Building Fences

I do like making and gifting on charity quilts. So when I saw the Scrap Basket Quilt Along with Crazy Mom Quilts,  I just had to join in.  She gave a lovely tutorial on building a Rail Fence quilt, but you could make any type quilt for this.  Now I have made a few of these, but the scraps I pulled would have to be modified.

   

My SIL had used some of my FQ bundle of 'Peak Hour' by Riley Blake for a stroller quilt.  So I had to work the stripes and dots left overs in a 'broken' fence with a mix of squares of those too cute road signs and cars - couldn't cut those up.

I used the serpentine stitch on my machine with the walking foot to quilt this - yellow thread top and bottom.  The binding was in my left-over binding drawer and I thought it worked with the wheels and signs.

I used a plushy for the backing - BANANA - love the way the quilting looks.  A fun, bright, and cuddly quilt.

This will head out to Margaret's Hope Chest after the holiday.  You can read more about this on Amanda's blog - and please visit those linking up.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

June NewFO and SO/SN

Yes, it is OK to start something NEW and I love the idea of no pressure to finish.  It can be a new technique, a new fabric, a new pattern, a color that isn't your normal palette, something outside the box.  Just enjoy the journey.

Although I start a lot of new things, this was my official NewFO.  My mini for the Doll Quilt Swap Group.  My partner requested something to hang in her new sewing room/studio and I was happy to fill her request.  This is a free pattern found HERE.

Of course, I always send a little dolly dressed in scraps from the quilt and my signature label on the back.

My Something New was the same project as my Let's Book It, but the New was using Batiks for the first time.  I have used a few scraps in projects, but never an entire quilt with them.

And my Something Old was to get those house blocks into a quilt top.  Mixed with some orphan blocks and all sized up with different individual sashing (or boxing) so I could end up with all a 16" block.  Put together like this there is no need for any sashing - they make their own.  I think it needs a border to frame it and since this is big, it will go off to my longarmer.

I finished up my Relaxing Round Robin, combined my Simply Small Challenge and Homemade Christmas Item as one project (zip pouch) and continueing with the RSC14.  Throw in two Row quilts for fun.

This was one of my earlier Let's Book It projects and I managed to finish the last bit of quilting on it.  Add a hanger,binding, and label - done.

I'll be linking up with Barbara @ ThreeCatRanch for NewFO and Never Too Hot to Stitch for Something Old/Something New.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Let's Book It - June Link Up

Well, it's time again to share those projects from that dusty book.  You know what I mean - that 'had to have' book, or pattern, or print out - and it got filed away and forgotten.  Now's the time to go back and find those lovelies and use them.

This was my June selection - and my SIL selected a project from this same book

I have been trying to add a bit of a challenge with my Let's Book It projects - this time it was to work with Batiks and I thought this pattern would be the perfect choice for that.

Here it is.  The purple isn't that bright and the yellow is actually a lime green - camaras!  The border is a rust color with dots of various colors pulled from the strips. For the binding, I have a mossy green Batik  with fern color (as in the strips) print thru it.

Now this hung on my lovour doors (laundry area) for some time and my Mom came over looking for something and insisted I had done something wrong.  I even got the book - and we looked and looked.  The next day I almost fainted - you look - do you see it?  No I am not taking it apart - it is staying as is.

This is the Quilt Barn Pin and Irish Chain Charm for June

Now it is your turn to share:

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

** The mistake - look thru the middle of the quilt in the book and then mine - I am missing a row of links - which is actually two rows - duh!  I have the same link pattern - just a smaller quilt. **

Tuesday Archives - Dogs & Dots

This Tuesday Archives with Val's Quilting Studio is Dogs and Dots.  I haven't anything with dogs,but on my list for next month.  I do have a post with Dots

I took part in the Dots to Dots Blog Hop in Sept 2012 and you can see HERE how I finished off this fun block as well as some other dotty whimsy.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Design Wall Monday - 6/23/14

I have been working the Lozenge blocks as Bonnie Hunter's leader/ender project and have another large group finished to add to the box.  I really need to count them out (grouped these in 10's and the box I think they are by 20's) and figure my size - I probably have enough now to start putting this together.

And I hope these are the last of the 9-patch blocks - I made about 4 times too many for a Bonnie Hunter mystery long ago.  I found the pretty floral in my old dresser (old fabric storage system).  I think some one gave me this as I don't remember buying it.  As you can see in the photo - don't let fabrics sit too long and especially in a light - there was a fade across the length of the center fold.

I was able to get just enough cuts (and not use that faded fold) to make up this flimsie.  But it needs 2 or 3 borders - you know how I love borders - so this will sit for a while on that.  OR it may get sent off to Sarah's group for a finish.

And keeping up with the rows of the Trifle Dish Sew Along at Moda Bake Shop.  I love those posies and I will admit I made a mistake on those.  I totally forgot to 'mirror' the leaves - I'll blame it on chain piecing around two furries.  So I had to completely re-do them as these are all from the scrap bin and I didn't have any fabric left to just re-do the mirror side.  Yup, a pile of leaves went into the trash.

I picked up a fun FQ bundle of Riley Blake 'Peak Hour' back in 2012 thinking one of my grandsons would like a quilt from it.  Well Angry Birds and Thomas the Tank won out there, so this sat.  My SIL made a stroller quilt with some of it and I used the rest for the Scrap Basket QAL.  I'm making a modified Rail Fence quilt to donate to Margaret's Hope Chest. 

Please check in with all the link ups at Patchwork Times to see what is on other quilters' design walls.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Beginnings

Valerie of Val's Quilting Studio is celebrating her first Blogaversary and has the most brilliant idea of sharing your first blog post.  I was a quilt blog reader for almost two years before I braved that new beginning.

My first post was actually a small introduction, so I will post up my SECOND POST - that actually had photos.  It all began with joining in with the Brown Bag Swap and you needed to be an active blogger.  This swap has led to so many others, meeting new and wonderful bloggers around the world, and being exposed to so many new fabrics and designs/designers.  Truly, it has been MAGIC.

Won't you join in and share your first blog post?

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Handmade Cristmas Challenge - June

I am slowly filling that Christmas Gift Box by joining in with the Pledge to make handmade gifts throughtout the year.  And being we are almost half way there, maybe it is time for you to start thinking about joining in.

This month I made a zip pouch using THIS TUTORIAL from Moda Bake Shop.  It was also my project for A Month of Simple Small Projects with A Quilting Life. I used some Ladies Album candy charms for the outside and a light scrap of blender for the lining.  This is an easy afternoon project.

You can join in any month and please go visit SewCalGal to get some Christmas project inspiration.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Tuesday Archives 6-17-2014

This weeks Archive is Design Walls and Directional Prints.  Now I don't have a design wall - well, I stick things up all over the house.  Would love one, but no wall big enough to put one, plus two furries would have a blast pulling things off.  

Now I do a lot of scrap quilting and really don't worry too much about diagonal prints, but I remember my favorite fabric.......

I just LOVE the Ghastlies!!!  I played a lot with them for the Ghastlie Blog Hop so you can go visit my old post to see all the wickedness.  AND did you know??!!  There is a NEW Ghasltie out - 'The End of the Ghastlies' - OH MY!!  Yes, I have an order placed and can't wait for it to arrive.

Please see what other have linked up with Val's Quilting Studio.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon 

Rows on the Wall

I don't have a wall big enough, so luckily it was a nice day (we've had lots of rain and cold) so photo'ed outside.  This is the Trifle Dish Sew Along row quilt with Moda Bake Shop.

This is a lot of speed sewing - only 2 days inbetween release of the next pattern/tutorial.  I am just using fabrics from my scrap baskets for this one.

I was lucky to find these pretties in my FQ totes for the next row - strawberries.  A much simpler block that will be a breather.  I am just hoping the background fabric (cut off from a quilt backing) is enough - a lite beige on cream basket weave print which should work great with those strawberries.

And I haven't shown these at all.  This is Cindy of Quilt Doodle Designs' 2014 BOM row quilt.  The snowmen will get their button eyes once quilted as well as some other embellishments.  **is anyone else having trouble with flickr?? I can't even get the home page - hate to think I lost all my photos**

And I got three more rows on my 'Island Chain' quilt - look - a corner!  Putting on the longest row means it will go quicker now, but making sure all those little labels are placed to keep track of the pattern.

I am having trouble with my sleep pattern again, so a sleepless night had me catching up on the cute little 6" blocks offered thru the month along with the RSC2014.  You could easily pick some of these blocks and make a row quilt with them.  My little mini eclaires container is full, so I will have to pull another to start filling for the second half of the year.

What's on your wall (floor, bed)?

**linking up with PatchWorkTimes design wall Monday**

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon  

Building a Quilt(s)

Remember I pulled my Let's Book It project for June?  Well I am finding this takes some real concentration and lots of room.  Since my SIL comes down to sew during the week, this will be 'built'  just on the weekends.

I found that the Batik Jelly Roll that I bought has 2 or 3 of each fabric, so I am going to have to be careful where I place colors to make good use of that Jelly Roll.  This quilt is 'built' on the diagonal and I am working a row at a time.  This is a quarter of the pattern, so by the last weekend of June, I should have a flimsie.  I have the backing and batt waiting, so hopefully this can be handed off to a longarmer next month.

  
You may have noticed that 'box' in the background of the last photo and this one - yes, I got everything sorted and put away except for the small items that need cutting down into my pre-cut barrels.  That is actually the box lid with those in it - Moe is still napping on those.  But I wanted to work on those house blocks and I found a few blocks in that box - why make more when I can use these!  I am framing them up to size.  I will still have to make a few more blocks, but not as many as originally - GEMS!!

My partner in the Monthly Doll Quilt Swap group let me know she received her quilt and has shared, so I can share too.  This is a free pattern on Charise Creates and can be found HERE.  Jane wanted a little quilt to hand in her new sewing room and told me she had buttercream walls with black gingham curtains.

I cut into my Mary Engelbreit fabrics - hey, you can't hoard it forever!  I think M.E. fabrics just say 'sewing room'.  And I made a little button hanger so she can change that little sign to fit her mood or inspiration.  Some of you know Jane as GrandMaMa's Stories . This was such a fun little quilt to build and I hope Jane enjoys it in her new sewing studio.

Now I need to catch up on QALs...........

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Sort, Clean, Finish

My dear bloggy friend Selina has been sharing her scraps with me.  I spent a day sorting and cleaning up one huge box.  I even got several string blocks made and passed on some long strings to my Mom for her toothbrush rug project.  Smaller pieces cut up into my pre-cut barrels, FQ size into the totes and 2.5" strips into another tote - using for some new QALs.  All cleared in time for another box to arrive - Moe and I thank you Selina.

Speaking of new QALs, you probably noticed new buttons on my sidebar.  I really am so tempted but really need to finish some priority projects first.  As some items finish  up I will be removing those buttons - so June will be a sort, clean, finish of those side buttons.

I received this lovely little quilt from my May partner for the Monthly Doll Quilt Swap Group.  We chose to not use the monthly theme 'Go Modern', but chose something that expressed May for Me.  I love the fabrics, butterflies, and setting 9-patch.  Thank you Patti for such a lovely swap.

I don't really have a nice space for a design wall, so tack things where I can - yeah, I hung it one way and then the other and still got a crappy photo.  Not like I need to really start this, but it was tempting and short term.  This is the new Trifle Dish Sew Along (a row quilt) over at Moda.  I'm using those scraps out of those huge boxes (and a few of my own) and will send this on to Sarah.

I did manage a finish - my Relaxing Round Robin.  My Juki was set up for quilting some of my SILs projects, so I went ahead and machine quilted instead of hand quilting.  Those are tiny star buttons in the setting triangles and I used some antique red flower buttons in the applique flower centers - yeah, I like buttons.

And because I cleaned up and had a finish, I thought it is a good time to start on my Let's Book It project.  Everything is cut and labeled, so hopefully I can get a few rows done today before I have to head for my Quilt Guild meeting - our last meeting for the year (we meet Sept-June) so it's our annual picnic.  Yes, I am cooking - lasagna.  We have gone back to rainy and cold weather, so something warm sounds good to me.

Sewingly Yours, 
Sharon 

RSC - Yellow

I think the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is a wonderful way to use up those scraps as well as learn to play with color.  These were the few scraps left in my baggy from last year and I did add a little from my FQ tote for a little variety in my blocks.

The Indian Star Block from Quilter's Cache takes the largest pieces and partly why I had to go to the FQ tote.

The Garlick Knot blocks are so quick to make up and very addicting, too.

The classic Churn Dash - made a little more fun with a colored center.

And the left over strips and strings go into the string block.  I'm happy to report that the 'baggy' was emptied.  What wasn't used up in these blocks went into my pre-cut barrels and strings went into the box for my other string block project (which really needed some yellow).

** linking up with RSC2014 - please visit and see how others played with yellow this week ** 

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon