January One Monthly Goal

I finished my One Monthly Goal for January a while ago...

...and used an extra signature swap block on the back for the label. 

 Since I finished my goal quilt so quickly, I did some straight line quilting to finish this one up as well.

Another extra block for the label. 

I'm pretty happy with the progress I'm making on Smith Mountain Morning. After getting all the blocks sewn together, I found a ticking fabric in my stash for the inner border and got that attached yesterday. I was going to go the lazy route and just add another border, but I'm so far ahead schedule on my Star Challenge Quilt Along, that I decided to go ahead and take the time to make the pieced border that's part of the original pattern--lots of those star points to sew now!

Linking with One Monthly Goal HERE

Some Sunday Stitching

Last month I put my hand pieced Texas Stars top on my quilting machine and did some random basting with an old spool of orange thread. Since then I've done a little hand quilting on it in the evenings--not too much since I have arthritic wrists--lol! I usually manage to get one or two stars and their centers outlined before I have to call it quilts. There are 99 stars, so if I can keep up this pace, I may have this one quilted this year!

Linking with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching HERE

January Update

I got everything done that I had hoped to at quilt camp earlier this month--the nine shoo-fly blocks needed for Afternoon Delight......

...all of the stars for Smith Mountain Morning....

...and the alternate blocks, as well.
I'm making a smaller version of the quilt--5 by 7 blocks instead of 7 by 8. I'm not sure what I will do about the border yet.
This is my "star quilt along" project with Bea and Cecile. 

When I got home, I figured I better work on my One Monthly Goal: getting this top completed. I had done most of the quilting before I left for camp, so just needed to do some chalk marking for the border and get stitching! I've since finished this one and also completed my second swap block quilt with some simple straight line stitching. 

Ever since I had finished piecing the Afternoon Delight blocks at camp, I had been so excited to start work on the four January applique blocks. These are almost like cutting out snowflakes--fun!  The applique shapes are cut from fusible interfacing that with be fused to the back of my fabrics. I use the method shown in the program trailer HERE.

Here they are--all ready to stitch down.
My fingers are itching to do that, but first I need to finish binding those One Monthly Goal quilts!

A Little Afternoon Delight

I had some time this weekend to take a look at my Afternoon Delight Block of the Month pattern. The first month of the BOM has us making two pieced blocks and four applique blocks.
I decided it would be a good idea for me to cut all 40 of the applique backgrounds from my fat quarters before I start chopping them up for the pieced blocks. I cut two eight inch blocks from each fabric. These will be trimmed down to the finished size after the applique is done.

I'm not going to only do two of these blocks.
There are nine of them in the pattern and I will cut and sew all of them now while I have all the fabrics out on the cutting table. This block is going into the center of my quilt.

I've got a good start on the remaining eight and may take them along to quilt camp tomorrow, although I do worry about using my Bernina to finish them after mostly piecing them on my Juki. I guess we'll see how that goes.
Off to finish packing!  

January 2020 Goal

I've made a few test blocks for the Bea and Cecile Star Quilt Along.

 These blocks are for a smaller (throw size) version of
Smith Mountain Morning designed by Bonnie Hunter. I have everything cut out and ready to sew at next week's quilt retreat. My hope is to get all the blocks made there, but no worries if I don't make it. The entire quilt needs to be finished right down to the binding in six months. I think I can handle that! 

I am again joining Patty for her One Monthly Goal link-ups in 2020.
I like choosing one doable goal each month--preferably something older that I still want to get completed. This way I still have time to work on other projects or even start something new without feeling bad--lol!
For January, my goal is to get this signature block swap top (try saying that three times!) quilted and bound. 

And hopefully this one will be finished as well.
 This photo is a bit out of date--I've since added a border to it.
I have the backs and the bindings ready and the batting has been pieced together so it will just be a matter of getting these two tops quilted.
Wish me luck!
See more goals HERE