Closing out July 2016

If you haven't joined in, you should.  Love KATHY'S encouragement to take time to slow down.  And it has been a great time for me to work on some hand projects.

The hexie flowers have been worked two a week and I am down to just the last two for the larger project they will go into. Hancock's of Paducah beeped my in-box with a flash 30's and feedsack bundle sale - yup, in the mail.  They will be for the piecing of the bigger portion of this quilt.  Everything falling into place as time allows.

The larger rosettes I'm working with a layer cake I've had for a long time.  No real plan in mind, just making as many rosettes from a mix of three cakes.  I've been using this project as my travel hand work when I do demos.

And the '365' leap year quilt has it's slow time.  Actually these work up really fast as the pieced backgrounds are already made and  I prep the circles as I pick a fabric from the day's play.  I set up a row of 6 for the week.  Yes, I have a lot of fabric donated and processed thru my house.

I used the Let's Book It , carrying this project thru two months to be sure I completed it rather than let it become a UFO.  AND ta-da - I finished the binding.  The label is made and get's stitched on today.

            

I used all three Scrap programs (see buttons on side bar) to keep cleaning up that pile on my quilt rack.  It produced three colorful charity baby quilts.  And I did clean up that quilt rack, but three new bags of scraps came in and are sitting there for next month's play time.

Keeping up with Temecula Quilt Co's 'Circa 2016' tiny blocks.  Not sure I like that pink one, but we shall see when the border gets laid out.

The Court House Steps block for Barbara Brackman's Westering Women.

Staying on track with Adinkra hosted by Debby Kratovil.  Quilty friends are currently in Africa and have my shopping list for the alternative block fabrics.  This quilt is so different and I love the history of the symbols. 

And I took part in SARAH'S '12 Days of Christmas in July' blog Hop with my Feather Tree.

I was, also, a pattern tester for her quilt-a-long.  Some disasters resulted in my larger quilt being scrapped, but I loved the pattern and down sized it so I could complete a 'new' quilt for the hop.  A mini that is more me.

I had some travels during the month and a commission piece, but still had time to have some finishes and keep up with my blocks.

What will August hold?

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Let's Book It - July 2016

I carried over my June project because I wanted to be sure I finished it.  Now you don't have to have a finish and you can keep using your project for as lomg as needed, but I knew this one would become a UFO if I didn't keep on.

My project was this lovely rail fence colorwash in Marti Mitchell's "Quilting for People Who Still Don't Have Time to Quilt".

Yes, I not only trucked thru the center piecing, setting pieces, but also THREE borders!  I hate borders.

It was a bright, muggy, hot day - and I take crap photos - so this is a bit misty looking.  Yes,

the binding still has to be finished.  I have three days left in the month, so this is doable.  I will be ready to move on to a new project.

This month 's charm is the Windmill Star:

       

Now it's your turn to share:

An InLinkz Link-up

12 Days of Christmas in July Hop Winner

  

A huge thank you to Sarah for making this Hop such a success.  Thank you to all of you who visited and left such sweet comments, too.  The winner of the 'Cat Stack' wool kit project is:

dorthaJuly 14, 2016 at 4:49 AM

Thank you. The cat kit would make a great gift for my cat lover friend. I would have to make it for her though as she doesn't like how wool feels. Strange, right.

I will be in contact with Dortha for mailing information.

To be honest, I am ready to put the Christmas fabrics away and move on to something new and more the true season.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon 

12 Days of Christmas Finale

It's been a great 12 Days of inspiration, tutorials, give aways, and a quilt along.  I would like to thank SARAH for doing a fantastic job with her first Hop and QAL.  She has a linky set up for everyone to show their projects made during the hop - looking forward to seeing the variations of the quilt.  Also, she is setting up a tab to keep the Hop links open - I am excited about that as there were way too many things that went on my 'to-do' list without the time.  Now I can revisit to get some presents completed for the season.

Today's Hosts Are:

Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts

Linda @ One Quilting Circle

I worked on the Feather Tree mini.  1/4 inch strips of green fabric and one strand each of green and red DMC floss.

I make a single over-hand knot about 2" from the end.

I cut four 2" green strips and ran my thread thru the middle.  That over-hand knot helps to not pull my threads all the way thru.  Then I take one wrap around the bundle, feed my needle/thread back thru the middle.  Then it is sewn to the mini with the last pull to the top.  I use a suture knot to finish off those thread ends.  This is the way I put hair on my little dolls.

I am keeping my tree a little 'Charlie Brown' as I want to add more to this closer to the Holiday.  Those little strips of green will be snipped in half and fluffed more to give it more of a feather look.

The smaller version of Sarah's quilt pattern is currently under the needle for quilting.  Since the linky is open until the end of the month, I will have time to finish this one to show on a link-up post.

I thought I would share another easy Christmas project and gift idea.  Hanging tea towel with matching potholders.  My SIL makes these Easy Hanging Towels - Dish Towel & Potholder.

Thank you for visiting us all during the 12 Days,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Day 11 of 12 Days

I can't believe how fast these days are going by!  Today SARAH has us adding that sashing and cornerstones - closer to a finish.  She promised a quilt in 12 days and your are getting one.

Today's Hosts Are:

Carolyn @ CJS Sewingroom

Tisha @ Quilty Therapy

A scrappy version - I have been hiding something all along the way with this hop.  I was one of Sarah's testers and I ran into a bit of a problem.  Not with her pattern, but with my fabrics.  Do you remember that tip in red highlight?  Careful pressing sensitive fabrics?  Well, my plaid fabric was a sensitive fabric and I knew that, but in using the method of press/stack/ press even with a low temp iron was too much for that fabric. My units all melted into each other. 

Then with some fabric swap outs - the next pressing session left huge black messes all over.  Someone had used a fuseable without the pressing sheet - black gunk all over my iron that had not been cleaned.  My original project just scrapped!  So - we start again.  Hey, that tote of Christmas fabric is sitting there, so use it.

  

And - I went small.  I reworked the pattern a bit to eliminate some seams and used 1.5" bits and strips.  Now I have a wallhanging.  But this pattern is too pretty to just give up on.

Besides, I have Christmas quilts.  This is my finished quilt made during the monthly installments of  Festive Mystery by Sue Aubry of QuiltTimes.  I opted to have one less row than her pattern - but had the blocks made, so used them to make a matching pillow.  The quilt is 44" x 52" and the pillow is 18".

Today is Slow Sunday Stitching and I am going to use the day to finish the hand work on my Feather Tree.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

A Long Day

It was a very long, monotonous day!  If any of you have sat straight line quilting with you walking foot, you know what I mean.  BUT, the center portion of the rail/colorwash is quilted.  Now three borders to tackle.  Maybe I will get this one done by the end of the month.

 

It's Day 10 of 12 Days and SARAH has us so close to finishing that Christmas Quilt.  By making easy 1 hour steps each day of this hop, a very doable project which is going to give you the most beautiful quilt.

Today's Hosts Are:

Joanne @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Paige @ Quilted Blooms 

I want to share some cute and quick little Santa ornaments today.  I can remember my Mom making these over 40 years ago with the church ladies, so this pattern has been around for some time.  The original pattern that I used, the site is no longer active, but I have created a new pdf for the paper pieced pattern.  I need to make more of these.    SANTA ORNAMENT

Today will be another long day as I am helping to sell raffle tickets for a quilt at a local craft fair.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

It's Day 9 and the Hop is still in full swing.  Today SARAH will have us starting to assemble all those units we have been working on.

Today's Hosts Are:

Alla @ RainbowsBunniesCupcakes

Zenia @ A Quilting Passion

My units laid out and ready for today.

This was a mini I did for the Doll Quilt Swap Group years ago.  Don't want to go big - go small.

And I always sent one of my signature little dolls with these quilts.  Little cookie cutters on her apron.  You can find the pattern and tutorial for my dollies on my tutorial tab.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

It's day 8 of 12 Days - it's going by so fast!  SARAH has the next step ready for us for that great Christmas Quilt.

Today's Hosts are:

Michelle @ Crayon Box Quilts

Jan @ The Colorful Fabriholic

I have my units ready for the next step - those corners.

This is the Sulky BOM 2004 Christmas Quilt I made many years ago.  It is a tradition to trim a block/section with more embroidery, trinkets, buttons, applique with the grands.  I need to take an updated photo of this one.

I enjoyed this pattern so much I made a second one - gifted.  I did a third, but I don't have a photo of that one.  Even one of these cute house blocks/sections would make a cute Holiday Wallhanging.

Even in 100 degree heat - are you feeling the spirit yet?

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon 

Three Borders

Yes, I got those three borders on my rail/colorwash project.  The backing (that tiny rose print which is upside down on the ironing border) was pieced, pressed and ready for basting out today.  Not sure how I am quilting this one, but hopefully once it is basted I will have a plan.

SARAH will have the next step for her Christmas Quilt for day 7 of the Hop.  She's put a lot of work into setting up this Hop as well as designing a quilt - please go visit her and leave a little love.

Today's Hosts are:

Vicki @ Vicki's Crafts & Quilting
Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter

My center and middle star units - the outer star is pieced, too - ready for the next step.

This was a little twister tree I did for a Quilt Along/Challenge with Sue Aubry back in 2013.  You can see the challenge rules, my steps, and the finish link HERE.

Have to clean my machine and put in a new needle - ready to quilt.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Finishes

Yes, I managed to clean up that pile on the quilt rack and the little side table got cleaned off (although I dropped something new on it today)  It's unusual that when you finish up three quilts that they all are the same size.  Yup, three baby quilts 40" x 48" and that 30's blue print is worked up in all of them and the small bit left was cut down into my barrel system.

Used up those 'dotty' jelly roll stips - now gone for a simple and colorful quilt.

The back is a vintage flannel with panel rows reversing (why, I don't know) and the binding used up a lot of left overs from the drawer.

A simple postage stamp using up the more colorful squares out of the barrel.

Backed with an old Ro Gregg from the shelf (yeah that stripe ran straight) and the rest of the colorful left over binding went on this one.

The third quilt I can't show in it's entirety as it is a test quilt for Bea.  You will have to wait until she releases the pattern.

Day 6 of the hop and there has been so many projects added to my list.  Today's hosts are:

Joanne @ Quilts by Joanne

Suzy @ Websterquilt

And all of those HSTs for SARAH'S guilt along.  Today we start putting things together.

I, also have to double check my Heritage Stars quilt for loose threads and cat hair then bundle it up to hand off to the long armer today.  This one needs to be a finish. 

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon