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No change in the numbers.

At my Art Quilt Group this week, one of the members showed us how to do boro stitching. She was lucky enough to take a class in Japan when she was visting family there several years ago. Here is the beginning of my seven inch square.

I really enjoyed this! The combo of stitching and scraps greatly appeals to me. I’m not sure what I’ll do with this piece, but I plan to finish it sooner rather than later.

Fabric In: 0

Fabric Out: 16.75 yards

Net Fabric Out: 16.75 yards ...

No fabric in or out this week.

Only two more borders to sew on Traffic Jam. I hope to sew those today and be done with it. I need to make a back, and then I move on to an unidentified project. So many choices……

We traded ATCs at Art Quilt Group this week. Here are the ones I brought home.

The group decided to continue trading, but I’m sitting out the next round.

A member’s husband did a demo on using AI as a tool to create original quilt designs. It was quite fascinating. I don’t ...

No fabric in or out this week.

I finished the two ATCs for trading at the next Art Quilt Group meeting. It wasn’t enough usage to count.

I started with hand painted fabric, stamping some dots and other shapes on it. I quilted them and cut them apart. I added the beads and findings after stitching the edges. There’s definitely some tricks and a learning curve to working so small.

Work on the Traffic Jam top continues. I’ll be glad to get that one done.

Fabric In: 0

Fabric Out: 0

How did you do this week ...

Welcome to 2025! I wish you a year full of creative fun and joy.

In spite of a busy December, the list moved forward. I also started and finished a small crocheted throw. I find I’m going back to hobbies from decades ago and enjoying them in new ways. Good chance you’ll see more variety on the Short List in 2025.

I began the Short List many years ago to create short-term goals and a way to focus. I change things up as my interests change.

Project 1 (Original): Study in Stitches. Something about this project doesn’t ...

Another month snuck up on me. It just doesn’t feel like the holidays. It’s been cold the past few days, but unseasonably warm before that. It hasn’t been cold long enough to be thinking about Christmas.

No change in the numbers. The recent projects are too small to count.

I finished the postcard for the woman who gifted the group a bunch of art quilt supplies.

I didn’t use her supplies in the piece, couldn’t make them work. The background is leftover from a prior project. I stamped the stems/leaves and added twisted cord ...

No change in the numbers.

For the Art Quilt Group meeting this week, everyone is making an artist’s trading card (ATC) to try the technique. ATCs/fabric books was the program last month. I finished that task Saturday.

I used the inchie and dyed cheese cloth I picked from the member’s destash. It was fun and fast, but not really my thing.

We have another assignment for the meeting, which I will start but may not finish for the Tuesday meeting. I don’t have a clear idea for that one – yet.

Fabric In: 16.5 yards

Fabric ...

A lot of life happened here in July, but I managed to finish two projects. One wasn’t on the list and I forgot to post it. The other was Wallflower (the challenge quilt).

The list isn’t changing much for August.

I started The Short List many years ago to create goals to work toward and a way to focus. I change things up as my goals and interests change.

Project 1 (stitching): Words of Joy Tree, pattern by Ursula Michael. I’m stitching this on red 14 count aida with DMC white, all from stash.

Project 2 (UFO ...

My July OMG was to finish the challenge quilt, which I eventually named Wallflower. The challenge was to use a quilt made by another member of the group as inspiration. I chose the background fabric from the inspiration quilt as the basis for my quilt.

Here is my quilt.

The larger motifs are made from pellon non-fusible interfacing. The smaller motifs are lace cut from a vintage tablecloth that had large enough holes to make it unusable. I painted both with fabric paint, inks and airbrush paint.

In hindsight, I would have done some things differently, but I’m happy ...

My goal for May was to finish the “pass one” challenge quilt.

Another member of the group (Art 2 Quilt) made a quilt (of a peacock), and I had to make a quilt inspired by her quilt. This fabric was the peacock’s body (my inspiration).

And this is my quilt.

I bought some darning net at the thrift and wove fabric strips and yarn through it. I cut it into piece to make the diamond shapes. The woven cloth is sewn onto the background fabric along the edge of the weaving.

I learned a lot making this quilt. I ...

My art quilt group, Art2Quilt, started a new challenge. Everyone made a quilt to pass to another member. We will each create our own quilt using some aspect of the quilt received as inspiration.

I didn’t finish my quilt to pass and had to use something previously made. There was a mix of new quilts and previously completed quilts. Even though the quilts are smallish, we decided one month felt rushed and two months to complete our quilts would work better.

I forgot to ask the maker if I could post her quilt, so I will only show the ...

My OMG for November was to finish a challenge piece that included a piece of fused fabric made at an art quilt group (Art 2 Quilt) meeting.

Here is my section of the fused fabric.

And here is my finished quilt.

I talked about the process here.

I chose the solid black border so the fused fabric could be the star. It needed a little something more, which is why I chose a multi-color binding and variegated quilting thread. The quilt measures 22 x 11.

To see all the other November OMG finishes, head over to Elm Street Quilts.

I have no idea what I did in the sewing room last month, but I don’t think it amounted to much. Maybe my goal for November should be to show up. Sometimes back to basics is best.

The project list repeats last month’s.

Project One: The Tiny Modernist Holiday 2022 SAL. All parts have been released now. There is so much stitching on this piece! My goal is Christmas 2023. I am pleased that it’s starting to look like something.

Project Two: The pinwheel charity quilt. I’m sewing setting squares to pinwheel blocks. A design opportunity ...

The days are shorter, the air is cooler and Fall is here. That means more time for sewing and stitching, right?

I finished two projects last month, My Sewing Treasures and a project bag. Only one new project made the October list.

Project One: The Tiny Modernist Holiday 2022 SAL. I had a slow start and am way behind. The pattern has more stitching than I anticipated. I’m about 1/3 through the first month but have the patterns for the first two.

Project Two: The pinwheel charity quilt. I’m framing the pinwheel blocks to get them all ...

Nothing to report this week.

At Art Quilt Group, we all brought in pre-fused geometric shapes in bright colors to fuse onto solid black fabric. We had enough shapes to cover two cuts of black.

Aren’t they fun?

Then we cut the black fabric into enough pieces that we could each take one.

Here is my piece.

I haven’t figured out what to do with it yet. The challenge is to use it in a finished piece, due at the November meeting.

The black measures 22” x 6.5” (smaller than I count).

Fabric In: 13 3/8 ...

The AQS Show in Grand Rapids, Michigan opened Wednesday. If you visit the show, make sure to check out the Ultimate Guild Challenge exhibit. My art quilt group, Art 2 Quilt, is exhibiting with the theme “Road Trip”. Here’s my quilt.

The Ultimate Guild Challenge exhibit has always been one of my favorite exhibits at that show. I am honored and blessed to have a quilt displayed. Many thanks to all the members of Art 2 Quilt, who are always up for a challenge and willing to try new things. They are a talented group, and I have learned ...

I finished my January OMG, the felt tree ornament. That means something new gets added to the list.

I will continue to keep the list at just a few items. That’s about all I can manage right now.

Project One: My Needle Arts Guild started a band sampler stitch-along. We review the stitches for two bands at the monthly meeting, with a goal of finishing those bands before the next meeting. This project will continue through April.

Project Two: This is a challenge quilt for my Art Quilt Group. We have size requirements, plus it has to include paper ...

I added some filler strips and triangles to finish the sew-in top to something rectangular. Then I took it to Art Quilt Group. Those ladies always have the best idea.

I brought it home, squared it up, pulled backing, chose thread and pressed everything.

Weekend plans include quilting it and working on the finish. I’m keeping the plan for it a surprise.

I’m really excited about this project and can’t wait to finish it. The project is my June OMG, making the finish a priority.

For several years I’ve been a member of an informal art quilt group called Contemporary Cloth Artists (CoCA.) Until this spring we met monthly to share our latest work, take classes together, and set various challenge topics. Now our meetings … Continue reading →

One month out of twelve done already! How are you doing on stash usage?
I’m in the home stretch on the challenge quilt, which I have named Destination Unknown. The facing is attached and partially stitched, the sleeve made and the starfish painted to match the other neutral fabrics in the quilt.
The focus fabric had some white space in it, which looked all wrong on the starfish. I used black Pigma pen to color in the dot pattern where there wasn’t any. I mixed brown and white paint for the background. I’m very happy with how ...