Busy as a Bee in the Sewing Room

I’ve been happily sewing away in the New Year.  I have vowed that 2015 will be the year that I use my fabric stash and scraps to make interesting quilts for children.

This is a low-contrast top I made on New Year’s Day from fabric I’ve had for several years.  The two colorways of the floral fabric look brighter in person and I like the design called Chain Reaction from a recent Fons and Porter Magazine.

I  joined the Stashbusters Yahoo Group for more incentive to dig into that stash of mine.  My first step was to officially join their 2015 UFO Challenge … and I actually dug out a few of those UFOs and counted them and sent in my entry.  Wahoo!  That’s progress already because I know now that I have too many UFOs (well, you would have thought I’d have known that before now, wouldn’t you?).  But now they are organized and readily available for me to sew them up.  And I joined the Numbers Game whereby they draw numbers and you work on that number from your list should you choose to do so.

The first numbers drawn were 8 and 35.  My #8 was a homemade kit for a kid-size Warm Wishes design using fabric printed with tropical fish.  It was in pieces before and I sewed up the top today:

And my #35 was strips that I had cut to make Mary Johnson’s Quick Strippie.  She says it is her favorite quick donation quilt and it really is so easy that I can’t imagine why mine is still a UFO.  Anyway, I sewed the strips all together today to make this quilt top (it’s actually straight, but I didn’t take the time to straighten it out on the rug):

 

The star print and the checkerboard are actually a dark Hunter green

I have desperately wanted to get rid of that checkered fabric that makes me dizzy looking at it – what was I thinking when I bought it?!!  They have to be quilted and bound before they are considered finishes for the UFO Challenge, so I have some work to do.

I also have a new button on my sidebar, Oh Scrap, that links to a blog that will have linky parties beginning on Jan 4^th where people will share their creative ideas.    Cynthia Brunz sponsors the linkies and has a blog titled “Quilting is More Fun Than Housework” (you had me at the title, Cynthia!), also with numerous ideas for how to use those scraps.

So 2015 should be great fun in the Sewing Room!

Wishing You a Year of Blessings!

Took the Day Off

Finished up this quick little top for Quilts for Kids on Friday, then took Saturday off!

Had to play with the dog and her new Christmas present.

Hard to get a good picture since she wanted to show off her new toy, but didn't want anybody else to have it!  Everybody got a little something fun for Christmas ...

May The Joys Of The Season Be Yours!

Dear Santa:  Wishing for Peace on Earth ...

End of the Year Projects

Found some time today to get back into the sewing room and finished up the dog panel for Quilts for Kids.  I am getting a free roll of batting to use for quilting Quilts of Valor and Quilts for Kids so I am working up a few tops to have on hand when the batting arrives at the first of the new year.

This is the finished top – turns out the panel was printed wonky (as they are sometimes) and it was difficult to square up the top with the borders.  Might have trouble getting this one to lay flat when quilting, but I’ll do my best!

And, of course, I have to have multiple projects in the works, so this will be an  alternating 4-patch and novelty squares top – the yellow will be the first border:

And this kitty panel will be one of the next on the drawing board:

We’ve been having some lovely sunsets, but rain is expected tomorrow.

But if there is no lightning, then I’ll be sewing - Always something fun to work with around here!

Last Box and Last Delivery of 2014

My thread delivery came through so I finished up the last quilt for Quilts Beyond Borders and got it out the door:

panto called Feather Elegance

This is the last one to be mailed to the Navajo Nation in Bennett Freeze, Ariz.  The colors really appealed to me – I think the line was called Midwinter Reds by Moda.

And I quilted this last one up right away to give back to the Project Linus people here locally who will bind it and get it to a child in the hospital.  Great group!

 

panto called Hearts Surfing

But there’s no time like the present to start on something else:

I’m playing with blocks to try to figure out something symmetrical to go around that center panel and hopefully end up with a nice “boy” quilt for Quilts for Kids (another local group for kids in the hospital).

More blocks in the works … and maybe a whole new design … we’ll see!

Working With Homespuns

I love the look of homespun fabrics - the plaids, the colors, how they get softer and softer in the wash, etc.  But I cannot love how the squares slip and slide and stretch during the sewing process!

Nevertheless, I am putting together this little quilt that has mostly homespuns mixed with a few flannels.  It will be very cozy when its finished and backed with snuggly flannel.  I am using scraps, triangles and leftover blocks that were sent to me by a fellow Sunshine Quilt Guild member.  It's just plain fun to work with someone else's stash sometimes!

I am adding blocks at the top and bottom to make it just a little larger, then it will be ready to quilt.

Wait ... No Thread???!!!

What is this world coming to when a person can run out of thread for their longarm machine?  I thought I had one more spool and then would order (hopefully with an after-Christmas sale), but NO!

I finished quilting up this one for Project Linus.  It's similar to a previous one but this one has a light outer border and the other one was dark.  The panto was called Anne's Favorite and mirrored some of the flowers in the print:

And then I went to load another, and found that I only had red, gold and blue cones left (for Quilts of Valor quilts).  Big Bummer.  Off went the on-line order and now I wait.

Of course, I went back to working with the homespun fabrics that I had been sent by a friend and it is looking great ... but, still ... out of thread?  Who does that?!

And the Box Went Out the Door

I meant to pack up a box to Wrap-a-Smile last week and get it out before Thanksgiving, but I quilted another donated quilt and figured I could add it to the box - then another happened - I guess I was on a roll quilting and the box needed to be more full!

Here are the two extra quilts that went into the box.  First up is one pieced by Beth in NJ (a member of my Sunshine On-Line Quilt Guild) that I quilted with a panto called Floral Wave:

 And the second is another one from Beth's sister's MIL - quilted with a panto called I Love You [hearts and loops]:

The others in the box were included in this post.  And now the box is finally full and really in the mail!

Sunday Sewing

I have made a crib-size quilt before from Eleanor Burns' Quick Trip Around the World book and it turned out well (see this link for that one):

So this time I decided to go for the lap size.    This is my progress so far on my Sewing on Sunday:

I didn't realize my colors were similar to the book cover's until I posted this photo!

These aren't really Quilt in a "Day"s for me - LOL.  I call them my Quilt in a "Week"s!

Sending Off Quilts

I worked up this little charming quilt (sorry quilters who will understand that bad pun!) to get it out quickly at the request of Quilts Beyond Borders.  This one and the finished Mickey Mouse quilt will be going to the children of the Navajo Nation in Bennett Freeze, Arizona.

What would a child of the desert want for Christmas?  A quilt with ocean creatures, of course!  It is quilted with lots of different size fishes.

And who doesn’t love Mickey Mouse?  I finally got this one bound with cute polka dots.

Feels good to send a box off with quilts bound for their forever homes …

Happy Thanksgiving!

MAY THE BOUNTY OF THE SEASON BE YOURS TODAY

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Quilted:

Beth's - quilted with Floral Waves Panto

Next up on the frame - Destined for the Navajo Nation in the Bennett Freeze area of Arizona:

On a Roll Now

Had to take a break awhile back and go to the new car show.  My SUV is getting older and is getting to that stage where we will soon have to make repairs or bit the bullet and get a new car.  Since my husband is tall and I am short, we have to test a few models to see if we both fit, hence the car show!  We got there right when they opened and we were not the first to arrive:

 First up was the Geico gecko, and obligatory Kodak moment of course:

I really like the Jeep – DH likes the Grand Cherokee and I like the stripped down regular Cherokee:

The Hyundai Santa Fe was surprisingly roomy inside, but I don’t know a thing about Hyundai’s:

They didn’t let you get in the Ford Explorer – boo, hiss!  That’s what I have now and just might get another, but that means a visit to the dealer – big bummer – I don’t like car salesmen!

So the adventure will continue, but not right away.

And then it was back to quilting.  I finished this little batik top using my center braided section and some donated batik squares that I dissected and put onto the sides – perfect fit!

And I worked up this cute Ellie-Fun top.  After posting the pic on Facebook I went back and added the eyes – they turned out ok:

I finished quilting/binding these three for another Sunshine Quilt Guild member.  They will be sent off Monday to Wrap-a-Smile to beat the Christmas package rush.