AYOS - Dimestore

Finished with plenty of hours to spare.
I was actually done before dinner last night. 

Once the sashing was cut to size and the blocks were sewn the rest went together super fast!

It is always fun to see how everyone else interprets the pattern each month.
You can see the parade of Dimestore quilts on Sinta's and Sherri's blogs.

Of course Sheen had to test out the top.
It is Cat approved.

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Start of Dimestore

I will definitely be coming in just under the wire for this month's Schnibble project.  With summer vacations and school starting, for the kids and me, there hasn't been much time for sewing this month. I did take time to cut my fabric for my Dimestore Schnibble yesterday and today I spent most of the morning sewing blocks together. 

I am adding an extra row to make my top a rectangle.

 I wanted to use this red and blue flower print for the background, but I didn't have a charm pack that matched for the sashing.  So instead of going to my scrap bin and pulling out a bunch of different fabrics to match, I decided to take the easy route and make all the sashing the same.  I have sewn them into strips and will cut them to the right size.  So this ended up being a color cordinated quilt instead of a scrappy one.  I hope it turns out good.  I don't have any distractions later on this evening, so tonight I will be at the sewing machine finishing this top. It will be ready just in time for the parade tomorrow.

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July AYOS - Jacks Top Complete

Finished just in time for the AYOS parade tomorrow.  Phew!
I made it a little bigger than the picture on the pattern.  I like them big enough to cover your legs while on the couch, but not big enough to swallow the whole couch.  I made my version 5 blocks across and 7 down.  

I used four charm packs of Tapestry by Fig Tree Quilts. It wasn't quite enough to finish off the border though, so I added a wee bit of their older Patisserie line for the extra pieces I needed. Both fabric lines have the same colors in them so they blended together perfectly.

I am going to put this near the top of my list to get quilted.  I just need to find a good backing fabric for it.  I already know who I want to send it too so I am excited to finish it up.

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Jacks in Progress

I made some good progress on my Jacks Schnibble quilt over the weekend.
I should have all the rows sewn up by tonight and then I can start on the scrappy border.
My next post should be a completed top just in time for the AYOS parade.

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Cutting For Jacks

When Sinta and Sherri announced we could pick any Schnibble pattern for AYOS this month I knew exactly which one I was going to make - Jacks.  I even had the pattern in my hands on the 1st of the month.  But here I am, less than a week till the parade and I am just starting my Schnibble. My delay was trying to figure out which fabric I wanted to use.  That always seems to be the hold up for me. I am worried if I pick the wrong fabrics I will ruin the quilt. Or I think I want to save some of my nicer fabric for a different project, but I don't have any "different" projects in mind. Sometimes I think I can't cut into a fabric because it hasn't sat on the shelf long enough for me to admire it. 

 Well, I finally told myself I was being ridiculous and picked up my newest charm packs, Tapestry by moda, and cut them up.  I was worried for nothing.  They are going to be great for this pattern and this can be the "different" project I have been waiting for. And when I am done, the fabric can sit on my shelf as a new quilt while I decide who I want to gift it to.  :)

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AYOS - Leap Year and Vacation

I finished up my Leap Year just in time.  Last week I was on vacation at the beach but I stayed at my Mom's house and since she has a sewing machine, I took my Schinibble project with me so I could finish it up in time for the parade.

I sewed a little in the mornings before we headed out for our activities, then spent Saturday morning finishing it up.

My mom and I took all the kids to Brookgreen Gardens on Tuesday. We got to see the butterfly exhibit and all the animals before our feet started hurting and our tummies rumbled.  We will have to go back one day to get pictures of all the flower gardens and statues on the other side.  It was a fun day. All the kids had cameras and were taking just as many pictures as my mom and I.  

We spent almost every evening/night on the beach or pier.

The beach at dusk is one of my favorite times to go.

Friday we did the super touristy stuff and rode the SkyWheel.
It has some awesome views.

I am only an hour and twenty minutes from Myrtle Beach so I get to go often.

But sometimes I wish I still lived there.

Sitting on the beach after a day of school or work is the best way to end the day.

I need to find a way to move back there.

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Schnibbles Work in Progress

I am slowly but surely making progress on the June Schnibble for AYOS. I have been having a busy summer so I have only been able to sew a couple blocks a day. This month is the Leap Year pattern.  It comes with a couple different variations.  I chose to do the 49 patch block.  I have also decided to make it a wee bit bigger.  I plan on making 20 blocks instead of 16. I have 9 blocks finished and up on the design wall.

I have two blocks laid out on some tiny design boards I made from Lori's tutorial.
These mini design boards are awesome.  I had been laying the pieces out on my cutting mat, but they kept shifting.  So I whipped up these two mini design boards and the squares stay right where I want them.  

I have one block on the machine,

and 8 ready to be laid out.  These 8 blocks are short a few fabric squares though.  They each need one more pink color and one more green but I have used all the bright greens and pinks in my stash.  Since I don't want more than 4 of each fabric in the block, this means I get to go shopping for Pink and Green fabrics today!  

Yay!  :)

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June FNSI

I spent the June FNSI finishing up my 7th quilt top made from men's shirts.  I didn't do any math for this quilt, I just cut out squares and hoped everything would fit and if it didn't I would fudge it to make it fit. The sides of the checkered outer border fit perfect! But the top and bottom borders were a wee bit too short.  

Instead of adding a couple 2x4 inch rectangles in the top and bottom border, making the those sections look weird, I decided to trim one inch off each side of the vertical inner black border.  That seemed more visibly appealing to me rather than having 10 squares and one rectangle in the top and bottom border.

After I finished the top I decided to work on my Schnibbles for June. I decided to do the 49 patch version and got out my bin that holds 1.5 inch scraps. On the top of the pile was all the leftover green and pink squares I cut out for my I.S.T.H Schnibble project back in February. I didn't count all the leftover squares, but it looks like it might be enough to make the whole quilt out of pink and green.  I got two blocks together before I decided to hit the hay.

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AYOS for May - Doc Top Done

I finished my Doc top Tuesday evening, but it rained all day yesterday so I didn't get a chance to take a photo of it till today.  I really like the way this one turned out.  I have always wanted to make a Card Trick quilt and now I have one.  Thanks Sinta and Sherri for giving me the "umph" I need to get these projects done and to use up the fabric I keep buying.  :)  Can't wait for the parade tomorrow.

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Doc in the Works

I made some good progress on my May Schnibbles project, Doc, yesterday evening.
I have all my half square triangles cut out and trimmed and all my fabrics matched up.
I even made the first block.  Only 8 more to go.  I feel like the rest will go together lickety split.

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May Schnibble Project

There hasn't been much sewing going on the past two days, but I did get my fabrics picked out for my May AYOS.  I will be working with two charm packs of Friendship by moda.  

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Summer Day Top Done

I finished the top for my April Schnibble last night.  Thanks to the inspiration from Vroomans Quilts, I even added a scrappy border.  

Since this quilt is going to a sweet baby girl, I embroidered her name on the bottom right corner.  I already have it basted and have started with the quilting!  I will show it all finished when I get done with the binding.  I want to do a hand stitched binding so it may be a day or two for the finishing photo.

Can't wait for the Schnibble parade tomorrow!

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Summer Day

It sure doesn't feel like a summer day here today.  I woke up to 37 degrees.  I was sure the hot temps of the past couple weeks were here to stay, so I was surprised by the sudden weather change.
I still went for my morning walk though, just had to add a jacket.  

In the meantime, I have caught up on my Summer Day Schnibble quilt.  I got my geese grouped together and the sides stitched on.  Next step is putting them all together.

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T is for Turtle

I have finished this months "Another Year of Schnibbles" all the way down to the hand stitched binding.

The official name for the pattern is Bibelot, but I think I will call mine "T is for Turtles".

The fabrics remind me of green and brown turtle shells swimming in blue water.  

I picked a blue and green paisly-ish fabric from my stash for the back.

I had planned to do some fancy swirly stuff in all the T's but I thought that would take too long, so I decided to stitch in the ditch around EVERYTHING, which ended up taking as long as my previous plan.

Either way I Love It!!

 I am going to put it in the family room so it can keep little legs warm while watching tv.

I love this stripe binding.  

oh, and it is definitely cat approved.

This time Jasper had to take a turn sitting on it while I was adding the binding.

He rubbed his head all over the machine,

then stretched out and got comfy

This makes finish #10 for the year!

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Bibelot Schnibbles - Top Done

Finished sewing the top together this afternoon.  

I think I might change the name to "T is for Thomas" and give it to my little Thomas guy.  

:)

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T Blocks

I finished all 69 T blocks for my Bibelot Schnibbles pattern.  The pattern only calls for 49, but I am adding two more rows to make a rectangle quit.  I used some Urban Odyssey charm packs from Connecting Threads.

I am going to try and find some time tomorrow and put them all together.

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i.s.t.h. top done

After I got off the computer Sunday I picked out my fabrics for this top and got one star made.

Then Monday I spent all day finishing the rest of the top.  I ended up keeping the columns in, but I didn't make them scrappy.  I also added the side purple borders.  Mainly as a mental thing I have.  I felt like the checkerboard would fall out if it wasn't trapped in with a side border.

I am hoping I can get this quilted by March 1rst, but first I have to make two small tops for the girls at church tomorrow.  I have been asked to teach them how to tie quilts. Being the great procrastinator that I am, I still haven't even started those.  I better get sewing!

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January's AYOS and 3rd Finish for Year

It was a little difficult at first trying to get my neighborhood quilt basted.  All my animals think anything soft on the floor is for them.  I got the dogs away, but the cat took a little longer.  Eventually I had the kids come take him and love on him so I could finish the basting.

 I was still trying to fight off my cold, so I didn't do much of anything other than sew at the machine all weekend. I quilted a little Friday night, all day Saturday, and all Sunday Morning. I took a little break in the afternoon to play some computer games then I stitched the binding on last night. This morning when the sun came up I went outside to take photos.  I really enjoyed quilting it.  I keep rubbing it.  It has some nice texture going on.  I so love this quilt!

I have been enjoying solid quilt backs lately that show of the quilting, so I went for a soft pastel blue for this quilt.  I love it!  It showcases the quilting beautifully

One more photo.  It's hard not to take lots of photos of things you like. 

Have I told you yet that I love this quilt?

 :)

Belle always likes to be close by.

Also,  this is my 300th post.  Wow I didn't even realize I had that many posts.  I originally started this blog three years ago come April as a means to keep out of town family and friends updated on what I was working on.  Along the way I have found many more new friends.  Thank you all so much for stopping by and reading about my little crafting world.  It has been wonderful to read all your comments and get to know so many of you through the internet.  Here is to another 300 posts!!

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