MORE SMALL FINISHES

I wanted to use more of the Christmas fabric, so I pulled out an old pattern, and completed 4 more items for the guild Boutique at our next show.

This was a fun project because you make 2 different blocks from each set of fabric.  Double the fun!

The first pair are candle mats.  These were made from 2 different 2 inch strips of fabric, stitched together, then a third fabric 3 1/2 inches .  When cut apart, they form 6 of each set of 60 degree triangles. 


These finish 10 x 11.5 inches.

Then I used the same method, but started with wider strips and made 2 table toppers, featuring more of my gingerbread fabric.



These  two finished 
16.5 x 19.5  inches.

I finally took some time to clear up all the scraps on my cutting table.  I started to make 4 patches with leftover Christmas fabric, and began playing with a layout, but I talked myself into setting them aside to work on a quilt for my grandchildren.

Yesterday, DH and I headed to Plant City FL. to visit Inspire, a lovely quilt shop, of course.  I had a gift card, so I picked up a few pieces of fabric to add to the grandchildren's quilts project.  I also found a great panel, that I will make into a wall hanging for our granddaughter's room.  It is bright and cheery and features an octopus and his friends.

FINALLY - TOOK A PHOTO OF MY DECEMBER FINISH

This is my finished version of Jewel Box Stars.  I decided that I had made enough blocks, as I have other quilts waiting their turn, especially 2 for my grandchildren.  When I counted the completed blocks, I was short by 2, so I got out my phone book paper, and made the final two.
Since they were different from the rest, I decided to put a long strip of the border fabric in between.  

I had fun making this quilt, digging through my scraps and small chunks of fabric leftover from various projects.  It is a bright and cheery quilt, and I hope it will bring a smile to its new owner.  I'll donate it through my guild's Community Quilts project.

I was going to put my Christmas fabric back on the shelf, but then I remembered a project I worked on a couple of years ago, so before I knew it, I had 2 more table toppers, and 2 candle mats waiting to be quilted.  The fabric that I used for the backing was in my stash since the early 1990's, so it needed to go.  I have a few scraps remaining, but these will be cut into 2 inch squares for some holiday 4 or 9 patches!

OFF TO A GOOD START

Since I still had my small collection of Christmas fabric on the cutting table, I hunted through my saved patterns, and decided to try the "Gather 'Round Runner" pattern from Iowa Star Quilts, that was part of their year of runners in 2006.

 The background fabric is a poinsettia print with silver highlights, and I used the remainder of the piece!  This will go in my collection of items for the boutique at my guild's next quilt show.

I soaked the beans for 15 bean soup last night, so this morning, I drained the soaking water, and added fresh, along with a ham bone that I had saved in the freezer.  We are having soup for lunch!

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Fabric used this week 0 yards

Fabric used year to date  115.25 yards

Fabric added this week 0 yards

Fabric added year to date  28.5 yards

Net fabric used 2014  86.75 yards

Nothing completed this week, although I have 2 more scrappy flannel quilts in the works, just waiting to be quilted!

I've spent the week catching up on some chores around the house, finishing some cross-stitch Christmas ornaments for my friends' church sale in the fall (I make things when I have time), looking through some quilt books for inspiration for some up-coming projects, visiting with friends, etc.

After stitching each pattern, I "fringed" the edges, then mounted each on felt, trimming the felt with a pinking blade.  The hangers are made of a sparkly silver yarn that was leftover from a long ago knitting project.

Check out the stash reports at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

This wall hanging is about 40 inches square.  The tea pot blocks had been in my stash for a long time, but I think what stopped me from using them, was that there were only 8.  I decided to make a paper pieced block to round it out to 9, and found this one in my stash of patterns.  The original block was a mystery project from Paper Panache.  It was shared in time for Mother's Day a while back, and has a heart theme (handles, cup and tea pot lid).  There were also hearts on the pot, but I decided to make it all in print fabric instead.  I also used the same print for the binding.  Now I have to find a home for it!

Some things are difficult to photograph, and I find that embroidered blocks, especially those with lots of metallic thread are among the hardest for an amateur to do well......

All of the angel embroideries in this quilt were made with 3 shades of metallic thread, excluding their hair, skin and some small details.  The pot in the bottom right hand corner block is made of silver thread, and hardly shows at all. 

In person, this is a great quilt!  I decided to stop after the first border, but did add a narrow yellow accent strip to the edge before adding the binding.

Here's the star of the show!

 I just love the expressions on the sheep!  This is what attracted me to this project at first.







This project was designed by Natashia Curtin of Smee Designs and is found in the July 2012 edition of Australian Homespun magazine, available as an e-edition at Zinio.com

The designer's humour shows in every block.  My only complaint is that I was having such fun stitching the blocks, I was sad when I completed the last one!

Check out Judy's blog, Patchwork Times, to see all the shared creativity this week!

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

This is block 8, called "Keep It Down!"  I am working on the final block to complete "A Long Time Ago in Bethlehem".  I didn't stitch them in order - I cut the largest pieces of fabric first, to make sure I didn't have a seam anywhere, then cut the rest, making the best use of my background fabric.  My quilt group is going on an "outing" to a shop about 2 hours away on Wednesday, so I hope to find fabric for the sashing between the blocks, so I can assemble the centre of the wall hanging.  I think that the rest will wait until we return north in April, as I'm sure I have lots of fabric in my stash to complete the quilt.  I'm trying to use up my huge stash of Christmas fabrics....
Check out Judy's blog, Patchwork Times, to see all the creativity this week.....

STASH REPORT WEEK 1

Fabric used this week  18.625 yards

Fabric used year to date  18.625 yards

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  0 yards

Net used 2014  18.625 yards

I love new beginnings, and especially starting the new year right, by finishing several small projects, that add up to quite a bit of fabric.  I'm enjoying machine quilting on my Bernina 710, finding it quite effortless.  It has handled every thread I've threaded through it, with very little fussing with tension issues etc.

This Christmas door panel seemed to be everywhere on the internet this fall.  DH chose it for our outside front entry, but I didn't get it finished in time.  It will have to make its debut at Christmas 2014!

Now I have to get back to finishing a few more small projects that have been hanging around for a while - not usually the case for me.  I like to make a project from start to finish before beginning a new one!

Check out everyones' start to the new year of stash reports at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS PROJECT COMPLETED!

I completed the final quilting on the double wedding ring runner today.  I used sparkly green Glitter hologram mylar thread by Superior Threads to stitch the motifs in the centres and the melons.  It is super shiny in person, but doesn't photograph well......

 Now I just have to decide which project to begin next.  I think I'll have to find one that needs 1 1/2 inch strips as my strip bin is really overflowing!!!!

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

In the spring I saw a double wedding ring template set demo'd on a TV show - it seemed to be the simplest I had seen, so I ordered one.  It is from ez-Quilting and is found here or here.

I had some gradated solid fabric left over from a previous project, and so thought I'd give it a try.  The templates worked wonderfully for cutting the pieces, and the whole project went together easily!  Since I had chosen the red and green gradations, I decided to go with a Christmas theme.  The ends of the arcs are made with a gold fabric with holly and berries, and the squares are dark red with Christmas light bulbs and green with more holly and sparkles.  I used a narrow red stripe that has been in my stash more years than I want to remember to make the bias binding.  I have all the basic quilting done, but still have to quilt in the centres and the melons!  My friend saw it last night and hinted that it would make a great Christmas gift!

Today we left early and drove to Whitby to start our passport renewal process.  They finally have 10 year passports as of 1 July.  We only had to wait about 15 minutes, but by the time we were done, the waiting room was filling up!  

After taking care of  business we drove up to my brother's "shop".  He has been a custom car/ custom motorcycle enthusiast his whole life.  He found a shop building at an old mill in a small town north of Pickering ON.  He has the use of the building in exchange for odd jobs for the owner.  He was a welder by trade, so did all the iron work on a huge gazebo on the property.  The owner lives in a small part of the mill, and there are currently a quilt shop, tea room and small restaurant on the ground floor (all closed on Monday!)  There are still more changes occurring all the time.  The owner has some small burros - two were from a rescue group, and one arrived expecting.  My brother helped to deliver the baby, who is now larger than his mother!  He and his better half feed them carrots and apples for treats!  His friends are always dropping by, getting help with small projects.  He built the motorcycle himself, with parts donated from all his riding buddies and it is beautiful. Of course, I forgot to take the camera!!!!!!

Check out all the creativity at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.