Stars and Strips

I had made a red, white and blue quilt earlier this year with the intention of donating it to QOV.  Then it occurred to me I should give it directly to a someone currently servicing.  So that began my goal to make each of my DS#1 friends a quilt.

Shine which I made back in March did not thrill me.  I didn't really like the pattern and my sewing was so off and I made the smaller version not knowing it final destination.  So I had the Ohio Stars done from 2 years ago.  I had started making the mystery quilt that Bonnie Hunter does each November but just didn't have the time nor inclination to finish it.  But I did finish those Ohio Stars and then they sat.  I wasn't sure what to do with them but knew I needed to use them.  They were alot of them, 54 total. So I went in search of inspiration.  Bonnie has a lot of free patterns and found the one I wanted in Ohio Stars and Rails.

I already had the stars done, I pulled all my 2.5" strips that were already cut and the only thing I need to get was the white strips.  I had the quilt done over a weekend of sewing in November.

I used fabric I had in my stash for the back including the left over stars.  I quilted just a meandering again on this one and it went very quickly.  I had it done in one movie on TV and then I pulled the basting stitches which went pretty quickly.  I put a red scrappy binding on it.

I am so happy I finished another quilt off my Q4 Goals!  I will be linking up with She Can Quilt. That gives me 3 out of 5 done!  I am pretty happy with that.

Also linking up to NTT at My Quilt Infatuation and Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

Happy Sewing.

Graduation Dance

I finished it.  This quilt is from Quiltville and the pattern is Dancing 9-Patch.  This was an attempt to use up the 2.5" squares that I have.  It didn't work.  This however will be a gift for a friend of my oldest son for their college graduation.  He has three friends and two of them are from grade school.

I have scraps and thought well this would be fun and they won't expect it all.

Here is Aaron's.  His favorite color is blue so I am pretty sure he will like it.

I made the majority of the 9 patches as lender and enders while doing Tula Pink City Sampler blocks.  They were like bonus blocks!

I then had the quilt basted by a longarmer.  It was nice to not have to pin it but then I did have to pull the threads.  Time wise it was probably about the same amount of time.  Considering that I hate basting ripping out the basting stitches could be done while watching television.  I think that was a win situation.

 The only fabric I bought was the back.  I found it while shop hopping in November on a clearance rack.  It a map of New York City.  I loved it!  Plus the price was right!

The quilting was just a large meandering in medium grey Aurfil thread.  It went fast and had it quilted up in one night.

I still need practice in keeping my stitches even some get too large and others too small.  I have to say it is fun to go through and see all the fabric from lots of different quilts over the years.

I even put a label on this one and named it.  I don't really do names but this one is "Graduation Dance" and is about 72" x 86".   Aaron will get his degree in Radiology so I am sure he will be happy to be done.

This quilt was part of Q4 Goals so I will link up with She Can Quilt when the time comes.  I am so happy to finish this before the end of the year!

Now to get one more done before the end of the year!

2014 Quilt goals

This is the stack of fabric I bought throughout last year and this year will not be a repeat.  I have actually told myself I haven't bought much.  I did get it organized and put away today!  

It's a good thing then that I am going on a fabric diet for 2014.  I just needed to make a list for what I would like to finish or make with my stash, which I had done a couple of weeks ago.  So here it goes and they are not in any particular order.  I know the 4 WIP's need to get done but the scrap quilts could change.  Goal is to make 4 scrap quilts from cut fabric.  I am sure I will change my mind and add or delete things as necessary - this is a long list so it will be fun to see where I get on it through the year.

Current WIPs that did not get done this year:

1.  X and + quilt 20 blocks done

2.  Tula Pink Summer 45 blocks done

3.  Moda Friendship Sampler all 30 blocks done

4.  Badger Graduation gift-cut

Scrap quilts- random fabric already cut into various sizes

1.  Low volume string quilt

2.  Spider web 

3.  Scrappy Majestic Mountains - batiks

4.  Another scrap quit - 

5.  A solids quilt - sam's bed

Other quilts I just love and want to make:

1.  Swoon- have pattern not completely sure on fabric yet

2.  Churn dash

3.  Round and round by thimble blossom

4.  Tone it down quilt along
5.  Moda Club Quilt

This doesn't include quilts I want to make from books I have gotten either.  So I have plenty to keep me busy!  

I had to clear off the cutting board today and most of the fabric on it I had bought over the last year.  There was a lot!  Now I need to use it up!  It will take me longer than a year to finish everything on this list. Wish me luck!

Sunny Clementine

I know a little crazy 3 posts in one day.  I was behind on getting pictures done.  It is dark too early and I was just not getting those things done on the weekend.  Everyone was home and since we were outside shoveling the 8.5 inches of snow twice.  I had help from the hubby and I thought they looked pretty with the new snow.  

This quilt was part of the MMQG challenge.  It was at the LGS for the voting portion and no I didn't win but it was fun to enter and figure out what to do.  I am gifting this quilt along with a pillow for a Christmas - birthday gift for my best friend.  We have been friends for over 30 years and she has never gotten a quilt from me.  Her boys have and I have made other gifts but not a quilt so it's time.  Her favorite color is orange.

I quilted it on the diagonal and just followed the grid.  This color looks so much brighter than it really is.  This should look great in her 3 season room with very earthy colors.  I blogged about here and here. Here's the pillow I made as well, it was the tutorial from In Color Order.

I had also made a pillow for myself with the Boo Crew. I had wanted to try a Granny Square so I did!  It turned out very cute.

I don't think you will see another finish post today! Enjoy your Sunday and hope you are finding some time to sew!

A Finish

Yeah it is finally done, my Moda Club 2010-11 project, that one sure has taken me awhile.  This quilt should have been bigger but I knew after starting it I wasn't going to do all of the blocks.  I had five blocks done during club year and then one of them stumped me.

The pattern was not always clear and there were lots of small parts.  So in March of this year I took out the one block to finish that - nope that did not get it done. It wasn't until our weekend at my mom's quilting that I finished the top.  I wasn't going home until that was done!  So I finished the top and prepared the back.  I just didn't bring enough batting or it probably would have been done that weekend.

I had this on a Lovely Year of Finishes several times and it has been on my Finish Along Q4 list and it was on Q2 list.  I guess I left it off Q3 knowing I wasn't going to get it done?!

Well I am happy to say  it is complete!  I finished the quilting this month with one of my new favorites the FM flower.  I love doing that one and I find it easy to do.

This one finishes up at 46" x 66".
Started September 2010
Finished December 2013

Now I have two more quilts basted and ready to quilt up in hopes of finishing those before the end of the year!

Linking up at She Can Quilt for the Finish Along.

Linking up in the final hours for Whoo Whoo It's Finished!  and that is how I felt about this one for sure.

Making Christmas Week 11

So I did not get everything I wanted done but it was fun to see what I could get done.  My last finish was not even on my list and I have one more to make but have until New Year's Eve now.  Thank goodness.

I made the infinity scrap from the Fat Quarter Gang.  A couple of girls at the quilt shop had them and thought they would make great gifts for my son's girlfriends.  I did the youngest ones first.  He requested grey and coral.  I bought a few pieces and then filled in with stash fabric.  I had gotten some Botanic and Indian Summer.  Then used other black/grey/white prints.  I thought it turned out cute.  It seems like a lot of fabric and you will probably need to iron. it.  I told him the return policy is give it back and then you guys go pick one out together.  I would not want this pretty fabric wasted! I don't think that will happen.

The older one needs to pick out the fabric and I will make one more.  They were really fast to make.  It took about 30 minutes to sew.  Picking the fabric is what took a little bit.

Here is the Christmas list updated.


1.  5 Thread catchers- pin cushion thingys.  (that is the technical term) November 13th -DONE!                  2.  Apron- chocolate theme - gift for my friend that we make chocolates together each year- Finally found the fabric but we are done with our chocolate making so next year.
3.  3 sets of pot holders, towels and now coasters - gifts for co-workers. DONE!
4.  Knitted cowl - bought the yarn last year and want to wear this now!  (I haven't started) bought the circular needles.  Needed help on the pattern but now not sure where I put it!
5.  Paper pieced pillow for SIL Xmas gift - No progress
6.  Xmas Table runner - gift for my son to give - DONE!
7.  Christmas candies/chocolates - gifts to variety of people including teachers- DONE!
8.  2 Infinity Scarfs- 1 DONE!

Fabric Destash 2014

I have not been able to stop thinking about this topic since I read it over on Knotty Gnome first, that led me to Making Rebecca Lynne and then over to Tickle and Hide who did a Fabric No Buy in 2013 and lived to tell about it. That was fun to read.

I am not sure why I needed to mull this over.  I have lots of fabric!  I have been sewing for 22 years and there were many years that I was planning and buying but not sewing much.  So I have been making several scrap quilts a year, but really that was happening so I could buy new pretty fabric!  Well, you guessed it, some of that new pretty fabric is now sitting because I can't sew fast enough!

I had already figured out a list of quilts to make for next year so that's it - it's official I am in!  Now I am a really nervous about this because it is like that diet you are going to start and then you eat even more!  So I will have a couple of exceptions with in the exceptions, but I reminded myself there are no police in quilting and if I sew more and spend less then it will be a successful 2014!

So here are the rules from Rebecca Lynne's site

GOALS:

- To use the Stash I already have!

- Finish UFOs without distraction by shifting to other new beautiful fabric.

- Stop the insanity of constantly buying the latest and greatest fabric. 

- Save the $$ I spend on stashing.

- Destash the fabrics that I realize I am never going to use.

FABRIC FAST RULES:

1) No fabric purchases for 6 months beginning January 1, 2014.   Exception is my trip to Paducah in April!

2) At 6 months reevaluate status and decide whether to keep going for full year.  Evaluation July 1, 2014.

3) Create a UFO list and complete them!

4) Exceptions

• Backing: purchasing a backing to finish a quilt top is permissible.  However, attempting to use fabric in your possession for a backing is preferable.  Good with that!
• Books and Magazine purchases are allowed as they are not fabric.  Notions acceptable too.  Ok here too!  I don't buy many books and no magazine subscriptions this next year.  
• Swap Mama Fabric: if hosting a swap you are permitted to by fabric to execute swap duties, but you may not join a swap simply for the sake of being able to buy fabric!  This one might be a little harder - I like those flickr swaps!
• Quilts for Publication: if you are making a quilt for a publication and need certain fabric to execute it correctly then that is a major exception - who can blame you?  I don't really do this but I do have quilts to make as graduation gifts so if something is needed then I will get that to finish quilt.  Along with that is backgrounds.  I have a few on my list that may need a background.  But I must be working on it to buy it.  Not for something for in the future.

So I think I can live with these rules.  I can tell you that this past year I made a point of using my stash and finished 19 projects and 12 of them quilts and 9 of those quilts were scrap quilts.  I used in total about 120 yards of fabric.  I bought fabric for a couple that were gifts and 2 backs.  I also destashed recently at least 10 yards to give to a charity.  Does it look like it? Nope, it does not!  So no reason not do more again in 2014.(since that was my plan anyway!)

I will be posting my list of quilts for 2014 on a separate post.

So who else is doing this?  I am nervous and I really hope my mom buys me the fabric that was on my Christmas list!  Otherwise there could be some fabric shopping after Christmas sales and before January 1.  Wish me luck.

Making Christmas Week 7

I have been sewing but not much blogging going on since I haven't taken pictures.  It is cold here (really cold) and it gets dark so early.  So I think for now I will have indoor photos and soon it will be a little lighter and it will get warmer or at least I hope.

So here is the run down of my Make Christmas list:

1.  5 Thread catchers- pin cushion thingys.  (that is the technical term) November 13th -DONE!                  2.  Apron- chocolate theme - gift for my friend that we make chocolates together each year- Finally found the fabric but we are done with our chocolate making so next year.
3.  3 sets of pot holders, towels and now coasters - gifts for co-workers. DONE!
4.  Knitted cowl - bought the yarn last year and want to wear this now!  (I haven't started) bought the circular needles.  Needed help on the pattern but now not sure where I put it!
5.  Paper pieced pillow for SIL Xmas gift - No progress
6.  Xmas Table runner - gift for my son to give - DONE!
7.  Christmas candies/chocolates - gifts to variety of people including teachers- DONE!

Not much time left now! I can tell you I'd rather sew than do the list of other things that must get done.

Here are a couple of pictures.  My gifts for my coworkers:

Hopefully, they will like them. Each co worker is getting a towel, pot holder and a set of coasters. I thought they turned out really well.  The coasters were easy and fun to make. The tutorial came from Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation.   I may make one more set for a friend in Badger fabric!  We'll see how my time goes.

Then the table full of some very yummy chocolates.  We made a couple of new things that I found off Pinterest one was really good - the other won't make it into the gift boxes.  We did drop a couple of them as well.  This was a 9 am to 6 pm work session and I have just some pretzels left to do.  Not sure if I am going to do many cookies this year.  I love Spritz so those but already have gotten some looks from the kids with no to the others. I am sure I will be persuaded.  I found some Red Velvet cookies that look pretty festive too!  

Yes chocolate making and wine go together by the end of the day!  It tasted delicious with a little dark chocolate!

The rest of my list that I want to finish by the end of the year!

• Moda 2010 Quilt- Top Done and Quilt just need the binding
• X and + Quilt - more scraps cut for additional blocks-no progress
• Ohio Star - Top done and basted - just need to quilt
• Moda Friendship Quilt - blocks done, background bought, and layout kinda figured out
• Dancing 9 Quilt-blocks - Top done and basted - just need to quilt

I had both of those quilts basted by a member of the MMQG.  I have not done that before so that should be interesting to see how that works out, hopefully well.  It did say my knees since I pin them on my basement floor!

Link up is over at Charm About You.  Seems to me lots of people are getting things done!  I am hoping a few more finishes this week!  Also linking up for NTT at Quilt Infatuation, and then Crazy Mom Quilts.