Progress on both the GB and t-shirt quilts

I finished the machine quilting on the Gee's Bend piece. I was thinking about adding some hand quilting, but does it really need it? I know where the scraps are from making this. I hope I have enough big enough pieces for the binding.

I have the t-shirt quilt two thirds pin basted. I will probably finish tonight while I watch football. I dug thru my quilting threads and I have plenty of the right colors so it is full steam ahead! The one thing I don't have is dark purple fabric for the binding.  

T-shirt quilt backing and UFO

I found a piece of backing big enough for the t-shirt quilt. It was the standard off white so I decided to dye it. I was leary of trying to make it a light blue. I thought that if I tried that it would turn out a green since the off white fabric had a yellow cast to it. So I dyed it yellow with a touch of red to get a pale cheddar color since there is cheddar in the top. I am happy with the color. The color in the picture is off, but it was the best I could get.

So while the fabric sat in the dye bath and went thru the wash and dry cycle, I worked on quilting the wall hanging I started when I went to QuiltCon in 2015. I have had this pin basted for a while and it is time to get this UFO done!

At the end of the workshop with the Gee's Bend quilters, we could get our picture taken with the ladies. I asked them to sign my piece; I had brought a black Sharpie just for that reason. They looked at me as asked if I was sure I want them to write on my piece. I said yes! They said that I was the first person that had ever asked them to do that so they were quite surprised, but were happy to do it. I didn't asked for them to date it, but I am glad two of the ladies did!

My goal this weekend is to continue to quilt the GB piece and get the t-shirt quilt pin basted.

Border is done

I didn't need a big border, but I thought it needed something. I added a 5" border to the sides and a 7" border to the top and bottom. Right now the top measures 69" x about 87". This quilt top didn't need to be any particular size, but I am happy with how it came out.  I know it is hard to see, but the neck scarves are navy blue and the t-shirt are purple.  

Now I need to find something for the back.

Getting the t-shirt top sewn together

I worked on sewing together. I still have the left hand strip to sew to the neck scarf and right hand t-shirt row unit. Sewing the scarves together was a bit tricky because there were a lot of bias edges. I am happy with the way they did come together.  After I get the row sewn on I will start to work on a improv piano key border made from the leftover t-shirt pieces.

I made chicken soup today too while I watched the horrifying domestic terrorism in Washington D.C.

Progress on the t-shirt quilt and this year's UFO/to-do list.

I had a lot of computer work to do so the only work I got done today on the t-shirt quilt was to take out the hems of the neck scarves.

I did get my UFO/to-do list for 2021 together as far as quilting goes. Items 10 thru 14 are new. I have another list for things I need to finish around the house. I hadn't updated this list in several years. I do like to tape pictures of my UFO/to-do projects on a door so in case I can't think of what to do next I can just look at the door!

1. Amish diamond 42" square I made this many years ago

2. Hand dyed striped quilt 74" x 85" When I was cleaning up on 1/4/2015 I found this quilt and had forgotten that I had not finished quilting all the black stripes.

3. Log Cabin quilt - this is the second large quilt I had pieced. I had started to hand quilt this and it kept getting pushed aside. After two moves and several home remodels, the quilt was filthy and back then I used the batting that was available - polyester. I took out the hand quilting, washed the top and back, and plan to machine quilt this. This is my oldest UFO - 30+ years - and yes, I am going to get 'er done! 

4. Improv musical quilt - queen sized - I have started quilting this, but had to put is aside.

5. Log cabin hand dyed fabric - look at the date - 2010! I don't remember the challenge I made this for, but I am way pass the entry date for sure!  I started hand quilting this in 2020.

6. Black and white star top - queen sized

7. 90" x 99" 

8. Red lips 30" x 43"

9. Make some quilts out of Dad's clothes made one quilt for Kathy finished Sept. 2016. I need to make several more.

9. Gee's Bend workshop piece

10. T-shirt quilt for A. Smith

11. Harley quilt for the 11th annual poker run. Here is my box of shirts I will work from. They are leftovers from previous years.

12. Finish this Christmas stocking for my sister's daughter

13. Make a flannel quilt for a fellow that helps out with my nephew's band.

14. Wall hanging made with Jimmy Buffet t-shirts. Needs the embroidery finished, then bound.

15. Finish cutting up the scraps in these two bins

then make lots of quilts out of all the scraps I have been cutting!

A new project

A woman I worked for at the hospital job wants me to make a t-shirt quilt for her son. She gave them to me before Christmas so I am just now getting to them. Besides t-shirts there are neck scarfs from when her now grown son, who is a pharmacist, was a Boy Scout. I got the shirts cut up and interfaced today. I threw them up on the design wall to try and figure out how to make sense of 7 t-shirts and 6 neck scarfs.

I will need to make borders so I interfaced the leftover pieces of the t-shirts. I still have the sleeves that I can interface if I need more fabric for the borders.

This is the type of iron-on interfacing I use. It is lightweight and is inexpensive if you get it on sale. I usually buy it from JoAnns. Right now beside this bolt, I have two more full bolts on hand.

I think I will add some improv borders similar to this t-shirt quilt I made back in 2017.

This new quilt will be the 33rd quilt I have made with t-shirts and/or clothing.

1st and 2nd finish for 2021

Here are the two baby quilts I quilted last year and finally got the binding on them today. They measure 42" x 49".

You may ask why on the lighter pink quilt did I put my label on the front. While I was quilting it I saw that somehow there was a place where the seam allowance was too small and I had a raw edge.  I have no idea how I missed this!

So I just sewed one of my labels on top of the booboo and problem solved!

Yesterday I got company and they will be staying until tomorrow morning. Yesterday we made oatmeal raisin cookies and today we made pizza for dinner. The house smells so good!