Prairie Star Fall Retreat

It was another great retreat at Prairie Star Lodge. This one was hosted by Cassie of Lucky 2B Quilting. There were old friends - Cassie, Polly, Mary, Marilyn, and there were new friends - Betsy, Robin and Shawn. The eight of us had a great time and even watched the Chicago Cubs playing in the World Series.

This time I'm just showing projects. Some of the pictures aren't great - I was more interested in sewing and visiting!

3-D windmill quilt

3 1/2" blocks!

Strip quilt with scattered squares

3 pigs with a scalloped edge

Gingerbread girl with darling hair

Flower quilt with hour glass corner stones

Blocks made with curved ruler

Variety of table toppers

More 3 1/2" blocks from the 365 Challenge

Table runners

More table runners

Chicken quilt

Flower basket block

12 blocks - a variation of a log cabin block

Auditioning border fabric on part of a puff quit

Batik blocks

More batik blocks

Beginning of a triangle quilt

Beginning of a striking quilt

Flamingo pillowcase

Dinosaur pillowcase

Football blocks

Yo-yos for a quilt ... it's going to take quite a few!

I went with eleven donation quilts cut - all part of my clean-out-this-stash project. I had done a little sewing on a few. I finished all eleven tops! I even had a little time to sew some half square triangles from my peck of triangles.

Boy quilt

Sailboat quilt

Quilt blocks were made by three of our grandsons

Charm quilt

Pink Pepto quilt (It is the color of Pepto Bismo!)

Child Bricks

Red and White quilt

My Stars quilt

Scrappy Trips Around the World

Scrappy Stars quilt

Jungle Quilt

As for my clean-out-this-stash project, I need to spend some time with my piles of fabric. I'm sure those piles will tell me what to make next. I just need to listen ...

Finishes and many WIPs

I finished a quilt last night and washed it today. It is one of the clean-out-this-stash donation quilts. It's really cute but it doesn't look great on the brown carpet. The middle is flannel including the inner dark blue border.

The quilt is 50" by 43" with Dream Cotton batting. I used Aurifil thread for the piecing and the quilting.

The back is brushed cotton. I quilted this in a new-to-me design that I recently learned. It's large loops in a rather controlled design.

I really am serious about my clean-out-this-stash project. I'm going through fabric and pulling out quilts. It's kind of fun! Here are some WIPs (works-in-progress):

blue and yellow jelly roll race quilt waiting for a binding

red lasagna quilt top

red lasagna with sunlight quilt top

red, white, and blue lasagna quilt top

I think I have 13 quilts or more cut and kitted. There definitely will be more!

Here are some peeks at the design wall as I'm figuring out what I want to do.

sailboat quilt

pink pepto quilt

circus quilt

I hope to have a few more tops sewn together soon - I have a 3 1/2 day retreat next week. 

Today I decided to cut a scrappy Trip Around the World quilt. As I was looking for some strips to sew, I pulled out almost enough blocks-in-progress for the quilt. It is now a kit waiting for attention. 

I'm trying to make easy quilts because I'd like to get them done. I am enjoying this whole process though and I AM MAKING PROGRESS! 

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I also finished a summer sweater - I know it's a little late or maybe very early! I made a sweater early in the summer with the same bamboo yarn. After wearing it, I found that the bamboo has a tendency to stretch. This sweater was already started so I decided to finish it. I probably won't wear either sweater vey much but it's there if I want it.

It's hard to get a good picture of a sweater laying flat!

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This past Tuesday, the 18th, was the 50th anniversary of my 18th birthday. We were gone much of the day but I was able to sew while Ray fixed a delicious dinner. One stop during our day was at my favorite quilt shop. I bought batting but NO fabric! 

Blue Jelly Roll Race with Brights

The first blue jelly roll race quilt is done. There are two - I'm not as fond of the other one (no photos yet) but it will get finished. It needs to be sandwiched and quilted. These are both made from the blue stash that I've been clearing out. 

For this finished quilt, I decided to use only strips that read solid so I had to use some of the shorter strips too. I found some 2 1/2" bright colored squares It's amazing what I find in my studio! and decided to put one in between each strip. 

For the back, I used a bright print that I bought in Sault Set Marie, Ontario, Canada last spring.  The binding is left over pieces from other projects. Am I the only one that saves all of my leftovers so I can use them later?

I used Dream Cotton batting and quilted this in straight lines with my walking foot.

This is a donation quilt and I hope someone finds it bright and cherry.

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I've now attacked my red fabric! I have about 12 yards, mostly fat quarters, that I plan to gift to friends. The rest is cut in 2 1/2" strips, 3 1/2" pieces/strips, strings, and 5" squares. I think I've removed about 25 - 27 yards of red fabric. The good news is that I can now close the red fabric drawer! 

Sorting reds while many blue strips remain on design wall.

I've already kitted one quilt using 5" red squares and 2" red squares with white surrounding them. The next idea is for a Lasagna quilt using the 3 1/2" pieces and strips.

Here are the 3 1/2" strips. I was sorting by fabric - there are MANY!

I have started the Lasagna Quilt. This is similar to a Jelly Roll Race but each row is pieced and then the rows are sewn together. I'm thinking that I have plenty of fabric to do more than one.

I have a large drawer where I have decided to keep my 2 1/2 " strips. At last count there were over 300 strips -  someday I plan to use them! I also have all of the strings in a VERY large basket. The next time my grandsons are here and want to sew, I think we'll work on string blocks. 

I do like organization and I feel that I am slowly regaining control of my stash...

Dinosaur quilt done and more stash busting...

The Dinosaur Flannel Quilt is finished. You may recall that I am trying to clean out some of my stash. Everything used for this quilt is from my stash.

This quilt is 47" square and has Dream Cotton batting. We aren't having great weather so all photos are done inside. I just finished a Craftsy class - The Secrets of Free-Motion Quilting with Christina Cameli so I decided to try out a few of the designs.

The backing is a blue flannel with darker blue dots. The binding is orange cotton. 

I think the binding really helped bring out the colors in this donation quilt.

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I am still in the clean it out - use it up mode. I decided to focus on blue cotton fabric for awhile. I still have lots of flannel. I went through ALL of my blue fabric and chose my least favorites.  I also grabbed most of the smaller pieces which were some of my favorites. My big criteria was that the fabric was blue or blue and white - no other colors. During the process, I found some other cut up pieces and a leader/ender quilt in progress that got hidden away! Oh my!

I pressed the blues and cut most into 2 1/2" strips. There are over 100 WOF strips. There are a few hundred strips that are shorter than WOF - anywhere from 5" to 30" long. Most are well over 20" long. There are some 2" squares, 2 1/2" squares, 4 1/2" squares, 3 1/2" triangles for HSTs, and some circles. And there are many strings - strips that are 1" to 2" wide and varying lengths.

Here is a photo in the midst of my pressing/cutting/sorting.

During all this, I told Ray that I thought my fabric stash was out of control. I asked if he had anything in his life that was so out of control. With a smile, he said yes - his wife!

In all, I've cut up between 19 - 20 yards of blue fabric. The good part is that I can now close both drawers that contain blue fabric! Of course I have a zillion strips to store somewhere.

I think a Jelly Roll Race Quilt is next up - blue, of course, maybe with a little yellow. Yes, I have yellow fabric...

Will this use what you have phase ever end???

Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars

I found this recipe and had to try it. I have seen a number of granola bar recipes that are similar and I think you can make changes and the bars will still turn out. I used dried apples but I think any dried fruit that is a bit chewy will work.

Healthy Chewy Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars

from Lovely Little Kitchen at http://lovelylittlekitchen.com/healthy-chewy-apple-cinnamon-granola-bars/

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1/4 cup flax seeds

4 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal (I used Rice Krispies)

1/2 cup dried apples, diced (I cut up with kitchen shears)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 by 9 inch baking dish by spraying it with nonstick spray and lining it

with parchment paper, leaving excess hanging over the sides for easy removal later.

2. Spread oats, nuts, and flax seeds out in an even layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

3. Bake for 5-8 minutes, watching closely for the oats to just start to brown and become fragrant.

4. In a small sauce pan, bring honey, coconut oil, and brown sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Stir to dissolve

sugar for 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract, and set aside.

5. In a large bowl, combine puffed rice cereal, dried apples, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the oat mixture, and pour in

the honey mixture. Stir until everything is well coated.

6. Press into your prepared 9 by 9 inch square baking dish. Use another piece of parchment paper on top to pack it

down and press it into the corners.

7. Place them in the refrigerator to chill for an hour before removing from the baking dish to cut into bars. Serve at

room temperature.

You might want to stop over at Lovely Little Kitchen. She has a number of recipes that sound wonderful.  I'll be trying the Blueberry Muffin Energy Bites soon!