Goodbye 2014, Hello one more NewFO

Yes, you heard that right again.  I'm starting something NEW again...  But this one I hope to be quite productive. 

Here's my scrap basket that my friend gave me (empty) only a month ago.  I have filled it with scraps (strings) THAT fast!  I need to get a grip on my strings.  I have watched and admired Kate and her many quilts that she has made for charity.  I have watched her use up the scraps in her scrap bin one quilt at a time. 

Instead of playing a silly facebook game I have decided to work on my scrap basket.  Deb from StitchinTherapy has motivated me to string it along this year too.  I'm going to work on Sonja's Windows.  It is from America Loves Scrap Quilts 2009. 

You can see the string quilt that I will be working on here:  http://www.mccallsquilting.com/mccallsquilting/articles/Sonjas_Windows).
Can't wait to see fast progress!

I'm linking up with Sharon at Vroomans Quilts for Let's Book It.  I'm also linking up with Barb of Cat Patches for the last New FO linky party.  Let the fun begin!

I have cut my 14" foundation squares from newspapers.  I have only used phone books in the past.  I'll let you know how the print of newspapers work.  Hopefully too much won't rub off.  I only need ten of the 14" blocks.  That should be some good, mindless sewing for New Year's Eve while my husband and son play in the garage and then on their iPads in the same room where I sew.  Whohoo!  Now that's what I call a great night!

Let the sewing begin!!! 

WIP Wednesday 12.31.14

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Well, I didn't meet my goal of cutting my WIPs in half this year.  Oh well...  I'm addicted to quilting.  I am done posting my WIP count at the end of the year.  I will have another finishes for 2014 post (I hope).  But for now, I am super happy with what I have accomplished. 

I found a pattern in a library book.  This little 27" square quilt is called Plaid Patches.  It is in the book Fast, Fun, and Fabulous Quilts, by Connie Tesene and Mary Tendall of Country Threads.  I'm so lucky our county library has access to so many fun quilt books.  I look at the online catalog, make my selection, and magically the book is delivered to my local library for pick-up.  And it's all FREE!!!  Woot woot!  I still had these 1.5" strips from the November RSC14 handy and did this:



Now to find a simple backing and think of how to quilt it.  The fun begins.  Looking forward to a lot in the RSC15 next year.  Here are some of my plans -- and yes, it's a HUGE list!

1.  Finish the above quilt (quilt and bind).
2.  Finish the Kite Girl quilt (will make a red one and then decide on how to sash.)
3.  Finish my Picadilly Circle quilt (need light & dark greens, yellow, and maroon--4 blocks)
4.  Finish the Scrumption Butter Churn (churn dash) quilt -- all blocks made needs sashing.
5.  Quilt the Little Letters quilt -- (quilt and bind).
6.  Continue making Urban Classics blocks in different colors (only made 2 so far).
7.  Continue Crown on Thorns blocks on the blue months.
8.  Make Scrap Crystals blocks on the blue and green months.
9.  Continue Fortune Teller blocks each month (strings blocks).  Only about 8 or so are made.
10. Scrappy string blocks in each color (with one little 2" x 3" piece of white).
11. Continue making rainbow colored knot blocks until I have enough for a crib quilt.
12.  Continue making underpants blocks.
13.  Start the RSC15 stars QA.

Clue #5 for Grand Illusion (by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville) was done in a jiffy.
Here are my blocks for this week.

 

I did start SOMETHING NEW again this week.  No frets -- it's a baby quilt.  The top will be done in no time.  I am changing the size of the quilt.  It's Urban Churn Dash -- A Simple Sew Along at Piece N Quilt.

With help from my Accuquilt GO! Baby I had everything cut in about an hour!  Step 1 complete!

 

 

Frosty & Friends is a pattern by Debbie Mumm.  It is in a book from 1992 called Quick Country Quilting.  

I finished all the churn dash blocks for the Scrumptious Butter Churn Quilt.  Here's my layout minus the yellow sashing and cornerstones.  I got everything cut today.  Pattern for the Scrumptious Butter Churn by Jo at Jo's Country Junction.




I finished this adorable doll quilt.  This was a quilt along with Lori at Humble Quilts.  You can find the start of the mystery here.

I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!

 

 

New Projects This Week

1.  None

 

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn

1.  Underpants Project 

2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

4.  Picadilly Circle

5. ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

6.  MSBHQAL (Molli Sparkles Broken Herringbone Quilt Along)

7.  Spring Sampler Series at Cora's Quilts
8.  Gypsy Wife QA (recycling  Red/White Flower Basket Quilt into this project & duds.)
9.  Quilt Doodle Doodles Designs 2014 BOM
10.  Love Laugh Quilt Christmas Improv QA
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) 

13.  Super Mario QA

14.  Grand Illusion -- Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2014 

 

 

Blocks Still Need to be Made

1.  NY Beauty

2.  Orca Bay

3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

4.  Sweet Simplicity BOM
5. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt
6.  Color coordinated hexagon quilt
7.  Gourmet Quilter Sampler
8.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
9.  Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
10.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Block Lotto Dud (Orphan Block Quilt)
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly 

7.  Scrumptious Butter Churn  All blocks are made!!!

 

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done)
1.  Celtic Solstice (Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2013)


Ready to longarm
1.  Little Letters QA Quilt (A RSC14 project)

2.  Plaid Patches Table Topper (A RSC14 project)

Quilted, needs binding
1.  

 

Completed this week:

1.  Red Frosty #2  (almost done!)

Grand Illusion -- Clue #5

As my 7 1/2 year old son would say, "Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!"  Clue #5 for Grand Illusion (by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville) was done in a jiffy.

Here are my blocks for this week.

 

I'm linking up with Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville's Snips and Quips -- Clue #5 for the Mystery Monday Link-Up.

Surprise Table Topper -- RSC14 and 2015 Plans

I've always admired this little quilt on Pinterest.

While putting away my scraps from November RSC14, I noticed I had many 1.5" strips left over from the Little Letters QA.

I found a pattern in a library book.  This little 27" square quilt is called Plaid Patches.  It is in the book Fast, Fun, and Fabulous Quilts, by Connie Tesene and Mary Tendall of Country Threads.  I'm so lucky our county library has access to so many fun quilt books.  I look at the online catalog, make my selection, and magically the book is delivered to my local library for pick-up.  And it's all FREE!!!  Woot woot!



Now to find a simple backing and think of how to quilt it.  The fun begins.  Looking forward to a lot in the RSC15 next year.  Here are some of my plans:

1.  Finish the above quilt (quilt and bind).
2.  Finish the Kite Girl quilt (will make a red one and then decide on how to sash.)
3.  Finish my Picadilly Circle quilt (need light & dark greens, yellow, and maroon--4 blocks)
4.  Finish the Scrumption Butter Churn (churn dash) quilt -- all blocks made needs sashing.
5.  Quilt the Little Letters quilt -- (quilt and bind).
6.  Continue making Urban Classics blocks in different colors (only made 2 so far).
7.  Continue Crown on Thorns blocks on the blue months.
8.  Make Scrap Crystals blocks on the blue and green months.
9.  Continue Fortune Teller blocks each month (strings blocks).  Only about 8 or so are made.
10. Scrappy string blocks in each color (with one little 2" x 3" piece of white).
11. Continue making rainbow colored knot blocks until I have enough for a crib quilt.
12.  Continue making underpants blocks.
13.  Start the RSC15 stars QA.

Now that I have looked at my list, I noticed that I have twelve projects.  Could that mean one finish each month?  Hmmmm.  2015 was supposed to just be my year of scraps and strings.  Maybe 2015 should be the year of finishes.  I'll make a complete list and report back here on WIP Wednesday.  I need to make a realistic list of all the projects that I have started and pick them off one by one... one way or another (finish, make into another project, trade, give away.)

 

 I'm linking up with Angela at ScrapHappy blog. for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, 2014.

 

This was my first year for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Here are a couple finishes:

 

Cascadia doll quilt. 

 

Born on the 4th. (July -- reds)

 

Not really scrappy, but used the reds from July for the challenge. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Friday Finish for 2014

Here's the last Frosty & Friends quilt for a while.  I think I like the bright red quilts vs. the blue ones for this pattern.  It's also my last Friday Finish for 2014.  2015 is my planned year for scraps and strings!  I'm excited for that.

I quilted it with loopies and backed it with the same fabric as the blue Frosty & Friends.  (I loaded and quilted all three at the same time.)

 

Linking up with Link-A-Finish Friday with Richard and Tanya here.

 

Here's the two blue ones that I made and gave to my son's teachers this year:

 

Frosty & Friends is a pattern by Debbie Mumm.  It is in a book from 1992 called Quick Country Quilting.  

Oh, and I found something super scrappy that I loved.  Look for it on the cover of American Patchwork & Quilting this A P R I L ,

 

It's 12 HST the same and then one square. 

For a full picture of the quilt on the cover, check out Bonnie Hunter's post here.

WIP Wednesday 12.24.14

Merry Christmas Eve!  Are you ready?  I'm still getting a lot of quilting done here.  Check it out:

I'm starting to set my 2015 priorities.  Here's a couple of new things that have caught my eye (as if I don't already have enough WIPS).

Fort Worth Fabric Studio QA -- This is a medallion-style quilt with lots of log cabins.
Pat Sloan 2015 Mystery Vacation BOM -- It's only one block a month...
Piece N Quilt Urban Churn Dash QA -- Who can resist churn dashes?  I may make this one crib size.
Quilt Doodle Designs 2015 BOM -- I did 2013 & 2014.  They turned out pretty nice.
2015 Bonnie Hunter Mystery, of course.
Various RSC projects.

I finished all the churn dash blocks for the Scrumptious Butter Churn Quilt.  Here's my layout minus the yellow sashing and cornerstones.  I got everything cut today.  Pattern for the Scrumptious Butter Churn by Jo at Jo's Country Junction.



Thanks to my helper, I'm all caught up with Clue 4 of Grand Illusion.  Thanks for all you do, Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville's Quips and Snips -- Clue 4  .



I finished this adorable doll quilt.  This was a quilt along with Lori at Humble Quilts.  You can find the start of the mystery here.

 

My WIP count this week is 34.  My WIP goal for New Years Day 2015 is 19.  Uh oh, I've got a ways to go!  I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!

 

 

New Projects This Week

1.  None

 

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn

1.  Underpants Project 

2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

4.  Picadilly Circle

5. ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

6.  MSBHQAL (Molli Sparkles Broken Herringbone Quilt Along)

7.  Spring Sampler Series at Cora's Quilts
8.  Gypsy Wife QA (recycling  Red/White Flower Basket Quilt into this project & duds.)
9.  Quilt Doodle Doodles Designs 2014 BOM
10.  Love Laugh Quilt Christmas Improv QA
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) 

13.  Super Mario QA

14.  Grand Illusion -- Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2014 

 

 

Blocks Still Need to be Made

1.  NY Beauty

2.  Orca Bay

3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

4.  Sweet Simplicity BOM
5. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt
6.  Color coordinated hexagon quilt
7.  Gourmet Quilter Sampler
8.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
9.  Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
10.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Block Lotto Dud (Orphan Block Quilt)
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly 

7.  Scrumptious Butter Churn  All blocks are made!!!

 

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done)
1.  Celtic Solstice (Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2013)


Ready to longarm
1.  Little Letters QA Quilt

Quilted, needs binding
1.  Red Frosty #2  (almost done!)

 

Completed this week:

1.  Cascadia Mystery Quilt -- From Humble Quilts

 

Keeping up with Grand Illusion

I'm finished with Clue 4 for the Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt.  Here's my two tiny stacks of blocks needed:

 

I do have to admit that I had a little help.  Owen loves cutting apart the units.

 

 

I'm linking up with Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville's Quips and Snips -- Clue 4 for the Mystery Monday Link-Up.

FNSI Results

For the Friday Night Sew In I worked on Bonnie Hunter's 2014 Mystery Quilt, Grand Illusion.  I had all of the pieces cut.  I got all of the black pieces sewn on, and only a few of the yellow squares.  I was hoping that I would be done.

Family Christmas party today.  Hopefully Clue 4 will be done before Monday's link up party.

 

I'm linked up with Wendy and the others at Sugarlane Quilts.  Come join the fun!

Scrap Saturday 12.20.14 RSC14

Here's the layout I'm working on for the Scrumptious Butter Churn by Jo at Jo's Country Junction.  I wouldn't have even worked on these blocks if it weren't for the RSC14.  I am very happy with the black and white backgrounds that I selected for this quilt.  There will be sashing and cornerstones.  I'm pretty sure I will go with the suggested red cornerstones and yellow sashing.

 

 

 I'm linking up with Angela at ScrapHappy blog. for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, 2014.

 

Do you have any plans for 2015 scraps?  I plan to make a couple of Bonnie Hunter quilts.  Since I over cut the green 2" squares for the mystery quilt I decided to make the Scrap Crystals quilt from More Adventures of Leaders and Enders.  The block was also featured in one of the Addicted to Scraps page in Quiltmaker Magazine.  I also hope to make a couple of fancy string quilts from one of her books, I just haven't decided which one yet.

 

 

Join us in this fun quilting adventure.  Use those scraps!  Each star will have a fun little block inside.

 

 

Angela has a linky party each Saturday.  You can meet and greet other bloggers (quilters) there.  It's a super fun way to get to know others and get great scrap ideas.  It's fun to see what others are making with scraps.  Check it out! SoScrappy Angela 

 

Since I love the Rainbow Scrap Challenge so much, one of my projects for next year will be to make little baskets like in this quilt from Temecula Quilt Company:

 

 

You can find the info for A Little Summer Sewing here.  I may make the baskets a little larger than 2.5" (2" finished!)

 

Here's a little finish I had via the RSC14.  The month we were working on light blues I started the Cascadia quiltalong at Humble quilts. You can find the information and pattern here.

 

FNSI -- Clue 4 of Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt

For the Friday Night Sew In tonight I will be working on Bonnie Hunter's 2014 Mystery Quilt, Grand Illusion.  I have all of the pieces cut.  Tonight I plan to chain piece the night away while my husband and son play with their iPads and watch tv.  Totally our version of a great Friday night!  (We are all within 30 feet of each other and can talk while we multitask.)

 

I'm linking up with Wendy and the others at Sugarlane Quilts.  Come join the fun!

Friday Finish 12.19.14

Today's finish is quite small, but a finish none the less.

I finished this adorable doll quilt.  This was a quilt along with Lori at Humble Quilts.  You can find the start of the mystery here.

I used the blues because it was the color for November for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I used the orange because I thought it would compliment the blues.  What a fun little quilt!

 

I quilted it with a simple stipple.  (I even loaded it on the longarm!)  It measures a cute 16.5" x 19".  The backing is a piece of vintage sheet with pastel stripes.

 

Linking up with Link-A-Finish Friday with Richard and Tanya here.

WIP Wednesday 12.17.14

Still getting quite a bit done even though it's the holiday season.  Here's the highlights this week:

I finished the two blue snowmen quilts (Frosty & Friends) pattern by Debbie Mumm.  I gave them to my son's two teachers for Christmas.  They were pleased.



I finished all the pink blocks for Scrumptious Butter Churn Quilt.  Pattern is at the Moda Bake Shop and was done by Jo of Jo's Country Junction.



I actually took the time to put my little Cascadia doll quilt on the longarm.  I got all the quilting done.  I just did a simple stipple.  A little  binding and it will be ready for a Friday Finish.  This little QA was at Humble Quilts.  Here's a photo of the quilt top.

 

I finished clue 3 of Bonnie Hunter's mystery -- Grand Illusion.  I did not use 2" strips for this clue.  I used all 2" squares cut by my Accuquilt die.  This makes for a very scrappy quilt.

 

 

 

My WIP count this week is 35.  My WIP goal for New Years Day 2015 is 19.  Uh oh, I've got a ways to go!  I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!

 

 

New Projects This Week

1.  None

 

Pieces Still Need to be Cut & Sewn

1.  Underpants Project 

2.  Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt)

3.  Rock Island Campfire Quilt

4.  Picadilly Circle

5. ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (one block to go)

6.  MSBHQAL (Molli Sparkles Broken Herringbone Quilt Along)

7.  Spring Sampler Series at Cora's Quilts
8.  Gypsy Wife QA (recycling  Red/White Flower Basket Quilt into this project & duds.)
9.  Quilt Doodle Doodles Designs 2014 BOM
10.  Love Laugh Quilt Christmas Improv QA
11.  Classic Meets Modern BOM
12.  Mod Mod QA (turning this one into a baby quilt) 

13.  Super Mario QA

14.  Grand Illusion -- Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2014 

 

 

Blocks Still Need to be Made

1.  NY Beauty

2.  Orca Bay

3.  We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler

4.  Sweet Simplicity BOM
5. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt
6.  Color coordinated hexagon quilt
7.  Gourmet Quilter Sampler
8.  Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
9.  Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
10.  Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and/or some sashing)
1.  Block Swap Adventure Sampler (2011-2012)
2.  Block Lotto Dud (Orphan Block Quilt)
3.  Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4.  Split Stars (blocks won from Block Lotto; October, 2012)
5.  African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Tall Fly 

7.  Scrumptious Butter Churn  All blocks are made!!!

 

Quilts back needs to be made (tops are done)
1.  Celtic Solstice (Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2013)


Ready to longarm
1.  Little Letters QA Quilt

Quilted, needs binding
1.  Cascadia Mystery Quilt -- From Humble Quilts

2.  Red Frosty #2

 

Completed this week:

1.  Blue Frosty #1

2.  Blue Frosty #2

Grand Illusion Clue 3 Progress

I think I got a little carried away when it came to cutting 2" squares for Bonnie Hunter's 2014 Mystery Quilt, Grand Illusion.

I keep my scraps sorted by color instead of using Bonnie's scrap user's system.  When I work on a project I cut the colors by shape instead of useable strips using Accuquilt dies.  Here's what my process looks like:

 

Sometimes there's only enough of the scrap to make one or two of the desired shape.  It makes for a super scrappy quilt.  Keep in mind that most of these scraps were given to me.  Yes, it's a lot of work to sort and iron them.  It does fit my budget perfectly.  It only takes a few minutes to cut the shapes.

 

This time I went a little overboard and cut too many green 2" squares.  But don't worry, I have my eye on a couple of the quilts in Bonnie's Leader & Ender (books)!  If they don't get used in this quilt, they will be used.  Many of the fabrics would have only made a string and didn't have enough for a 2.5" square.  Many of the shapes I was able to save the string after placing it on the die!

I'm linking up with Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville's Quips & Snips for the Mystery Monday Link-Up.

Scrap Saturday RSC14 -- 12.13.14

This week I finished the last of the churn dash blocks needed for the  Scrumptious Butter Churn by Jo at Jo's Country Junction for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC14).  Thank goodness for the catch-up month.  Here are the rest of the pink churn dashes:

 

 I'm linking up with Angela at ScrapHappy blog. for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, 2014.

 

Giveaway Alert

One of the bloggers that I follow has changed the name of her blog and the domain.  It was supposed to switch over seamlessly, but I wasn't getting updates.   So Pigtales and Quilts  is now Stitch and Quilt.   To get the word out about the change, she is having a giveaway sponsored by The Fat Quarter Shop. So go to the giveaway and enter to win a fat quarter bundle of Mimosa in one of four colorways - because there will be FOUR WINNERS! 
http://www.stitchandquilt.com/2014/12/christmas-baking-and-sponsored-giveaway.html

I like them all, so I am glad I don't have to pick one.