Poker Run Quilt aka Horse Quilt Finally Finished!

This quilt gave me a few headaches, but I have persevered and it is complete. It is the last of the nine UFO's on my list to complete last year.  It was all done, but the binding on December 31, but I had to let it wait a bit longer, because I also had to sew 18 button eyes on it.  But it looks great.  The second one down, on the left, is Old Blue.  In March, actually, I photographed it in front of building 34, at the BVAMC, a historical site, which back in the old days was a horse barn.  It seemed appropriate.

Joe and Gayle are the quilt holders and actual quilt admirers.  If you wish to know more about this quilt, it is mentioned at least three other times on this blog, in past posts.  Or send me a comment, I would love that. 

What's on the Design Wall in Late November?

That pumpkin quilt top is finished; the one that I posted on November 6.   I need to make the backing, buy that spooky panto, and get it to a long arm quilter.  This is the first time I have done two "What's on the Design Wall" posts in the same month.  Of course, the one that was on my wall in July stayed up there through most of October.  I have finally got a move on it.  This is the Buggy Barn quilt, that I got the book for at a Fall School House event at the Blue Bird Quilt Shop, in Nampa, back in, dare I say 2012???

Then in the next year, I bought the fabrics. Then it lay there until February of 2017, when "Buggy Barn Janet" came to the Quilt Crossing and did a two day class on completing our Buggy Barn stack n whacks.  I was so glad I took the class.  She was wonderful.  I finally got all my horse blocks done, in September 2017.  I know this because, I posted a photo of all twelve blocks, on 09/14/17.  Then they sat there until last week . . . when I discovered I need nine horse blocks to make the quilt, but I actually made twelve horse blocks.  That's how I roll.  Now that I look at the photo I posted in Sept 2017, I am wondering if I should use all twelve in this quilt.  Anyway, I have the barns finished and now I need to make the fence sashing and borders.  The green I have is not going to work, so I am waiting for my green to arrive in the mail.  

I have been resisting several amazing fabrics that have been calling to me all the way from Connecting Threads.  I put the green (mini spots and squares) in the shopping cart, then decided I should buy a couple of those fabrics on my wish list, so I can get the free shipping!  I bought Anjalina, Georgiana, and Margaret from the Jane Austin line, and Marpesia from the French General line, and some tea time fabric to top it off!  I am so excited, I can hardly believe it.  I confess, I am a fabric junkie.

I got all the eyes and nostrils cut out and appliqued on, this last weekend. Whew, that was a chore I did not foresee!  I am ever closer to crossing the finish line, just waiting on the right green fabric for grass:

Happy 2020 List of UFOs!

Happy 2020!  We made it into another year.  My quilt group is doing a 2020 UFO Completion Challenge.  We have to submit a list, then have them all done by December 2020, to be in a drawing for cash.  I really believe I can do one a month, however, I have other projects that I will be doing in between these nine.  Following are the 9 UFO's I have submitted for the challenge:
#1 and #2 are Twisting Turning Twenty quilts
#3 Rocket Ships
#4 Poker Run by Buggy Barn
#5 Phyllis' Phorty
#6 Ohio Star quilt I started in 2001      #8 Spumoni Quilt
#7 16 Patch Bandana quilt                   #9 Flannel Frog quilt

There are two cut out quilts here; one is multicolored and the other is mainly purple and white.  I would say I started these about five years ago. What happened?

I started this rock ships quilt about four years ago, as a project I could do while visiting my mother.  Of course, when I took them with me she had put her sewing machine in the closet with her bed in front of it.  I thought I could spend more time with her if I had something to do, plus it would engage her a little more.  Oh well.

I bought a Buggy Barn quilt book, approximately 7 to 8 years ago, so I could do the Poker Run quilt. It all seemed so simple on the surface of it.  Fortunately, two years ago, one of the Buggy Barn people came to the Quilt Crossing, in Boise.  She had a class, where we could bring whatever Buggy Barn quilt we were working on and she would help us with the process.  It was invaluable, and I did get all the horse blocks completed and squared up. Then back it went, into the UFO pile!  This is the year, I finally get it done! Yes!  My backing, barns, fences, and sky fabrics are all in that pile. 

My friend, Phyllis, did some cleaning out of her stash and UFO's a couple years ago (coulda been four years ago?), and I happily took these wonderful blocks from her.  Guess what?  I am actually going to do something with them, finally.

I took a beginning quilt class at the Quilt Crossing, in 2001, with my friend, Elverta.  It was in the little strip mall on the corner of Liberty Street and Fairview, in Boise.  The classroom was upstairs; narrow steep stairs. Sewing machines up!  Elverta had a great big quilt top done by the end of the class.  She is an overachiever.  This is what I had at the end of the class. I was just not happy with getting these corner stones and sashing to work.  I threw up my hands and decided I would quilt other things until I could get back to this bit of frustration.  I know I will be ripping out a good bit of this, pressing it, and redoing it.  I want to start it soon, because one of our quilt group members is new to quilting and she is taking this same class in January/February.  I can't let her beat me!  But it will probably not happen, because I have my Aunt's florescent quilt to get finished first (one of those not on the list).

This one just needs a couple borders added then finished up.  I have lovely fabric for the back! I can hardly wait! 

This is the Spumoni Quilt. I started it with leftovers from the original Spumoni Quilt. I got the top finished, but never quilted it. I still have the backing fabric with it in my UFO pile.  It will be wonderful when completed.

#9 is the flannel frog quilt, I started in 2011.  I used the scraps that were left over from the quilt top to make a kitty quilt that my kitty has enjoyed for a very long time.  

As I said, I am excited about starting on these projects and getting them finished!  It is going to be an interesting year, as right now I am working on an art quilt.  I am determined to get it finished this month.  I guess I better get into the quilt room and get started!

I Might Have Been Horsing Around -or What's on the Design Wall in Sept!

It has been a busy summer and my fresh healthy lifestyle has left me longing for more time in the quilt room.  I am feeling healthier and today, I am happier.  The Knotty Quilters had a retreat this last weekend, Sept 8, 9, and 10.  I spent all three days diligently working on my Buggy Barn, Poker Run quilt project.  I got all 12 horse blocks completed.  I had a wonderful time with my quilting buddies, too!  When I will get further on this quilt, has yet to be determined, but the hard part is over, baby!

The pattern is called Poker Run, by Buggy Barn.