2019 - Bring It On

I am looking forward to a new year and my primary goal is to make Pigs Fly!  Pigs as in Projects in Grocery Sacks.  Now I don't ever keep anything in a grocery sack, but I have a lot of totes full of them.  These by the machine are blocks ready for a flimsy assembly or top needing a final border -borders, yuck.

The right shelf unit holds many totes and boxes of the same thing.  Most of these are products of those darn squirrels that take me away from finishing.

This monstor is always staring me in the face.  This is a cute laundry bag that now holds my 'gifted' scraps.  His belly is so stuffed that he won't stay fastened to the hanger from all that weight.  The kitty food bag a friend made for me and that holds all of my scraps of white, w/w, muslin, lights.  These yellow companions are going to feed on of my RSC19  projects.  Debbie of Stitchin' Therapy showed this Chandelier Block and I fell in love.  Then  Gene Black did a mock up of it with a dark background.  I may have to make two quilts - maybe it will empty that monster.

Oh, the big totes in the back ground need serious taming as well.  Behind the monster the clear tote has cut  batting (that huge box with roll is now gone).  Those are for the quilts in the other clear tote - waiting to be quilted.  The dark totes - one holds my minky, plushy, flannels and the other holds all my extra wide backings.

And I seem to have a lot of bags full of bags.  I get them from my gifting scrap folks.  I think I need to put them in the shop and let people take them.

The left shelving unit is a little dismal, but you can see my shoe box totes are rather stuffed and they will be tamed with RSC as well - some color quilts for future donations.  My books are usually neat, but I was looking thru them to pull one for the up coming Hop.  The top shelf is my yardage whites and shirtings and I use them a lot thru a year.  The second shelf is my 'yardage' - yes, laugh.  I am thinking about Spring there will be a need to hit up a LQS 'buy the bolt' sale to restock this.

The white rolling unit to the side (there is two) are my SIL's things and that area needs some work as well.

I like to participate in the many Hops thru the year as it is great for inspiration, new creativity, and stretching the boundaries.  Working on finishing up my Black & White project.  Also, with these Hops I hope to share more tutorials as it has been a while.

I am going to try and avoid those wonderful QALS, but will always add them to the sidebar for someone else to enjoy.  Those Squirrels are going to be chased away.  I heard someone fall of their chair.  NO it is all about the PIGS for 2019.

My you all have a safe and Happy New Year,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

RSC18 Finishes & Looking Forward

Personally, I am not very good at BOMs as I get antsy waiting for the next block.  I, also, get a lot of scraps donated which I break down into my storage system by color.  Those color totes get rather stuffed at times, so I use the Rainbow Scrap Challenge to make an entire quilt (or miniature) with the monthly color.  These quilts are then passed on as charity donations, wrapping someone in a much needed warm hug.

And since my color totes are still very crammed with goodness, I will be using this same system with RSC19 .  I'm looking forward to January's color and very happy that Angela is continueing for another year.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Best of 2018

I would like to thank Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs for hosting the "Best Of" linky party again this year.  We could chose 5 posts from the year and that was hard when you do a lot of posts.  Please be sure to visit - and even take part in - HERE.

 

I chose one of my scrappy posts to represent my usual style of quilting.  I do a Monday Making and Scrappy Wednesday post each week, but this one also represents the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) and my annual quilt for the Pantone color of the year.  I am not a purple fan, but this quilt absolutely thrilled me.  I used the RSC this year to make a full size quilt using the color of the month instead of a select block - so I had a lot of quilts this year.

I like to participate in a lot of blogger Hops and chose THIS ONE because it was also a new technique' to me for the year and I shared a tutorial.  I'll be expanding on this in the New Year as I plan to take a few classes on using different overlay technique's.

I had to select my post for the Pets on Quilts quilt show which I look forward to each year.   Both of my furkids have been top bananas in this show in the past, so this year I chose to enter in the pet themed quilt  catagory. 

Another annual event I like to participate in is the H2H as charity quilts are a priority for me.  I get a lot of scraps and estate fabric clean-outs gifted to me and I feel they should be re-gifted as quilty hugs.  You can read this post for 2018 HERE.

As I stated before, I love doing a lot of the blogger Hops and was thrilled to be invited to participate in the Quilters Meet & Greet which was my most visited post for the year.  THIS POST gave me a chance to show what I am as a quilter and share some of my most memorable quilt moments.

Thank you for stopping by and please be sure to visit the other link ups.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Monday Making

I found another shoe box tote with some odds and ends in it.  As I'm not in the mood for starting something new and big, this is the perfect little play time mess.  A few strings and strattas that can be used in the scrappy hexie paper pieced blocks.  There aren't too many of these done - made to clean out another string collection in a baggy.  So a few more will get done and this pile cleaned out.

Left over units from last years Bonnie Hunter mystery.  I never completed the mystery - some of the units I used in the aqua/pink star quilt.  By turning those geese units the other way show cases those 9-patches.  Just dipping into the aqua tote to cut out some corners.  There is enough here to make 20 blocks and those will be used in a donation quilt for my guild.

There are a few other odds and ends in that tote, but I will add them to the box with the extras that I plan to use to make a 'kitchen sink' quilt.  These things should clean up quickly, then a little house straightening and the machine put away.

  
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be spent with family.  I will be back Wednesday for the 'Best of 2018'.  Blessings from our home to yours.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Whooping Friday

With all my 'need to get done' projects finished for the year, I can breath and take focus of what plans need to be made for the New Year.  To give my fingers some rest on the Hexie work, I decided I needed to visit a few projects that are in slow progress.  One being the Postage Stamp blocks.  I made a few more of the blocks using 1.5" squares and there are now nine completed.

Then I made a couple more of the 2.5" sq blocks to round these out to 12 blocks now hanging.  Neither of these projects have made much of a dent in the scrap barrels.

Here they are side by side so you can see the difference in the look.  These are the most popular quilts in the shop and I think I have just one left.  But, these are to be worked on slowly and I am in no rush to re-stock inventory as now is the time to relax a bit.

This is another project sitting around waiting it's turn to be worked on.  This is the last display board of pre-cut bits so I will work them up today.  These blocks will wait for some larger projects to be finished so I have the scraps of 30's fabrics to add into this mix.  Another quilt not to be rushed.

Thank you all for the well wishes on my neck pain - I found that the ThermaCare Heat Wraps are doing a better job than the heating pad; plus I am more mobile.  We are into a sudden warm stretch with LOTS of rain and I think all of NYS is on flood alert.  Good time to stay inside and sew the day away.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Scrappy Wednesday

There is a despirate need to sort thru the Civil War totes.  Things are in a jumble and a few non-CW fabrics have floated into here.  The easiest way is to just dump it all out and the slowly sift thru pulling color out, pressing, and then neatly folding/stacking back into the tote.

There is tote for the colors and a tote for the lights, which looks pretty much like 'mushy' medium browns/beige.  I think I need to get some new light shirtings in the new year as well as come up with a plan for the mushy.

  
The reason for the gleening of the CW totes is I need these for the next step for the Temecula "Summer Scraps" quilt.  264 Broken Dishes blocks are going to take a long time and when I pulled out the project tote, I have very few finished or in stages.  I have discovered in my cutting that I am suffering from 'Quilter's Neck/Shoulders' from the marathon of quilting.  A few at a time will get done - slow and steady along with sessions with the heating pad.

I figured I could work on a small hand project while using the heating pad.  I haven't worked on these 'tile' hexies for a couple of months.  The Cheddar & Indigo project traveled all Spring and Summer, then sadly forgotten.

If I can get at least a few of the center rosettes done, the Cheddar can be done later.  It will certainly travel again in 2019.  I have another spindle of white thread waiting to be used.  When they get down pretty far, I don't
like to use them on the machine as they 'skip' and shake your stitches.  They get set into a box to be used for hand stitching only.

I finally have my car back from the garage - Mery Christmas to me.  BUT, we are into the Artic Blast with extreme cold, winds, and snow.  I don't go out in that.  Today is to be better and Mom want's to get out, so a trip up the road to the Dollar Store and Valley Market are on the agenda.  Once home I will get back to my slow progress.  Slowing down seems like a good idea at this time.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Monday Making

Something New is on the way.  A very boring photo, but I thought I needed to get a jump on my project for the Black & White Hop.  A step away from all the color I have been working with.  There might even be a pattern and tutorial - something I haven't done in a long while.

The three 'Abundance' memory quilts laid out on the sofa in the Shop.  Maybe you can catch that binding fabric - a 'border' print that I cut across so it looked more of a stripe.  It was the perfect color blend match around those quilts without taking away from the pattern and flow of the design.  The white was all pieces of Kona White from my scrap tote.

And the flip-side.  The blue 'Queen Ann's Lace' print, the very pastel floral, and the black 'tile' print were the pieces saved for the backs and each quilt has them pieced into the back in a little different way (with one other print) so that each quilt has every one of the 32 pieces of fabric in them.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Seeing the End

I rarely work one project from start to end, so working three quilts from first cut to last stitch of a binding - that is pushing me.  I really enjoyed working on these as the lovely prints and  colors just worked so well with this two-block setting.  BUT by the last few rows of 'cross-hatch' quilting, I was so ready for these to be done!

There were three pieces I set aside for backing and each back has these pieced in them.  This wonderful border/row print was used for all of the bindings.  Appropriate as it was the initial piece of fabric that all the other colors/prints were pulled from.

This gal was my challange mixed in with all of this - she LOVED the flannel (and the colors too I think).  I had the worse time keeping her off anything in progess; especially when it came time for quilting.  All that soft, cuddly goodness!  She was scolded, shooed, swatted a few times, and even picked up and set on the time-out chair - hence the evil glare.

Hopefully the camera will be charged by tomorrow (I hate this new camera) so I can  get photos of the three quilts in their finished state - and before the owner comes to pick them up.

I am ready for something NEW,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Monday Making

This is just part of the 240 blocks completed.  Yes, 80 blocks each quilt - three quilts.  Good thing I love to make blocks!

How do you complete that many quickly?  There are several ways and I used a lot of different strattas that were then sub-cut.  Then a lot of chaining all those pieces one right after another until a block emerged.  Mass production at it's best.  

This is what is left of the pieces I pulled and this.........

all the pieces that weren't used.  See, I said there was enough for 10 quilts.  There are three prints on the very top I haven't used in the fronts that are going to be pieced  for the backs.  That way every single print is going to be used in each quilt - as the client wanted.

 The first quilt is going up on the design wall - a flannel backed table cloth tacked to my louver doors to my washer/dryer.  Now to power sew those flimsies!  I know she said to take my time as there was no hurry, but I would like these out the door before the holiday.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Quilting and New

I have still been in quilting mode.  This was another RC18 block quilt.  The centers are cute little froggies and they had a touch of pinky/red in them so I tossed a few red polka dot squares in the green mix.  The back and binding is the limey green.

And this lovely Burgoyne Surrounded quilt is staying right with me.  I love this Nancy Gere fabric line and the block is area history relavant.  It was gifted to me as payment for all the donated fabrics I share with the gals that come to sew.  Well, one insisted she pay me for all that fabric and I told her to bring me an ugly.  This is what she gave me - Thank You Diane!  Not ugly to me and yes, I am keeping this one.

Then I have this tote to play in for the next few days.  A new commission using all of these flannels - one corderoy and one cotton.  These were used to cover hay bales for an outdoor farm wedding.  Now the mom wants three memory quilts from all of this - and I think there is enough for 10 quilts.  I pulled the lightest ones out to use as pieced backs.

This is the pattern she chose and it is perfect for this abundance of lovely fabrics.  I know a lot of people hate to work with flannel, but this is very good quality flannel and there are some prints in that tote that I would love to have in my own stash.  ** pattern is called Abundance but I have no reference and when I google search - 1000 plus abundance patterns popped up except this one **

So this is my next few days work - and scrappy goodness as well.  We are into a very cold snap with possible heavy snow thru the weekend; I think I can amuse myself indoors.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon