Finishing Up February 2015

For a short month, February has been a never-ending month for us in the NorEast - cold, snow, ice, wind - happy to see it over.  My goals were short for the short month with options to play.  The weather added to those options to play as it kept us indoors so many days.

Goal one was my Let's Book It project.  It wasn't a total failure as I tried a new technique, learned I really need to take a class on this, and the proper fabric stash is a must for a better experience.

Goal two was to finish off the 'found' cross stitch piece.  I got the framing done and it is layered for quilting.  I actually have all the stitch-in-the-ditch quilting done to help with stability - now to get to the fun part.

All those snow days - and short goal list - led to completing all my charity quilts.  Two for my quilt guild and two for Hands2Help using the Sweet16 inspiration.

Clearing out that tub of baggies led to a cute little wallhanging.

As well as finding some scrap pinks to play with the Itty Bitty Blocks.  Catching up on the bow ties.

And finding some pink HSTs to make the little baskets, too.

I decided that I would go with just three of the Sew Sweet Simplicity blocks to make a table runner.  Finished in plenty of time for my Easter Table decor.

I hope March roars in like a Lion and leaves like a Lamb.  I need some outdoor time as well as my furkids.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Let's Book It - February 2015

I know this was a short month, so don't stress that you weren't able to finish your 'Let's Book It' project.  It is about pulling those long forgotten books, patterns, saved pdf's. etc. and finally making that project you so loved when you first saw it.

This was the book I pulled for my February project.  I've always been drawn to landscapes and this had a new to me technique - we all need to expand our quilting.

I liked the idea of the fence.  I think being on a farm and our farm having many types of fences drew me to this.

I had wanted to work more with a Spring pallet, but I just didn't have the fabrics to pull from and the initial start was scrapped and I turned to Fall.  This technique has you cut a lot of pieces, glue them in place and then use monofiliment to stitch them down.  

Obviously I was failing miserably with this.  I had trouble keeping the little pieces to stay glued (hence the pins) and all that monofiliment thread to me was a distraction from the look.  AND I was mixing Fall and Spring and Summer - just not a nice mix at all!

So I failed with this project.  That is OK.  I learned that this technique does not work for me - I tried something new and that's a good thing.  I learned that if this is your 'niche', you need the stash to work with and that is something I don't have.  And another good thing - this book will come off my shelf and be moved on to someone else to enjoy.

 

Since I had such a stormy experience with my project,  I thought the Storm At Sea charm was the appropriate charm to go with the Vintage Sewing Machine pin for this month.

Now it is your turn:

An InLinkz Link-up

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Another Unplugged Weekend

I don't totally unplug - just step away from the computer.  I spent last weekend in getting all those flimsies done, so this weekend was spent getting them quilted.  My body has told me that to NEVER do that again!  So once a top is ready, it must be quilted then and there - no more marathon sessions please.  I did take breaks to amuse my furries.  They are getting too 'winter weather weight' and need some exercise each day - as well as cut back on the treats.

Since our weather is bad, I had to resort to indoor photos.  This is my second quilt guild charity donation ( the blue one can be seen HERE) and made from scraps from four different people.  I just did my go to serpentine at random spacing since this is on the modern side.

  
And I was so happy to find a use for this fabric on the back - used up!  Even the binding was a piece used up and off the shelf.

My first Sweet16 quilt - 16-patches with chain blocks.  AND that barrel of 2.5" squares is still over flowing.

I pieced two browns (cleared from the shelf) for the back and the fun stipey binding is another clean out.  This is a large quilt and I see that HappyChemo is in need of the 45" square and men size quilts - this will make for a nice man's quilt.

And my second Sweet16 - a variation on the Jacob's ladder block.  I did this one with 2" squares - hmmm, maybe there is time to make another with those 2.5". (there's bella - a little slimmer these days)

I pieced the back with the left over border fabric (an old RJR line) and two other greens - more clean off.  Even the binding was a piece cleared off the shelf.

And I cleared out my roll of batting - I cut down the last of the roll so I have 4 more pieces ready (I have a common size for my quilts, so this works).  Now that huge long tube is out the door, too. 

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon
**and remind me to never marathon quilt again**

Itty Bitty Blocks

I have been trying to put the blinders on to all the QALs (but you enjoy them - lots of buttons on the sidebar), but I love to make little blocks.  So now that I have 6 flimsies waiting for quilting, I want to move on to some fun.  Yes, tiny is fun for me and it will give me a break in the quilting.

I didn't see where there was a page for these, so you may want to follow or subscribe to the QuiltMaker site so you receive e-mails, plus their site has a lot of great stuff.  OR you can use their search box.

BOW TIES PAGE

BASKETS PAGE 

I plan to math all the blocks for a 4" finished size and tie them in with the RSC15.

Plus I have way too many 'strings' and I'm not in the mood to make string blocks.  These little blocks don't take a lot of fabric so these will work perfect for this project.  AND it will help fill the time with all the snow days it looks like we will be having for the next few weeks.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

I Blew In

Thank you all for your lovely comments and thoughts while we here in the NorEast have been in another storm front.  We had heavy winds right up til this evening, so after catching up on blog reads, e-mail, comments - I am finally here.  Boy, want to get a lot done - step away from the computer.  I decided it was time to start playing with my Let's Book It project.  I am not totally fond of this technique and I will struggle thru it.  BUT, we don't know what we can and cannot do unless we try - and this will evolve.

I pieced up the cross-stitch so now I have to think on how I want to quilt this one.  That's not a Batik, it was all I had left so the selvedge is gone, but I think it is an older Ro Gregg line - something to do with Arizona and the deserts I believe.  But it is used up along with 3 other fabrics in this - yup, all scraps.

That pile of pink blocks got put into a flimsy and I pieced the back.  We have another storm/snow coming later in the week so this one will get quilted then.

My first Sweet16 is now a flimsy.  I have to see what I have for backing.  All my wide cuts just don't work with this, so I will be piecing a back again. 

I did get some quilting time in too.  That  little baggy of scraps that turned into log cabins is now finished.  Just a simple stitch in the ditch, but done. And another project that finished up completely with scraps - even the back and batt.

And the other scrappy log cabin baby quilt for my guild charity drive - done.

I had just enough of this Banana Yellow double fleece from a previous quilt to back this.  My go to serpentine with this fabric and it quilts up really fast.

And a little bit of brag time

With some mom's help, this guy designed and stitched up his first sewing project.  And I hear he is hooked now............

because he had to make a second one.  Well done buddy!!  Oh, that minnion in the back - just want to squish him. 

And mom got some machine time in too.  I love the little bear fabric in this!

See what happens when we'z get'z snow'z in - we'z get'z buz'y!

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Winter Storms

I love how they are calling cold fronts a polar vortex.  BUT did you know they are also naming the snow storms?  We have just beaten back the heavy snows of Storm Juno and now we are bracing for Storm Neptune.  This one is to bring sub temps and very high winds - huricane force they are saying.  So with that in mind, I will be 'un-plugging' for the weekend.  See you on Monday - I think they are calling for sunshine that day.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Squared Up

I have been playing out of these two barrels over the last week and a half.  I have 3 quilts in progress using the 2" squares and 3 quilts in progress using the 2.5" squares.  AND they still are jammed full of squares!!

I found it rather interesting that when I first started blogging, I did a segment on 'Squared Up'.  Making simple blocks and quilts using squares - full circle in my 'Keeping it Simple'.

And doesn't this look familar?  This is the very first quilt that started my blogging.  I had to be an active blogger to participate in a Brown Bag swap on-line.  Since then I have met so many wonderful quilting ladies and gents.

And it just so happens to be the very pattern that Terry has selected for the next Sew Along.  Now I hate to repeat a pattern, so I am working mine a little differently - and so is Terry.  BUT again, full cycle with the 'Keep it Simple' and Squared Up.

I'm using full colored 9-patches with my snowballs and will change up the border so I use more of those squares out of that barrel.  The 'snowballs' (and border) are even being made using cut-offs from a quilt backing.  Yup, more scrapping and clearing out.  

And like I need another leader/ender project.  But I keep one by each machine to work on - that's why I have so many 'in-progress'.  I discovered I had a lot of lite (or low volumn) 2.5" squares - then I found I was tucking them in another barrel - and I found some tucked in a container - DUH!  So they are now all together (and I just emptied that green bucket).  The plastic bag is so I can 'shake them up' to get random pulls with out tossing them all over the place.  It's funny how some of the colors photo'ed darker than they are- the yellows, pinks, and purples are much lighter - well, the whole thing is really.

We had a reprieve from snow today - actually saw the wonderful sun and I went out with the furballs and walked in it!  But we are in for another 2-3 days of snow.  I haven't quilted that little log cabin wallhanging yet nor started my Let's Book It project - fabrics are pulled.  I think they need to be played with as I need a break from the squares.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon   

Sweet16 on the Wall 2/9/15

If you are not familar with the Sweet16 QAL, the button is on the sidebar along with the Hands2Help Challenge.  Sarah has graciously (and busily) offered up several 16-patch block quilt patterns to assist us with making quilts for the Hands2Help. And she has shown how they can be done using up your scraps or using some lovely yardage.

I have lots of scraps.  I am a scrap quilter.  I am using scraps.  I quickly made a lot of 16-patches.  They started as a leader/ender project and then I had a day I just wanted to finish them up.  For the first quilt I am going with a double 4-patch alternating block.  Again, these started as a leader/ender project and then a day of finishing them up.  We are in for a 3-day snow storm - so it is a great time to start putting this into a flimsy.

  

My second quilt is in progress.  A found baggy of HSTs combined with some 4-patch blocks (again, they were leader/enders) make up a fun variation of the Jacob's Ladder block.  Were is the 16-patch????

Well, there it is!!  When you put four of these together you magically get the 16-patch.  There will be time to get this one into a flimsy, too.

And not knowing how long I will be house-bound, I decided that I would pull these out.  They got a trim-up so ready for sewing into a flimsy.  This is one of my quilt guild's charity quilts - not due for a while, but maybe this is the incentive (and time) to get to work on it. And yes, those are big blocks - I hate big blocks - 16.5" square.

This is the second guild charity quilt.  These little blocks have already gotten put into a flimsy today.  It's ready for sandwiching up for some quick quilting.  And what's fun with these two quilts - all the scraps in them came from 4 different people who's names start with the letter 'S'.

And while I am putting these blocks all together - another leader/ender project is tucked inbetween.  This is a 'go to pattern' by Joanne - this will link you right to her page with the different sizes for this block.  I had a lot of skinnies to use up, so I am going with the smallest block.  This will be a donation to Gene Black's Quilt Angels project.

Our NorEast weather for February looks like good quilt making time.  We've already had 3 storms, heading into 2 more followed by sub-zero temps, and then with the warm up, more snow.  I may have to make a red flag to run up the chimney so you folks can find me in the snow pile!

Snowingly,Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Pink & Cats

No - not real pink cats (aren't these cute), but the color for February RSC15 is PINK.

My pink woven heart.  Did you get your Valentine's Day Cards yet?  I sent my grandies their cards.  They were so cute - 4-fold with one side printed and the back side was same design, but blank for coloring.

The Pink Houses.  Not sure I would ever want a pink house.

And their Pink Sawtooth Stars.

Where's the cats you ask?  Hmmm, maybe.......... look at that bit of orange within that red buffalo blanket.

Moe spies her - Watch out - Bella will get you!  They have been playing tag all thru the house with this snow/cold spell.

And yes, I have to vacuum this carpet every day - this has been a week of playing/sorting scraps.  If I don't vac those bits and threads up, I think they will breed. 

** linking up with RSC15 and Feline Friday **

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon