Finishes for the month

At the beginning of the month I was busy sewing, at the end, not so much! Lots to do taking care of my Dad's things, and organizing everything.  I even got a little of the house cleaning done that has been much needed. 

Our sew days at the quilt shop are a great help in working on those projects that need finishing or even ones that need to be started!

This month I made these 2 pincushions from a Moda pattern using hexagons.  It looks like a cute little pattern. Guess what these puppies are huge!  They will hold a lot of pins!  Why do pictures make things look cute and petite and they turn out a lot bigger?  As you can see these are sitting on the end of my ironing board, and are 6 inches across.  I did say 6 inches across!  Imagine if I filled these with sand (actually crushed walnut shells).  I would have weapons I could use on the dust bunny invasion!

Finally got the shamrock wall hanging done. It is 26 x 28, and just needed quilting and binding.

These are 3 laundry bags that I added binding too.  Lori from Bee in your Bonnet, had written about doing these, which can then be purposed for a gift, or used as a project bag.  Great idea!

This is a project folder. ( Sorry, I can't remember where I saw this.) I did follow the instructions, and used Steam-A-Seam for the holding of front to insides.  It makes noice when you use it.  I think a pellon interface would have been a bit nicer.

Inside there is room on the left to hold the project. On the right is a place for needles, and the bottom has been divided for scissors, ruler, or pencil.  Oh, the left side could also be used to hold a small cutting board.

The twister pumpkin is also finally done.  As you can see I hand stitched the eyes, nose and mouth.  I quilted and bound it, too  Now I have a new Halloween wall hanging.  It is 21 x 21.

Here are two "older" projects I got done from scratch.  I have a calender quilt that was started in 2007 and was missing 4 months to be completed. Now it is only missing 2.  Here are September and July.  If you look closer, you can see I am practicing my machine echo quilting.  I am pretty pleased with how these turned out.  Just happened to have a few 4th of July type buttons to add for embellishment.  Oh, these two are about 13 by 12.

Now these are oldies but goodies!  Would you believe these have been sitting around, basted, but not quilted, probably from the 1990's.  I decided I would again practice machine quilting them. The one on left is 11 1/2 x 13 1/2. The one on right 11 1/2 square.
I am learning a lesson, it is a good idea to put binding with an unfinished quilt top, no matter what size.  I had no trouble finding the binding for the one on the left.  The one on the right, no way could I find fabric.  I did find 2 small strips, and I mean small, that I could sew together to create the mini binding.  It is the same pink in the quilt. 

Last but not least was another hexagon pincushion, tool holder.  This one has been sent to my secret pal, from the Dear Jane yahoo group, for July.

I do have the blue triangle quilt top put together except for the borders.  We finally determined what colors to use for the 3 borders that are going to go on it. Now to work on it.  I have picked up 3 quilts from Wendy, the lady that I have quilt my quilts.  So will by busy getting those done too.  I am working on my bowls project as well.  Oh, the ideas I am having for that.  I think my day to show the finished project is August 16. So stay tuned.

Have a great rest of the week.  Happy Sewing!

Mary

Sewing and a present

This is a darling "Lil Twister" quilt I received last week from my blogging friend Helen. We were trading some ideas, and this cute quilt showed up in my mail.  It is made with Australian fabric.  I absolutely love it.  Helen is in need of support, as her husband and son, each have health issues.  I am sending my thoughts and prayers to her.

Here are my last blocks that will wing their way to France later today.  My friend Isabelle, and I are doing Bonnie Hunter's, Oregon or Bust.  We are making each other 2 blocks a month, using our stash.  We each make 2 identical blocks, one for me and one for her.  This is so much fun, and a great way to make a full size quilt!

Saturday and Sunday I worked on these. They are called "Farmer's Market" and are table mats from the magazine "All Small" put out by Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications.  When I saw this I felt like I just needed to make them.  It was a fun "small" project.

This quilt, "Cottage Garden Path" was an online pattern of the month back in 2006.  It is published by Jeanne Rae Crafts. She has this pattern for sale now.  I had fun making the quilt.  It was a project I had worked on, and when I moved got put away.  One day while going through a box of projects, found it and to my amazement only needed to have the bottom row put on and borders added.  This weekend, I finally got the binding sewed on.  Another older project DONE!!!  What a a great feeling that is.

I did get some of my sewing space cleaned up.  I am trying to get reorganized and rearranged.  Now that I have had the sewing space for almost 5 years, I can see how I would like things to be.  Time to start working on it.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I am off the the post office, and to see my Dad.  Looks like a bit of a rainy and gloomy day.  We can sure use the rain. Have a good week sewing or quilting or whatever your hearts desire is.

Mary

On the sea again!

Well I will be. Sunday morning bright and early Dad and I fly to Ft Lauderdale.  The cruise does not start until Monday at 5:00pm.  I had been so paranoid about the weather, that instead of flying the day of the cruise, I thought it would be better to go the day before.  We have had a lot of snow in March, who knew it would be 60 up here! 

That is okay. We are going to meet up with Matt and Lisa.  Matt is grandson, nephew to Dad and I. Lisa will soon be a niece.  We will get the chance to hear about all the wedding details first hand.  It is always fun to catchup with family.

This time Dad and I will be cruising in the Eastern Caribbean for 11 days.  We will be stopping at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, which is Holland America's own island.  Then on to St Croix, St Kitts, (where Caribelle Batik Studio is), St. Vincent, Barbados, St Lucia, and St Maarten. These are all islands I have not been to.  Eleven days of warmth and hopefully sun.  I have definitely set up an excursion to the Caribelle Batik Studio. Fabric!! I see there may be a fabric store on St. Maartin, too.  Dad may not go on an excursion on each island, but I hope I can.  Once we get on board ship I can find out more of the details for Dad.  He has a cart walker, and medications I have to take into consideration.  For 91 he does like to keep going.

I have been getting some projects to take along to work on.  I set up this Bunny pattern I got from Carroll at the "Attic Window Quilt Shop".  I am going to do it in wool. I got my threads pulled yesterday. I will take along hexagons to play with too.  I have picked out a couple of good books to take, too.

Remember I Made this in February?  I was trying to design a shamrock using the Lil Twister tool. This was okay.  When you look at a shamrock the petals have a dip in them like a heart.  This just did not quite do the job. My family liked the green!

Well on Sunday I fixed it. Fixing a "Lil Twister" is not the easiest.  It basically took me all afternoon. I think this one represents a shamrock much better.

Then for fun and giggles I decided to put this together.  I have been making hexagon flowers and been appliqueing them on to background squares.  Now to work on borders. I have fabric for one border, but think it will need one small inside before the last one.

Tomorrow is Thursday sew. Would like to put the last border on the Dresden plate quilt. Then on to the backing.

Friday evening going to help set up the quilt show for "Pride of the Prairie" show Saturday and Sunday, at Richland Grade School, 1919 Caton Farm Road, Cresthill, Illinois. 

Today I need to work on packing, and hope to get in some sewing. It is not like I have nothing to do.

Have a great rest of the week. Happy Quilting.

Mary

Finishes and starts

Here is another finish for February.  In 2010 one of the guilds I belong to had a basket swap. We each got one pattern, and had to make it 9 times. Once in your own color way, and 8 in 8 other color ways.  I chose purple.  The 8 blocks I received back are wonderful.  As you can see a couple of them added yellow.  This turned out so nice.  I got the binding, label, and sleeve done on Monday.

This is my finished "Apron Strings". It, too, has the binding, label, and sleeve, all done as of Monday.  It is going to be entered in our quilt show this coming weekend.

Look at this wonderful quilting. It fits in the spaces perfectly.

Wendy did a wonderful job. So that was my last 2 finishes for the month of February.  Yea for me.

Now here is the start of finishes for March!.  I designed and started this in February. During Thursday sew I got it done.

Here is a paper pieced Shamrock. I started and finished this also during the Thursday sew.  I think it turned out cute. Good for use as part of my header this month!

Here was a small plain canvas clutch!. Not so plain anymore.  I used one of the hexagon blocks I keep making. I hand stitched it on, and then quilted it down and added a stitch around the outside.  This was a quick and easy project.  Sometimes all you have to do is add a little applique, and you end up with a cute pouch.
You just never know when you might need a cute pouch with an applique on it as a gift.

Oh, one more thing.  There is an adorable bunny pattern over at Attic Window Quilt Shop.Carroll did such a wonderful job of designing it.  I am going to set it up for hand applique to take with me on my next trip.

Happy Quilting
Have a great weekend.

Mary

Lil Twister, Again

Here is my latest Lil Twister.  Do you know what it is? This one is made with the 5 inch squares.

Here is the one made with the leftovers, the 2 1/2 inch squares.

My friend Jane, at the Thursday sew. Here is the Lil Twister she is working on.  It is looking so good.

Redwing blackbirds have shown up.  Is it Spring yet??

Have a great weekend quilting or sewing.

Mary

Accessory Bag Swap and more Sewing.

Here are the pretties I received from Mary Grace in the Accessory Bag Swap.  I love the bag she made me.  Mary Grace sent a cute handmade card along with new scissors and 4 fat quarters to make her pattern "Susie's Quilted Cinch Sack".  I can't wait to make it. Check out her blog, she made even more adorable bags.   What fun. 

Last Thursdays sew day I finished these 4 Dresden blocks for Edyta Sitar's pattern Dresden Star.  These were started in a workshop sponsored Prairie Star Quilt Guild.  I am trying to remember when this was started. I am thinking sometime in 2010.

When I opened the sack that had all the Dresden's in it, I found I had cut enough for 12.  I am going to make a wall handing using the for with the little inserts, and use the other 8 to make a lap size quilt. Now to pick out background fabric and shashing for the next steps.  This is the 3 and 4th top I am working on this year.

I came down with a head cold. I think it was starting on Thursday.  By Friday, I decided it would do me good to spend the day in bed.  Sure did sleep a lot.

Saturday I woke up feeling a lot better, and when you feel better what should a girl do?? SEW!!



I am still fooling around with the "Lil Twister" tool, and have been trying to figure out how to make a cute pumpkin.  I decided that appliquing black wool on for the face was the way to go.  I have not put the final borders on. It will still need to be quilted and applique the features on.  As you can see I used the scraps to start the mini one. So far, so good.



I found this pumpkin pattern at Four Twin Sister. It is 10 x 7 3/4.  I think it will make a cute mug rug.  Just need to applique the leaf down.  (my touch)  For some reason I was into pumpkins this weekend.  All three projects are using stash!!

Sunday, I got this little quilt done!! I hand quilted this one.  This was one of the "oldies" that I found in the UFO box.  It may go back to the late 80's.

This is a Dresden table topper I started last summer.  I knew I wanted to hand quilt this one. The last few nights I have been working on it.  I am doing free hand quilting.  It is just echoing the Dresden plate. I am pleased how this one is turning out. Another project almost done!

Until next time, happy quilting. 

Mary

Lil Twister Heart

On Monday I decided to give these a try. The top one is 7 inches square.  It is made from the pieces left over from the one below. The squares for the little one are 2.5 inches.  The bottom one is made with 5 inch squares.

These are made from my stash.  The background fabric has been around a long time.  Guess I will have to try making one with 3.5 inch squares.
Did not finish a UFO, but did decrease the stash by a little.
Almost done hand quilting the pink fan quilt.

Have a great day. Thank you for stopping by.

Mary