Keeping Busy but Slowing Down

With Christmas just around the corner, I have been busy but definitely slowing down.  It's been a time of catching up on those small projects in my sewing stash, and it feels so good to get this accomplished.

Cotton/flannel baby receiving blanket & foam block with tags.

Baby Sun Ray Toys

Block 5 "Strawberry Fields Star" for Moose on the Porch's quilt along.
Fabric: "Indian Summer" by Riley Blake.

Block 2a for Sand and Sea Glass quilt along

Block 2 for Sand and Sea Glass quilt along
I kinda messed this one up a bit... and I wish the star points were brown instead of the cream.  Oh well.

12 - 3.5" hourglass blocks

I finally finished the last Star Sampler block.  I was unable to finish this set b/c the local quilt store where I had purchased this set closed.  Another local quilt store has helped me select this star with a "courtyard steps" centre.

All 12 stars - done.
Now to decide how to set them into a quilt top... but that will have to wait until next year.

This quilt top has been sitting in bits & pieces on my sewing project stash for what seems forever... so it feels nice to get it done.  I'll finish this one next year, too.

Keeping Busy

I have 3 quilts for sale on Etsy: the Little Forest Quilt posted previously & the first 2 crib quilts pictured below.  

If you are interested in purchasing a quilt, please order through Etsy or contact me directly.

November block for Birdie Stitches Quilt Along

 I started another quilt along through my local quilt shop Traditional Pasttimes: 24 - 12.5 x 12.5 blocks to be done Oct 2011 to Sept 2012; there will be a lot of little blocks that will somehow be incorporated into the quilt when the blocks are done.

Sand & Sea block - October 2011

Sand & Sea block - October 2011

Sand & Sea small blocks

BLock #4 for Fat Quarters Stars Quilt Along

Flannel scarf.
My sister visited me 2 years ago and she had this style scarf on.  It was so easy to make, and I even had the flannel & velcro for the past 2 years, but I just didn't sew it together.
This scarf will be lovely when it gets really cold here in Calgary.

My first attempt at a zippered pouch.  Not perfect, but good enough.

I finally just finished up this table runner.
This was a quilt along that I started earlier this year and I just never got around to doing the 5th block.
I like how this Tea Runner turned out.
I think I'll add this one to Etsy, too.

Sew Fun

I am trying to keep NOT to busy with my quilting as there is still a mountain of sewing & quilting to be done.

My most recent quilt-along was a Christmas Tree Pants Sew-Along "because not all trees wear skirts".  We always get a real Christmas tree at Christmas time, and the little tree skirt I have just doesn't fit nicely under the tree - especially since the tree "holder" is a large heavy plastic dish-like container with special screws to hold the tree in place.  

Now... I am happy to have a home-made tree skirt pants for our tree this year.

Bring on Christmas!!

First I made a bunch of stars

Then I added some sashing & a border... and DONE!!
Quilt top measures 51" x 51"

Back of Christmas Tree Pants

Last day of October but I finally finished my edition of the October block for Birdie Stitches Quilt Along.

Block #3 for Fat Quarters Stars Quilt Along

All 3 stars so far.
Fabric: Indian Summer by Riley Blake - so lovely!!


I am now also on ETSY!!
I have added 3 quilt tops to Etsy & they are for sale.

Last 3 Projects

We went on vacation the first week in October so I was away from my sewing machine.  It was so lovely to spend time with just my husband & son.  Usually our vacation time is spent traveling to British Columbia or Saskatchewan to be with family, so it REALLY was a vacation for us this time!!  We drove to Canmore, Banff & Jasper... just a big o' the "back yard" but it felt like we were a million miles away.  Ahhh!!  You can check out some of our vacation photos here.

I only worked 1 day shift at the hospital last week, so I had time to do some sewing (as well as catching up on everything else that needed doing).

I attended my church's quilt group.  We were planning to do quilting, but we were taught how to make pillowcases using a French seam.  

First pillowcase that I have ever sewn.
This will be for my son's bed.

"Friendship Twist"
Block 2 for Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along
Fabric: "Indian Summer" by Riley Blake

Done!
Little Forest Quilt Along
Size: 38" x 55"
99 trees

It's Been a While...

It has been a whole month + 2 days since I last blogged here!  Wow!  

Here are a few things that I've been up to...

September block for Birdie Stitches Quilt Along

Receiving blanket: flannel monkeys, patterned blue cotton.

Little Forest Quilt Along... 6 of the trees... 3.5" x 5" each

Little Forest Quilt Along.
There are 99 trees on this quilt top.
Top measures 54: x 38"
This is the quilt pinned together & before I sewed it together which is why it looks messy.

I ordered labels from Gutentags on Etsy.
I Love the tags!!

Fandango Quilt

Coins Quilt

Disappearing 9 B&W&Red Quilt

I love the backing but I misaligned the backing so it's off.
Anyone want to buy this quilt??
It'll be one of the quilts I'll be selling... 

All 3 quilts (backs) ... billowing in the wind

Front of the 3 quilts

I'm not starting too many projects as I really need to get caught up on some projects that I have lying around the house.
This fat quarter bundle is called "Indian Summer" by Riley Blake.
It will be the colours of my Fat Quarters Stars Quilt Along

First block of Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along.  

More Quilt Alongs...

As if I don't have enough projects on the go, I'm signing up for two more quilt-alongs.

Fat Quarters Stars Quilt Along is by Konda @ Moose on the Porch Quilts.  She organized the Jelly Roll Quilt Along & the Layer Cake Quilt Along & they were so much fun, so I know this one will be just as much fun!  

For this quilt along, I ordered Riley Blake's "Indian Summer" fabrics.  Hopefully, the package will arrive next week... and then I'll have a few weeks to drool over them as the quilt-along doesn't begin until the end of September (and it ends in March 2012).

I've also signed up for a fun little quilt... the Little Forest Quilt Along.  I can't remember what site I found it on, but I have it bookmarked on my Flickr, so I know I'll be able to start up when the quilt administrators start up that quilt along.  I think this will be a fun little Christmas quilt.  

I am now off work for a week, and I am intending to do a lot of sewing:

• piece my "tidier" version of the Synchronized Squares Quilt-Along
• quilt a black & white quilt
• quilt a blue/green/white quilt
• finish the final block for the Rockin Robin Quilt Along... then piece it together
• buy backing for the P2QA & the brown/pink/white quilt (Summer Sampler Series Quilt Along) quilt tops then start quilting them
• and of course, I will need to clean up my sewing desk & fabrics!

I am hoping to sew a few baby quilts to sell one day.  If any of my readers are interested in purchasing baby quilts, please contact me.  

It's been fun realizing that I have some blog followers... please drop me a line or comment... it's so nice to "meet" you!  :)

Happy Quilting!

Another Quilt Top Done!

Ok, so I said I was putting my sewing machine away for a while... 

but... 

Tuesday morning I joined my church's group of ladies who get together to make quilts for people with cancer...

and...

I got addicted to fabric again.

So...

that meant I just HAD to finish off the Summer Sampler Series Quilt Along quilt top!

This quilt along required a lot of paper-piecing.  Initially I wasn't too sure about it, but I really got into it & it was lots of fun!

Sewing Machine Put Away

I have put my sewing machine away for a while.  There's so much to do while the weather is nice, and we are also having family visiting, so I really needed some excuses to clear the kitchen table of some sewing projects.  It actually feels good to be able to do some other things.  When my son sleeps, I usually do sewing, but now I am working on a digital photo album of a trip to India that I did in January 2005!  Hopefully, I can get that album done quickly... & then I'll have to make an album for my son.  Too much to do & too little time.

I counted all my sewing projects that are in various stages of work... and I have about 10 in all!  That is a lot of sewing!!

I was due to purchase the last (August) block for the "Two Toonies Thursday" (Star Search) quilt along, but the store has closed its doors... and since there are no notices, I have no idea how I could potentially get the last quilt block.  I think I'll have to improvise & make one myself.  It's so unfortunate to see a local quilt shop close its doors... especially when it carried such beautiful fabrics.  

This is block #4 (of 5) for the Rockin Robin Quilt Along.  I still have to do block #5.  The quilt along is actually for a quilt, but I will put a tablerunner together instead.

I finished off the 12 quilt blocks for the Summer Sampler Series Quilt Along.  It was a lot of paper-piecing, but it was fun & good practice.
Here are some of the last blocks & some of them required 12 templates before I could put them together!

All 12 blocks for the Summer Sampler Series Quilt Along

Here is the August block for the Birdie Stitches Quilt Along.

I made some fun, cute baby bibs.

This week I bought some flannel & cotton & made this cute little receiving blanket.