February Christmas Thru the Year Done!

My February Christmas Through the Year projects are done!  I made three scissors holders, with matching thread catchers.  These were patterns from Primitive Gatherings.  The thread catchers were a free pattern that may still be available on their website.  They were quick to make.  The scissors holders were a little more challenging, since you have to apply bias binding all around.

It's nice to get Christmas projects done already!

January UFO Done!

After seeing some of the beautiful quilts on the February UFO link, my project seems pretty wimpy.  But this one was a challenge on so many levels - I'm really glad it's done!

This table mat was a kit.  The snowflakes were die-cut, thank goodness, or this really would never have been completed.  The only problem is that they're so small, I had to handle them really carefully or the edges would shred.  I like to put Steam-A-Seam on all my wool before I cut it out, so that it has a nice edge and never ravels.  I think that would have helped these snowflakes a lot.  The snowflakes were Challenge #1.

Challenge #2 was that these were supposed to be sewn down (by hand) with metallic thread.  Ugh.  Does anyone have a good relationship with metallic thread?  I sure don't - after many knots, shredding, cursing, etc., I gave up and used floss on the rest of the snowflakes.  So only the blue ones have the metallic thread.  I do like the look it gives, but what a pain to work with!

Challenge #3 was beads.  My relationship with beads is only slightly better than my relationship with metallic thread!  But they're on there, by golly!

So, now that it's done, I really love it, and I'm also glad I don't have to make any more!  I've had this kit in a partially-finished state for probably four years.  I would pick it up and after about a half hour with that metallic thread, put it away again for another six months. 

I'm looking forward to tackling #1 for February.  It's a fall theme, so we'll see if I can channel some energy to work on a fall project in the winter!

Design Wall Monday - January 30

My design wall is getting some colorful pieced blocks for the January Quilts of Valor QAL from
Patchwork Times.  Judy gave us the cutting instructions, and I couldn't stop after I cut them, so I started putting some together.  Hope I've got it right - the full instructions are still coming.  This is a really fun project - I'm having a hard time quitting working on this when I need to!

The rest of the blocks are all cut and in their little piles waiting to be sewn.  Do you think I could get by with calling in sick to work tomorrow?

Full House Done!

This year I decided to participate in the A Year of Schnibbles - at least for January!  Here's my version of Tiny Town made with the Full House pattern.  Mine is a pillow, and is done, done, done!  YAY!  This was a fun little project, and it feels great to get something done start to finish, all in the same week.

I decided to have it open in the back and put buttons so that I could store it without the pillow form.  The back took nearly as long as the front.  It used the leftover layer cake fabric from the Wrapped in Paisley Quilt kit,  so that part was easy.   After I had it pieced, I decided to add the button strip.  Then I took it off to quilt the back (duh).  Then I put it back on.  Then I made the buttonholes.  I never sew clothes, so I had to learn how to make buttonholes with my machine.  That was a very steep (almost vertical) learning curve LOL.  Every time I started a buttonhole, the machine would sew for a bit, and then just stop moving.   Finally figured out that part of the buttonholer moves out of the back of the machine and was hitting the cabinet, which I couldn't see because the fabric was on top of all that.  Once I took the machine out of the cabinet, it was clear sailing after that.

This is the back.  I wanted to use some buttons out of my grandmother's button box.  I wonder what these were on - there were seven of them, and they are nearly 1 1/2" each.  I'd love to see the dress these adorned! 

So, this will be my entry into the Schnibbles parade for January.  Feels good to have this done, and I really like it.  Now I just need to get the quilt it goes with quilted, and I'll be ready for Christmas!

 

Design Wall Monday - January 23

Here's what's on my design table tonight - my version of the Full House pillow.  Mary at Quilt Hollow posted about hers yesterday, and motivated me to finally get going on mine.  This really is going together pretty quickly, although now that I look at the picture I don't like that light-colored door, so I guess I have some unsewing to do!  Mine is going to be a pillow to match the Wrapped In Paisley quilt, which is pieced but not quilted.  These were leftovers from the layer cake I used for that. 

It was a productive weekend around here.  This project has been nagging at me for quite a while, so it's finally done:

These are Amish-style mug wraps.  Our guild has an invitational dinner every other May, and this year our theme is Amish quilts, so the committee decided that the door prizes would be mug wraps, made in Amish colors.  Each of us has to make 8, so here are mine, DONE!  At least until the next meeting, when we decide we don't have anywhere near 200, and each of us has to make another dozen LOL.  The invitational is always a lot of fun, but it sure is a lot of work.  We also make two quilts - one to raffle, and one for a big door prize. 

And I got my January Christmas Through the Year done - a poinsettia wool candle mat:

My first two fabrics for the Quilts of Valor QAL are picked and ready to go.  I'm looking forward to this project, and it started today.  There's still time to join in on Judy's website if you want to do this.  I doubt I'll be able to keep up, but I'm going to give it a try.

So, once the Full House pillow is pieced and off the table, I'll start on my flying geese for this.  These projects make the winter go by a little faster for me!

Design Wall Monday - January 16

Time to finish the Primitive Gatherings Block of the Week from last summer!  The blocks are put together, and I'm busy stitching the cornerstones.  I decided to use a purple border rather than the piano key border the store used.  I cut all my piano keys and made the borders, but my fabrics were just too busy for this quilt, so I decided to go with simple borders.  Now I need to find a use for all those piano key borders I made!  Anyone have any ideas for me?

These were being worked on during the Packer games lately.  I thought I'd have a couple more weeks to work on these, but I guess not, after that game yesterday!  There were a lot of unhappy cheesehead fans at work today.

I'm still plugging along with my Orca Bay blocks.  The Ohio Stars are done, so I'm ready to start putting together the center of the quilt.  It's going to be one busy quilt!

I had a couple finishes this week - the Primitive Gatherings free Christmas kit for pincushions.  I ended up with two of these kits, so made one for me and one for my secret pal.   I couldn't decide whether to put 2011 or 2012 on them, so did one each way!  Do you date them when you start them or finish them?  They are filled with crushed walnut shells - I really like the way they sit on a shelf with the shells in them.

We finally got about 4" of snow last week, so it's winter here.  It's really late for us, but that's fine with me.  I'm ready for spring already, although the cold weather is good for staying inside and working on my projects!

Design Wall Monday - January 9

Orca Bay Progress

My design wall is currently all on the cutting table, but progress is being made!  Orca Bay is slowly coming together.  This quilt has some intensive piecing.  (In case Bonnie is reading, I'm not whining, just stating a fact! LOL)  The red string blocks are all sewn to the Birds in the Air blocks.  I'm about 7 steps behind everyone else, but seeing all the finished quilts in blogland is very inspirational!  I hope to have lots more progress to show next Monday.