A Fall Finish

I finally have a finish, albeit a small one. I was getting fall quilts, table runners, etc. out the other day and remembered that I needed a runner for one spot. Actually I've needed the runner since 2020 and it was time to do something about it!

So I went to my stash, found fabric, made a sketch, and came up with this:

Here's a closer view of the 54" by 18" runner:

I free motion quilted this with a meandering stitch using Isacord #1123 (tan) 40 weight thread. The back is a tan with oak leaves. Like everything else, it was in my stash.

And here the runner in its place.

There are some almost-finishes around here. I have three quilts that need to have the binding hand stitched - I'll get to them one of these days. We'll be heading north soon. It's time to go visit family in Wisconsin and then we'll head on to the UP of Michigan to enjoy the fall colors. 

A fun day and a little sewing!

We had the honor of watching our 10-year-old grandson play his guitar and sing for the Pink Tour Benefit today. He is a fantastic guitarist and the place he recently bought a guitar asked him to be a part of the benefit. We are so proud that he was willing to perform. It was a fun day!

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I finally did a little sewing! I made a knitting project bag. I used a free pattern from AllPeopleQuilt.com and the bag is about 13" by 18". I bought the fabric at Missouri Star last month. I did a little quilting on the outside of the bag - I just HAD too!

The inside has pockets. The color of the inside is lime green.

The long handle slips through the short handle. I've heard these bags called a few different names so I'm really not sure what is correct.

I like this - I wasn't sure if I would since it doesn't securely close but I think it will be great.

Some Quilting Finishes!!!

At long last, I have some quilting finishes! They are all small projects but they are done!

A while back I made a couple of small table mats. I guess I didn't post about them! Must have been too busy with the remodel...

All of these are done with red batiks and cream colored batiks. I backed each with a neutral colored batik and used Aurifil thread for the quilting.

This is one of the disappearing windmill patterns quilted with Paisley.

The next one is one of the disappearing hour glass patterns. I also quilted it with the Paisley.

In the past week, I have finished the other three table mats/runners for our family room.

I made this one like a chevron going in two directions. Each strip is quilted as if it were a border. This is my 'entry' in the March FMQ Challenge - you can see more photos and learn more here.

The Irish Chain  is quilted with feathers. I had a few places to fill in so I used small circles/stones.

The last runner is much larger - it is for a behind-the-sofa table. It is quilted with an all over pattern with flower petals that are echoed.

All of the mats/runners are in use!

 

 

It's so nice to have some cohesiveness in the room. And it's even better to have found time to quilt!

A couple of small runners

I went to Lucky 2B Quilting for the Christmas in July camp a couple of weeks ago. After seeing all of the suggestions/inspiration, I decided to make a couple of small table runners. 

As I was looking at fabric, I came across the Joy Batiks of Laundry Basket Quilts by Moda. I love batiks. I began with the layer cake and eventually bought the jelly roll too. I love batiks!

I decided to use the disappearing pinwheel block for one runner 

and the disappearing hourglass block for the other. 

Have you seen the Missouri Star youtube videos for these two blocks? 

Disappearing Pinwheel Block

Disappearing Hourglass Block

Both runners are quilted with Paisley. Considering it is my favorite quilting motif, who would have guessed?!

I bought one of the batiks that matched a piece in the layer cake and the jelly roll for the backing. I love batiks!

Since I want to use the runners more than just at Christmas, I decided on red and tan, leaving the green for another time. Always nice to have something to add to the stash! And I love batiks!

Swaddle time

Daughter-in-law Emily had posted this swaddle blanket photo on Pinterest. I thought it was darling so ...

I found some patterns online and then found the actual pattern with this photograph in the book, Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders by Yaker and Hoskins.

I looked and looked but could not find a printed flannel like the one in the photo. Ray and I did find a couple flannels that would work and Emily picked out three pieces the day we went shopping.

And now the swaddle blankets are done! 

I made bias binding due to the many curves and corners in the pattern. I always finish the binding on my quilts by hand so I find finishing with a machine a little awkward. 

Sorry I don't have a darling little person to model these! Won't be much longer though!

I think they are cute - wish I'd had something like this when our kids were born. 

My list is shrinking - next up is a nursing cover. And I really need to get the quilts started for this little guy...

Burp!

The baby is due in March, our 8th grandchild. And, of course, it is a boy! Number 3 son for this family. Mom-to-be Emily wanted burp cloths and asked if I could make them. Of course!

Last Monday, we went fabric shopping. Emily doesn't sew but I think she enjoys looking at fabrics - all of the colors, textures, and patterns. We had fun picking out flannels.

I found patterns for burp cloths online but tweaked and tweaked. Emily wanted the cloth 'cut out' at the neckline but she didn't want a tiny cloth. 

burp cloth pattern - to be placed on a fold

I wanted the cloth to have flannel on both sides. And I thought we needed a middle layer for absorption. The middle layer is a bar towel or bar mop. I had to undo the hem at each end of the towel for length before I cut it. The towel is stitched into the seam and there are two rows of topstitching so it shouldn't unravel.

Each cloth finished at 8 inches by 17 inches. 

Emily thought 8 - 10 cloths would be fine. I added a little fabric from my stash and I think I got a little carried away... they were fun and easy to make. Here are all of them - no two are identical. I twisted each one so you could also see the other side.

Now it's time to make swaddle blankets… and a nursing cover… and his quilts. I'd better get busy!

Christmas in July Camp

Today was Christmas in July Camp at Lucky 2B Quilting. Quilting with friends, both new and old, is always a fun day. And we had yummy Christmas cookies to munch on!

I decided to applique some dishtowels. I actually bought the towels and pattern a year ago at the Christmas in July Camp. While I was going through some quilting projects last week, I found them. I bought some new things this year – hope it doesn’t take me a year to start them!

Anyway, when I left camp, I had four towels done. They each looked like this:

Tonight, while packing up a few things for a retreat, I realized that I did not make the noses for the Santas! So I made them tonight. Now they look better.

 

They are rather cute!

 

Oh, did I mention a retreat? Yup, some friends and I are leaving Wednesday and will quilt until late Friday afternoon. It is definitely a quilting week! And if that’s not enough, I had an email when I got home today  saying that I had won a little quilting project on a friend’s blog! I’ll tell you more about that when I get the project and can show it to you. 

It is already a great week and it is only Monday!

A Christmas Bucket

I'm going to a Christmas in July Camp on Monday. I finally figured out what I made last year - a Take 5 Quilt that I never finished and probably never will! That is a little unusual around here! I really did/do not like the fabrics. Wonder what I was thinking when I bought the fabric?!  Anyway on that same day, I bought the book Hugs and Holly by Kelly Meuller of The Wooden Bear.  I liked the pattern for Santa's Cookie Bucket - the pattern for this little bucket that I just made.

The bottom finishes at a 5" square and the sides finish at 6" tall. The pattern uses wooden buttons on the side - I used leather buttons cause I didn't have any wood ones!

The pattern has an optional insert with a drawstring to close the bucket. That's looked rather neat, too.

When I bought the book, I thought maybe I'd make these as gift baskets last year. It didn't happen! Not sure it will this year either but it is a cute little bucket.

Little wallets for Scrip

Last fall I made some little wallets or credit card holders for our church bazaar. I used a pattern called Little Wallet by Valori Wells. The finished size is 4 3/4" by 3 3/8". I had a couple left and found that they are great for holding my quilt shop punch cards.

Recently the hockey association where one of our grandsons plays started selling scrip. Do any of you use scrip? Scrip is just non-expiring gift cards that I buy for myself. The hockey association gets a kick-back on all scrip that I buy at no cost to me well, actually I am charged 15 cents each time I order! Each individual store sets the amount of the kick-back usually 1% - 10%. This hockey association has my designated player getting a major part of the kick-back towards his fees. So I buy script at virtually no extra cost to me, our grandson gets part of his hockey fees paid, and I am supporting his hockey association. What a win-win! So I now carry a number of gift cards around. This little wallet works great but I needed another one and decided to make a few more.

Four little wallets

Each wallet has 3 pockets.

Just had to use a little hockey fabric on a couple of these!