Plaid hexagon quilt in a low volume way

Posting my progress on No. 7 from my 2019 UFO Challenge list. This flimsy went together easily given the fact that I hadn't assembled a hexagon quilt before. As a stash buster, it chewed through my entire collection of low volumes. When I tried to find more woven plaids, I have learned they have fallen out of popularity. While that may be, I have fallen hard for this understated look. 

I finished the backing and wound that and the flimsy onto baseboards for sandwiching.  

The dark blue plaid will be centered

 
Linking up with patchworktimes for the UFO Challenge and quiltingismorefunthanhousework. 

The second quilting challenge I am loosely following on FB is the American Patchwork and Quilting challenge of the same name. The UFO number is 3 - Bento Box quilt. I am going to make this with another fabric combination. 

Bento Box Block

The number prompt for February on this group is 6, meaning my magnolia needlepoint which is perfect because part of the month I will be visiting my mom. 

Thrift finds were quilting-related of templates (Storm at Sea and Dresden) and a skosh of fabric wovens. 

One of the groups I follow on FB is all about second hand finds. One poster asked the question: "What the heck do you guys do with the stuff you bring home? I picture homes with walls lined of museums of oddities, or are most of you resellers?"  

One lady wrote: "Three bedroom house: 1 bedroom, 1 office, 1 'stuff I bought at thrift stores/on sale' room."

My responses was: "I've got one of those rooms too, it looks like an art gallery, along with the collection of art, orchid and sewing books, dolls and random kitsch."

Another mentioned she tries to "walk away from the weirdness" and tries to limit her buying so her daughter doesn't have to "fling it all before I pop my clogs." (new death term to me~)

One posted a picture of these chopsticks, writing "I love these so hard but in deference to my marriage, I am reselling them, because my husband sometimes doesn't agree with an item's awesomeness."

A gentleman posted, "I tell everyone I'm just one emotional trauma away from a full-blown hoarder."

One gal wrote, "Almost everything is displayed on shelves and tables, floor and walls - it is eclectic. My house was once called, 'A Museum Without a Theme,' the theme is - I like it!"

Finally, one summed it up, "Everything in my house is an oddity, including me!"

Marking lines and making a mini

With the weekend devoted to a burst of creative activity, I made another mini quilt for the month for a cat lover co-worker. The thrift gods had dropped this Laurel Burch fabric in a remnant bag found at SPCA Thrift. It seemed perfect for her. I like how it has a stained glass or windowpane effect. I also can't get enough of the midnight blue batik fabric I've used as the border and binding that came in a thrifted quilt kit. 

Backed in a large scale dragonfly print

It was the first time I had quilted with two different colors, being purple on the front and pink on the back. I then hand bound it in dark blue thread. Oh, the travesty of it all! *grins*

Turning my attention back to my Composition quilt, I had the first set of lines quilted but needed to mark the next round. I was able to use the long work bench as the weather cooperated (not being too cold in the garage). I put my music on shuffle while line marking. 

I was glad to be able to turn my attention to this project. It is a remnant from 2018 and I like to bring my projects to finish, if I can. I learned my lesson that to produce better quality work, I should mark lines. I am devoting time for prep on this one as I hope to enter it in competition. 

Quilters don't talk about the physicality of this craft. After sliding that "monster" of a bed quilt on the bench and standing for an extended length of time penciling in lines, I was tired. The little projects like my mini shown above, of course, aren't taxing. 

Quilting bed-sized quilts on my domestic machine is akin to wrestling with an octopus. I do have a high speed quilting machine but where the physical activity comes in is ensuring the quilt is smoothed and guided through the machine. I also use an ironing board, turned with the endside nearest my machine, to hold the bulk of the quilt. 

Do you find working with large projects to be tiring? 

Linking up with Cynthia at Quilting is more fun than Housework.

Fitting in a Feedsack and taking home a topsy turvy

Having received my box o' goodness from an online auction site, detailed here, the partial feedsack kit caught my eye. I was able to finish this mini or cubicle wall cover, as I like to call them, in one afternoon. Interesting that mystery quilter didn't use all of the precuts in this project. I used nearly all of the remnants, save for a few small pieces. 

This is the first year I have planned out my quilting projects, looking realistically at what I can finish with my limited amount of sewing time. 

I am pleased with my progress on my No. 3 on the challenge list of the plaid hexagon quilt. The body is done with the scraps I had on hand. I can finish off the borders of the hexagons with what I have left but the flimsy will need some plumping up to make it bed-sized. 

A quilty observation - oh, how my tastes have changed as I gain experience in this craft. At first, pretty much all the quilts I saw I thought were wonderfully amazing. Now, with my venturing further into paper piecing and on point construction, there are fewer quilts that wow me. I've got to step up my game! 

Thrifting update: I try to keep my vintage doll purchases to a minimum. This topsy turvy wangled her way into my life, having her original tag was a major selling point, along with it being just a few dollars. The piece de resistance was this topsy has 3 faces! I didn't notice the gramma face until I was at the cash register. Score!

Linking up with Kelly for Needle & Thread Thursday at
www.myquiltinfatuation.com

Project challenges and the plaid hexagon quilt

First month's draw on my list of January-2019-ufo came up No. 7, the plaid/batik half hexie quilt. Project revision after fabric pull,  low volume plaid hexagon. The Mr. gave me a gift card to a fabric retailer so I ordered a hexagon ruler, a Gutermann thread collection, surfboard print flannel fabric as backing for the remnants of my Hawaiian shirt hoarder fabric (the HSHSurfboard quilt), and some stork embroidery scissors. After I sorted out my plaid remnants, the Mr. helped me choose this assortment. 

I found a FB group that posts a challenge similar to the one I have committed to American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge. I  have decided to choose between the two. I have made great progress on this quilt top. My No. 3 is a Bento Box quilt, a nice change from hexagon.  

In light of my move to quality thread, I went through my thrifted thread collection and culled even more. There are some colors I like to have, required in mending. 

I had collected too many sewing baskets (4), so I am filling one of them with giveaway thread. I greatly reduced my thrift shopping purchases over the past year. I did slip by buying a couple of vintage sewing machines. 

My success in scoring 36 basket blocks last month on an auction site prompted me to win on bid another set of fabric and vintage quilting magazines ranging from 1972 to 2005.  

Image source shopgoodwill.com

There were block of the month sets, and a precut feedsack quilt set. I am oh so tempted to start on that kit but have to hold my feet to the fire to get as far as I can on that plaid quilt top and make the decision whether to keep it lap-sized or buy more fabric to enlarge it. 

Thrifting update, my cashmere sweater purchasing continues. 

Total of $10 for a framed orchid print
and a two-piece cashmere sweater set

I have signed up for the Qwilt Qwazy Queens March 2019 event. A fun theme of a project that turned out plain crazy or currently making a crazy project. I have on my promised project list Patchwork Crazy blocks in satin. 

Wall quilt version

My next post will be the completed Plaid Hexagon quilt. At this pace, I will be making only quilt tops focusing more on piecework than quilting.