Project Progress and Goals

     Wow! Hard to believe this is the last week of 2021. Time to take stock of UFOs and plan for the new year. My goal for this week is to finish quilting one more comfort quilt; however, some time needs to be spent in my yard. We had a record breaking high the day after Christmas of 75 and it is warm today.

     Christmas week after visiting family I had some sewing time. I mass produced 14 snowman mug rugs that will be gifted when I host a meeting next month. I finished them  pillowcase style to save time instead of using binding and quilting them simply. I will be looking for snow theme napkins and plates.

     In the evening I pieced the center of a comfort quilt. The cut fabric pieces were adopted from a quilter. I played with units to create 12” finished blocks and tried to use a mix of the fabrics. There are also pieces cut that I can use for borders and binding.

     The  week before Christmas I pieced the 12^th and last Old School BOM and played with layout. This was a challenge. Every month was a different designer and I substituted one block instead of spending time with hand piecing small hexagons which is not my thing. I plan to use a navy blue sashing and border to give them some cohesiveness.

Stash fabric used or added the past week-

Used: 2 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year- Used: 112 yds Added: 50 yds

Hope you are enjoying this special season.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Holiday Project Update

      I hope you are enjoying this holiday season. I am. My only goal is to enjoy the season.   I spent the week of December 6th in Georgia with GDs and family. It was very special because I got to spend time with both sons and GDs.  One fun event was to supervise the girls decorating their annual gingerbread houses. Here are the recent masterpieces.

           back of Mattie's  gh                       front of Mattie's gh

Lily's gh

   They decorated their annual fabric squares and helped plan the layout for a placemat.  Here are the newest ones finished.

 Sometimes they don't want to use squares from when they were very young. The Christmas tree was drawn when GD Mattie was almost 5.

Lily also finished sewing the Roly Poly Santa.  He was a printed panel and went together easily for her.

    When I had a chance I worked on my new “Dancing Garland” wall-hanging.  I gifted the one I made last year.  You can see it and  find the link for the free pattern in this post. This past week back at home, placemats were finished, 4 batches of Rum cakes were baked and the “Dancing Garland” top was finished. I used a simple border instead of the pieced one like the pattern.

     This week I am back in Georgia for a couple more days with GDs while they are out of school for the holiday. We plan to do some baking and maybe I can interest them in another project. We will see. No goals set except to enjoy this time.

Stash fabric used or added the past week-

                     Used: 3.25 yds Added: 2.75 yds (1 jelly roll)

   So far this year- Used: 112 yds Added: 47.25 yds

Hope you are enjoying this special season.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Small finishes and Almost

     This week flew by after all the fun last week with granddaughters and family. It has been a tradition for many years for each granddaughter to decorate a fabric square for each Christmas. A few years ago I decided to use them to make Christmas placemats. While with them last week, I let them help design a placemat and also decorate their annual squares. Here are 3 that are almost finished. The edge is finished pillowcase style so no binding. They are quilted in the ditch; however, I plan to add some free-motion quilting.

     I pulled out the box of leftover fabric from last year's “Dancing Garland” wall-hanging and started making one for myself. The center is pieced and I plan to use the red fabric for a border instead of piecing it like the pattern. It doesn't matter if it is finished by Christmas. I will hang it next Christmas.

Monday I will share more about my visit with granddaughters and what we did.

I'm linking up with Alycia for Finished (or Not) Friday.

Hope you are enjoying this special season.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Projects and Goals

      I didn't accomplish all my goals because I got sidetracked by a request. My son and GD's dog has outgrown her coat. I used the same directions and tutorial from Wholefully.com, only I made it larger. After I finished, something did not look right. I am a little worried but I have already thought about how I can fix it if needed. Here is Dosi in the first coat I made her. 

Goals for the past week:

1. Finish making 40 prayer pocket squares. Done and delivered. I also made 4 for a few other special people.

2. Quilt a UFO. Not done

3. Cut scraps into units with Accuquilt dies. Done I did not a great amount but enough for a project to get completed.

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: 4 yds Added: 1 yd

        So far this year- Used: 110.75 yds Added: 47.25 yds

    This week I am visiting with GDs. Sunday after church I baked gingerbread house parts. It has been a tradition that every year I construct small individual houses for the GDs to decorate. Here are last years gingerbread houses.

They are becoming experts.

    When I have time to sew, I plan to work on a “Dancing Garland” wall-hanging for myself. You can still get the free pattern here.  This is the one I made last year.  Mine will use many of the same fabrics; however, I want to add buttons from which to hang small ornaments. 

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting and enjoy this special season of the year. 

Holiday Goals

    I hope you enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving holiday.  I enjoyed a wonderful holiday with family. Three sisters and my brother got together with a few nieces, nephews, spouses and young children. 

How I did last week:
1. Bake desserts for Thanksgiving. Done I fixed all the food I was taking plus I put an extra pie in my freezer. It is good I did not take it because we had PLENTY of dessert.
2. Finish piecing red, black and white crumb top. Done Center is pieced but I plan to add a border.

3. Start quilting on another comfort quilt. Done It has been quilted, trimmed and passed to someone for binding.

    Now it is back to some sewing and quilting projects for Christmas and hopefully finish another UFO on my list before the end of the year. We will see. My church quilt group has been asked to make 100 pocket prayer squares by Dec. 10^th to go in bags for the homeless.  Shabby Fabrics has free directions and a YouTube video.  Finishing 40 will be a priority for me.

Goals for the week:
1. Finish making 40 prayer pocket squares.
2. Quilt a UFO.
3. Cut scraps into units with Accuquilt dies.

     I have been working hard this year to reduce my stash; however, great sale prices have been too much of a temptation and I did need backing in certain colors. Yesterday and today JoAnn Fabrics has their Quilter's Showcase Fabrics for $2.49 a yard. I found 4 pieces for backing.

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: 2 yds Added: 18.75 yds
         So far this year- Used: 106.75 yds Added: 46.25 yds

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Progress and Weekly Goals

     Well, my week did not go as I expected. I was disappointed that I did not get to visit with granddaughters but we can visit another time. I did get a lot of sewing done and made progress on several projects.

How I did on Goals for the past week:

1. Sew Fiddlesticks top together. Done

For now the top will finish at 48 by 60” and I am considering whether to add a border.

2. Quilt another comfort quilt. Done

This top was pieced by Martha. I quilted and then passed to Joan for binding. It was definitely a group effort.

 3. Use Go Me and dies to cut scraps into units. Not done

Instead, I decided to start quilting on one of my UFOs. I chose a sampler probably started in 2015. It is not special, but it is finished.

  I practiced a new swirl hook chain in the wide border. When practicing it is good that it does not show up much and I like it enough to do it again.

      I also pulled a bag of red, black and white scraps with a few finished crumb blocks. It is now 12 blocks and I started adding sashing.

4. Enjoy time with granddaughters. Not done.

I did not get to visit because my younger granddaughter tested positive for Covid.  Thankfully she is during better. 

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: 2 yds Added: 0 yds

                            So far this year- Used: 104.75 yds Added: 27.5 yds

Goals for the week of Nov. 22:

1. Bake desserts for Thanksgiving.

2. Finish piecing red, black and white crumb top.

3. Start quilting on another comfort quilt.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Weekly Progress and Goals

    What a wonderful week.  Our weather has been cool in the mornings but warming enough later to enjoy being outdoors and I did.  I also stayed busy inside sewing and quilting.

How I did this past week:

1. Work in the yard: rake pine straw and reset some bearded iris. Done

I did get a couple of areas of bearded iris reset and started raking pine straw. I spent most of my yard time picking up sticks and pinecones and then collecting oak leaves off the lawn for my compost pile.

2. Quilt a comfort quilt. Done

I finished the quilting and the person binding has finished so it is ready to gift.

3. Finish placemats for a housewarming gift. Done

They are even wrapped and ready to give.

Photos of the finishes are on Friday's post.

     After finishing projects, I pulled out a couple of UFOs to work on. I pieced crumb strips to insert into “Fiddlesticks” blocks. My strips are wider than Mary's of Zippy Quilts who shares how she made her blocks. I hardly made a dent in this pile of crumbs. 

Here are 16 on my design wall. 

Sunday afternoon I finished piecing 20 blocks squared to 12 ½” which will make a lap quilt 48 by 60” or it could be larger by adding a border. I have enough crumbs but don't want the quilt to be the next size up (60 by 72”) if I made 10 more blocks.

My Goals for the week of November 15^th:

1. Sew Fiddlesticks top together.

2. Quilt another comfort quilt.

3. Use Go Me and dies to cut scraps into units.

4. Enjoy time with granddaughters.

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: ? (scraps) yds Added: 0 yds

          So far this year- Used: 102.75 yds Added: 27.5 yds

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Finishes

     Maybe it is because the end of the year is quickly approaching but I have been motivated and able to make great progress on finishing projects.

    I sandwiched my “Winter Blues” top and finished the quilting on this comfort quilt. It has already been passed to another for binding so it can be given when the person gets out of the hospital.

That still leaves 4 comfort quilt tops sandwiched and waiting to be quilted. I also have 2 of my own waiting to be quilted with another 6 tops. A couple of which just need a border. I am hoping to keep making progress on them all.

    This Thanksgiving I plan to gather with my siblings and other family. It will be a good opportunity to deliver some gifts. A nephew recently bought his first house so this week I made him a set of placemats I hope he will enjoy using. They were finished pillowcase style so no binding. 

    I'm linking up today with Sarah for Whoop, Whoop Friday and Alycia for Finished (or Not) Friday.  Enjoy the inspiration. 

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Green Tomatoes and Weekly Goals

      Last week it really felt good to get so much done in the yard on warm days and then in my sewing room when it turned cool. Since night temperatures were getting close to frost, I decided to pick most of the vegetables that could be hurt. I picked a gallon of bell and banana peppers, a gallon of green tomatoes and ½ gallon of green cherry tomatoes. I saw a recipe for green tomato bread on Jo's Country Junction blog and thought this would be perfect to try.

I followed Jo's idea of substituting applesauce for half the oil. I also used only 1 ½ cups of sugar and added raisins. I used my food processor to chop the cherry tomatoes and drained the water.

Instead of bread pans, I was able to make 18 muffins which only took about half the time to cook. Very tasty. Much like zucchini bread. I have another 2 cups of chopped green tomatoes ready for another batch and more green tomatoes to use for something else.

How I did last week:
1. Work in bearded iris beds. Done We had a couple of beautiful days before cool days. I still have more I want to do and we are supposed to have beautiful 70 degrees days this week.
2. Quilt a comfort quilt. Done I finished quilting one, trimmed it and passed it on for binding.
3. Add border to QOV. Done The top is complete and waiting for quilting.
I even completed a couple of projects not on my to-do list. I found some already prepared appliques and added them to a couple of kitchen towels. I also made a set of 4 placemats as a birthday gift, but I don't want to show them now in case she looks at my blog. She knew I was making them, but at least how they look will be a surprise.

My Goals for week of Nov. 8:
1. Work in the yard: rake pine straw and reset some bearded iris.
2. Quilt a comfort quilt.
3. Finish placemats for a housewarming gift.

    A nephew recently purchased a house. The interior is very neutral so I hope he will enjoy a set of placemats for a little color. I chose 2 1/2” strips of blues and greens and stared sewing strip sets. 

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: 4.25 yds Added: 0 yds
                    So far this year- Used: 102.75 yds Added: 27.5 yds

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Something to Whoop About

      It feels great to have accomplished so much in my sewing room this week. I finished a couple of projects and made great progress on 2 more.

     While straightening up scraps, I found prepared fusible applique pieces for pumpkins perfect for this time of year. The original design “Jo's Pumpkin Patch” was published in Quiltmaker Sept-Oct '13 (#153) as appliques on a quilt. I bought 2 kitchen towels and added the applique. I couched brown yarn for the pumpkin vines. I think they will be nice gifts to add a special touch for the fall; just need to decide for whom.

    Next I quilted one of several comfort quilts that I have sandwiched. It used Eleanor Burns' easy "Piece of Cake" design.  Here it is quilted and trimmed before I passed it on to another member to add binding. I quilted large swirls.

    Then I added the border blocks and corners to finish the Quilt of Valor top. I know it is busy but I hope a veteran will enjoy it.

    I also needed to  catch up on the Old School BOM and done after making Pat Sloan's October Courthouse Steps block design. Every month there is a block from a different designer.  One month I chose a different block to do instead of hand piecing small hexagons.  Here are 10 blocks together.

They need some type of sashing to help calm it and make the various blocks look more cohesive.

     I hope I can keep up the momentum and get a few more projects finished before the holidays and end of the year.

I'm linking up today with Sarah for Whoop, Whoop Friday and Alycia for Finished (or Not) Friday.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Weekly Goals for November 1

    Our SC fall weather has been enjoyable with cool mornings perfect for brisk walks and afternoons nice for activities outdoors. Last week's goals were simple and both were accomplished with ease.

1. Work on a UFO. Done

2. Enjoy time with GDs. Done

Check out Friday's post to see a few of last week's fun activities. I also had time to use my new Accuquilt dies to cut up scraps into usable units. I made a nice dent in the scrap box.

    Let's start November off right. This week I am back to my yard and quilting. I love bearded iris and have many different varieties in beds around my yard. I try to work in them in the fall and spring to keep them blooming beautifully. There are at least 4 comfort quilts sandwiched and waiting for quilting which I would like to start on. I enjoyed using my recently finished Halloween Bats and Boos quilt (free pattern from Fat Quarter Shop) and now I want a new fall wall-hanging. I love my mini fall quilt 

and the table runner I made in 2009 for a beginner quilting class I taught. 

 Hope I can fit a new project in, although not a priority.

My Goals for this first week of November:

1. Work in bearded iris beds.

2. Quilt a comfort quilt.

3. Add border to QOV.

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: 0 yds Added: 0 yds               (I did not try to estimate yardage of scraps I cut up)

            So far this year- Used: 98.5 yds Added: 27.5 yds

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

UFO Progress and Fun Projects

      This has been a fun week with GD time including baking 2 afternoons. Last year GD Lily created a recipe using a box of Brownie mix that she named S'mornies and requested to make them again. Most of the sweets went home with them thanks to my diet. If you have a sweet tooth you might want to give it a try.

S'mornies

By: Lily

Ingredients for bottom graham cracker crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs ( 1 package of graham crackers- about 9)

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Fill pan w/ graham cracker crust and begin making brownies.
Brownie ingredients (not included in box):

2 Large eggs

¼ Cup water

½ Cup vegtabale oil

Finish mixing brownie mix and spread on top of the graham cracker crust and bake. Once brownies are done baking and cooling, spread marshmallow creme on brownies. Finally, sprinkle second package of smashed graham cracker crumbs on top of marshmallow creme.

Chill for a few minutes to make slicing easier. Slice and enjoy!

- - - - - - - - 

    Last year I saw directions for carved apple shrunken heads and this year we made them. First the apples are peeled and carved. 

 After soaking in a solution of salt and lemon juice they were dried in a low temperature oven for many hours.

    GD Lily also got sewing done on a Roly Poly Santa from an old panel. He still needs handwork to attach his arms, beard and mustache. He is real cute and she did a great job.

     I used some time to layout scrappy red, white and blue blocks and pieced them into a top center. 

 I have enough leftover Mountain blocks for the border after I figure out what to do in the corners.

I hope this will be a nice Quilt of Valor.

I'm linking up with Alycia for Finished (or Not) Friday. Hope you see something to inspire you.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Weekly Goals

     In South Carolina we have enjoyed beautiful fall weather. I managed to get some yard work done but had an important sewing project to finish so did not spend as much time outside as I would have liked. I only had 2 goals last week so I would be sure to accomplish them.

How I did:

1. Finish the Hermione bag. Done and delivered Saturday. I am happy to say my GD is excited to have the bag and loves the size.  I shared more photos of the bag in the post Friday.

2. Work on a UFO. Done Most of my progress was in sorting fabric and cutting units but that is an important part. Sewing time will come.

I planned to spend this morning sewing; instead I spent it frustrated installing a new window blind. The old cord had rotted and it almost fell apart so it was time for new. Now that is taken care of I can get busy working on a quilting project.

Goals for this week:

1. Work on a UFO.

I pulled out a bag of blocks already pieced for a QOV. Now to decide on a layout and sew together.

2. Enjoy time with GDs. I have a sewing project for Christmas décor that I hope I can interest them in. If not, we will have fun doing something else.

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: 0yds Added: 0yds.

            So far this year- Used: 98.5 yds Added: 27.5 yds

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

A Special Finish Plus QOV

    My major goal for the week was to finish the requested Hermione replica bag for my GD.  All the family are Harry Potter fans. A few years ago I helped the older GD sew a robe and Hermione has been the Halloween character. This year the bag was requested.  Here is an example:

and here is my finish. 

She asked for it to be large and the cords are long enough for the bag to be fully opened.

It will be delivered tomorrow and I look forward to seeing her response. I hope it will be something she will want to use in years to come for formal or fun occasions.  One of my sisters says she would like one. Maybe that will be a project after a break.

      Another sister requested a Quilt of Valor for a 97 year old WWII veteran and member of her church. He was very happy to receive it and said he plans to pass it on to his son.

I'm linking up with Sarah for Whoop, Whoop Friday and Alycia for Finished(or Not) Friday. For fun and inspiration check out all those sharing.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.