Stash Report, Dogs In Sweaters

I started Elizabeth Hartman's new pattern, Dogs in Sweaters.  This piecing is similar to that of O Canada, but these blocks are a little simpler.  If you have the skills for Lorna's quilts, you can do Elizabeth's.

Here is my first block:

I am using Woolies flannel (Maywood Studio)l for the sweaters.  It is a thick, soft flannel, a higher quality than most of the flannel you can find a JoAnn's.  I thought about using my husband's old flannel shirts for this, but I'm glad I splurged on this flannel.  I am making the throw size quilt for my friend who watches my dog Chase while I'm at work.  

 Here is Chase in his favorite place, the landing of the steps.  He can keep track of who is upstairs,  who is downstairs, and who is at the front door from his perch here.  Chase is 13 and slowing down a little, but he isn't used to being left at home by himself, and I appreciate my neighbor keeping a eye on him.  She will feed him and take him for walks if I'm gone for very long.  Her own dog has arthritis and can't go on long walks anymore.  Though he doesn't look like it in the picture, Chase is always up for a walk.

Used this week: 4.875 yards (fat quarter lotto, O Canada, Bee blocks)
Used year to date: 40.5 yards
Added this week:  2.0 yards (pillowcase for Claire)
Added year to date: 60.5 yards
Net Added yards: 20.0 yards

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2017/04/23/stash-report-april-23-2017/

O Canada Top Finished!

 Happy dancing here!  I finished my O Canada top! Lorna of  Sew Fresh Quilts designed this pattern. I made a couple of small changes.  I switched the salmon and seal pups because it was too white at the top of the quilt for me.  I also made my quilt a little longer and a little narrower than the original by changing the sashing strips.  My quilt top measures 70" x 65".

I am pleased with how the top came out.  I found some grayish flannel I had bought for another project but never used.  It will be perfect for the backing.

Linking up: https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2017/04/lets-bee-social-173.html

More O Canada

My design wall is full, and I'm making good progress on O Canada.  Today I got the goose and the maple leaves done.  I just have the loon and baby seals left to piece and then sewing it all together.  It is coming along quickly, which is good since I don't like to sew under pressure, and I want to have a lot of time to get it to the longarmer and get it bound before the wedding.

 I still haven't decided if I'm going to send it in the mail or take it to the wedding on the plane.  I would hate to have something happen to it in the mail.  I'm getting a little paranoid since I've been reading the lost quilt site lately.  It seems like a lot of them were lost in the mail, lost in a move, or donated to charity by mistake.

I've also made  progress on Bonnie Hunter's Dawn's Early Light.  I didn't realize how many of these little string blocks and friendship stars I had actually completed.  A lot of them are on the wall, but I still have a lot to sew together.  They are my leaders and enders for O Canada.

I'm going to sneak my stash report into this post because I've missed it the last two weeks.

Used this week: 0
Used year to date: 35.625  yards
Added this week: 7.5  (backing, batik border print)
Added year to date: 58.5 yards
Net Added yards 22.875 yards

Two big quilts went to the longarmer this week, so the numbers should improve soon!

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2017/04/10/design-wall-april-10-2017/

O Canada Progress

I got my brown bear made yesterday.  This piecing isn't hard, but it takes a lot of attention to detail to get it right.  And I made some of  the same mistakes on the brown bear that I made on the white one!

 I also corrected an error in the white one that I had missed earlier.  My eye kept going to that place, so I had to fix it.

This quilt is going to be a wedding gift, so I'd like to get it done and to the quilter ASAP.  I still have the seals, goose, loon, beaver, and leaves to make.

Linking up: https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2017/04/lets-bee-social-171.html

Design Wall Monday on Tuesday

I haven't had much time to sew the past week because I started a new job!  It is just part time, but I have been a SAHM for over 27 years, ever since my first child was born.  So far,  so good.  I like what I'm doing, and the people I work with are nice.

  Two quilts are in active progress right now. Bonnie Hunter's scrappy  Dawn's Early Light blocks have been on my design wall for over two weeks.  Last night I sewed the O Canada blocks from Sew Fresh Quilts.  O Canada will be a wedding gift, and I need to get it done ASAP.

  If you are not familiar with Sew Fresh Quilts, the designer of O Canada, check out her blog.  She offers tutorials, sew alongs and designs patterns too.  https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/2017/03/sew-fresh-quilt-bee-march-link-up.html

Linking up:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2017/03/27/design-wall-monday-march-27-2017/

http://www.shecanquilt.ca/2017/04/scraptastic-tuesday-april-link-is-open.html

Stash Report, Surrounded By Scraps

In addition to finishing my Talkin' Turkey top this week, I also did the next clue in Charlotte's mystery, Surrounded by Scraps.

Then I played around with the units I made.  I  still think Surrounded by Scraps is a Burgoyne Surrounded variation.

Used this week: 9.0 yards (Talkin' Turkey)
Used year to date: 35.625  yards
Added this week: 0
Added year to date: 51.0 yards
Net Added yard: 15.375 yards

Linking up:/http://www.patchworktimes.com/2017/03/19/stash-report-march-19-2017/

Talkin' Turkey, King Size Version

I started Bonnie Hunter's Talkin' Turkey 2 years ago.  It got put away for months at a time.  I finally pulled it out last  month and kept sewing on it since the RSC was red in March.  This top is done at last!  To fit our king sized bed, my top is 6 x 6 blocks instead of Bonnie's 5 x 6 and has 6 borders instead of Bonnie's four. It is 107" x107".

 My first instinct was to slap  a wide red border on the outside and call it done.  But the zig zag pattern on the outside needed a narrow band of white first.  Since I already had so many hours invested in this quilt, I went ahead and did it right, adding the narrow white band before my wide red border.  I'm very happy I took the time to do the borders right!

My  border's corners are different from Bonnie's because of  I have an even number of blocks on both sides. I also didn't notice there was a error in her directions.  (I made white flying geese with red corners.  They should have been red flying geese with white corners.  Check the Quiltville errata page and make a note if your book has this mistake.)

Here's what I came up with:

I am happy with this top, but if I did it again,  I would break down and buy a few neutral fat quarters before I started the sashing.  I was down to the neutral dregs by the time I was doing the sashing, and there isn't as much variety in those pieces as I would have liked.  No one else is going to notice this but me, though!

Linking up:  http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2017/03/dot-your-is-completed-quilt.html

http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2017/03/scraphappy-saturday-really-red.html

http://www.joscountryjunction.com/ufo-progress-20/