Chistmas in July - Oh My

Have you heard, Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming... in July.

Yes it is, starting July 14th with 26 quilters showing their stuff. In addition our lovely Hop Hostess  Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict will be doing a sew along Christmas quilt throughout the hop.


I'm posting on the 17th and I've been a very busy elf.  I will be posting several quickie gift ideas. If I used a tutorial or know of one I will be sure to include it so you too can get some gifts done early.  Actually I believe that all of the items I will be posting I've made before, using different seasonal fabrics, for hostess gifts or house warming gifts. All were warmly received.

In between and around the Christmas stuff spread all over the quilting room I have been making mesh totes.  They are my latest obsession.  I really don't usually make one of anything.  The totes are no exception, I am up to 6 of them in various sizes and fabric choices. 4 of them have already gone on to new homes. And I have 2 more to make and mail out this week.

Gone

Gone

These are actually the same size, the one on the left is gone

These 2 are currently mine, The back one is from the photo above.

The front one is an experiment in sizing.

And this one is also gone, it's my fun favorite.  yes they are skeleton heads.

I have a niece who is really into this kind of thing.

 In addition to not knowing how to make one of something I also have a NEED to know issue when it comes to how long something takes to make.  I didn't have a pattern for this bag.  I just saw it in passing on the shoulder of a shopper in a local quilt shop. My first one took almost 3 hours which included coming up with a good size and placement of the accent fabric,  number 6 took about an hour and a half.

Fun story, I took some of my Christmas goodies and one of the mesh totes to my neighbors for show and tell.  I walked into her quilt room and there on her table were 3 of these totes. She had just gotten back from a class on making them.  Hers were all done in fun beach patterned novelty fabrics for her grand daughters, they were wonderful, yep small world.

I've also managed to whip up a couple of hats with matching scarves for the local chapter of Angel Snugs. I am glad to be doing something positive where someone is benefiting from my inability to sit still while watching TV or sitting at a meeting or in a waiting room. You know when you go for your mammogram how you wait to be called in, then you get undressed and wait to be called for the photos and then you wait for results and then you get called in for more photos because one wasn't clear and then you wait for the recheck and then you wait for the chat with the doctor to confirm that you can go.........well I got a whole hat done while I was "waiting".  Of course they looked at me funny when I had a skein of yarn sticking out of my purse but by the time I was done they were all smiling. You really couldn't miss that orange.

I also found this great Hexi Potholder pattern. They were fun, fast and easy to make. Great scrap buster.

Last but definitely not least are these Rainbow Heart blocks. Several of us are making blocks and Linda of Flourishing Palms will coordinate the making of the finished quilt with additional help in the quilting and binding department. She will also see that the Orlando MQG gets it for distribution to victims and victims families. The blocks are made using the tutorial by Cluck Cluck Sew

Baby quilt, vacation crafts and pouches

Last week was a very happy week in our family.  My niece and her husband had the good fortune to adopt a beautiful baby boy.  This joy has been a long time coming and we are so happy for the 3 of them.

I've been waiting along time to quilt this for the newcomer. The alphabet pattern is by Temecula Quilt Company.

This was a great place to use some of the fabric I got on my trip to NJ last week for the backing.  It's all little gears.  

Hope he feels the love coming from this aunt every time he snuggles in it.

This week we went to Disneyworld for 3 days. 1 day it rained and the next day MJ wasn't feeling very well.  This left me with a lot of time on my hands.   Good thing that I always travel with things to do.

In between the reading of 200 pages of a new book I crocheted this hat for Angel Snugs

and stitched up 6 circle blocks for my Quilty 365 project.

Going to Disney meant that the girls had to spend 3 nights at the kennel. They are way more active at the kennel than when they are home so when they get home catching up on sleep is a top priority.

Sleep on the couch is only second best to sleeping on the bed and since I was trying to share that bed while they were sleeping there are no pictures.

We all got home by dinner time yesterday and I really had to make one of those Becca Bags by Lazy Girl that I mentioned in my previous post.  The one where you use only one side of the zipper and the pull.

I only used the pattern for the how to on the zipper.  This pouch is just my dry run using one of my curve class blocks and previous pouch making experience.

Last month I received a whole bunch of crochet hooks and thought this odd shaped pouch would be perfect.

The only problem I had is that I lost my grip while taking pictures to capture the zipper and I had all of those wonderful hooks all over my sewing room floor.

This morning I got up and before breakfast I did stitched up another pouch.

From the pieces below to the pouch above took 17 minutes.   The pouch is about 5 x 5.  As you might notice the outside piece had already been quilted before I decided to time the project. If you used fusible fleece and minimal quilting you might add 3 minutes to the process.  Again I didn't follow any particular pattern for the pouch itself.

Since the zipper is sewn straight along the entire top of the pouch, you only have 1 side seam and the bottom to close.

This is the back. I'm showing it so you can see how my curve wrapped around the bag.

I don't like raw edges that are zig zagged on the inside of my bags if I can help it. The Becca pattern called for that type of seam for the bottom and side.  That would probably have cut down on the time needed to make this bag by a couple of minutes.

Wrapping up.  I love the zipper. I love the speed of the project.  (not sure why I am so obsessed with the time it took to make this)  I need to make up at least 3 maybe 4 more today. I think I will try changing up the pull tabs and the zippers, Maybe a black zipper with a gray pull and vice versa.  Should be a fun couple of hours.

Home again Home again - Jiggity jig

Got back late last night from a 9 day vacation with my sister. We went back to NJ to visit with many friends and family.  One of the reasons we left NJ was the winter cold.  We thought that going back in April was a good idea. HA.  We spent a few minutes is a sale bin at the local Walmart and found these for $2 a pair.

I had a lot of fun visiting with old friends.  We had a lot of show and tell

P made the scrubby for me and gave me the left overs to make another. I saw the green in Micheals and picked it up, you know just in case I couldn't find any in FL.

I caught up with my friend P for breakfast and then a trip to one of our favorite yarn shops.  

I found these 4 skeins on sale and figured they would be happier with me than in the bin.

Ended up back at P's house where I gave her a quick class on making rope coasters. She made 2 on her own before I left.

Left her and went to my nieces to have a late Easter family dinner.  My sister wanted to bring something to do with her grand son so we picked up a parachute cord bracelet making kit. We made this one before we went so she had an idea what she was heading into.  This was the test. Not bad for a couple of beginners. He didn't miss the Pink set.

While we were in Michaels picking up the bracelet kit. I picked up some yarn to make a few hats for Angel Snug while we had down time at the hotel.

Also in my down time I tried to keep up on my Quilty 365 circle blocks.  Gone 9 days, home with 8 finished blocks.

On our way to meet an old friend for lunch I  took sissy to one of my favorite quilt shops, Pennington Quilt Works in Pennington, NJ.    I picked up this group of fat quarters that I have some tentative plans for.

Couldn't pass up on this little pack of 2.5 inch squares

Or this yardage of 4 fabrics from the remnant room

Met another friend for lunch and went to another quilt shop.  Found these fabrics in their remnant room. The gears are Riley Blake from 2013.  Got 5 yards at $4 a yard. CaChing. 

I also picked up two specialty rulers which I forgot to photograph.

In summation we ate well, we visited with 8 family members and 7 old friends.  I had 2 bagels, a pork roll sandwich and fried chicken. None of which can we find in Florida that we like as well. Purchased so much craft stuff that I had to mail a box of it home.

All in all a wonderful trip any way you slice it.

March 11 Update

We have been away for the past week enjoying time with family and friends at Disney World.  The down side to the vacation was the pollen and its adverse effect on my ability to breath. I've been home for about 20 hours and am feeling sooooo much better locked in with the air conditioner running.

I've been keeping a hand written log of what I have worked on in my world of crafting since the beginning of the year.  One side of the book notes what I want to do or have committed to do and the other side shows what I have done each day. Each night I make a note of what I worked on even if I only worked on it for as little as 15 minutes.  I must admit it has been eye opening  and it is keeping me on track for my commitments.

Since my last posting I have been making Mickey and Minnie hats for Angel Snugs. (yes they do get permission from Disney) I turned in the Mickey's before the trip and the Minnie's got dropped off on the way home.  I managed to make 6 of each.  Totally forgot to take pictures of the Minnie's before I turned them in. Blaming the pollen for that oversight. This is a picture of  the Mickey's before the ears were attached.

I made a couple of the Pixie Baskets, the tutorial has been all over the internet.  They were a fun project that I did in an evening.

I've also been keeping up on my Quilty 365 blocks.  Before the trip I was one ahead. Last night I prepped 8 and stitched 4. I think that I am now 3 behind.  I hope to get them done today.  I'm so afraid of getting behind on this project and then dropping it. I've started to put the blocks together in groups of 8 just so I can keep track of them.  They outgrew their space on my wall way to quickly.

I made 2 additional sets of rope coasters and baskets. One set was requested by my cousin and the other was a gift for the friends we met up with at Disney. My friend can't wait to try making them on her own. Always a good response when making things for crafty friends.

I finished quilting and binding the Honor Flight quilt I was working on with my guild. Turned that in before I left for Disney.

My girls like to hang with me when I am sewing so I made them a rather large bed for the sewing room floor from an old Mattress pad and a fleece blanket kit I got on sale and with a coupon from JOANN's.  This photo shows Nets testing the in progress bed. Shes seems pleased.

And then because I have nothing else to do I started a new hand quilting project just for me

These are my dotty clam shells.  I love them.  I had 3 fat quarter bundles of these dots just hanging out in my sewing room.  I saw a clam shell quilt posted somewhere and my brain started to click away at the possibilities.  I had always wanted to "quilt" a quilt with that pattern but had never given any thought to making a quilt with them.  Not having a clue where to begin I started to google. This is where I am on the project.  It is truely a learning experience and I am enjoying it completely.  The info available out there is amazing.

February to date projects

I've been pretty productive so far this month.  I started with a couple of pot holders for my grand niece.  In January I received a tin of my most favorite cookies from NJ.  She is 11 and has started to bake and these were her first attempt.  They were wonderful, I'm so glad that she remembered me.  

In return I made the new baker a set of potholders of her very own.

I have finished the February block from Cindy at

quiltdoodledesigns BOM 2016

I love the trees but I will admit that they were not my favorite type of block to make. The finished block is 8 1/2 inches. Way to many tiny squares for my general quilt making skills.  

This is part 1 of #4 of my Q1 FAL

My latest yarn related project is for a fund raiser for Angel Snugs.

This is my first attempt. It is new born size. It is supposed to have 2 big white buttons on the red portion.  My job is to crochet.  someone else will assemble.

This past weekend I took a workshop  with Lee Heinrich's (FreshlyPieced)  for Advanced Piecing.  The blocks we made were paper pieced and are from her book  Vintage Quilt Revival .

I am not generally a paper piecer. I was therefore rather impressed with the outcome of my blocks from her class.  If you have the chance I would highly recommend a class with her.

The chapters of the Quilt Guild of the Villages are committed to making 135 quilts for Honor Flights this year.

My chapter spent this weeks meeting working as a group to get a few started. Members donated patriotic fabrics. Several members cut the fabric into the building blocks while others pieced and others pressed. There are also members who will assemble and others will quilt. Great team project.

I managed to sew 20 blocks, the number needed to make a top.  I took them home and got a top pieced. I'm hoping to get it quilted by the next meeting.

Last but not least are some more placemats.  MJ has decided that he is tired of me making placemats so he can watch them walk out the door ( including holiday gifts, we are talking 20 +).  He requested that I make a set for us to keep and use.  This is really not a great picture of them.  The various browns actually match a lot better than this picture lets on.  No matter, he's happy.

I am still enjoying doing the Quilty 365 project, and am right on target. I might actually be a block or 2 ahead.  No picture at the moment because I needed the design wall for the Honor Flight quilt. 50  6 inch blocks take up a considerable amount of space.