First Finish

My first finish of the year is for a Lovely Year of Finishes.  So I am off to a good start for the year.  This little quilt was the left overs from my Flying Geese Riley Blake challenge fabric.  I had enough to finish up a small wall hanging too.  Scraps really do go a long way!

The lay out is from Jaybird's book Skip the Borders.  I used the general layout but not the sizing for the HST's.  I was using what I had and this is it.  I had a dark navy in the very large stacks of solids that I had that worked.  I really wanted to get the navy checked but didn't!

I took a second picture of this one from the side and since it is either 40 below or snowing here there may not be any outdoor photos till March!  This is some crappy weather around here. So I taped this one on my wall in my office, and snapped a couple of photos.  I thought the side view looked kinda cool.

It looks bigger in this one than it really is.

This quilt measures 30' x 30".  Next on the list is the flying geese Riley Blake Mini Quilt.  It is basted and ready to go.  Hoping it will happen this weekend.

I am linking up to A Lovely Month of Finishes and NTT.

Also Linking up to Crazy Mom for Finish it up Friday.

This one also meets one of my goals for for Q-1 Goals and linking up at the finishing party at The Littlest Thistle.

WIP Week #3

I am trying to link up on Wednesdays to keep me on task and to blog a little more regularly.  I did sew and get things done this week just none of it is very exciting.

Here are the 10 extra I have sewn up this brings my count up to 40.  Next week I am going to lay them all out and decide how many more I need to make.

I finished sewing up the triangle section in the Tula Pink City Sampler.  Whew! I am glad that section is done!

I started quilting the HST Riley Black Fabric Quilt.  This is for my goal for my Lovely Month of Finishes so I need to get going on this!

I was testing out some FMQ and pulled this piece of fabric out to practice on and look at the date on there! I thought that was funny. I know I have oldies and not necessarily goodies any more but it did make me laugh.  

This next week not much sewing will get done. I am off with a few friends for a weekend of scrapbooking. I don't really do much of it anymore really, just this weekend.  I have to get my youngest's book organized and scrap his junior year.  Once HS is over and I am done with the kids books I think my scrapbooking days will be over! I am excited to go we always manage to have a great time and I do get a lot done.  I am going to bring my hexies and knitting incase it strikes me to work on those.

My List for the next week will probably be the same for two weeks and hopefully I will have something finished soon!

1. Quilt and Bind HST RB Quilt
2. Quilt and Bind RB challenge Quilt
3.  Pick out fabric/cut next section on City Sampler
4.  Sew 25 Badger Blocks
5.  Cut Moda Quilt blocks out for alternate blocks

Last week's list

1.  Sew City Sampler triangle blocks 9 left- Done
2.  Baste and Quilt HST Quilt -Basted and started Quilting
3.  Baste and Quilt RB Challenge Quilt- Basted-still thinking on Quilting
4.  Sew up 25 blocks on the Badger Quilt-done
5.  Order photos for scrapbook weekend-done

I am linking up at WIP Wednesday, Let's Bee Social and NTT.  Thanks for stopping and go check out what everyone is working on!

WIP Wednesday #2

What did I get done this last week. I have my Riley Blake challenge mini quilt together and now it needs basting and hopefully some cool, inspiring quilting.

I am trying to also make some headway on old WIP's so that slow but sure I will get them done sometime this first quarter?! I had put these away and couldn't remember where they were but I knew I had some already cut out so I did find them and now have 5 more done.  Not sure how many I am going to make but know I want it bigger than what I have right now. 

Then I made some progress on the Badger Graduation gift.  Loved working on this since it was really pretty mindless sewing.  Watched a little TV and 25 blocks were done!  I need 80 so I have lots more to do. I really need to cut bigger pieces!

I also got 6 more blocks done for the Tula Pink City Sampler.  I am almost through that triangle section - thank goodness!

So here was my list from last week:

1.  Sew Patches on Aaron's shirts - done
2. RB HST quilt- done
3.  Riley Blake quilt top done
4.  Pull Fabric for City Sampler Triangle section - done
5.  Pick FAL project and post - done

Small goal check list working so this week here is what is on the list

1.  Sew City Sampler triangle blocks 9 left
2.  Baste and Quilt HST Quilt
3.  Baste and Quilt RB Challenge Quilt
4.  Sew up 25 blocks on the Badger Quilt-done
5.  Order photos for scrapbook weekend

Hopefully, the week is successful again.

Linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday, NTT at My Quilt Infatuation, Let's Bee Social.

Sunday Stash

Not sure that I will post many of these since I am on a fabric diet and I have not broken it yet!  There is a vote of confidence from that devils voice inside my head.  All of these fabrics that I am sharing today were either gifted or bought prior to December 31st.

Here is what was gifted to me 8 1/2 yard cuts of the Botanics Line, great stash builder for sure from my mom.

However that was not enough I wanted the fat quarter bundle of the whole line and when I didn't get it I took Christmas money from my FIL and ordered it from Cuts of Cotton.  So happy she had it and with 30% off!  

When you get 30% off can't get just one thing and she had Essex yarn dyed in denim so 2 yards went into the cart too!  Not sure on my plan for the Fat Quarter Bundle or the yarn dye but I love them.  I normally don't buy a full line of anything so we will see what happens with it.  

Well that was not nearly enough because I had a 20% off coupon at my LQS and knew I wanted one of the lights in Botanics in yardage so I bought three yards of  this one:

I bought some earlier but used it all in scarfs.  I needed/wanted more to have on hand.  I think I will use this a lot!

While I went to get that piece of fabricm the store was having their scrap sale and these ended up in my bag as well.  

It was a good deal and I just could not pass it up!  Yes, there is more Botanics in there!  

So here is my loot from the one week between Christmas and New Years! (that is a lot of fabric) I really don't need any new fabric soon but there are so many pretty things out there.  I am hanging strong so far but it is early!

I am linking up to Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash Report!  I am going to go look at other peoples treasures instead!  

2014 Q1 Goals

Starting the year off with a hefty list.  I am thinking its winter lots of time indoors and not much other things planned so I should be able to sew lots of things!  Well, that will be the goal anyway.  The goal for 2014 is to sew from stash and no buying fabric for the first 6 months.  I am sweating that one a bit.  But we will see how this works and since I have lots on my list and no need for fabric we should be good!

So to the list:

1.  Tula Pink blocks-  I have a bet with a friend that it will be done by March 31st.  I have 47/100 done and nothing planned so I need to get working on that one.

2.  Moda Friendship Quilt- This was the club quilt from last year.  I have the blocks done and a layout planned.

3.  Badger Quilt - I need one graduation quilt and all boys I know in Wisconsin love the Badgers and this one is going to be going to UW Madison!  This one should be fun.

4.  Riley Blake Challenge - I finished the top and now just have to figure out the quilting. This will be the first time I came up with something on my own.   So far so good!

5.  Left over Riley Blake fabric- Planning on using it all up and have enough to make two projects from cutting off the corners.  I need to add a few solids to it.  This one is going to be my Lovely Month of Finishes Goal for January.  Hopefully the ones I pick each month I can focus and get done.

6.  X and + quilt - I really need this one to get done.  It has been on my list for over a year.  Lost momentum on it and it just sits!

I think that is enough to keep me busy this quarter!  Now to get sewing!

Linking up at The Littlest Thistle for Q1 Goals.

WIP #1 Wednesday

This is my first WIP Wednesday in awhile!  Last week I was still focusing on 2013 but now time for new projects and to keeping better track of what I am working on and making progress.

So this past week I have been working on my Riley Blake challenge.  I made flying geese and then figured out how I wanted to lay them out and needed to sew it together.  Math and quilting go together however that has never been my strong suit.  So I am much more let's see how it goes and figure it out.

My first attempt left the final square too small so with that information I unsewed the pieces and tried again and it was a success.  I actually wrote down what I cut so I can repeat the process on the other half.  When I did get it to work I was really happy and loving how it is turning out.

With the fly geese came HST large enough for me to want to do something with them.  I shared this the other day and now I just need to figure out the back and quilt it.

I wanted to share this little ornament I found while on a quilting weekend with friends and gave to my husband to put in my stocking.  I had forgotten about it and actually thought - "wow how did he find this?"

That is my motto this year!  I have so many things I want to sew with plenty of fabric to sew through.  So hopefully this will be my reminder as I am not buying anything new for awhile.

In my hope to stay on task and a little more organized this year I had bought a small white board and each week I am writing down small goals that I would like to get done.  I think it is working.  I do have a few of the items checked off already for the week.  My plan is to update weekly but we will see. This hangs right above my cutting table.

#2 and #5 are done.  I think #1 and #3 can be done tonight.  It is gearing up to pull fabric for the City Sampler that I am not getting around to.  

This weekend should be fun since I am going with a few friends to the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts.  There is a truck show lecture on Saturday all day that I am going to and it should be fun! Lee will be there! Plus there is a Modern Quilt Exhibit and one of my quilts will be hanging in there with several others from the MMQG.  

Happy Sewing!  I am linking up to Lee at WIP Wednesday.

A Lovely Year of Finishes-January

I am not sure why but I have a hard time figuring out what I want to finish in one month.  So for January I seem to have momentum on this small quilt.  I finished this up last night while watching Downton Abbey.  (So glad to have gotten caught up and watching season 4).  

This was all the leftover triangles from the flying geese I made for the Riley Blake Challenge.  I did not want to put them away for later since later never seems to happen and the block finishes at 8.5.  This is a small quilt and not sure yet what I will do with it.

I need to figure out the back and then quilt this one up.  It will be good to practice some FMQ on this one.

I am linking up to Stitch by Stitch for Anything goes Monday and for a Lovely Year of Finishes.  

2013 Round Up

I love seeing a collage of what I made over the year.  I am really happy that I finished 12 quilts!  This is not including small projects or blocks.  All of these were lap to queen size.  I quilted all of them but Easy Street,  I had my LQS quilt that one.

Here are my three favorites from the year.

1.  Dream in Color was my first ever bee quilt!  Used rainbow charms from swap on flickr.  That was fun too!
2.  Wedding Quilt - this one was my first in using multiple quilting designs.  I took Angela Walters class on Craftsy and learned lots!
3.  Wiggly Whimsy was my first all solid quilts!

All of the quilts on my 2013 page with links if you wanted to see any of them.

This was a pretty productive year for me.  Lots of these quilts were made with scraps and I have not made a dent in them.  But I am going to try again in 2014.

Here is to another fun quilty year!

Linking up to Lily's Quilts for Fresh Sewing Day.