2020 is #7,

....and mine is FINISHED!

Twin Quilt, measuring 70 x 91 inches / 177 x 231 cm

It was an easy finish, so to say; the top was already done and I had the backing fabric and batting. I finished it the first week this month, but didn't get around to take photos until a couple of days ago. Lots of rain and gloomy days lately, not the best weather for photographing.

I love scrappy quilts more and more. I had so much fun rediscovering 'old' fabric, some from when I started quilting 15 years ago. (Gasp! Is it really that long ago?!) 

It's a fun 'I spy' (Eye Spy) quilt, where kids can look for objects that are difficult to spot from a distance. Do you see the cats? The Eiffel Tower? The baubles? Sliced bananas? 

If you are a scrap quilter, don't you just love all those different fabrics that has a history? 

When I saw this fabric, I knew I had to buy it for this quilt! It fits so very well a log cabin quilt! I love it! The disadvantage is it is not a wide backing, which I prefer. (Wide backings make my life easier!) I had to add two lengths together. I have machine sewn the binding to the back, to avoid putting stress to my not so good elbow. 

This is what is left of the backing fabric; some 2", 2.5" squares and some 1.5" strips. Already cut and stored in boxes for a future scrappy quilt. :) 

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APQ & QUILTSY TEAM UFO CHALLENGE per March 2020

#1 – Log Cabin #1 (my list #13)

#2 – PSQ / Pinwheel Lap Quilt (10) FINISHED!

#3 – Scrappy 2” strips (15)

#4 – Black/White Wall Hanging (7)

#5 – Deer Log Cabin TT (17)

#6 – Nifty Nurses WH (3)

#7 – Log Cabin #3 (18) FINISHED!

#8 – Snowman Village WH (9)

#9 – Log Cabin #2 (14) FINISHED!

#10 – Snowman Village Attic Window (8)

#11 – Scrappy 1” squares (16)

#12 – Star batik quilt (12)

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MY UFO LIST per March 17, 2020 

#1 - Got the Blues

#2 - Irish Chain in blue and white

#3 - Nifty Nurses Wall Hanging

#4 - Scrappy Flannel Quilt

#5 - Lap Quilt

#6 - Scrappy Christmas Quilt

#7 - Scrappy Black and White Wall Hanging

#8 - Snowman Wall Hanging / Attic Window

#9 - Snowman Village Wall Hanging

#10 - PSQ / Pinwheel Lap Quilt - FINISHED!

#11 - Advent Calendar - FINISHED!

#12 - Scrappy Star Quilt batik

#13 - Log Cabin #1

#14 - Log Cabin #2 – FINISHED!

#15 - Scrappy 2 inch strips

#16 - Scrappy 1 inch squares

#17 - Deer Log Cabin Table Topper

#18 - Log Cabin #3 – FINISHED!

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HAPPY (UFO) QUILTING!