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

 

 

Happy New Year!

Hi all!  I know it's already the 26th of January but it's my first post in the New Year soooo,  Happy New Year!  

Not alot going on around here;  but we are still here so I'm counting my blessings!  

With all the stormy weather I've been getting in a fair amount of sewing!  

In December I showed a picture of a baby quilt I was making for my daughter's baby expected in March.  My daughter is very particular and I was worried she would not like the bright colors of the quilt.  So I made this quilt from a panel that my daughter had pick out a while ago as a possibility.  She liked it!  

Then I showed her the other one and she liked that too!  So I will finish it and give it to her at her shower next month.

Next up I have two bonafide finishes!  Bound and ready to be gifted.

and

And two Top finishes

 This one was several years in the making. First I made a bunch of blocks and it wasn't big enough and then I ran out of certain fabrics and had to find substitutes etc. etc.

Now I'm just agonizing over the border.  What do you think the dark purple or the teal?

This quilt top didn't take nearly as long as the last quilt but it was kind of a trick getting the lights and darks balanced (sort of).

But I do love working with these yarn dyed thread plaids.  they are so soft and have endless variety!

Well I ope you are having a wonderful New Year!

take care, cw

Fiddling Around

 I hope you are all enjoying this Holiday Season!

Holiday craziness is hard for me but I understand why people love it.  That said I've still found some time for sewing so here's the latest from my sewing room:

We had to make a quick trip to our family cabin.  I Wanted something really easy for a sewing project so I brought a bunch of pre-cut Squares.  I really like the way this one turned out.

It will be around 50" x 60" after some borders.

On a different note...My daughter and her husband are expecting their first child in March so I have been spending time pondering what kind of baby quilt to make.

Naomi likes everything Modern and neutral so she usually doesn't like my quilts which are so often loud and asymmetrical.

So I'm just going to have to punt.

I bought a panel of 'Monkeys jumping on the bed' a long time ago thinking I would make a baby quilt for one of my grand kids some time or other.  Naomi always loved that rhyme / chant.  

Here's what the original panel looked like:

I forgot that it was supposed to be one of those soft books.  I did not like the substitute of "funky" for "little". Which is the way I remembered the rhyme.  So I decided to dissect out the blocks I liked and write my own text.

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

I bought a packet of laserjet "printable fabric" from EQ.  It printed ok but it was very faint after the rinsing process so I just went over the print very carefully with a sharpie marker.  When I rinsed them again the printing stayed nice and dark!  Gotta love those Sharpies!

  I still need to figure out a border but it is coming along.

I figure if Naomi, really really doesn't like it I'll keep it at my house for when the baby comes to visit.

It's been cold and rainy the past couple of days.  That weather brings out the squirrel in me.  I've been trolling through my orphan projects for my own entertainment for about 2 days now. 

I think it's time I finished this project.

The rows are half sewn together.  I might have a fighting chance of finishing this one before the New Year!

The border is going to be tricky.  I would let it be; but it's not quite big enough.  You can see some of the fabrics I'm auditioning, I'm thinking the teal in the upper right corner?!  

I hope you all have Happy Holidays!

take care, cw

Happy Fall

Lots of yard work going on here... but I manage to sneak in some sewing time as well!

On the Design wall:  I was fiddling around with a collection of 'Asian fabric' themed blocks.  It's fun to just mix and match and see what I can come up with.  This collection had some gapes in some of the rows.  Which meant I was going to have to make some more blocks,  grrrrr.  At the same time I was getting antsy about JUST finishing Something!  So back into the basket went this mess and back to the closet Full of UFOs to look for something I could Actually Finish ! 

Enter this cutie.  I found this nice collection of scrappy 9 patch blocks at the guild Flea market.  There were some leftover scraps included with them which I used as the posts. The sashing and border was from my stash.  easy peasy!  Top done and ready to quilt!  

Before I could put this on the quilt frame I needed to quilt the top that was already on the Frame!

 

It's probably been there for at least a couple of weeks.

Nothing like a little back up in the queue to get me motivated forward!

NOW the stack of  quilts waiting to be Bound is getting quite tall.  I don't know what it is about binding quilts that annoys me so?!  But like all these other issues, I know, I just need to get-on-with-it to arrive at a Real Finish.   

I hope you all have wonderful Novembers!  take care, cw