Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 38

This week and especially the last couple of days have been brutal on the sewing front. The Dude was sick - with croup, of all things - which he gave to me in the form of a bad cold. I've been texting and emailing people like mad because I have no voice to talk on the phone, and I'm in the final days of preparing the squadron holiday party. And then my husband came home with a stomach bug.

Thankfully, it will all be over on Friday - at least the holiday party part! And then we can all focus on getting better, and maybe getting some sewing done. The Dude is taking his first sewing class on Saturday - I'm very excited for him!

Hunter's Star, round two - 90 light blue half-blocks, 6/90 dark blue blocks

Quilt-Alongs:

Fat Quarter Stars - two blocks behind

Argyle Quilt Along {Fall-gyle} - top done until I start seam picking

LQS Saturday Sampler - picked up next month's, haven't started it yet

Quiltville Orca Bay {Skorca!} - 50/112 B&W QSTs, 9/36 red strings

Christmas Sewing:

 Grinch panel quilt - niece - top and back are pieced, ready for basting

Rudolph panel quilt - the Dude - started cutting fabric

Star Wall Hanging - finished attaching the borders

Advent Calendar - my only near finish of the week. It just needs borders, thread clipped, minimal quilting and a wash to get rid of the embroidery guidelines.

Untouched This Week:

Chunky Log Cabin

Frolicking Pinwheels

St. Paul's Cross

Swoon A Little, Swoon A Lot

Awaiting Quilting:

Sunkissed Jewel Box

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 17

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Fifteen Minute Challenge - Week 14

This week was all about the Advent Calendar. And then we started celebrating it with the church dates, but our online Advent calendar doesn't start until Dec. 1, so the Dude is thoroughly confused. So we're going with the Dec. 1 start date and I have a little more time to finish the Calendar.

On the wall with no border to keep Days 21-24 in place, no threads clipped, no quilting, no washing to remove the embroidery guidelines...

Tuesday - embroidered 4 days

Wednesday - embroidered 4 days

Thursday - embroidered 4 days

Friday - embroidered 4 days

Saturday - embroidered 4 days

Sunday - embroidered 4 days

Monday - sewed rows together

Between the holiday and having a bad cold, I didn't do much sewing, so it was easy to leave the machine set up for embroidery all week and just line up new numbers each day. Which didn't bode well for actually getting things done other than the embroidery. Doesn't life know I don't have time for a cold during the holiday season?

Check out how others are managing their time at Life in Pieces.

Design Wall Monday - Week 48

Still Christmas Stars, still so close to being done.

The two side borders are attached now, and I decided I'm just going to bind it with the red instead of adding another border. Which means I should really just get it done instead of playing with....

Skorca!

The directions for step two call for 3.5" string blocks. I planned on just cutting 3.5" blocks because I don't have that many strings and I'm not going to cut some just for this. Then I checked my red scraps.

Uh, okay... They're almost all strings!

 So now I'm six blocks in, powering through some stringy scraps and having way too much fun with these little things.

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times, and more Orca Bay progress at Quiltville!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 48

I accept that I'm not going to come close to zero in the next month. Maybe, maybe, close to -25? But it gives me a goal to beat for next year. That's, um, good?

I didn't quite finish the Advent calendar. It should be done, though unquilted, tomorrow.

I did buy this little stack - my only Black Friday purchases.

A yard of Grand Finale for Swoon borders and candy cane stripe to bind Rudolph and the Grinch. The Rudolph fabric came in the mail - one yard of the white for sashing, three yards of the red for backing and borders. I adore the red. It's going to be a great little quilt.

Used this Week: 0

Used Year to Date: 118.66

Added this Week: 5.75

Added Year to Date: 162.20

Net Used for 2011: (43.54) yards

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Felt Food Friday - Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving!

I used this tutorial, complete with removable drumsticks.
I didn't love the size of the bone compared to the drumstick, so mine ended up a bit funky looking after some trimming.
The Dude has already removed the drumsticks and turned them into...drumsticks.

Next week: potato chips! (Never browse felt food blogs with your son looking over your shoulder.)

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 37

Lots of little finishes this week. Like...

...a Swoon block.

...90 light blue half-blocks for Hunter's Star, round two - halfway!

Quilt-Alongs: 

Fat Quarter Stars - two blocks behind, but I whipped this week's together quickly. I think I was supposed to use my neutral. I'm probably going to take it apart and redo it. It's really bugging me.

Argyle Quilt Along {Fall-gyle} - top done until I start seam picking

LQS Saturday Sampler - need to pick up next month's, and do last month's

Quiltville Orca Bay {Skorca!} - 26/112 QSTs - I'm doing a half-size quilt...though 37x42" might be too small. When it's over and I know the design, I might add a row or two. Also, I'm doing "draw-and-sew-and-cut-and-press-and-draw-and-sew-and-cut-and-press" method, so I'm well over halfway.

Christmas Sewing:

 Grinch panel quilt - niece - top done! And the back is pieced, so all I have to do is figure out how to quilt it.

Rudolph panel quilt - the Dude - the fabric arrived yesterday!

Star Wall Hanging - finished piecing the borders

Advent Calendar - made the flying geese units and started machine embroidering them

Untouched This Week:

Chunky Log Cabin

Frolicking Pinwheels

St. Paul's Cross

Awaiting Quilting:

Sunkissed Jewel Box

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 17

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Fifteen Minute Challenge - Week 13

15 minutes a day and I have a Grinch quilt top!

{I know, it's really wrinkled.}

Tuesday - measured & cut red border

Wednesday - sewed red border

Thursday - measured and cut white border

Friday - sewed top/bottom borders

Saturday - cut flying geese squares for Advent Calendar

Sunday - sewed charms for Advent Calendar

Monday - sewed side borders

I realized this weekend that the first holiday deadline I had was Nov. 27 for Advent...and I hadn't started the Advent Calendar yet. I'm doing this one from Moda Bake Shop, and boy they're not kidding when they say it's easy.

Whipped this pile up in no time. I'm going to let the embroidery machine add the numbers, and this sucker should be on the wall in no time.

I'm also combining linky parties again. Over at the Quilter's Table, she hosts a recipe link up on Tuesdays. I'm not a great cook and all my recipes are from Alton Brown or All Recipes. However, I do have my favorite sweet potatoes recipe from my mother. Copied directly from her email to me.

peel and cut up the sweet potatoes

put in your pan with a little bit of water, half cup maybe
then put in some brown sugar - a cup maybe, a cup and a half? whatever looks good. I usually pinch off about 2 inches in the bag and just dump that in
about 2 tablespoons of margarine
sprinkle a little tiny bit of salt
cook until the potatoes are soft, maybe 25 minutes?
you have to turn the light down after they boil
then thicken the liquid with cornstarch mixed with water - maybe a tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water?

Don't you love the exacting details of a family recipe? It's still usually the only thing I get right.

Check out how others are managing their time at Life in Pieces and other holiday recipes at A Quilter's Table!

Design Wall Monday - Week 47

I'm combining link parties with this one.

First up, the design wall - Christmas Stars Wall Hanging.

I mentioned I was sewing the side 2.5" squares as leaders/enders. Except I never actually counted how many I'd need. My plan was two rows, to line up with the skaters on the top and bottom. Um, obviously I went past that. Luckily my Advent calendar will be the same fabrics, so I guess it's going to be getting a 2.5" squares border, too.

Second, Orca Bay. Which has already been renamed Skorca. Which is my favorite Penguins of Madagascar episode of all time. What? You don't have a favorite episode? You must not live with a six year old boy.

Bonnie said red is the most prominent, then black, then blue. My scrap bins said blue (the sky) is the most prominent, then black (the orca), then...um...maybe a touch of red? 

{Skorca! Aaah! Who can be safe from the terror that swims the skies?}

3.25" squares are slowly becoming HSTs, which will be turned into the required QSTs. Skipper will be guarding the project.

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times, and more Orca Bay progress at Quiltville!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 47

This week's finishes are all pink! I'm so thankful for a niece and friends with daughters.

Ballet slipper bags, with tutus

Pink burp rags

 Doll dress, modeled by my Cabbage Patch doll, Dorothy Kathryn. It's actually for an American Girl and not quite finished - I need to gather the waist a little more and hem it. But DK won't fit in it once the waist is gathered. Her poor arms barely fit as is.

 

Used this Week: 1.21

Used Year to Date: 118.66

Added this Week: 0.5

Added Year to Date: 156.45

Net Used for 2011: (37.79) yards

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Steelers Quilt - Finished!

Um, finally!

{My husband mumbles something about football season starting months ago.}

The design is my own, for the Xs and Os in a playbook. Also, hugs and kisses - but don't tell my husband that.

The yellow is The Name Game by Quilt Country (Moda), the black is Kona, and the Steelers fabric is...Steelers fabric.

 It's backed in yellow minkee, and you can see a bit of the quilting. I outlined the Os, did three parallel lines through the Xs, cross-hatched the black border and did three straight lines with a cross in the yellow border.

Some of the quilting from the front.

All of the little HSTs in the second border are leftover double-stitched from the blocks. I still have a little pile of them to make a matching throw pillow. Lucky, lucky me.

It measures 53x63".

My husband is hoping it will get a lot of use in playoff season.

{linked to Whoop Whoop Fridays and Fabric Tuesday.}

Felt Food Friday - Squash

Squishy squash!

Yet another one from the Simplicity 2445 pattern, and here's a similar tutorial. I didn't make the top right - I found it impossible to flip right side out, so I just cut a strip and looped it over.

Next week is Thanksgiving, so of course we're having a turkey!

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 36

I missed making Swoon blocks. And I love how the corners in this one swirl.

Tried something new for this one - pressing the seams open. It's a very bulky block, especially in the 8" size. I found that my points weren't as neat, but it lays much flatter. I think in the future, I'll do a mix of open and nested seams.

The back is prettier, though.

Oh, and don't you just hate when you find out someone else is doing your "thing"? Cupcakes 'n' Daisies made a 6.75" Swoon block. And I thought 8" was small!

 Finished quilting the Steelers Quilt, but it's too cloudy and windy outside for glamour shots. So have a sneak peek for now.

Hunter's Star, round two - 84/90 light blue half-blocks - halfway home stretch! The next strip will be half light and half dark!

Quilt-Alongs: 
Fat Quarter Stars - two blocks behind (still! ugh!)

Argyle Quilt Along - top done until I start seam picking

LQS Saturday Sampler - won't be going this month, so pushed to the back burner

Quiltville Orca Bay - starts 11/18

Christmas Sewing:

Grinch panel quilt - niece - sashed out and border #1 is on

Rudolph panel quilt - the Dude

Star Wall Hanging - me

Advent Calendar - me

Untouched This Week:

Chunky Log Cabin

Frolicking Pinwheels

St. Paul's Cross

Awaiting Quilting:

Sunkissed Jewel Box

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 1

In Progress: 17

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Fifteen Minute Challenge - Week 12

My fifteen minutes of Christmas sewing were the only non-craft-show sewing I got to do this week, so I'm very grateful for the forced opportunity to do some piecing.

Tuesday - pieced Rows 1 & 2

Wednesday - pieced Rows 3 & 4

Thursday - pieced sashing, Rows 1 & 2

Friday - pieced sashing, Rows 3 & 4

Saturday - nothing :(

Sunday - pieced all rows together

Monday - pieced backing, started plan for borders

It definitely needs a skinny red border to tie it all together. Then I have green and white Grinch-y fabric for the back, of which I can cut 3" borders. I think. I need to double check my math before cutting!

As leaders and enders, I pieced 2.5" squares for the Christmas Stars.

So now I have a box full of those to press and add as a border. Which needs to be done before I can start the Advent Calendar, which will be made of the leftover charms.

Check out how others are managing their time at Life in Pieces!

Design Wall Monday - Week 46

Still the Grinch, just a little more seamed together than this picture.

All the rows are together and I'm working on the sashing.

But not until after I do something about this...

{I think my cutting mat is on that table somewhere...}


My sewing table went to the craft show and I'm not putting it back until things are a little more organized. My husband really wants to turn on his space heater and I really don't want him to burn down my fabric the house.

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 46

Due to the craft show this weekend, very little normal sewing took place.

I decided on a whim to make pretty burp rags to sell.

I didn't really make a dent in my bin of novelty fabric (sad, isn't it?) but it did make a small dent in my stash report! Nothing else from the craft show counts - it's all leftover from last year. I'll be listing things on my Facebook page over the next week if you have a desperate need for an OSU burp rag. And who doesn't, really?

I also get to count the Steelers Quilt out! It's not completely done - I'm still burying and clipping threads - but it's close enough. Unfortunately, it's backed in minkee, and since that's 60" wide, I didn't have to buy very much!

Used this Week: 5.33

Used Year to Date: 117.45

Added this Week: 0

Added Year to Date: 155.95

Net Used for 2011: (38.5) yards

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Felt Food Friday - Strawberries

Strawberries with a basket!

What? Strawberries are so not in season. This was the best I could do.

I used the Simplicity 2445 pattern, but this is a great tutorial and way easier. I used gold floss with a running stitch for my seeds, and hot-glued the tops on.

The basket is from this tutorial - I used stiff felt in 2" strips. It was actually very easy and I only had to stitch one spot. The rest will stay together on its own. (With 6-year-old play. Can not guarantee similar results with younger ages.)

And I love the blue stripe.

Next week, squash! We're prepping for Thanksgiving dinner in the felt kitchen.

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 35

Fall-gyle is done...and not done.

 I rushed to have it done and on display at a craft show this weekend, and some of the seams don't match. Not many, but enough that it's driving me nuts. I don't want to display something that's not perfect. I'm okay with being anal.

So I'm going to keep quilting the Steelers Quilt. I can get that done and bound easily before Saturday, and I have a couple others to display and some unquilted tops.

I also have all my craft-y stuff all over the living room - crayon rolls, burp rags, fleece scarves... OSU better not lose on Saturday!

Hunter's Star, round two - 72/90 light blue half-blocks

Quilt-Alongs: 
Fat Quarter Stars - two blocks behind

Argyle Quilt Along - top done until I start seam picking

LQS Saturday Sampler - won't be going this month, so pushed to the back burner

Quiltville Orca Bay - starts 11/18.

Christmas Sewing:

Grinch panel quilt - niece

Rudolph panel quilt - the Dude

Star Wall Hanging - me

Advent Calendar - me

Untouched This Week:

Chunky Log Cabin

Frolicking Pinwheels

St. Paul's Cross

Swoon A Little, Swoon A Lot 

Awaiting Quilting:

Sunkissed Jewel Box

Steelers Quilt

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 18

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!

Fifteen Minute Challenge - Week 11

This is the week that I finally started Christmas sewing! Or at least planning it...

Tuesday - measured Grinch motifs and created a plan

Wednesday - measured Rudolph motifs, created a plan, ordered fabric

Thursday - cut Grinch motifs to size

Friday - added border to Christmas Stars, decided on second border

Saturday - ironed, started cutting Grinch sashing

Sunday - cut Grinch sashing

Monday - laid out Grinch

And here's what the Grinch will look like! Minus borders, of course.

Check out how others are managing their time at Life in Pieces!

Design Wall Monday - Week 45

The last third of the Fall-gyle quilt.

My design wall might not be in the best place for pictures, but since it's behind the office door, I can easily tape my pattern up to follow. Then when the door is open, everything is neatly hidden from view.

Should be done with this quilt by this afternoon!

Check out more design walls at Patchwork Times!

Sunday Stash Report - Week 45

So...experienced my first earthquake last night. I slept through the one on Saturday morning, but was awake for the record-breaking 5.6 earthquake on Saturday night. I thought it was the wind, at first - everything is the wind in Oklahoma.

We're starting to become magnets for bad weather - an earthquake, a rare heat burst in June, hottest summer on record, 2nd largest amount of snowfall in Spokane history, tornadoes hitting three different towns within two weeks of us moving there... We'll give fair warning to the next place we move.

In stash news, I bought 3 yards for backing the Fall-gyle quilt.

Nothing out - I'm still working on quilting the Steelers quilt. I should have both quilts done this week - I really want both on display at my annual craft show!

Used this Week: 0

Used Year to Date: 112.78

Added this Week: 3

Added Year to Date: 155.95

Net Used for 2011: (44.17) yards

Check out how everyone else is doing on Patchwork Times!

Felt Food Friday - Banana Redux

And this banana turned out so much better.

I ended up cutting an extra piece of the pattern (Simplicity 2445) to make the peel fit.

I also made a regular banana, in case he needs one of those. You never know.

Up next: strawberries! And a basket for them!

Work in Progress Wednesday - Week 34

I really don't know how you people with jobs do this. I've been running around like mad organizing fundraisers and venues for our squadron's holiday party, and when I get home, I don't have the energy to do a Swoon block.

I started piecing my Fall-gyle top instead - because offset seams and bias edges are so much easier than a Swoon block. Only 3/4ths of it fit on my design wall.

I'm also quilting the Steelers Quilt. This is my first "custom" quilting. I did three outlining lines in black on the Xs, and I'm switching to gold thread in the Os - unfortunately, this means a lot of knots to bury since the Os don't touch! Each border will get Xed and Oed in contrasting thread, as well.

A finish!

I got it done before Halloween, even.

Hunter's Star, round two - 60/90 light blue half-blocks

Quilt-Alongs: 
Fat Quarter Stars - already behind a block

Argyle Quilt Along - started piecing

LQS Saturday Sampler - won't be going this month, so pushed to the back burner

Quiltville Orca Bay - I know, I have way too many projects, and Bonnie's quilts have an insane amount of piecing, and I'm far too controlling to do a "mystery" quilt... But I think I'm going to anyway. Starts 11/18.

Christmas Sewing:

Grinch panel quilt - niece

Rudolph panel quilt - the Dude

Star Wall Hanging - me

Advent Calendar - me

Untouched This Week:

Chunky Log Cabin

Frolicking Pinwheels

St. Paul's Cross

Swoon A Little, Swoon A Lot 

Awaiting Quilting:

Sunkissed Jewel Box

Steelers Quilt

Bad Romance

Layer Cake Quilt Along

Hunter's Star

New Projects: 5

Completed Projects: 1

In Progress: 18

Check out more at Work in Progress Wednesday!