I can't believe it's Week 12 already! I decided since I missed so much time this week because of Christmas happenings, I will have to make another easy project. So it's another Swing Bag!
I have it all cut out and it's ready to sew. Hope to get it finished during the next 2 days. We have a Winter Storm Warning for Saturday starting at 6:00 am until Midnight so what better time to stay in and sew!
Well I didn't get the cat stockings made, but I did make some Cat Toys!
I used this pattern from "Ruffles and Rain Boots" as a guide. I found this cute little project on Pinterest and I converted them to catnip toys vs an ornament. But it would be fun to make ornaments!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas
My Danish Woven Hearts are complete!
I decided on felt handles, but I need to pick up some Tacky Glue. But it is nice to have this Project almost done!
I was looking at my list of Project 52 choices and saw that the Woven Hearts were a separate project from the felt mice. So this week, I'm making Danish Woven Hearts. Here is a picture of my Christmas tree from a few years ago with all the fabric woven hearts. Now I'm going to try and make them with felt.
Week Ten of Project 52 is done! All the way to the finish line! WooHoo!
Now to decide on the next project.
Week Nine of Project 52 - A Top! All the clues are sewn together and I now have a top!
I had more thoughts on Project 52 yesterday. I struggle to finish up some of these UFOs as what is left is really more than what can be accomplished in a week. Should I start another list? I'm thinking I might. It would be all of the Project 52 UFOs that didn't get to the finish line. Kind of setting up a Project 52 Round Two, for the next year.
Part of my problem is I am still starting new projects as I signed up for a couple of classes. One is a table topper class where we will make three different table toppers. For this class I am restricting myself to using stash only. So far so good. I'm also taking a Sampler Class and again, using as much stash as I can. I only needed to buy my background and another fabric.
Plus I promised stockings for the grandkitties this year. And I would like to make some placemats. These aren't part of Project 52. How do I squeeze them in? This is a dilemma that I know hits lots of other quilters. Do you have any tips for organizing your sewing?
It's hard for me to believe it's Week Ten of Project 52! I'm so glad I started this when I did. I have some of the projects completed and some are getting closer to the finish line. It has really helped me to be focused on completing the projects.
This week's project is "So Easy 'Twist' Bag" from Country Sampler. I tried to find the pattern at their online store, but I didn't have any luck. Sorry!
Clue number four is complete! Now to put all my clues together to create my throw!
And also choose the next project....
Clue number three is complete! This clue went pretty fast. I'm hoping clue number four goes as fast.
Clue number two is complete! It took longer than one day to finish. But it's done and I have started to cut out clue number three.
This is week nine of Project 52 and I have decided to work on a quilt top that I kitted up but never started last year: The Jelly Snowflake Mystery Quilt Sew Along. I provided the link for you to check it out. Or you may even be interested it making this quilt throw yourself.
There are four clues and then the finishing instructions. So I'm going to try and do one clue a day. I completed Clue One yesterday.
Christmas Mice!
It's week eight of Project 52 and I just realized I didn't Post as to which project I am going to work on. This week is all about some felt ornaments I have kitted up, Danish Heart baskets and candy cane mice.
I don't have a picture of one, but I will get one of each made soon and show you what they look like.
Sorry, I'm late with getting this posted. I finished another "Doug The Bug" pincushion, which was Week Seven
The pincushion on the left is the newest one. I'm not as fond of it as I was of the first one from 2013.
SO now what? I have 2 more of these cut out. I decided to change the background shape from a circle to a square. I'm hoping that will improve it. But I'm taking a break from these for now.
Week seven of Project 52 has me really thinking. It is Thanksgiving this week and my time will be limited. Family time comes in to play big time this week. So I think I will do another Doug The Bug pincushion. I had 4 cut out, so it's not like it's out of the question.
Here is week six's project, Doug The Bug:
I followed the directions, sewing the front and back together and turning it. I am not fond of this at all! I like the way I did it the first time, shown here. The next one I make for week seven will be put together more like the very first one from 2013.
This is week six of Project 52 and time for a new project.
This time I think I'm going to pick a hand sewing project. And that project is Doug The Bug!
Week five of Project 52 has me pulling another easy project. This time I'm going to finish up fabric boxes. I made a bunch for Wings Of Hope and for my co-workers. The leftovers are in the project box. I also had fabrics pulled and some are cut but never finished.
Project 52 progress was made this past week! I finished the wrist lanyards.
And Pam's Garden is a top! WooHoo!
After I got the fencing done, I realized there should have been a sashing around the flowers. I like it without it, but I think I'm going to take it apart and put the sashing on. When you do that, it has one more fence post on each section of fencing, which I think gives a more finished look to the garden. So close to being completed. Oh well.
I can't believe how fast the weeks go by, it's Week Four of Project 52! I decided that it has to be a super easy one if I'm going to get it done, so I am finishing up the wrist lanyards.
I did finish the inside garden on Week Three's project along with one side of the garden fence. The flower blocks were a little off, as points were cut off on some flowers, but my piecing skills have improved so much since I started this little quilt. I do love how it is finishing up.
I will continue to work on the fence sections and also piece Patched Hearts. I did get three or four Patched Hearts completed as Leader/Enders. These projects are definitely taking longer to finish than I thought they would.
Week three of Project 52 and I'm going to work on "Pam's Garden".
The burp cloths are done! All ten of them! WooHoo!
Project 52 update, I have a couple of Patched Heart blocks completed!
I started talking about Project 52 here and today I thought I would give a little background into how it came about.
I listen to Podcasts while sewing and one of the shows I listen to is from American Patchwork and Quilting. You can find the link here. One of the shows talked about being more productive and completing projects. My quilting room is a UFO station, a real Area 54. So you know how ideas percolate in your mind?
One of the tips suggested working on one project a week and if at the end of the week if you are tired of it, switch to another projects for a week and then back to the original project the following week. I have so many small projects, the last bits of things. So I decided to list them out, 52 to be exact, one for one week of the year. Thus my sewing room became Area 52.
Some of the projects will be completed in less than a week and some will take longer, but the idea is to complete projects and help them find new homes as usable items.
I really debated with myself about waiting until the new year to start this, but I decided that there is no time like the present and I needed to get going! And that is how Project 52 was born!
This is week two of Project 52. I pulled out some cloth diapers I had leftover from making Burp Cloths from way back when in 2013. You can read about it here. They were fun to make and to give away.
I have a friend and a niece who are now expecting and I thought this would be the perfect gift to give. So I'm going to make some more. I used this free pattern from "The Thinking Closet" back in 2013 and it's the pattern I am going to use again because it worked so well.
I had these fabrics in my stash, but I think I want to get come updated flannels to use in addition. (Any excuse to go fabric shopping, right? LOL)
Project 52 progress has been made, in the form of some HSTs. I got them all cut out and bagged up. I've also started to sew them.
Ten are completed!
My first Project 52 is this one:
I did cut out some HSTs out of scraps as I need 80. I can sew these together as Leader/Enders as I work on my Wings Of Hope tote bags. Win/Win!
Dental work went well yesterday and I feel good, so I may get more done this week than I thought would happen. I'll keep my fingers crossed!
I did a scary thing yesterday. I listed out 52 UFOs, projects for Project 52. I decided I'm going to work on 52 different things. Each project will be worked on for only one week.
Some of the UFOs can be finished in a matter of hours and other are really weeks. For example: I have some wrist lanyards that only need the X stitched in order to finish them. That may take a hour and so I would have the rest of the week "free". So I can work on one of my big projects like "Texas Braid". The lanyards can be found here. The "Texas Braid" pattern can be found in "Adventures With Leaders & Enders" by Bonnie Hunter.
A finish! WooHoo!
Do you want to know a secret? In order to finish a project, you need to work on it! LOL I have been working on my table runner, but not very consistent. I'm almost done with the binding, maybe even today. I do have a dentist appointment this morning, so maybe I will be able to work on it this afternoon.
What I did work on? Wings Of Hope tote bags. This years small gift is a really cute little tote bag.
Startitis has hit me hard. I haven't started anything new even though I went to my Sampler Class last night that my friend Jean is teaching. (I still need my background fabric to arrive as I ordered it online.)
Yesterday I quilted a little table runner. It's a Dirty Dozen from last year. I got the top made and basted. Backing and batting were pinned and it was ready to quilt. I just need to get the binding attached now. I even have the binding made as it is some solid black I had leftover from binding my Christmas "Artic Flame". Hope to have a finish for you by tomorrow! Fingers crossed.
The Startitis fever is due to all the new cute fabric I am seeing online. The Halloween fabrics, the Autumn fabrics, the Christmas fabrics! I could go on and on. Sigh. I do have some fabrics cut and kitted up, I'm going to get one of those out if I can't fight off this feeling.
Arctic Flame has made it to the finish line!
I made the top back in May/June 2016, five years ago! My friend Vicki quilted it for me last year and it took me until now to get the binding on it. Whew! It's done! I love how this turned out. Now to keep going on those other projects that have been sitting unfinished.
FYI: This pattern is by Villa Rosa and you can order the little card pattern here or digital pattern here.
I've been working on binding a couple of quilts. When we went to Minneapolis to visit, I took one of my quilts along. And-I forgot to get it into the car when we were ready to leave. We'll be back up again, but it's not going to get done as soon as I had hoped. Sigh
But, believe it or not, I have other projects that I can work on. I have 3 small quilts or table toppers that I need to quilt and bind. Guess I'll be working on those.
Sorry it's been so long since I have posted. Many things going on.
My husband had some surgery and I was playing nurse to that. We had grandkids visit in the middle of all of that. Which was wonderful to see them. But my routine has been thrown off. And it doesn't take much to throw me off the routine. LOL
So I'm starting over. I haven't been in the sewing room for weeks and it's time to get it back together. So today is going to be an organize for 15 minutes and then play for 15 minutes. Hopefully things will start to feel normal.
Summer is heading down the road to Autumn!
My nephew had a renewal of vows this past weekend. They got married last summer but many people were unable to come, so they had the renewal this summer for those of us unable to make it last year.
I finished a quilt for them. This was a sampler BOM through Hancock fabrics. I love the fabrics and I hope they enjoy the quilt also. The quilt was done, just needed to be quilted.
It was quilted by a friend who lives close. Some of these blocks were pretty tricky to make. Like I said, I hope they enjoy it.
I was looking at my sewing space and I have a couple of quilts that need binding and that need quilting. I guess I know what I need to work on for the rest of the month. I hope to have some pictures to show you soon! In the meantime, enjoy these pictures of some of the deer we have in our yard.
Did you see? Bonnie Hunter has a new Leader/Ender Challenge, Fish School. I have a bunch of bonus HSTs already sewn up just waiting to be used. This looks like the perfect project. They were all squared up and stored in my "special" container, the recycled lettuce package. LOL
The Dirty Dozen is starting up again at Country Threads. Here are the guidelines for the Dirty Dozen.
This year I'm going to work at quilt backings. I have a bunch of quilt tops (more than 12) hanging in the guest bedroom closet. So I pulled 12 of them and listed them out. My goal is to at least get the backing made for each. If I get some quilting done, great. But at least I will have a backing and it will be one more step closer to getting to the finish line. I have some backing pieces in my bins and some of the backings will be made of fabrics from the stash. Should be an interesting year.
This is my Number 3.
The pattern is called "Tulsa Town" by Villa Rosa Designs. It helped to thin out my drawer of 3.5 inch strips. I was lucky to get this shot as the wind was not helping me at all. I'm thinking I need a scrappy back for this one. We'll see what I come up with.
I've talked about how Google is getting rid of Feedburner and if you follow by email. I have a new service, Follow.it. There is a bar on the side for you to sign up if you didn't get an email from Follow.it about the change. I follow a number of blogs and some of them are using this service. Fingers crossed that it all goes well.
I did a little shop hopping again with some friends. It's so nice to get out and about to the quilt shops and be inspired. I also went to the Omaha Quilt Guild Quilt Show. I save bonus HST and this quilt inspired me so much!
It's always fun to do quilty things with friends. I did a little bit of Shop Hopping at the beginning of the month. June 1 was the first day of the All Iowa Shop Hop (AISH) This past weekend I went Retreating with some friends.
And I worked on my Texas Braid for the first time in 2 years. It's from Bonnie Hunter's book, "Adventures with Leaders & Enders". Making the rows is time consuming. I only completed 2 rows the first time I worked on it. This past Retreat I completed 3. So I have a total of 5 now.
One of the June Nebula Blocks is done. I'm cutting out the other one today!
Does anyone else feel like this about their stash?
It always takes me a while to get to the finish line. I love the feeling of having something completed so I don't know why I always seem to delay this step.
I did pin baste a couple of old projects this past week. And I decided that if Country Threads does the Dirty Dozen again for 2021-2022 that I will have 12 tops that need quilting on the list. Maybe once I get the taste of getting to the finish line I will work hard to do it for all my quilt tops.
In the meantime, I made 2 more tops.
It's that busy time of year! We've been getting gardens ready for planting and doing some planting. Everything has been greening up and looks so pretty.
I have still been working on sewing projects, they just aren't moving as fast as they did when all my time was inside. But I do have my May blocks done for Nebula.
This quilt is so different from anything I've done before. I love Julie's videos for us each month, they keep me going as she makes it all look so easy. And as I do it, it does seem easy! Thanks Julie from Jaybird Quilts.
