That was fun!

Lots of things made this month!

1. Triangle Quilt; still too small, 2. Retro Flowers; Need Nine More, 3. Pinwheel Quilt Back, Binding, 4. Pinwheel Basting, 5. Pinwheel basting (how 'bout those shelves?), 6. Vivienne's Quilt - A Finish!, 7. Woodland Sampler - January - A Finish!, 8. And Sew On BOM January - A Finish!, 9. Craftsy BOM - unintentionally wonky :/ but A Finish!

Ok, making single blocks doesn't count as "finish" but I finished the blocks for the month, that's what I meant, and making this mosaic (my first) was so very time consuming that I hope you'll forgive me but I don't want to fix it.  I was a bit concerned (not a feeling I want to associate with sewing) that I had committed myself to too many "alongs" and "BOMs" particularly since I've never done ANY before this month.  

I didn't get two of my big projects finished - the pinwheel quilt or the triangle quilt - but I did get the former basted and the latter has all its required triangles added, though I still have two more months in order to do them for the 2013 Finish Along sponsored by Leanne at She Can Quilt and Rhonda at Quilter in the Gap. I did finish the most important one, the quilt for my new great niece.  I'm really happy with it.  

In addition, I made two hospice bears and pieced and basted two hospice quilts (I'll quilt and bind them this weekend); paper pieced the three blocks for the Pretty in Patchwork Holidays Sew Along, but didn't get their eyes or the actual pillows made; made one Swoon block (terrible picture here, yet that should still qualify for the 2013 NewFO Challenge by Barbara at Cat Patches); and picked and cut out the fabrics and zippers for the Triple Zip Along but I haven't taken pictures yet.

Linking up to Carrie at A Passion for Applique's Nothing But UFOs.  I was going to link up to the And Sew On linky party at Quiet Play but I missed the deadline - still, go look at all the great blocks everyone made!  

January is over, can you believe it?  We had a great month, skiing up at Mammoth Mountain where the weather was really beautiful.  Elvis liked it:

Happy February!

Holli

  

Retro Flowers

I cannot believe all the flowers are pieced!

We're being very indulgent and skiing for most of this month.   I had to bring my sewing machine (and as much gear and fabric as I could get away with!) with me, and all the pieces for this (and several other) quilts.  I had two blocks finished from earlier last year.  I was a bit bummed that I didn't select my favorite fabrics for this as it was so much work to do.  All that exactitude!  One print - the blue in the upper right corner - is a Liberty tana lawn.  I bought it from Purl Soho with a gift card the Captain gave me for Christmas 2011.  When I didn't know anything about fabric.  So, I guess that qualifies as a special fabric.

I'm so pleased with these flowers.  The Captain is decidedly NOT a flower fan, however.  Oh well, I made it for the challenge and because I like it.  It isn't a very big quilt, for all that work.  I think it needs at least nine more flowers, so that it is five by five.  Or should I sash it?  If I'm going to make nine more, why not make many many more and make two quilts, one sort of uber bright and one low volume? (Like birthing a baby, clearly I am forgetting how much cutting and pinning and pinning and cutting and pinning and finicky curvy piecing was involved and am only focusing on the end result [not that there was much cutting and pinning involved in birthing my two babies - haha].)  It represents reall progress toward my Finish Along goals!

Unrelated to the Finish Along, I did get my Lucky Stars Block of the Month for January complete.  Actually, I made three as I'd cut enough fabric before coming skiing.  They all look the same as this one, except one is the 6" version and two are the 12" (maybe its 12.5) version.  I had the hardest time with this, ripping out seams over and over because I wasn't paying attention.  I'll use one block for the quilt that will ultimately come from this activity, and I think I'll make the other into another pillow when we get home.  The little one will have to hang around until I figure out what to make of him.

Hitting the slopes for most of the day tomorrow!  Thanks for stopping by!

Holli

Finishing-A-Long

I have three quilts I'd like to finish soon.

First, a quilt for my first great niece who joined us in late November.  Its not like I didn't know she was going to join us, but I couldn't figure out what to do or even if what I was going to do would be worthy (I suppose that's ridiculous, but making something as a gift for someone feels like such a great responsibility).  I've pieced the top, basted it with its backing, half quilted it (I might take that all out and start over again), and have prepped the binding.  This should be my FIRST finish.

Second up is a quilt I started last year, or maybe even the year before.  This isn't what it really looks like - I was testing it out to see what I'd need to do to make it a full size quilt (a lot, it turns out).  I first started quilting in July 2011 as in - I made a quilt in July/August 2011 - so I might have started this later in that year.  I didn't know what I wanted to do, and didn't have a pattern, but - from my current perspective and looking at my notes - I must have heard something about 5" squares (charms) though for some reason decided to cut my fabric at 5-1/2".  I made what I thought was a quilt top but, turns out, it wasn't big enough, so into the WIP pile it went (it was the first).  I did just love the fabric combo though and have wanted to complete it.  And so I shall!  Unfortunately, I didn't have enough of the original fabric so I had to hunt a bit to find similar fabrics.  I think the new ones won't show up as 'new.'    I figure I need to add at least one additional row and four or five columns.

Lastly - at least for this go round - is my Retro Flowers.  I actually started this as a quilt for the new great niece (see above) but oh, my.  What a lot of work!  And difficulty matching, etc.  So I set this aside and made something (only slightly) less onerous.  I wish I'd used more loved fabrics for the flowers - I have an unfortunate M.O. of picking my less-than-favorites for patterns because I think I won't do a very good job and don't want to waste.  But I pretty much have liked everything I've made and would like it all so much better if I'd used fabric I loved!!  How about taking that as a lesson for the year . . .


Linking up (at the last minute!) with the 2013 Finish A Long hosted by Leanne at She Can Quilt.

Some Sewing

A successful day of sewing.  And now a blog post.  These were my goals for this two weeks the Captain is off riding his bicycle with friends: sewing; and trying to better figure out how to blog.  

I made this pincushion/threadcatcher, pocket thing (it is actually called a Weighted Pincushion Organizer) based on Elizabeth Hartman's tutorial at Sew Mama Sew.  In the photo above it is in the salon (boatspeak for living room) because my sewing room is too dark.  I really like the way it looks, but it isn't heavy enough.  Maybe I used the wrong rice.  It falls off my sewing table and I've only put one thread into the threadcatcher.  I think I'll open it back up and maybe put in crushed walnut shells (I have a bag of them) to replace the fiberfill (I'll keep the rice also).  Maybe I'll also put some nonskid on the bottom of it so it holds.  And maybe I'll put the threadcatcher off to the side, because I also kind of run into it when I'm sewing.  I had thought about it when I made it - keep in mind, I have a teensy weensy sewing space - but I always like to (try to) make things they way they are described before trying to insert my own opinions (don't hold me to it, though).

When I was finished with that, I tackled a WIP.  I'll try to post properly by linking up with Lee on WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  For now, here's a little look.

And yesterday I finished two hospice bears.  (They're posing here in my car, a last minute snapshot before sending them off.)  The fabric, typically an article of clothing, is supplied by family members - in this case a San Diego Padres' shirt worn and undoubtedly beloved by the person who used to wear it - and, with the prescribed pattern (and strict instructions to add no embellishments that were not part of the clothing provided), volunteers make up the bears, giving family members a sweet, and cuddly, reminder of someone they love.  

We'll call this a successful post.  Pictures, links, actual work having been done.  Let's see if I can manage tomorrow as well.

. . . one more thing . . . someone told me that I have the "prove you're human" hurdle on my comments, but I can't see it to change it - if you see that I'm not allowing comments, please also let me know where I can turn that off - thanks! (and any other suggestions are welcome also - I have so much to learn!)

All the best, 

Holli