A New Finish!

I have a new finish!

I finally finished my Macaron Mystery quilt designed by Cheryl @MeadowMist Designs. This is the 3rd mystery by Cheryl that I have followed. I really love her designs. The QAL started back in July 2021 and the parade ends April 7th. 

I am so pleased with how this quilt turned out. At first I wasn't fond of the half blocks on either end but with adding a border of the same background, it works just fine. It also extends the length. 

I pieced the backing with the leftover fabric pieces from the front and then framed it with Kona Turquoise. The binding is in Kona Oasis.

I straight line quilted around the montifs and gentle arches in the larger turquoise blocks. I FMQ feathers in the white borders. My quilt finishes at 61.5" x 71.5". I'm linking to the Macaron Mystery linky party.

Go check it out and see the many variations!

Slow Stitching, SAHRR and Macaron Mystery

             Slowly I've been making progress on some of my projects.                       But first I want to share these Valentine's Day cards that I stitched up. 

The cards are free from Christina Cameli @Afewscraps on IG. I have been a fan of Christina's for some time. At Christmas, she offered some cards to stitch. I was very tempted but we have been doing photo cards over the past few years so I didn't get them. When I saw her post about her Valentine's Day cards I immediately downloaded them and started stitching. I made 2 sets of them (slightly different). It was so satisfying to slow down and stitch these beautiful cards (even if I knew that                           some wouldn't get to their destinations in time). Better late than never!                           Thank you Christina for these lovely cards!

I worked on Round 5 for the SAHRR project. This round was hosted by Quilting Gail. She gave a choice of applique and/or fence rail. I choose to add some fence rails to the corners of Round 4. Although I'm not in love with it, it will have to do. I'm running short on fabrics that go with this orphaned block. Note:after I had this round together, I found more of my main black fabric but no more of any coordinating fabric. We will see what the next and final round brings! 

Linking to Linky Party for Round 5.

I also finally put together the flimsy for the Macaron Mystery from Meadow Mist Designs. I still need to trim it up and add some borders on the top and bottom to make this quilt a bit of a rectangle. It is a bright one!

I'm very pleased with this pattern from Cheryl. It is my 3rd mystery 

by her and I love all of them! Thanks Cheryl!

Christmas crafting and sewing

 Although I haven't been able to blog during December (until now), I have done a bit of Christmas crafting, sewing and quilting that I can now share with you. 

I enjoy crafting with my grandson and we did several crafts together. To practice his cutting skills (he loves to cut paper into tiny pieces), we made an octopus and a santa (no photos of the santa.) 

We also did some Christmas crafts for presents. Our dear friend Ruth had my grandson and me over for a craft morning. We went out to collect pine cones at a local park and put together these pine cone wreaths. 

So much fun!

At Mormor's Christmas workshop, we made these handprint ornaments for gifts.   This idea was found on Pinterest.

Besides crafting with my grandson, I did a bit of Christmas crafting, knitting and quilting on my own. As hostess gifts, I made these gnomes 

and these little quilted gnomes.

My daughter asked if I could make a pacifier holder similar to one she found online. I searched to see if I could find a pattern but couldn't. So I decided to try to make my own pattern. I used the double stockinette stitch so that it would look the same on both sides. This stitch is a bit complicated when it comes to increasing and decreasing but with a little research, I figured out what I think results in the neatest look. So far I've made 2 of these and my daughter is pleased with how they turned out. I used organic cotton for these but may get some merino wool to make another.

I also made my grandson a reading pillow which I forgot to take pictures of. It went along with his new Christmas book and PJ's. 

Finally and in the nick of time, I finished the December step for the Macaron Mystery QAL. 

Here are my square in a square blocks.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Looking forward to the New Year and all the hope it brings.

A Finish!

                                               My first RSC finish of 2021!                                           I found time last week to complete the quilting and binding of my Rainbowlicious quilt! This quilt pattern is Joy Luck by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. 

The original layout of this pattern was stacked blocks with sashing between the columns rather than side by side with sashing between the rows. Due to the number of colors (11) and the number of blocks of each color (10), I decided that this would be the best layout. 

I'm calling this quilt Rainbowlicious because the definition of rainbowlicious is "a deliciousness of colors in an array of beauty so good you can feel it, taste it, as hues across the spectrum of light, alight you." Roseanne @Home Sewn By Us said that they reminded her of wrapped pieces of candy. Thanks Roseanne for the inspiration in naming this quilt! 

                 The backing I found in my stash ~ a colorful floral print that has many of the colors of the rainbow in it. 

It was a beautiful Fall day for the photo shoot of this quilt! 

The blocks were made monthly over the year as the color of the month is announced by Angela over at So Scrappy. I added one additional color (peach). The blocks are all machine pieced and the quilting is FMQ in a simple braid in 2 different sizes. 

The quilt finished at approx. 40" x 40". 

I'm linking to Scrap Happy Saturday @So Scrappy, Can I get a Whoop, Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Linky Party @Patchwork and Quilts, Brag About Your Beauty @From Bolt to Beauty, Finished or Not Friday @Alycia Quilts, Foto Fun @Powered by quilting

Linking to Favorite Finish @Meadow Mist Designs

I also finished my November step for the Macaron Mystery QAL @Meadow Mist Designs. Here are the 3 steps so far!

Hope you had a great week of quilting! 

Trying to keep my head above the water!

 Why is it that life seems to keep getting busier? 

I just don't seem to have enough time to keep up with quilting, blogging, and visiting blogs with the time that is left over after work and family commitments. Anyone else feel the same?

Well, enough complaining! I need to enjoy the moments! 

October's monthly color is light green. Here are my blocks. 

Joy Luck

Wonky Shoo Fly

I'm thinking I will add at least one more color for the wonky shoo fly and 

several for the Joy Luck to make them a nice size quilt. We will see!

Linking to Scrap Happy Saturday @ So Scrappy.

I did have a finish since I last posted! I finished my #30daysofimprovqal quilt.

This challenge took place during the month of August. I chose to 

add large borders of Kona white around the grid of blocks to make 

a good size throw quilt. I quilted from top to bottom in straight 

lines about 1/2" apart. 

The backing fabric was used to based the colors for the challenge blocks. The binding is left over pieces from the front fabrics. 

This quilt was gifted as a wedding gift for my daughter's 

sister-in-law and husband.

I will be linking to Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, linky party at Patchwork and Quilts, Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts and Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting.

Finally, I can show you my September calendar journal! We have been having quite the printer problems and finally broke down and bought a new one. I have been keeping notes on paper until I was able to get the calendar printed. 

My October step for the Macaron Mystery is finished ~ 60 flying geese. 

I'm excited to see what the next step is. 

Until next time, happy quilting!

Sew busy!

 I wish I was 'Sew' Busy rather than 'So' Busy. The beginning of the school year is always busy but this year it has been extremely busy! The District I work for is short on subs, so I'm working everyday that I'm available with few exceptions. I also babysit my grandson 2 days a week so it leaves me with little time to sew, write blog posts, or even read them. 

I did manage to sew my monthly blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. The color for September is ORANGE!

Wonky Shoo Fly blocks in orange!

All the blocks so far!

Joy Luck blocks in orange!

All the Joy Luck blocks so far!

I'm linking up to ScrapHappySaturday@So Scrappy.

I also managed to do the September step for the Macaron Mystery QAL 

with Cheryl Burkley @MeadowMistDesigns.

Living in Chicagoland, I was able to take advantage of seeing the Bisa Butler exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute. If you are not aware of the work of Bisa Butler, I encourage you to look it up as she is an amazing quilt artist! The quilts on display are her portrait quilts! They tell stories of her life and of the lives of others African Americans.

Her use of colors and fabrics from Africa add to the beauty of these quilts! The details in her quilts are truly amazing!

She layers fabrics like a painter layers paint.

I also love the way she places her figures on her choice of background fabrics. 

Here are just a few of the many pictures I took as I couldn't get enough of seeing these wonderful pieces of art and the emotion they evoke. 

If you get a chance to see her work, don't hesitate! It is sew worth it!

A little bit of this and that

 I'm not quite ready to share my almost finished secret project (a birthday gift for my SIL)! I am hand stitching the binding and then need to label and gift it! Soon!

But since July rolled around (how can this year be going so fast?), there is a new color of the month for the RSC, dark blue, and a new block for Covered in Love charity (stars).

I cut and sewed 10 wonky shoo fly blocks and 10 joy luck blocks in dark blues. 

wonky shoo fly

Joy Luck

I also cut many dark blue and purple scraps for my tumbler blocks.

(I never got around to cutting purple scraps in June) 

Now to hand stitch them! 

Linking to Scrap Happy Saturday @So Scrappy.

Here are my star blocks for the Covered in Love charity. 

Kat @Kat & Cat Quilts is back to hosting this round after taking 2 months off to catch up. May/June was hosted by Tammy @Travelin' Sew I. 

July/August is typically star blocks, a favorite! There are so many to choose from!

Linking to Midweek Makers @Quiltfabrication, Stitch and Show @Life in the Scrapatch, and Monday Making @Love, Laugh Quilt

 

July also means a new calendar and the finished calendar for the month of June! 

June is a birthday month in our family including mine! 

July is the start of the Macaron Mystery Quilt hosted by Cheryl @MeadowMistDesigns. This month is all about fabric requirements and picks!

Here are my choices.

Mostly from my stash but I needed to add the light polka dot fabric and get a bit more of the Kona cactus and Kona white. 

This is my 3rd mystery QAL with Cheryl! It is a nice, easy pace and Cheryl's designs are great! Will you be joining? 

At my knitting club (we meet on Monday nights), one friend asked if anyone heard of a knitted potholder that was a folded type (her niece wanted to know and sent some pictures). So in usual fashion, we all start a google search to see what we could find. It turns out that the only method we could find was crochet. 

So on Tuesday night after I finished knitting my project, I started to crochet one that I found on YouTube. It is a pretty interesting technique that intrigued me.

It is double thick and made from cotton yarn. It was actually pretty fun to watch come together and fairly easy so I offered to teach it at knitting this past Monday!

Hope to be back soon with my secret finish!