Micah's Tumbler Quilt

If I were a regular blogger, I'd like to think I'd have regular readers- if of course they had something to read- regularly. I'm funny, witty, smart, and quite humble, and not the least bit vain. (; But, I'm not (a regular blogger that is), so I'll have to live with my delusions.  I have so many works in progress, that I really should post more often.

I shared a photo through instagram a few weeks ago of how I organize my WIPs:

They're in those drawers to the right of my desk.  I don't have a better name for it than that.  To steal a homeschooling term, I call them workboxes.   I have, I think, 10 WIPs.  Realizing of course, there are people with more WIPs than I do.  I'd like to get to the point where I have more completed quilts than planned quilts.

One of those WIPs is this:

It's part of a top I've been working on for some time.  You can't tell it from my crappy photo (my lack of time to take and edit photos is #1 on my list of reasons I don't blog more often).  It's hot hot pink, not red.  I'm making it for a friend who lost a child in a car accident last year.  Her name will be the top half.  Dividing the top from the bottom will be a row of hearts.  I have to get busy making those hearts. I'll also overcome my fear of paper piecing and do a moon, or do a wonky one for the top half.  I really am pleased with how it's turning out.  This is a collaborative quilt, and much love to my ladies at the Word Play Bee.

You can see the other half of my soon-to-be completed top on my work table here:

There are too many WIPs to list here, but as I get them out and play with them, I HOPE to write about them a little more.  Willa's doll quilt is now a quilt top.  It's even got 3 more blocks than I showed several months ago.  I'm having it professionally quilted by Angela. I've got my appointment in May!  That means I'll have to get the back made quick like. Remember these blocks?

I'm very excited to report a big finish this week.  I started this quilt right after Thanksgiving.  It was to be completed by my son's second birthday, but that was over 2 months ago.  I have a love affair with Sarah Jane Studios fabric.  I got enough of it to make all three children a quilt.   Willa's doll quilt is Sarah Jane's Children at Play, and I have recently started cutting squares in order to make Ada a Plus Quilt for her birthday (in May).   Sarah Jane has a new line coming out soon.  Hopefully, I don't love it as much as this line, because I have plans to hopefully find yardage of this line on sale in order to make some floor pillows and curtains.

Micah's quilt is a tumbler quilt.  I decided to make one after watching the video at Missouri Quilt company.  I have Accuquilt Go envy, and since I won't be buying one anytime soon, I decided I could do a quilt just as easily without the handy dandy cutter.  The truth is, it probably would've gone much faster with the machine.  I made my own template out of template plastic and used the little neon tape you put on quilting rulers to outline it.  I cut dozens of tumblers.  It was quite time consuming.  My hubby spent a few days laying out the arrangement.  I looked critically at it a few times, but in the end, we settled on a layout we really both liked.  I put it in a drawer and neglected it- until last week.  I got it done pretty quickly, and I <3 it.

Not so close-up of the quilting.  I quilted it 1/2 inch from all the seams.  I sorta wished I'd done 1/4 inch seams, but I really do like it.  

I backed this quilt with a racing stripe flannel from this same fabric line.  it is soooo soft.  Here's a picture of my kitty helping me baste it (yup, still cheating) to give you an idea of the backing.  It was nothing special, and you can't really see the quilting in a photo.

I did finish a LOT of blocks for a scrapbuster swap.  I didn't realize that I'd made so many until I counted them out to mail.  I should be able to make a twin sized quilt once I get the swap back.  I was a modified- modified bento block box.  Realistically, we made log cabin blocks, and quartered them.

I worked also on my blocks for the 4x5 modern quilt bee.  I have two more to make before I'm done.  I may be late in getting my own stuff done, but I like to be early when working on a project from someone else.

Several months ago I submitted my application to join the do.Good.stitches bee.  It's a group that makes blocks and donates the finished quilts to a charity.  I was even asked to be a quilter. Not sure how I got into the classification as a quilter, but I'll do my best.  I'm a quilter in the Heal circle. I'm excited to participate in this bee, and I got my pinwheels made quickly!

I've got plenty to keep me busy in the quilting world, and here is to hoping I have something to report on again!