Where Does the Time Go?

It seems like I keep getting busier! I find I have less time in my sewing room than I did before. My monthly commitments, that I have done for several years, now always seem to fall behind. I have been unintentionally absent from my blog as I just don't find the time! UGH!

Enough complaining...

On the positive side, I have accomplished a few things.

First up is the 2 blocks I made for the Covered in Love charity hosted by Kat and Cat Quilts. This block is for the months of September/October. 

Next up are my blocks for the Mosaic

Mystery Quilt. Step 2 was released October 3rd. We made 2 different Square in a Square blocks. 

Step 2

 
Steps 1 & 2
Linking up to Square in a Square linkup.
Finally, I was able to finish a baby quilt for my nephew's baby. I took it with us on our Door County extended weekend over Columbus Day to finish and photograph. 

A beautiful setting!

 Even with the gray overcast sky!

 I drew the pattern based on a quarter log cabin with the logs in varying sizes. 

Woodsy fall leaves!

This quilt finishes at 34.5" x 44.5"

A Quick Update

I'm back again with a quick update! I finished my second block for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge ~ Reverse Star!

I'll be linking up to Scrap Happy Saturday over at So Scrappy! 

Go here to see my Waterfront Starburst block.

I also was able to sew all my house blocks for the Mosaic Mystery Quilt ~ the 1st sewing step of the mystery hosted by Meadow Mist Designs. 

I’m linking up to September House Block linkup at Meadowmist designs. 

I also made the bonus HST blocks! They will have to wait to be trimmed to size. 

I'll be away from my sewing room for a week so I'll see if I can get another block done before I leave. 🤞🏻

September Already?

We are already a week into September!  Can you believe it? Where did the summer go?

A new month and a new color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge...and the color is Purple!

I was able to get one of my 2 blocks finished so far...Waterfront Starburst.

I'm linking to Scrap Happy Saturday over at So Scrappy!

I also finished another of the blocks for the Quiet Play Pattern Club! This one a picture block!

I'm still behind on these blocks but I keep plugging away at them. 

And finally...a finish!

I did get the binding sewn down on my Christmas Trees quilt! This quilt is made using Those Trees pattern by Zen Chic. Most of the fabric is fabric I inherited from a friend of a friend. The gold for the stars is fabric from my stash. This quilt will travel to Austin with me for my DD2 and family.

Christmas Trees is machine pieced and appliquéd. 

The quilting is machine stitched in vertical straight-lines and diagonally following the angle of the trees boughs. 

The binding is made with the fabric of the trees. 

The backing has scattered pine boughs. This quilt finishes at 43"x 55".

YAY!

Linking up to Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finished or Not Friday over at Alycia Quilts.

A new finish!

Last year I inherited yards of beautiful Christmas quilting cotton from a friend of a friend. My intention was to make each of my girls a Christmas quilt. I order the pattern Those Trees by Zen Chic - a simple minimalist design that my girls like. However, Christmas came and went without those projects started. 

A couple of weeks ago, I pulled out the pattern and some of the material and started on one. Here is the sneak peek I posted of it. 

Since we were going up to our friend's cabin in the U.P. I thought maybe I should just gift it to them (although it was Christmas trees rather than just trees.)  I showed it to one of my daughters and she said that she would like it 

(I explained my original intent.) So I got busy! 

Using the same pattern modified, I drew out a pattern that would work and found fabrics in my stash. 

It came together fairly quickly...in time for our trip UP North. 

Pictures were taken at our friend's cabin in the woods ~ a beautiful backdrop for this quilt!

The backing has a small bit of piecing using the fabrics from the front.

This quilt is machine pieced and machine quilted following the diagonal lines of the trees and FMQ inside the trees. 

It is a cozy, lap sized throw for the cabin, finishing at 43" x 51"

I'm linking up to Can I get a Whoop Whoop? and Finish or Not Friday

So the Christmas quilt is still waiting the finishing stitching on the binding....

Meanwhile, I paper pieced another of the text blocks for the Quiet Play Pattern Club.

School starts next Monday for me...only a few more days! I will miss the summer!

My August RSC Blocks

I can't believe that it is already a week into August! The summer is flying by!

The August color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is light blues. 

Although I have lots of blue scraps, light blues, not so much. 

Here is the Reverse Star block.

And the Waterfront Starburst block.

Linking to Scrap Happy Saturday!

Also on August 1st, the cutting instructions for the Meadow Mist Mosaic Mystery Quilt became available. Here are my cuts. 

I still need to cut one of those stacks of background squares into triangles and some borders but I will wait on that until it gets closer to the next step. 

I'm linking up here.

Not that I don't have enough to sew, but I have been back at natural dyeing. I have been trying different materials to dye. I have used black beans, grapefruit (also used oranges but I overdyed the fabric), marigolds, turmeric, madder root, and avocado pits. I also experimented with adding iron and washing soda to change the colors. 

For the second dye bath with marigolds, I decided to try a shibori technique using rubber bands. Below is the results. It is such a pretty yellow with fun markings!

Natural dyeing has been fun...makes me feel like a scientist!

I'll leave you with a sneak peek at what I'm working on...

and a picture of my grandson! Isn't he adorable! 

Another finish from my 2019 goals!

Back in January, I posted that I wanted to make the Optical Illusion BOM 

(January block) from Heleen Pinkster Quilt Design and in April I had the flimsy done. It was then that life got too busy and it was set aside in the UFO pile. 

I finally got to sandwiching and quilting it! 

I used both FMQ in the center, an all over curly cue design, 

and straight line quilting in the borders. 

All the blue fabrics came from my stash except for the Kona navy border. 

(I ran out of navy in my stash)

I also pieced the back with most of the leftover fabrics. 

This quilt finishes at 48" square. It will be gifted to a dear friend who is going through cancer treatment as a comfort quilt. 

I also finished another block for the Quiet Play Pattern Club. 

I just had to make this cute pin cushion in tomato red! 

I still used a rainbow of colors for the seam ripper. 

I also do quite a bit of charity knitting with my Knitting Club. This baby blanket was so soft and cute that I needed to share! 

I have been busy in my sewing room so I will be back with more soon!

Mystery Quilts?

Do you like making mystery quilts? 

I don't often make mystery quilts because I like to know what the quilt looks like before I put in all the time. However, I do like quilt alongs because of the community they create around doing the same projects. 

I recently joined Cheryl over at Meadow Mist on her new 

Mosaic Mystery Quilt Along. 

The first step was to pull fabrics. I wanted needed to use fabric from my stash so here is what I pulled. 

I'm still undecided on whether to use the dark gray or the pewter for B. I also have not pulled the border fabric. 

Step 2 comes out August 1st. 

Go over to the FB group or to Meadow Mist Designs to see what others are doing!