The Beach in December

Even though I have a few more projects I want to finish up before the end of the year, there was no quilting done today. With temps in the 60's, it was a perfect evening in to play at the beach. I drove down with the kids to pick up my dogs and decided to stay longer and check out the surf before heading home.  The water was cold, and I needed a jacket, but the kids had no trouble playing around on the shore.    

Merry Christmas



I made a couple other goodies this year for others.  The first I want to show off are these cute little candy sleighs.  I made some for my nieces and nephews and school teachers.  I saw these on the blog Ellyn's Place and just had to make some of my own.  They have a great tutorial there.  You can see it here.

Next I put together a circle Table Topper for my friend in TN. 



I had fun making this one.  It was my first ever circle quilt.  It is small 26 inches wide.  I used the the free pattern from Phillips Fiber Art that came on the back of the mini ten degree ruler I bought last month.

 I gave my sister and her hubby a basket of goodies that came with all the tools needed to make cake pops.  I also made her this spiffy apron to go with it so she could make them in festive style.  The apron pattern is a McCalls Pattern.  Working on the top neckline reminded me why I prefer making quilts instead of clothes, but I persevered and it turned out great.

Merry Christmas to you all!!

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Christmas Quilt

Merry Christmas Eve! 
My Christmas quilt has been delivered so now I can show it off. 

 I had these twelve blocks finished for some time, but never put them together.  I had the ideas a few years to turn them into three Christmas table runners, but then a better idea came to mind.  When I asked my mom what she wanted for Christmas all she wanted was a hug.  At first I told her I didn't know how to wrap a hug.  But then I figured if I put all these blocks together into a quilt she could wrap herself up in hugs from me all the time.   The idea came to me about two weeks before Christmas so I got busy sewing.

   This will be the first year I am not home for Christmas Eve.  I will be at the in-laws. So when she is missing me on Chrsitmas Eve she can wrap up in this Christmas Quilt and get a hug from me.  :)

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FQSQA #5 and #6

I played a little catch up on my Fat Quarter Star Quilt Along last night.
I was really only one block behind, but since the new block comes out today, this morning I would have been two blocks behind.  Now I am right on track.

#5

#6

Now I am off to check out the pattern for block #7.

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My First FNSI

A lot of the blogs I follow participate in Friday Night Sew In.  It is fun to watch all the new posts pop up on Saturday that show what everyone accomplished that Friday night.  This time I decided to participate and added my name to the roster.  My post is a day behind though since I spent most of Saturday with the family.
The project I worked on is a surprise for someone, so you just get a small preview.  I got a lot of progress done on it though, half the quilting is now finished.

You can check out all the other Bloggers and see what they did for FNSI here.

Melting Edible Snowmen

I saw oreo truffle snowmen on Laughs and Crafts 4 Mom and just had to make my own.  She posted a great tutorial on how to make them.  It was perfect timing too, because I had just been invited to my friend's house for a night of roasting hot dogs and marshmallows by the fire.  These roasting snowmen seemed to fit the theme for the night and they were a big hit.

I copied the layout from Laughs and Crafts 4 Mom almost exactly, but I ended up adding a few more snowmen since I knew there were going to be a lot of people around the fire who might enjoy munching on snowmen.  While I was making them I did have trouble with one head and smeared the black food coloring around, but I guess you could say he has soot from the fire on his head.

These were really fun to make and I still chuckle when I look at the photo.  

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Christmas Quilt

I may actually get this quilt done by Christmas if I can get the cats off it.

I basted some other projects tonight too, but those need to be kept secret just a little bit longer.

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Attic Window Block Tutorial

I write the newsletter for my guild and the chairperson over the BOM asked me to put instructions in the newsletter on how to do set in seams.  So I decided to use my own photos and do a mini tutorial for the newsletter.  Then I thought it would be good for everyone to have access to larger photos if they need them, so I am putting it here on my blog as well.

The theme for the guild's January 2012 Block of the Month is Attic Windows.  There are only a few requirements we must follow this month.  We have to have a winter scene in the center, a light blue fabric on the left, and a dark blue fabric on the bottom.   Below is my version for the January BOM.

Hello fellow Swamp Fox Quilters and anyone else who is reading along today.  :)

First pick out your favorite winter scene and two blue fabrics.  One light and one dark.

Fussy Cut a 7.5 inch sqaure from your Winter Scene fabric

Cut one 2.5 in x 10 inch dark blue strip

Cute one 2.5 in x 10 inch light blue strip

To help remember which strip goes where, layout the strips next to the 7.5 inch square with the light blue on the left and the dark blue on the bottom

Place the light blue strip and the winter scenes right sides together.

Place a mark on the blue strip 1/4 in above the bottom of the winter scene.

Sew to that line.

Fold the light blue strip out of the way.

Line up the dark blue strip on the bottom of your winter scene.

Place a mark on the dark blue strip 1/4 inch in from the left edge of the winter scene.

Sew to that line.

After you have sewn both sides, fold the block in half diagonally making sure the blue fabrics line up with each other. Using a long enough ruler, line up the diagonal edge and extend it over the blue strips.

Mark a line on the blue fabric.  I flipped the block over so I could mark on the light blue fabric since it was easier to see.

Sew on that line.

Trim off the excess.

To avoid bulky seams, press the seams in opposite directions from each other and flare out the center where all three fabrics come together.  Press.

You should end up with a 9.5 inch attic window block.

And if you don't win the all the blocks from the BOM you can make 11 more and have enough to make a small quilt of your own.  :)

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Fabric Christmas Ornament

Tonight I am teaching the girls at church to make fabric Ornaments.
I only have an hour to teach them so I made up little kits for them to help save on time.

 I bought one yard of light blue snowflake fabric which was enough main fabric for 9 ornaments. 

The white and the dark blue came from my stash. I ran out of white though so I cut up some red and green fabrics for the last three sets.

I made a sample out of the green and red for the girls to see,
but I can't wait to see how the blue and white ones will turn out.

I used the tutorial from Crafter Without a Cat.

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SFQ December BOM

This is the block I turned for the Swamp Fox Quilters Block of the Month today. For the December block we could use any pattern and fabrics as long as there was a tree in the block somewhere.  It could be pieced, applique'd or in the fabric itself.  I sewed mine together before the meeting this morning.  It was quite easy since I was still in a wonky star mode from my Starry Eyed star blocks.  

These are all the blocks that were turned in.  Unfortunately they didn't pick my name to take them all home. 

But there is always next month! Next month is an Attic windows block.  That will be something new for me. I have never made one of those.

Sewing Progress over Thanksgiving Week

At first I didn't think I had gotten much sewing done this past week and a half.  I felt like I spent more time cleaning the house and getting ready to host Thanksgiving instead of sitting at the sewing machine. But once I sat down and looked at everything I had made, I realized I got quite a bit done during my little bursts of sewing.




First, I finished the star blocks for this Citizen Sam quilt.  Then I basted, quilted, and bound it.
It is ready to be turned in.

For the back I pieced together all the star fabrics I had left.

 The second project I worked on was my Starry Eyed Quilt.  I got all 10 star blocks pieced.

 I even sewed left overs together into quarter triangle blocks. They are a little wonky, but they look wonderful to me.  I am already thinking of a small quilt to turn them into.

Last I got my Diamond Star quilt quilted.  It still needs a binding put on. When I get that done I will show the whole thing.  It would be on already, but I can't find the blue fabric I want for the binding.  I must have used it in another project. I suppose that is what happens when quilt tops sit 10 years before you quilt them. Now I have to go shopping for something that matches, but I am ok with that.  :)

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Weekend Progress

Friday Night I cut out my Countdown to Christmas fabric for my Starry Eyed Quilt.

Saturday I spent most of the day at the Roller Rink with the kids, so I didn't get much sewing done.

On Sunday, after sleeping most of the day away trying to get rid of a cold, I pulled out all the quilt tops I had and picked two of my oldest ones and basted them.  The first one was this log cabin top.  I had originally started hand quilting it in 2006 on an old fashion quilt frame, the kind that is meant for lots of women to sit around and help quilt. But every time I left the room my cat used it as a hammock and I found myself having to re-adjust the quilt too many times, so I took it off the frame with the intention of basting it with pins and quilting it without the frame.  Not sure what took me so long to get it back out. Honestly, I didn't think it had been sitting that long.  It wasn't till I dug up the old picture of it on the frame that I realized it has been 5 years since I worked on it.  Wow, time sure does fly.

This next quilt top I basted is older than the log cabin.  I can't even remember how old it is.  I know I started it before I moved into my house,  I even want to say that the whole top was finished before I moved in 8 years ago.  The block is a pattern I used from Quilters Cache and is called Diamond Star.  I even used her layout at the end of her instructions.  I used a new basting method for this one.  I tried out the table basting with boards that I saw on Doodle Quilts blog.  It took me longer than normal but only because it was a new process for me.  I will see how the quilting goes and if this method is good at keeping the tucks out of the back while quilting.  I sure hope so, because it sure beats crawling around on the floor to pin baste.

These two tops are some of my oldest UFO's and it is nice to be able to throw them in the rotation of current projects.  Not sure how much crafting I will get done this week though.  I have to spend most of the time getting the house ready for Thanksgiving.  It is my year to host.  :)  Perhaps I can squeeze a in few 15 minute sewing intervals time to time throughout the day though and get a little progress done on some of my projects.  

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Progress on a couple things

I put the last border on this top last night.  The pattern is Lithia Park by Bloom Creek and the fabric and pattern came in a kit from Connecting Threads. I received the kit as a Christmas Present two years ago from my Mom.  All the flower petals and leaves are English paper pieced and then appliqued on the background.   This top came together slowly but surely.  I did most of the handwork on Monday and Tuesday nights while I watched TV.  A couple weeks ago I hand stitched down the last flower center.  Since I had already cut out all the sashing and border pieces the rest of the top went together in no time.

I also worked on a new project - what can I say, there are so many fun patterns and fabrics to play with I want to make them all.  -  The fabric for this quilt was one of the Layer Cakes that Carrie so graciously sent out to all the ladies who had participated in one of the monthly the Le Petite projects.  It is Patisserie by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda.  I am using the Sun Kissed Jewel Box pattern from Moda Bake shop.

And this afternoon I started cutting out my white fabric for the Starry Eyed quilt I want to make.  When I get more of that cut out I will post a picture.  Now back to the cutting table.  :)

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FQSQA Block #4

Here is my version of block #4 for the Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along.  

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Men's Shirts String Quilt

Last night I decided to spend a little more time on my husband's Aunt's quilts.

I had been trying to make at couple blocks a week, but last night I went ahead and finished up the last 8 blocks for this top and even got some of the rows sewed together.

I have two more seams and then this part of the top will be finished.  Then it will just need borders.

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