Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Lately I've been working on choosing some of the smaller kits that have been languishing in my sewing room, and was feeling a bit smug.  Some small finishes made me feel so good!  And then the mail arrived this week with 3 more kits that I had ordered recently. I probably can't live long enough to sew everything currently in my sewing room, so I shouldn't be buying more.  LOL

The Bad Kitty kit was actually just the laser cut moon and the evil Kitty silhouette to applique.  It will make an awesome pillow for NEXT Halloween.  The instructions are for a 16" finished project.  This was something I saw on Pinterest while waiting somewhere recently - and just couldn't resist following that link.  Check out www.QuiltLoft.com.  Of course I immediately dug into the stash for a background, and chose this batik with a bit of purple, green, gold, and black.  It's all ironed on and I can decide how I want it quilted. 

There was also a kit purchased locally this week - also for NEXT Halloween.  This spider web wall hanging kit was just too adorable.  When I saw it last week I resisted, but I stopped at The Pin Cushion this week to pick up a book they had ordered - and this kit just called my name.  It's going to be the perfect size for my front door, and can replace the witches hat door hanger I made over a dozen years ago.   My will power is obviously completely gone!!  LOL

And the other kits in the mail - small projects for Christmas.  We'll see what happens with those, as I had some gifts in mind when I ordered. 

Summer Getaway flimsy & more

One more flimsy is now hanging in closet awaiting its turn to be quilted.

This is Summer Getaway, and is about 50" square, which is a good "couch cuddle" size.  The orange outer border is a new purchase as nothing in my stash looked right.  The rest of the blues and oranges were part of the Denim & Daisy jolly bar (5" x 10") in a recent Sew Sampler box.  The white-on-white background is something my stash always has.  

I'm also working on finishing the second version of this table runner.  The kit had more than enough fabric to make 2 of them - except for the laser cut leaves.   The top is sewn together and sandwiched so that I can work on quilting it over the next few days.

And there is a another binding going onto a baby quilt.  I need to stay busy!

Happy Blocks is finished

 This kid sized quilt is the last UFO on this year's PHD list for the local quilt shop.  She issues a challenge each year to put 12 projects on the list.  Projects Half Done - PHD - can be UFOs or WIPs or PIGs.  This is my #12.  I finished all 12 projects on my 2023 list too.  It's a great way to push ourselves to finish projects.  

This is the Happy Blocks pattern from Mary Quilts, and she has instructions for different sizes.  Just scroll down to find instructions for a TON of easy and fun quilts.  Mine is the Happy Blocks made from a charm pack and a jelly roll.  This will be a good donation quilt.

Design Wall Monday - Oct. 28

What's on your design wall today?  Something for Halloween or Christmas?  I have a little bit of both holidays in the works.  Or at least in the planning stages.

A couple of weeks ago I made this strip pieced hexagon shaped table runner from a kit I had purchased.  There was nearly a whole strip set leftover when I finished the project.  Plus I didn't use the beautiful fall print the kit indicated was for the back.  Who wants to hide such a pretty piece on the back where it will never be seen?  So I'm planning to cut 3 diamonds from the strip set and 3 diamonds from the fall print to make a second version of this project.  And do you see that jelly roll in the upper right corner?  That is a possibility for a Christmas version of the same runner.   

There are now 21 of the Twinkler blocks - 2/3 of the way done.  I'm making 2 or 3 a week, as Leaders/Enders for the other projects I've been working on.  

This was the next small kit I pulled out last week - Summer Getaway.  The orange and blue fabrics were part of a recent Sew Sampler box, along with a couple of patterns.  I chose this one.  There are 16 of these blue/white 4-patch units.  And each of them has orange sashing and a navy blue cornerstone.  Next step is to sew these into a quilt top.  I dug through my stash hoping I had a yard of an orange for the outer border.  But nothing was quite large enough, or was not a good color match.  I'll look for navy blue in the stash today to see if I have enough of something that will work.  

I have 3 baby quilts needing binding.  This one is Beehive.  It's next, right after I finish the binding on a pink/aqua/purple Happy Block baby quilt.  

And I've been getting Quilts of Valor ready for 3 different award events.  We have 8 quilts to award in the next couple of weeks. I'll share more on QOV later in the week.  

I'll be linking up with Design Wall Monday today and Monday Musings.

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

https://songbirddesigns.blog

Advent calendar

 Can you read the lettering on top of this big box?  I'll admit that I just couldn't resist . . . 

 Jenny's Countdown to Christmas 2024.  Inside are 25 individually wrapped (or boxed) and numbered quilting-related gifts curated by Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I bought the Christmas box last year too, and it was really fun.  And NO - I don't plan to wait until December to open up the surprises.  But I will spread out the fun by opening only 1 or 2 on any given day.  And YES - I'll open them in the correct order by the numbers on each of them.   It's like a big advent calendar for quilters!!

RSC24 - Week #43

Leftover 16-patch units (4.5") and leftover HSTs from previous RSC projects are coming together quite nicely into a fun new scrappy project.  I'm just not sure how big I want to make this yet.

Right now it's 20" square, but there are still lots of HSTs and 16-patch units in the bag.  So I am going to keep going at least until I run out of the leftover parts.  This was a free pattern from APQ called Make Your Point.  

Although not technically a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project, this little banner does have a rainbow of colors and a light neutral background.  So I think it counts. LOL  This was a kit purchased at my favorite local quilt shop.  The kit had a wider background strip on top and bottom, and no outer border.  I cut those background strips narrower, and added the brown border from my stash.  It will look awesome on my sewing room wall.  The blocks in this are all from Lori Holt's Spelling Bee book.  

Here is the sweet light neutral background of this banner, with a small aqua shape on white.  I use a lot of this type of background, along with white-on-white and creams.  I do need to add just a little embroidery to put a needle on the sewing machine block in the banner.

 When you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about sewing . . . what happens?

Well for me, sometimes it means I've got a new project in the works.  I've been thinking about using light neutrals and thinking about using kits I've purchased.  This next small quilt will meet both of those requirements.  In a recent Sew Sampler box from Fat Quarter Shop, there was a lovely Jolly Bar (5 x 10) of the new fabric line Denim and Daisies.  And I always have plenty of whites and creams in my stash.  Instead of setting that box on a shelf, I've cut the pieces needed to make this quilt next.  With a border added (hopefully from my stash) this will finish about 50" square, a good baby quilt size.

I'm linking up with the RSC posts today . . .

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

Ready for Halloween

The eye procedure went OK yesterday, and hopefully I'll never have to do that again.  A clogged oil gland required a tiny incision on the inside of my lower eyelid.  I'll spare you the picture of my black eye.  My vision should clear up by tomorrow in that eye, and hopefully the ice packs and ointment will take away the soreness.  

We're in the midst of such lovely fall colors right now.  This is the view looking west from my front porch and across our driveway.  This ash tree is still hanging onto its leaves, unlike the ones in our back yard that are nearly naked already.  You can see that a similar sized ash across the street is bare.  

Yesterday morning my husband and I spent a couple of hours blowing leaves out of the gutters all around our house.  NOTE:  I just held the ladder and pulled the extension cord around.  Then we got rid of the remainders of the plants in the summer flower pots.  Some little Halloween lights sprouted along the front sidewalk.  I have a light up Jack o Lantern to put on the porch before Halloween.

Indoors I have been enjoying my Halloween quilts.  BOO is hanging in my dining room.  It was a One Block Wonder made with panels. 

Last year's wall hanging from Fat Quarter Shop's free Halloween sew-along is hanging from the shelf rack, and an older Saturday Sampler mystery quilt is draped over the back of the rocking chair. 

On the other side of the living room is a love seat in front of the fireplace.  This is one of my favorite spots to decorate for seasons - with pillows, seasonal flowers, and mini quilts.  In the background are a couple of quilt racks with some old favorites - but not seasonal - displayed all year.

The family room sofa is ready for Halloween too.  

Making progress

 It would have been so easy to set this little banner aside, and put off the decisions on finishing for another day.  That's how UFOs are born, right?

But, I'm determined to have this one finished this week.  So - I added the brown border I was contemplating, and I really like how that border changed the banner for the better.  Yay!  And then I quilted it with simple serpentine vertical lines.  And I have attached that yellow binding.  Next step will be doing the hand stitching on the binding.  

My reward for not creating another UFO?  I cut out and sewed a QOV sample block.  This block is Pat Sloan's free Wednesday block this week.  It's part of her current sew-along Ode to National Parks.  I haven't been doing the sew-along this time, but I do always check in on Wednesday to see what block she has posted.  This one really caught my eye, and I think it is a possibility for future Quilt of Valor.

One more Twinkler block was also sewn.  Binding for another baby quilt is now all prepped to attach.  And I'm nearly done binding a Quilt of Valor.  So I'm very pleased with my progress this week.  

Not sure whether or not I'll get any sewing done today or tomorrow.  This afternoon I'm having a procedure done on my left eye to open up a clogged oil gland.  Since I'm not sure what that procedure will involve, I have no clue how my eye will feel.  

Mid week check-in

The final 4 Saturday Sampler blocks for this month are done.  Sawtooth Stars are such quick and easy blocks to make when they are 12" finished.  No small pieces are a part of this year's Saturday Sampler project.  All of the blocks are finishing at 12".

There are now 18 of these Twinkler blocks, with 3 more cut out and ready to sew this week.  The blue is all from a jelly roll, but the backgrounds are scrappy white-on-white prints. 

The "Create" banner is all sewn together.  Unless I decide to add a border around the outside before quilting it.  I think it needs something.

It's long and narrow, only about 8" tall but about 37" long.  I had to cut the top and bottom background borders narrower than the pattern called, because I ran out of fabric.  So now I'm toying with the idea to add about a 2" border with a brown print very similar in scale to the colorful ones in the letters.  These are all in that realm of 30s reproductions, which I love.

On the far right end is a tiny (6") sewing machine block.  Those yellow strips are for the binding.  The letters and the sewing machine are all from the Spelling Bee book by Lori Holt.  I have no plan yet on how I want to quilt this banner, but I'm sure something will come to mind.

Sewing with Sophia

Granddaughter Sophia's lap quilt is another step closer to finished after Saturday afternoon. 

I bought a cuddly soft orange backing to use with her quilt top that she stitched together in August.  She approved of the color, so we sandwiched the layers with batting and pinned it.  She wants me to do some simple quilting on it.  Then we'll do a self-binding finish by folding that soft backing onto the front for binding.

She also made 2 extra long pillowcases for herself.  Shopping my stash back in August yielded a couple of fun fabrics including this dog paw print and a "googly-eye" Halloween print for the second pillowcase.  I took the new sewing machine (purchased by grandpa) to her house for the sew day, and put together some essential sewing tools from my duplicates.  So now she can sew at her house or at my house.  

We have a LOT of trees in our yard, both front and back.  The ash trees turn gold first, and drop their leaves really quickly.  In a normal year that would have happened already, but we've had a very warm October this year.  

This view from my front porch is always pretty.  Today is supposed to be "breezy", so that ash will probably rain leaves all day.  The maples are just beginning to turn red, orange, and gold. 

Design Wall Monday - Oct. 21

 My design wall this morning holds my Saturday Sampler block pieces for this month.  I have the first 4 blocks made, and have the remaining 4 started.

The flying geese that make up the star points are done with the "4 at a time" method.  These have not even needed any trimming as they are so accurate.

Once I have the Saturday Sampler blocks done, I'm going to cut the parts needed for our next Sew Vintage group project.  I'll need a bunch of 2.5" squares cut from these fabrics to make a Christmas ornament when the group meets again.  

One of my goals this fall has been to make some of the kits I have purchased and set aside.  Those are the PIGs (projects in grocery sacks) that I've added to my UFO list.  This one is a small kit, made using the Lori Holt Spelling Bee book.  It should look very cute in my sewing room.

I'm working on some bindings in the evenings as well.  One is for a Quilt of Valor and the other is for a UFO kid sized quilt. And there will be at least a couple more of the blue/white Twinkler blocks added to the pile. 

I'll be linking up with Design Wall Monday today and Monday Musings.

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

https://songbirddesigns.blog

RSC24 - Week #42

It was another productive sewing week, including a little experiment for another possible future RSC project to play with.

I get regular emails from APQ, and last week the focus of one email was scrappy projects.  Two of those scrappy projects really caught my eye, and one of them was so awesome that I had to give it a try.  There are plenty more 16-patch units left over from the quilt using them in the center of Churn Dash blocks.  And there was a whole little bin full of HSTs already made too.  So how difficult could it be to use both to create the Make Your Point?  The trick is to spin those Pinwheels both directions so the blocks end up looking like they are set on point.  Wouldn't these make a cute doll quilt?  I love it.  And it will use up small units already made.
 

This mini quilt (13") is not exactly a scrappy project, as it was a new kit.  But each leaf has 4 different fabrics, and there were 4 different light neutral backgrounds used too.  I am definitely going to use this paper pieced pattern again - and make it from my scrap bins.

The Hunter's Star quilt top was all assembled this week.  I used a couple of batik layer cakes plus a black print for this one - in a RAINBOW of colors.  I love almost everything about it - except for the overall size.  It is currently 60 x 90, and looks too long and narrow.  I'm toying with a couple of ideas for making it wider, and have plenty of the batiks left.  I've ordered more of the black.  

I'm linking up with the RSC posts today . . .

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

What's next?

 My first task today . . . cutting out this month's blocks for Saturday Sampler.

There will be 8 of these Sawtooth Star blocks for this month.  All of the blocks we've made for this year's Saturday Sampler have been 12" finished blocks, and all made with solid colors.  

I finished the flimsy for Hunter's Star on Thursday afternoon.  It's twin sized.  Looking at it now I'm debating about finding more of that black print in the star points to put an outer border on it.  

A binding for a Quilt of Valor is another project ongoing. 

Autumn Leaves

 Better late than never, right?  I normally write my posts in the evening and set them to post early in the morning.  I'm a night owl, not a morning person.  But this week I keep forgetting.  Oops!!

The Autumn Leaves mini quilt is all done, with the binding finished while watching Survivor last night on TV.  Each leaf has 4 different fabrics in it which really gives them some depth.  I kept the quilting simple so it was pretty easy to finish this up yesterday.  These little mini quilts (Shabby Fabrics kit) finish at 13" - designed to hang in the small metal display hangers.

Now, back to sewing rows together for Hunter's Star and making more Twinkler blocks.    

Mid-week already

There was a little sewing the past couple of days, along with running errands and a few household chores that needed to happen too.  Today I'm hoping for some extended sewing time.

Two rows of the Hunter's Star quilt top are assembled.  One more Twinkler block was sewn.  But all the pieces for the autumn leaves mini quilt are cut and organized.

Shabby Fabrics does a terrific job on the kits for these mini quilts - so well organized.  Not only are the fabrics generous, but they include handy little stickers to mark the pieces for each paper pieced section.  That is really helpful.

 

The red leaf has gone together very nicely.  I'm hoping today to get the other 3 leaves (brown, orange, gold) done too.  

Under the Pines finish and our social calendar

After a crazy busy weekend without any stitching time, it feels good to get back into a more normal routine again.  I do have a small finish to report from Friday afternoon . . .  

Under the Pines table runner is done!!  This was made with a kit purchased on a shop hop last summer, designed by Heather Peterson.  I left out the snowflake block in the middle of the pattern so it would fit on my dining table better.  It's all ready for Christmas.

It seems like weeks pass by with nothing on either of our "social" calendars.  I'm not even sure we actually have social calendars any more.  But from Friday evening until Monday morning we had a very full calendar.  Full and fun!

Friday evening was spent at a new restaurant in town with 2 other couples that we don't see often enough.  Wish I had some photos of us all to share, but we were too busy catching up - and eating.  

There is a picture of my enormous margarita however. When you need 2 hands to hold the glass, you know there won't be a need for a second one.  Delish!!!  I went home in a food coma I think.  And with enough yummy leftovers for my supper Sunday evening.

Bright and early Saturday morning I was on the road to meet up with a daughter and granddaughter for a road trip to a swim meet.  Dave was on the road to watch the other granddaughter in day #1 of a softball tournament.  I had a brief visit with the SIL and the grandsons before we left to drive to Sioux City.  Olivia swam well, winning her heat in 2 events . . . but I really don't have any photos.  I did video 3 of her 6 events for her. 

Then Sunday morning my husband and I were on the road (together for a change) at sunrise to go to day #2 of Sophia's fastpitch softball tournament.  Good thing we were both bundled up in layers because it was only 47 degrees when they started their first game.  Brrrr!!!  The girls won their first game, but then ran up against the #1 seed in their bracket and lost the second.  Again - no photos!!   I need to get better at getting photos of those grandkids before they are all grown up. 

Design Wall Monday - Oct 14

 After a busy, busy weekend I am moving a little slow this morning in terms of getting a DWM post written.  But my design wall has a couple of fun projects on it this morning.

The Hunter's Star blocks are all finished and ready to set into a quilt top.  So far they are sewn into 4-sies, and next step will be sewing them into rows.  This photo taken on Friday just doesn't do justice to the colors in those batiks.

There are 3 more of the Twinkler blocks cut out, so those will continue to progress this week.

And I have a paper pieced mini quilt to work on too.  This little kit is for an autumn mini to hang in the little metal frame.  

I'll be linking up with Design Wall Monday today and Monday Musings.
https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

https://songbirddesigns.blog/monday-musings-10-14-24/

RSC24 - Week #41

I'm sincerely hoping that everyone in the path of Hurricane Milton (and Helene before that) have come through safely.  My family members in Florida are OK thankfully.  

Normally this would be Saturday Sampler and Sew Vintage group day, but I'm going on a little road trip with a daughter and granddaughter today.  We're headed to Sioux City, IA for a swim meet.  No sewing will happen today, but I can report plenty of stitching time this past week.

The Shooting Star project was next up for RSC block sets.  I need more of both the star and the alternate block for a good sized quilt, so these will continue for now.  But I did sew quite a few of them into 4-sies.  Those skirt hangers get difficult to clip as the block sets grow,  plus it's a good way to get a head start on quilt top assembly when the time comes.

There was some fun scrappy Rainbow sewing in the past few days - pineapples.  No new scraps were created to make these blocks, but no significant dent was made in the scrap bins either.  However I had lots of fun making these based on a picture I saw in Pinterest. 

My main projects this week have involved some planned projects, rather than scrappy projects.  Another blue and white quilt is in early stages.  A Hunter's Star in a rainbow of colors is nearing the flimsy stage.  I've also been sorting through a couple of other RSC blocks sets to make plans for the rest of 2024 - or on into 2025.  

Let's see what else is happening in the RSC world this week? 
https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

A binding to turn

 A Christmas table runner is all ready for binding.

Carol did her usual awesome job quilting for me - with a lovely golden hued thread.  Can you see those little snowflakes and swirls?  Makes me think of a winter snow swirling around the trees in the table runner.