WIP Wednesday - Strip Twist

Sometime last spring, I purchased a fabric kit from my LQS...and then I forgot about it.  Strip Twist is a pattern by G.E. Designs.

This is a great pattern using 2.5-inch strips; however, I felt that there was an added step.  Coloured strips are sewn on either side of a white strip.  The pattern calls for using two different coloured strips.

The strip sets are then cut into sections.

And then you cut the section in half down the middle of the white strip.

Instead of sewing two coloured strips on either side of a 2.5-inch white strip, I would have preferred to have sewn a 1.25-inch white strips to each coloured strip and saved cutting all the pieces in half.

The block is then made using one partial seam.

The kit used all the same fabric, in seven different colours.

Linking up with:

• Let's Bee Social with Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts
• WIP Wednesday with Lee @ Freshly Pieced
• WIP Wednesday @ The Needle and Thread Network

Stash Busting with the Stash Manifesto

Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge has declared that 2016 is The Year of the Stash.  She's created a Manifesto and has invited friends along for the journey.

Generally, my fabric purchases are limited due to lack of money -- no frivolous purchases just for fun.  But I've decided it's time to make a dent in my stash.  The price of fabric continues to increase, but my salary is not increasing, so I need to use my resources wisely (oops...that's my inner Girl Guide speaking).

My Manifesto:

• Before commencing a new project, I will search through my stash to find suitable projects.  If I feel I need to make a purchase, I will ensure that the project is something that will make me happy and has a purpose.
• I will purchase thread and batting as needed.
• I will purchase fabric to make the Transparency quilt by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl.  This is on my 2016 project list and the only project for which I do not have fabric.
• I will purchase fabric if there is nothing suitable in my stash for Stash Bee 2016 and the Birthday Bonus Club.
• I will allow myself reasonable purchases when visiting a new-to-me quilt shop

So embracing my new stash busting plan, I dug through my scraps to make a mini Open Wide Zippered Pouch by Anna @ Noodlehead.  I found mini instructions over at Stitched in Colour.

I needed a little pouch for my Wonderclips.

And oddly, I had several 6-inch zippers.  Not sure why.....

You'll see that they are only about 2 x 3 inches -- I can fit one 1,000-metre spool of thread, but not two.

I think I may have revived my addiction to zippered pouches.

I'm linking up with Scraptastic Tuesday hosted by She Can Quilt.  I'll have to add this linky party to my calendar.

Sunday Stash - Christmas Gifts in January

My second quilt bee, the Do-Bees, gets together for Christmas dinner in January.  It's often difficult to find time during the hectic holiday season to get together.  Our gift exchange has a set price point, and the idea is to purchase the same little gift for everyone, so we all go home with a bag of goodies.

The wonderful goodies I received were:

• collection of fruit and vegetable fat quarters, a spool of thread, a package of needles, and chocolate
• a pin cushion pattern (with included crushed walnut shells), glass head pins, and a fun yarn hat ornament  (*The pin cushion pattern was created by a friend, Karen @ Sugar Free Quilts.)
• a pewter wall hook
• rotary cutter case (filled with a zipper and selvedges), and a personalized orange charm pack from the stash of Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge 

In return, I gave my bee mates a pillow with a pieced bee on the front.  Thanks to my friend Dena for doing the math for the various pieces.

I did loop FMQ in white thread.  Didn't realize that it would be so difficult to see white thread on black and white fabric until I started...might have overlapped some quilting.

I did a hidden zippered back.  The butterfly print is a tad bold and busy, but I thought it would be fun.

Linking up with:

TGIFF - Basketball Quilt

The Basketball quilt had been patiently waiting to be quilted for far too long.  I purchased the kit back in March 2015.  I made progress on piecing here and here.  But then I didn't know how to quilt it, so I procrastinated...and procrastinated...and then procrastinated some more.

But then my nephew fell while playing basketball in early December and fractured his ankle.  He is unhappy because he has to wear a walking boot for at least six weeks and can't play basketball.  So the rush was on to finish the quilt.

I decided to do loop FMQ in a brown variegated thread.

I didn't have enough of the blue basketball print for the back, so had to be creative with the little bits of leftover fabric from the front.

I'm linking up my finish with:  TGIFF hosted by Faith and Fabric; Finish it Up Friday hosted by Crazy Mom Quilts; Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? hosted by Confessions of Fabric Addict; and Whoomp There It Is! hosted by A Quilted Passion.

WIP - Mystery Quilt Top

When I decided to play along with the Meadow Mist Designs Mystery Quilt hosted by Cheryl, I decided not to peek at the final pattern -- that it would truly be a mystery.  It was stressful not knowing whether I had chosen appropriate fabrics.

The stress is gone....here is my finished quilt top.

Closeup of the 24-inch block:

You can read about my journey making this mystery quilt here:

July - Cutting

August - Flying Geese

September - Square in Square

October - Court House Steps

November - Piecing
December - Full and Half Blocks

Stop by to see other projects created this week:

             

2016 Finish Along - Q1 Goals

I've decided to play along with the 2016 Finish Along.

I've decided to set four goals to complete before the end of March.

1.  Nautical Mini Quilt - This mini quilt is already pieced and needs to be quilted.

2.  Meadow Mist Mystery Quilt - We just received the final piecing instructions -- the blocks were finished in December.  Our finished quilt tops must be submitted to Meadow Mist Designs by March 8 as part of the quilt along.

3.  Additions Baby Quilt - This was a pattern I tested for Julia @ Jada's Quilting Adventures.  Several people have suggested a boxy meander for the quilting, so I'm going to try something new.

4.  Ocean Sky - This is another pattern I tested -- for Brianna @ The Iron & Needle.  Still not sure how to quilt it.

Linking up my 2016 FAL goals with Leanne at She Can Quilt.

TGIFF - Quilts for DT

I made baby quilts for DT back in September 2014 in advance of their arrival.  Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge is a good friend, so there was no question that I would make quilts.

Fast forward...DT have grown and love playing with quilts, even walking around the house dragging them.  So I decided to make "walking around" quilts for Christmas.

I didn't realize that I hadn't bought enough of the animal panel until I sat down to get working....the week of Christmas.  So I had to change my design plan and went with their names surrounded by lots of negative space and the animals at the top and bottom.  I've blocked out their names for privacy reasons.

The following Kona are in GT's name:  Morning Glory, Cypress, Orange, and Azalea.

And the following Kona are in BT's name:  Water, Carrot, Chartreuse, Chinese Red, and Grellow.  And Baby Blue for the background.

This was the first time I tried fleece on the back.  I will definitely do that again...it's so soft.

If you have a finish this week, stop by the following to link up and to see what others have finished:

TGIFF hosted by M-R @ Quilt Matters
Finish it up Friday hosted by Crazy Mom Quilts

Whoomp There It Is! hosted by A Quilted Passion

Throwback Thursday - January Edition

It's the first Throwback Thursday of 2016.  Pop over to Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge to see all the quilts of the past.

December's TBT theme was Christmas, but I didn't have any Christmas projects to showcase.  That is, until I was going through my Christmas stuff and found this wall hanging.  I forgot all about this project -- it was a class at my LQS many, many years ago.

This was my first attempt at using fusible interfacing and fusible bias tape.  Even learned how to use a twin needle.

This makes me want to dig out the pattern and make another one.

Head over to link up your Throwback Thursday quilts.

WIP - Nautical Mini Quilt

Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl designed a Nautical mini quilt, and she shared the tutorial here.  So I spent some time over the Christmas break to make this.

I used the following Kona colours:

• Nightfall
• Riveria
• Lapis
• Cyan
• Turquoise
• Surf
• Purple
• Grapemist
• White

Heidi @ Red Letter Quilts has created a new link up for monthly goal setting.  My goal for January is to finish this mini quilt.

I'm linking up my first WIP of 2016 with:

             

2016 Project List

I've been working on my list of projects that I want to complete in 2016.  It's been a difficult process -- I finally decided to let some projects go as I have discovered other projects that I like more and have realized that I cannot make everything I see.  I also know that I will start other projects throughout the year as I discover them and as a need for a gift arises.

Quilt Projects:

There are 12 projects that I want to will complete.  Fabric is washed and pulled for all but one of the projects.

1.   Floored - the block I designed for the Fabri-Quilt New Quilt Block Blog Hop

2.   Mystery Quilt by Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs

3.   Giraffe Love by Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts

4.   Zebra Z by Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts

5.   Tilted by Brianna @ The Iron and Needle

6.   Which Way by Moda Fabrics

7.   Inside Out by Allison @ Cluck Cluck Sew

8.   Transparency by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl

9.   Notched by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl

  

10.    Michael Miller Challenge hosted by Modern Quilt Guild - I did not complete this in 2015 by the deadline.

11.    Triangle Quilt hosted by Modern Quilt Guild - Another challenge I did not complete by the deadline in 2015.

   

12.    Postcard from Sweden by Jeliquilts

Clothes:

I am going to attempt to make clothes this year.

1.  Blazer - Kwik Sew 3918

2.  Washi Dress by Made by Rae


Monthly Quilting Clubs:

Continuing with my attempt to move outside of my comfort zone, I joined several monthly quilting clubs.

1.  Modern HST Sampler hosted by Alyce @ Blossom Heart Quilts

2.  Mighty Lucky Quilting Club hosted by Lucky Spool

3.   StashBee 2016

4.   Birthday Bonus Club - A Facebook group where the Birthday Queen receives 50  2.5-inch squares from all participants during her birthday month.

Quilt Tops:

I also have 9 quilt tops that need to be quilted (two are test patterns that I blogged about here and here; one is my Night Sky quilt that I still haven't decided on how to quilt; and the others I made over the Christmas break that I haven't blogged about yet).

A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015 - Final Link Up

A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015 is now concluded.

Thanks to Melissa @ BitterSweet Designs and Shanna @ Fiber of All Sorts for hosting.  It was a great way to stay focused on finishing projects.

I achieved nine goals during 2015.  I started in February and missed both May and June because I did not set my goal in the first seven days of those months.

You can follow my journey:

February

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

March

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

April

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

July

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

August

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

September

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

October

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

November

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

December

Goal Setting

Goal Achieved

My favourite project during ALYOF was Night Sky (November's goal):

You should stop by and see all the great projects that were finished this year.