Looking Back and Planning Ahead

     I did not mail Christmas cards in time for Christmas so instead have made a stack of snowman mug rugs and included a card with Happy New Year wishes.   I used the snowman's face from the free pattern found at Shiny Happy World  but left off the hat.

    Yesterday a new great nephew was born.  I already have an I Spy quilt top pieced and hope to quilt it soon. 

*  update-- The I Spy quilt was finished with cuddle fabric for the backing on New Years Eve for my last finish of 2020. 

      Looking back at my project list for 2020 which included many UFOs, it doesn't look like I accomplished much as many of those projects are still waiting for attention while several projects not on the list were completed. I don't know what strategy would be more helpful. Unlike some quilters that pass on projects they don't want to complete, I can not bring myself to do that. I have updated my list for 2021 and have 20 projects on the list.
      For 2021 here are some of my plans:
1.  Each week I will choose a project from my project list to work on.
2.  Each month I will use a different pallet of scraps to piece made-fabric or blocks.
3.  Each month make a plan for and work on a selection of orphan blocks.
     If you have any strategies that have helped you finish UFOs, I would love to hear. I do not want to give them away, I just want to not start so many new ones instead of finishing ones I have started.

Prayers for a healthy and safe 2021 for our world.

Gingerbread House Day

     I have loved gingerbread houses for many years and when my granddaughters were very young, I started the tradition of spending time with them to decorate gingerbread houses. Over the years we have decorated purchased house kits, houses made with graham crackers and for several years, small houses that I bake parts and put together. Here are pictures from this years afternoon of fun.

Their decorating is getting more elaborate and detailed.

Lily also had time to decorate a few cookies.

       Another Christmas tradition is for them to decorate a fabric square. A few years ago I started making placemats with their squares. You can see of the completed placemats in a recent past post. Here is Mattie's square for this year.

      Yesterday was the 10th  anniversary for my writing this blog. For me it is a wonderful record of my quilting and sewing projects as well as time with family, friends and students. I hope to continue sharing my fun with sewing and quilting as well as other happenings.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Another Christmas Finish

     This week I finished one last Christmas project. Several designers currently have tree quilt projects online. I wanted to make one but decided to check out which holiday projects I already had the pattern for. In the past I had downloaded the Dancing Garland wall-hanging pattern. ( You can still get the free pattern here.) It is a level above most.  After cutting all the squares and making all the HST units, I laid out all the HST units first to form the star and the garland.

Next I filled in all the squares and started piecing rows. Here it is finished.

The tree could be embellished with mini ornaments.

      Since I don't expect company for the holidays, I may have time to quilt so I sandwiched 2 comfort quilts. I need some quilt motif inspiration for this modern one.  Any suggestions?

I'm linking up for Whoop,Whoop Friday

Stay safe and healthy to enjoy the holiday season.

                                     Merry Christmas!

Holiday Finishes

      This week I stayed busy finishing up a Christmas gift. My younger GD informed me in October that she had outgrown her fleece blanket. The top was cotton and the back was fleece. She asked me to make her a longer one. I remembered Bernina's We All Sew unicorn pattern and thought it would be perfect for her. I already had a large piece of plush fleece. I searched my stash for a cotton fabric as a top. The We All Sew directions are for reverse applique. I got the pattern and fabric ready and then decided I wanted to do turned edge applique instead. I prepared a double layer template of freezer paper which I ironed to the back of the fabric. Then I trimmed leaving about ½ inch. I wet the allowance with starch, turned the edge over the freezer paper and ironed it dry. Here is the back side with the prepared edge. 

Then you can pull out the freezer paper and the edges stayed turned. I positioned the unicorn on the cotton whole cloth quilt top and appliqued it down with a machine blanket stitch. Next I layered the fleece and cotton, stitched around leaving an opening for turning, turned right side out and closed the opening. Last I pen basted the layers and free-motion quilted. I echoed the unicorn and stitched a large meander over the rest. It was not the easiest to quilt. About like working with high loft polyester batting. I am glad it is finished and I think GD Lily will love it.

The freezer paper templates could be used again so I have not thrown them away yet.
     My granddaughters have been using fabric markers each year to decorate a square. Two years ago I started creating placemats with their squares. This week I finished one more for each granddaughter.

     I'm about ready for Christmas as I only want to get one more gift so I took time to put the binding on the strings quilt. I love how easy it was to make and plan to make more similarly. I have an overflowing string bin. There are several similar patterns but I did not use one. I simply sewed string units and trimmed them to 8 1/2” by 12 1/2”. ( Various size rectangles can work.) Then sewed 2 1/2” strips to the 2 long sides which created a 12 1/2” (12” finished) block.

      It was a beautiful afternoon here so I took time to use my riding lawnmower to get up leaves from my front yard so it looks really neat. Too bad I am not expecting company. I like how the mower chops the leaves at the same time and they are now in my compost piles.

I'm linking up with Alycia for Finished or Not Friday.
Stay safe and healthy to enjoy this holiday season.

Time for Small Projects

      This holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas my mind is not on quilting projects but on many small projects. I enjoy making gifts for friends and family.

      I made another set of Christmas placemats as a gift. This was such a lovely large print I did not want to cut it up much. I still have plenty of Christmas fabric for more.

     I was asked to make Grand-dog Dosi a Christmas stocking similar to the rest of the family so that got done.

     I finished a new dress with a Christmas detachable bib for GD Lily. Fitting from a distance is always a concern. The package arrived and the dress fits well.  I love seeing it on her.

I could not find a pattern for the bib so I just winged it. Here is a close up of the bib decoration.

     I used a free pattern for an Elf doll from We All Sew. I wanted to use fabric for some parts instead of all felt as suggested so I made a few changes. Since I substituted cotton fabric for the boots instead of felt, they really stretched out of shape from the pattern. If I make another elf, the boot fabric needs to be interfaced.

Stay safe and healthy to enjoy this holiday season.

I'm linking up with Sarah for Whoop Whoop Friday. 

Feeling Thankful

     This week as I prepare for an unusual Thanksgiving holiday next week, I have been thinking of the many things for which I can be thankful. We will not be having a large family gathering, but I am still in the mood to make some autumn inspired placemats to decorate. This is one of a set of 4 made using the free Courthouse Steps pattern from Jordan Fabrics. 

 This is the second time I have used the pattern and really like it. This link shows the first set I made for Christmas and where to find the pattern.

     I copied a cute old potholder for the applique turkey design for these towels. 

  

       I had some free time so emptied a tub of scraps and sorted by color. They still need pressing but the color piles make it easier to pull what I want to use.

I'm linking up with Alycia's Finished (or Not) Friday.  Check it out for inspiration.  

Hope everyone has a safe Thanksgiving holiday next week.

Week of This and That

      This week I have been working on many projects but little quilting. Today I finished the quilting on this string comfort quilt which still needs a binding. I don't have any more of the border fabric so see how a scrappy green binding looks. The FMQ is large swirls.

     GD Lily requested a winter dress and this week made her a flannel and homespun long sleeve dress. Here she is in her dress.

I also made Dosi a dog coat using the same pattern as the Halloween costume base. I used a layer of flannel and one of fleece.  She doesn't seem to mind it.

    I am still enjoying my cactus blooms. The hot pink has been the most full of blooms and the prettiest year I remember.

I'm linking up with Sarah's Whoop Whoop Friday.
Happy Friday the 13^th!
Hope you stay healthy and enjoy some sewing or quilting.

Busy Fall Week

     Here is one more Halloween photo. My granddaughters did not get to go Trick or Treating, however, GD Lily made sure her dolls got to go.

    I spent a few days this week and finished an “I Spy” quilt for a great-nephew's first birthday.

Instead of a binding, I used the pillowcase technique with a soft and minky fleece dot fabric for the backing.

     I finished 25 more Pocket Prayer Squares which my church group plans to share after Thanksgiving.  You can find more info about them from Shabby Fabrics or see my past post here. 

     I am enjoying my 4 colors of blooming cacti in my garden window. Sometimes they are called Christmas Cactus but mine don't bloom at Christmas. They set buds when they are outside for the summer.   When it turns cool and I bring them inside they fill with buds.

My African Violets are looking good along with them.

I'm linking up with Alycia's Finished (or Not Friday) so check out some of the beauties.

Hope you stay healthy and enjoy some sewing or quilting.

Week of Finishes

      GD Lily is ready for Halloween however it works out. Here she is wearing the Harry Potter robe her big sister sewed a couple of years ago. 

She helped finish Dosi's s'more costume so she is ready also.

     As I was getting in my car, this owl was just sitting on the fence. He looked at me and then just turned away. When I showed my GD, she asked if he had a paper in his claws, thinking maybe he was from Hogwarts.

     I am putting the finishing touches on the binding and rod pocket for this wall-hanging.

The pattern called “Fall Memories” and kit are from Laundry Basket Quilts. It is all fusible applique except for adding the borders. My FMQ secured the appliques and I changed the top thread several times to match the applique piece. Here is a close-up of the quilting.

I love the applique motifs, especially the berries, and plan to use them again.

I'm linking up with Sarah's Whoop Whoop Friday.

Hope you stay healthy and enjoy some sewing or quilting.

Happy Halloween  

Week of Virtual School

     This has been a week of following my 3^rd grade granddaughter with her virtual school. The 7^th grader spends almost five hours (5 – 45 min. sessions) in Zoom classroom in her bedroom so I didn't see her much. As a retired elementary teacher, it is difficult to imagine how teachers, students and families are dealing with virtual school these days. I know it is hard on them all.

It is good they had a flex day Wednesday for a break and catch-up day so I could enjoy my Zoom meeting with quilt friends and chat for a few minutes. We all miss our social gatherings and have to make do. Thursday was Grandparents Day for 3^rd grade and I got to virtually visit via the Zoom morning class meeting.

     It has been several years since I did much counted cross-stitch. I could work on some quietly while monitoring the 3^rd grade school work. I finished this little tag. 

In the evening I sewed on a some pocket prayer squares. If you have not heard of them, you can check out this YouTube video from Shabby Fabrics and get their free pattern. 

It was easy to order the little crosses online. My group decided to make our prayer squares finish at 3” instead of 2”. That is still small enough to fit in a pocket. We also printed the prayer on the backing fabric instead of printing and attaching a paper. 

     Halloween will also be different this year and needs more precautions. Some towns may not allow trick or treating. The granddaughters decided they want the dress their dog Dosi like a s'more. I made a simple white dog coat. They just need to add the chocolate fabric and cardboard cracker. This photo was the inspiration. 

I pulled out my small Halloween table quilt and that is it for decorating. 

In my son's garden the Swamp Sunflowers are making a great show. Most are at about 10 to 12 feet tall and some taller which is much taller than mine.

Hope you stay healthy and enjoy some sewing or quilting.

I'm linking up with Alycia's Finished or Not Friday

Small Finishes

     I have a couple of small finishes to share since I did not post last week. I finished this lap quilt. 

The fabric squares were a charm pack and a matching 2 1/2” sample pack (I don't know if that size pack has a special name.) I rarely use or buy precuts but these were donated.  First I FMQ a wavy grid on the diagonal and then quilted a continuous line motif using the grid. Here is a close-up.  

    I love this cooler fall weather so I have enjoyed time in the garden. My Swamp Sunflower is blooming beautifully. They usually only bloom in October into November

    Thinking fall I pulled out 2 placemat tops and finished them. I had some leftover fall motifs with fusible web and each granddaughter designed a layout.

    I save scraps of batting and fabric to fill pet beds for the local pet shelter. This week a friend called to say she had fabric for the pet beds. She brought several bags of fabric. Most of it is not small scraps but usable for charity quilts. I sorted it by color and threw it in the wash.

Church sewing friends will help cut it into squares or strips for our scrap system and then also fill pet beds.

Hope you are enjoying some time sewing or quilting.

Check out what others are getting done at Confessions of a Fabric Addict blog for Whoop, Whoop Friday. 

Take care and stay healthy.