border challenged

No this is not a blog about anything politically current. I just realized as I was documenting more of my UFOs for Kim's what are you working on question, that I am border challenged. As you will see from quite a few of the photo's below, I get to the borders and finishing anxiety, the fear of long straight lines of sewing, the oh my goodness, what do I do now, if you finish it the Quilt Police will find all those corners that do not match, who knows what sets in.

Well, anyway here are most of the UFOs. The first is a Wheel of Mystery lap top in Batik's that I am using as my leaders and enders from Bonnie Hunter's technique. They are so distinctive and not like me that it is hard to get them mixed up with anything else.

Next is the unfinished Valentines day card for my husband. This is a Mickey Dupre design from her book Garden Whimsy Applique. It still needs to be satin stitched, borders added, quilted and bound. But hey, he probably will not remember that it was suppose to be a Valentines day 2007 gift and will be just as pleased to get it in six weeks. I know this is a total excuse but I had a single hole throat plate on my sewing machine and it took me until two weeks ago to remember where I had put my regular throat plate. (In the machine cover where it is suppose to be.)

Then there is another quilt for my husband, he gave me a quilt class at my LQS (50 miles away) as a gift. He selected the fabric that was for the border, that bright jewel tone print and when I got to class the rest of the fabrics to go with it had been chosen for me. Which was really interesting because when I saw the print initially, all I saw was cream, gold and black. When I got to class, there was turquoise and I love it. Again, it just needs borders and I have all three fabrics for that, quilting and binding. This one is simple enough I think I can machine quilt it myself.

And this lovely complicated thing on the right may some day be a summer quilt for one of the beds. We definitely need them here where it snows in the winter but yet we have 100 degree days in August. I have been using this as a disciplined personal challenge where the corners must match or frog stitch until they do. I am really getting good at that frog stitch. This was a mystery from the Quiltaholics website that I started when I was on the road somewhere and was able to purchase the fabrics at a local shop and get along. I have lost the instructions, but will get a top of some sort together as there are tons of blocks done in this one. It needs to have the queen size top finished, borders, quilting and binding.

This was also a started on the road quilt. I did this NYE 2005 and it may be an Ann Smith pattern. Not sure who. The funny thing about this is I decided to do it on NYE eve and drove to the nearest quilt shop which was about 60 miles away. I was staying in a bed and breakfast at the time for my work. Anyway, I got there 15 minutes before it closed, picked all the fabrics and had them cut in 12 minutes, cut it, finished on NYE and completely messed it up, I have the pattern reversed so whoever designed this will probably not recognize it either. But I like it. It does have borders, one for me, and needs to be quilted and bound. I will try to machine quilt this also.

This next one is a Details by Diane design I thought I could finish quickly. All the irises are cut out of that border print. Look Mom, it has borders. That is where I got, again it needs to be machine appliqued on then quilted and bound. It has been hanging on my sewing room wall for what seems like eons now.





And this next beauty is a Moda panel from a few years ago that I was going to make so I could practice machine quilting. Yes, those are pins in the border which are probably rusted with age now.

















And this is a flannel lap top quilt for me to use in the media room which is always way too cold for my taste. It is from a Fons and Porter Love of Quilting magazine. It is pieced, needs borders, quilted and bound. And I have to say this is my last flannel quilt for a long time. I bought the fabric from The Cotton Patch in San Francisco and pieces that were from the same manufacturer shrunk differently, shed differently, some became almost too thin to use after washing. But this too must be finished.








These are various blocks from various block of the month's I have been doing. One is the Saturday sampler from the Great American Quilt Factory in Denver, Co. It is called Rocky Mountain Wildflowers but is done in all the purples, greens and golds that are present here in the Sierra Mountain wildflowers. Those birdhouses are a pattern called Birdhouse village by the The Quilt Company. I have to finish the applique which I take with me when I travel I have about half of the 12 by 18 inch blocks finished. I hope to get the rest done in the next couple of business trips. The others I will talk more about another time.

This quilt here is from Beth Ferrier's (my favorite quilt designer) website. It was here 2005 block of the month called Simple Pleasures. It reminded me so much of my Mother. Most of those blocks will have applique on them. I am doing it in a beautiful floral collection from Moda. My mother had the greenest thumb of anyone I ever knew. And all the appliques remind me of here. My mitten block which is the only finished one with applique is missing. Isn't that always the way with mittens.

The next one is from America's Patchwork and Quilting about 1996 or 1997. I have saved it forever and made it this fall. It was a pattern called Witches' Candy. I just love that name but I did not love all those little bitty tiny pieces.


I just love Halloween. So I started this one also, it is a pattern entitled Frieda by Sara Tuttle of Quilt Country. Yes, I got the pattern backwards, but it is my quilt and I am happy with it. Needs machine applique, borders, etc.

Anyway, there they are, including the Christmas quilt that just makes me smile every time I pull it out. Yes it has borders, those darling little presents. And anyone who quilts and has a cat, I think one is a prerequisite of the other, also knows that they are always tangled up in your Christmas ornaments. Again needing satin stitch applique, etc. but I do have my challenges in 2008.

Stay warm, Mary