NewFO & July Ends

If you haven't heard of NewFO, you need to go visit Barbara @ CatPatches.  She gives us permission to start something NEW with no pressure to finish, just start something.  So many stress over finishing up those WIPS and UFOs, give yourself a break and start something new - it really helps to keep the FUN in quilting.

My official NewFO was for the Monthly Doll Quilt Swap Group.  I wanted to try out a new idea for a block, so log cabin rose garden evolved for my partner.  Of course the little dolly to go with it, too.

Of course I enjoy THIS ONE too.  A chance to finish up something old and again permission to start something new - I'm always up for something new.

This was my Something Old - a mystery during Super Bowl Sunday by my LQS.  It was suppose to be quilted - unfortunately this didn't get to as I got sidetracked by something else and some deadline items.  So it will get floated over into August. 

My Something New - the Nested Churn Dash with the pattern and QAL with Quilt Jane @ Want It,Need It.  I went with just three rounds of nested Churns rather than the four - I hate BIG blocks remember.  This made for a nice 64" square couch throw size.  I have a backing ready and have to decide whether I am quilting this or sending on to a long armer.

I don't have a huge book library or subscribe to quilt magazines, I do have a lot of saved inter-net projects 'found', and a small arsonal of patterns which oddly is mostly bags and purses (and I am not fond of making bags and purses).  But these need dusting off and used!

I dusted off this book to make that long promised mini for my Vet - to hang in their new wing - and I don't want to say how long ago that was.

 Just some fun scraps out of my never ending basket - why did it take so long to get this done?  But it has been delivered and I hear it is hanging in one of the 'woofy' rooms.

I love the Rainbow Challenge - I have plenty of scraps to build a few rainbows.  But I am slowly working thru that large tote dedicated just to this.  Baggies of sorted color scraps are getting used and emptied.

July's color pick was RED and I had lots of fun working my blocks.  I like to use red as a 'popper' color in a quilt, so a challenge to work just blocks with it.  Lots of variety and fun play.  I look forward to the next color and hopefully to empty another baggie of scraps.

I combined my project for monthly Make it Handmade Christmas Challenge  and monthly Simply Small Project with the pattern by Sherri for some cute placemats.

This was my distraction from completing my Something Old.  The Purge Challenge to clear out the scraps and uglies.  I don't have uglies - hey, I love all those fabrics - I call it 'character'.  And being a scrap quilter - not really a challenge, but my baskets (now three of them) are overflowing and really need that incentive to get them tamed.  Yeah, tamed - you know you never can empty them!

The string blocks on the phone book papers became this.  I set them in a zig-zag rather than the traditional X and O pattern.

And the brites went into some half log blocks.  These two quilts will be sent off to Gene Black for the Quilt Angel project.

There were some other projects finished off for some secret sewing that at some point I can share.  I REALLY hope August slows down.  HaHaHa - I know that's not happening already as my 'to-do' list is already made for the month.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Mourning Trees

It may seem silly to mourn a tree, but this poor old gal was our oldest and last pear tree.  She weathered 3 tornados (yes, NY gets tornados), several floods, Irene - BUT two days of heavy rains, winds, and extreme lightening finally toppled this old gal.

    
Another tree with lightening strike.

A Cherry tree lossed - and two new ones crushed by her fall.  We had a few trees fall along the old logging lane, but some of those are leaning and I didn't feel safe to venture that direction on a breazy day for photos.

And I totally forgot to take photos of the long lane - my poor brother has had to re-grade our drive three times from the heavy rain run-off damage.

Being a former timber farm, fruit farm, x-mas tree farm - we love our trees and mourn their untimely loss - now for a long clean up process, but we are in for more storms the next few days - hopefully we don't lose more trees.

And my poor fur babies - relaxing after some scarey moments.  Bella spent most of her time either clinging to my neck or on top of the frig and Moe hung out in the bathtub.

I hope everyone who was in the wake of these storm cells are safe,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Let's Book It July Link Up

I hope you are being encouraged to dust off those books, magazines, patterns, and net downloads.  We have that long list of 'I want to make' and then let it sit - or add to it.  Me list had a dog mini for my Vet on it so I pulled out this book and wanted to use the cover quilt - modified.

I went to my scrap basket and pulled 'doggy' items and fun prints - we want our pets to have fun at the Vet's office right?  Luckily mine only take their annual trek and that is always a fun trip!  (shhh - Moe cries like a baby the whole time)  See, I had to take those Santa hats off - a minor adjustment to the pattern.

Here's the finished quilt.  I wanted it fun and fresh.  I tried beads and buttons and other embellishments for the dog's faces, but in the end I decided to stay with just the plain setting.  The day I delivered it, she was in surgery, but she called later to thank me.  Have you ever made a little something to thank someone who supplies you with a service?

July's Barn Pin and Charm (jewel box)

Now it's your turn to link up - linky open until next Aug. 4th (10pm EST)


Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Braggin' On.....

As most of you know, my SIL shares my sewing space.  I have to brag on her for a bit as she has really grown as a quilter.  This was a free pattern she found HERE.  She used 'Audra's Iris Garden' by Brannock & Patek for Moda.  It was funny as I was playing with some mini charms of this line at the same time.  And the little pinwheel dolly quilt I sent to Get Your Mrs Clause On - yup, the cut-offs from this quilt.

And this was a kit she picked up on a great sale at Connecting Threads.  Yes, a rail fence is considered an easy block, but this one had 7 rails at 1.5" (1" finished) - so some real challenges in the 1/4" seam accuracy. Tips I gave her - lay a bed of tape to hold that seam line and LOTS of starch when pressing (don't man handle). I just loved the fabrics in this one.

Both were quilted by one of our local longarmers - they collaberated on the motif design used on both and he named it for her - Jeri's Popcorn Flower.

She's now working on a project out of my Scrap Basket Quilts book and can't wait to share the finish photos.

Hope you all had a safe and lovely weekend,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Hanging by a Thread

This was suppose to be a year of small projects.  Somehow that got out of alignment.  I was shocked to see my piecing thread down so low.  Now that cone was started June 6th (had a blog post on that) - and I have a full cone there so you can see just how much I have used.  And yes, there has been other threads used for quilting.

That's where I have been hanging - trying to get that pile of 'to be quilted' into a controlled state.  Also, some secret sewing and dead-line projects ticked off the list.  Yeah, I got that cool new lime green (Black & Decker) iron just for fun.  Well, sometimes my SIL and I battle for the iron, so a second ironing board and iron entered the room.  I, also, noticed that my two favorite rulers are horribly worn - my 6.5" square and 6.5" x 13" (which I actually cut off a corner the other day).  I like to use the same maker rulers so all my cuts are the same thru my work.  So 90 percent of my rulers are Easy Rule by Sharon Hultgren (and made in the USA) - rulers and some other supplies/notions are ordered.

Today I needed a break so did some purging.  I went thru my drawer carts that are suppose to hold those less than a yard but bigger than a FQ - HA!  So FQ size got moved down into the FQ totes, and strips/scrap size got moved down into that basket that I was so trying to empty.  See - it's never ending.  But the drawers are all nice a neat, FQ totes refreshed, and I have a nice variety of scraps to play with for block making.

A few more blocks added - those mini eclair plastic boxes hold those 6" blocks perfectly.  One is full and I am working on filling the second one.  And the lids are in the back there - holding some other cuts for leader/ender projects going.

 One of those leader/enders is the lazenge blocks (Bonnie Hunter).  I needed just a dozen more of the lite corner ones so I whipped those off and was able to clean up those 2" squares into their respective barrel.  I need to count my black corner lazenges to see what is left for a finish - maybe there is just a dozen or so there and I'll just whip them off, too.  Then they will become a leader/ender of sewing twosies.

I haven't had too many kitty photo opportunities - or just too buried in projects - so I'll catch Moe taking a nap tonight while I am typing this up.  Moe is in the dog house - he has lost 6 new flea collars in 6 days.  Yes, he takes them off (break-a-way collars) himself.  Like some people have electic dog fences around their property - I think we have Moe flea collars around our property.  Maybe he figures if he places them around the perimeter it will keep the fleas out and he won't have to wear one.

I have a little more secret sewing to finish tomorrow and then handsewing bindings/hanging sleeves to do for the weekend.  I'm hoping the weather cooperates, too, as I have to take a lot of photos of projects - then I can breath the last few days of the month.   You probably won't hear from me until Tuesday's post for the link-up for 'Let's Book It' - so have a lovely weekend.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

DWM - Scraps & Churns

I pulled a pile of scraps from that basket of brights and quickly made up some half log cabin blocks.

If I can move the 'queen' of the house - I just might get this one quilted right up - a simple meander with occassional loop

. 
And I managed to get my Nested Churn Dash blocks together.  I only went with the 16" block setting - remember large blocks make me nervous.  I have been auditioning different fabrics for sashing, but nothing has pleased me yet.

linking up with Patchwork Times

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Purge Update #1

Are you purging - fabric that is?  As a scrap quilter, this is really how I work most of my projects.  BUT, I have a particular area of scraps that I want to get under control.

Remember this photo?  Yup, this really needs to be tackled before it grows out of hand.  And if you have scraps - you know they multiply over night.

Those string blocks on phone paper

My little dog quilt is being worked out of these baskets.

The Postage Stamp quilt in progress

The four doll quilts for the Mrs Claus Project

And lots of 6" blocks - I love taking a day or two just make blocks.  You can use any search engine  - ei: 6" quilt blocks - and sites pop up like crazy.  There a lot of block libraries on-line as well as other resources.  Currently I am working thru this one - Delaware Quilts BOMs.

How am I doing?  Well two of three baskets are getting down and the baggies and loose strings are used up.  That green basket has been sorted and piled into workable projects so I can just pull that section and go.

Are you taking The Purge Challenge?  Take a hop over to Sitched in Color to see how others are tackling their scraps, orphans, and unloved fabrics.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Still Christmas in July

I think every farbic company and on-line shop is hosting a Christmas in July right now as well as special sales on those holiday fabrics.  I have been enjoying using an old bundle from Connecting Threads - think it was called a Blue Christmas or something along that line - perfect for Cindy's BOM 2014 which is this great Christmas row quilt.

  

This month's row was steaming cocoa cups - I had to pull that Holiday Fabric Tote out for some different red prints for my cups.

This is Cindy' mock up of how our finished rows are looking so far - so cute.  You can still join in and get the patterns thru her Crafty store site.  And you can see everyone's progress in the Flickr Group.

Another project dear to me for the season is Debbie's Get Your Mrs Claus On - making doll quilts for cradles and beds crafted by volunteers that are gifted on to children in hospitals during the Holiday.  Yes, they make many more toys for both girls and boys - you have to visit to see.

 

OK, blogger is giving me grief in placing these (and why is one so blurry?) - BUT, these four little quilts will be heading out tomorrow.  They are quick, easy, fun and very fullfilling.  Great way to use up some of those scraps or orphan blocks or those panels you cut apart.  And those odd scraps of batt as well.

Even the backs - from that scrap basket and three of those - binding from my scrap binding drawer.

Are you feeling the HoHoHo yet?

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon