Dudes22's (Betty's) 2018 Projects

Now that the big move is over, I hope to have a productive year quilting. (and reading) I still have a number of UFO’s to work on, including some I found when I was packing for the move. I’ve also have a few new things I’d like to start.

My first project this year is a table topper as a hostess gift when we go to Arizona in a couple of weeks to visit friends. It’s the pattern “Waffle Time” which I’ve shown here before. It’s my go-to for a nice quick hostess gift. I like that it works up real fast and is very accurate.

So, I think a list is in order:

UFOs I’d like to finish:
Geometric quilt
Pink/Turquoise quilt
Scrap quilt
Darcy pattern
Blue/Yellow Star
Mariner's Compass

UFOs to work on:
Garden Applique
Halloween wall hanging

Projects to start: (and maybe finish)
Patriotic wall hanging
Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses blocks
Black/Gray Geometric
New Darcy
Mariner’s Compass
Nativity Runner - top done
Flag wall hanging -
Lori's topper
Carol’s topper
Turquoise topper
Baby Top - 3
Baby Complete - 2
I’ll be adding and subtracting from this list, I’m sure.

I also hope to be showing a picture of my new sewing room soon. It got tasked as the Christmas wrapping area and now needs a clean-up.

What a nice shiny new thread you have! I'm looking forward to seeing the new sewing room.

Hi, Betty! Happy new year!

While I was putting away my Nativity this morning, I decided that I need to make a new cloth to go underneath it. The runner I was using (which was bought) isn't square across the end no matter how I position it. So I added that to the list above.

The table topper I was making as a hostess gift is done except for sewing the binding to the back. It's only 18" square so I should finish it while watching football this afternoon. And instead of working on something I already have started, I cut out fabric for the patriotic pattern I picked up last time I was at the fabric store. So I'll be working on that too today. We've been having extremely cold temps for this area and a bad snowstorm so, except for a trip to a neighbors for "movie night" on Fri, I've been in the house for 4 days. I really, really, don't like the cold. It's supposed to come up to normal temps tomorrow. We even hit a new lowest temp since 1912, -5F this am.

You are ambitious! And clearly productive, also!

I'm north of you so we had those bitter cold temps, too; but today, at 37ºF, it felt positively balmy!

Dropping my star so I can follow along.

>6 avaland: Lois it is 37 here today as well. But Celsius! Not exactly balmy, and not exactly quilting weather!

So here's my first finished project for this year. We're going to visit friends in Tucson and I did this for a hostess gift for them. It's about 18" square. I love this pattern and have done it many times as a hostess gift. I need to press it but I wanted to post the picture.

Oh I love that! The colours are beautiful.

>9 dudes22: That's a nice first completion!

That's beautiful, Betty. The colors are very Tucson-ish, too.

That's really cute as a single square. I hope they appreciate it!

>10 judylou: - Thanks, Judy. I fell in love with the middle fabric and have had it for quite a while, but it never went with my colors and I couldn't decide what to do with it. I still have plenty left.

>11 thornton37814: - Thanks, Lori. It's always nice to get something completed. I frequently get sidetracked to a new project. "OH - Look - a squirrel!"

>12 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. My friend has showed me pictures of the house and I think it will go nicely.

>13 avaland: - Thanks, Lois. The pattern also has a table runner @ 51" so the whole thing becomes elongated with more of the center fabric. I wasn't sure how big their table is, so I decided to do the smaller square.

>14 dudes22: Oh, yes, I made two some years ago, one was a gift, the other remains a UFO.... (it was meant for someone but then I decided I didn't know them that well so never finished it)

Out here in AZ. Our friends loved the topper and the colors go very well with their house.

How could they not love it? The colours are just beautiful.

I did manage to get to a couple of quilt stores while I was in Tucson, but didn't buy a lot of fabric. A couple of 1/2 yds and 4 fat quarters. And I bought a pattern although I think I could have done it from a picture. I'm pretty sure if I follow the pattern, it will end up with bias edges, so I might do it the way I was thinking it was done. And I took a couple of pictures; one of a bundle of 10"squares that I'm going to search out the maker and a quilt idea that was hanging on a wall. We leave again on our Mexican vacation in only a couple of weeks, but I'm hoping to get some sewing in before we go.

>18 dudes22: Did you find a Tuscon shop any different that the Northeastern shops? Just curious.

Ooo, a Mexican vacation! Perhaps it will inspire a quilt!

I wouldn't say a lot different, Lois. But some fabrics I hadn't seen. But both had a lot of batiks.

Since we never leave the place we stay and just veg out for a week, probably not a quilt. But lots of reading time.

>20 dudes22: Well, there is nothing wrong with "lots of reading!"

I enjoyed going into a quilt shop in Alice Springs, Australia. It was quite small, but I bought some metres of an aboriginal art-inspired print before they had caught on here in the states (10 years ago now!)

I also meant to mention that you can clock "option" and the "V" key and it makes a little check mark that you can use to check off the projects in your first post that you have finished. I'm on a Mac, but the PC must have an option key (maybe "alt"?)

>21 avaland: - No there's not, Lois. I always look forward to this, knowing there's not much else to do.

I think I "pinned" a list of shortcuts for windows that I'll have to "check" out. Not that I have anything finished yet. Only the table topper that I took to Az, but I wasn't really counting that.

ok - I'm going nuts. I uploaded the picture of a quilt to my junk drawer, but now I can't copy it to this thread. Anyone else having trouble with pictures?

>23 dudes22: Hmmm, let me try:

(I removed the first picture, but left this one because it's interesting.)

ETA: From my junk drawer, just added now.



I'm not sure what's happening with the picture you are trying to display here. Wish I could help, but at least it doesn't seem to be a site issue.

>24 Lyndatrue: -Thanks, Linda, for trying. That tells me it's me. It must have something to do with my upload. I deleted it and tried again and got the same thing when I tried to copy it here. I had saved it to my photos on my laptop from an email I sent myself from my ipad which is what I used to take the picture. Maybe I'll try saving it again from the email and start all over. Or I'll take the picture with my laptop.
...more later.

No idea what's going on. I even tried to copy the picture from #9, figuring if I did it once I should be able to do it again. I couldn't even get that one to show. And I can't figure out how to view the string for the picture. I'm wondering if it's got something to do with the new Windows update I just did. That's the only other thing I can think of. Maybe I'll try to see if I can get a book cover to post. I'll be back in a minute.

ok - book covers aren't copying either. It must be that new update. Not sure what I'll do now.

update - ok I may have a slight idea of what's happening. I did some searching and saw an article that said that the security program Webroot may have something to do with it. Although I think I uploaded the picture in #9 after I installed Webroot, but I'm going to check with Geeksquad tomorrow when my brain is fresher.

>26 dudes22: Have you tried to upload directly from your iPad? You could always try just using the browser to log into LT, and try it that way. I think I've done that before.

Did you look carefully at your line of code? Just a space somewhere where it doesn't belong, or some other little thing can keep it from working.

>28 avaland: - I couldn't even get the line of code to show up - it was like the copy function just didn't work.

>27 Lyndatrue: - If I'm understanding you correctly, I usually do go to LT through my browser. And since I can't even get book covers to copy to my thread, I'm thinking I need to talk to Geeksquad. Maybe tomorrow.

So, you right-click the picture, click "copy image address" (or whatever, specific text varies by browser), go to paste it, and it pretends it hadn't copied anything?

Yup! When I hit "paste", nothing happens. I'm pretty sure it's the update I did to windows (not that I had much of a choice). I'm hopeful Geeksquad will be able to help me later. The other reason I'm pretty sure it's not me is that I can't even get a cover to post. And I've done that oodles of times. Stay tuned....

Want to send it to me and I'll post it for you? avamatthew@gmail.com

>32 avaland: - Thanks, Lois, but I'll wait. It's not just this as I can't post cover pictures either. I'll see what Geek says first.

ETA: Or did you just want first peeks? :)

So the Geeksquad person seemed to think it was because I was using Edge as my browser instead of Internet Explorer and changed it. I was using Edge, but it worked fine before. So I guess I'm fixed. Let's see if I can post that picture now.

So, anyway - this is the quilt top I just finished. I need to square it and find backing.

>35 dudes22: Worth the wait. It's really lovely.

>35 dudes22: oh wow, that looks fabulous. I can't wait to see what you choose for backing!

Fab quilt. I've never seen that pattern before, or the flag done quite like that. What are you planning for it?

>36 Lyndatrue: - Thanks, Linda.

>37 lauralkeet: - I have a couple of pieces that have a patriotic theme and I’m hoping one of them will be large enough.

>38 avaland: - I think the dimensions are around 46”sq, so I’m thinking just a wall hanging.

So I've finished putting these scrap blocks into rows and the rows are together. I'll post a picture of it together soon. It ended up being @63"x 90" so I need to find a big enough space to lay it out. It dawned on me as I was putting the rows together that the edges are pretty much all on the bias. And I'm wondering if I should think about some kind of border to try and stabilize the edges. My original plan was just a binding, but now I'm not sure. Or maybe a basting stitch all the way around? I've never tried that so I'm not sure how it keeps it square. I might call the place where I take my stuff to be quilted and ask if I need to attach a piece to the edges since there's not a border. Thoughts?

Looking forward to seeing this one. Seems to me the binding would stabilize it, unless your binding is bias cut.

I make a lot of quilts without borders and I add nothing to them for the machine quilter. The backing still has to be 4" extra all the way around but the top does not.

Yeah - the place I use now doesn't ask me to add anything to the top for quilting, I was just thinking if I did it wouldn't stretch. Of course then I'd have to take it back off. They have a big fabric sale in March, so I'll probably ask when I go to that.

>42 dudes22: One of my quilters usually does some long basting stitches around the edges of the quilt.

>43 avaland: - I think my place does too cause I’ve gotten some back with the basting still there.

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted to my own thread. Not for any reason that's exciting, just that I've been trying to catch up on some reading and trying to finish getting my sewing room organized so I can get my sewing stuff out of the guest bedroom and get that decorated. My sister asked me to make her a topper for the side table by her couch (the old one was wearing out) and I decided my dining room table needs a spring topper, so I've been working on them. Hopefully I'll have pictures soon.

Wow, a whole month! 'Tis spring! Will enjoy seeing the pictures when they are ready.

I still need to press it, but this is the topper I made for my sister:

>47 dudes22: Oh! That's cute! I like the colorways.

>48 lesmel: Thanks - she wanted gray, black and a little red so that's what we came up with from my stash.

And here's the topper I made for my table (I just can't seem to take a good picture)

>49 dudes22: I graduated from Texas Tech. Red, black, white, and grey are the school colors. Heh

>50 dudes22: Oooooooo. Blue! I like that one even moooooore. Puuuurdy. I think the photo looks good! What kind of camera? Cell phone camera? Here are a few things that I've found help for iPhones:

1. Turn on the HDR (at the time of the photo)
2. Don't bother saving the "normal" photo. (Settings > Camera > Keep Normal Photo {off})
3. Make sure your screen is as bright as it will go while you get the shot

I like both of the toppers. I like very much the pattern in your blue one!

>50 dudes22: This is bee-yoo-tee-full! I'm often amazed at the work quilters do, but this one is very appealing, even considering all the other work I've seen here in Needlearts in the last couple of days.

>51 lesmel: - Actually, there's no white in the top - it's shades of grey, black and red. I checked and I did have HDR on and keep normal photo off. The only thing I'm not sure of now is if the screen was bright. oh well....

>52 avaland: - Thanks, Lois. I found this pattern in one of the quilting magazines "American Patchwork and Quilting" Dec 2012. It was for a full size quilt, but I just used 4 of the blocks. The pattern called it a snowflake pattern and I also did one in red and white for Christmas a couple of years ago.

>53 Lyndatrue: - Thanks a lot. I liked this a lot when I saw the pattern and may do a larger quilt sometime.

As I was cleaning up after finishing the toppers above, I started looking at my box of scraps and a bag that had some left over fabric from a baby quilt I made who know how long ago. And I decided that I should figure out a way to use it up. So instead of working on a UFO for my next project, I've started a baby quilt top. Right now I'm thinking that I'll do the top and a binding and then donate it to Project Linus. This is NOT! the way to finish UFOs.

>55 dudes22: That a fabulous & generous idea, Betty.

Love the table topper and the flag especially!

>56 avaland: - Thanks, Lois. I like making baby/kids quilts and I don't think I'll be needing any more in the near future for relatives.

>57 mabith: - Thanks, Meredith. I need to get back to finishing the flag.

This is the baby quilt I made from left-over animal blocks from a previous quilt. Sorry about the wrinkles. And it's sideways - love IPhone pictures (not)

Lovely!

Oh that's cute!

>60 avaland: - >61 lauralkeet: - Thanks

So - after I finished the baby top, I was trying to decide which UFO I should work on. And I was looking at my scrap bucket and noticed some muslin backed strips I had worked on a loooong time ago (like maybe a few years - definitely before the move). And I thought maybe I would make some more, and use up some scraps. They look like this before trimming:



I really didn't have any plans for them, but then I started thinking that maybe I could use one of my big prints in the middle and put these around the edge maybe with black as sashings and borders. I might even do some strips of flying geese. Maybe some holiday themed ones to go on my table.

And then I was looking through my quilting pins on Pintrest for a project I want my husband to do for me, and there were so many things I want to make. I need to find a way to discipline myself to finish some of my UFOs and not start more new things.

Sooo much fabric, sooo little time.

ETA: these pictures were not taken with my phone and look so much better. Note to self...

These are muslin strips and, except for the first piece, you sew the scraps onto the strip and then iron them up, sew the next piece & turn it up...etc, right? I think I have a few of these strips somewhere. I think I tried using a 4" and a 6" wide base strip. It was my early idea for a scrap quilt, but then I thought: why not just dispense with the muslin strip?!

Yeah that's about right. I like the muslin background in case the scraps I use aren't exactly straight. I did that other scrap quilt without the muslin (see blocks in #40) so it probably doesn't matter really. I'm starting with strips 4x7 and then cutting them down to 3.5x6.5. I also have some longer strips 4x13. Somewhere I acquired a lot of muslin, so I figured I might as well use it. I'm also thinking of cutting some squares (not sure what size) and putting the scraps on the diagonal.

So for Christmas, my girlfriend gave me three fat quarters of fabric. I decided I should do something with them and thought they'd be good for baby quilts. So I took out the pattern that I made a couple from last year and made one from one of the fabrics. I've picked out matching fabrics for the other two and should finish them quickly too. This one started with the ladybug fabric.



So today I'm going to work on another one. I need to use up my fabric.

>65 dudes22: OH! I love that!!

>65 dudes22: Adorable! You are really rocking and rolling!

Do you need to use up your fabric because 1. you need to use it up before you die or...2, you need to use it up so you can buy more!

>66 lesmel: - Thanks so much. BTW - Did I lose your thread this year? All of a sudden I realized that I haven't seen anything about your wall hangings.

>67 avaland: - Well, Lois, it's sort of combination of both. Plus I have so many ideas of quilts that I want to do, that I thought I should pick up the pace. I thought I'd whip up these three baby quilts from the fat quarters my girlfriend gave me before they got lost in the fabric piles. I have a few fat quarters my sister gave me who knows how many years ago that I never did anything with and I feel really guilty about that. This pattern is one I can basically do in less than a day (maybe an afternoon) once I pick out fabric.

>68 dudes22: HA! I am still struggling with my Jan wall hanging. In fact, I need to post about it tonight. If you don't see something tonight/tomorrow, I've probably crawled into a hole to cry. lol

>65 dudes22: I love what you did with those ladybugs! The other fabrics complement them wonderfully.

>67 avaland: ha! That cracked me up, Lois.

>69 lesmel: - I'll be watching....

>70 lauralkeet: - The other fabrics she gave me are butterflies in similar colors and ...something else, also similar colors. I'm using the same pattern for all of them.. The butterfly one is almost done...maybe a picture tomorrow.

>71 dudes22: Your interest sparked some sewing! https://www.librarything.com/topic/279904#6440933

This is the second baby quilt from the fat quarters my friend gave me for Christmas. The butterfly fabric is the one she gave me. This pattern calls for 4 fat quarters and some background fabric, but I always use at least one fabric that I have enough to make a matching binding.

The third one is almost done also.

>73 dudes22: Things always go so fast when you're doing what you love. Baby quilts have got to be the best, too.

I love the little butterflies; they're very sweet.

I like all the purple in that one!

Very pretty color combinations! I love the butterfly one!

Love the pattern of the baby quilt, and the ladybug fabric and butterfly fabrics are so cute.

>76 scaifea: - >77 mabith: - Thanks. I couldn't really think of anything else I would make with them except baby quilts. And here is the last one (sorry they're sideways).



ETA: I know they're a little wrinkled, but for now they're all being just folded on a shelf so I wasn't in a hurry to do a good pressing.

>78 dudes22: I really love the colors on this one. They're all three very precious, of course.

>78 dudes22: - Thanks - I really like the green plaid that's in this quilt I wish I had bought more.

Where are you, Betty? (I have not been doing much in the studio because I'm outside cleaning up two years worth of garden mess, but I did hope to live vicariously through you and your quilting....)

Sadly, Lois, I have not been doing that much quilting lately. Mostly I've been making pillowcases for the charity group at church. My machine was in for regular maintenance and I just got it back. I'm hoping to get some quilting in soon, but as the weather gets nicer, I'd rather sit outside and read.

>82 dudes22: Makes perfect sense. I've been doing a bit more reading also.

Your little nudge, Lois, must have been what I needed. So I grabbed one of my books and decided to start a small quilt.

So I went through my box of finished tops yesterday to pick out a baby top to finish for a shower in two weeks and realized that I have way too many tops not completed as quilts. So I guess I need to put an effort into finishing some of these and not keep starting another top.


ETA: Some of them are small baby quilts (36 sq) so maybe I should use these to practice my free motion quilting.

>85 dudes22: I have a few UFOs which are probably baby quilt size but are not baby quilts, just whims I had. You know, some idea pops in your head and you make a quick top but it doesn't go any further....that kind of thing.

>86 avaland: - Yeah, I have a couple of those too. I found one block that I’m not sure what my intent was. Maybe a table topper? Not sure what I’ll do with it. I think it may have been a thought for Valentines Day.

Did no one consider that it may be a photo control feature of LibraryThing. Photos which show, inadvertetnly, personal information -- such as name, address, city, state, country -- could violate privacy policy... even if its your own. Photos get more scrutiny, I'm sure, to stop trolls.

>88 Lace-Structures: Which message are you responding to?

Finally!! I've been messing around with these pictures off and on for over a week trying to get them right side up. This is a baby quilt I did for a shower recently. Luckily, I had the top already done and in a box, so I just had to quilt it together. It might be hard to see, but the flannel I used on the back also had bugs on it. I didn't quite have enough so I had to piece in another fabric, but I just had to use the bug fabric.

I also want to mention the table decorations which were so cute. The mom-to-be knows she's having a girl. The mother-in-law and a couple of her friends went to consignment stores and found cute summer dresses. (I'm thinking they might have been 1T or 2T - more than newborn size.) Then they took a mason jar, put in weights, and a dowel that went up to small fabric covered hangers with the dress on them. SO it looked like a hanger in space with a dress hanging off. I should have taken a picture. SO cute!.

I was in my sewing room for a little bit this a.m., putting borders on another baby quilt the same pattern as the quilt above, and thinking about all the quilts I'd like to make. And all the ideas I've pinned from Pintrest. I need to figure out how to get a few more hours in the day.

>90 dudes22: that looks terrific!

>91 dudes22: I hear you, and feel your pain.

>90 dudes22: oh, that's so cute and such a happy color!

>91 dudes22: Suggestions: 1. Don't sleep. 2. Don't clean 3. Ignore husband 4. Ignore garden 5. Turn the clock back a few hours.

I have decided to cower inside to avoid the heat & humidity. Going to start binding the 2nd quilt tonight. Like you, I have many projects swirling around in my head.

>93 avaland: - Thanks, Lois. Despite how warm it will be this weekend/week, I/we wait all year for summer and I hate to spend it inside. I did start another baby quilt like #90 and also have pulled some fabrics out for a stack and slash quilt. A few times. Like I need more projects!

ok -half-way through the year. I'm not going to start anything new before I finish a few more of the quilts, I've started. Promise! No - really!

If you keep that promise you will be a stronger woman than I!

Considering I've got 3-4 piles of fabric set aside for quilts, you're probably right. I do have a couple of tops done that I just need to make backs for and get to the quilters that I should at least be able to get done quickly.

Only three or four, surely that means you need more!

Oh I have plenty more. That's just picked out with a pattern in mind.

I also decided to go through some of the piles of fabric left over from other projects that aren't really big enough and cut them up into smaller sizes. That way I can maybe use them as leaders or enders and do some more scrap quilts. I might even take some of my white/cream fabrics and cut some up so I can do some 4-patch and HSTs.

I can't believe its been 2 months since I posted. Except I really haven't been doing a lot. I did finish a back for a baby quilt so I can get that quilted and delivered.

I know I said I was only going to work on old UFOs for the rest of the year, but my niece-in-law announced they are expecting a baby in Dec, so that makes it an exception.

I intend to find an old applique UFO and prepare it so I can take it when we go away in Jan. I was originally planning to take my small machine that I use for class, etc., but decided on a couple of hand projects instead.

The group got pretty quiet this summer. Choosing between the new ideas and the old projects are difficult decisions, aren't they?

I finally got some ambition and decided to get the baby quilt quilted. And - wouldn't you know - ran out of thread part-way through and didn't have any more. So I'm going to get more today so I can continue to work on this. And I'm going to a small local quilt show this morning with a couple of friends.

>102 dudes22: The quilt show sounds fun.

>103 thornton37814: - The quilt show was nice. It's always interesting to see what other people are working on. But no pictures. Got too busy talking to my friends about the quilts.

Glad you got out for some thread and a show. I think the local shows are delightful. The last one I went to had a good variety of styles and ability.

The newest baby quilt I've made. I like to make this pattern and it works for the big stripes that I like. I notice it's a little blurry. I still have trouble posting pictures here. I need to find a techie to help me.

My hubby and I are going to spend a month in FL this winter and I've decided to take a hand-sewing project with me instead of trying to bring my small sewing machine. So I'm going to try and get some pieces cut out and put in baggies so they're reading for sewing. I think this will be a longggggg project.

>107 dudes22: I hope you will still be posting I don't think I could go a month without the sewing machine....

While not a self-described techie, I might be able to help. You would have to tell me how exactly you are posting your photos, from what to what...etc first.

btw, how are you doing regarding your list in post #1?

>109 avaland: - To answer your last question first - Besides the ones that are lined through, I took the geometric quilt to the quilters today - the pink and turquoise is pinned and ready for quilting - and the scrap quilt has all the rows put together. I haven't made as much progress as I wanted mostly due to the baby quilts. And I just cut out fabric for another baby quilt. My nephew and wife are expecting their 5th baby, this time a girl after 4 boys. She's due in Dec so I need to get going on it.

I'll probably still be posting (at least set up a thread) and following what everyone else is doing. And I'll probably still have most of the list in #1 to work on. I debated about taking my small machine, but decided not to. I think a hand piecing project will work well and I may even finally try an audio book while I work on it. Don't worry about the pictures. I keep meaning to drop in to the Geek Squad and get them to help, but don't seem to get near there.

As to your question over on your thread, you're probably right that it's more than I think. I probably started quilting back in the early 80s. But for a while it was only a baby quilt each time my sisters or brother had a child. I was much more into counted cross stitch and a little bit of knitting. Probably in the mid 90s I got into quilting even more. Then my nieces and nephews started getting married and having babies. I made each bride twelve table-runners as a bridal shower gift. Along the way I've managed to make a few for myself. It's funny - sometimes I'll pull out a piece of fabric to maybe use in a quilt and I can tell because I've tucked the extra in the fabric, that I've used it before and can't remember in what.

I decided that I should try some of the hand piecing project that I might take when we go away in Jan. So I cut out a few pieces to try. There are still other pieces and shapes that need to be added, but I thought I'd start with some of the centers. To add some perspective, this is about 4 inches. I'm finding that I like it a lot and now I have an excuse to root through my fabric stash and cut out pieces to take. It will still be a very long project. Actually, I'm tempted to keep going now, but I do have a baby quilt that needs making.

ETA: There is a shape in these blocks where I think I'll be using some of my leftover batiks including the ones you sent me that I didn't use in my grandson's quilt, Lois.

>110 dudes22: You seem to have done quite a lot. Are you pleased with what you have been able to tick off the list, or do you wish it had been more (the minute I make a list like that, I'd immediately find ways to avoid it....LOL)

>111 dudes22: Ooooo, that will be really interesting! Nice work!

>112 avaland: - I'm not terribly discouraged about not finishing more. I tend to love making the tops and then letting them languish. I think I have so many new things I want to do that it creates inertia and I get nothing accomplished. Plus there were the unexpected baby quilts and I spent a lot of time sewing pillowcases to go into shoeboxes next month for Samaritan's Purse with the sewing group from church.

There's one more row of pentagrams that make up the center for all the rosettes in the quilt so I will be working on the centers mostly while we're gone. I spent the morning going through my stash and cutting some more pieces. I'm so tempted to keep working on this .... see what I mean. I'll post some more pictures of them here and there.

>113 dudes22: I know that "too many ideas" feeling. I've been cutting up fabric into usable smaller bits (mostly 5" squares, 2.5 " strips, other odds & ends). While I am doing that idea after idea after idea runs through my head.

I'll look forward to seeing your new handwork project grow.

After going to the trouble of making that little dooda, I'm thinking I might not use it. I decided I needed to pick a color scheme for an overall look and I don't think pink's in it. I'll keep it just in case I need a pop of color, but I think I'm going to go with a green, blue, violet and yellow with some beige/white and maybe a smidge of orange and red. Oh - and maybe gray and black.

I found that when I was cutting up scraps into usable pieces earlier this summer that I had a ton of ideas too. And Pintrest doesn't help.

Since my post yesterday, I've decided that I have other fabrics I'd like to include so for this one I think I'll not limit myself to a certain colors.

I was thinking yesterday about the quilt I took to the quilter's that I mentioned in post #110 and realized that I didn't remember making a binding when I was working on it. (I don't have a picture so I must have made it before I was keeping a thread in this group. I'll get one when it comes back.) Anyway, I did this in a class and I bet I only bought enough fabric for the top. I think it was a 1/2 yd of 16 different colors and I bet that's all I bought. I looked in my box where I keep smaller tops and bindings that go with them and there wasn't anything there. I guess when it comes back I'll try to see if I can find a few of the fabrics to make the binding. They were all tone-on-tone type so I might get lucky or maybe I can find a print with some of the colors that I can use. I also realized when looking in the box how many tops I have that need a back and finishing. Guess that will be part of my "to be done" list on my thread for next year.

>117 dudes22: Will you be binding that while you are in Florida?

I know what you mean about a backlog of quilts that need finishing. I have two quilts that have been hanging around read to be quilted. One needs to go to a more artistic quilter, I think. The other may go out when I have a 2nd to go to Carla the Quilter. I have one still out with Cheryl the Quilter. And then I have made a pile of UFOs and they are an odd group. I think they will all end up as charity quilts. Some I can add to with like materials and pattern; others might need more creative thinking to add to them to make them a useful size (something like I did with those 30 little pink blocks not so long ago).

I will look forward to see everything you are working on, going forward.

No - I won't be taking that quilt to Fla just to bind. I'll probably work on it at night while I'm watching TV. It's not that big and shouldn't take very long. I should be able to count it as finished before the end of the year.

>119 dudes22: I'm not the only one up early! When do you head South?

Not til Jan. I'm usually up early. Otherwise I feel like I'm way behind.

I went to pick up the quilt I mentioned earlier today and looked at how the display quilt was bound. The girl that made it was there too and she said she had run into the same problem. So I'm just going to use a neutral dark blue to bind it.

My husband and I went yesterday and decided on a sofa bed for our guest room. So I think I'll put this one the wall behind it for now. After I took the class, I bought a bunch of other colors because I liked the pattern. They will work better with the room, but there's another new project. I have so many ideas of things I want to make, I just can't decide which ones to do first.

I guess we could have worst problems than too many ideas :-)

I realized as I was starting to put out my Christmas decorations, that I had intended to make a new runner to go under my nativity set. Guess I need to add it to next years list.

>124 dudes22: It's never too late (I hope)! I just started getting out things to make a new 15" x 15" pillow for the season. No pressure though.

>124 dudes22: I sympathize. My tree is up but not decorated, and it occurs to me that I have no tree skirt for it as I recently salvaged the cotton fabric from the simple one I made in the early 80s.

>125 SassyLassy: That's lovely optimism :-)

>125 SassyLassy: - What I was using is good enough. I've had it for years.

>126 avaland: - I'm sure you do.

One last quilt finished this year. Needed for Christmas get-together tomorrow. (She was born a couple of weeks ago) Please tell me why I'm finishing it at the very last minute when I've known for 9 months that there was going to be a new baby? And that it would be a girl for almost as long?

ETA: I know the pictures are sideways- please tilt your head or computer. I will figure this out next year.

That's so pretty, Betty. Even sideways! I still have baby quilts and blankets that were made for my kids -- they are truly items to treasure.

Thanks, Laural. My pictures don't do it justice. The fabrics really are very pretty. The backing is a flannel which I use on all my baby quilts so they'll be soft.

How lovely! Are those llamas? And the fabrics are very pretty. Now on to 2019! (any big sewing plans for the new year?)

Yes - Those are llamas. I'll be posting my 2019 thread later today I hope.