Friday Finish - Scrappy Squares

My finish this week is a simple scrappy squares quilt which turned out bright, cheery, and fun.

It was really hard not to keep this quilt for myself since its super soft and warm.  This fun quilt was made as part of the annual 100 Quilts For Kids.  Tomorrow, it will be sent to a group that is making quilts for older kids in foster care for Christmas.

Next up is a quilt that I am making as part of the Charming Plus Quilt Along.  I decided to go with scrappy blues with a pop of orange/yellow using 3 inch blocks.  It may take awhile to cut the blocks from scraps, but once you start chain piecing the blocks go together fast.

I have all the blocks made, it's now time to get the top finished.

I can't believe that Christmas will be here soon.  One of my favorite things each November is following the Handmade Holidays series at Sew Mama Sew that is updated each day with fun handmade suggestions and prizes.

Linking today to Finish It Friday, Whoop, Whoop Friday, and Finished or Not Friday.

Friday Finish - Scrap Projects

I have been trying to finish up some old projects, and I am happy that I have several finishes this week!

This pillow started out as a box of scraps left over from a quilt.  I decided to challenge myself to make something useful from these scraps.

A QAYG (quilt-as-you-go) pillow seemed to work just great.  I even sewed my first invisible zipper, which I kinda made up as I went along.  Hey, that happens sometimes.

My second challenge was to make something useful out of some itty, bitty scraps saved from another quilt.  These very small scraps became a cute little pouch made from a wonky log cabin.

I can see myself making more of these pouches as Christmas gifts.

Linking up today to Finish It Friday, Whoop, Whoop Friday, and Finished or Not Friday.

Friday Finish - Heart Blocks

I am so happy to have a finish this week.  I had only planned to make a few blocks, but they were so easy that I kept making them.  Soon, the top was finished and it was quilted with a straight line serpentine stitch.

The Orlando Modern Quilt guild is asking for bright and cheery heart blocks to make quilts of comfort for all those in need of a quilty hug.  Quilt #2 is cut and ready to get started.

It was fun working with all my scrappy brights and I think it will be entered into the scrap quilt challenge at Persimon Dreams.

Linking today to Finish it Friday and to Whoop, Whoop Friday.

Design Wall Monday - More Crossed Blocks

Up on the design wall today are the scrappy blocks I received for May's Quilters Bee Mod.  I know that more Crossed blocks are coming my way, but it may be time to start thinking about where this project is going.   

Another project I want to work on is a Deer pattern that I won from Hand and Needle.  I have so many fabrics and colors that I want to try with this pattern that I am having trouble finalizing the design.  I think I need more time to pick out the colors.

Linking today to Design Wall Monday and to Oh Scrap.

Finish it Friday - No Bake Jolly Bar Quilt

This Friday's finish is a scrappy quilt based on the No Bake Jolly Bar pattern.  

It was made as part of the 2016 Hands to Help challenge and has already made its way to Covered in Love.

Next up is a bright and scrappy Lolly quilt that was sent to Happy Chemo.  This quilt was made with many gifted scraps that I received last Christmas.

I have lost track of how many Happy Scrappy Houses quilts that I have made.  No matter what type of scrap, each quilt always seems so happy!

I am hoping that I can make more next year!  

Linking today to Finish It Friday and to Whoop, Whoop Friday.

Finish It Friday - Lime Spider Web

Woo hoo, I finally have a finish!  Finishing my lime spider web quilt was on all my to-do lists in 2015 and now its completed.

This is my second spider web quilt.  If you have a scrap problem, try this quilt pattern as my scrap boxes were emptied several times.  

Every time I had enough scraps, I would make up wedges.

But then it took awhile for me to find the time to hand quilt it.

I think that the red quilt is still my favorite.

Linking today to Finish it Friday and Whoop, Whoop Friday.

Design Wall Monday - Crossed Block

I joined my first bee last year, and May is my month for the Quilter's Bee Mod.  My goal was to choose a block that was modern, easy, and scrappy.  I chose the Crossed Block by Ellen Baker.  This block has been on my to-do list for some time.

These sample blocks were made using low volume backgrounds and I added my favorite color, dark blue, somewhere in the block.

I can't wait to see what all my bee mates create.  I think this block meets my criteria of modern, easy, and scrappy, but it's also fun!

Linking today to Design Wall Monday.

Back in the Game

2016 so far has been the year of the missing sewing mojo.  But, I think I may have found one reason why I dont want to sew lately.  My Janome 8900 has been skipping stitches, which is so frustrating!  This problem has been on-going and I have tried using all sorts of new needles, different brands of threads, cleaning the machine, and switching out feet.

This weekend I was determined to quilt up the tops for this year's Hands 2 Help Challenge.  It was a frustrating mess of skipped stitches everywhere.  It got so bad that I started looking at new machines. I googled the problem and found that the Janome purple tip needles may be the answer.

I spent all day Saturday searching for these needles in different shops and bought the last pack in the 4th shop I searched.  Could this new needle really be the answer to all the frustrations?

YES!  I started testing the needles first by sewing together a stack of scrappy house blocks with no problems.

Next it was time to quilt.  Just simple straight line quilting.  So far, so good.  Everything was working great, but then came the big test,  Could I attach binding without skipped stitches?  It seems that this is where there is always a problem with the machine.  There are always skipped stitches sewing through multiple layers of fabric no matter what type of needle, thread, or foot that I used.

The binding was sewed on great without any skipped stitches, and I have one finished quilt for the H2H Challenge.

The quilt pattern is Lolly from Tula Pink which I have made many times.  It was made with scraps I received last December, when I wished on Instagram for scraps.  This will be my first entry into this year's Scrap Quilt Challenge.

Linking today to Oh Scrap.

Le Challenge - Reading

My sew-jo has been seriously missing in 2016, but there have been a few projects completed.

This month's theme at Le Challenge is "reading" and I was able to complete a birthday present just in time to join the challenge.

My sister is a huge Star Wars fan and requested a pouch to carry her reader or a book on the upcoming Star Wars cruise.  This is the Double Zipper Device Sleeve from Sew 4 Home.  It was an easy to follow tutorial and it took me one evening to make.  I think this gift will be well received.

Linking today to Le Challenge.

Design Wall Monday - Leap Year

So, I have lost some serious sewing mojo since the holidays.  It could be that my focus has drifted to working out more or that my camera finally died, but honestly I sit looking at my fabric and nothing is happening.  

Maybe it is time to work on some WIP's.  My design wall has not changed.  These are 2 projects from 2015 that I need to work on again.

Or, maybe I will make some progress on a Miss Kate hexy quilt.  It will look just like the Happy Go Lucky hexy quilt that I finished last year.

Hoping that I find my sewing mojo soon!

Linking today to Design Wall Monday.

Hello 2016!

This year I wasn't planning to look back, but somehow starting a new year makes me think about where I want to go and where I have been.

2015 was the year where I finally was able to attack my stack of old projects and complete them with the help of monthly and quarterly goals.

So, goodbye 2015.  I finished some projects for me.

I finished some projects for good causes.

And, I was quite surprised at the number of bags that I made and how much fun I had with them.

So, where to next in 2016?  2014 was the year to bust stash and scraps. 2015 was the year to focus on finishing old projects.  I think 2016 will be the year of no more excuses.  It's time to make the quilts that I want to make and use the "good" stuff that I have been saving for "someday".  

2016 Goals

• Explore more improv.  I keep finding myself drawn to this technique and design.
• Work and experiment more with color, especially use color combinations that are not my "go-to" colors.
• Make myself some quilts and projects with my sacred, hoarded fabric. 
• Continue making bags, especially more Sew Together bags.  These make great gifts!
• Continue making charity quilts and focus on making more masculine quilts.
• Its also time to tackle making some clothes.

My word this year is "productive". I want to make everything!

Linking today to Whoop Whoop Friday.