Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year to 2012!!

Now that Christmas is past, I can show 2 quilts that I finished in December last year but I just couldn't add them to this blog because they were Christmas gifts for 2 of my sisters.
I have 5 sisters so that is a lot of quilts to make... and that will probably be the extent of my quilt giveaways as quilts do tend to be quite expensive... but I love my sisters dearly and so I don't mind splurging on them.

Gift #1: Modern Patchwork Squared Quilt Along Quilt (P2QA)... done!

Don't you just LOVE the quilting my friend Dalene did on this quilt??? !!

Leaves were quilted along the borders.
The brown with polka-dots was the backing.

My sister Christina loved this quilt.

 Gift #2: The Summer Sampler Series Quilt Along (SSSQA).  This quilt required a lot of paper-piecing and it was a lot of fun.

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Dalene quilted this one, too.  I just LOVE the pink stippling done on this quilt. 

My sister Rochelle loved this quilt.
(Her daughter Maleah is hiding behind this quilt - haha)

Now onto other projects:

The Christmas Tree Pants that I made fit quite nicely under our tree.

I finished Block #12 for the Birdie Stiches Quilt Along 2011

All 12 blocks (Canadian edition) of Birdie Stitches Quilt Along 2011

Block #6, "Cathedral Star",  for Fat Quarters Stars Quilt Along

The first 6 blocks for the Fat Quarters Stars Quilt Along.

Block 7, "Twinkle of Hope", for FQSQA

I didn't like my final edition of last month's Freebie 15 Companion, so I purchased another block & pieced it together the way I preferred...  This one is called "Pebbles".

Block #3 for my local quilt shop Traditional Pastimes "Freebie 15" quilt along.
This block is called "Ripples in the Sand"

Freebie 15 Block 3 Companion - "Snails"
(The colours are a tad yellow on this pic b/c of the lighting.)

I am not planning any new projects at this time as I have a few items that need finishing:
- 3 quilt tops that need batting, backing, binding, quilting
- ABC quilt that needs to be started... then completed
- piece twelve 9.5"x 9.5" stars together into a quilt
- work in progress on FQSQA & the "Freebie 15" quilt blocks

Hopefully, this will be the year that I will finally complete some photo albums!!

What is on your to-do list for 2012??

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.  

Sew Busy

I have actually been quite busy with sewing despite the beautiful weather.  When my son goes for his afternoon nap, I hit the sewing machine & sew, sew, sew.

This week's sewing projects:

• Fandango: quilt top & backing done, quilted, just working on the binding now
• Black & White: quilt top & backing done, awaiting quilting & binding
• quilt top finished in blue/teal/lime/white
• Modern Workshop: cut from 42 layer cakes into 84 squares, re-sewn into 42 4-patch squares; sashing cut & ready for sewing
• started Rockin Robin Quilt Along (orange/green fabrics)
• started Summer Sampler Series Quilt Along (pink/brown fabrics)
• finished a small tablerunner
• waiting to start the embroidery for the July block for Birdie Stitches Quilt Along
• picked up the next quilt block (#11 of 12) for the Star Search quilt
• fabric shopping
• I'm still trying to find a fabric to be used on my backing for the Patchwork Squared Modern Solids Quilt-Along.

Here are a few photos of this week's projects:

The fabrics I won from Ali at Alone in the Studio

Block 1 of Rockin Robin Quilt Along 2011

Block 2 of Rockin Robin Quilt Along 2011

This is the backing & binding for my Fandango quilt

First 3 blocks (Week 1 of 4) of the Summer Sampler Series Quilt Along.
From left to right: Virginia Star, Greek Cross, Mosaic