Bag Ladies of the Fat Quarter Club Finale

I think this is an appropriate way to end the year with these wonderful ladies.  The stitch along was hosted by the lovely Barbara of CatPatches and the stitcheries were  by Chickadee Hollow Designs.  These were such a delight to add to the 2017 year's project list.

We could either follow Borbara' pick for the month or chose which lady we would like - mostly I chose; as well as made each into their own minature to showcase.  I have to admit that I wasn't always diligent in my work on them, but I truly enjoyed working on this different medium of fiber play.

My last lady was Hildegard (even though the 5th lady of the series) and by dedicating my last week of the year to my handwork, I was able to get her done.  Her coat buttons  will be added with the 'quilting' finish once she's placed into her own minature.  She's quite a character with her backpack, jeans, workboots - and who asks a quilter to mend socks!!  But, she has a paper piecing pattern in her bag so I have to love her.

And just to show - I did get poor Earlene finished after so many months of setting her aside (and losing her).

Thank you Barbara for being such a gracious hostess, even while on your super travels you kept us going.

** also linking up with the last Slow Stitching Sunday **

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Best of 2017 Linky Party

I'm joining in with Cheryl's 'best of' party this year.  She's listed some very simple rules and it's your own creativity and share of your year.

I would have to say my largest numbers of comments and visits are not to one particular post, but to my regular Scrappy Wednesday post in general.  The most popular is the Meadow's Mountains quilt and I shared the tutorial HERE.  I was looking to use up some of those greens, which that tote is still over flowing.

I limited my vending in 2017 to mostly Heritage Artist featured events.  A number of these were at museums that also featured 'living demos'.  A new place for me was the Bronk Museum.  I will be doing the same for the the new year as I much prefer these venues.

I took some classes this year on new-to-me techniques.  I loved the mixture of the Flower Pounding - nature, textures, color, experimenting, and wrap it up with fabric/thread.  I plan to revisit this technique in the Spring when things begin to sprout.

 

This wasn't about the POST, but about the event.  My dear bloggy friend and family on their year long venture around the USA in their RV.  I was one of their stops!  BARBARA @ CatPatches blogged about her visit with us much better than I did.  I am not able to travel like this, so enjoying their journey thru Barb's wonderful camera skills and delightful descriptions.

 

The highlight of the year - being inducted into the Catskill Mountain Quilters Hall of Fame.  My mother is an inductee and we are the first mother/daughter (30 yrs between inductions).  The post can be found HERE.

My outlook to 2018 will be FOCUS.  I will travel a lot being the newly elected President of Hall of Fame.  I would like to take a few more classes on new techniques - loom weaving fabrics is in the near future.  I will be just vending or demonstrating at Heritage venues.  I really need to get that long arm on the frame and the sewing room set up.  That translates into re-organizing, which seems I am constantly doing as I have a constant 'gifting' of scraps into the home.  

I, also, have two big quilt shows in 2018 to prepare for - one of which I am chairing.  AND I have my first ever trunk show in 2018.

Please be sure to visit the others,

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Scrappy Wednesday

The next scrappy temperature rosette runs from dusty blues, brights, darks and even a purple.  I've pulled some purples as we are going into some seriously cold weather for the next 10 days - maybe even single digits!

36 - 26 - 22 - 20 - 32 - 27 - 20 

Linky with Sarah Did It

I'm working mostly on hand stitching now, but I did lay out the pieces for clue #5 for 'On Ringo Lake' with Bonnie Hunter's mystery.  It doesn't take long to chain a few, pin in sets of 10, and have the next set ready to go.  No race with this and they will get done in due time.

Linky with Bonnie Hunter @ Quiltville

  

There will be 10 more lite and dark Temecula Quilt Co. snowballs to do before next week.  Again, these chain quickly thru the machine.  With this size corner, I just aim and go; no drawing lines.    As you can see, I'm not clipping corners yet.  Just how I roll.

The new little stitchery is all finished - why did I let that pattern sit for so long?  I have to dig thru scrappy stash for finishing this one.  Not sure I will use the FQ I pulled just to photo with as it's a bit too 'springy'.  But, I just wanted to get the handstitching done - maybe the first finish for the New Year.

I wrote out a lot of 'blocks' for SARAH's Scrap Attack.  I plan on combining this with RSC18.  Pull a slip and use the block with the month's color to make a project.  Could be a miniature, bag, quilt - what ever strikes my fancy.  It will help to use up the abundance of gifted scraps that came in toward the end of this year (and yet to be sorted) as well as make me be a bit creative with the slip I pull.  I know there are a lot of slips there, but if I have a quick project and/or a lot of one color scrap - I can do two.

And Jo @ Jo's Country Junction came up with a brilliant idea to tackle an old BOM to finish.  I have never bought on-line or in-store BOM kit, but I acquired this project at a silent auction at a quilt show many years ago.  It was nicely kitted up with each block and I did all of the machine pieced blocks and a couple of the hand stitch blocks.  This will be the perfect solution to make sure this gem gets finished.

I thank those who wished me well - yes, I am still a bit under the weather with this virus.  Maybe it was a blessing that the snowy weather changed holiday plans because I was not up to entertaining, food, noise.  I enjoyed my couch for long naps, cuddling furries, watching old movies, stitching, and just being a slug (oh, and I look like one, too).

I need to get a few staples, but for the most part I plan to stick to home with this very cold weather we are having.  I have plenty to work on.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Slow Stitching Sunday

KATHY had this great pic for today's Slow Stitching Sunday and it is so true to what I need.  Since we here in the NorEast are in the midst of an Arctic blast of cold, ice, and snow; going slow is about all you can do.  With the possibility of 8 inches or more of snow Christmas day, we could be rescheduling as I would rather have family safe. 

I've had this lovely kit for a few years.  I could have won it one of Michele's give aways, or maybe the sweetie gifted it to me.   I don't have a tree or any trimmings put up (kitties) - just my pretty Christmas Cards received - stitching a little berry tree seems appropriate today.  Although I chose the topiary style as I am working on some Spring projects - with a shop you have to be several steps ahead.

Of course the furkids have the whole 'slow' process down to a pat right now.  Moe is putting on weight now that he doesn't roam as far and wide as he does in good weather.  This guy really knows how to nap!

Miss Bella wanted the door open and she would stand on her hing legs to watch out at all the snow like 'are you going to stop now"?  So I moved her favorite kitchen chair  to the door so she could be more at rest and easily watch the world go by.  Hey, my senior asthmatic baby deserves some pampering.

While we're waiting for Christmas, fellow bloggers and friends are celebrating it today - Merry Christmas dear hearts.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon 

Whooping Feline Friday

With our cold weather that is bringing us rain, sleet, and snow over the next few days - well, Moe has the days planned.  Napping on his favorite plushy.  This cat sleeps so soundly that sometimes he scares me - is he dead?  I call him, shake him, half pick him up - gone.  We are happy that 'hump year' (Winter Solstice) has come and gone, which means more daylight every day.  

For my final project pull I opted for this colorful piece.  Gosh this goes back a way when SARAH  did a post about using scraps for a Trip Around the World quilt.  I have never done a TATW before (Bargellos, yes, which is kind of like a Trip) and liked the challenge.  I did mine different from hers, but then tucked it before finishing.

Ten more rows will do it, but I may see how many I can make with all the fabrics that are cut - use it up!  And NO borders for this one.  That makes me happy dance.

Linking up with Feline Friday and Whoop Whoop Friday - Sarah and Sarah - two instigators that I love for their creativity.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Scrappy Wednesday

I'm a little late today as I am a bit under the weather - again.  I tried to think of where I was exposed as I really have been sticking close to home.  Then bingo! My granddaughter had a cold when I had my NaNa time.  I am slowly working the Temecula Quilt Co Snowball blocks.  I have all the larger dark and light squares cut and I just have to pull my barrels for the corners - no cutting small units when I already have them.

The next temperature rosette shows just how cold we have gotten.  Yes, that center is a purple and I may see more of those in the next week's hexies.

18 -21 -22 - 29 - 26 - 29 - 46

Yes we had that one fluke warm day, but it was rainy and windy so really didn't feel as warm - hence the darker aqua.

** linking up with Sarah Did It **

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Christmas Quilt Parade

Desire to Inspire quilt I

Desire to Inspire quilt II

Sulky 2004 BOM

Miniature Chickadee Scraps

Personalized Gift Bags for the Grands

Quilt Doodle 2014 BOM

Mini Twister Tree

2013 Challenge

Lynne Wilder's Country Charmer QAL

2011 'Gift Boxes' Moda QAL

Modern Trees Mini

 

Snowflake Miniature

Nutcracker Miniature

Be sure to visit Beth's Christmas Quilt Show Linky Party

Monday Making

There was a lot of stitching over the weekend.  I managed to get 75 of the 'wing' units finished for the next clue for 'On Ringo Lake' with Bonnie Hunter.  I am only making half the number of units for a smaller quilt, but I still need to make at least 25 more of these.  I am rumaging thru my barrel system for the blues and browns - use it up - so it take more time to get the pieces together than to actually sew them.  Be sure to see how others are progressing    HERE @ Quiltville

I got all my ducks - er, geese - in a row.  This quilt will be put away for a finish next year.  I am thinking a small inner border and than wide outer border to pull this all together.  I attached a note on it with this information, because you know me and borders.

The last blocks for the Patchwork Sampler with Moda are finished and I cut all the sashings and inner border strips.  This will be done at another time as with so much white, my furkids seem to gravitate to white!  I have to have a day when they have both tucked themselves away on the guest bed and stitch like a mad women to finish this one off.  I think I will have to shop for some yardage (Katherine Anne by Patrick Lose) for the outer border - after Christmas. 

Since I am digging thru my barrels for those few more blues, I thought it would be a good time to pull the Postage Stamp quilt in progress and get this one done today.

Here it is laid out for a better look.  I am making strips and then putting them into 10 rows of 40 squares (2").  Then I will sew those 10 row sections together.  I couldn't fit all the rows on this table, but I need only 5 more rows to pull this all together which will give me a 60" square flimsie.

** linking up with Design Wall Monday ** 

Monday Making with Beth is on hiatis, but she has a wonderful linky party for a Christmas Quilt Show.  I need to pull together a post and add it tomorrow.  Why not join in?  At leat be sure to go visit and see all the inspiration.

We were only 9 degrees this morning when I woke up; makes me wonder what the temp will be at noon for my temperature quilt hexie today.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Whoop Whoop Friday

Since I am into my 'finish it' phase, I pulled the next tote from the grey crate tower next to the machine.  The Temecula Geese will be the order for the day.  With the new Snowball QAL in progress, this one needs to be finished.  They were sewn into rows of four and those dark/light rows into making eights.  So much easier to finally put them into the final rows with larger units.  

The last Patchwork Sampler block has been released with the setting instructions.  The blocks work up rather quickly so I am hoping to get the sashings and inner border cut cut so I can put that big hunk of Kona back on the shelf.  Actually I know of a 2018 project that I'm going to use it in.  I'll change the outer border to a piano key setting so I can use up the leftover block fabric.  I know I bought an extra wide for the backing on this one - it's in that huge tote (labeled), so this one will be worked on thru the weekend.

The next clue for 'On Ringo Lake' has come out, too.  Aqua and browns (I need to search for some darker browns) to play with.  I will cut a few at a time to have at the machine to use as leader/enders while I work on the above two projects.  There are a lot of units this time and working them as leader/enders make quick work of them while completing something else.

Bella is squirreled away somewhere, so I only have Moe for Feline Friday.  You know it's cold when he prefers to keep his spot in bed rather than do his normal morning 'walk about'.

**  linking up with Whoop,Whoop Friday and Feline Friday **

I'm happily getting some NaNa time later today and there has been a request to bring my sewing supplies to mend some stuffies.  I'll take some craft projects, too.  They can create along side of me - I love it!

Stay warm and enjoy the weekend,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Scrappy Wednesday

I've added more frosty and dark blue scraps into the temperature quilt tote.  Soon I will be adding a few purples because we are COLD and going to get COLDER!!  We've had more snow and will get even more snow, but I'm not using anything special to notate at this point.  I do have some swirly, flake, star, snowy looking blues there though.

41 - 37 - 34 - 31 - 31 - 35 - 36

With the furkids tending to prefer to find a nice comfy, warm napping spot while in this cold spell - I might just get this project finished without extra help.  I am using the Temecula Quilt Co. Snowballs corner work as leader/enders while I do this.

I just have one last row of blocks to put together and add to that second half.  Then I can 'marry' the two flimsies into a finish.  It will have to go into the 'to be quilted' extra large tub to wait it's turn for quilting as there are others deserving a turn under the machine.

Once this is done, I have some serious re-organizing to do to straighten up my storage and work space with the Holiday getting closer.  I need to focus on one project at a time at this point just to get them further onto the next step.

And my dear friend, Sarah, over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict has come up with a fabulous idea for next year in getting control of our scraps.  Being a scrap quilter I don't want to use them up, but with so many donations that came in over the last couple of months I need to have a plan.  I just LOVE this idea and will be joining in.

Take time to play today,

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon