Saturday, November 29, 2014

RSC14 Scrap Saturday 11.29.14

I took a little break from the Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Along by Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville to put together my little mini quilt (doll quilt) with Lori from Humble Quilts.  You can find the instructions for Cascadia here.  I was playing with my little blue 1.5" squares on this one.

Here's my Cascadia quilt top completed:

 
$100 gift certificate giveaway at Victorian Motto Shoppe!  Tell them Kathy S. from Kathy's Quilting Blog sent you!  Woot woot!
 
I also spent a lot of Black Friday cutting triangles for Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt (by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville).  I'll refer to it as GIMQ.  Here's most of my blues (aqua) triangles.
 
 
Grand Illusion

 
I found this free pattern today (thanks to Julianne again...).  I thought it would be a cute way to use scraps during the RSC14.  It's called Urban Classics by Nancy Mahoney.  You can find it and many other free patterns on Nancy's page here.  This will be my NewFO!  I will continue to make blocks monthly with the RSC colors.  My kite girl blocks will be complete in the next month or so.  I need a new project to keep me busy.  LOL.
 
Soscrppy
 
 I'm linking up with Angela at ScrapHappy blog. for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, 2014.
 
I'm also liking my NewFO to Barbara's blog Cat Patches.
 
In other RSC14 news, I finished my little quilt top for the Little Letters QA at  Temecula Quilt Company.  I may add a little 2.5" border yet, after seeing Sharon's flimsy of Vroomans Quilts.   I LOVE it.  I especially love the colors that I chose.  I came across this little QA when I was looking for something to make for the October RSC14 in the colors of brown, grey, and black.  I also love the way it blends in with our Ohio November weather this week.  Today we have half a blanket of snow.

You can find the instructions for the Little Letters here.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Grand Illusion Fabric Pull (GIMQ)

Grand Illusion
 
Grand Illusion starts tomorrow.  I'll be calling it GIMQ.  I know many people are excited.  I finally decided that I will be using Bonnie Hunter's suggested colors for the quilt.  Sometimes it's easier that way when I don't have to substitute things in my mind...  Here's what I pulled today:
 
 
 
This may or may not be the yellow constant that I use.  I probably will because I am trying to not have to buy any fabric for this quilt.  SCRAPS all the way!  Below are a couple better pics of the scraps.  I have more of these colors in my yardage bins, but we'll see what the instructions are.  I will most likely pull out my strings bags and go through them for little pieces like 2" squares if needed.
 
I may just try to go with the bright greens.  I have more greens in my 2.5" strips bin.

 
I tried to stick to the light blues and aquas.  We'll see.  I have more in my 2.5" strips bin.

 
I have a lot more pinks than this in my strings bags.

 
 
I'm not showing pictures of the blacks and neutrals.  They are just that... blacks and neutrals.

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving!  I have so much to be thankful for this year.  I've just been so happy lately.  I'm not sure if it's because I've been more active physically or spiritually.  I'm sure it's a combination of both.

I'm so happy that Temecula Quilt Company released gave us the rest of the alphabet instructions yesterday!  Woohoo!  This mini quilt top is all done.  I LOVE it.  I especially love the colors that I chose.  I came across this little QA when I was looking for something to make for the October RSC14 in the colors of brown, grey, and black.  I also love the way it blends in with our Ohio November weather today.

You can find the instructions for the Little Letters here.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

WIP Wednesday 11.26.14

Still plugging along at everything...

I finished this blue sampler quilt.  I won the blocks in Feburary 2012 from Fiona @ Poppyprint blog.



I finished these three Frosty & Friends quilt tops.  I'm so excited to get them to this point at this busy time of year.



They even made it to the longarm frame together.  Quilting THREE at a time -- Whohoo!

 
I only made two light blue blocks for the RSC14.  It's still progress!
 
 
I got the "hard" rows down (orange) in my Cascadia mystery quilt along at Humble Quilts.  Hopefully the rest of the instructions will be released today.  Update -- the final reveal was released today!  Woot Woot!
 
 
I got the letter "V" done for my Little Letters QA at http://temeculaquiltco.blogspot.com/.   Update -- The final letters (X, Y, &Z) were released today!!!  Woot Woot!

 
 
Chippy has been up to his mischief.  We're having a lot of fun with that.



My WIP count this week is moved from 34 to 33.  My WIP goal for New Years Day 2015 is 19.  Uh oh, I've got a ways to go!  I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced
 
New:  I am also linking up with Shannon at Modern Tradition Quilts.  Check out all the great works here.
 
New Projects This Week
1.  None
Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn
1.  Underpants Project 
2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)
3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt
4.  Picadilly Circle
5. ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)
6.  MSBHQAL (Molli Sparkles Broken Herringbone Quilt Along)
7.  Spring Sampler Series at Cora's Quilts
8.  Gypsy Wife QA (recycling  Red/White Flower Basket Quilt into this project & duds.)
9.  Quilt Doodle Doodles Designs 2014 BOM
10.  Love Laugh Quilt Christmas Improv QA
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) 
13.  Super Mario QA
 
Blocks Still Need to be Made
1.  NY Beauty
2.  Orca Bay
3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
4.  Sweet Simplicity BOM
5. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt
6.  Color coordinated hexagon quilt
7.  Gourmet Quilter Sampler
8.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
9.  Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
10.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Block Lotto Dud (Orphan Block Quilt)
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly 
 
Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done)
1.  Celtic Solstice (Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2013)


Ready to longarm
1.

Quilted, needs binding
1.  Blue Frosty #1
2.  Blue Frosty #2
3.  Red Frosty #2
 
Completed this week:
1.  Blue blocks that I won (with butterfly fabric)

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Happy Mail from Julianne and Sew Me a Song

A big surprise was in my mailbox today.  One of my biggest cheerleaders and quilty BFF, Julianne, sent some PERFECT scrappy trip blocks to me for the back of my Celtic Solstice quilt.  She did them in my quilt colors!  They are perfectly sewn!  I LOVE all of the fabrics that she used.  This totally made my day.  They will definitely be on the back of my quilt.  I'm not sure how I will arrange them just yet.  I know I will make sure they are all together.  Just look at them:

 
Also, more yummy goodness arrived in the mail today.  I was the Scraptastic Tuesday November winner on Leanne's blog -- www.shecanquilt.ca.
 
I got a $20 gift certificate to Becca's Etsy's shop, Sew me a Song.  Oh my!  The coolest thing about Becca's shop is that it has sooooooooo much in it!  If you couldn't find something that you liked, there was something wrong.  This Fat Eighth bundle will be perfect for a QA or BOM for 2015.  Becca has so many fat quarters and packs in her shop.  YUMMY!!!

The top row of fabrics are really cute little stripes.  They just didn't photo well for me at 4am...  I LOVE all these dots and the bright colors.  Can't wait for the right QA to use them.  I have a feeling that Julianne (above quilty BFF) will find a QA that we just HAVE to do together. :)  I'll put these yummy fabrics together!
 
 

Monday, November 24, 2014

Frosty & Friends

Happy to see these three minis have made it to the flimsy stage!

 
This is a pattern by Debbie Mumm.  It is in a book from 1992 called Quick Country Quilting.   You can also find a FREE pattern on Debbie Mumm's site FREE here.


Saturday, November 22, 2014

RSC14 Scrap Saturday 11.22.14

Brrrr.  Cold at 11 degrees today.  Too cold for the local parade.  We're going swimming at the Y!  I did manage to squeeze in two lonely cracker blocks in this morning for the RSC14.

 
If I'm calling this block the wrong name... Cracker Block, please let me know.  Sometimes I get it mixed up with another block...  Thanks!  Have a great weekend.
 
Oh, and Chippy & Barbie were up to something last night...
 
 

Soscrppy

 
 I'm linking up with Angela at ScrapHappy blog. for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, 2014.
 

Friday, November 21, 2014

Friday Finish -- Blue Sampler

I'm happy to check off another quilt from my to-do list for 2014.  I won 11 of these blocks from Fiona @ Poppyprint blog in February, 2013.  I think it turned out to be a nice quilt.  It measures 57" x 72.5". 


I longarm quilted it with the Jesters giant board from Circle Lord.

 
The back is just simply pieced.

 
A little girl (well, she's 13 now) from our church is in need of some prayer.  Chippy continues to pray for Faith.  If you want, check out #Faith4Faithers on facebook.
 
 
There's another fun holiday giveaway at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.
Check it out here.
 
Linking up with Richard and Tanya Quilts for Link-A-Finish Friday!
 
LAFF - Richard and Tanya Quilts
 
 
 

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Keeping up with the Cascadia QA

Today I worked on Cascadia Quiltalong Part 3- Humble Quilts blog.  These strips or orange kinda gave me problems!  I had to just use 1.5" squares instead of the triangles and trimmed them.  No biggie...  It was just a challenging thing that I had to learn today. :)

I wonder if this is how the mystery will end.  Guess we'll find out next week.


 
Here's what our elf, Chippy, did today...
 

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

WIP Wednesday 11.19.14

Brrr.  We got about about 6" of snow or so.  Winter is here.  Time to sew!  It's 10 degrees as I type.  Here's what happened this week:

 I finished adding borders to the Blue Frosty & Friends #1 quilt.  This is a pattern by Debbie Mumm.  It is in a book from 1992 called Quick Country Quilting.   You can also find a FREE pattern on Debbie Mumm's site FREE here.
 
I got the first border on the other two Frosty & Friends quilts.  I think I like the red ones better...
 
 
Oh, before I forget, there's a fun surprise giveaway at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe!  Check it out here.
 
Speaking of snow...  We had our first SNOW DAY home from school this week!  What fun!
 
 
For the RSC14 I made some Fortune Teller blocks.  What a fun use of strings/scraps!  These are from the book, Sunday Morning Quilts: 16 Modern Scrap Projects - Sort, Store, and Use Every Last Bit of Your Treasured Fabrics
by Amanda Jean Nyberg
eBook -- I got it from our county library ONLINE!!!
 
 
I finished clue 2 for the mystery doll quilt.   You can learn more about the mini fun at Humble Quilts Blog.  It's called Cascadia.   Hopefully clue 3 will be available today!
 
 
I got half of the binding on my butterfly sampler quilt!  Expect a Friday Finish!

 
I didn't work at all on my Celtic Solstice quilt back...  I still haven't picked out fabrics (or even colors for the Bonnie Huntery Mystery, Grand Illusion, that starts in NINE days!  Yes, I'm excited for it, but I need to get more work on that Celtic Solstice quilt back so that I can get some empty bins and clear my mind for Grand Illusion.  Once that quilt is on the longarm frame it will all be downhill...
 
Grand Illusion
 
I did some work to winterize the chicken coop (TWO DAYS BEFORE THE BIG SNOW!)  Glad I got that done!  Now all I have to do is shovel a path for them now and then.
 
 
Our Elf (from Elf on the Shelf), Chippy, has returned and has been up to some fun stuff.  Now that our son is in first grade expect some notes that he will have to read! :)

 
My WIP count this week is still 34.  My WIP goal for New Years Day 2015 is 19.  Uh oh, I've got a ways to go!  I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced
 
New Projects This Week
1.  None
Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn
1.  Underpants Project 
2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)
3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt
4.  Picadilly Circle
5. ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)
6.  MSBHQAL (Molli Sparkles Broken Herringbone Quilt Along)
7.  Spring Sampler Series at Cora's Quilts
8.  Gypsy Wife QA (recycling  Red/White Flower Basket Quilt into this project & duds.)
9.  Quilt Doodle Doodles Designs 2014 BOM
10.  Love Laugh Quilt Christmas Improv QA
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) 
13.  Super Mario QA
 
Blocks Still Need to be Made
1.  NY Beauty
2.  Orca Bay
3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
4.  Sweet Simplicity BOM
5. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt
6.  Color coordinated hexagon quilt
7.  Gourmet Quilter Sampler
8.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
9.  Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
10.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Block Lotto Dud (Orphan Block Quilt)
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly 
7.  Blue Frosty #2
8.  Red Frosty #2

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done)
1.  Celtic Solstice (Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2013)
2.  Blue Frosty #1


Ready to longarm
1. 

Quilted, needs binding
1.  Blue blocks that I won (with butterfly fabric) HALF DONE!
 
Completed this week:

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

One of my Favorite Jelly Roll Quilts

In March this year I finished a Split Decision baby quilt.  This was the second one that I made.  (I cut my own jelly roll with some solids from my stash.)  I love the colors and the quilting on this quilt.  It was a very quick and easy pattern. 

I call it my 2nd Split Decision because I had made one earlier for a co-worker.  I love the bright colors that she picked out for her nursery.  Her nursery theme was Monsters Inc. 





 
Here's a nice close-up picture of the swirls quilting.  This pattern is so versatile.  It gives it motion!
 

This quilt is available for sale at my Etsy Shop!  Check it out at here.

I'm linking up with Val for the Tuesday Archives for jelly roll quilts.  Check out what other jelly roll quilts are favorites at Val's Quilting Studio.

Val's Quilting Studio

You can find this pattern (Split Decision by Teacher's Pet) on various places on the web (eBay, Etsy...)  Here's one.

Monday, November 17, 2014

SNOW Day!!!

Today was our first measureable snowfall here in Ohio.  No school today due to snow.  Whohoo!  We played on the four-wheeler and made a little path for the chickens.  Luckily I winterized the chicken coop just this Saturday (two days ago).  Whew!  Glad I did that.

Here's my helper.  We gathered some logs and a tire to make a new winter playground.  Yes, he's catching snowflakes on his tongue.  (Behind him is my "scarecrow".)  Believe it or not, this plastic chair with a coat and a pair of jeans tied to it makes an awesome scarecrow.  I drag it to another location once or twice a day.  So far, the hawk(s) have stayed away since I made it.  I also have a scarecrow on a post that I move around as well.

 
We shoveled a small path.  The girls want to stay in the 40 degree coop (heated by 17 chickens x 5 BTU's each...)

 
This is Martin.  She was the most curious about the snow.

 
Here's the new playground.  There is some bread and some spaghetti squash as treats.
 


Our snow people may look pathetic, but the memory will last a lifetime!  I did go back and straighten the one that was leaning.