one last post for 2015

I bought this panel Monday afternoon, cut fabric Tuesday, and sewed up a play mat Wednesday.

The panel and yellow/black diagonal fabric are Tonka toys designs.

The backing is pea pod green from Kona Solids? I think.

The drawstring idea came from conversations on Christmas about keeping up with all the little toys some little boy loves to play with.

I am very pleased with how the drawstring and loops turned out. I think it looks like road hazard signs. When the string is pulled the play mat turns into a bag to contain those little cars, legos, and people until needed.

The kimono jacket was finished over the weekend. I bought the black and white prints years ago for another more structured jacket but never got past the lining. This kimono was super fast and easy to make and I know I will make some more. I think lovely daughter would like one, too.

I made three rice bags and flannel covers to give the office ladies at school. They are always cold. Maybe these will help them warm up.

Sweet son made this bubbling fountain for our new backyard landscape. 

Finally, I am enjoying the birds every morning as I eat breakfast. The cardinals come between 7:30 and 9:00 am. Usually I am at work when they drop by. They are my favorite winter visitors.

I think this is a wrap for 2015. Looking forward to new sewing projects in 2016.

2015 in Review

2015 was the year of small finishes. I started the year strong with a sampler that was begun years ago. I was so pleased that I entered it in the Greater Jackson Quilt Celebration. This time I read the judge's notes. Wasn't as painful as I imagined.

In June I took a class called 'scrappy Gretchen'. My interpretation was a Christmas quilt I'm calling 'Christmas Candy'. Very pleased with how it turned out. I will be sharing it at our January quilt meeting.

Another big finish was this twin sized plus quilt with transportation fabrics for my darling grandson.

 As I said before there were lots of little finishes this year. These baby quilts were for twin boys of a former co-worker. The center fabric is Rubber Ducky from a book by Eric Carle.

Another fun finish was this baby quilt with different textures in the centers of each block. 

It doesn't seem like I had many quilt finishes this year. But considering I sew only on week ends and holidays when the mood hits-I am pleased with this year's creations.

Hope you had a great year. Looking forward to more sewing in 2016.

Ready for Christmas

Well, the photos didn't upload in the order I expected but here goes.

I finished six place mats last night for lovely daughter. All the fabric and batting was from my stash!

Here is my first wall hanging, Christmas Candy. It has been up for a while but I couldn't get a good photo to upload. I love the ornaments hanging on the wire deer sculpture above the quilt.

This is a quick little drawstring bag for lovely DIL in MSU fabric and grey minky dots. So fun and quick to make.

Minky dots fabric was left from another project-just enough to line this shoe bag.

Some more pics of the place mats. I used fabric from my stash and tried different quilting patterns on each one. 

The ovals reminded me of the orbits of planets.

Tight lines in a grid took a long time to sew.

Another grid pattern.

This was a combination of two grids.

This one reminds me of a labrinth.

So glad to finish these with time to spare.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Christmas!

Christmas Door Prizes

An apron and hot pads I made for door prizes at our reading conference.

The apron is reversible. Silver snowflakes on one side and dark red and silver leaves on the other.

I wanted to try making an ornament block. Mr. M thought is was a perfume bottle. Oh, well.

The tree was fun to figure out. The trunk was made from two triangles left over from my Christmas scrappy quilt. I made another hot fingers, too. Since it is a reading conference I added a cookbook for kids. Hope the winner likes it.

Twin Boys Matching 9 Patch Quilts

Former co-worker is having twin boys, so I had to make matching 9 patch quilts.

I had a yard of the rubber duckies and used a fat quarter for each one.

The sides are a cute tossed duckies on one and a tie-dyed yellow on the other.

The corners are 9 inch squares of yellow on one and tossed duckies on the other.

I found a yellow plush for the backing. The rounded corners made it easy to sew with right sides together and then turn and top stitch.

Now I need to find a copy of Eric Carle's book to include with the quilts.

Hope to get some sewing done this week since we will have the whole week off. 

Progress on scrappy Gretchen

I started scrappy Gretchen in June at MQA's June gathering in a class taught by Joan Alliston.

After many side trips to other projects I am almost finished.

Quilting is done and binding is half done. I am going to hand finish the binding. First time hand finishing for me. Since this will be a wall hanging, I am going to embellish it with some Christmas buttons placed strategically on some less than perfect spots.

This is the back with hanging triangles and label in bottom corner.

Last minute child size aprons made for a kids birthday paint party.

I used some of the Art Gallery fabric I won some time ago.

Quick and easy pattern with no pockets.

Hope to finish my Christmas hanging this weekend.

Decisions, decisions

Now I need to choose how to arrange the border. My original idea was white, red, scrappy.

But then I thought white, scrappy, red is nice. Sorry this is turned.

Here is a larger view of the squares. I didn't have enough of the pinwheel red fabric to use in the border. I couldn't remember where I bought it, so I bought a new red with paisleys and gold sprinkles.

Then there is another choice. Use the new red for the binding and just have white and scrappy in the border. What will I choose?

Christmas Quilt Surprise

Last week I posted that I was finally getting to work on my scrappy Christmas quilt and only needed one more block to finish.

Imagine my surprise...when I discovered 19 half finished blocks. Am I losing my mind or doing too many things at once?

I had to cut six more red squares and six more white squares for the pinwheels. Then got to work sewing 19 new squares.

So this is the new size. I want to add two inner borders (red & white-thanks for the suggestion) and then will make the pieced border. There is some figuring involved since I am making this smaller than the pattern. I will adjust the inner borders - hope my math is right.

Monday will be another sewing day! Yea for long week ends.

Scrappy Christmas Layout

I only need one more square and I will have enough for the center of my Christmas wall hanging.

Here is one possible layout. I like the on-point feel with the odd number of columns.

I have a couple of different ideas for the borders. We will see what develops.

Going to a wedding this week end. I will post a photo of the finished gift after it is gifted. 

Next week end I will be sewing. We have Friday and Monday off for Fall Break. I can't wait.

Hope you have a great week. 

Finishes inside and out

The yard makeover is almost finished! Just a little sand and grass here and there then we can enjoy our new outside spaces.

The wedding gift is finished! Now I can work on the baby quilts.

The apron is reversible.

Baby quilt top #1 is done.

Baby quilt top #2 is done.

I have a plush yellow for both backs and navy dot for binding.

Not a big hurry since the twins are not due until February. I just wanted to see how the fabrics looked in different combinations.

WIP calling-Christmas Scrappy Gretchen.

Linking with Crazy Mom.

wedding gift part 1

In my last post I wrote that I had to work on a wedding gift for an upcoming wedding. Bet you thought I was making a quilt. No, I don't have that much time. (I do teach full-time.)

I am giving them a set of handmade kitchen items. 

First finished is this reversible apron.

I am using four of the Art Gallery fabrics I won from Fab Shop Hop.

Today I hope to finish two potholders, an oven mitt, and two tea towels.

Last weekend two of my quilts were in the quilt celebration. You may ask why my quilt is hanging side-ways. That would be because I sewed the hanging sleeve on the long side. I didn't realize it was wrong until I took it to the show. When I got the quilt back home I saw that I had sewn the label on sideways, too. Typical. Oh, my!