TGIFF - Girl Guide Pin Quilt

As a Girl Guide leader, you collect a lot of pins and nametags.  In 2015, I made a pin quilt to hold my collection.  I have made several as gifts over the years.  It's time to make some more -- Kym in New Zealand needs a second one.

The white/blue striped border fabric is from an old Girl Guide leader uniform shirt.  It was the best uniform.

I did put a small hanging sleeve on the back.  Unfortunately, it doesn't take too many pins before it becomes too heavy to hang.

On the back, I used this great Girl Guides of USA fabric that I received from my Sewtopia secret swap partner.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Melva Loves Scraps

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

TGIFF - A Finish by Dena

Welcome back for Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday.  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

Unfortunately, we didn't have a host for this week.  So my good friend Dena agreed to showcase her finish from this week.  She does not have a blog, so I'll share her photos and her commentary.

I started this mini in a Carolyn Friedlander workshop in Halifax at last year's Quilt Canada.  Carolyn encouraged us to use individual elements of her pattern to create our own layouts.  I used only Carolyn Friedlander fabrics.  My mini finishes at roughly 12.5 x 24 inches.

I tried match stick quilting for the first time.  I used Decobob thread by Wonderfil Speciality Thread, and there are a few lines of glittery quilting using a silver Gutermann thread.

This quilt will be on display at the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild quilt show in April.

Head over to Instagram to share some quilty love to Dena for her great finish.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  Please visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Project Quilting 15.4 - Hourglass

There are are only two more challenges for Season 15 of Project Quilting -- hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Trish @ Quilt Chicken.

The fourth theme was:  Hourglass.  I used some Kona scraps to make 6-inch mug rugs, which will be used as plant coasters.  It looks like both of my orchids are going to bloom again very soon.

This was another opportunity to practice free-motion quilting.  The stitches are not perfect, but the plants won't mind.  😊

Project Quilting 15.2 - Sky Colour

I'm cutting it close to the deadline for Project Quilting -- hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Trish @ Quilt Chicken.

The second theme was:  Sky Colour.  We had to exclude or use less than 10% of the usual blue.  I created a 6-inch mini sunset using my scraps.

I practiced some free-motion quilting.

This is a busy time at work, so I think I will try to make minis for the remaining four challenges and practice my free-motion quilting skills.

Project Quilting 15.1 - Bird House

It's time for Project Quilting -- hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Trish @ Quilt Chicken.

It's season 15 for Project Quilting -- six themed challenges over 12 weeks.  The theme is announced at 12:00 noon on Sunday, and you have until 12:00 noon the following Sunday to link up a project that you made during the week.

The first theme is:  Bird House.  I had a busy week, so decided to make a small mug rug.  This is a log cabin-ish bird house using Kona scraps.

I decided to practice a few free-motion quilting motifs.

I tried to quilt a bird.  Sufficed to say, more practice is required.  😂

TGIFF - Birthday Gift Mug Rugs

I have a small finish this week -- a couple of mug rugs for a birthday gift.

My cousin loved the tiger print, so I just put a solid border around the print.

She loved them, which proves that a good gift doesn't have to be fancy or complicated.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Fritsch in Stitches

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting 

TGIFF - Mini Mini Swap

There was a mini swap at our guild meeting this week.  The mini had to be 6-inches or smaller.

I chose to fussy cut this cute little tiger.  I choose a simple block so I could practice free-motion quilting on my Babylock Accomplish.

I received this amazing painted fish mini from Deb.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ By Hilary Jordan

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting 

Free Motion Mavericks @ Quilting & Learning - What a Combo!

TGIFF - Project Quilting 14.5

Welcome to this week's edition of Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday.  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week. You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

We are on the penultimate challenge of Project Quilting Season 14, which is hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Trish @ Quilt Chicken.  This week's theme is Sew Not a Square -- use any shape but a square.

I found this tutorial for a hexagon quilt and decided to make one block as a mug rug.  The pattern uses strips and triangles.

Somehow I managed to sew my strips wrong and didn't get a swirling effect.  I was almost done when I realized my error, so decided to keep going.  I did some big stitch quilting with perle cotton.

It's about 7 inches wide and 6 inches high.

It's time to link up your finishes from this week. Please visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Scrappy Improv Quilting Blog Tour - Prismatic

I am honoured to join Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation for this blog tour featuring her new book:  Scrappy Improv Quilting.  You can purchase the book directly from Kelly's Etsy shop or from major retailers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

This is Prismatic - a 20 x 24 inch wall hanging.

I also sewed along with Kelly with the release of her first book Stash Statement back in 2018.  I am not a fan of improv quilting, but Kelly shares great tips on how to get started.  You start by creating a slab of fabric pieces.

And then you cut your pieces from the slab and use those to put together your quilt top.  I used Kona scraps for my three slabs.

I had a rough quilting plan when I sat down at my machine.  But....then I decided to go off script.  It sounded like a good idea at the time, but it ended up not being such a good idea.  I started by echoing  the coloured sections.  I was "supposed" to continue with the echoing, but I found it challenging with all the twisting and turning of the quilt through the machine.  So I thought I'd try a technique from Melissa Marginet's Walking Foot Quilting Designs book for the columns.  It did not turn out as I pictured it in my head. 

Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting is also sharing a pattern from Scrappy Improv Quilting today.  Make sure to stop by to see her finish and to say hello.

Over the coming weeks, make sure to stop by My Quilt Infatuation to see all the projects from Scrappy Improv Quilting.  There are a lot of great projects...not sure which one I'll make next.

Scrappy Improv Quilting Blog Tour Schedule-

8/31- Intro, Single Block Beauties, and Simple Shapes

9/7- Seasonal Sensations, Standards With a Twist 

9/13- Summer Blossom- Lori @ Crossquilt
           Up, Up, and Away- Sandra @ mmm quilts

9/15- Flutter- Rose @ Something Rosemade
           Botanics- Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts

9/20- Face the Sun- Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts
           Full Spectrum- Jayne @ Twiggy and Opal

9/22- Prismatic- Anja @ Anja Quilts
           Downpour- Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting

9/27- Funkytown- Vasudha @ Storied Quilts
           Cherub Wings- Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty

9/29- Chapel Window- Kris @ Sew Sunshine
           Winter Frost- Leanne @ Devoted Quilter

10/4- Heartstruck- Rebecca Grace @ Rebecca Grace Quilting
           Star Spangled- Christine @ Triangles & Squares

10/6- Birds of a Feather- Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts
           Fall Foliage- Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

10/11- Ornamental- Gail @ Quilting Gail
            Churn, Churn, Churn- Cynthia @ Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

10/13- Sunset Crossing- Kate @ Katie Mae Quilts
             Positivity- Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts

10/18- All Dressed Up- Linda @ Flourishing Palms
             Shockwave- Anne-Marie @ Stories From the Sewing Room

10/20- Sweet Bee (a bonus thank-you pattern), Finishing, and Wrap-Up (here!) 

Pumpkin Mug Rugs

This week's finish is pumpkin mug rugs.  They finish 6 x 8 inches.

The pumpkin is a log cabin block using a variety of orange batik fabrics.

I used some Kona scraps for the stem and a leaf.  Instead of finishing with binding, I flipped the three layers (Hobbs Batting 80/20 in the middle) inside out and top stitched around the edge.

I free-motioned a continuous wonky circle using Aurifil #2150 Pumpkin.  Happy coincidence that the thread is named Pumpkin. 😊

These may stay at the office, or I may gift them.

Here are some weekly link-up parties where you can showcase your finish:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Musings of a Menopausal Melon

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting 

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland

Dust Off an Old Book Blog Hop

Once again, Bea @ Beaquilter is hosting the Dust Off an Old Book Blog Hop.  I participated last year and made my version of the Redwork pattern from The Modern Quilt Workshop by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr.

I don't have many quilt books, so I choose a project from the Quilt in a Day GO! Qube book by Eleanor Burns that came with my Ready. Set. GO! Accuquilt cutting system.

I choose the Louisana project and used my Accuquilt to cut all the pieces.  I used Kona:  Sprout, Orchid Ice, and Peony.

The bonus of using the Accuquilt to cut the pieces, they all fit together nicely, and there is no trimming needed.

I decided to handpiece this project.  It gives me the opportunity to be creative in the evenings when I'm too tired to sit at the sewing machine.

I did big stitch hand quilting using perle cotton.  I started out stitching the purple triangles.  I was undecided on the green rectangles, but thought I could continue the triangle theme but didn't factor in the bottom of the triangle.  But I liked the effect.  I attempted a triangle in the small pink triangles, but I managed not to have distinct points at the top of the triangle, so it looks like curved stitching.

When I choose the Kona colours, I thinking spring and Easter.  I used Kona Canary for the binding.  This finishes 16 inches.

This is the list of bloggers participating in the blog hop this week:

Monday, March 1

Words and Stitches

Samelia’s Mum

High Road Quilter

Tuesday, March 2

Karin’s Crazy World

Lemon Tree Snippets

Anja Quilts

Wednesday, March 3

Beaquilter

Cynthia’s Creating Ark

A Quilting Readers Garden

Thursday, March 4

Kathy’s Kwilts and More

Quilting Patchwork Applique

The Darling Dogwood

Creatin’ in the Sticks

Friday, March 5

Beaquilter

Quilting at the farm

Kathleen McMusing

Project Quilting 12.4 - Snail's Trail Block

We're now more than halfway through Season 12 of Project Quilting, which is hosted by Kim @ Persimon Dreams and Tish @ Quilt Chicken.  I wasn't going to participate this week because I don't like the snail's trail block.  But this morning, I pulled out some Kona scraps and made a 6.5-inch block.

I decided to make it into a mug rug.  I finished it just before my morning hair appointment and gifted it to my hairdresser.

Two more challenges and then this season of Project Quilting will be over.

TGIFF - Midwinter Quilt

Welcome to the final Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday for 2020.  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  The link up will stay open until midnight Sunday due to the holiday season.

If you would like to host TGIFF in 2021, the spreadsheet of dates has been updated.  You can sign up here.

Today's finish is courtesy of a tutorial from Ben Millett - Midwinter Mini Quilt.

I used the same Kona colours as in the tutorial:  Evergreen, Enchanted, Sage, White, Desert Green, and Ochre.

I wanted the design to speak for itself, so simple quilting -- big stitch hand quilting in matching perle cotton.

Merry Christmas.  I hope you are able to spend time with family and friends this holiday season.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Here are some other links to share your finish:

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting 

UFO Busting @ Tish's Adventure in Wonderland