april UFO done and other projects

When I made my UFO list this year, I didn't anticipate quitting my job.  I knew it was kinda in the works that it COULD happen, but I didn't think it WOULD.  But it DID!  

This quilt started out quite a while ago.  First, it was a jelly roll that was gifted to me...

...the fabric line is called "Max and Whiskers" and it features cute kitties and puppies and assorted things that go along with them.  It's super cute.

After doing a little stash organizing and tidying, I realized I had a lot of precuts that had been purchased or given to me that I had no idea what to do with them.  I went to retreat in January soon after this discovery and had no official projects to work on.  So I pulled out a few sets of precuts and started looking for patterns to be my retreat projects.

This one was difficult, as many jelly roll patterns either take yardage (and I knew this was old enough I wasn't going to easily find some), and/or chop up the fabric into bits and I wanted to keep as many kitties and puppies whole as I could.

A search led me to a pattern in a magazine called "Brick Wall".  There are a variety of similar versions, but I'd seen this one and went chasing after it.  I had to download the August/September 2012 Quilter's Newsletter magazine to get the pattern (if I remember right, it took a LONG time to find the pattern), but I got it.  The pattern is by Joanna Wilczynska and finishes at 58x74.

I finished the top at the retreat...

...and then it came home.

All it needed was a few more borders.  I even pieced the pieced border and purchased the fabric for the solid border.  So simple, really!

So I started the UFO journey by simply adding borders...

...I had the original goal finished.

But a trip to JoAnn's when they were having an amazing sale, I came home with a back...

(I know, I know, there's no green in the top)

...and thought why not try to get the whole thing done this month?

So a few weeks ago, I loaded it on the longarm...

(you can kinda see the quilting on that blue block, but I had no close-ups)

...and in just a few hours (and a few bobbins), I had it quilted.  Simply and not as much as I had originally planned (my plan called for loading it the other direction and once I had the ENTIRE thing loaded and basted, I wasn't going back), but enough.

The same day as longarming, I sewed on the binding!  (It's nice when you make it at the same time as the top - it's ready for you when you're ready for it!)

And then I sorta stalled out.  I got about halfway around and then set it aside.  But last night, the hubby went to take an early evening nap, so I plopped on the couch with the remotes handy and finished the binding!

It was even done early enough to get a photo before dark - boy do I love the longer days of spring and summer!

This photo looks a lot like the last one, just more shadows, but trust me when I say it's done.  I'm so glad it's done!  It never went into The Closet of Shame!

I'm not sure if I'll keep it or not, but quilts have a way of telling you where they belong, so if this one has a new home someday, that's okay.  I do like the fabric and the back, too, but sometimes quilts just have a place they need to be.  So we'll see...

In other news...I'm trying to keep projects moving forward.  I promised a finished photo of the peach and turquoise dolly quilt...

(I still can't get the colors right, even outside)

...and all three I turned in this past week at guild...

I also shared in my last post the churn dash quilt I was working on for Jack's Basket.  Last Friday, I quilted it!

(see the swirls? I debated swirls or wavy lines...I like the swirls!)

When I left you, I wasn't sure about backing.  I dug deep into the stash of oddish stuff and found leftovers from another quilt back.  With a little cutting and piecing, I had a large enough back!

(it's a little crooked here, but the stripes are straight, I promise)

I even made the binding and sewed that on Friday also.  It's in the pile of needing hand-sewing, but it's moving forward!

With all that done, I felt like I could start something new.  I was going to work on one project, something that had caught my eye recently, but then I found this...

I had bought the fabric at a quilt show after seeing a quilt made in a booth.  I asked for the pattern, but it was a free download (I'm not sure this is exactly the same, but I can't find the one I downloaded exactly), so I went and found that before I forgot.  And then it got kinda buried.  So I started thinking about how to make it mine and had a great idea, but wasn't entirely sold.  So after doing math to make it a bit smaller, I slept on it.  I woke up and knew my idea wasn't going to work.  And not having enough fabrics to do it the pattern way, it's on hold.

Back to the pattern that caught my attention in the first place: Rows of Cats by Gingibear.  I thought a while and finally decided the original idea for colors was going to be it.  (These were actually the colors I'd considered for the churn dash originally, but thought the darker would be nice for a boy.)

And then I cut a lot.  Each cat will be a different fabric and there are 28 cats.  I challenged my stash and had to piece a few pieces, but they're all different!  (And it didn't make a dent in my stash, but why would it?  Well, except for the grey - that's gone.)

I sewed some on the blocks yesterday, but when the hubby went up for his nap, I took full advantage of controlling the television (that doesn't happen unless he's not here...and what he watches...ugh!) and took a break.

I'm a little concerned that I have no more grey for borders...it's leftover from Philip's quilt, so I know where I got it, but because I ordered as a guest and don't have the packing list any more...what I ordered is now a mystery.  But I'll figure this out when I get there, I suppose!

And now, my mom and her sister are due here any minute, so I'd better proofread and get ready!

Happy quilting!

Katie