Design Wall Monday

One step closer to having Sophia's pillow done - the front is made.  Now to get it quilted and then add the envelope backing.  And I'm happy now that the 28" pillow forms I bought for Mason's pillow came in a 2-pack because this one ended up 28" square too.

These letters are all from Lori Holt's book Spelling Bee and they go together so easily. She has patterns for both upper and lowercase letters, and in 6" and 12" sizes.  The other blocks in the book are mostly pictorial, such as the canning jars, camera, typewriter, and more.  I really love her books and instructions.

What's on your design wall today? See what is on more design walls at:   http://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

Saturday Sampler step 3

The next step in our Saturday Sampler mystery quilt was given out today. And now that I have this step done I can report that the ultimate design is still a mystery to me. I suspect that something diagonal is going to happen to these units. And we do have triangles cut but they don’t seem to fit. So the mystery continues - which is the whole idea, right?

Return to Ritzy Cracker blocks

One of the very best things about social media is being able to share ideas with other quilters. I get so much inspiration from the blogs I read regularly.  I first saw these blocks done by Lori at https://dakotacityquilterii.blogspot.com/, who shared with me the link to the tutorial on Moda Bake Shop.  This block is so versatile, but really lends itself to a scrappy quilt.



I made about 150 of these in a rainbow of colors for our family reunion last summer for signatures.  It's going to make a fun quilt.  Which reminds me that I need to get those blocks sewn together soon.

This fall Nancy, at https://wyomingbreezes.blogspot.com/ began making these in red and blue to use in a Quilt of Valor.  What a fabulous idea!  On her blog she shows them all laid out with blues and reds alternated.  It's going to be a really striking QOV. 

Our guild members have been making Garlic Knot blocks for our QOV for the past year and a half.  We have enough for 3 or 4 quilts, which are in various stages of completion.  So maybe it's time to make something fresh and new.  And the Ritzy Cracker block could be the one.  It's fast and very easy. And because we square them up after sewing, they are very forgiving when many different people are sewing them. 

My design board has the pieces for a block all laid out and ready for the demo at our January guild meeting.  I have a couple of blocks made as samples, and I have condensed the instructions to 1 page for a handout.  I'm hoping 2019 will be a productive year for our newly formed Quilt of Valor group, started by several guild members.

Hourglass is ready to quilt

It is always such a good feeling when you put in the final stitches on a top, and can lay it out for a look.  Since these blocks were begun in 2004 and completed in 2018, I have an even bigger appreciation for the work I've put into this quilt.

Hourglass was a 2004 Thimbleberries pattern. The fabrics are all leftovers from Thimbleberries Club projects.  I didn't finish all of those projects, but I did finish most of them.  There wasn't enough of any one fabric for the outer border, so I pieced some red on the top and bottom borders to fill out the dark blue.  Maybe it's appropriate since the rest of the quilt is scrappy to have a somewhat scrappy border.

A little mojo

I have to work this afternoon, but I spent a couple of hours sewing this morning.  Jonah's pillow is now done, which just leaves me with one left to make.  I picked up the right sized pillow form yesterday at Hobby Lobby.  Not a lot to choose from but they did have the 24" size I needed.



All of the parts and pieces for both Saturday Sampler quilts are cut and in the project box just waiting for some sewing instructions - which we should see on Saturday. I can't wait to start sewing these together.  Both options include a black print, but should look totally different.



And finally I prepped one of the 5 Christmas pillowcases for the grandkids.  Cut and all pinned together into a "sausage roll" ready to sew the first seam that attaches the top cuff and trim with no raw edges.

Check out Linky Tuesday - https://conniekresin.com/2018/12/linky-tuesday-december-4th.html

Christmas decorating

What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your home?

Last week I was talking about just not having the motivation to get my Christmas decorations out and put up.  But I did finish the tree the next day, and by the end of the weekend I had the stockings hung on the mantle, a few Christmas quilts out, and some other decor.  I didn't get too carried away in the rest of the house this year, but it does look festive.  This living room is open to the kitchen and the front entry, and the family room opens from it with French doors. So we can see this from nearly everywhere in the house.



When my girls were little we lived in houses without fireplaces so we always had to find someplace else to hang stockings. Usually they hung around the door frame between the dining and living rooms.  But this house has 2 fireplaces and I love how the stockings look hanging here on the big brick fireplace.  My older daughter has a fireplace, but her husband built a lovely rustic ladder to hang the stockings on. 

Nancy at https://wyomingbreezes.blogspot.com/  suggested this morning that we show our front door with Christmas decor.  Over the years I've usually had a wreath, but last year I found this fun swag with burlap, and bells, and wooden trees. 



It's cheerful to hear those bells jingle when we open the door.  However, now that I look at the photo it is kind of drab looking without much color.  But I love the bells and the wooden trees.  I think next year I'll use the wooden trees and bells as ornaments on the Christmas tree and go back to a more traditional wreath. 



We mostly live in our family room where the big windows look out onto the back yard, and I have a huge round coffee table in that room.  It's almost always covered with a small quilt and some seasonal decor.  When the grandkids are here the quilt comes off and the coffee table is always covered with puzzles or Legos.  But for now it has a quilt, a lantern, and some holly with twinkle lights.

Saturday morning progress

So far we haven’t seen the predicted winter storm. But I spent the morning hunkered down in my sewing room anyway. 

I cut the sections for one of my Saturday Sampler quilts. I think the next step will be sewing and so far I have no idea how these will go together. Guess that is why it’s a mystery quilt. 

Mason’s pillow is done. This one is 28" square.  Jonah’s pillow top is quilted and the back pieces are ready. But I need another pillow form a bit smaller than this one. 26" would be perfect.

Time to cut my second Saturday Sampler pieces and then start working on Sophia’s pillow and the kids’ pillowcases.