Saturday, November 30, 2013

MAKING CHRISTMAS 2013 -- DAY 8

Finished with a Santa Mug Rug!


Linked at Making Christmas 2013-Day 8 over at Miss Mac Creations

Updated TO DO list:

Finish the batik jelly roll quilt that has been stalled for three months
Knitting Project Bags - five of them! - finished 2
Dog collars for puppy presents - 3 of them!
Quilted boxes as office gifts - 4 of them
Mug Rugs - 1

Friday, November 29, 2013

A LITTLE TRANQUILITY FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Ran across this fantastic quilt tutorial by Melissa Corry at her blog Happy Quilting, and just had to share it.



It uses Angela Walters fabric collection, Legacy, from Art Gallery Fabrics.

Please make sure to check out the beautiful quilting that Melissa work HOURs on.  It was well worth the time, for sure!



Go visit now, you won't be sorry. and probably really inspired



And just when you think it's as good as it gets, Melissa is offering a give away at Art Gallery Fabrics.


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

BUGGED ABOUT SOMETHING

With all the holiday projects that I have started (and not finished), today I go and pick up an old project I haven't worked on in months.  A bug inspired quilt for one of my grand nephews.  Don't ask me why, but the project just called to me from the corner of quilt studio and I gave in. 

Have added a few more rows and am very close to have the top finished.  I'd thought to send it to a long arm quilter to finish up, but now I'm thinking of quilting it myself on my faithful Pfaff.

It would be nice if I got this done before he heads off for college, heh?

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

BREAST CANCER RAFFLE QUILT

I finished up a breast cancer quilt that I am donating for a raffle to raise money for some walkers in the next Komen 3-Day in Washington, DC.  I had some of the original Quilt for the Cure fabric left (I was nutso and bought about 8 yards when I found some in a tiny quilt shop in North Caroline a few years ago), along with a green-based breast cancer fabric.  The pinks in the main portion of the quilt are all different, some breast cancer fabrics, most not.  I really like how it turned out.



 



Monday, November 25, 2013

TRIANGLE POUCH DETAILS



Love the little triangle zipper pouch I made.  I'm taking off an extra day and starting Wednesday plan to be quilting every day to catch up on holiday presents.  Definitely going to make a few more of these of various sizes!
I followed a free tutorial on Robin Quilts, Etc blog. which you can find here.


BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS QUILT

Cruising the web for all things Christmas, I came across this beautiful pattern at Laugh Yourself Into Stitches.  Think I might get started on this after the new year for the 2014 holiday season!

You can buy it at her Craftsy site here or on her Etsy site here.


Stars for every Season by Karen M Walker

Friday, November 15, 2013

COSMIC QUILT BLOCK

Whilst wandering the web today, I found a "cosmic block" pattern at Traceyjay Quilts 

http://traceyjayquilts.bigcartel.com/product/cosmic-pdf-pattern-and-templates-bundle-promo-deal

Tracey Jacobson is the designer and also a fantastic blogger.  Her blog is bright and cheerful and informative. I spent a lot of time looking at the tutorials she has up, as well as pictures of her glorious quilts!  I'd definitely urge you take a moment and go visit her site!

Also, while I have never done a block tutorial, I have watched and followed many and Quilt Story has a link-up that has close to 90 block tutorials.  Check them out and if you have a block tutorial that you yourself have done, link-up!

Fresh Poppy Design



Monday, November 11, 2013

HOLIDAY TUTORIAL SERIES - AT "QUILT STORY" BLOG

Found this wonderful Holiday Tutorial Series over at Quilt Story -- lots of wonderful guest bloggers with some very creative idea for the holiday season.  Has inspired me to pull out all my holiday fabric!


Quilt Story

MAKING CHRISTMAS 2013 - WEEK 3

Updating my Making Christmas 2013 list and am a little disappointed in myself.  Even though I did spend most of the weekend attending the Quilters Quest, I did expect to get more sewing done than I actually did.

MAKING CHRISTMAS 2013


So far the list hasn't changed much

Finish the batik jelly roll quilt that has been stalled for three months -- finished cutting all the fabric
Knitting Project Bags - five of them! -- completed one (picture below)
Dog collars for puppy presents - 3 of them! -- bought hardware and fabric
Quilted boxes as office gifts - 4 of them -- bought fabric


QUILTER'S QUEST 2013

Spent the Saturday on a bus full of other quilting nerds taking part in Quilter's Quest 2013 -- my local quilt shop hop.  I wasn't able to do the entire Quest this year, as I couldn't get off work to make the first day of the bus trip and, frankly, doing even half the Quest on my own is not something I'd call fun.

Too much driving time, not enough shoping time.

However, I was able to get in five of the ten shops that were taking part this year  -- and two of them were shops I'd never been to before.  All in all it was great time and I met some thoroughly wonderful women on the bus who, while many of them had done this trip before, together, made me feel very welcome.  I also got some wonderful suggestion for local guilds to join and some retreats that really sound fun.

In the next few days, I'll be sharing pictures from each of the shops and the goodies I bought at each one. I always start these type of adventures intending to merely buy each shop's charm pack and pattern, but usually end up filling a suitcase with fabric.  This year was no different.

First up, Patches Quilt Shop in Mt. Airy, Maryland.


This shop is actually one of the closest to my home, although I don't get here often enough.  It really is a lovely shop and in the forty-five minutes we spent there, I managed to purchase some really great fabric.

Grabbed a few yards each of two different Virginia Tech fabrics and a matching orange tone on tone.  I know a few Tech grads that would love to have something made from these, as well as maybe doing up some knitting project bags to sell on Esty.

I also found two fabrics for my bestie, a knitting fabric and a beer fabric -- and then a wonderful blue crab fabric that I know the locals will love.





Friday, November 1, 2013

MAKING CHRISTMAS 2013

As was mentioned recently by a very kind commenter (Kim, of QT Quilters), it seems deadlines actually work for me.  Hmmm, who knew.

So, based on this info, I've decided to take part in:


MAKING CHRISTMAS 2013









Janine, of Rainbow Hare Quilts and Rebecca, of Making Rebecca Lynne have made it incredibly easy to take part -- all I need to do is make a list of projects that I'd like to finish before Christmas.  They don't even have to be "Christmassy" things (which is good, you know with whole agnostic, pagan thing) -- as long as the projects are handmade and finished no later than December 25th of 2013.

So there it is.  My deadline. The deadline I will meet, come hell or high water.  

And here, is my list of project I hope to will finish by December 25th, 2013:

Finish the batik jelly roll quilt that has been stalled for three months
Knitting Project Bags - five of them!
Dog collars for puppy presents - 3 of them!
Quilted boxes as office gifts - 4 of them
Mug Rugs - 1

Soooooooo, I have my work (and lots of fabric) cut out for me.  Wish me luck.  I will report back as I start crossing things off that list!