HAPPY TRAILS & VALENTINES

This week has been a bit of a this and that and hit and miss in the sewing room.  So not much going on to show off.

I stumbled across this Scrappy Project Planner by Lori Holt in a drawer and found this quilt project thinking it would be a good scrap buster.  Well, two blocks into it and all those tiny four patches made with 1.5 inch squares made me decide it has to be modified if I was going to make a charity quilt with this pattern.

So I substituded them for just a white 2.5 inch square and moved things along fairly well.  The center should have been 4 of the 2.5 squares, but I made it 4.5 instead and that seems to be working well.  So two blocks done and 7 to go.  The completed blocks are 16 inches finished so I plan to lay it out with 9 blocks, making the top then 48 by 48, and can add 3 inch borders all around and it can finish at 54 inches square.  A good size for the charity quilt group.

I must admit that this project has actually put a good dent in my scrap bins.

We have three daughters, Kendra falls between our youngest and oldest daughters.  Her birthday is coming up on the 10th of next month.  I thought I would add a fun little runner to her other gifts.  I have been teaching this runner in a 5 heart size at our local quilt shop, so decided to scale it down to just 3 hearts for her.

Now, I am not a free motion quilter, just have never been able to manage it.  However I often use these Borders Made Easy and other paper quilting templates along with the multiple fancy stitches available on my Bernina 750.  So I am off to quilt this runner.

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BERRY SMOOTHIE & TABLE DECORATIONS

 My quest to rid myself of some old fabric and scraps has me looking for easy and either free or inexpensive patterns.  My local quilt store Blossom Quilting in Oakdale, California has a huge wall of Villa Rosa Design patterns.  They are just postcard size and only $2.00.

Two afternoons and I have a completed quilt top for my Warm Wrappings Charity Group. The size is 52" by 64" and is fat quarter and scrap friendly. 

Time to head out to the shop and see whatever Villa Rosa has in store for the next project. 

I have the first two rows sewn together of my Picnic Under the Stars quilt and rows 3, 4, and 5 ready to finish off as well.  So a bit of progress on this quilt completed.

Rigbee one of my daughter's cats believes he is a perfect addition to her fall table decoration.  Unfortunately he also does a bit of redecorating on it as well.  He is not above kicking a few pieces and parts out unto the floor to make a bit more room for his afternoon naps. 

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BUTTERFLIES AND CHRISTMAS

 After doing a bit of reorganization in the sewing room, with the discovery of a complete take over of overflowing scrap bins and folder fabrics in the closet I decided my New Year's resolution was to get some charity quilts going.  I only have to do a top and prepare bindings then others take over from there.  My guild distributes about 300 quilts a year through their Warm Wrappings Program to 5 different local agencies.  Some of us make the tops and binding, others in the group with long arm machines do the quilting, and then a crew of others bind and finish the binding on them.  In October they are distributed to the various agencies.   

This is one I finished up this past week. 

The fabric used for the centers was a real prize to use for this quilt.  However not without an issue. 

I needed 25 blocks and thought I had them all complete until while laying them out I was short one.  OK, a made search in the fabric closet and the center block a perfect addition to cure that issue.  

I even had enough of that butterfly fabric to make a runner for my youngest daughter's sister-in-law for her birthday.

And yes, the scrappy Christmas quilt top is finished too.  My original plan was also to give it as a charity quilt top, but husband really likes it and says it will look great next Christmas on the dining room wall.  So, it is a keeper.

A fast scramble into Joann's for a back and binding while they still had some 70% off Christmas fabric on clearance and it is off to the quilter this week.

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STARS AND MORE STARS

I have been busy in the sewing room these last two week after Christmas.  It has been raining a lot here, we really need it, so I am just staying in and getting some projects done and others started.

I managed to get 8 of my 12 star blocks complete.  I ended up ordering fabric online for the last 4 so have to wait for it to arrive.

I have the last four pinned and ready to finish this morning.  

This is pattern I purchased, but I decided to make my star blades more irregular.  That pattern I selected for them makes them finish at 10.5 inches so I will be adjusting all the blocks as well to fit that odd size.

To make the star points and keep them consist I ended up making a template to aline them properly.  Worked great. All I had to do was lay my 4 inch square down and line up the blades on the lines.  

Have the rest of my fabric ready to move on.

This project is done and ready to be turned into the charity division of my quilt guild next month.  My plan this year is to try to de-stash some of my fabric.  Some of these prints have been in the closet for more years than I care to think about.  Time to move them along.

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NEW YEAR'S CLEAN UP AND NEW PROJECTS

Christmas over and the new year begins.  Lots of things in progress and a sewing room re-organization is necessary.  Seems like every year at this time I find myself with pretty much a disaster in the sewing room.  Fabric all over the place in complete upheaval.  So I spent Friday refolding and re-stacking fabric.  I have to de-stash some of this mess.  I see lots of charity quilts in my future this year. 

Last week I showed off my grand daughter Suren's decorated cookies.  On Christmas Eve she brought me these tree decorations she made that were just like the cookies.  She makes them from some sort of clay that you then bake in the oven.

I have a huge bin of Christmas fabric.  That did not stop me from heading into JoAnn's and buying some more.  Who can resist 70% off.  Now that also means that one gets into the post Christmas spirit and decides to make a Christmas quilt.  

I happened on this free Christmas quilt pattern over the holidays, and decided to give it a try.  

One nice thing about this pattern is I was able to use up a number of Christmas fat quarters and only used the white fabric strips out of the new fabric purchase.  Getting rid of a good deal of old fabrics scraps with this project, but ended up adding more new than old used to the bin.  

Our oldest daughter has two English Mastiff dogs.  This is Loki, he is 11 months old, and weighs in at right about 200 pounds.  FedEx delivers their dog food.  Their security system caught the entire scene of my daughter flying out the door after Loki when she opened the door for the delivery and Loki made a bee line for the truck.  He had this all figured out, and my daughter was really worried about this huge dog climbing right into the truck.  The lady delivery driver was not even fazed and she even happened to have a dog treat for him. 

 

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CHRISTMAS 2022

This Christmas has been such a fun time with my family.  Lots of family time and goings on at our home.

On the Wednesday before Christmas my oldest grand daughter came by and made decorated cookies with me.  We have done this for several years now and it is so much fun.  She is the decorating queen for sure, I could never manage these beauties.

I am not the baker in my home.  Husband makes these pizzelles, my only contribution is dipping them in chocolate and he sprinkles on the crushed candy cane chips.

Husband's pecan pie as well.  Not only does he do the baking for them, but we have two pecan trees and he harvests and shells them for these beauties.  They are the families favorite for not only Thanksgiving but Christmas as well.

I am the clean up crew for all that kitchen baking, but then slithered off to my sewing room and to do some Christmas creation I'm much better at.  All the blogs with so many wonderful Christmas ideas really got me hooked so I started this project last week, but quickly ran out of all three fabrics to create 4 of these blocks to make a wall hanging.  So have turned it into a table topper and have it partially quilted.  

The leftovers came to a good substitute for another simple runner, and it is ready to quilt.  They will be all ready to gift for next Christmas.

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NEW SCRAP PROJECT AND A LITTLE BIT MORE CHRISTMAS TO MAKE

Christmas just about here.  The house is decorated and the tree is up with lights and all those decorations.  Some have been around for years, makes me smile about the fun memories.  The baklava is baked and in the freezer, and the cookie dough in the refrigerator and is ready to roll out and get those cookie cutters out and egg paint decorate them too.

When last week's scrap bin reduction was unsuccessful I decided to give it another try.  I decided this time to at least try to produce something with a bit more eye appeal.  These first 10 are done which will finish at 10 inches.  Have another 26 to go.

At least the rest of them are cut and ready to go.  They make a good evening project sitting in front of the TV preparing each step in the process, sewing them the next day and moving on to the next step the following evening.  Takes about three days to get a batch of 10 done.

Seems rather silly at this late date to be fussing around with a Christmas project, but there is always next year.  At this time of year with so much going on, these silly little projects seem to work.

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MY SCRAP BIN OVERFLOWS & NEW CLASSES TO TEACH

 This week looks like it is packed with to do lists.  Husband and I must bake Baklava this week, it is a full day and a half affair.  So worth it though.  The house needs to be decorated for Christmas, and  there are several parties and guild functions to attend.  Plus I am preparing again for two new beginners quilt classes in January and February.

My quilt guild has made and shipped over 100 quilts to the Ukraine over the last few months.  They are calling for more.  My scrap bins are overflowing.  No matter how often I think I have things under control in that closet, they keep multiplying.  So this week I have just pulled out everything bright and colorful and have worked on this quilt top.  I know that this will not make even a dent it the growing piles in there, but worth a try for a good cause. 

No sooner than I finished teaching my Beginners Quilting class at the end of November I was asked to teach an intermediate class for January and February.  We selected these two simple patterns, but will include quilting and binding them in the classes.

I selected a very simple quilting pattern for the students.  The classes will include 2 full days.  I have myself some work ahead of me. 

We celebrated my oldest grandson Elijah's 20th birthday last week.  He is getting ready to go to Fire Academy on the 6th of January.  The quilt is a bit of a joke between Elijah and I.  Over a year ago when he started college courses for his EMT and Fire Science he asked me to make him a fire engine quilt.  I laughed at him and told him he must be kidding.  However I discovered a picture of this fire engine quilt on the internet and thought I would give it a try.  I had to significantly increase the size of it, as it was a child's pattern, but it ended up really looking pretty good.  He was very surprised and very happy with it.

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BASKET QUILT TOP & BEGINNING QUILTING CLASS FINISHES

 This past week finished off my Beginning Quilting 4 weeks class.  I was back to making some progress on my Alex Anderson basket quilt top.  I struggled with it, but finally managed to finish it off.  

I am finally fairly pleased with this quilt top.  It is certainly not perfect.  I had a good deal of trouble with getting points not cut off, bias blocks and in some cases not always being able to nest seams perfectly.  Thank goodness the fabric is so wild that it disguises them well.  It is off to the quilters right after the first of the year.  My quilter does not take or do any quilting in December.  So, my back and batting are ready, and I even have my binding cut and ready to go when the quilt comes back.

The three ladies above all finished off their quilt top in my Beginning Quilting class.  These three ladies had some sewing and quilting experience.   

This lady had absolutely no sewing experience.  She came with a sewing machine she hardly knew how to thread.  We did a bit of hand holding, but she got it done and it looks great.  No, not perfect but indeed a great job.  The other two ladies in the group got their blocks all done, and were confident enough to get their borders on.  They are promising to send pictures when complete and I will post them when I get them.  Next, they are all asking for another intermediate class.  The shop owner has already talked to me about coming up with a pattern and project in March or April.  

This is my oldest daughter's two couch potatoes.  They are English Mastiffs.  Liza the tan female on the left is about 4 years old, she weights in at about 100 pounds.  Loki the male on the right is just under a year old.  As you can see he is already nearly twice Liza's size.  I think he is weighing in at about 160 to 180 pounds now, but will when fully grown should come in at about 200 to 225.  Now that's a lot of dogs!

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UP DATE ON THE FUSING ISSUES & MOVING FORWARD

This week is starting out better than last week ended.  I will be teaching my last Beginning Quilting class on Monday.  Everyone is doing well, getting all their blocks done and we will be putting on their borders.  My fusing issues from last week has been solved.  I scrapped the problem block and with the change from Steam a Seam 2 to Pellon Wonder Under heavy weight #725 have solved my Batik issue.  Fusing Issues

Very pleased with the first new block.  

This is the pattern I am using, not sure why every pattern I select lately is called Garden Party.  The pattern's blocks other than color and position changes are all the same.  Note I placed a large heart instead of the tiny little hearts at the end of the stem in front of the butterfly and will skip them as well in the other two areas of the blocks.  Little tiny hearts were not something I intended to mess with.  They are easily less than a half of a dime size, and there are multiples of them.  Appliquéing them really not posible and even cutting them out seemed insane.   

I am primarily using Batiks for this project.  I have a large bin of them, but of course you never seem to have enough.  I ended up shopping at my local quilt shop for more.  Fortunately a quarter yard of numerous additions wasn't too bad on the budget.  

Over the last few appliqué projects I have learned to bag up my fabric with thread matches.  Makes life way easier and saves lots of time searing for just the right color of thread multiple times. 

Have a nice start on the second block.  I will admit that selecting the fabrics I want to put together is the hardest job.

And my other fabric choices for the block laid out for the second flower, leaves, stem, and butterfly.

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