Holiday Sewing

     My UFOs have been sitting while I have been inspired to work on holiday themed small projects for gifts.  Wish I could get inspired to make them earlier in the year.  I have enjoyed making a few.

     I used Julie’s Holiday Mug Rug Tutorial to make a couple using scraps. I did change mine  some.  Instead of sewing on a binding, I folded the back over to the front for a binding.

I appliqued a snowman face onto 2 kitchen towels.

I thought he was so cute I made 2 mug rugs with the same snowman face.

Next I shrank the snowman from the Imagine pattern by Art to Heart.  I love this snowman and made 2 mug rugs.

    Some years ago I made some quilted postcards with silk poinsettias.  I decided to use some flowers still in my stash and made a couple more mug rugs.  I hope they will hold up to washing.  I did test a flower in the sink.

     When my sons were young, I had them draw a Christmas picture each year on our holiday table cloth with fabric crayons.  When my granddaughters came along, each year I have had them draw a holiday picture with fabric markers on fabric squares stabilized on freezer paper.  I have been considering what to make with them.  This year I finally started making placemats.  I chose 2 drawings for each and used a variety of holiday fabrics.  This is just the start.

Hope you are enjoying the season.  Happy Holidays!

I'm linking up with Whoop, Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict blog. Hope you check out what others are doing.  I find it inspiring. 

A Modern Quilt Finish and More Progress

      I enjoyed a great Thanksgiving Day with siblings and some nieces and nephews.  I hope you enjoyed time with family or friends.

      Friday after I returned home, I sewed the binding on my modern quilt from Score 1 of The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters.  I wanted to use a new modern quilting technique so I quilted it with a continuous spiral using the walking foot. I’m glad I did but don’t know that I will use that technique again. 

      Today I pulled out another UFO from my focus list I made last January.  These are blocks from last year’s Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  My design wall is not large enough so I laid out blocks on the floor. I moved 2 after this photo but they are now pinned in row stacks and ready to be sewn together. 

      Last week I tackled another UFO from my list and have 60 blocks sewn for the Four Patch Swirl. It is a stack'n whack technique.  It is interesting how different the block can turn out depending on which corner is toward the center.  Here are some examples.  

I have not decided on sashing or alternate blocks so these are waiting for inspiration.

      With the holidays coming and the end of year fast approaching, I looked back at my focus projects for 2018.  Seven of the 12 have happily been completed and I have made progress on 2 more at least one of which may be finished before the year’s end.  Having the focus list has been a great help.

  

UFO Focus List for 2018

Finished

1.     Score 1 started 2015

2.     Rainbow Wonky Star quilt - started 2017

3.     Scrappy anvil quilt started about 2014

4.     Scrap Dance Waltz   -started 2017

5.     Cat child’s quilt - started 2013

6.     Graduation gift –due in May

7.     red, white and blue star improv – started 2012

In Progress

8.     Rainbow star and brick quilt - started 2017

9.     Four Patch Swirl ( stack ‘n whack blocks) - started 2007

Still Waiting

10.  Gypsy Wife type quilt from orphan blocks – started 2015

11.  Quilt Day Bee Mystery started 2012

12.  Scrappy anvils with string centers- started 2014

 Enjoy some time sewing or quilting.  I'm linking up with Scrap Happy Saturday.  

  

Comfort Quilt Finish and Gifts

     For Thanksgiving this year I will be gathering with my siblings and some nieces and nephews.  It will be a good time to take Christmas gifts instead of putting them in the mail. So I have spent time recently to finish a few more.   Years ago I bought batik fabrics on sale to make each sibling a duffel bag.  At that time I only made one.  Last year I made one more.  This time I made 2 more. I had enough quilted fabric left to  make matching shoe bags.

I recently found several bag classes on Craftsy and Bluprint by Annie Unrein that I want to make.  They may end up being gifts another year. 

     I finished up this scrappy split 9 patch quilt for my church quilt group.  It might benefit from a little blocking.  

We have started making squares for a bed size quilt to donate to someone affected by the hurricane that hit Wilmington, NC.

You can get the free pattern and participate by checking out FromMyCarolinaHome.com and her hurricane relief project.  

    My women’s circle was discussing what to do for our college students.  I volunteered to make each a mug rug (aka snack mat) to be put with cards to let them know we are thinking of them. Here are the ones I’ve finished. 

     I also took a little time for some applique on kitchen towels for Thanksgiving. 

 

Wishing you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Maybe you can find time to enjoy a little sewing and quilting time before the big day or after a big dinner. 

Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict Whoop Whoop Friday. 

Another UFO Off the List

     Just in time for the end of the month I am happy to say that the Rainbow Wonky Star quilt is a FINISH.  The blocks were made as part of the 2017 Rainbow Challenge with a different color each month.  I am proud that the entire quilt was made from my stash.

The blocks are quilted with a simple FM meander.  I changed thread color and quilted a special motif in each star. 

I quilted Lazy Eights (aka Wish Bones) in the sashing and border.

     Son 2 and I tried out a recipe and technique from Food Wishes for Pig in a Pumpkin.  The pork was baked inside the pumpkin. It was very tasty and I would do it again.  

       GDs are ready for Halloween.  They spent one afternoon helping with jack-o-lanterns.  They designed and cleaned out while their dad did the carving.

Happy Safe Halloween.

If you don’t celebrate, I hope you enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

     

I'm linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday and what many quilters are doing.
Also linking up with SoScrappy UFO Challenge.

UFO Progress and Finished Small Projects

        Last January I made a list of 12 UFOs that I really hoped to finish this year.  So far I have finished only 5 from the list. The good news is that today I finished another UFO top. 

       This is my Score 1 from The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters which I started at quilt retreat in the spring of 2015.

      I currently have 3 UFO tops finished stacked with their backing waiting to be sandwiched.  Next week I hope to get busy quilting.

     I finished a long Christmas runner for my son and DIL’s new buffet. 

I quilted with a FM motif of HolIy leaves and berries from Lori at The Inbox Jaunt. 

     I have been making great use of plastic and zippers recovered from those plastic bags sheets, etc. come in.  I have made a “Zippy Hold All Pouch” from a pattern by Fiona at www.designbyfee.com.

I made a “Peek-a-Boo Pouch” from a pattern by Caroline at www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2016/6/21/the-peek-a-boo-pouch-free-sewing-pattern. 

 

I made 2 “Teeny Tiny Zipper Pouches” from a pattern at so-sew-easy.com.  These are really cute and will be for my GDs.

 Enjoy some time sewing and quilting.

Floral Leaf Blocks in Finished Quilt

      This past weekend I put the finishing touches on another comfort quilt when taking a break from hand sewing the binding on the scrappy anvil quilt.  Someone donated leaf blocks from a floral block exchange.  I squared them and added floral bars to make them larger.  I added an inner and outer border for a decent size comfort lap quilt.

  

I quilted the center with free-motion echo swirl using a pastel pink and green variegated thread.   

  When I need another break from hand sewing, I will start quilting on another Carolina Chain comfort quilt that is already sandwiched.

Stay cool and enjoy time sewing or quilting.

Some UFO Progress

      At the beginning of the year I made a list of 12 projects (mostly UFOs) I hoped to complete during the year in no particular order.  So far I have only completed 4. 

1.     Score 1 from The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters - from 2015

2.     Four Patch Swirl ( stack ‘n whack blocks) - from 2007

3.     Gypsy Wife type quilt from orphan blocks – from 2015

4.     Rainbow Wonky Star quilt - from 2017

5.     Rainbow star and brick quilt - from 2017

6.     Scrappy anvil quilt with alternate quarter square blocks - from about 2014

7.     Scrappy anvils with string centers inspired by Bonnie Hunter’s Wild Child quilt - from 2014

8.     Scrap Dance Waltz seen on From My Carolina Home blog  - from 2017

9.     Cat child’s quilt - from 2013

10.  Graduation gift using nickel squares –due in May

11.  Finish quilting red, white and blue LeMoyne star improv – from 2012

12.  Quilt Day Bee Mystery quilt from 2012

 I pulled the scrappy anvil quilt top (#6 on list) and got it sandwiched.  I stitched-in-the-ditch between blocks so it should be stabilized for free-motion quilting. 

I am still thinking how I want to do the rest of the quilting, but at least I’m making progress.

     I have such a hard time not starting a new project until I finish a UFO.  I have 2 comfort quilts finished and ready to turn in at church quilt group tomorrow.  For a break from quilting I took time yesterday afternoon to cut 42 -10” squares (layer cake) for a quilt kit for Double Slice Layer Cake. You can watch Jenny’s tutorial on YouTube at Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I used the top fabric as a guide for pulling coordinates from my stash.  

      I finished another baby quilt that will be gifted soon.  The baby boy was born a couple of weeks early. I chose the main fabric because it has fire trucks and the father is a fireman.

Stay cool and enjoy time sewing or quilting.

Comfort Quilt Finish

  

       I love using scraps to “make fabric” and this lap size pattern is a great place to show off made-fabric pieces or a large print.  The pattern is “Baker’s Dozen” by Sherri B Driver and was a web bonus at McCalls Quilting for March/April 2013.  I simplified the frames around the made-fabric.

     I quilted Leah Day’s Echo Shortcut motif in the made-fabric areas. 

I stitched-in-the-ditch the frames and meandered the background. 

     This was an easy pattern and I plan to use it again to show off made-fabric pieces, maybe even for a queen size quilt.

Stay cool and enjoy time sewing or quilting.

I'm linking up with Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  

Finished Quilt and Costume

      The binding is on the Scrap Dance Waltz quilt.  It was good TV time hand sewing the back side. (In previous post I shared where the pattern came from.

  
I quilted a double wishbone motif in the border for the first time. 

I am pleased with all except the corners.  I quilted an echoed swirl over the rest. 

      My younger granddaughter requested a new Super Girl costume so she can have a Super Hero birthday party.  That is done. 

Hope it fits well.  Normally I love Simplicity patterns; however, this one I had to make twice to get one to fit.  The pattern is ONLY written for very stretchy material and not really proportioned for children.  

      This was scheduled to be a church quilt group morning; however, Family Promise needed our room so we changed the date.  Since the change a member invited us to her home for breakfast and to see her garden.  Everything was lovely and delicious.  I shared some Gaillardia plants from my garden. 

Hope they will add as much lovely color to her garden; not that her garden needs them, she has a large beautiful garden. 

Enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

       

Quilting Progress

    Even though I have spent a couple of mornings working in the yard, I have made progress quilting projects.  I finished the quilting on Love Multiplied and donated it to the church quilt group. This quilt pattern looks fairly simple.  It is except that it is set on-point and you need to layout the whole quilt before you start sewing.

    Then I started quilting my Scrap Dance Waltz quilt from the mystery in 2016 From My Carolina Home blog.  Check her blog to find out more about the mystery quilts she offers.  I only have the border left to quilt.  Sorry the quilting does not show up in this photo.

Enjoy time sewing or quilting.

UFO Finished - Lemoyne Star

        In the summer of 2013 I purchased a giant diamond ruler and started playing.  I had been given some bandana seconds. I was able to stack 8 and pin match “stack ‘n whack” style

 

to cut diamond shapes for Lemoyne stars.  Then they sat.

       In 2014 Nancy Zieman on her show “Sewing with Nancy” showed creative design options for a quick lone star.  That inspired me to get back to work with my bandana stars for my own version. I finally finished piecing the top in October 2017 and FINALLY it is quilted and finished. 

      I did mostly free-motion with a variety of design motifs and 3 colors of thread.  I am not 100% happy with the quilting, but I’m happy it is finished.  It may become a Quilt of Valor but not yet.

Hope you enjoy time sewing or quilting if you are not out enjoying the weather and family.
I'm linking up with Can I Get a Whoop and My Quilt Infatuation-NTT. 

Friday Finish

     I finished the quilting and binding on this big block quilt. 

The pattern is the January Giant Block from Kitchen Table Quilting.  They have been sharing one each month.  I used the 36” block set on-point which finishes at 50”; however, I added a top and bottom border to make a rectangle quilt 50” by 58”.

    I started back quilting on another in-progress lap quilt that I used for Angela Walters’ Free-Motion Challenge Quilt Along. I should have it finished in a day or two. It has been fun and challenging to try lots of different designs in the various blocks.

I'm linking up with Whoop Whoop Fridays.  Check out what other quilters are doing.

Enjoy time sewing or quilting.

Doll Backpacks and Some Quilting

       My granddaughters love to play that their 18” dolls are going to school.  They have been using plastic grocery bags to carry their school supplies. I have a cute pattern for Zoo Animal Backpacks from PixieFaire.  This morning I decided to make 2 doll backpacks. I used fabric and zippers from my stash so only bought some 15 mm eyes. 

       First I made the penguin. 

He is not perfect but very cute. 

My second try was better. I made the monkey and made sure to line up the front and back better. 

It is not a beginner pattern but the directions are good.  You do have to sew 2 zippers in each.

Aren’t they cute?  Now I am looking for some little books to fit in them. 

    

      I am almost finished quilting a lap quilt for my guild challenge to use a large print fabric. I only used the large print for the center of this big block quilt.  (Pattern is from Kitchen Table Quilting except I added top and bottom border to make a rectangle. )

In the setting triangles I decided to try a combination of new quilting motifs.  The rose (which is in the large print) is a design by Lori Kennedy. Here is a link to her tutorial.  

 The leafy motif I just made up to mimic some leaves in the center fabric.   Three corners are quilted.

 I only do one corner a day so one more day of quilting.

Enjoy time sewing or quilting when you are not out enjoying the spring weather.