December Color Challenge

The 2018 Color Challenge is finished! I completed each block in the 6" size. I posted in the link up every month except one when I missed the posting window. That is pretty good for me.

I have lots of black and white prints so I didn't use gray for the medium color. 

Here are all the focus blocks. 

Here are all my alternative blocks. I see that some of my windmills are going the opposite way.

I have a plan to put the focus blocks and my alternative blocks together with some of the left over fabric and make 12" squares with white sashing. That is a project for 2019.

Linking up for the final time.

Had fun!

December Finishes

December has been busy with singing at church and parties.

I have finished a few things in between work and play.

Ben and Emily needed their own stockings to match the boys'. 

Ben's has numbers on the cuff - perfect for a math teacher.

Emily's has lots of Christmas cookies and candy. Just right for someone who is interested in baking.

Baby Ava is getting a play kitchen set up for Christmas. She needs an apron and some pot holders, so here they are. 

Here is baby Ava and Great-grandmother Helen. Not sure what greatmom is saying but it looks like Ava is skeptical. Dad Joey smiles knowingly, he has heard greatmom's stories before.

Here are my November color blocks. I have finished December's blocks but haven't taken a photo yet.

Cats and kittens are finished. Blue ones are in NYC with David.

Ava will get the pink ones.

Dogs and puppies are finished, too.

Blue for David and pink for Ava. 

Ava chose the pink so that's how I decided who got which ones.

I'm linking up with Wendy's Peacock Party. 

There may be more finishes shared after Christmas.

How is your year ending?

Felt Ornaments

I am working on some felt Christmas ornaments. 

They may be for next year.

I have had fun looking on the interwebs for ideas.

I made the yellow ornament. Vicki and her girls came over during

our Thanksgiving break and they made the blue ornaments.

Then we had a tea party.

These are the ornaments I have finished so far with one still in progress.

They are quick finishes. I have some others I plan to make.

Check back to see more.

Advent Calendar Finished

This is the second advent calendar I have done with this fabric.

The first one has been sent to NYC for David and Liam's Christmas.

Mr. M bought chocolates to put in each pocket.

Liam thought the pockets should be loaded and then any extra

chocolate should be eaten right away.

This calendar has Christmas stickers in each pocket.

Ava doesn't eat a lot of candy.

If the label is attached, it is a completed project.

This is one more from my 4th quarter finish along list.

Apron for Ava

Ava is getting a kitchen play set for Christmas, so I made an apron for her.

There was some creative adapting to the pattern.

It may be too big in the waist and too small at the neck.

If it doesn't work, I have lots of fabric left to try again.

The pattern is a Simplicity dress with apron.

The suggested fabric for the apron skirt is tulle.

I thought that might be a little too fluffy for kitchen work. ;-)

There may be a matching Hot Fingers pot holder to add to the gift.

More finishes to share!

Cats and Dogs Finished

I finished the cats and dogs yesterday.

They are part of my 4th quarter finish along list.

Dogs

Cats

Blue dog and cat for David

Pink cat and dog for Ava

Ready for gifting!

November Color Challenge

Here are my November blocks.

I had some dark blue green and I bought some lighter fat quarters.

Looking forward to the final block.

I'm still pondering how to put all the blocks together.

I have two of each color and have lots of leftover fabric of each color.

We will see.

Christmas Elves

These elves were fun to make.

Here they are in stages as I filled them with polyfil.

The girl has a skirt with pockets for the penguins and/or polar bears.

First I filled the animals.

Then the arms, legs and heads of the elves.

After the arms and legs were filled, I sewed across the top of each leg and arm to make the limbs movable.

The bodies were filled then the openings on the sides stitched closed. I added pompoms on the hats and bells on the shoes.

Now for some fun posing them around the house.

The girl sits up better because the skirt gives more structure.

Liam and David will get the boy. Liam has named him Jack.

Ava will get the girl. Wonder if Jill will be her name?

Next up - an Advent calendar for Ava.

The boys' elf and calendar are on the way to NYC.

I'm thinking about making some felt ornaments.

Check back for more Christmas finishes.

October Color Blue Violet

Here are my October Color Challenge blocks. 

I made my usual plus block and the block posted by Jen.

I may have chosen the wrong darkest fabric because there isn't much 

contrast between the fabrics.

Both are 6.5" blocks.

This month's color reminds me of the morning glories we have in our yard.

They are more violet than blue in person.

Linking up with the Color Challenge.

All That Jazz Finish

The 2018 president's challenge for Jackson Quilters was a medallion quilt with required shapes and fabrics for each border.

Below is my finished quilt.

I didn't have an orphan block to use for the center so I made the star block and continued adding borders and rows until I had the required center size. The one inch black and white border finishes the center. 

The next border had to have at least one square block and had to contain some of the green fabric.

I borrowed some ideas from quilts I saw online and added the purple tulips at the bottom of that row. I used a dresden plate template to make the sun at the top of that row.

The next row had to use a hexigon shape and the bug fabric, so I made hexy bug jars for the corners.

The third row had to have a triangle and use the dark fabric. I made the row with mitered corners. Oops, one corner had two triangles and one had no triangle.

The fourth row had to have quarter square triangles and use the yellow-orange fabric. I borrowed another idea and made corner blocks that wrapped around the corners. Each was a different color but used the same neutral background fabric.

The final border had to be eight inches wide and contain at least one curved piece block. The required fabric was tan with red and black designs. I made two circle blocks. They are in the middle of the sides. I didn't have any fabric wide enough to make the same 8 inch border, so I used two fabrics with black backgrounds. My idea was to make them look like they twisted at the corners and circle blocks.

I had lots of time and had never hand quilted a quilt, so I bought pearl cotton, size 5, in several colors and started hand quilting. I wanted to do big stitch quilting like I had seen online.

Each border had a different color thread for the quilting.

I found that I don't like using a hoop. My fingers ached at first because I had never done so much hand sewing.

The center star is the inspiration for the name of the quilt.

The musicians must be playing Jazz.

The back of the quilt. I used all stash fabric for the quilt, except for the required pieces given to us by the president of our guild.

Close up of the stitches on the back. 

I chose an orange print for the binding and hand sewed the binding.

I am pleased with how my first hand quilted quilt turned out.

Have you tried hand quilting? 

Barn Quilt Painting

Yesterday I woke up early and drove 3 hours to Caledonia, MS to join other Jackson quilters in a painting class. Rita and her volunteers helped us sketch our chosen designs on 2' by 2' exterior grade wooden quilt squares that had been sealed with white paint.

First we drew a grid using pencils and yardsticks.

Then we drew our design and taped the edges.

Above is my redbird in the taped phase.

The process was easy but involved several taping, painting, blow drying, and re-taping steps.

I added holly berries and an eye dot. Now my redbird is ready to hang outside - but it is raining.

I will post finished outside photos later.

After I packed up my supplies and new quilt block I took a quick tour of the Buttahatchee Barn Quilt Trail in Caledonia. If you are in the area, it is worth the time to drive around and see all the creative quilt blocks on display.

Borrowed these from the Buttahatchie Facebook post.

Welcome sign.

Back of welcome sign

Rita giving instructions.

My finished barn quilt.

It was fun. Hope others get a chance to visit the quilt trail and paint a block.