Happy New Year!

Wow, I'm sort of late to the New Year party but since I haven't written since December it still holds true. By now you're all accustomed to writing 2016 and have Christmas décor put away, right? I'm still finishing the latter, but to be fair, I'm ahead of previous years! I have to have the tree on the street for pick up tomorrow and new to this year - it has to be cut in half! If I was handy with a saw I'd cut it from tip to stump to make two perfect halves, but I don't think that's what they have in mind. Call me 'Amelia Bedelia'!

But we're here for project updates and that's what I've got in store for you. Four very fun things I whipped up in the past weeks that actually got finished and used! Whoa.

The story for the first one is that I at the cutting counter at The Cove to get a selection of fat quarters for my sisters Christmas present. Sarah had gifted me a set of FQ lollipops and I was all gun hoe to duplicate them.

These are the ones I made for Julie. Sarah gave me a set
from a wonderful line called Mon Ami.

Then in one quick instant I heard myself say 'go ahead and give me a half yard, I'm keeping the other FQ.' What???? this right after I had famously vowed to not buy fabric for myself? Well, I rationalized it by stating it's purpose and critical need to the skeptical daughter, 'this is needed for the foyer table'. Now the project was established and I got to spend the next few hours designing a new runner. Hehe.

Modern Barjella? or simply Staggered Strips.

That wave design is supposed to represent the snow we
weren't getting. But then we got snow, so hurray!

 I love doing after Christmas sewing. All the hubbub and rush of the holiday is over and usually I have some free days at home to myself. I offered to sew something for Laina's mentor and after several suggestions, we decided on a bible tote. I'd been dying to cut into my Alison Glass hand dyed batiks and it was really fun to see the colors meld together. I topstitched a few words here and there (love, joy, peace) and also used my specialty stitches - the Greek Key and a cute chain flower.

Love Alison Glass Fabrics!

Piecing the design. It's much harder to make random look
random than you think.

This inside is lined with linen and some utility twill gives it an edgy feel.

Another tote that was gifted was to my adorable niece, Alex. She's a crafty gal and book lover and this tote seemed like just the right thing. I bought some stiff interfacing for totes and learned some key lessons in adding zippers to such a stiff product.

Most of the fabrics are from a line called Let's Play -a cute
line comprised of game motifs.

The pink handles are a Wordfind print.

Inside there are two pockets and another zipper pocket.
It was surprising how much this tote could hold!

I was never more happy than when my friend Diane announced that her daughter was having a baby BOY! I'd been eyeing up the cute boy quilts on Pinterest so I lost no time ordering a green and blue FQ bundle from Bloomerie Fabrics. One of the fabrics was from the line Which Way and that inspired the overall design. Luckily we had Quilt Club that weekend so I got to sew steady on it and reap the benefits of having a room full of experienced quilters. I finished this in one week flat, doing a few hours every night. Now when I look at all my unfinished projects I know that finishing them is possible (as long as there's a deadline!).

Planning with the help of a few photographs. What did
quilters do without iPhones?

The evolution.



I quilted it with a tight meander. I wanted a crumply look.

Staged in my guest room. Scrappy binding, green Minky
Dot on the back. I call it Every Which Way.
Congratulations, Angi and Nathaniel!

WIP Wednesday - Plus Runner

I'm keeping this one short and sweet. I started this during the summer sometime. I followed a pattern (sort of) from Modern Quilting, my new favorite magazine. These shots were taken in Hutchinson at the Quilt Haven on Main. A few of us ladies spent a weekend sewing in their upstairs sewing haven. What an amazing space and hospitable owners! 

Shimmer

 Currently, this long beauty is sandwiched together and ready for quilting. I bought satiny thread which should look marvelous. Billy Crystal would think so anyway. Ha!

The squares are big, so the whole thing actually runs off my table.

Our Spring Break trip to the Dells

I can hardly remember this trip, but in the early Spring the girls and I spent a few days in the Dells. Not wanting to swim or do the usual things the Dells offers, we ventured off to Madison for a quick college tour for Laina. On the way home, I saw a sign for QUILTS! and found this charmer tucked into a lazy town. I can't remember the town or the name of the shop, but I do know I bought a pattern (yes, an actual pattern!) for a set of Christmas Mini Quilts - and I mean mini. These things are ornamental. We'll see if my man hands can get something so tiny under the presser foot. 

 

 Then before we hit town, the girls noticed an Antique Mall. They'd never been tempted by this before but we ended up having the time of our lives there. Many items were things 6+6 (that's code for G+G, Grandparents) had at the farm or things I remember from my childhood. Things like a rotary phone or egg beaters. LOL. Hidden away I uncovered these gems. Ten hand-sewn Grandmother's gardens in original feed sack cloth! I have a quilt design in mind already and am thinking February might be the month for that. I had to purchase some 30's repro's and some aqua yardage, but now I'm set.

 Late Spring, I got the urge to try slice and dice on this kitchen runner. You can't see it but the white backgrounds are all different prints.

Not sure why I wasted my favorite Boho Chic on the back!

I ended up quilting it with a 3-stitch zig-zag and binding it with the dark charcoal. We've had it in the kitchen all summer with those three vases. I like how the unquilted colors pop out of it.

The yellow butter crock goes nicely, too!