350 Blocks Project~ January

I joined the

350 Blocks Project

for 2015 thinking it would be fun to see how many

Blocks I make in a year.

This is also a great motivating project!

Here are the blocks I made in January...

First, I added 24 Blocks to this quilt to make it bigger.

Next, I finished making the blocks for my

"Connect the Dots" quilt, adding another 24 to my total.

(Thank you Lea Anne for the name of my quilt!)

This week I pulled out my Batik scraps and made 36 blocks using HST's.

(More of this quilt will be shown on Monday.)

And finally, I made two wool applique blocks last night for another project.

My total number of blocks made for January is 86!!

I would love for all months to be this productive! 

Happy Quilting!!

A Friday Flimsie

My polka dot "Mailbox" top is all sewn together!

(I still can't figure out where the name "Mailbox" came from for this pattern...

And I have yet to come up with another name.)

I am really pleased with this top,

especially since it is FULL of polka dots!!

This quilt was made from a kit from one of my local quilt shops.

Since polka dots are one of my favorites...

it was a must purchase.

Next is preparing the backing and sending it off to my LAQ.

After I finished my polka dot top,

I pulled out some batik scraps and started another quilt.

There were LOTS of HST's to piece and trim.

I keep them attached in the chain and line them up to trim.

This goes much faster for me and I am trimming

and cutting the threads to separate them all at the same time.

I just move down the mat and trim away.

Don't you just love these piles of trimmings??

The batik HST's are ready for pressing.

Oh I love batiks!!

Have a great weekend 

and

Happy Quilting!!

Half Way Finished

On my Design Wall today are two halves of a quilt.

One half has the blocks stitched together

(but not pressed)

and the other half is waiting its turn.

I really like how this quilt is coming together.

It has been a bit trickier to make than I anticipated,

but the results are nice.

 Hopefully the pressing will be done today.

NOT my favorite thing to do!  :)

But it will be warm on this cold, rainy day!

 

With our rainy weather, it will be a good day to sew the second half together.

I've also pretty much finished my latest Bucilla Stocking.

I have to add some cording for the shoelaces

and some "lights" garland and then the front is done.

These are the cutest stockings!

AND... so much fun to make!!

These elves are just adorable!

They will be holding "lights" in their hands,

which I hope to to add soon.

I need to quilt the piece from which I will make the actual stocking

and then I will stitch this to it for the front.

This stocking kit and many others can be found at

Merry Stockings or Herrschners.

Please visit Patchwork Times to see what others are working on this week.

I am thinking of all of you who are in the path of this blizzard.

I pray for your safety and warmth.

Happy Quilting!

Blocks are Pieced...

I finished piecing and trimming the blocks

for my latest quilt...

Mailbox.

(I need to come up with another name...

this doesn't look like a mailbox to me at all!)

They are up on my Design Wall

and will "percolate" for a couple of days.

I keep seeing the same fabrics together and

am moving a block to break up the pair.

(I've already moved a block to break up the light blue squares in the middle.)

I started sewing the blocks with two sets of matching fabric,

but was having a difficult time arranging the blocks 

without the same fabrics being next to each other.

I decided the second half of the blocks would have

four different fabrics in each.

Doing this made the arranging a little easier.

The yellow isn't quite as bright in person,

but it adds a nice punch to the top.

Next...

Begin sewing all of these blocks together.

:)

Happy Quilting!!

Ziggity Zag

I was asked to test a quilt pattern for

Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic

and it is

Finished!!

I love this quilt!

The pattern was fun to make and

the design is wonderful.

This one I named

Ziggity Zag.

It will be for my niece

who is a jazz and tap dancer.

She Zigs and Zags all over the dance floor.

I really liked how Jan quilted her quilt

and used a variation of her design.

My circles started out close together and then grew

as I got to the edge.

One of my goals this year is to improve my

Machine Quilting.

I usually send quilts this size off to my LAQ,

but decided to do this one myself.

It isn't perfect, but it's finished.

:)

I love the fabric I found for this backing...

On Sale!!

If you like this quilt design,

Jan is selling the patterns on her website.

Happy Quilting!

Return to the Design Wall

I had this quilt on my

Design Wall

back in October.

Then Christmas sewing got in the way.

It's time to get this finished and checked off of my list.

Half of the blocks are finished and on the design wall.

The blocks will be rearranged as I finish the rest of them.

This pattern is "Mailbox" by Laundry Basket Quilts.

I love polka dots!! 

(The red isn't as bright as it looks in the photos.)

 The rest of the pieces are cut,

some parts are stitched together

and in the process of becoming blocks.

Hopefully by the end of the week the blocks will be finished.

:)

Please visit Patchwork Times to see what others are making.

Happy Quilting!

First Finish

WOOHOO!!

I have my first finish of 

2015.

The Disappearing Four Patch Baby Quilt

is quilted and bound.

I kept the quilting simple.

There is enough going on in this little quilt already.

 

These are my favorite colors!

So bright and cheery on this dreary day.

 

I used a "cheater" cloth on the back and for the binding.

It's like two quilts in one!

I haven't decided if this quilt will be given to my

church's baby quilt ministry 

or if I'll keep it and  have on on hand when I need it.

Most likely it will end up at church.

Happy Quilting!!

Bright Baby Quilt Design Wall

I have a bright Baby quilt ready for quilting this week!

After making the quilt below,

I had some great scraps left.

(The is Broken Chevron... you can purchase the pattern from

Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic.)

While organizing the scraps, they were saying

"Disappearing Four Patch, Disappearing Four Patch!"

I began to cut and sew and cut and sew

and ended up with this Baby quilt.

As I was playing with the blocks,

they ended up in the diagonal rows.

These blocks really work in this design.

I was one block short of the polka dots

so I had to piece a square.

Can you see it?

This one goes into the 

"To Be Quilted" pile.

I need to get quilting!!

 

I love these bright colors...

my favorite color combination.

Visit Patchwork Times to see what others are creating.

Stay warm

and 

Quilt on!

Broken Chevron

Back in the fall I was asked to test a pattern for

Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic.

This was such a fun quilt to make

and her pattern was so easy to follow.

To make this quilt you need to like making

Flying Geese!

Well....

She let me know the other day that

Her pattern is ready!

I can show the quilt I made with her

Broken Chevron Pattern.

I gave you a sneak peak a few days ago...

I love the BRIGHT colors I used!

Here is a little more.  :)

Broken Chevron

Isn't this a great pattern??

I love the zigs and zags...

the peaks and valleys...

the fractures and pieces...

Hopefully it will be quilted and bound

by the end of next week.

 

I will be making this pattern again.

Can you see it with Christmas fabrics??

Please visit Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic

and see other versions of this quilt...

AND

purchase a pattern.

:)

Stay warm everyone!

 

Happy Quilting!!

Handwork

My knitting hiatus continues...

(I've been having pain in my shoulder and arm when I knit :(  )

but I have been getting some other handwork done!

I can't just sit and do nothing....

my hands have to be busy.

I pulled out another Bucilla kit I had purchased

a while ago and had not made.

These kits are so much fun!

The felt is stamped, the directions are so clear and

everything needed except the stuffing or batting is in the kit.

As long as I go in the order of the directions,

there are no problems.

Instead of using stuffing, I use scraps of batting to fill the pieces,

where needed. The directions tell you what pieces need stuffing.

Here is the latest:

You can see the stamped felt in this photo.

Each piece is numbered and has lines to show where the next piece

overlaps, if necessary.

 

Isn't this little guy cute?

 

The sequins add so much to these stockings.

I usually purchase my kits from

Merry Stockings

or

Herrschners.

I will keep stitching away and will

have a gift made early this year!

Happy Stitching!

A little Cleaning....

So....

Once again, I was supposed to be cleaning my

"Hidey Hole"

and just HAD to stop to play with some scraps!

(I did get all of my Christmas stuff put away 

and cleaned the house after that! Just not my sewing room.)

These are the fabrics I am using in the pattern testing quilt I am making for

Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic.

That top is finished, but won't be revealed until Jan is ready to

publish the pattern.

I need to get it quilted and hope to do that at the end of the week.

Here is a sneak peak, though.

 

This pile of scraps just kept saying to me

"Disappearing Four Patch, Disappearing Four Patch."

What was I to do, but start cutting.

I have my new "Go Cutter," so I got that out and began.

So far, so good!

These blocks go together so quickly!

A pile ready to press and trim.

I guess I am cleaning... cleaning out some of my scraps!!

Happy Tuesday

and

Happy Quilting!

 

First 2015 Design Wall

It's the beginning of a new year and I seem to be

needing to get some things cleaned up and finished up here.

My last post showed a top I completed

using some blocks I had started several years ago.

Today I have another top that I added to over the weekend.

I had made a bunch of 9 patches and made a small checkerboard top

with the intention of appliqueing a

Scarecrow and some pumpkins onto it.

I started pulling fabric and the oranges were too strong for this.

More oranges came out of my stash

and more 9 patches were made.

Now I have a larger checkerboard top and I love it....

Just as it is.

I will quilt it, bind it and call it a finish.

I realized yesterday that I haven't shown the 

finished (not quilted) tee shirt quilt 

I made for my daughter for Christmas.

I was sewing the last border on this one two days before Christmas!

 It was difficult getting a good picture of this queen size quilt.

My photography skills need to improve in this area!

My daughter was thrilled.

Please visit Patchwork Times to see what others are creating in

this new year.

Happy Quilting!!

Hello 2015!!

Another year filled with plans and dreams begins.

Starting a new year is almost like a "do over."

What do I need to improve on this year...

what do I need to change....

what do I need to add to my life...

or take away...?

The possibilities are endless.

I started 2015 off sewing.

(shocking, I know!!)

See, I was SUPPOSED to be cleaning my sewing room.

And I was doing pretty well

Until...

I found a bin with partially constructed blocks

from several years ago. 

What's a quilter to do?

"It won't take long to sew these into a top and then

I can use this bin for something else!"

Well, a little over a day later we have this:

This block is Bonnie Hunter's "Crabapples" from 2007.

Several years ago I made a quilt with these blocks and had the

Checkerboard patches sewn together for more blocks.

A little paper piecing, cutting of setting triangles, sashing and cornerstones

and here we are.

Okay... Maybe NOW I'll get my sewing room cleaned!

Happy New Year

 and

 Happy Quilting!