Progress Report for January

If you're here for the Grow Your Blog Party, you can find that post here.



I figured I'd post a progress report today as Friday morning I leave for a quilt retreat at the ocean.

I think I've made pretty good progress this month. I have done A LOT of cutting this month trying to tame some of my scraps. Here's a couple of before and after pics.

The pics above are of the workbench where I will be working on machines.

Above is my cutting area. The smaller inset pic is as far as I've gotten on my scrap taming. Quite a bit cleaner I must say.

I've also done a lot of cutting for making inventory for the shows that I vend at. Now I have to start sewing everything up.

This week I've stayed pretty busy. Monday I ran errands---bank, PO, Doctors office and a drop off of totes to the cancer center. Tuesday I cut out 2 quilt tops and more inventory. Wednesday I completed quilting on 3 lap quilts that will be taken to my Dr;s office tomorrow. I have finished the binding on 2 of them and just now took a break on the third one to write this post.
Here they are. The first pic is one of my finishes for the 2015 FAL so when the time comes to link up the link will be (HERE).
My link back to the original post is here.

Here are the other 2.

Today, other than the binding, I am getting everything gathered up to get ready for the retreat. This is a group that gets together every year at Ocean Shores and we share lots of laughter and sewing and, of course, eating.

I guess that's it for this progress report. Starting next month I start back on quilting for clients and I have a line up already (whew!!!).
Happy Quilting1

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Grow Your Blog

                                                      

On again I'm joining in on the Grow You Blog party.

The idea of this is get this out to more people and get exposure.

A little info about myself.
My name is Mary Kunna and I live in the Pacific NW (Tacoma, WA.). For years and years I used to do all sort of crafts. Then I found quilting. My main passion now has centered on quilting. I now have a long-arm quilting business, teach quilting at a local quilt shop, vend at quilt shows and design quilt patterns. I also have a passion for collecting vintage machines. Some that I buy go into my own collection and some I go through and service then sell.

Feel free to visit some of my other pages to see some of my vintage machines and a few of the quilts that I have either made or designed.

Something else that I enjoy doing is beading. I have done beaded needlecases and such. I really enjoy working with Delica beads.
One of the things I use this blog for is to also try to keep me in line with finishing some of my own UFO's. Doing quilting for clients keeps me busy, so my own projects tend to take a back seat when it comes to working on them. Not only the quilting for clients, but since I vend at quilt shows I need to work on inventory for shows. Again, this pushes my personal stuff back. Soooooo-I try to keep at list of accomplishments each week to try to keep me on track.
Heres a few pics of shows and misc. that I do.

Hood River

Commission Quilt

Joyful Noise-A Tosty's Design

Portland Expo


 

Another thing that I will be posting on my blog is a new venture I am undertaking is the restoration of this little beauty:

This is something that I have been wanting for quite some time.

That about covers it for now.
Check out what others are doing at this blog hop HERE.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches
Mary

Works in Progress

Or maybe I should say progress of my work.
I haven't been doing weekly progress reports on what I have gotten done in the "black hole" for the week. It's probably because I haven't been working on client quilts. I have been busy working on taming the mess. I have been doing a lot of cutting down of scraps into strips. Going through fabric and deciding what is kept and what is donated. I have also been doing a lot of cutting for inventory and kits for the retreat I teach at in April. Needless to say I have done a LOT of cutting this last 2 weeks.
Here are some of the scraps that I'm trying to tame so I can make it look a little more organized.

I have put these blocks up on the design wall so I can  stare at them for a while.

These blocks are the challenge this year in the small group that meets at my house once a month. The blue fabric (upper right side block) is the fabric we worked with this year. We just had to make a block using that fabric in the block. No size requirements or anything else in the way of rules. Now we have 3 months to put these into something finished. Since there are 6 of us, we had to each make 6 of the same block and then exchanged them at our December meeting.

In the evenings, I've been working on hand sewing (so I don't watch TV through the roof of my mouth :-) ). I finally finished this--

This is from Vintage Tin by Crabapple Hill. This is only the first one I've done so now I've traced out the second (which is a large one) one and started working on that.

I even found a little time today to treadle for a bit. Life is good.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Another One Bites the Dust!!!

I have another finish on my FAL list done!

This is one that will be going to my Doctors office for patients. The owner of the LQS that I teach at is sort of clearing out her stash. She has been making quilt tops from her scraps and some she donates to Dollars for Scholars, Project Linus, and me. She gives me these with the backing and binding so all I have to do is furnish the batting and quilt them for my Doctor's office. I am soooo thankful that she does this for me. I have been making quilts to go to the Drs. and this just an added boost so hopefully I can spread a little comfort and caring for the patients receiving chemo. I have hit the 4 year mark for my diagnosis (and doing good) and am so thankful for this life and opportunity to give a little back.
Linking to FAL HERE. Original post is here.

Hooking up to TGIFF here.


Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Second Finish of the Year!!

I put the last stitches in the binding last night on Easy Street.

 This project was my January project for Lovely Year of Finishes.
It is also on my list for the 2015 FAL 1st quarter finishes. I will be linking back to my original post HERE.
This is also a FAL finish. Linking up HERE.

I'm on a roll now. I'm going to load another quilt for the Doctor's office to do next, and then I will be loading a raffle quilt that I do for a retreat that I teach at in April.

This is the raffle quilt I will be quilting.


Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Can I do this?

Well once again, I may be biting off more than I can chew.

I'm in the joining mood again.
I have joined up for 2015 Finish-A-Long and here is my list for this quarter
1. Easy Street Mystery-pic on previous post HERE.

2. This top is from a FB group. It was a mystery quilt.

3.  This is a quilt that will go to my doctor's office for patients receiving chemo. It is a 5 yard quilt.

4. Another quilt destined for the doctor's office.

5. This is a little kit that I bought about 2 or 3 years ago. I think it's time to "get er done!".
It's called Lollipop Bag.

That is it for the FAL. You can check out what others are up to by going HERE.

I have also decided to do the Project of Doom with Fandom In Stitches. Now I try to stay away from paper piecing but this is Harry Potter!!!! My friends that really know me, know that I really, REALLY love HP. If you want more info on this check out the button on my sidebar.

I know I'm probably overdoing it, but I hope that this will keep my sewing mojo going. I sort of went into the doldrums last year.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Design Wall Monday

Trying to get back in the swing of things, I will pick up showing what's on my design wall this week.
These are the spool leader and enders that I did from Bonnie Hunter's leader/ender challenge from----oh----I think about 2 years ago. They have aged properly, and now it's time to  figure out how to set them. I thought I would set them like this and then put a little larger sashing between them. I was thinking of using either unbleached muslin or maybe a pale yellow with cornerstones. What do you think?

I ended up making around 200 blocks, so I hope to get a pretty good size quilt out of this.
To see what others are working on I'll hook up to Judy at Patchwork Times. Check it out. I'm going to make it my goal this month to get this to the flimsy stage.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

A New Project

I think I've gotten myself into something here, and no, it isn't a sewing project.
It's not like I haven't enough to do with making inventory for the shows I vend at, or quilting quilts for clients (don't even get to my own). Not to mention classes I teach at the local LQS, or machine repair that I'm getting into. You would think that that would keep me busy. RIGHT????? Oh noooooo. I had to start something else.

Since hubby has retired he has been working on building a Rat Rod (hot rod). He started out with a 1920 Model TT (classified as a one ton truck).  He has stripped it down to the frame and is totally rebuilding it. Here's some shots of it.

Now this gave me an itch. For years, when I was a younger and more foolish type, I fell in love with my uncles car. I told him if he ever wanted to sell it I wanted it. He told me that it was going to his youngest son when he was ready to get rid of it. I've always remembered that car and to this day wish I had it. It was a mid 1960's Ford Falcon Ranchero. If memory serves me correctly, I believe it was a 1964. Also, back then my brother had a 1963 Falcon (not a Ranchero) with a 289 4 speed that I loved driving. Do you know where I'm going with this? Well, guess what I bought? It definitely needs to be restored, but the body is in good condition and the rest is do-able.

These pics were taken were it was sitting where we went to look at it. It should be home in the garage in a couple of weeks. Then the restoration should begin. It is a 1963 Falcon Ranchero, 6 cylinder 3 speed. I have to decide if I want to drop in a 289 (but at my (ahem) age----do I want a 4 speed?) You bet I do, but let's get practical :-). Anyway, this is my new baby. Of course it will be painted RED!!!!
Is there any other color?

Well, that's my ramble for today. I know it hasn't anything to do with sewing, but I just had to share.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

First Finish of the Year

Hopefully this is a good omen that I will get some UFO's done this year. Although, I must admit that this really doesn't qualify as a true UFO. I started this when I taught a Scrapbuster's workshop in November. I really wanted a Christmas quilt cause I didn't have one yet, sooooo------. Now I have one.

For the back I thought this was kinda cute and different.


My next finish will hopefully be the Easy Street Mystery by Bonnie Hunter. I have it loaded on the long-arm. The top has been done for quite a while, but with quilting client quilts, it sort of got pushed back.

Onward and forward!

I normally take January off from client quilts so I have a good long TO DO list going. I have to get the sewing room cleaned up. Going through a purging a lot of things that I don't really need anymore (stuff from other crafts that I used to do before quilting). Making some inventory for shows, and f course, maybe quilting up some of my own tops. I also have a stack of tops that will go to my Dr's. office for the patients there. Busy, busy.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015 & 2015 FAL

I'm going to try my hand at keeping up with this this year. I will start out simple. This quilt has been loaded on my machine for almost a week already. I just can't seem to get a start on this, so my goal this month is to have it quilted, bound and labeled by the end of the month.

This is Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street for 2-3 years ago. It's time to finish. Hopefully by the end of the month I will post a completed project.
Linking to LYOF. Check out what others are planning.

This is also on my 2015 FAL list so I will be linking up to that HERE.

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary

Happy New Year!!!

Let's get the New Year started!

                                            

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!
Let's get rolling!!!!!!

Til later,
Hugs & Stitches,
Mary