Frenzy for 15 Minutes to Stitch Week 13

 It's the last week of the quarter, so I have been working at a frenzy pace to meet my quarter goals.  This year, I made 6 projects for Project Quilting, and one of them, the Dresden Plate, wound up being four quilts. I plan to sew those together, potholder style, so it is one quilt, but for now, it is four quilts. I also made some more Pocket Hugs or a tutorial. Since there are so many little projects, I thought it would be nice to be able to say I made 13 projects in 13 weeks. 

This means I have to finish up the things I have outstanding, like quilting and binding the Dresden Plate quilts, and while I am at it, I have a few small quilts that still need quilting. I am usually good at quilting the small quilts right away, but last year, time just got away from me, and I have a pileup of small quilts. I figure they would be quick enough to finish and add to my finish count for the first quarter.

15 Minutes to Stitch Week 13

 

This week, I made more Green Sawtooth Star blocks.  Even though I know this quilt won't be able to be finished in the first quarter, they kept drawing me to them to make just another one. And just like potato chips, I can't make just one.  The fabric combinations are really intriguing to see how each one will add to the quilt. I am making a scrappy quilt, even though it uses my newer fabric.  For some reason, I have been very selective in fabric choices for this quilt, and so far, my older greens don't look like they will fit. The fabric combinations are really intriguing to see how each one will add to the quilt.

  I did make some small progress on Lupine and Laughter blocks, mostly so I can get them finished and off the design wall to make room for the Sawtooth Stars.

• 15 minute days / March = 28 / 28 days
• 15 minute days / 2026 = 87 / 87 days
• Success rate = 100%

It may seem like there is a green tinge in my photos, but no, all of my projects definitely veer in the teal range. I did have to brighten them since it was already dark when I took the photos.  I didn't notice that green projects happening, except that the new projects keep coming from fabric that is already on the table. It doesn't seem like a forbidden new quilt if I am not actually looking for fabric to make a new quilt. The fabric on the table just tells me what kind of quilt it wants to be.

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15 Minutes to Stitch

Quilt Reveal: Haven of Harmony

 I made my first quilt of the year for the first Project Quilting challenge. Project Quilting is a challenge that was started years ago by Kim Lapacek of Persimmon Dreams. It is inspired by Project Runway challenges. 

Every other week for the first three months of the year, Kim's friend, Tricia Franklin, posts a theme. Quilters then make quilts based on this theme. The quilt cannot be started before the challenge is posted, and must be finished by the deadline, which is only one week later.

Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

The challenge this week is to make a quilt inspired by a birdhouse.

I did some cursory searches for some birdhouse patterns, but I was attracted by a quilt that someone had made on Facebook based on a quilt pattern by Cheri Payne. It isn't a birdhouse, but it is a house and does have a bird in it so it works in my book. I really liked the fact that it wasn't a rectangular quilt, and decided to make something like that. 

For the rest of the week, I kept finding other birdhouse patterns, and it was hard not to switch plans, but my rule is to go with the first instinct. It keeps me from overthinking things, and in the end, I am so glad I stayed with my plan.

There aren't houses where I live with two chimneys, but there are other architectural features. I am not sure whether this is called a gable, but I will call it that until I learn otherwise.

I made the house, added a door and window. I used a stiffer middle layer instead of batting. I am not sure whether this is Peltex or Timtex, but I am pretty sure I bought it for fabric bowls. Since the quilt wasn't rectangular, I think it needs more support.  I thought about a binding, but decided to take it easy on myself and birthed the quilt.

I encountered a lot of obstacles in making this quilt, but I was having so much fun making this quilt so it didn't faze me. I nicked my thumb with a rotary blade. My bobbin ran out of thread, twice, because I used bobbins that weren't full. I didn't get a good camera angle for the ironing station and wound up being in the way and the camera kept focusing on my sweater. Then both of my cameras ran out of battery even though I had charged them to prepare for this videoing quilt for YouTube. (I use one for talking, watching the ironing station and the sewing machine, and the phone camera for overhead shots).

I have beautiful fabrics on the table because I am collecting them for an autobiography quilt, and they really helped me make this wonderful quilt that feels very Indian. 

Here is a link to the challenge post so you can see what everyone else made. Mine is #198 so there is lots of inspiration to see.

Here is the YouTube video that shows the entire process from start to finish: