Friday Fun

Right now I have lots of little things going on in my Hidey Hole.

Sometimes I just need to do a little of this and a little of that

and hop from project to project.

Nothing NEEDS to be made or finished,

so I can putter to my hearts content.

First of all,

I started another baby quilt from another jelly roll.

(I am going to use the jelly rolls I have and, 

hopefully, never buy another one.)

These fabrics scream little girl and are so soft and pretty.

 

I have to make 27 of these blocks and then add strips to make the quilt.

This one will be donated to my church

for our baby quilt ministry.

(After looking at the photo I may have to take the pink striped block

apart and sew it like the green striped block. My eye goes straight to the

uneven stripes.)

As I have mentioned before, I belong to a 

History of Quilting Club that meets once a month.

Each session our leader gives us a project to make

that goes along with the book we are using.

She changed things up this session...

no book and

we are making a mystery quilt!

It will be a short mystery as we are making two different blocks

for this quilt.

The first block is the ShooFly block,

which we can make from any fabrics in our stash.

I had to pull batiks out for this one...

in my favorite colors... turquoise and aqua and greens.

Thirteen blocks are finished and ready for block #2.

Yesterday my brother and sister in law, who gave me the boxes of colored jeans

from which I made this quilt, came down for a visit.

One thing I had saved from the cut up jeans was all of the back pockets.

I wanted to do something with them to give to my 

sister in law.

Thank goodness for Pinterest!

I had some hemp cording and a sharp tapestry needle and

started connecting the pockets into a garland.

I was in a rush to get this made to take to her last night,

so didn't get too creative with the photography,

but you get the idea.

 

When I cut the pockets off of the jeans,

I left the fabric on the back so they are still pockets.

Won't this be cute filled with little treats or decorations?

My sister in law will have it hanging somewhere in her home

and it will be adorable once she puts her touch on it.

Have a great Weekend

and

Happy Quilting!

Not a Race Fan

This past Saturday, we had a discussion about the

Jelly Roll Race quilt at my quilt group meeting.

I have never been a huge fan of the quilt,

but didn't really know anything about it.

After this discussion I decided to give it a try.

I had been given a jelly roll that I wasn't wild about

and decided to use this one for the Race Quilt.

This was probably not the best idea....

make a quilt I'm not wild about out of fabric I'm not wild about, but..

The sewing began.

This is just dull and boring to me...

no assemblance of anything.  

It did go together quickly.

I'll add borders to it, quilt it and then donate it.

 

My husband walked into my Hidey Hole,

looked at this quilt on my design wall

and turned around and walked out. 

Enough said.

Happy Quilting!

Playing with Blocks

I finished sewing the blocks for the baby quilt I'm making,

but cannot decide how to lay these blocks out for the quilt.

Do I lay them out in groups of four of the same blocks?

I really like how the centers look like hearts in a ring.

Or do I lay them out in a totally random setting?

My eye jumps so much with these random settings,

so I am leaning to the more controlled setting.

These blocks went together so quickly using this tutorial.

Hopefully it will be a completed baby quilt soon!

Happy Quilting!

In Memory of Dave...

A while ago I blogged about a dear friend at church dying

and how I offered to make a quilt for his wonderful widow,

also a dear friend, from some of his shirts.

Well....

it is finished!

I had had the shirts for quite some time,

but between shoulder issues,

other time commitments, etc.

it has taken a while to get this finished.

I can't wait to give this to my friend.

My friend gave me 8 cotton shirts and two t-shirts for this quilt.

Amazingly, the cotton shirts really worked well in this design.

The top is completely made from the 8 shirts, binding and all.

 

She also gave me this patch and asked if I could incorporate it into the quilt.

He was retired Navy and very active in our local Navy League.

The back of the quilt is made almost entirely from his shirts, too.

I had to add the blue at the top and the bottom to make it large enough.

I had something happen while making this quilt that had never happened before now.

When sewing the binding in place,

I came to the end and had made the EXACT amount needed...

I didn't trim a thread from it....

Perfect!

(Only because it was Divine intervention.)

 

Dave was one of the most faith-filled people I know

and it means so much to have this t-shirt in his quilt.

(I'll remove the threads... AGAIN....before giving it to my friend.)

This quilt was made following this pattern.

It was an honor and a privilege to know such a 

wonderful man. 

We miss him.

Happy Friday!

Happy Quilting!

Quilter's ADD

This week I have been bouncing from project to project to project.

I finished a bigger quilt and will blog about that soon,

but once that was finished, 

I've been dealing with my

Quilter's ADD.

First,

another Bucilla kit was started.

If I can keep moving on these, I'm hoping they will

ALL be done by the end of the year.

Santa is taking a break from his toy making

and is watching a football game.

 

You can see how the pieces in these kits are number in this photo.

If you stitch the pieces in order,

the project comes together nicely.

Next...

I TOTALLY forgot that I had started a 

leader/ender project early last fall.

It was buried under some things on a shelf.

Bad Ramona! Bad Ramona!

So, I pulled the parts out, dusted them off

and have them rolling again.

Tumbers, cut with my Accuquilt Go! cutter from Kaffe and text fabrics.

 

And lastly,

I've started a new baby quilt.

The other day I found out a friend is anxiously awaiting the birth

of her second granddaughter.

Of course I have to make a quilt!

These are the first four blocks made for this quilt.

It's made with a jelly roll, strips sewn in groups of four

and then cut, stitched and cut again.

 I found this great tutorial from

Missouri Star Quilt Company 

and am having fun making this one!

Instead of using a different strip set for each square of the block,

I'm using two of the same strip set squares per block.

The layout possibilities are endless!

Back to my sewing!

Happy Quilting!

Finished Top?

The blocks of the Red and Pink 16 Patch quilt

are all sewn together.

The simplicity of this quilt really speaks to me.

The decision now is whether or not to add borders.

Honestly, I just see it quilted with a deep red binding on it.

What do you think?

 

 The fabrics in this one can speak for themselves.

 

I am so glad I decided to make this quilt and not use the fabrics

for what I originally had in mind.

This quilt went together MUCH more quickly than my original plan.

 

It seems appropriate to finish this top on

Valentine's Day weekend!

Happy Quilting!

Half Sewn and Socks

Earlier today I finished sewing the blocks for this

Red and Pink 16 patch quilt I am making.

I arranged them on my Design Wall and took a 

black and white photo of the arrangement.

This one block REALLY stood out, 

so it was removed.

There wasn't enough contrast between the two fabrics...
it was just too dark.

Here are the results:

I've often thought about how quilting allows for colors and patterns to be 

placed together that wouldn't ordinarily go together.

Can you imagine wearing some of these fabrics in the same outfit?

They play so nicely in the quilt, though.

I am pleased with how this is coming along.

Tonight I sewed half of the blocks together.

The blocks are 6" finished, so the top will be 48" square.

I thought about placing them on point, 

but I love the simplicity of the straight set blocks.

An applique border is coming to mind,

but I may just quilt it and bind it.

This week I have Knitting to show!

I was on a bus trip and had time to finish these 

orange socks I started a while ago.

This is "Fable" yarn from Nordicmart.

It knits up nicely and feels very soft.

I started a green pair, too.

Doesn't this yarn scream spring?

I am so ready!

Happy Quilting and Knitting!

Monday Design Wall

Last night, while watching the Superbowl

(because College Basketball had no games!),

I finished my February Bucilla kit.

A goal of mine is to finish one Bucilla kit each month.

I have MORE than enough!

These ornaments are just too cute.

The hangers need to be added

and then they will go in the box for Christmas.

 

This is the whole set, minus the tree.

:)

Over the weekend I added a few more blocks to my

red and pink 16 patch quilt.

More strips are cut and ready to sew.

I'm not sure how large this will be,

so I'll just keep making these blocks.

Sewing simple 16 patches is so relaxing to me.

 

Please visit Patchwork Times to see what others are creating.

Happy Quilting!

Playing with Reds and Pinks...

A couple of years ago I saw a quilt on someone's blog and

Fell in Love!

It was all different fabrics from pinks to reds

and it was English Paper Pieced.

I was going to make one,

but needed to collect the fabrics.

So....

the collection began.

A few weeks ago I came to the realization that I would 

NEVER make that quilt for which I was collecting these fabrics.

Time to come up with another plan.

There is something so calming and peaceful about a quilt

full of nine patches or 16 patch squares.

I began to cut and sew and play with these fabrics.

Ready to pin and sew together.

These are the blocks I've sewn so far.

There is one extra strip after cutting the four strips for each block.

I'll sew them all together and make a little table mat or something.

More play time ahead!

Happy Quilting!

Picnic Quilt

The other day I blogged about

receiving two boxes of colored jeans

from my brother and sister-in-law.

I spent part of a snow day cutting the jeans

with my Accuquilt Go! cutter

and started making the first quilt.

At first I didn't think this would be a fun quilt to make,

but it ended up being lots of fun!

And Funky!!

After cutting circles from the jeans,

I used two charm packs I was given called
"Poems From Pebbles"

for the centers.

It sure brightened up the jeans even more!

Won't this be fun at a picnic?

Or the Beach?

 

Two goofs.... two yellow and two black circles are next

to each other.

:)

It isn't my best sewing,

especially with the stretchy fabric of

some of the jeans,

but it will be fun to use.

Happy Quilting!

One more January Finish

Boy, January has flown by, hasn't it?

I had high hopes of getting a couple more quilts finished,

but two it is for the month.

This finish is the second

Friendship Star block wall hanging.

I appliqued 12 wool baskets and had planned

on making one large quilt,

but decided to make three smaller quilts instead.

Wall hanging #2:

The sashing and borders are the same as the first quilt...

The only difference is the wool baskets and flowers.

I've been practicing my fmq feathers.

The red border print is perfect because the feathers are quite hidden!

Hopefully soon I'll be able to bust them out into the open. 

:)

This will be given to a friend soon.

This year I decided to do something that is a bit

out of my norm.

I'm going to participate in the

Barbara Brackman Westering Women

Sew Along.

Once a month she will have a block to make, 

along with a history lesson of the women who traveled west,

walking, in the 19th century.

The blocks will be released at the end of each month.

And, YES...

I am using reproduction fabrics!

It's a line by Barbara Brackman that I've had for a while...

"Ladies Album"

"Independence Square"

The block for January is finished!

Please visit Patchwork Times to see other creations.

Onto February!

Happy Quilting!

It's Amazing....

... that this quilt top is finished.

This quilt top has been the

BIGGEST

aggravation to me!

So many times I almost just threw it out.

My seam ripper has not seen as much action

on a quilt EVER!

But,

here it is....

finished and ready for quilting.

I am not a huge fan of making pieced borders.

The look is wonderful,

but I don't like making them.

Even though the pieces for this border came from

cutting the pinwheels,

it still took way too long to make.

 I do like how the border looks in the end.

:)

 

The pattern came from the

"Block" magazine from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

 

Hopefully this one won't give the quilter a fit.

It might have a wave or two in it.

Nice to have this one finished!

Happy Quilting!