WIP Wednesday - Still here and moving along

I bet you thought that since I haven't posted in a week that I was dropping out of blog world again, didn't you? Well, I am not! The first of the month was last Thursday and the first 3 business days of each month are very busy at the office for me and it doesn't leave me time for much else.

I did find time to get a couple of backings during a sale on Saturday at my local quilt shop. I also got to enjoy lunch with my 2 partners in crime, Gail and Tina. They are the ones who have taken all of the Deb Tucker classes with me since last January. The shop had 20% off for the Super Bowl and I took advantage with 2 extra wide backings. Sweet!

I was able to finish all of the blocks for Road to Llano, project #1 on my 18 in 2018 list. And the UFO number pulled on Judy L's UFO list for February. And since all of the blocks were done, I laid the entire quilt out on the design wall.



I have been working on assembling the rows and then sewing a new finished row onto a section already assembled. One more row for the top half to be fully assembled!

I have been working a little each morning before heading to work on whichever project is on my cutting mat. Two days ago, I turned on my iron and water was spewing from all of the crevices. This isn't the first time that it has happened with that iron and in the past, I would do the anti-calc/cleaning and it would shape up for a few months or a couple of years. This time, the iron kept flipping on the re-heating light even though it should have been hot enough.

I was all prepared to purchase another Rowenta steamer iron! I had looked up the prices on Amazon a few weeks ago and checked out other stores to see if there were better deals. I kept remembering the first steamer that I had that I won in a raffle and how great it was for marathon sewing days... I was ready to take the plunge and buy my own!!

Then, when looking for my missing owl pin cushion, I found a box for the iron under my bed. I pulled the box out and it was not empty - it had a brand new iron, the same model that I have been using. I must have bought a replacement for the iron one of the time that it leaked.



So now, I have a new iron and no need for the steamer. I'm a little bummed, but a little happy that I thought ahead and won't be without a nice hefty iron for any length of time!

One thing that was holding me back while assembling the Llano blocks into the top was that I didn't have a leader/ender project. So I took all of my sock monkey HSTs and put them into blocks.



They will be at least 2 baby size quilts and possibly a lap, but really maybe just a few baby sized.

So that is where I am. There are quite a few things going on behind the scenes that I can't share at this time. All I can say is that I am looking forward to things quieting down a little in a month or so.

I am linking up with...
Lynette for BOMs Away

Sarah for Whoop Whoop Friday

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

Esther at WOW - Wips on Wednesday

Lorna at Let's Bee Social

BOMs Away - Road to Llano and Halloween

This is my first BOM's Away post and this goes along with the 18 in 2018.

This week, I finished step 1 on the Road to Llano quilt. This pattern is a free pattern on Judy L's page. I have already made one of these quilts in the purple and gold colorway for my cousin. This one is a king size for my parents. I had to enlarge the pattern on EQ to make it a king size.

It's been a while since I have worked on this many pieces and ended up strip piecing.

I was getting quite a pile going! I forgot to take a picture during the final piece added though.

Here is Step 1 done! 120 units!

This is my #10 18 in 2018. Ten was the number pulled from Judy's UFO challenge and I thought I would work on this one this month, too. I had planned on working on a second project with the Llano quilt so this one was the easy choice. I had a layer cake and some fabric from the line to use for borders and binding. I paired up the 10" squares for the pattern and trimmed one from each pair down. This week, I will work on cutting the black and getting the smaller squares cut for the first step on this project.

Not a bad week for a first effort!

I am linking up over at Lynette's blog for the BOMs Away!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 

I have been battling bronchitis this past week, but I have still made some time to reflect on this past year and look forward to 2018 with a list in my head of the things that I want to accomplish. This weekend, I spent a bit of time cleaning and disinfecting and the house is in much better shape!

Yesterday, I went through some projects and came up with a list of my 18 in 2018. This will be the list that I focus on for the BOM's Away posts throughout the year, as well. Assuming that I keep up with the blogging, but that is absolutely my plan at this moment. I want to keep myself accountable and keep up and get some things done and stop promising that something will be done soon.

Here are the projects that I pulled out and I am ashamed to say that I didn't remember a few of the projects. I am very pleased to see that some projects were stored with notes or flags as to what I was planning on pattern-wise.

1. Road to Llano for my parents. I have had these fabrics since 2013 to make this quilt.

 

2. Avatrix quilt. This was a kit from Craftsy and was a steal! A FQ bundle and yardage for a great price. Almost everyone in my quilt group got a kit and then no one has ever made it. Once I started the Deb Tucker ruler BOM last year, my partner in Crime, Tina, even bought a kit. Our plan is to work on this quilt and Tucker-ize the pattern.

3. Thimbleberries 2008 BOM quilt. This is all cut out and some of the blocks are actually made. I started this when I worked at the Best Friends quilt shop. This fabric is not my cup of tea anymore, but I am sure that when I get the quilt finished that someone will love it.

4. The Super Secret quilt project. Again, when I worked at Best Friends, some organized a super secret quilt with blocks that they picked from a book. I am sure that some of them finished their quilts, but Barb and I did not. I got everything cut out and put it away. The quilt is for Barb so it would be nice to get it finished so that she can actually use it. The binder includes all the blocks and the pieces for the blocks and notes that I made when cutting. This was from 2010.

 5. Judy Martin's Finger Lakes log cabin. This was cut in 2010 and then stored away. (sensing a theme here...)

6. 2017 Deb Tucker Ruler BOM. I bought the kit for this class and have since replaced the black. I made the first four blocks and wasn't blown away with the yellow and got stalled. I have added the three fabrics on the left in the first picture and removed the yellow and the lime green so I need to start over. I do like this color combination much better now though.

7. My brother's quilt. I am still gathering some fabrics. I need a few more browns. The gathering only started within the last 2 years.

8. A quilt for a friend. I have the color scheme set, but need to start picking fabrics and a pattern. Probably a Deb Tucker pattern.

9. Regina's 50th birth year quilt. This needs to be done this year. The pieces were pulled and started at a Bonnie Hunter class through my guild maybe 2 years ago. Turkey Tracks.

10. Halloween quilt with Come Sit a Spell layer cake. I should've started this quilt in 2017.

11. Rick Rack quilt kit with Persimmon line by Basic Grey. A quilt kit from Craftsy.

12. Axis Mod Decor quilt kit (top in the next photo). Another purchase from Craftsy.

13. Love is in the Air quilt kit from Craftsy - bottom in the next photo. (Darn their sales!!)

14. Quilt the 4 Which Witch wall hangings. I have been working on these FOREVER!! I was working on the applique in 2011, but I know that I cut the pieces and had those done for a while before attaching them to the blocks and then a while went by before I satin stitched the edges. Now, they are hanging over my banister upstairs tormenting me daily.

15. Santa rag quilt. I've had this fabric since 2008. Flannels.

16. Window treatments for 3 rooms. Only showing the fabric for 2 rooms here. I've been in my condo since 2001 and had the fabric for all three since about then. I can do this!!!

17. 2009 Designer Mystery BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop. The blocks are done. The finishing kit is here. I just need to bust through it and get it quilted so I can use it!

18. Fresh Flowers quilt kit. This is one collection of layer cakes, charm packs, background and a book that were in an ArtBin and stored. I have no idea for how long. But it's time to get it made.

I am going to be participating in this challenge hosted by Lynette. Here is the link to the challenge page. Come and join the fun! You don't have to pick 18, but I have a plan already for working on each one of these!