Some sunshine finally!

Hello Mr. Sunshine! It has been a while since you have come out! 

I finally was able to take some pictures of My Little Blue Neighborhood quilt. Since it has been done, we has seen little sunshine and it also gets dark so early that by the time I get home from school, there isn't time to do a photo shoot. 

Last Saturday, I was able to go to the place that I wanted to do some photos only to find that it was too sunny. My quilt was washed out.

The shadows were coming quickly.

On the back I put the 3 houses that I found duplicates of and started a 'new subdivision' for my neighborhood. 

The colors and whites are a bit off due to too much sunlight but I really like the painted brick wall background so I went back again for another shoot.

The colors are much better! 

Just down from the 1st photo shoot, I found a string already strung across the bricks. How convenient! 

 All labeled! A finish!

I also started putting together my Flying Geese RSC quilt. I added two additional blocks, one gray and the other peach, to make 12 blocks. 

I also pulled out the small HSTs that resulted from making the flying geese blocks. I am planning on using them for a border as shown above. They are pretty small and will finish at about 3/4" , adding about 1 1/2" to the size of the quilt. It should finish at 37.5" x 49.5". 

I added another row to my temperature quilt...only 2 rows left for 2018!

Linking to Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River,  Scrap Happy Saturday at So Scrappy.

Update!

It seems like forever since I have had anything to post about. Life just seems to get busier and my best intentions seem to go by the wayside. 

Until this week, I have had only little snippets of time to sew. So instead of starting a new project, I have been working on making progress on my little blue neighborhood. I could do a house in a small amount of time so I got several done. The next thing I knew, the population had grown to 100 little blue houses! 

After looking at the 100 houses and my almost diminished supply of different blue scraps, I decided that the neighborhood had reached it's quota. 

I sewed them into a 10 X 10 grid of houses. 

I then searched for a border that I thought would frame the neighborhood. I decided on a diamond chain border. Before I was even finished with it, I knew that it would need something more. 

Years ago, I framed my landscape quilt with a double border with mitered corners. I would do a mitered border but I would do a triple border. 

I love how it turned out! 

Each house is 4", the diamond border is 4", and the triple mitered border is 

2 1/2" making the quilt 53" squared.

I started making the blue and white houses back in February 2016 as a 'fill in' project when I didn't have enough time to work on anything else. I last reported on the neighborhood in August with 81 finished houses. I didn't really see the end of this project until I reach 100! 

While putting it together, I did find 3 duplicates fabrics, so I made 3 additional houses. The duplicates will probably end up on the back of the quilt. With 100 fabrics over almost 4 years, it was getting difficult to remember if I had already used certain fabrics. 

Next step...on to the quilting!

Linking up to To Do Tuesday @Stitch All the Things and Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the River

New monthly color and a neighborhood update!

August is here and a new color has been announced for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge ~ ORANGE!

I was able to find some time yesterday to work on my RSC blocks! 

Plus Sign blocks

Flying Geese Block

I'm linking to Scrap Saturday at So Scrappy. 

I'm excited to announce that my little neighborhood has grown. Another population explosion and we are up to 81 houses! 

I still haven't run out of blue scraps! Each house is made out of a different blue fabric mostly from my scraps. My friend, Joy, gave me a few of her blue scraps to add to the neighborhood. I'm always looking for more so I can keep expanding my neighborhood! Since these houses are only 4 1/2" unfinished, it doesn't take a big scrap. 

Do you have some blue scraps to share?   

Linking to Show Off Saturday at She Can Sew

It is time to post my FNSI results and more...

Last night was the first FNSI that I participated in for a very long time! 

The timing was perfect as it was the start of Spring Break for me! 

I had the whole day free and I spent most of it in my sewing room! It has been a while since that happened!

I pieced some uppercase letters earlier this month and I still needed to piece the lowercase letters. I found Tonya Ricucci's Word Play Quilts book in the library to use as inspiration for making my lowercase letters. I picked it up Thursday after work and browsed through it. I wanted to make them 2.5" finished....half the size of the uppercase letters that I pieced. Tonya suggests 3" or larger letters so I drew out my own using graph paper. 

I did all of them yesterday! Throughout the day and night! For the v and the x, I  ended up paper piecing as the angles were 'getting to me'. 

Maybe I just needed a rest from piecing these small letters all day... 

Anyways, I was pleased with all of them except the k. Somehow, it ended up more narrow that the other letters. I'm sure it was my error in calculating the angles. I couldn't let it go and I thought about it when I should have been sleeping! ARGH! 

So this morning, I decided to draw up a paper pieced k pattern. My first attempt was great...but backwards! 

It must be from the lack of a full night of sleep 😉 

So I drew up another, this time remembering to reverse the pattern. 

It is so much better! Can you tell the difference? 

Hop over to FNSI at Sugarlane Designs and check out what others worked on last night.

I must be in a paper piecing mood as I also worked on my Little Houses this week. The last time I posted about my neighborhood the population was 56. It has now grown to 66 with these additions! 

I love this ongoing project! Not sure when it will end...maybe when I run out of blue scraps! That hasn't happened yet!

I'm linking to Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts, and Show Off Saturday @ Sew Can She and Friday Foto Fun @pwoeredbyquilting.

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Plenty to do....

There is always plenty to do and since I have been home with workers coming and going 

(kitchen renovation in progress), 

I have had some time to spend in my sewing room. I decided that I needed to do some organization in-between projects. Since my dining room table is loaded with the odd and end contents of my kitchen cabinets 

(most things are in boxes throughout my house but some things don't fit well in boxes), 

I can't prefer not to (table verses floor) sandwich the last quilt top in my UFO's. But...

I did finally finished my Go Cubs Go! quilt that I made in honor of my life long favorite baseball team's incredible win of the World Series last year (2016) after 108 years!

I had the Cubs, baseball, and the pinstripe fabrics in my stash for quite a while just waiting for a time to make a quilt! This was the perfect time!

I used the economy block, alternating the Cubs and baseball fabrics with Kona red and blue. The sashing is Kona white. The border is a print that reminds me of hearts that I found at my now closed 😥 LQS! 

I 💙 the Chicago Cubs!

The backing is a vintage baseball print that I found online. This quilt finishes at 51" x 60.5" a perfect size for a throw or picnic. 

It is Nellie approved!

Back to a little organizing....

I found uncovered this mini quilt kit that I purchased at the International Quilt Festival this past spring. It is called Citrus Delight (one color way of many from the Friendship Pineapples series by Fabrications by Doris). 

It is a fun mini paper pieced block. 

Also, my neighborhood of Little Blue Houses had another population explosion!

There are now 56 houses in the neighborhood! All made out of different blue fabrics from my scraps. It was taking up a good portion of my design wall so the neighborhood came down (to make room for other projects). I am not done with it (or my blue fabrics 😝) yet! I'm still having fun!

What have your been doing?

The neighborhood has grown!

Remember my little blue houses? 

The last time I posted about the neighborhood, there were 38 houses. Now the neighborhood has grown to 48 houses!

I add a house or 2 when I'm between projects or only have a limited amount of time to play. This isn't a population boom but slow and steady growth. I'm planning on more houses! No deadline, no pressure!

I'm loving it!

Yesterday, I took some time to work on the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks and The Milky Way QAL. May's color is green so I pulled my green scraps bin (which is almost as full as my blue bin) and started putting together like greens. 

5 little spools of green! 

Here are all the spools together so far.

Cute! Aren't they?

I'm linking up to Scrap Happy Saturday over at So Scrappy and Oh Scrap over at Quilting is more fun than Housework.

For the Milky Way QAL, I'm using the same color (makes it easy), green. This month's star is called Vega. It is the 5th brightest star. 

Here are the first 5 stars together.

It is a bit of a mystery to me on how these will play together at the end. 

Time will tell. To learn more head over to Blossom Heart Quilts.

Welcome 2017

Today I am setting a few goals for 2017. 

Many of the quilts I make are a challenge to me as a new technique or pattern. 

It is a rare bird for me to make a quilt over again. 

I can only think of 2 repeat quilts patterns since I started quilting in 1996.

At the end of 2016, I had a few UFOs that carry over to 2017. 

First is my mini blue houses. When I started these little guys, I didn't have a goal in mind...just letting the neighborhood grow at its own pace. At the end of 2016, the population stood at 38!

The houses are 4"

This is the last addition to the neighborhood in 2016. 

In 2017, I will continue to add to the neighborhood until I run out of blues. 

(Ha! That maybe never!)

The second UFO from 2016 is my Sail Away! quilt. This is all pieced and at the flimsy stage. 

My goal will be to sandwich and quilt this nautical quilt. 

Third in line is my Chicago Cubs quilt. I'm using the economy block for this quilt. 

So far I have 10 blocks made. 

My goal will be to start making the alternate block to compliment these blocks. 

My fourth project is this delectable mountain quilt. My goal for starting this quilt was to use some of the fabric that was donated to me and try a new technique. 

(The bright large print flowers that I paired with Kona black.)

When fabric is donated to me, I feel guilty not using it even if it isn't my colors/style. So I use it as an experiment to try a new technique and often donate the finished quilt. 

My goal will be to finish the blocks, decide on a border or not, and get it to the flimsy stage.

The 5th project that I am setting a goal for is to use this pretty scrap piece of flannel (donated) and learn to crochet a border around it 

for a sweet receiving blanket.

And finally I will once again join in the 2017 Rainbow Scrap Challenge over at So Scrappy. January's color is purple! 

I need to choose a block that I will do this year. 

I will also link my scrap quilt progress to Oh Scrap! over at 

Quilting is more fun than Housework.

This year I will also join and link up to One Monthly Goal over at 

Elm Street Quilts. 

For January, I have picked my fourth project ~ the delectable mountain quilt. 

Head on over to see other quilty goals!

The neighborhood is growing!

I have added a few more little blue houses to my growing neighborhood! I will keep on adding to them in between projects.

I have been working on the fancy fox quilt. It is almost a flimsy...need a top and bottom border. 

I was playing around with this idea in my head for awhile. I started with drawing it up on graph paper. I went back and forth on whether I should use a black and white stripe fabric for the borders or make it by sewing narrow strips together. Then I found this black and white stripe fabric that was printed on a diagonal at my LQS. So I went with it. Not sure that I accomplished exactly what I had in mind. The verdict is still out! It is all pieced and waiting for a backing.

I also worked on the lime green block for this month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  

Lovin' my time in my sewing room! Long overdue progress!

Also, spending a lot of time charity knitting with my knitting group!

On the First Day of Summer

School is Out! My summer vacation officially started! 

What do you think I did on my first day? 

You bet I spent a good few hours in my sewing room. 

I have a few more Little Blue Houses made.

I have started making these cute foxes using the Fancy Fox pattern by 

Elizabeth Hartman of Ohfransson. 

June is here and the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap challenge is aqua with a pop of lime green. Back in January, the color of the month was blue. I made several different shades of blue including this aqua block. So I will instead be working on a lime green block for this month. Stay tuned!

My garden is in bloom! Love my giant poppies!

and my purple lupines!

These tulips were a end of the year gift! So pretty!

I'd say a nice start to summer!

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Progress Report

This will be short as much progress has not been made. 

I have 7 more days of school before summer vacation! I anticipate spending a bit more time in my sewing room. 

I did finish my May block for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. The color is Evergreen ~ not one of my favorites but I did find enough to make the block!

I also have been sewing a few more Little Blue Houses. I have 17 done...all in different blue fabrics. 

This a ongoing project that fills in when I have small pockets of time. 

I'm lov'n them!

For Mother's Day, we went to the Chicago Art Institute to see the Van Gogh exhibit. It was fabulous!

It helped that my DD1's student was able to get us VIP treatment bypassing very long lines. 

 As a knitter as well as a quilter, I thought Van Gogh's use of wool to experiment with color combinations was quite interesting.

Self portrait

Van Gogh's chair painting

One of three paintings of the bedroom

Transplanted inside a Van Gogh painting.

These are a few of my favorites! The exhibit was well done!