Still here, still Sewin'

I'm still away from home but my trusty travel machine is keeping me busy.  I found some pins to help sew those rows of of 4" hexies together (see last post).  I think I've found a good border fabric for it too, so I hope to get the top done this week.

  I don't have a lot of wall space in my temporary diggs for a design wall so I abandon the Batik scraps that I was exploring in my last post.  I went back to my stash for another bundle of pre-cuts and finished this top in pretty short order!

Then I took all the scraps from that project and made a scrappy table runner.

The lighting wasn't very good for the pic above but in the pick below you can really see how pretty the fabrics are.  Gotta love those fabric bundles!

Even tho' I'm away from home I was still able to make it to my local guild Quilt Show.here's a couple of my pix.

I think this was my favorite!  To bad they did not have more info. about it.

Well that's all for now.  Have a great March!

Take care, cw

 

Happy New Year!

December was a blurr and January is fast approaching the same situation.  I hope all your holidays were cheery!  Mine were!  All my kids and grand kids were here.  It's always super fun to have everyone for the holidays but it does wear me out. 

I have not had much time for sewing but I did manage to get most of Ari's quilt top finished (first pix in my Dec. post)  and  about 80% quilted.   Enough,  so I was able to take it off the frame and display it on her bed when she arrived!! 

The inner and outer most borders turned out more complicated than I had planned but I think it was worth the effort.  Ari really liked it!

I had to kind of fudge on the corners.  I ended up hand sewing the

corner wedges and trimming them after to fit.  There not perfect but from a distance they're not bad. 😁😁

 

I had a lot of fun quilting it too.  Lots of different patterns.

After finishing the quilting there's just the binding.  Ugh, with a big quilt like that 87" square it'll take more than one evening in front of the TV to get it done.

I've been trying to keep with my NO Starting New Project , but we are away from home now so I indulged in bringing a packet of pre cut 4" hexies I bought on sale years ago.

I got the rows assembled only discover I had forgot to bring straight pins!  The rows are kinda wonky.  I didn't think I could sew them without pins so back into the basket to take home.

Of course I brought some back-up projects and I broke out a basket of Batik scraps. 

 My favorite idea of "Fun" sewing.  What's "Fun" sewing you ask?  To me that's something I can sew without worrying to much about whether everything is going to match, points meet, etc. etc. etc.  Sewing without stress!

What's your mode of "Fun" sewing?!

Last but not least...

New Years Day at my house...

My brother-in-law and his family (who live at the beach) have a New Year's Day tradition of jumping in the ocean (fyi it's 60 degrees) on new years day!  Brrrrrrrr!  But because the end of the Santa Cruz pier fell into the ocean recently,  leaving debris floating and washed up on all the local beaches, jumping in the ocean didn't seem like a very safe idea.  So I invited them to our house to jump into our 60 degree pool instead.  Of course the added bonus was once the ritual was complete they could quickly jump into the nice warm jacuzzi!

Here's the stop action:

Getting psyched to do the deed...

...and taking the plunge!

My kids and G-kids, My brother in  law's daughter and her family and a family friend.  10 people moreless jumping into the pool all at once...

And then quickly scrambling out of the pool and into the jacuzzi as fast as they could!

It was sure fun to watch!

And after I finished setting up the brunch table I jumped in too!

I tried to post the video but the video button didn't seem to work 

(or more likely I just didn't do it correctly) 😂

 I hope your New Year's are full of joy and wonder!

take care, cw

S

 

Happy December!

 November whizzed by.  I moreless kept to my diet of quilting more than sewing.  So I finished binding the 3 quilts I pictured in my last post.  Ignored the UFO's that I showed last post and quilted another of the tops that I showed.  Here 'tis all bound and ready to go!

Lots of fun fabrics in this one a real mis-mash of prints but I think it works?!

And since I felt like I was on a roll I quilted and bound this top .

I found this in the Guild Flea Market..  I thought it was really cool.  I always wonder why finished tops  like that get donated to The Flea Market.  So much work went into it and it looks great to me!   Hard to say.  I figured I'd finish it and donated to the Quilt Show Auction.

Now I am sewing again.  I want to get both my G-daughters new bed quilts done for xmas.  Sadies's is all bound and ready to go but Ari's is in pieces.  Here's what I've got so far...

It will probably change, who knows?!

Happy December!

take care, cw

Happy Halloween!

I bought this panel on impulse for a friend who is a real dog lover.  When ever she takes her dog on walks she brings a bag of dog treats.   Every dog they meet she gives a treat.  I thought this would make an appropriate porch decoration for her front deck!  

I'm trying to follow my own advise and get more tops quilted and done and spend less time picking new projects to sew.  It's not that I don't like quilting, it just takes more focus than sewing.  I have to be in a particular Mood.  

To that end  I managed to quilt three lap quilts last since my post so I'm feeling pretty happy about that!

These first two quilts are both basically made from four large blocks.  They were both flea market finds.  The one above was just a matter of trimming. them up and adding a border. 

The one below came with the star block and some extra fabric so I put the star block in the middle and arranged the four blocks around it.

I first posted about these two back in February (here ) So, turn around was less than a year.  That's pretty good for me!

Once again I forgot to take a pic of the finished product,on the lower one, but you get the idea..

This next one was a  'impulse start' in Sept.  but I finished the top in about 4 days and .quilted it this morning.  

I KNOW, it's a lot of Orange!  I'm trying to expand my personal palette.  I'm thinking about binding it in black to tone it down a bit?!

That's all for the 'almost finished' projects.

I've also been trying to screen my UFO's for things that just need  assembling or borders..

These three tops just needed borders and I got that done this month.

Well the one on the left is the orange quilt from above (is that considered double dipping?) The other two are ready for the quilt frame!

I've got stacks of blocks that need assembling.  But some are closer to getting done than others like these two:

These are more orphan blocks from the flea.

But what a pleasure to assemble these delightful blocks

These are pretty too but it's gonna take a little more work to figure out what to do with them.

Well like I said in my last post it always feel like two steps forward one back.  But it is an enjoyable way to pass the time!

Happy Halloween,

take care, cw

 

Howdy from the other side

 It's been more than awhile since my last post.  My plan was to post once a month. Ha!  We make plans and then Life happens and we adjust our expectations...

The good news is my new Grand baby is happy and healthy and already 6 months old!  Her name is Ellorie. A name you don't hear to much but it suits her.  She is such a happy baby and a joy!  I've already posted about all the quilts I made for her back in Dec. and Jan. but the two quilts I mentioned in my last post got finished!  Here are the pix:

I love these Tiger theme prints and it made for an easy composition.

Like wise these whale prints made for a fun quilt!  I could not find a Full pic but here it is on the quilt frame.  I Did get it finished...  Sometimes I'm so excited I finished something I just want to get it  deliver right away and I forget to take pix.  LOL

I've also been working on quilts for my other to grand daughters. One is still in the planning stages but this one needs only sewing down the binding!   Lots of fun fabrics in this one.  Can you tell...  Sadie, like unicorns?!

I've finished several tops since my last post.   This first one has been hanging around for ages waiting for the final border.  I think I started it when I bought Sujata Shah's book back in 2018 plus or minus.

Of course I did not have Quite enough of the border fabric so I added some fabrix from the blocks to span the gaps.

This next quilt was made from left over BOM's scavenged from friends or made by me.  I think they all jive pretty well?!

These last two were more recent Starts but they did not stall-out like the first two.  I started them both since my last post.  OK,  it was 6 months ago!  LOL

All flannel scraps and strips and patches...My favorite!

They will all make good donation quilts!

Now if only I can get myself to spend more time in quilting mode instead of sewing mode.  Big Sigh...

I'm always going two steps forward and one back.  Oh well...

Another Happy family event since I last posted;  my sister's daughter, my only blood related niece, finally got married!  After ten years she and her college bow finally tied the Knot (much to my sister's relief!)  

I volunteered to provide the flowers as a wedding gift.  Turns out I got off easy.  They liked the idea of buying potted orchids for the table decorations and they had no bridesmaids or groomsmen so all I had to do was make a few boutonniere and her bouquet!

It's always fun to make a Brides bouquet!  All those gorgeous flowers!

I hope you are all well and safe from all these natural disasters that are going on.

Take care, cw

March Report

 I popped by  Rainbow Scrap Challenge (link to the right) today and was delighted to find purple is the color of the month!  I got lots of Purple Scraps!  I've made one scrap quilt from my purple scraps before but No Surprize I Did Not use them All up. 

 I started this project before the Pandemic.  It was going to be a graduation present for my daughter-in-law.  She was studying to be a Nurse anethesist!   But with all the confusion of the pandemic there could be no Graduation Ceremony.  Kind  of an anti climax to say the least!  I lost my momentum.  But when I dug out all the scrappy units today I was happy to see I have a lot of it done.  April is Meg's Birth month.  Maybe I can finish it in time for her Birthday!

It measures about 60" by 60".  A nice size for a lap quilt.

Elsewhere in my month of sewing I managed to get 3 kid quilts finished!

Cut Space/ rocket fabric.

This one was going to be for a good friend of my daughter who's baby born at the end of Feb.  But I just didn't love it and she is a special friend and I want the quilt to be really great so ...back to the Design 

wall ! 

Lots of fun fabrics in this one.  The theme is Transportation.

My daughter has another friend who is having a baby in the Summer.  The theme for her baby's room is Whales.  I didn't have any Whale fabric hanging around.   I looked at Spoonflowers website and found some wonderful  whale prints!

Still in the design stage but it's coming along.

And that gave me the idea to look for Tiger fabric at Spoonflowers

for the other baby quilt !  the theme being Tigers.

Aso still in the design stages but I like the fabric a lot better than in my first attempt.

Of course a month can't go by without digging through my orphan blocks and seeing what I can find to entertain myself...

I think I got these blocks at the Guild Flea Market.   Just need to finish three blocks and it will be ready to sew together.

I hope you are all Well!

take care, cw

February flew by!

 I have been trying to make an effort to post mid month but that sure did not happen in February!  I do have lots to share.  Even tho' I've been busy in other parts of my life somehow I always come back around to sewing as my stress reducer and relaxation time.  Those bits of time add up!

After my last post I visited The Rainbow Scrap Challenge (thus the link in the sidebar)  It reminded me of how many baskets of scraps I have organised by color and maybe I should follow along with the monthly suggestions.   So January being "Green" I dug out my basket of green.

I had a lot of fun pawing through all my green scraps.  I already had a lot of scrappy units.  So I had a possible top laid out in no time!  But it was a little haphazard so I tried to pick out one part and build from there.

I liked the light and dark play in this section so I think I'll use it as my focal point and arrange all the other units around it somehow.

Of course January moved into February and that meant getting out my red scrap basket.  This one has quite a lot of parts further on in the design process so I won't get it together by today but I might get it assembled by end of March!

I have most of the units for the other two sides I just need to sew them together.  I think it still might need another border.  It's only about 34" square so far...

I'm also on a binge to try and reduce my Quilt Top UFO's.  I've been trying to have something pinned to the Long Arm all the time so that whenever the mood to quilt strikes me I can move on that empulse right away instead of having to pick a project, pin it on, choose a backing etc. etc.

Here are some Finished Finishes  I think I'm going to abbreviate that from now on: FF's,  hows that for an acronym?

Of course I couldn't let to much time lapse before diving into my Orphan Block pile. 

 This was made from 4 big improve blocks. 

 You take 4 fat quarters (or even larger squares) stack them all face up and then freestyle slice them up and sew them back together making 4 very large (about 15") block units.  

I find a lot of these UFO's in our guild flea market.  I think it's because while all of that wild sewing and cutting is fun;  once people get done they don't know what to do with the blocks.   

This one really just needed a little squaring up and some borders and bam an nice lap quilt for donation!

I thought the butterfly print was really pretty and all the back and forth movement of the other patches made it interesting.

Here's another one I found in the flea market.  This one came with some extra fabric and the wonky star block that I put in the middle...

The fabric definitely caught my eye!

And just to round things out...I have some baby quilts that Won't make themselves!

Here's what I've worked out so far:

or maybe this?

If you zoom in on the fabric you can see that it is a print of Tigers.

The Dad-to-be is nicknamed "Tiger" and somehow that has gotten to be the theme of the baby's room.

My daughter sent me this pic of these prints that are in the baby's room.

Seems kind of sophisticated for Baby decor.  It was hard to find any Tiger fabric that was not either cartoony or wild jungle.  Well I'll work on it...

Next Baby quilt is for someone who wants Whales in the quilt.  I found some incredible whale prints at Spoonflowers.  The shower for that Mom is not 'til mid April so I've got plenty of time to play with that Fabric!!!

I hope all is well with you !

Stay warm!

take care, cw