May Wrap-Up

 Each month I plan to spread blog posts across the month, and more and more I find myself blogging at the start and end of the month. My quilting theme for May was borders. I am happy to say that I met my goals.

One Monthly Goal

My One Monthly Goal was to add the borders to Gus's Camo Quilt (Pecking Order - Missouri Quilt Company). As I create this blog, I see a pair of blocks turned, so it looks like I'll be doing a bit of surgery in the next month to repair that.

My quilt bee gathered in person for a sewing retreat earlier this month and I spent the day adding the borders to my Seminole Mountain (Smith Mountain Morning - Bonnie Hunter). As I was getting ready to apply one of the inner borders, I found a turned block while describing a potential quilting plan. Fortunately it was along the edge, so I got my steps in moving between the pressing table and my sewing machine. One the way home, I figured out why my border points were in danger of being cut off when binding is applied.

When I piece the border, I was careful to have the tips meet at the top, with a small seam allowance, forgetting that I needed to leave space for the binding.  So I spent an evening removing the outer border and another afternoon resewing the points. 

The adjusted borders are now on the quilt, and this one is moving into the queue for quilting later this summer.

 The Country Lanes Table Runner finally has borders in place. I ended up taking off the three rows on each end and adding squares of the background fabric. This was instead of having to cut across the horses that I so carefully placed along the edges. After watching videos on mitered borders several more times, I took the plunge and started sewing them on. Once on, there was an overhang where the triangles met the main length of the runner.  I centered the ruler at the tip and trimmed a slight angle of each side. Visually it looks as though the the borders are even all the way around.  I've got extra width, so I may eventually trim them a little more narrowly.

Table Scraps & PHD in 2022

Nothing to report this month as I don't have any finishes, just progress towards finishes in future months.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

The color for May was Green - Forest & Sage. I chose the fabrics early in the month and then got distracted, so finally cut them last week and sewed the blocks together on Sunday.

I didn't create a penguin this month as I like doing two at a time, so I'll return to the penguins next month.

Corgi Report

We had a lot of rain in May, which resulted in lots of mud and not a lot of time at classes. 

In June we have a busy month planned.  Savvy will enter his first show on June 3rd in the 4 to under 6 month class. This is a class for experience (for he and I) with less pressure as there are no championship points on the line.  We have been attending handling classes so that he could interact with new people and be near other dogs. When we started this, he was convince the table was a giant pool of lava - in just three weeks he has become more relaxed and less suspicious.  I, however, am suspicious that he may be crossed with kangaroo - given how excitedly he hops when he sees new people.

Sera was extremely jealous each time I took Savvy out without her. We did attend two Rally Obedience classes. Sera continues to improve and had a lot of fun. Savvy is a goofball, but also improving. He is hitting his terrible teens, so I have to work harder to keep his attention.

It is getting hot in North Carolina, so I set up a pool for the puppies this weekend. So far Abby is having a grand time bouncing in and out. Savvy tends to be most curious about it in the evenings - oh so convenient to have a wet puppy right before bedtime. He is much less graceful entering and exiting.  Savvy is a veritable Houdini.  He led Sera out of the yard on a few adventures earlier this spring - happily moving immediately to the front porch.  We blocked that hole (or so we thought) and then he and Abby pulled down the aging lattice on the edge of the steps on Tuesday. By Saturday, he discovered that the wire we installed previously had a gap and so he expanded that gap and led Abby on a merry trip to the porch. On Sunday they upped their game and vanished twice - opening new points in the wire after each time I thought I had it blocked.  We've now nailed a piece of roofing tin to cover that gap. Apparently his entire litter are escape artists.

Linking to:

One Monthly Goal May Finish

Motivated May - Goals for the Merry Month of May

 Last night, as I happily pressed borders on the Camo quilt, I felt a tug. Sure enough, world's cutest puppy had the corner of the quilt in the crate with him. A little fraying on one block, which is now a part of the seam allowance against the border, so no harm done. A good reminder to me that quilting with a Corgi puppy in the house means one has to maintain constant vigilance. He has become quite the expert at moving his crate out from under the table.

I shoved his crate back under the table (again) and swiffered the floor in front of his crate, then for good measure brought my saddle stool over to hold the bulk of the quilt while I measured, pressed, and pinned on the borders. Dash and Monkey were well past the puppy stage when I started quilting, so the worst I had to worry about was someone rolling on fabric. This little guy is still in the midst of teething. Plus, as I now work from home, he has a setup in my office/quilt cave directly under the cutting/pressing table. Sadly, my vision for setting up a pressing station in the corner has gone away as it appears my home office is home to stay.

One Monthly Goal for May and Projects Have Done 2022

I really like the progress I've made this year, and setting goals is part of my success. I've picked off the lowest hanging fruit and the hard deadlines, so now I'll continue work on some of the larger projects.

Last month, one of my goals was to finish all the blocks for Gus's Camo Quilt. I am happy to say that I met and surpassed that goal. I finished all the blocks and then some (I still have some leftovers - probably good in case someone grabs the corner of the quilt again). I pieced the center of Gus's bed quilt (Queen size) and also a quiltlet for Abby the Cattle Dog. 

My primary goal for this month is to get the borders onto the Camo Quilt. The inner border is on, so now I have to finish the outer border. Icing on top would be to also get the borders on the quiltlet for Abby as well as piece a denim back for it using old jeans. I have a camo back for the bed quilt. The quiltlet will be for use outside her crate as I have no illusions about her willingness to chew up fabric. The evidence already in place in the form of a few blankets and a favorite t-shirt that Gus left too close to her crate.

The theme for May is borders!  

After auditioning a few fabrics, I've decided to go with a simple black border on the Country Lanes Table Runner (Quilter's Academy Volume 1 project). I'm going to bind using the green paisley that is used in the rail fence and four patch blocks. Likely a simple solid backing. Would be great if I could finish this off. May is looking like a quiet month travel wise, so I should have plenty of weekend time.

My bee has a sew day coming up next weekend. An excellent time to finish the pieced border for Seminole Mountain and attach that to the quilt top. If all goes well, I will at least knock off tasks for three of my PhD projects.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge & Table Scraps

The color for the month is Forest & Sage Green. Last year I used a lot of really bright greens, so I've pulled several fabrics to work on my Modern Quilt Blocks again this month. Plus, I'll pull the fabrics to make a penguin or 2. Joy added the theme of Squares to Table Scraps, and these work wonderfully with the Country Lanes Runner (above) so more incentive to actually finish the runner and not just stop at adding the borders.

Corgi/Canine Goals

I've entered Sera and Savvy in a Rally trial in early June. Sera will have two opportunities to pick up her final Advanced leg. Savvy will make his debut and get some ring experience in Novice. He starts Rally class in two weeks. Abby is taking a session off as I'm getting overwhelmed. I'll continue with some in-house training for her to keep working on her reactivity to strange dogs.

Savvy and I are going to Pinehurst this weekend to cheer on his sister, Papaya, at her debut in conformation.

Linking to:

One Monthly Goal May  - Hosted by Elm Street Quilts