Sit n sew days are the best!

Yesterday was a sit n sew day. I'm so thankful to have such great friends to share my passion with and I'm very grateful to have the ability to spend time with them as we share our passion. There were seven of us and we had loads of laughs, and I'm always learning new things. Like last time, I learned that I can peel butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Who knew? And we share recipes, as well as trials and tribulations of our lives.  It makes you realize that whatever you're going through, you're not alone! Thanks to everyone who came yesterday!!!!

Well - not only was it a fun day, but it was a super productive day. A SUPER productive day!!!

Have a look at what happened...................  Sorry - I only took pictures of my stuff. Next time, I'll try to share!

Some of this happened before and after the group left. It's so motivating to have all that empty space so I made good use of it.

I started the day off by getting this quilt top done! I'll tell you more about it another day. Let's just say the top is done.

Quilt top - DONE

 I also got the backing and the binding ready so this one is ready to go on the long arm. I need it fairly soon so it won't be going into the "to be quilted" pile. It's in the "URGENT need to be quilted" pile.

Backing, binding, and quilt top - ready for quilting

Then it was onto this table runner. I cut the runner and pieced it.

Runner completed

 Next up was to make the backing and the binding!

Runner, backing, and binding = DONE

Then I had a couple of runners that I had made, but they needed backing and bindings. So I got the backing and binding completed for this runner.

Runner, backing, and binding - DONE

Not done yet!!  I have this table runner and while I didn't have to make the backing because the runner fit on the fabric, at least it's chosen. I'm going to make the binding from the same fabric as the backing and will make the binding after the runner is quilted.

Backing ready for this runner

 I made two of these runners and so I chose the backing for the second one and made the binding. It's ready to be quilted as well. 

Backing and binding ready to go

 While I'm piecing all this stuff, I was madly doing my enders and leaders and I'm happy to report that I have another block for the pixelated apple - DONE!!!

Five blocks - DONE!!!

 But that's not all. I'm madly sewing on the next block and it's almost completed as well.

Block six - almost done!

 Rose brought this quilt top to show me. This is a project that she was working on at the last sit n sew day. I love the quilt top and there's a bit of a story behind this one.

Rose's bonus quilt

 Back in 2012 (or was it 2011), we were both participating (and probably not aware) in a Mystery quilt by a local designer. There are two sizes in the pattern - you can make a queen size or you can make a lap quilt. Rose was making one of each!  I was making the queen.

While I didn't get it completely finished as the clues were published, I was following the clues page by page.

Rose had been warned about a potential construction issue with the outer border. I didn't know about that issue and so I made all the border blocks with sashing on one side, figuring that the next step would be to use that sashing between the blocks. NO - when I turned the page, I realized that those bits of "sashing" were, in fact, one of the outer borders that had now been chopped up into lots of little pieces. It was silly to do that and I shelved the project for years.

Rose decided that the quilt without those blocks was big enough (I think it's 105 with the borders) so she added one final border on the quilt and had all these blocks leftover so she assembled them into a quilt. Now that's clever!!!  I have the same blocks made - I might just dig them out since I'm being so productive these days.  I will add sashing to my blocks (if I have enough fabric).

Let's just say that I (as well as a lot of other people) were not happy with the designer that she would put on a skinny border in bits and pieces. I told her so (politely) and she said - her testers were OK with it. Seriously????  It's a mystery quilt, but the integrity of good quilting practices shouldn't be compromised because of a mystery.

I'm going with Rose's design!!!  Thanks for bringing that quilt!!!  And I'm going to dig my version out.  2018 UFOs - be damned!!!

In the Quilter's Patch quilt, there are three blocks with inset seams. They are a bit of a challenge because of their size. I gave in to Diane (who did make an effort) to sew the inset seams and I gave her a pattern that used half square triangles instead.  It took all of 5 minutes to come up with the alternate in EQ8. I LOVE EQ8.

Eight-pointed star block by Diane

Phew - just had a dig around in the containers under the long arm and I found the mystery quilt, the blocks, the pattern and some bits. I'll have a look later today to see what needs to be done to complete the quilt and the BONUS quilt!!!  And just like that - I'm off!!!  But it's a UFO so I don't feel so bad about that.

BUT the big news of yesterday was this. One of the UFOs on my list for 2018 is a Bonnie Hunter mystery and look.  I'm making amazing progress.

Celtic Solstice

 I finished the second set of blocks yesterday and I have one row sewn together. I have to get the rest of the rows sewn together before Sunday morning as there is another sit n sew day and it's going to be a full house.  These days are super productive for me. So with these days and my Monday sewing, there really is a chance that I can get some UFOs finished. I think I could engage a long arm quilter full time in order to keep up with me!!!

This is the fabric that has been sitting in the project box for Celtic Solstice - waiting to be made into borders or binding. I hope by Saturday night that this will be empty (or filled with the bits from another project).

Fabric to finish Celtic Solstice

WOW  - I'm exhausted just looking at all that I did!!!  And all the while, not overeating. I'm tracking EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth and actually eating less than the calories that I'm supposed to be eating every day. Not by much but that's all a good thing!!!  I'm feeling great and every day, I take a walk to do errands. Yesterday we walked to the bank and Tim's on the way home. Which is a challenge to hold the leashes of two very strong dogs and a cup of tea and not spill any!!  I'm getting good at it and it's my upper body workout!

On that note, I'd better get some paperwork done this morning and I have a quilt to get off the long arm this afternoon and load another quilt so I can quilt it tomorrow.

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!