New Year - new look for my Blog

I would appreciate if you would leave a comment on the new look of my blog.  Let me know if you like the format and use of color.

As you can see I added the winning score from the 2011 Sugar Bowl in which my Buckeyes beat the Arkansas Razorbacks.

I have also added a few gadgets, including Popular Posts and My Blog List.

I finished up another quilt I was testing yesterday, and hope to make progress on another one this weekend.

I also have to get the binding done on my Gerber Day Z quilt by Thursday so it can get entered in the Lake Farm Parks Quilt Show.

As you can see I will be busy for the next few days.

Cleaning for guests can be worthwhile!

My sister Dawn is visting for a few days from Florida.  One of things I have told my husband is that I will make sure that the quilting/spare bedroom is available for guests.  So once I got done cleaning for the family Christmas gathering I started working on the spare room.  The room was actually usable when my friend Claire came to visit this summer.  I have a real problem with horizontal surfaces as you can tell by these pictures.

Yes, there is a bed under all that fabric!

Sewing table

  

Now the bed has fresh linens and even a quilt on it!

I have re-organized some of my notions into baskets and containers.

My husband did ask where everything went!!  It has been relocated to my side of the basement.  That is an area that needs a real makeover.

As soon as Dawn leaves for Florida the quilt will be folded and the bed stripped.  Then my 12 UFO's will be found and placed in order my month.  I need to get busy tomorrow and get some binding cut and some blocks pressed.  I'm going through quilting withdrawal!!



One of my goals for 2011 is to complete a number of UFO's

Since I got back into quilting 3.5 years ago I have been quilting up a storm.  I have started and stopped quite a few projects, these are called UFO's (UnFinished Objects).  I have also pieced and had machine quilted a number of quilts.  These quilts still require binding.  One of my blog friends Darlene of Insights of SewCalGal blogged about a challenge by Judy Laquidara's (Patchwork Times) UFO Challenge.  Judy is encouraging quilters to work on their UFOs, with a plan to complete 12 in 2011. 

I have so many UFO's it is hard to narrow it down to just 12.

1. Simple Star which uses Moda Birchwood Lane flannel

This needs a mitered border added.

2. Alaska Photo Album quilt

I bought this kit when DH and I traveled to Alaska for our 20th Anniversary the summer of 2008.  I have started cutting out the 'photo's.

3. Balloon Race

This quilt needs the binding attached and a hanging sleeve.  I have determined that I like to use a 2" strip of fabric for my bindings.  I perfer the look of hand sewn bindings which can take awhile depending on the size of the quilt.

4. Bright Cats

This one also needs binding.

5. Blooming Nine Patch

This one also needs binding.  Are you beginning to see a pattern here?

6. Gerber Daisy Chain

This one also needs binding and a hanging sleeve.

This is the first UFO selected to work on in 2011.  Which is great because I can finish it and enter it in the Lake Farm Parks Quilt Show on January 19th.  It is a wall quilt at 42" x 62".  I found the backing to make the hanging sleeve and the binding fabric.

Hanging Sleeve is attached and needs hand sewn down.

Binding on a diagonal has been cut, sewn together and pressed.

7. Sunshine and Shadow/Trip Around the World

This is one of the first quilts I did back in the early 90's.  I had it machine quilted last year.  I don't really like it very much.  It needs a binding, so I may try doing the binding my machine.  It has a flannel back so it will need a wider binding probably 2.25" or 2.5".

8. Bargello Color Wheel

I started this last fall and you can see that Nermal insisted on helping!  The wedges are done, I need to decide on the final layout.

I think what's keep me from finishing this one is it's shape.  If the final quilt looked like the one below maybe I could more forward. 

9. Bargello Black and Gold Allover Jacket

It took a year or so to collect all the fabric for this jacket.  I have cut the strips and sewn them together.  Now they need cut in the vary widths required for Bargello.

10. Midnight Glaicier Purse

This and the jacket pattern are from Figure Flattering Quiltwear.

I have the purse sides already sewn together. I'm letting the zipper keep me from completing this purse.

All the needs done now is to whip stitch the handles.

11. Starring the Buckeyes

I'm not sure the actual name of this quilt.  I think it was donated to the Kids n Kamp Celebrity Quilt Auction at the Shoe in 2008.  I fell in love with the pattern and decided to make one of my own.  Each block is 8" and I'm using Marti Michell's acrylic templates.  I have a large stash of Scarlet and Gray fabric.  This quilt uses a number of Moda Marbles and Robert Kaufman Fusions.  I have a few of the blocks done.

12.  Marti Michell Sampler

I took a class from Marti at the 2010 Lake Farm Parks Quilt Show.  She displayed a sampler in a number of different sizes.  So I started one using 12" blocks.  With a 24" Center block.  I think I'm going to use a layout I found in EQ7.

So there are my 12 UFO's that I hope to get either bound, pieced or completed in the next 12 months.  I will be updating this post as I work on these projects.

Wish me luck!!

Spending time with Family and Friends

We attended Christmas Eve mass at Assumption Church in Geneva.  It was great seeing friends and being able to wish them Merry Christmas.  The choir really sounded great.

Christmas Day was filled with food and family.  DH and I cooked a turkey and all the fixin's for my family celebration.

Niece Samantha, Nephew Christopher and Brother Don

 

 

I asked Mom for a 12" Chicken Fryer so I can brown 2lbs of ground beef for my award winning chili at the same time!

Mom also got me this Ohio State clock!!  Thanks Mom!

Mom was trying to figure out how an office chair could fit in an envelope?

There are penguins in Ohio!!!

DH Jim likes his new Buckeye sweatshirt!!

Sunday was leftover day, and a chance to spend time with Wendy and the Baker's!!

Wendy brought some Celebration Spice wine from Ferrante's that really helped to warm us up!

Terri Baker gifted us with both Garfield and Nermal.  So she feels guilty about no ornaments on our Christmas Tree, so they gave us some plastic Ohio State ornaments to help add some color to our tree next year!  They brought a board game with them that made us laugh harder then you could ever imagine!!

Thanks to my Family and Friends for making this a wonderful Christimas!!