One Monthly Goal :: November 2017

This is my 11th month of setting a One Monthly Goal with Elm Street Quilts. I haven't hit 100%, but I've hit the majority of my goals. I know that I have made several of those goals especially because I shared with the world that I was going to finish it. That is especially the case with last month's goal, Stella's memory quilt.  I'm so glad to have had the accountability to get that quilt in the hands of her mama.

So now we're in the home stretch of 2017. I have a bunch of quilt along finishing up and I have three quilts for Las Vegas to finish quilting,  but my goal is to finish another comfort quilt. It's for a friend who was just diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer that has already spread to her lungs and liver. The outlook isn't good and she is feeling all the things you would expect of someone dealt such a blow.

On her better days, she cracks jokes about the type of cancer she has. Colon cancer is messy. It's stinky. And it's really cruel. This friend is not one for flowers and platitudes. The idea for her quilt came to me late one night and immediately got up and sketched it out.

The letters will be pieced using Lori Holt's awesome new book, Spelling Bee, which  I already know I will be using over and over. And if you don't mind me being a fan girl for a moment, this book is seriously cool. With the BEST directions and layout I've seen in a quilt book, it has patterns for capital and lowercase letters in two sizes, numbers, punctuations, plus a whole bunch of fun things like animals, vehicles, a camera, and even a sewing machine. Plus, there's a ton of quilt patterns in there. I love word quilts. In the past, I've been paper piecing my letters. But now, this is my new favorite alphabet. /gush.

The donkey is from a pattern that's been around a long time. It was first published in the Kansas City star in 1931! Tim Latimer of Tim Quilts wrote more about the history here.

Source

I chose brown and blue for the main colors because they are both used for colorectal cancer ribbons and awareness. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect minky for the back. Chocolate and blue were so popular when my son was born, but it's harder to find now.

Learn more about colorectal cancer here at the Colon Cancer Alliance.

Linked to:

OMG November Link up @ Elm Street Quilts

BOMs Away @ What a Hoot Quilts

Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Let's Bee Social #202 @ Sew Fresh Quilts

Linky Party Tuesday @ Free Motion by the River

Midweek Makers #97 @ Quilt Fabrication

Oh Scrap @ Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Off the Wall Friday @ Nina Marie

Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts

Main Crush Monday @ Cooking Up Quilts

Monday Making @ Live Love Quilt

MOP Monday @ Tweety Loves Quilting

Moving It Forward @ Em's Scrap Bag

Needle & Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Wednesday Wait Loss #39 @ The Inquiring Quilter

Whoop Whoop Friday @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

WIP link up @ Silly Mama Quilts

WIPs on Wednesday @ Esther's Blog

Quilt #10: Michele's Kick Cancer Quilt

I'm typing up this post about my 10th quilt while on a break from sewing my 21st quilt. I have loved every quilt I've made because I've made them for people or causes important to me, but this one is one of my favorites.

When my friend Michele was diagnosed with breast cancer, I knew I wanted to make her a "kick cancer" quilt to keep her cozy in the days ahead.

I "sketched" out my idea on PowerPoint.

I had fun picking out fabrics for this quilt. I ordered the two small print pink ribbon fabrics online.

I learn something new (or two) with every quilt. This time I learned about chain piecing. Wow! It sure saves a lot of time to sew all the pieces in a row (in a chain!) without snipping the threads in between each one. Saves thread, too!

Pretty chain of squares.

Snipped and stacked.

I've been spending a lot of quality time with my iron lately.

Another lesson I learned. How to make half square triangles two at a time. First I drew a line on the lighter colored square, in this case, the white square.

Then I sewed 1/4" on either side of the line. 

I cut on the original line I drew (or use my ruler to cut a straight line between the corners of the squares).

And voila! Pretty half square triangles ready to trim!

First block ready to sew together.

The piecing went together super fast.

I liked the way the light brought out the crosses on the white fabric. 

It took me a few tries to get the heart in the middle correct. I'm sure there was an easier way, and I'll figure it out eventually.

All the blocks pieced together.

I added a simple white border to finish it off. 

Pinned and ready to quilt.

Quilting is not my favorite part of the process (read, I need a lot more practice!), but I had fun with this one echoing the crosses, diamonds, and heart.

Quilted heart.

Quilted cross.

Quilted diamond.



I really liked the pattern that was created by the crossed paths.

For the binding, I used some cute pink and gray fabric from my stash.

I may have finally figured out how to machine stitch the binding without one stitch weaving all over the place.



Bound and labeled!

I also made a matching pillowcase to spruce up her hospital bed.

D gave the quilt a thumps up for coziness!

And Michele liked it, too!

Linked to:
Crystal & Co * Fluster Buster * I Put A Bird On It * Just Us Four * Kiddie Foodies * Mums Make Lists*  My Life of Travels and Adventures * Practically Functional  * Romance on a Dime *  Sew Can Do * Sew Many Ways * Sparkles & A Stove * Tatertots & Jello  * This Silly Girl's Life * Val's Quilting Studio  * Will Cook For Smiles