To-Do Tuesday Linky #34 & Weekly Progress Update
Join us for the 34th linky party post and the 154th edition of the weekly to-do list. Thanks to everyone who linked up with us last week. “Contentment is a list with half of it crossed off,” wrote Gladys Taber.
To-Do for the week of March 24th through 30th:
- T-shirts trimmed to size and interfacing cut – √ done
- Layout the hexies for a baby quilt – √ done
- Pick out fabrics for the Russian Sunflower block – √ done
To-Do #1
Sue and I started working a bit on the t-shirt quilt for our great-niece, Sydney. She gave us a bunch of t-shirts from her gymnastics and swimming programs. As a winner of a number of medals in this final year of her high-school swim team, the season came to an abrupt stop thanks to COVID-19. It remains to be seen if there will be a prom or even a graduation ceremony. After noting each size, Sue diligently measured and cut apart the t-shirts. I offered to trim the interfacing (June Tailor) to the sizes she specified and then we took turns ironing it to the 40-odd t-shirt backs.
This is our fourth t-shirt quilt and we have actually learned a few things since the first one. First of all, we cut the interfacing one inch SMALLER than the t-shirt block size even though June recommends one inch larger. Save yourself the headache of ironing the interfacing to the ironing board cover, and the seams don’t stretch anyway. Additionally, we now use a spray bottle to wet the pressing cloth instead of trips to the sink. It’s much easier and neater with the spray bottle!
To-Do #2
We are making a hexagon-shaped baby quilt for Sue’s boss. They are expecting the baby in June, right near Sue’s birthday and we do not know the gender. I have been slow to warm up to the hexagon craze but when they requested something using this shape we jumped right in. Since I was doing the sewing, I wanted to pick a pattern with no y-seams.
Here are the first three rows of the quilt. I apologize for the crappy photo but it seems it’s been raining or cloudy even day of our confinement. The hexagons are fairly good-sized at eight-inches before seam allowances. We have thirteen rows laid out for me to sew and then we’ll decide if we like the size before moving forward. I shared the link above to the free tutorial I used for this pattern.
To-Do #3
It turns out I had the wrong name for this week’s block release from Melva and her sew-along called Pieces From the Past. The Flower Garden block was released last Thursday and it turns out we didn’t need to select fabric for it. We drew a block instead, that Melva shared in her post, that requires embroidery. Sue selected some DMC threads to match our fabric bundle.
With any luck, we’ll have this slow stitched for next week. Be sure you take a moment to read the wonderful piece of history in the letter Melva shares this week – who knew anything about sugar beets?!! I just thought they were regular beets and that our country ate a lot of them.
March OMG
Thank you to Patty’s at Elm Street Quilts and her linky party. This project is complete – I’ve linked up to Patty’s party. Here are Baaaddi and Quackers, the fun, friendly, colorful placemats for our littles.
To-Do for the week of March 31st through April 6th:
Finally! An end to March – this has been a very long month.
- Slow stitch The Flower Garden block
- Layout the t-shirts for Sydney’s quilt
- Figure out an April OMG
Here is the linkup and just a few easy rules to follow:
- Share your post or Instagram photo in the linky tool (but don’t share a link to your own linky party or giveaway)
- Please point your readers back here with a text link or use the button from the right sidebar
- Also, please visit and comment on other participants’ messages as time allows
You will find the link-ups displayed on a separate screen. I hope you check them out and/or add your own link!
The Linky Parties we join can be found by clicking the link above or along the sidebar on our website for more quilting fun – check out what our friends are up to. Like/follow us on our Facebook page and you can share your photos of what you’re working on. We would love to see them!
You are a force to be reckoned with. I so appreciate the hint about the interfacing for the t-shirt quilt and I love that using the spray bottle of water instead of going back and forth to the sink works. Why don’t I think of things like that? Thank you for your inspiration. I hope you get some sunshine soon. It might be easier to cope with all that is going on with a bit of blue skies. Spied an open daffodil in one of my pots this morning. Yay!!
Great way to tackle a hexagon project – can’t wait to see your finish!
Strange, I came across a lovely half-hexagon quilt in the current issue of AP&Q that I love and that is flicking its tail and whiskers at me in a squirrelly way… I keep seeing embroidery around QBL and feel the urge to get mine out again…and thanks for the OMG reminder; better check that I did in fact link mine up because I did finish!
Hello Roseanne, While reading about the T-Shirt Quilt you are making for your Great-Niece, it made me think of how hard this is for Seniors that have waited so many years for that incredible special Prom Night and then the day they officially get to start their “own” adult lives. Both of your next projects, I am going to be looking at. I find the fabric selection you chose for the Hexagon quilt to be lovely! Then, I have no doubt that Sue will do a beautiful job hand embroidering that beautiful flower block! Of course, I still smile at the adorable placemats you made! I hope that you and Sue continue to have fun while quilting. Have a great day!
Good luck with all of your projects – your hexie quilt is really coming along nicely 🙂
I am in love with your hexies! You are making good progress on your projects.
You are kicking it!! I love that flower embroidery block, can’t wait to see it done, and the fabric pull, gorgeous!!
I didn’t know the hexagon quilt was a craze. For once I’m ahead of the game then. lol I started making a hexagon quilt with full hexagons in 2016. I thought I could do it on the machine but even with a pattern, I didn’t like the way the Y seams looked, so I cut all the hexies in half and made rows. It was soooo much easier. I’m glad to see it’s a craze now. I’ll have to dig mine out and finish it!
How awesome of you to turn those cherished tee-shirts into a one-of-a-kind memory quilt. I know she will cherish it for the rest of her life. I’m sure your readers are very appreciative of the helpful tips you are sharing while making the quilt. You are saving them so many headaches. Stay safe! Thanks for sharing your projects. 🙂
I gotta say, those placemats are the cutest thing I’ve seen in awhile. Great tips on the t-shirt quilts; I’m avoiding the one I need to make for my daughter. Mainly because she’s not settled in one spot yet, so we decided to wait until then, so we can add in any shirts she’s using now. So I might make notes of your tips and stick them in my bin so I don’t forget.
I’m still crushing on the placemats. Also excited to see the t-shirt and hexi quilts.
I was happy to read your tips on making T shirt quilts — I just received a box from my daughter’s friend to make her a quilt. I did order the June Tailor interfacing after reading one of your earlier posts. I do have a question — should I wash the shirts? Evidently she’s a smoker and I’m overwhelmed with the smell! Cute start on your half hexie quilt!
That’s a great tip about the interfacing for the t-shirt pieces, Roseanne – I’d never thought to do it that way before! I love the fabric and colors for the hexie baby quilt, too. Are you using a special ruler to cut the half hexies? Hope you, Sue, and all the family are hanging in there!
I haven’t gotten around to a t-shirt quilt yet–one of these days! I enjoyed reading another letter on Melva’s blog, though I’m not a follower–what is the story behind all these letters? (Busy day ahead here but I hope to dig deeper later.). The hexagons will be fun to watch go together. We finally got a few sunny days but back to rain here.
that is a great way to do a hexie quilt if you don’t want Y seams or EPP!!
I really appreciate your tips about making t-shirt quilts because I truly hope to make one some day. I love how your hexie quilt is coming together. I also plan to make one or two of those “some day”. One of these days I’ll have to make a master list like you and Sue have. For now I have a bunch of projects floating nebulously around in my head! Have a good day, Mary.
You’ve got a good start on the to do list for this week. Love the embroidery motif, that should be really pretty in the colors you’ve chosen. Have a great week, hopefully you’ll get a bit of sun soon. It’s been rainy here more days than not, but the sunny days have been really nice. Wishing you some of that weather.