September Goals

The scent of Fall is in the air.  Our trees are starting to show color, some even losing a few leaves.  This is my favorite season - colors, smells, fruit of the season, cooler temps.  A lot to inspire the month's stitching.

 

My official NewFO will again be my project for the Doll Quilt Swap Group.  This will be my last swap for the year - sitting out for a bit as there are other committments that will fill my plate.

My projects for Something Old, Something New will be non-stitching.  I have been terrible with re-loading my EQ on the new computer - which isn't so new any more.  So my Something Old will be to commit to loading up that disc and using it. I do hope this old dog can learn  some new tricks!

My Something New will be to add a new tab to my blog.  In participating in the Tuesday Archives I have noticed there are a lot of tutorials over the years.  So I will be using the month to get those into a list/tab.  

  

I pulled out a lot of books thru August, looking for the right project for September's Let's Book It.  I had four I really liked/loved, but went with something for the season.

I just love Jim Shore's figurines, and have bought a few over the years for my Mom - really should pick up some for myself.  A lot of these projects are LARGE, but I want to stay with a simple project so I am making some adjustments.

Boy it is hard to photo a glossing page!  I love this runner, but it is 62" long and I really don't have anywhere for such.  So I am making this into a wallhanging.  Pumpkins and HSTs - orange is a color I have trouble working with, so a challenge.  Not sure I will use purple, but we will see what inspires.

                           

RSC14's color for the month is orange - will help with pulling fabrics for those pumpkins.  And can't wait to see what the next block is for the Quilt Doodle  project.  This one is getting close to a finish.

I have a small project picked out for the Make it Handmade Christmas Challenge.  A small project, but I plan on making a few.  Some QALs in progress with Marcus Brothers and the Country Corners - and a new one Charming Stars which will be done as a leader/ender project.  Not sure I will be doing some of the others (new buttons on the side bar).

My projects are ready and waiting for my day - Sept 15th.

We will be participating in the Airing of the Quilts in Schoharie and you can read about it HERE and HERE.

Just a few projects and events that will keep me close to home because - waiting for that new GrandBabe!!

CLOSING THOUGHT

Departing summer hath assumed
An aspect tenderly illumed,
The gentlest look of spring;
That calls from yonder leafy shade
Unfaded, yet prepared to fade,
A timely carolling. -  William Wordsworth, September

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

NewFO & August Ends

I love that Barbara @ CatPatches gives us permission to start something NEW with no pressure to finish, just start something.  It really helps to keep the FUN in quilting.

My official NewFO was for the Doll Quilt Swap Group and the theme was Mellow Yellow.  My partner and I agreed on staying on theme and she mentioned she likes bright and modern.  This is a free pattern called  Swirly Twirly Dresden and can be found HERE.

I just love this fabric and wish I had gotten more.  Perfect for the back and binding and little dolly's dress.

 

I finally got to finishing up my Something Old.  This was a mystery offered by my LQS (who recently relocated-could cry) on Super Bowl Sunday.  To me it is too large for a wallhanging, but not big enough for a quilt.  Perfect for a table cloth with those grapes and wine glasses?

My Something New was the baby quilt for the much anticipated granddaughter.  September 22 can't come soon enough!

And my little Let's Book It project was finished  I can't believe this little piece took me all month to do.

The RSC14 light green blocks to add to the box.  Four great scrappy quilts are going to evolve from  these months of colour play.

And my Handmade Christmas/Simple Small Project combo made for another addition to the pressie box.

Some QALs - Doodle Quilts Row, Marcus Brother, and Country Corners - added to the mix.  Oh, and some secret sewing too.

August was a lovely month of starts and finishes - most importantly, I had fun with my quilting.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Let's Book It - August Link Up

I hope you have been enjoying re-visiting those dusty books, magazines, patterns, and saved on-line projects.  Now I don't have a huge collection, but 'spank me' I have a lot that I have never even looked at!  Some I don't even remember how I got them and I find that sad. 

This was my August selection - Annie's Scrapbag - and I won it 2 years ago in a give away.  It has a lovely note and signed by the author herself, Martha Walker.  And every project in this book just attracts me - why did I let it sit?

And this was the project I selected.  The tiny piecing and hand embroidery just attracted me to this one.

I decided to keep all my little block in the red/brick color range and everything came right out of that scrap basket, a plus.  These worked up really quickly, but I set a schedule of doing middle, sides, top & bottom blocks to stretch thru the month.

The little flower blocks were first embroidered and then the design change of the centers for the needle turned prim circles.

As you can see, I even changed the border.  I made all those little HSTs, but thought they distracted from the center.  So I just went with the blue print for a single small border, simple stitch in the ditch quilting, and bound it with a left over bit of red binding. The batt and backing were from the scrap bins, too - a total scrap project.  It finished 15" x 19". 

August's Barn Pin and Double PinWheel Charm:

Now it's your turn to link up - linky open until Sept 3rd 10pmEST:

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Tuesday Archives - Flying Geese & Flowers

This weeks archive finds with Val's Quilting Studio are Geese and Flowers.  I don't do a lot of flowers, but I have a lot of geese.  I know most dread making those flying geese units, but I love them.

I make a lot of 'country' geese quilts with plaids and homespuns, so I thought I would share something in a totally different direction from my norm.  The original post can be found HERE.

This flower mini was originally posted HERE and you will find another smaller mini there too.

Going thru past blog posts is fun - won't you join in?

Sewingly ours,

Sharon

Moe and a Quiz

First Moe would like to thank his fans for voting him "Viewers Choice" in the catagory 'Cats on Quilts' for the Pets on Quilts Show.  And thank you to Lily Pad Quilting for hosting.

Now that all the trauma of being a cover-guy is over, Moe can go back to doing what he does best - holding down all that fabric.  After all, good fabric deserves a proper 'cat'scan.

LET'S TAKE A QUIZ

I saw this over at Pat's @ Scrapatches - a quilt block quiz

Missouri Quilt Co - What quilt block are you?

I promise it won't hurt - a few quick questions to answer.  I am a Log Cabin:


You believe that traditions are traditions for a reason. You keep things simple and straightforward. If a problem arises, you know just what will do the trick.

Go and find out your block and share the fun,

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Slow Stitching on Sunday

It's been a while since I joined in with some slow stitching.  I do like to put the pedal to the metal, but I also like to take things slow at times. Maybe your would like to join us over at Kathy's today.

I have some minor housework to complete, but a good mix with some handwork.  I have to complete the binding, tack down of hanging sleeve, and add a label to my Let's Book It project and it will be finished.  It's a small piece, but I plan to stitch slowly while I listen to an audio book

And we are to get a little sunshine today - we've had rain, rain, rain.......

Maybe I will get a little time outside to weed my poor flower beds that have been neglected, too.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon 

A Mixed Bag

I am seeing on a number of blogs where people are showing and asking how many projects are in the mix.  I don't count and I'm not about to tell - seriously - you would all think I am crazy.  But I find it inspirational to play with a variety things, variety of colors, variety of fabrics lines, all in a variety of stages.  It's like a mixed bag of candy, you get to enjoy a  variety of goodness.

Since you all saw the wavy quilt in stages of working thru it, I thought you should see the finished quilt.  This was hard to photo as the lite colors in it just kept washing out.  We finally thru it under the apple tree  for some spattered shade.

My aunt came for the Tuesday sewing class and brought the binding fabric (same as final border) and I applied it by machine with a decorative stitch.  She was very happy with it and said she was keeping this one for herself - she's given so many away.  The blocks are a Jelly Roll pattern by The 3 Dudes and you can see the U-Tube HERE.

I am slowly working on my Let's Book It project.  I wasn't happy with the 'heart' shape flowers and then I (shudder) tried yo-yos which looked too heavy.  Eventually I went with Prim circles.  I have all the other units finished, just need to trim those flower blocks down to 3.5" and I am ready to put this together.

I think there is a lot of secret sewing going on too.  My pile of left overs for the upcoming 'See You in September' Hop.  Riley Blake Ginghams and some Shot Cottons - another fabric is missing - because I used it ALL.  My day is the 15th and yes, all three of my projects are done.  I, also, picked up a fun bundle for a give away.

  
And I dumped a bag of black scraps to play with for the 'Black Cat Crossing' Hop in Oct.  I know, plenty of time - but when inspiration hits, you sew.  I'm not showing the other fun bundle of fabric I plan to play with for another project for this hop - you would certainly quess what it is.

This bundle has been cut up into lovely piles to play with a project - well, it is actually half way done.  You won't see this until October.  There's 4 different fabric companies represented in this grouping - who says you can't blend it together. Besides, I am in the 'purge' mode and I wanted to use what is on the shelf.  I think with the approach of Fall - yellows, golds, and hues of brown just sing the season.  Our trees are already starting to show some Fall color.

And I have been adding some new buttons on the side bar.  Many fun projects popping up and with summer vacations over - kids back to school or off to college - I hope there is something in the variety to inspire time to sew. 

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Tuesday Archives - FQ Quilts & Feather Quilting

If you haven't discovered Val's Quilting Studio, you need to go browse.  And I love her idea of re-visiting our old posts with some fun themes (going thru the alphabet).  I haven't been very accomplished at feather quilting, but I have done a few FQ quilts.  Although in browsing back thru my blog, I found I didn't always blog about them - they were more in my flickr account.

 

I've done a number of Melissa's @ Happy Quilting quilt-alongs using FQs, so I chose one of my favorites due to the fabric I used.  I drooled when Little Black Dress came out!!  This is Melissa's 'StarBurst' pattern and you can find the original 'finale' post HERE.

And I am currently working a few QALs using up some of my FQs - I tend to pull bundles apart for a project and then I have all these poor, lonely, feeling unloved FQs.  Being in my Purge mode - they are being used.

I'm playing with Cindy's Christmas BOM Row Quilt and trying to use up a Connecting Threads FQ bundle (Holiday Blues) along with scraps.  This month's block was cute candies for a row of delishous fun. I know there is no blue in this row LOL!!  I thought of my Gr.Gran V who would always have these cute glass stripey candies mixed in some fake snow along her mantle.

I had bought a full FQ bundle of Howard Marcus Collection For a Cause "Historical Blenders" and boy I have a lot left over.  So I decided to use them in the "Country Corners" sew along with Lyn @ SewnWildOaks using her PatchWork Math book.  She gives the basic components you need from the book along with some sample layouts - and you go for it with fabric, color, and layout choice.  I am making two of each month's assignments.

  

And I am following the Howard Marcus Fabric Designer Sewalong.  I have a mix of 'Primative Gatherings' FQs (with a few of my scraps) to play with this one.

I know you all shuddered over the Patchwork Math book - felt it.  BUT if you know your quilt math, you can figure out many blocks in different sizes as well as be able to calculate what you can get out of a FQ.  FQ bundles make for great sampler quilts.

Be sure to go visit Val's Quilting Studio to see the link ups for FQ quilts and Feather Quilting.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon 

Petting & Patting Fabric

Since the quilt was gifted today at the shower, I can now show you the finished Mr Bear quilt for my granddaughter due next month.  A simple meander with occassional loop, love that Minky back and some fun strippy/dotty for binding (matches the bear).  Washed and dried for crinkly goodness, but that Minky just stays so lush and cuddly.  It got a lot of petting here as well as at the shower - where noboday had heard of, seen or felt Minky before.

Then I decided it was time to tackle this monster which I didn't think was petable at all.  What to do........

And it got worse............  I rembered a tip from Deonn @ Quiltscape about 'quilting it out' - you can see her tips HERE.  But I was facing a lot more than her problem so I sent off an e-mail  to Debbie @ StitchinTherapy as I have admired all her helpful posts on quilting.  She suggested some quilting motifs and to pat that quilt into place rather than smooth it.

So I combined the two methods of pin, pin, pin, pin and pat, pat, pat, pat and jumped in.

I tried some of the motifs, but this is one huge quilt and I am quilting on a home machine with small harp - the drag was terrible and it made for a mess on the top and back.  So I went to my faithful walking foot and organic serpentine that I use on homespuns, flannels, and plushies.

A lot of repinning and repatting and sticking with it.  This poor quilt had been refused by longarmers, but I took it on because it is my aunt's quilt. There were a lot of problems with this quilt, and a repair by my mother - YET - still the final flimsie was 'off'.  It's not a show quilt (thank you for the reminder Debbie) and I hope my aunt is happy with the results - so this quilt can be passed on to a grandchild or great grandchild.  Now I need the binding - think it best I finish that part too.

Remember to pet (or pat) you fabric today,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon