Soltice & Rainbows

I am enjoying Bonnie's new mystery.  It has been a while since I did one and grateful she offered two sizes - I'm doing the smaller version and staying with her suggested colors because I HAD those.  I had a lot of 2" strips of green - must have been planning a log cabin quilt, but they are getting used up here.  Stacked them and made quick work of making those bricks.  I had most of the yellows in my 2" barrel so not a lot of cutting needed there.  And I had a lot of neutrals already cut, but I picked up a couple of shirting layer cakes so I could add more variety.  Again, stacked those and made for quick cutting.  We are in for that ice storm to move in to our area, so as long as we don't lose power, I will keep working on these until the chevrons are completed.

I love this pattern and may just use it to make a planned quilt in 2014.  I didn't use the black in any of my projects - leaving the option of a black sashing.

And the 6" log cabin blocks - you just can't go wrong with a log cabin.

The bitty stars all twinkling.....

The Sprout blocks waiting to grow.......

None of these blocks are going to be a finish with me because they are all packed up and ready to head out to Sarah - Confessions of a Fabric Addict - and her wonderful group to hopefully find that perfect home to fill a heart with hope and love.  They are a group that I love to send blocks and flimsies to and will continue in 2014.

For the RSC14 I plan on working a LOT of string blocks because that is what is left in that big tote.  I was going to try the muslin foundation, but everyone had passed on their old phone books to me - so I will be using up that phone paper.  And I have a lot of 1.5" squares in that barrel (along with the strings) that I think a postage stamp quilt is in the cards, too.

I will be linking up with:

Bonnie at  Quiltville   - Celtic Soltice

Angela at ScrapHappy - RSC13

Judy at   Patchwork Times  - Design Wall Monday

Please visit these linkies and see what others have done.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Lost-Found-GiveAway

It is December and the last few BOMs I am following are finishing up.  And I can't find the rest of the blocks to them.  Fabric, yes - blocks, no.  And I keep all things together - so this is a mystery.  So I worked on a mystery.  Using my SILs machine I did up all the pieces for Celtic Soltice clue #1.

  
Actually, this is for Bea - I mentioned to her I wasn't putting a tree up - maybe no decorating at all.  But, the shop is decorated and we used these dowel trees.

My Dad made these years ago for sale in the shop and we have just a few left, so keep them for display now.  The base - maybe you can make out the seam above the dowels - he made bases and then different sections so you could 'build' a tree.

And some of the sections had fewer and shorter dowels - building your tree.  There were scroll work wood stars for the top, but they have since been lost.  So instead of putting up a fake or real tree in the shop - these treasures have found a purpose in the shop this year - and hold a memory of Dad.

I am lost as this poor old girl had to go to the shop - she'll be home for Christmas - BUT boy I sure do miss her. She will be retired as strictly my piecing machine because - well she is aging and deserves to be petted nicely - BUT -----

On Cyber-Monday I found a great deal on this - A Juki HZL G110 for a third of it's original price (with extras).  You can see her stats HERE.  I am impatiently waiting for my Christmas present to ME to get here.

GIVE AWAY

Since I had reached 600 posts and over 200,000 views, and I am sure I am over 700 followers (everyone follows a different way now - I don't know what the total is) - so I feel we need a really good Christmas Give Away.  So I am giving two $50 gift certificates with Fat Quarter Shop away - one for my USA followers and one for my out-of-states followers.  Simply tell me what  you have lost or found this month - include if you are US or OOS - and if you are a no-reply responder, leave your e-mail.  I will leave comments open until 10pm (EST)Friday the 13th (ah, lucky day) and post the winners soon after - and will contact immediately - I want you to have those gift certificates for a wonderful Christmas.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

On The Wall Monday

I got a small FQ bundle of Midwinter Red and because of the vending season, just didn't get to it until now.  I wanted to use this for the Temecula Quilt Co. 'Count Down to Christmas' mystery quilt.  Well the mystery was revealed by the time I started.

I changed the size of my blocks (from 2" finished to 3" finished) and I have all the sub-units together so I can start assembling the quilt at leasure during December.  I think I will border this so I have a nice size quilt.

Jo's Country Junction put out a challenge to finish up one of your Bonnie Hunter UFOs before the new mystery came out.  This is the Bricks and Stepping Stones in her free pattern list.  I had cut the bricks all thru the year with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and the stepping stones are trims from two quilts finished during the year - use it up.  Now that I see it out on the bed, I think it needs a border for a little more size - which means it will have to be sent off to a longarmer as it will be more than I can wrangle thru my home machine.

  
And with that new mystery Quiltville - Celtic Solstice, I got all my pieces cut for the first clue.  I used the Tri-Rec ruler and it really wasn't that difficult a process.  I may have taken longer because I really browsed my scrap bins and tubs to use even the smallest bits up.  That's a good feeling - and I even got all my scraps down into one tub now - whoo hoo!!

My plan for today is to get these pieced.  My poor old workhorse machine is limping so I will call to see when my LQS has the repairman scheduled for pick-ups and book her a time at the SPA.  So I will be using my SIL's machine.  It's Cyber-Monday, maybe I can find a good deal on a new machine and retire that sweet old gal to just piecing.

The last block for the Quilt Doodle Designs BOM 2013.  I had just enough of my white background (odds and ends left) and luckily I made sure I had 2 layer cakes of the same print saved (light green) - the rest is scraps I saved from other blocks.  I have just scraps and 2 layer cakes left from the Birds & Berries.  All my sashings are made, so this is another project to finish this month as Cindy plans a quilt parade January.  I do love this fabric line, and it made for some great blocks - excited to see this one together.  

I will be linking up with:

Judy at Patchwork Times

Jo at Jo's Country Junction - Challenge Update

Bonnie at Quiltville - Celtic Solstice Monday

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

November NewFO - 2013

So hard to believe we are almost finished with another year.  November was so busy for me with things for Hops and vending that this long month really flew by.

Items for the 'For The Boys' blog hop.  I made crayon rollups for my vending booth and the shop and they sold out quicker than you can wink!  Most of my 'boy/men' items did well and there were a lot of comments on how nice it was to find things to buy for the males of the family.

And the chicken quilt for the 'Black Tie Boogie' hop.  I think I have narrowed down the names for Elvis' girls from all those suggestions.  I will get those added in December.

The mini wreath done on the Christmas QAL weekend, simple project table runner, Bea's leader/ender blocks - they should become a flimsie in December, and of course that fun pink cadillac fabric project(s).

I know NewFO is to encourage starting something new with no rush or no finish and no pressure, but I do have a tendency to finish don't I - LOL!!  December will be more laid back with just playing with a few finishes as desired and taking my time with Bonnie Hunter's new mystery.  I thank Barbara of Cat Patches for hosting - be sure to see what others have linked.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon