Uh-Oh!

I am currently trying to finish quilts I have already started or quilts I have fabric for. My goal is to not buy more fabric until I use what I already have. Because of this I pulled out my vintage Christmas quilt that was about half way done. I finished the blocks and put them in order. I had noticed that in the pattern there were blocks that were only half blocks on the sides. I rarely read the whole pattern when I make quilts. I figure out how to do the blocks and then just do the rest on my own. Well.... maybe I should start reading the whole thing. I threw some of the scraps away. I am trying to eliminate scraps that are not really big enough to use. Oops! This time I needed them to make the half blocks on the side. I was able to rescue some (others had just left on their way to the dump). Fortunately the trash can in my sewing room is just used for dryer sheets and fabric.... nothing gross. Hopefully this will make me read the whole pattern before I start tossing things.

You can see the half blocks on the end of the second row. What you can't see is that they are pieced with fabrics or the same color, but not exactly the same fabric. The pattern used this too.

Ok, so I did buy more fabric. I had a good excuse. I got some money a few weeks ago for my birthday and I've been wanting to make the Black Diamonds Quilt by American Jane. I've had my eye on this fabric since it was first posted on Moda's site on the Future Fabric Line section. I had waited to buy it though thinking I should use what I had before I bought more. Now it's starting to be gone in some stores so I decided to buy it while I could. I feel like that totally counts, especially since I used birthday money to buy it, right?

More Christmas

I had totally forgotten about this. I did this cross-stitch before my oldest was born. At least 2002 or before. I was looking for fusible webbing today and found this. I haven't seen it in years. It's very wrinkled as you can see. Hopefully if I ever get around to framing it it will look better.

A Very Quilty Christmas

It was a very quilty Christmas at our house. That's the way I like it! I got these notions: Perfect circles, I have the smaller ones and needed the bigger ones for some upcoming projects, cherry Best Press and Ginger pinking shears. I can't wait to pink something! Last weekend we had a family party with my husband's dad's family. I received these Fig Tree patterns I've been wanting. I am really having to try to hold back from diving right in. There's one that uses 1/4 yard cuts, one for a layer cake, one for Moda's new honey buns, and one for jelly rolls. I can't wait! However, if you look to your right you will notice the LONG list of things I need to finish up first. Why did I ever set that goal for myself????

I bought this book and gave it to Jeff to give to me for Christmas several weeks ago. I love it. It has tons of fun, simple patterns in it for things around the house. These are some of my favorite:

A basket liner.

Table runner. It also has an ironing board cover, lamp shades, bath mat and tons of other things I can't wait to get started on. Hopefully you will see my projects currently in progress list deleting fast!

I also bought these jelly rolls for myself probably before Thanksgiving. I like to chose my own fabric so it was handed to my husband for him to keep until Christmas. It's 1974 and Recess.

I also got the Persian Pickle Club, which I love. I've read it before and decided I needed to own it. I don't usually reread books, but this one is worth reading again.

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas!

An End to my Christmas Sewing Extravaganza

Well, it came and went. The last sewing day before Christmas. Most people count shopping days but in the quilt world we know we count sewing days. I made it. I finished my Winter Christmas Quilt. I finished piecing, quilting and binding yesterday. The binding was finished about 9:30 last night. It's not my favorite quilt. It turned out a lot smaller then I thought it would. I had a pattern, but I made the strips longer and did less rows. I also added the stop boarder. This is the size of a smaller throw. When I bought stuff for boarders and binding I bought enough for a twin. I didn't buy a back because I was just going to use a back I bought last year at Elaine's 1/2 off the 1/2 off sale the week before Christmas. I ended up having enough left over from the boarders to piece a back.

I had hoped to be able to finish all my current projects so that I could start a new quilt with the new jelly rolls I'm getting for Christmas. I didn't get a chance to finish Merry-Go-Round though so hopefully I can finish by the end of the week and then cut into those jelly rolls that are calling my name. Yes, I chose my own fabric even though it was for Christmas. If I had let my husband do it, well...... we don't even want to talk about that.

Of course Jake saw me taking a picture and HAD to be in it.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!!!

Christmas Sewing

What should I be doing right now? Making the second frog or adding the eyes to the first. He's done, he's just eyeless. I'm having a bit of trouble. What am I really doing? Stalling. I went back to making this:

Before we moved in August I had started making a quilt from a Winter jelly roll. It's a super easy pattern from a book I have but it's not the most exciting to sew. When we moved I put it away and didn't get it out until the other day. I only have one more row to sew. Maybe a half hour. I don't have borders, backing, binding or batting and I'm not sure if the store closest to me has what I need, but it's a distraction from the frogs! And it's Christmasy! I'll get back to the frogs..... before Christmas Eve... probably.

Haul Out the Holly

This weekend it was time to get out the Christmas decorations. It's always fun to see all our decorations we haven't seen in 11 months. My kids love getting it all out. Here are a few of the homemade decorations. I have Christmas tree skirt I made last year, but it's still buried and I think I posted a picture of it a few weeks ago anyway.
This is a Christmas stitchery sampler I made about 4 years ago. I just got the frame for it yesterday. See, not only am I slow about quilting my quilts I'm slow about finishing other projects too.

Our stockings are hung this year by a real chimney! Caleb is very excited we have one. He was explaining this will be much easier for Santa than using the front door. Also, the reindeer can park on the roof now. I made these two years ago and then one last year. We do have one problem. We can't remember which stocking is Caleb's and which is Jake's. My husband's and mine are the two on the ends.

This is a Star of Bethlehem quilt I made last year. The fabric is from 3 Sisters Roman Holiday. I used Quiltsmart for the main star and figured out the outer stars on EQ5, which I happen to like better than EQ6 for most things.

If you've never used Quiltsmart you should try it. It's sooo easy. This is the easiest lone star you'll ever do. Quiltsmart uses interfacing marked with sewing lines. There are no Y seams, and no sewing on the bias. It's super easy and you can make it in an afternoon. I have another quilt with Quitsmart I am hopefully going to get bound this week. I'll post a picture later. Broadbent's now has Quiltsmart. I was so excited when they got it. Some Joann's (gasp) carry it too. Material Girls has some. I'm also working on a Double Wedding Ring quilt using Quilt smart. They have several different methods. Ok, commercial over.

This is my one and only Christmas quilt. I've decided I need another. I started one in the summer out of a Winter jelly roll, but put it away when we moved and haven't gotten it back out. I'm finishing the last of my Merry-go-Round quilt. When that's finished I'll have to get it back out.

American Patchwork and Quilting

I've become a big fan of quilting magazines. I feel like I'm getting several patterns for cheaper than the price of one. I suscribe to America Patchwork and Quilting. I was anxiously awaiting my December issue, which comes in October. It didn't come. Then I realized it was probably delivered to our old house. We did leave a forwarding address, but when things slip through the new owowners are not sending it on. Anyway, I bought this issue since it had several Christmas projects in it. I think called and made sure they had the correct address. They were very nice at APQ, even volunteering to send the one I missed. Since I had already bought it they will extend my subscription!

This issue has a feature on one block quilts. I really like this one. The pattern is simple, but I like the qult as a whole. This is an antique quilt with fabrics dating from 1840-1870.


I love anything Fig Tree. Here is a Fig Tree Quilt made with pieces of several different Fig Tree lines. Such a simple quilt, but I love it.

I would really like to make these stockings. They are so cute. Two years ago I made these stockings. I liked them because I can do a different one for each family member, but they coordinate. They are from Under the Garden Moon, which is owned by the owner of American Quilting in Orem. I made two more, but I apparently don't have a picture of them. I also have the patterns for more in hopes of future children that may join our family.

While I was looking for the stocking pictures I found a picture of one of the tree skirts I made last year. I put this on one of my family room trees. I like to put more crafty/homemade looking decorations on it and then I have a formal living room tree. I made another tree skirt as a gift out of a charm pack. I need to find fabric I like for a more formal tree skirt for the living room.