Finished Quilts and a little indulgence...

As I started this week, I had a stack of quilts that needed binding.

So I got all my supplies ready and popped in a few DVDs

What do you have beside you when you sit down to sew?  I love Jolly Ranchers!

CRISS CROSS QUILT - FINISHED!

Quilt #40

52" x 62"

Isn't she beautiful?!?!!?

Oh I did NOT want to mail this one out!

You can make one too, the pattern I used was from Moda Bake Shop.  Click HERE

CHRISTMAS QUILT - FINISHED!

Quilt #41

55" x 55"

Oh I LOVE this one too!

I hope Gma Knaup loves it as well.

And a little indulgence...

So while folding laundry the other day, I came across one of my socks...

... and thought... that might make a cool looking quilt.  I've never sewn a quilt that used that much black in it.

So I took advantage of Cyber Monday and indulged a little bit... bought this beautiful Robert Kaufman Kona Solids jelly roll.

Oh this is going to be so cool!

Then I was all in the shopping mode, so I headed down to Joann Fabrics and scored some leftover Black Friday deals:

rescued this pretty little stack from the "Remnant Bin - 50%"

Saw these... I'm not going to comment...

let's just say I had to text my BFF because they made me giggle.

Does anyone use these? 

SWEET! 

All the recipes have 4 ingredients or less and are easily to make!

YESSSSS!

Ahhhh, my stash is growing!

And just for fun, I mounted my thread holder onto the wall!

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"When life gives you scraps, make a quilt."

Author Unknown

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You Know You've...

... been bitten by the Quilting Bug when you look down your street

and of course think how lucky you are to see such natural beauty. 

Then immediately think --- WOW those colors would be GREAT in a quilt!  Wonder if I have time before Christmas to whip something up.

the answer to that is NO, not with what we've got going on around our house!

Now for my sewing updates ---

CHRISTMAS QUILT - ready for binding!!!

I chose an all over squiggle pattern for free motion quilting.  I honestly do not enjoy free motion quilting.  I wish I did.  I think a few factors play in to why I don't:

1.  I'm using a small sewing machine to quilt a 55"x55" quilt

2.  the surface of my quilting table only goes about 12" behind my machine, so I'm constantly fighting friction and gravity when my quilt hangs over the edges

3.  I suffer from arthritis and my hands just aren't as strong as they need to work a free motion design - I do much better with straight lines or stitch in the ditch.  I use gloves and drop the feed dogs... but it's still a battle between me, weight, friction, gravity, and the sewing gods.

4.  I'm definitely left brained... I like the symmetric, predictable, straight line paths made by stitching in the ditch...

HOWEVER, it is MUCH MUCH MUCH quicker to free motion quilt an all over random squiggle, then stitch in the ditch. 

Hope to have hand-sewn the binding down on this one by the end of Turkey week.

CRISS CROSS QUILT - also ready for the binding to be hand sewn down.

I L O V E  this quilt so much!  I really don't want to give it to my aunt... but alas, I've already made a promise.  I just love the colors, the pattern, every thing.  And I stitched in the ditch on this one.

BEAN BAG - finished!

YAY!  I think it turned out pretty funky and cool... perfect for my funky and cool little cousin!

I use this super easy pattern found on this page.

Of course my munchkin had to do some quality assurance testing on it...

Pounce test... check

Wiggle test... check

Comfy test... check

Yep, she says it's good to go!

TRAVELING QUILT - one more block done

This thing is going to take me forever!  But I do find the hand-sewing relaxing... plus it's nice to have a project where I don't have to stand at the ironing board pressing seams.

Although I think I've found a solution for that

My little helper... helping along!

*DISCLAIMER*  - the iron is NOT plugged in

Hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!

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"May the colors of your life be bright and the threads in your life be very strong."

Author Unknown

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2 Quilt Tops finished!

This week was very productive! 

I managed to finish 2 quilt tops AND visit with my in-laws!

CHRISTMAS QUILT:  TOP is completed, it is now basted and ready to be quilted.

55" x 55"

CRISS CROSS QUILT:  TOP is completed, it is now basted and also ready to be quilted.

51" x 61"



This week we are heading out for a mini-vacation, so I won't have much to report next week. 

But that's okay, I think it's good to take a break every now and then.  We are enjoying this time with Emma and her "gramma" and "P-paw" from Wisconsin.

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Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel.

Author Unknown

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Sew many updates!

Oh sleeplessness nights...

Having lupus is funny sometimes.

• Your body is so confused.
• It's tired. Wants to sleep.
• Can barely function. 

And yet, sleep does not come to you. 

• Your mind goes off into a million directions.
• Your joints start to stiffen and ache because they are not in motion.
• Your medication has the effect of either hallucinations or restlessness/anxiety, therefore making it difficult to relax.

Sleep, I miss you.  I lay down at midnight and sleep does not happen till about 5:30 to 6:00 in the morning... then up again at 8:30 to 9:00 with the little one...

I can not keep going on merely 3 hours of sleep for much longer.

So until you come back to me, I will continue to crank out these little nuggest of quilting treasures.  My how they are coming along.

FARMER'S WIFE QAL:

#99 - WCTU

#100 - Weathervane

47 blocks completed
64 blocks to go

I saw someone on the Flickr group using this layout so I thought I'd give it a try.  I REALLY love it!  I think I'm going to stick with it.  Not sure how it will end up, because I still have 64 more blocks to make... but I like the way it looks.

Also, with the help of my quilting friend Marilyn, I changed the sashing and background color to this teal and dk blue polka dot fabric.  I think it's really pretty.  Thanks Marilyn!

PINEAPPLE SURPRISE QAL:

Cranked out 4 more of these blocks. 

12 blocks completed
8 blocks to go

CHRISTMAS QUILT:  all my individual drunkard's path blocks are sewn!!

144 blocks completed
0 blocks to go!

Now it's time to start assembling this quilt!



And since I'm up anyways, I started 3 other quilts.

CRISS CROSS QUILT:  found this pattern from Moda Bake Shop

Took me forever to get the *look* I wanted for that scrappy look.  Don't mind the plaid sheet underneath, just using it to keep the fabric off the floor.

I am using Prayer Flag by April Cornell as the fabric for this quilt.

Soooo pretty!  This one is for my Aunt Janice.  She has been patiently waiting for me to start/finish this quilt.  ♥

MILITARY MEMORY QUILT:
My brother is in the US Army and has kindly given me his old uniforms that he no longer wears.  I've been working on a design to incorporate his first 9 - 10 years in the military.

What do you think? 

The photos along the bottom are of the following: 

• fabric from the boots he wore during his deployment,
• a boonie hat, also worn on deployment,
• and socks (ewww gross - I KNOW! but that's what he wanted :D - they are washed of course!)  

I plan to applique those items as well as the 2 hats along the sides down.  And the fabric panel in the middle was an idea my cousin Lori had.  I will embroider a star over all the locations he's been stationed or deployed.  Cool huh?

2011 END of the YEAR SCRAPPY quilt:
Last year I did this and really loved how it turned out.  Here check out last year's scrappy:

So this year, keeping with the "Irish Chain" theme, I'm using this pattern:

Already cut up my scraps:

... and started sewing a few together.  I use them as leaders and enders in between sewing my other blocks.  Great way to save on thread!

I think it's going to be great!

Well that's about all I've got for you this week.  Hope you enjoyed the update.

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A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars.

author unknown
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