Two Finishes This Week!

Finally! I'm getting some projects completed. I've been working consistently, but there are lots of steps in the quilts I need to have done by May. T-shirt Quilt number one for my friend Nancy's daughter is COMPLETELY done. The last stitch on the binding was done yesterday afternoon. 

The rag quilt that I've worked on between projects is DONE, Too. For years, I've wanted to do a Just For You Quilt, the donation quilt project of the Gwinnett Quiter's Guild. This is the year. I pulled blue and brown flannel fabric from my stash. I was thinking of a quilt for an older child. I think my son, Michael wanted it. He was asking who it was made for. That's a good sign that another teenage boy might like it too. 

I'm working on sewing the binding on Michael's T-shirt quilt. After that is done, I can work on any project that I want!!!! Yes! Now, what project......

Saturday Sisters

Tomorrow is my sewing group day!!!!  Our group is called Sisters or Saturday Sisters and it is organized through a local quilt shop. I'm getting excited about spending the day with my quilting friends. I've been trying to decide which project to take. We talk and laugh all day long so it can't be a project that I really need to be able to concentrate (like the border for Orange Crush). I've pulled two project boxes. One is a project that uses lots of neutral fabrics. It's a pattern from McCall's Quilting magazine. My friend Brenda at The Quilting Cowgirl made one that I loved.  I need to cut the blocks and begin sewing. I'm thinking of using it for a Christmas gift if I can part with it. It looks easy to construct. The other project is Bloomin' Rose again from McCall's Quilting Magazine. I have blocks from a swap on Pat Sloan's Yahoo Group several Summers ago. My blocks have a green background instead of yellow like in the picture.  I'll put them both in my van. I'll decide tomorrow which one to work on.

Wednesday was a Quiltaton Day on Judy L.'s blog Patchwork Times. I moved around my dog Rusty's annual visit to the vet so that I could sew most of the day. I was able to complete a flannel rag quilt for a graduation gift. I used the school colors of her future college, burgundy and gold. It will be hard to part with this quilt. I love the colors. The flannel is sooo soft. The best thing is that this is another project I can check off my list. It's another F.I.U. or Finish it up. It is Done!

In the Wrong Direction?

Judy L. has a place on her blog for weekly stash busting updates (using stash versus adding to stash). This past week she asked readers what their goal was in stashbusting. My goal is to complete  the quilt tops that I have already started. I have fabric in plastic bins or bags with the pattern and everything needed to complete the quilt. I even have backings for some of them. Most are  abandoned U.F.O's. My goal is to complete at least one a month. That would give me 12 completed quilts in a year. This year I have already completed  five quilt tops. I don't have any problems once the top is pieced. I have it quilted and add binding without it sitting for too long. At some point, I'd love to do my own quilting, but I would need lots more time to practice machine quilting. Something to look forward to when I retire. My goal then is to complete more of the actual quilt tops.

Last week while on Spring Break, I visited two different quilt shops. I purchased the fabric that I needed for a graduation rag quilt. I needed more flannel in bugundy and kaiki. Here are the pieces that I found at Tiny Stitches in Marietta.   That's 5 yards added. That was fabric needed to complete a project.

I also made a road trip to Sweet Home in Conyers. I found a neutral piece on sale. I added to my red, white and blue stash for a future patriotic quilt. I have a pattern selected, but have not cut this quilt out - at least not yet :)

That's another 5 yards. 

Added: 10 yards

Used:  1 yard

As I said, headed in the wrong direction, but gosh side trips can be fun too :)

Shop Hop Confessions

Ok. It was just too much for me. I was not able to resist the Atlanta Shop Hop. Thursday afternoon on my way home from school, I stopped at my local shop, Stitch 'N Quilt. I got my passport stamped and looked at the neutral fabrics. Sandy was working that day. It was a treat to visit with her. Friday after a super day at school, I decided to travel to Sweet Home Quilt Company in Conyers. It took me almost an hour and a half driving from work to the shop. I forget that my new school is "out there". The shop was worth every minute of the drive. Melisa, the shop owner, has THE best taste in fabric. I could have purchased lots and lots of yardage. I did purchase only those things on my list. I bought 4 different one  yard and a fourth cuts of flannel for Sarah's rag quilt. I had them cut FQ's of four neutral fabrics for the neutral quilt that I am making for Janice, my sister-in-law for Christmas. So that was 5 yards for flannel and 1 yard of neutrals. I was also able to pick up the Stitchery block-of-the month that I am participating in. I have never done stitchery. This BOM will be new learning for me. It will also give me a hand project. Saturday since we were so close to Little Quilts, we took a quick detour after the workshop. There were lots of temptation waiting for us there. I found some brown textured fabric for the stars on Janice's neutral quilt. I've been looking for the right fabric and felt fortunate to find this. I picked up two neutral FQ's and black DMC floss for the stitchery kit. That's a total of 2 yards from Little Quilts.

I did bust some stash this week. The first grade teachers asked for fabric and batting donations for a project. I brought 6 yards from my stash. Gone!