SNEAK PEEK

 Just a sneaky peek of this long awaited project.  My oldest daughter's mother in law asked me to sew the blocks together for her.  Mom has since passed away.  It remained in my UFO's for some time.  

Its old probably 1930's and not untouched with a couple small holes and stains.  But, it is on its way to the quilter.  Once quilted and bound I will be sending it off to my son in law as a keepsake from his mother.  

Not a complete finish yet, but I'm linking up with:

Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts

WINTER BASKET LINER

Over the years I have purchased a couple Longaberger Baskets.  This particular one is my favorite.  Great for storing stuff on the kitchen counter.  Longaberger has gone out of business, so you can no longer purchase basket liners from them. They were pretty pricey too.  I like to have my basket match the seasons.  So I decided to make myself a basket liner.  While on this somewhat complicated journey given the two handles that can fold up and down, I decided I had better write myself a pattern for it too.   

I dug through my Christmas fabric bin and found this particular fabric that I thought was equally good for the winter months. 

And some nice green ribbon to gather the liner around the sides of the basket and done.  I think I have another basket that could use a new liner now that I am on this roll.

So I will link up with

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

The Needle and Thread Network

Susan at Mid Week Makers

FOREST FLOOR SCRAP

I have been working on this scrap quilt for several weeks.  Just a row or two now and then.  It is done.  It will be going to my guild's charity program Warm Wrappings. They will provide the back and quilt it, but I did provide a binding sewn together and ironed in half.  I originally purchased the fabric to make a wall hanging.  See the Featured Post for that wall hanging.

I guess I over bought fabric a bit.

 The strips are 12 inches by and 2 1/2 finished.  It ended up 72 by 80 before I ran out of scraps.  The cream strips are Kona, but I have no idea what color cream.  I should mark them with a tag when I buy them to be able to distinguish the color, but sometimes I forget.  

It is a long coming finish so I am linking up with: 

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts

Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts

SCRAPPY STASH BUSTER

I am always looking for a way to deal with not only my stash of fabrics, but all the stash of unfinished projects.  So Julie at Intrepid Thread had what sounded like a good solution.  The first assignment was to catalog all our WIP's.  Which lead to my working on one that has sat for too long.

http://intrepidthread.blogspot.com/p/scrappy-stash-buster-club.html

This one piece completed along with three other bits and pieces was dug out of my stash of WIP's.  

I completed the second one with just the third to iron on to its backing and appliqué down.  

More bits and pieces of Holly leaves to add.

And now three leaves appliquéd on and a bunch more to go.  In the end the project will turn into either a wall hanging or a table runner.  Actually one can do both by just adding a hanging sleeve on the back.  So this is one good start on my assignment, so I am linking up with:

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

The Needle and Thread Network

Susan at Mid Week Makers

GIFT CONSTRUCTION

Are you like me and decide to make gifts at the last minute before Christmas?  I suppose I still have 10 days.  I wanted to make this apron for one of my daughters.  I think the fabrics are such fun.  

 The patten seems simple enough.   I have the bottom panel completely hemmed on sides and bottom, and the next panel is cut and ready to go.  If I can squeeze this in between  putting up the tree, addressing the Christmas cards, and finishing my shopping all should work out well.  

At least it is a start with reasonable time to succeed.  So I am linking up with:

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

The Needle and Thread Network

Susan at Midweek Makers

CHRISTMAS OF PAST

I took some time on Wednesday and Thursday to start my Christmas decorating.  Pulling out all the wall hangings and throws from past years is always such fun.  This wall hanging was done for a Blog Hop with Gina Martin's Folk Art Christmas fabric a couple years ago.  

This Holly throw was one of the first quilts I ever made.  Hmmmm about 20 years ago.  

The is another Christmas sampler that I made right about the same time as the Holly throw.

And I followed up with wall hanging a year or two later.

Last my all time favorite.  Done maybe 5 or 6 years ago.  So much fun pulling out all these Christmas quilts and decorating the house.  They are truly much loved finishes so I am linking up with

Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts

CHRISTMAS CARD HOLDER AND MORE

I had the day to myself on Saturday so decided to work on my wall hanging that will hold our Christmas Cards.  It has become a bit of a challenge as I decided to use a different method than the pattern to attach my birds.  I also found that that required me to adjust the size of some of the birds to fit on some of the pockets.  Thank you computer printer that also has a copier feature that allows one to increase and decrease the size when making copies. 

  However by yesterday I discovered I needed  a quick mini runner for my kitchen counter.  What better way to also practice my meander quilting.  I discovered a week or so ago that using 12wt thread worked really well for me.  

The finished quilting job on this little guy.  It is only 14 by 22 but fits perfectly on the end of our kitchen counter.  
I am not so sure the Christmas card wall hanging will get done.  Our calendar is full, but I hope to give it a try over the next week or so.  The mini runner still needs a binding but both projects are at least on their way.  So I am linking up with:

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

The Needle and Thread Network

Susan at Midweek Makers
One Monthly Goal

Night Fall Christmas

These last couple of days I finished up my Night Fall Christmas Stocking project.  While cleaning out a tub of ribbon I discovered a stack of mini doilies.  They seemed perfect for this project.  My patch work finished at 2 1/2 inches.

I finished the back off with just a plain fabric also in the Night Fall fabric.

Before constructing the stocking I quilted the patchwork front and back to batting.  The front was done in a serpentine stitch over the seam lines, but I decided to meander the back fabric.  I love using 12wt thread and prefer Wonderfil over other brands.  However I had never tried to do meander quilting with it.  You learn something new all the time, it is wonderful to work with doing that type of quilting. 
So it is Friday and this project is complete so I am linking up with

Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts 

A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SEWING PROJECTS

I decided to cut into my Night Fall fabric by Maureen Cracknell and make a patchwork stocking.  

I pulled at this cute pattern for a wall hanging with pockets to put Christmas Cards into.

I cut out some of the birds for it.

And then a few more.  Will I finish these all up before Christmas?  I'm not sure but they are fun for a start.

So at least the projects are started so I am linking up with

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

The Needle and Thread Network

Susan at Midweek Makers

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS HUNG BY THE FIRE

They are done.  These guys have been on my to-do list for a couple years now.  I finally managed to pull fabric and pattern out of the closet and make them.  Love it when a plan and finish come together.  

Hope your Christmas crafts are coming together.

Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts

  

SCRAPS, SCRAPS, SCRAPS

I pulled a pile of scraps out of my baskets and shelves of my quilting studio and sliced off some 3 inch strips in various lengths depending on how much scrap there was to cut.  I do not need another runner.  This one will be for my youngest daughter, as she washes them to death having three boys ages 13, 10, and 8.  I guess meals can be a bit wearing on table runners at her house.  

This table runner picture done by Maureen Cracknell was my inspiration.  Not an exact match, but I thought I did a pretty good job of using up some scrap fabric that came to a reasonable and pleasing runner.

  While digging around for scraps I also found these blocks ready to go.  Where they end up given this rather long skinny runner I have no idea, but it is a cute item and it finished off a who bunch of scrap items.  

So I am linking up if for no other reason than to encourage those with tons of scraps to do something with them.  

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

The Needle and Thread Network

Susan at Midweek Makers

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS

My very best friend Brooke on Silly Mama Quilts mentioned in an E-mail earlier this week that Christmas stockings might be on her quilting agenda.  By the way Brooke is doing a new class in the next week or so on SkillShare featuring a Christmas mini quilt.  I have had fabric and pattern in my studio for at least a couple years that needed to be turned into Christmas socks for me husband and my self.  Her comment got me moving.  So yesterday I was able to finish up the first of the two.  

This is a picture of the pattern The Vintage Spool by Verna Mosquera.  I still have to purchase the ribbon and some sort of Christmas decor for it.  But at least mine is done.  

So here is the selection of fabric for hubby's sock.  

And at least the front of the sock is cut out and a reveal of the cuff.  I'll have to find some more manly ribbon and Christmas decor.  But I think the two are going to come out just perfect for a mantel decoration and maybe a couple of fun stocking stuffers.

This is not a complete finish but I promised they will be done by Christmas so I am linking up with

Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts

  

ITS PUMPKIN TIME

I finished it!  Pulling this pattern out at the last minute was a bit stressful to try to get it done before Christmas was upon me.  But, here it is.  

  I also pulled out this long ago made wall quilt to add to the pumpkin fun.  It is still a favorite of mine.

So I am linking up with 

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

The Needle and Thread Network

Susan at Mid Week Makers

CRAFTSY BLOCK OF THE MONTH FINISH

Way back in January of this year I began a Bloc of the Month with Craftsy.  You can see on my featured post that by March I had it completed up to the appliquéd section.  Once I got the appliqués complete I determined that this quilt was getting pretty big.  So I stopped the process with a small and larger border instead of a rather time consuming pieced border that was next on the monthly schedule.  

A year long finish so I am linking up with

Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts

PUMPKINS

Don't you just hate it when you find the perfect pattern for  the season, only it is probably too late to get it done in time.  My friend Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts sent me this Pumpkins by Cluck Cluck Sew, designed by Allison R. Harris pattern.  I set it down on the counter in my studio but only yesterday morning picked it up again.  Why or why did I not start this sooner?  

Well I hustled and got these five done with one more to go.  If I slave away I might just get it done by next week and can hang it up in the entry for a couple weeks at least until after Thanksgiving, and then I have to move on to Christmas.

Its not completely done, but at least these five are and they are really cute.  So I am linking up with

Amanda from Crazy Mom Quilts

Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts  

FALL FLOATING LEAVES AND GEESE

At a recent quilt show I purchased a new magnetic quilt hanging system.  I am now able to hang some wall hangings in our entry.  It will also allow me to hang several different sizes, and no holes in the wall.  I made this wall hanging a couple years ago and it is a favorite of mine for this time of year.

I especially like how I quilted it.  

My geese are done as well, so they replaced the leaves at the end of my hallway.  Hmmm I am thinking geese might be a great fall hanging if I did them in more orange, red, or brown fabrics.  Something to think about.  

 I tried a bit of a different quilting pattern as well for these geese.  As I am not skilled in free motion, I rely a good deal on trying out different quilting that can be done with my walking foot instead.  
My very best pal Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts  clued me into a new book by Jacquie Gering called Walk.  Brooke came back from Fall Market in Houston with all sort wonderful ideas.  Be sure to take a look at her post about all that fun goings there.  She also has a new video class on Skillshare.  

Since I have accomplished a bit these last few days I am linking up with.

Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts

The Needle and Thread Network

Susan at Mid Week Makers

GEESE

I'm taking a very brief leave from my Puddle Jumping project.  I pulled out my Carrie Bloomston scraps from her Paint and Story lines to play with.

This guy arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon, and I just had to try him out.  I have several Bloc Loc rulers.  They come in several different sizes.  This one is 4" by 8".  They are wonderful and make the most perfect flying geese.  I also have a 2" by 4" to make the smaller geese.

This is the pattern that prompted me to purchase this new size ruler.
It is a 36" by 40" wall hanging.  I only intend to make a table runner using the top two rows and adding four more small geese on the end to make it 16" by 40".

Here we are so far.  The large geese are done, on to the smaller ones later today.  Not a complete finish, but the large geese are done.

I'm linking up with

Amanda from Crazy Mom Quilts

Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Busy Hands Quilts