Valentine Snack Mats

      Where has the time gone? I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much; at least nothing big.  Still unsure about what borders I want to add to my Celtic Solstice, I pulled out a variety of small quick projects to work on.  The major one has been Valentine Snack Mats (AKA Mug Rugs).  I made a couple as hostess gifts and a couple to cheer up ailing friends. 

 

The one below uses a heart pattern called "Heart Strings" by Annette Ornelas that creates curves with straight seams and fabric squares folded on the diagonal so the bias edge can be folded back and stitched down to create the curve.

Then I decided to make a couple for my granddaughters. 

     While looking for greens and blues in my stash for my Celtic Solstice border, I took the time to organize those bins in the “file” system.  I really like this system so far because it is so easy to see what I have.  I hope I can keep with it.

    Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a challenge.  I pulled out 2 adopted UFOs that will become comfort quilts for my church quilt group.  As may frequently be the case, one was probably abandoned because the sewer was having trouble getting the units to finish up at the planned size.  What to do!  I thought about using the pieces for improvisation piecing and not worry about losing points.  They have the potential of being really lovely so I decided to use traditional piecing. I have carefully sewn 2 blocks to get them close to the planned size hoping to keep most of the star points by sewing scant ¼” seams.  Two more I added frame strips around the blocks.  There are still lots of adopted small units that need squaring up.  With the pieces given, I will not be able to complete the original pattern so I will have to make a plan on how to use these pieces.  I’ll plan to show a picture when I have more of an idea for this project.

      Have you ever taken on a similar UFO challenge?  What did you do?

Need More Strings

    This morning I had a construction company rep here to discuss remodeling my kitchen.  Hopefully, that will take place about midsummer.  In the afternoon I pieced more string blocks while watching a couple of episodes of “Wish Me Luck “ on Netflix.  ( It is an interesting British series about women who served as spies in France during WWII. )  I finished the 24 blocks I wanted.  That’s the good part.  The bad part is that I depleted my string stash so much that I will have to collect more before I can work on my string spider web blocks.  

 

The temptation to work on strings will be removed so I can move on to a project on my UFO list or maybe I will get some new clothes made for myself.

      There are a couple of special birthday’s in the next couple of weeks so I took a few minutes to make quilted postcards for them.

Hope you are working on a quilting/sewing fun project.

Another Finish

    I feel so good about finishing projects and scratching them off my list.  Yesterday I finished 2 more Valentine mug rugs.  I decided a new name for them could be "snack mat" since they are smaller than a placemat.

    This afternoon while watching some Netflix and then a little Bonnie Hunter webcam, I finished handsewing the binding onto the "orphan pinwheels no more".   I have not shown the last quilting I did of the borders so here are a couple of pictures.  I thought of grass as I quilted the floral border.  Probably not the best choice but it is not being taken out.  I used the walking foot to echo a few straight lines.

In the outer most border I changed to matching burgundy thread so it is not easy to see on the front.  On the back beige part you can see I  stitched free-motion what Leah Day calls Echo Shortcut.  I have used it on several quilts and like it.

   Here is the finish.  I like it especially because of all the different FMQ designs I used and the fact that I started with orphan blocks and planned a quilt around them.

Valentine Mug Rugs

     While trying to decide on how I want to do the quilting on the “Orphan Pinwheels No More”, I pulled out my bin of scrap fabric that already has fusible web ironed to the back.  I made 2 Valentine mug rugs.  I actually made 3 but did not like one so it is in the scrap bin. I have a drawer full of a variety of bias tape so I wanted to use some for binding. I only made a little dent.

Note the very old package paper.  No telling how long I have had it or who had it before me.  After using the single fold bias tape on one, I decided it was too narrow.

I found a different design I liked in Card Art: Create Treasured Greetings from Fabric & Paper by Susan S. Terry.   I adapted it a little and made 6 more Valentine mug rugs all from scraps. There was very little pink in my fusible bin so the variety of colored hearts was great.  I was tempted to buy some Valentine fabric that was on sale but instead used only my stash for the backs.   These all have 2 layers of cotton batting so maybe they could also be used as oven mitts.  

I’m still thinking about how I want to do the quilting on the next quilt. 

Mug Rugs

   Today instead of sandwiching a larger quilt for quilting, I needed to do something more free so I pulled out some fabric for mug rugs.
    I had promised to make a mug rug for a friend of a friend with many cats.  I thought this large print fabric was perfect and it let me practice free-motion quilting. I did not focus on stitch length but following lines and drawing with the sewing machine.

I also pulled out some specially fall fabric and enjoyed free-motion quilting to enhance a couple of them. 

In all today I finished 4 mug rugs for gifts.

Quilt Class Homework

      It seems like I have been doing a lot of non-sewing things recently.  I have made some more pumpkin quilted postcards and used up more scraps with fusible.  

     After lunch I took one quilt to the building for fair entries.  I only entered one this year.  I did some sewing on blocks for the Beginner Two Block Quilt class I am teaching.  The homework for students is to finish 6 nine patch blocks so I had to do my homework.  Then I sewed to prepare for the next block which is the friendship star. 

  I have cut out the fabric for my granddaughter’s Halloween costume but that is all so far. 

A Mix of Activities

      Where has the week gone?  I have been busy with all kinds of things.  Last Thursday was the first meeting of my Beginner 2 Block Quilt Class at Midlands Tech.  I have 3 students and hope to have some photos to share this coming Thursday.  Working around some sewing I managed to get some garden/yard work done.   As usual for the 4^th week of the month Quilt Mavens Bee met Monday evening hosted by Bonney. Tuesday morning was Comfort Quilt Sew Day for guild.  I sewed mostly on the strip rows from Kathy. 

       Wednesday was church comfort quilt sew day. Beverley brought her finished quilt for the VA Hospice Unit. 

 I helped some others with their projects and sewed some on my own string project.  When I arrived home there were at least 6 butterflies enjoying my lantana bush by the front walk.

      I spent one afternoon this week making 4 quilted postcards.  I used only scraps from my box of fabric that already has fusible web on it.  On one I used organza ribbon around the edge and satin ribbon on the other 3. 

Scrappy Bargello and Mug Rug

  An aunt will be celebrating her 94th birthday Monday.  Instead of a regular card I made a mug rug and wrote a note on the back. The angel is fusible applique.

This was sew day for our church quilt group and I worked on a scrappy bargello.  You may remember when I spent days cutting 2 1/2" strips from odd shaped pieces.  Two weeks ago I sewed 2 identical strip sets and today I started cutting and resewing.  The seams of each set are pressed in opposite directions so seams nest and I am not pinning.  This is as far as I got. 

More Quilted Postcards

     This was our second Wednesday sew day at church for our quilting group.  It was a productive day even though I did not do any sewing.  I spent the whole 4 hours sorting and organizing our fabric scraps.  We have a lot.  Several ladies sewed but Beverley cut odd pieces into more 2 1/2" strips and I sorted.
     Recently I did make a couple of quilted postcards.  I pieced skinny scrap strips and then sub-cut and re-pieced them for a stained glass effect behind a brown piece for reverse applique.  I machine quilted the piece then I used fusible applique to add the dove and stitched around it. 

Postcards

  I finally spent some time making quilted postcards.  I pieced the background from scraps and then free-motion quilted before adding the feature elements.  The applique flower and butterfly are made from scraps with fusible web.  I printed sayings onto fabric and added fusible web to the back.  I love the saying about weeds and wild flowers.  I had a difficult time finding a saying I wanted for the butterfly postcards.

Making Quilted Valentine Cards

       I enjoy sending quilted postcards to friends and relatives for special occasions.  My sister Irene got me started making them a few years ago by participating in an internet swap group.  Since then I just make them for friends and family.  Recently I came across www.scrapbooksetc.com  and like several of their free scrapbook paper-piecing ideas to use as appliqués on quilted postcards.  The bee is one of those. The post office has gotten more particular about mailing them so I am careful not to add very much 3 dimensional. 

    If you have not made any, I hope you will think about trying some.  They must be 4 by 6".  I use Peltex for the structure with a layer of scrap batting on top.   I place the top fabric on the batting and do the applique stitching and quilting.  Then I add muslin to the back with fusible web and sew the edge with satin stitch or ribbon for binding. Leah has a good tutorial on making fabric postcards at quilteddelights.blogspot.com.  Have fun and your friends and family can enjoy your work. 

More Quilted Postcards

I spent the afternoon making more quilted postcards.  As I listened to the weather report about the predicted snow and ice for Monday, I worked to create snowglobes with fabric.  I found a great free design template on the web at www.scrapbooksetc.com/printables/paper-piecing/ . Many of their paper-piecing ( for scrapbooking) can be used for fusible applique piecing with fabric.   If tomorrow's weather forecast is correct, it will be a great day to stay inside and sew.

 

Morning of Paper-piecing

Here is the completed 3D Stars quilt sample for my class starting in February.  The photo does not show the 3D component of the stars very well. 

 

Last evening I started paper-piecing snowmen.  I enjoy paper-piecing.  This morning I finished embellishing the first snowman quilted postcard.  I have several others in process.  I enjoy sending quilting postcards to friends and family.  Usually I try not to add any 3D components like buttons because the cards are easier and less expensive to mail; however, I felt this snowman needed the real buttons.