42-18-29...

42-18-29.  Any guesses as to what these numbers represent?  Nope, they're not my measurements (which are not something I'll ever be sharing here by the way).  I'd be rather top heavy if they were.  Funny enough, these numbers do actually show that I am 'top' heavy in a manner of speaking.

• 42 - my number of completed tops waiting to be quilted/partially quilted
• 18 - my current works in progress
• 29 - number of kits I have

Last year I put together a binder containing pictures and details of all of these projects and it's really helped me to keep track of them.  Since then, I've actually made a good deal of progress on quite a few.  Before the binder, I'd simply forget about so many projects and move onto something new.  Out of sight, out of mind and all that...

I recently went back through my binder, trying to think about what my quilty goals are this year.  During Christmas I saw a lot of people decorating with their Christmas quilts and I realized how few of them I have.  I'd really like to have more to display next Christmas.  I have 3 Christmas tops that still need to be quilted.  This first one is almost 10 years old and is a Shadow Applique quilt.  It will actually be a gift, but I still want to get it finished this year.  All the applique is covered in silk chiffon and with 3 kitties, I don't see it surviving long in my house, but I have a kittyless friend who would love it!

I finally made Starry Eyed last year.  This was a very popular Moda Bakeshop pattern from 2011 using the Countdown to Christmas fabrics from Sweetwater.  I loved the quilt so much, I bought the fabric way back then but only just got around to making it.  I believe they're coming out with a follow up fabric line to this called Overnight Delivery this year.

And the last Christmas top I have is Winter Wonderland by Crabapple Hill Studios.  I already quilted a blue version of this for my mom several years ago, but I still haven't gotten around to quilting mine.

I also have a couple Christmas UFOs.  First, is Snowmen A to ZZZZ.  It's another Crabapple Hill Studios pattern.  I started this one in 2012.  Yikes!  I finished embroidering all of the blocks (there are 21), but decided to go back and add red accents to some of them.  I'm almost halfway through with that now.

And after seeing all the gorgeous Lucy quilts out there, I decided I wanted my very own Christmas version.  I started gathering fabrics last year.  I now have everything cut out, I just need to start sewing!  Lucy is a pattern in Miss Rosie's Farmhouse Favorites.

I've also been seeing a lot of Double 9-Patch quilts popping up all over Instagram, blogs and quiltalongs.  It just so happens that I have 300 red and orange 3.5" 9-Patches that have been waiting for a project.  I made them at least 10 years ago for a swap that I ended up not joining.  Then I didn't know what to do with them!  I've considered giving them away multiple times, but now I'm glad I held onto them.  I have enough to make a full size Double 9-Patch quilt which is perfect for our spare bedroom.  We have gray walls in there so I think the colors will really pop!  And since these 9-patches are already made, the quilt should be very easy...

I'm a member of great quilt bee and have been for the better part of 10 years.  We're a pretty active group and try to do something new every year.  This year I'm teaching them how to free motion quilt.  To that end, everyone has made the same quilt sampler and I will show them how to quilt each block differently, so they can try out a bunch of different techniques.  I actually made 2 identical samplers.  I'm in the middle of quilting the first one (which they'll be able to look at in advance) and I'll quilt the second during class.

Other than those, this is the year I concentrate on machine quilting.  I'm determined to have fewer than 42 quilt tops by the end of the year and there are several quilts I have to get quilted.  Among those are a prayer quilt for a friend's daughter...

A quilt for a dear friend that our bee made as a group...

And a king-size quilt for my sister and brother-in-law...

As if that isn't enough, I somehow lost my brain and suddenly thought it would be a good idea to decide to make (112) 3" blocks each with 32 pieces in them.  Why?  Because it sounds like fun???  More on that later.

In any case, it looks like it's going to be a busy year.  It will be interesting to look back at the end of the year and see how much of this I actually get done and what other projects end up taking priority.  Hopefully my health holds up this year and I can spend many happy hours in front of my sewing machine doing what I love.  Here's hoping you can do the same!

Gabriel had surgery several days ago to have some lumps removed on her chest and one on her head.  Fortunately they were benign.  To prevent her from licking the incision, she has to wear a t-shirt.  Luckily, she doesn't mind and she's just so adorable in it!

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Planning Ahead...

Well I was right about it being a hot summer! I am SO grateful for air conditioning. Even though we didn't always have it growing up, I would have a difficult time adjusting to a North Carolina summer without it now. I have been incredibly busy this June and July. In my last post, I mentioned I had gotten in the fabric to make new curtains for our living and dining rooms. I love the fabric I picked out, but the pattern has both a vertical and horizontal repeat to it so the curtains were a lot more complicated to make. I also lined them with a blackout lining. By the time I hung them with metal curtain rings, there was so much fabric and they were so heavy, they ended up pulling one of the curtain rods off the wall. My husband was able to reattach it with larger wall anchors and everything has been good for the last week or so. Hopefully we won't have any more problems. Despite all the issues I ran into making them, I LOVE them and I'm so glad I went to all the effort.

Dining Room curtains

Another little project I finished up was a new cover for my ironing board. My husband made my ironing board for me several years ago and it's 2' wide x 6' long. It's perfect for ironing large pieces of fabric like backings. Although my last cover was stapled on, I wanted to be able to take this one off and wash it. I like to use Magic Sizing or Mary Ellen's Best Press when ironing my blocks and over time it can build up on the surface of my ironing board.  Being able to take it off and wash it will keep it nice and fresh for several years.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but I used this Miss Kate print for the cover...

This summer has seen a few fun package deliveries headed my way.  I had a birthday not that long ago and received several gift certificates to quilt shops as gifts.  In planning ahead for some upcoming projects, I bought several bolts of fabric to use for backgrounds in quilts.

Essex Linen Oyster, Essex Linen White, Grunge Vanilla

The Fat Quarter Shop had a nice sale on Robert Kaufman's Essex Linen last month.  I've seen several quilts using it and heard good things so I'm eager to try it out.  I also wanted a bolt of Grunge fabric in a light color.  It is surprising how many light colors are available and it's very difficult to determine what the color differences are.  I went to a number of different quilt stores and bought a yard of what they had so I could compare them.  (FYI - the selvage id on the Grunge fabrics does not indicate which fabric it is.  If you want to keep track, you have to mark it yourself.)  Finally I decided I like the Grunge Vanilla best.

A local quilt store was also having their anniversary sale and I picked up the backing for 2 more quilts.  I prefer using solids for my backings because the quilting shows up so much better.  When I first started quilting, this was the same reason I didn't use solids on the back!  Boy how times change.

I've also ordered some of Aurifil's new 80 wt cotton thread that I want to use to machine quilt the baby quilt I'm working on.  I'm excited to try it.  I love using YLI 100 wt silk thread for machine quilting but I expect the baby quilt to be washed a lot so I think the cotton thread will be a better choice.  I'll let you know what I think after I try it out.

I know a lot of people here have really been struggling with allergies this year.  Our Gabriel deals with them every year, but she's been extra itchy this summer.  Poor girl!

She's trying to find ways to cope though...

"It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good."

Galatians 4:18 (NIV)

UFOs, WIPs and OCD...

Enough acronyms for you?  I find it interesting how people with a common job or interest end up developing their own lingo.  I called my sister on it the other day when she was talking about a report she was writing for work.  She kept repeating an acronym (can't remember what it was now) and I finally had to stop and tell her I had no idea what that meant.  We have so many in quilting as well - HST, FQ, F8, WOF, etc.  I know that some people who read my blog (aka family) aren't quilters and don't know what these terms mean, so I try to spell them out whenever I use them.

So today's post is about my UFOs (UnFinished Objects) and WIPs (Works In Progress) and my obvious OCD (I expect everyone is familiar with this one!)  In my last post I mentioned how many projects I was juggling right now (5) and how many others I also wanted to work on.  I've since added another secret project on my 'immediate' list.  I knew I had A LOT of projects I had either started or wanted to start, but since they were put away in cupboards and cabinets and closets I had no idea how many there really were.  And even though they were neatly organized, I thought it was to time to go through them all and see what I had.  (If nothing else, hopefully it will keep me from buying any more!)

I started by pulling out every quilt top that was done but not quilted (Tops).  I went through every project that I had started but wasn't yet a completed top (UFOs).  I dug through all of my kits - these included multiple BOMs (blocks of the months), where I have all (or most) of the fabric but haven't started to sew anything (Kits).  Over the years there have been a few fabric lines that I just really loved and purchased a good amount of fabric, but haven't decided on a pattern yet (Fabric).  There's definitely enough to make good size quilts from them though.  And finally, I went through all of my patterns and picked out those special ones that I've looked at again and again over the years telling myself that one day I'm going to make them (Patterns).  As you can see from the size of my binder above, this was a BIG undertaking!  Much larger than I thought it would be.  In fact, just counting the quilt tops, UFOs, kits and few bundles of fabric, I have 91 projects in my queue.  YIKES!  This doesn't include any of the patterns I would one day like to make...

So now I know how many projects I need to get busy making.  But I actually didn't go through all this work just to find out that number (staggering as it is).  I have 2 better reasons for doing this.  First, with all of my projects put away, I tended to forget about most of them.  And when I would pull one out, I'd have to spend time trying to figure out where I last was on it.  Now, I've filled out an information sheet on each project so I know exactly what I have left to do.  And since all of the projects are in this one binder, I can look through it at any time and decide on my next project(s).  Plus I took lots of pictures, so it's great eye candy!

My second reason for making this binder is a little morbid but very practical.  If something should happen to me, I don't want all of my projects to end up unfinished or in the garbage because no one can figure out what's what.  This way other quilters can see where I left off and what's necessary to finish a project.  If a quilt top isn't already basted, in most cases, it's been placed with it's backing, batting and binding over a hanger.  All the fabric for a UFO or Kit is placed together except for backings which are on bolts.  In that case, I've included a note saying that and a picture showing what that fabric looks like.  There are a few kits that may not have the borders or backing yet and if so, I've mentioned it in my notes.  I certainly hope to live long enough to finish ALL 91 UFOs, but am preparing if God has other plans!

I was actually going to share my progress on several quilts, but I'll have to save it for another post.  I didn't intend to ramble on quite so long about my binder, but I get very excited about organization!  One of my quirks I suppose.  One final note - I got the free template for the projects sheets at from Pixels to Patchwork.

On a completely different note, our sweet girl just celebrated another birthday.  She turned 11.  She's getting a little grey in the muzzle and a little rounder in the tummy, but she's doing really well.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. 

Psalms 73:26 (NLT)

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl...

I've just returned from 5 wonderful days at a quilting retreat on the coast.  How blessed am I?  Just before I left, Gabriel, our smelly sweet black lab celebrated another birthday.  She's 9 now and starting to slow down a bit.  Some of that though is undoubtedly due to the winter weight she has yet to lose!  She's getting a little grey in her muzzle, but she still loves to play with her babies and chase a ball.  Here are a few recent pictures I've captured of her.

Those brown eyes of hers will just melt your heart, and she knows how to use them to her advantage.  It's the main reason she's so fat fluffy right now.

I send my husband pictures like this during the day to remind him why he's working so hard.

FYI - While I've been typing this, my husband has gone for a run without Gabriel.  He takes her with him every other day of the week.  She's so distraught that he left without her, she's been howling at the window.  She sounds absolutely forlorn.  I sure hope he comes home soon!

I think I'll have to go see if a belly rub will cheer her up in the meantime...

“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV) 

The Not So Blue Angel Shawl...

All of my quilting projects seem to be turning into long term projects, but I'm finding that my knitting endeavors offer more instant gratification.  That's probably because I've been sticking to scarves and shawls.  But it's cold outside, so that works for now.

Recently I finished another shawl.  The pattern is the Blue Angel Shawl by Stefanie Japel.  However, I went way outside my comfort zone and decided to make mine in bright orange!  I'm trying to stretch myself lately by using fabrics and yarns in colors I wouldn't normally choose.  By the time I finished this one, I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to wear it.  I'm happy to say though that I was bold and wore it to church.

I really love the lace edging on this one.  The pattern was pretty simple except that when you get to the edging, you're working off 2 different charts.  But if you can keep them straight, it's no problem.  My one complaint was this was supposed to use 1 skein of yarn.  I actually bought it as a kit with both the yarn and pattern.  When I saw that I wasn't going to have enough yarn to finish, I had to rip out a bunch of rows and make mine smaller.  In the end, I left off 16 rows.  (FYI - If you make this shawl, you can make it larger or smaller by adding or subtracting multiples of 16 rows and still have the edging work out correctly.)

I used Heritage Cascade Yarn in Mango to make this.  I could see making this shawl again, but in the future I think I'd pick a different color and perhaps a softer yarn.  This was a mix of superwash merino wool and nylon, but I bet it would feel great with some silk or baby alpaca in it.

The weather hasn't been great the last few days and Gabriel has been cooped up.  My husband usually takes her for long walks, but because he wasn't able to today, I bundled up (think 'stay puft marshmallow man') and took her for a walk.  Does that face say happy or what?

“No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” 

Mark 2:22 (NIV) 

Halfway Solved...

I've just handed out the next to last clue to our mystery and can now share what the center of the quilts look like.  One member guessed star, which is pretty close, but most of them weren't sure what it was going to look like.  First is the black and brown version I'm making for my husband.  The cream fabrics are flannels I had left over from another project.

Then there's the patriotic version that will go to QOV.  The colors are deeper than in the picture.  For some reason they look washed out, particularly the red.

As you can see from the kitty paw in the picture above, I had a lot of trouble getting a picture without them in it.  That's the problem with trying to take a picture of a quilt on the floor.  In fact, most of my pictures looked like this...

I'm working on the last clue now which is the pieced border.  However, I won't be able to share the final quilt until early July when my quilt bee gets it.

I realized that although the name of my blog is 'Mike & Gabby', I haven't shared any pictures of Gabriel (Gabby) recently.  This is one I snapped with my phone after a nap we took.  She decided she had enough with sleeping and wanted to play.  That face is really hard to ignore!

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 

Psalm 40:2 (NLT)

Questionable Taste?

A friend was over recently and noticed a stack of freshly washed fabrics I was in the middle of ironing.  She wondered what quilt I was planning to make with them.  It was only after I told her they weren't for a quilt that she admitted she really didn't think they went together.  Looking at them, I have to agree.

However, when you group them into pairs, they start to make more sense.  Can you guess what I'm using them for now?

Here's another clue...

If you guessed HST's (half-square triangles), you're absolutely right!  My quilt bee is still exchanging sets of them every month and I thought I'd work ahead.  It's almost as easy to make 8 sets as it is to make one.  (I do love seeing neatly ordered stacks of fabric.  It's just so colorful and pretty!)

Sew, sew, sew.  Cut, cut, cut.  Press, press, press.  And voila!  Another 256 HST's ready to trade.

Once they've been swapped, I can add them to the 960+ I already have.  By my calculations, that gives me enough for a quilt 102" x 105".  For now though, I'm just collecting them.  I have yet to decide on the quilt(s) I'll make.  Although, I really am going to have to get another container to store them.  I've pretty much filled these completely up.

I snapped this picture of Gabriel the other day and just love the expression on her face.  Like most people around here, she's having to deal with seasonal allergies right now.  Poor girl.

“Fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.” 

Philippians 4:8 (TEV)