2016FAL Q4 Wrap Up

For all my Quarters in the 2016FAL, I had 5 goals, except in Q4. Since little got done for Q2 and Q3, I decided to take it easy in the last part of the year: 

1. Finish quilting, bind, and label Maybe Lyz Quilt. 
Worked on, but not finished. 
2. Baste, quilt, bind and label Alabama Quilt Top. 
I did baste this quilt, so one less step for next time. 
3. Make a back, baste, quilt and bind the Vintage Squares quilt.
 I think I basted this quilt?? The end of the year was such a blur, I honestly can't remember. 
4. Finally finish Ohio Stars quilt.
Finished!!

Many of my 2016 finishes were gifted. What a great feeling!

For Q4, I'm 1 out of 4 and for the year only 4 finishes on my FAL (5 finishes total this year). This was my second year participating in the Finish Along, and I feel like I did better than the previous year. I may not have made more, but I made some and stuck with it and had a great time. I wish I had had time to look at, comment on, and take inspiration from other quilter's posts more. There's always next year. 

Thanks to all who participated, ran, or followed the 2016FAL and special thanks to those who visited my posts about it. 

Bring on 2017!!

Ohio Stars: A Finished Quilt

This quilt has been in the works for many years. It has been in every quarter of both Finish Alongs I've participated in and now, in Q4 of my second year, I've finished it!! Here is my Q4 List.

The inspiration for this quilt started when I wanted to try making a Ohio star. Later I decided I would complete the quilt and gift it to a certain someone. So I worked diligently on it... for a while. 

But then inspiration ended. Somewhere between basting and quilting, I lost my nerve, so to speak. I liked the quilt, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to give it to whom I had intended. It took me ages to finish once doubt was in my mind. 

Now that the quilt is finished, I love it! I don't know where it will end up, but I'm happy that it is complete. 

Ohio Stars Quilt uses new, vintage, and donated fabric. I tried to incorporate colors that are rarer for me with tons of yellow and green. The backing is a single piece of vintage cheater fabric that lived its former life as a tablecloth. 

This quilt measures approximately xx x xx and has a new cotton batting, and a rolled binding. It is completely hand sewn and hand quilted using cotton thread. 

Having had this quilt in the works for so long, I think all my cat helpers worked on this one with me at one time or another. 

I'm linking up today with Needles and Thread Thursday, Finish It Up Friday, Finished or not, It's Friday, the 2016 Finish-A-Long, and more!

2016 Finish Along - Q3 Recap and Q4 Lists

So, while I technically missed the link op for Q3, here's my list anyway:

1. Finish binding and label Ohio Star Quilt. 
2. Quilt, bind, and label Maybe Lyz Quilt.
3. Piece front and back, baste, quilt, bind and label Atlanta Falcons Baby Quilt.
4. Quilt, bind, and label Geometric Gift Quilt.
5. Make backing, baste, bind, and label Alabama Quilt Top.

None finished. Again. 

I won't be missing the link op for Q4 and, despite my last two rounds, I hope to have my most productive quarter yet!

I'm only listing 4 goals for the last quarter. In preparation for this list I took out a bunch of tops and projects and my Q4 looks a little different. 

1. Finish quilting, bind, and label Maybe Lyz Quilt. 

I started this one a log time ago, and made some progress in the last few months. I'm thinking this big quilt will be nice to cuddle up under while I'm working on it as the weather gets cooler. 

2. Baste, quilt, bind and label Alabama Quilt Top. 

I made a little progress on this vintage quilt top we found on our trip to Alabama last year. I need to figure out how to quilt it and get it finished. 

3. Make a back, baste, quilt and bind the Vintage Squares quilt.

4. Finally finish Ohio Stars quilt. 

I've been working on this one too long. I have the last bits to finish, not more than a days work, but I could not get motivated to finish it for Q3. I'm over this quilt and it needs to get done. 

A Week of Bowls

My smoothie bowl obsession is still going strong. Here's what a week in the life looks like:

Monday 9/5: Acai, banana, leftovers from last bowl (pitaya, bananas), spinach, cherries, coconut milk. Topped with local bee pollen, local peaches and blackberries, bananas, coconut, chia, cacao. 

Tuesday 9/5: Acai, banana, spinach, blackberries, coconut milk. Topped with grapes, local blackberries, chia, local bee pollen, cacao nips and dried cherries. . 

Wednesday 9/7: Banana, local peach, red grapes, almond milk. Topped with cacao nibs, chia, bee pollen, local blackberries, and coconut. 

Thursday 9/8: Acai and frozen mango with coconut milk. Nectarine, chia seeds, bee pollen, cacao nibs, bananas, on top. 

Friday 9/9: Bananas, spinach, mangos and coconut milk with local blackberries, nectarine, bee pollen, chia and cacao nibs. 

Saturday, I ate a bowl out. Sunday I ate some refrozen, then reblended left over bowl bits. And I've eaten a bowl everyday since. You can catch some on my instagram. 

OMG: May Recap + June Goal

Welp, May didn't see me get as far as I would like on my Ohio Star Quilt.
But a fail for May OMG is an opportunity for June!

It may be ambitious, but I'm shaking up my June OMG Goal and expanding it to incorporate two items; Two quilts, one goal! This will help me get back on track for OMG and the 2016 Finish Along.  

So, this month, I will finish my Ohio Star Quilt and the Tree of Life Baby Quilt (or cry trying).  

April OMG Finish + May Goal

I finished my April goal early in the month so I could add it to my Q1 finish Along completed list, as well. Check out the post here. 

So I'm on to May!

I've been working on this Ohio Star quilt for a looooong time. It's been on every one of my Finish Along lists for 2015, and 2016. I think May is my month to get it done!

Linking up with Red Letter Quilts for OMG May.
Since I started this quilt way back in 2014, all the cats have had a hand in helping me. Here, pit gives me some advice about how to continue the quilting and reach my May Goal!

2016 Finish Along Q1 Recap + Q2 List

Q1 was pretty productive!! Here's the list:

1) Finish piecing, baste, quilt, bind and label OC/GC Baby Quilt.
Done! 
2) Finish piecing the back, baste, quilt, bind, label, Baby Quilt Commission #2.
Done!
3) Finish quilting, bind, and label Quilt for Grandma Doris.
Not done, I must have a mental block about this one... gotta get past that...
4) Quilt, bind, and label Geometric Gift Quilt.
Not even close to done. It's so big, it's a bit daunting...
5) Finish quilting, bind, and label Original Mini.
Done!

Now on to the Q2 list!

I think 5 projects was a good number to aim for in the last quarter. I plan to continue with that number in Q2. I sort of kept up with my goal of one finish per month. At least, I had three finishes in about three months. I tried to keep last quarter's list in order of what needed to get done first, but I'm scrapping that idea for Q2, so here's the list in no particular order:

1. Finish quilting, bind, and label Quilt For Grandma Doris.

I've lost soooo much steam on this... I've second guessed so much about it that it's become quite a struggle. 

2. Quilt, bind, and label Geometric Gift Quilt. 

I made no progress on this since last Summer. Must get it done! This will be a good one to work on in the in-between moments. 

3. Make backing, baste, bind, and label Alabama Quilt Top. 

While we were in Alabama last September, I picked up a vintage unfinished quilt top for $5 in some lonesome thrift shop. I've never finished a vintage top, so I'm excited!

4. Quilt, bind, and label Maybe Lyz Quilt.

A friend might like this one, so I'll try to finish it up for her and see what she thinks. 

5. Piece front and back, baste, quilt, bind and label Atlanta Falcons Quilt. 

I'm tentatively naming this quilt after the teams colors (no, I don't watch football). This is a wild card... I have the fabric pull, have the idea, but I'm not sure if I'll actually get to it let alone this quarter. And even if I do, I'm not sure it'll go to who inspired it. 

It's hard to look at another list that is almost all older projects needing to get finished! I'm tempted to add a bunch more starter projects. But I know I want to clean, clear and finish before I start new so I'm sticking with this list. I only hope my Q2 be as productive as Q1. 

I'm linking up with the 2016 Finish Along and with Slow Sunday Stitching. 

Original Mini: A Finish

I started this mini on a visit to AZ way back in 2010 (I think... I had to call my friend bc I honestly couldn't remember). She was taking a sewing class and was going thru her fabric stash. I helped and got to pick put what I liked (which worked out to be things she didn't like, mostly) as a reward. I started hand sewing this mini then and there on her guest bed. 

Here we are 6 years later and I've finished it! This mini was a big inspiration to start quilting again. And it holds a spacial place in my heart

The quilt top is made up a various vintage, reclaimed and found fabrics. The backing is mostly a piece of lizard skin-ish green batik. Both were pieced in Chandler, AZ, at the house of my BFF, where she lived with her parents at the time. I had to add a bit of new black fabric to the backing to make the rolled binding.  

Original mini was basted with a few scraps of vintage poly batting, and quilted with light grey cotton thread in a stripy pattern. I added some black thread as well. The binding is rolled from the back. This mini finishes approximately 27" x 27 1/2" with a very wonky edge. 

I added a new little tag, with the name of the quilt, dates, and my name. This little mini is on my Q1 list for the 2016 Finish Along. I made it just under the wire (last day for links ups!). But I'm feeling good about it!! It was also my OMG finish for April, so that deadline is ahead of schedule!

Original Mini has been hanging around so long, I'm sure all my helpers had a hand in it. So here is Tom on the day I finished. 

Orange Cat/Grey Cat - A Finished Quilt

When one of my best friends let me know she was pregnant, she also let me know that I would be making her a baby quilt. Luckily, I already knew just what to make her!
Orange Cat/Grey Cat is an ode to two wonderful cats that the family have had. Grey Cat sadly passed away, but Orange Cat is the resident babywatcher and watchercat. 

The top for OC/GC was made using mostly new but some vintage fabrics. Most of the cats are black or white, but please note the orange and grey cat hiding there. I know my friend likes bright colors, but couldn't resist the making the top stark black and white with hints of pattern and color. 

From the very start of this quilt I knew I wanted the back to be as bright a rainbow fabric as I could find. I really liked this wavy new fabric. Bc it was soo busy, I decided that it was enough on it's own and didn't need to be a pieced backing like many of my quilts.

I used a new cotton batting for this quilt. I had a really hard time deciding how to quilt OC/GC. I didn't want the quilting to stand out too much or take away from either side of the quilt. So I tried something new and used a clear poly thread. It was certainly a challenge to work with, but I love the results! I quilted it in a straight line grid pattern avoiding the cat faces when I could. 

I folded over the backing to make the binding (as is my usual style). I really like the way it added to the colors of the front of the quilt and focused the black and white. This quilt finished at approximately 46" x 39 1/2". 

I made a simple label with no stamp, just stating the name of the quilt, my name, and added "For Calvin". I took this quilt out for a walk around my new neighborhood to get some good shots. 

All my cat helpers worked on this quilt. But Pit was the most helpful as I basted and bound Orange Cat/Grey Cat. This quilt is on my Q1 list for the 2016 Finish Along and I'm linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

OMG April Goal

My OMG (one monthy goal) for April is another finish for my 2016 Finish Along. This month I want to finish a very old WIP. I call it the Original Mini. 

Here's hoping I can finish this one soon, and also add it to my Q1 completed list! I will be linking up with Red Letter Quilts for OMG April!

Baby, Birds & Stars: A Finished Quilt

Last year I was commissioned to make two baby quilts for coworkers. Baby Blue was the first that I designed and completed at the end of 2016. I was inspired by it's simple, modern design and some of it's fabrics to make Baby, Birds & Stars. 

I used some scraps from Baby Blue plus more new fabric to make a simple but bright, large squared quilt top. These two tops are the first ever quilts I've made using no reclaimed or vintage fabric. I really like how both of them came out, but I will also be glad to get back to using vintage, thrifted, or reclaimed matierials as that makes me feel more at home. 

For the back, I had found a really inspiring yard and wanted to make that the focus. I also wanted mitered edges, and stripes. I incorporated light grey striped cotton as well as a strip of baby blue striped flannel. 

For Baby, Birds & Stars, I used a new cotton batting to make it really soft and snuggly. 

Although, the quilt top and back were of a very simple geometric design, I wanted this quilt to be whimsical and fun! I quilted the center squares with free hand stars, boxes in boxes, and stars in boxes. Then I made a star boarder on the outer boxes, and a few straight lines around the parimeter of the quilt. I used vintage yellow pearl cotton, bright blue cotton thread and grey cotton thread for the quilting. The quilting is a bit spread out making this quilt puffy, fluffy and soft. 

I used my fold over method to bind this quilt, so that the grey stripes bordered the front. I used a light grey thread to bind the edges. This quilt measure approximately 46" x 39 1/2". 

I have been making very simple labels for this quilts this year so far. I like to put the name of the quilt, my name (Mad Cat Quilts), and the year it was completed. This label also has a message from our workplace to make it extra special for baby and family. With some labels I also include the month it was completed or add a special Mad Cat stamp.

Almost all my helpers worked on this quilt, but Tom was especially helpful when basting and quilting Baby, Birds & Stars.    

This quilt was my March goal for OMG (One Monthly Goal), so I'm linking up with Red letter Quilts. And It's also on my Q1 list for the 2016 Finish Along. 

I'm also linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, as this quilt was completely hand sewn. 

March OMG Goal

My One Monthly Goal (OMG) for March is also on my Q1 Finish Along List. 

Baby Quilt Commission #2 needs the quilting completed, bound, labeled, and delivered! I happily finished my February OMG, so I plan to keep up the good work!

Linking up with Red Letter Quilts OMG March Goal and Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching as I get down to work.  

OMG February Goal Finish

My February OMG goal is a gift, so I can't reveal the whole thing until it's been given. But I'm happy to announce it's finished!!

I'm posting this to the OMG February Finish Link Up. Head over to Red Letter Quilts to check out all the amazing February finishes. 

I'm also linking up with Kathy's Quilts and Slow Sunday Stitching, as I put the finishing touches on this quilt. Keep you eye out for the reveal post soon!

2015 Finish Along Q4 Recap + 2016 Finish Along Q1 List

I really enjoyed participating in my first Finish Along in 2015 (Check out all the details for last year here). I didn't get a as much done as I would have liked last year, but it was a nice way to track my progress. I'll be happy to look back at my blog posts in years future. I can't wait to start 2016!

Although technically I missed the cut off to link up my 2015Q4 List, I still made one and completed a finish on my list! I haven't been able to post the quilt I finished bc it's still hasn't been gifted. Since I wasn't able to add to the link up, it didn't really matter. But keep your eye out for that post: coming soon!

Here's the 2015Q4 list:
1) Finish quilting, bind, and label Quilt for Grandma Doris.
I thought about this project a lot, but I suppose that doesn't really count. 
2) Finish quilting and making, stuff and use, Pillow #1 for a New Secret Project.
Moving put a hold on this one....
3) Start, piece, baste, quilt, bind and label OC/GC Baby Quilt.
Some work got done on this and it'll make the new list. 
4) Piece back, baste, quilt, bind, label Baby Quilt Commission #1.
Finished!
5) Finish piecing front and back, baste, quilt, bind, label, Baby Quilt Commission #2.
Work got done on this and it'll be in the new list, too!
6) Finish piecing front, piece back, baste, quilt, bind Xmas Medallion Quilt. 
I'm not even sure where this quilt is...

On to 2016Q1!

In my goals for this year, I want to get a quilting finish done each month. This won't stop me from making my 2016Q1 list longer than 3 items!

1) Finish piecing, baste, quilt, bind and label OC/GC Baby Quilt. 

I'm gonna try and list these in order in which they need to get done, and this is the first.  

2) Finish piecing the back, baste, quilt, bind, label, Baby Quilt Commission #2

I have some ideas about how I want to quilt this one, so I can't wait to get started. 

3) Finish quilting, bind, and label Quilt for Grandma Doris.

This quilt was on all 4 of my 2015 Finish Along lists. It's time it was really put to bed.  I'd love to have this finished in time for Mother's Day, but I've said that before...

4) Quilt, bind, and label Geometric Gift Quilt. 

This might be my biggest quilt to date and I'm eager to finish it. 

5) Finish quilting, bind, and label Original Mini. 

This one goes way back!

Setting deadlines is another one of my goals this year, so I feel that this is a great list to help me achieve that.
I'm so pleased to be linking up with Debbie at A Quilter's Table this year for the 2016 Finish Along.  This year's FAL is spread over several blogs, but here's where you can find all the details to join. I hope some of my readers will join up and share their progress with Mad Cat Quilts!

PS Here are some stats and links to my 2015 Finish Along:
Out of 15 unique quilts that made it to my 2015 lists I finished 5. One third of my year's goal is a pretty good start, I think!! 
2015 Finish Along
Stormy Friendship
Label Maker
AGAT
Q2
Scrappy Hearts
Q3
Q4
Commissioned Baby Quilt #1 - Post to follow.