First Finish For 2020!

I'm very pleased to share my first finish for 2020! I finally found some time to work on my Mosaic Mystery Quilt...but after just having my machine in for cleaning/service, I had some extreme trouble with the tension while quilting this baby. I probably ripped out 90% of the quilting before I was able to fix the tension. It isn't perfect but livable. I was definitely getting bird's nest on the back of my quilt which isn't acceptable! A very frustrating experience!

This is the first time I participated in Cheryl's mystery QAL (Meadow Mist Designs). I really loved the way it turned out and it was rather simple piecing...not too small pieces. I like that you get one step each month. It gives you plenty of time to finish but not too long to wait for the next step!

All the fabrics I used in this quilt were from my stash.

I straight line quilted across the quilt following the diagonal lines of the star points. I FMQ around the fussy cut circles in the center of the stars. 

The inner border was FMQ in a twisted wave design and the outer border

 in a rope design.

This quilt finishes at 60.5" x 72.5"

I'm linking to Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Brag About Your Beauties over at From Bolt to Beauty, Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

February brought a new color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This month is ORANGE.

Here is my orange/gray column of squares and HST! Linking to Scrappy Happy Saturday over at So Scrappy.

The start of 2020

Now that we are about 3 weeks into 2020, I thought I should give an update as to what's happening in my sewing room. The 1st week was busy with a family visit to Austin to celebrate our grandson's 1st birthday, my daughter's birthday and have our Christmas so nothing happened in my sewing room.

'I'm So Big!

Surprise visit by her sister!

Family time is so precious!

I came home to a busy work week but I managed to finish up a few things. 

I put together my flimsy to the Mosaic Mystery Quilt. My goal is to sandwich and start quilting this week!

I really like the way this quilt top came together!

Linking to Brag about your Beauty @From Bolt to Beauty, and Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop @Confessions of a Fabric Addict 

I also worked with the color for January for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This year I decided to work long columns of the monthly colors with squares and HST with a gray background. 

Column 1 done. Linking to Scrap Happy Saturday.

In 2020, I will continue to make bimonthly charity blocks for the Covered In Love charity hosted by Kat & Cat Quilts. Here are my January/February blocks.

I also finished another knitted charity blanket and have done some sewing and knitting for Australia; making bat wraps, and joey pouches. 

Our knitting club is also knitting red baby hats for February's heart awareness month. These will be heading to the hospital soon. 

Sorry no pictures. 

December Update

December is almost over and it is time to slow down and celebrate this 

special season with family and friends!

I can say that I finally finished my Christmas sewing/handmade projects ~ 

(I only have the binding on a wedding quilt left). 

This cute little snowman coaster was part of the gift exchange for my knitting club.

The finished snowman table topper! A free tutorial from Vicki's Crafts and Quilting. It was part of the 12 Days of Christmas blog hop in July.

One was so cute, I made two!

I also made a set of garden banners ~ 12 in all to be used throughout the year and for special occasions!

I knitted a hat!

...and I completed the blocks for the Mosaic Mystery Quilt! This was step 5.

I will link up to the December flying geese link up over at Meadow Mist Designs. In January we will start putting together the quilt!

I also made my Christmas ornaments for 2019 but I forgot to take a picture. I will share on my next post 😉

I enjoy making these little projects but I still need to finish up some large quilt projects before the end of the year! 🤞🏻

Small Steps

I made some small steps in my sewing room. I put together the top to one of Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts:Waterfront Starburst! The backing is also ready so now I need to find some time to sandwich, quilt and bind it.

Another small step was to finish Step 3 in the Mosaic Mystery Quilt ~ The Diagonal Block.

 Wouldn't this make a cute quilt!

I will link up to the November Diagonal Block Linkup at Meadow Mist Designs. 

I made 2 charity blocks for the Covered in Love charity hosted by Kat & Cat Quilts. The November/December block requested the color palette of sea foam green, navy blue, true blue, light icy blues, snowy off whites, and some grays.

Here are my blocks! I really love these blocks.

My knitting club does charity knitting for a local hospital and other charities. I just finished this baby blanket.

Doesn't it remind you of the Neapolitan Coconut candies? Remember these?

My grandson will turn one on January 1st...his golden birthday! To make it special I made this crown to go with the theme of his birthday based on the story Where the Wild Things Are.

He will be treated royally! 👑

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. 🤞🏻

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!