TGIFF - Baby HST Quilt

And we have a finish!  I started this baby quilt earlier this month.

I had to take photos in my office because it's dark in the morning when I leave for work, and dark when I head home.  But with today's winter solstice, we're one step closer to getting more daylight.

I decided to do a triangle stipple, like I did on this quilt.  I don't know if it was because I was rushing, was tired, or due to lack of free-motion practice, but I struggled with quilting this little quilt.  I got myself cornered in many spots and some of the triangles are definitely not triangles.

It's hard to see, but there are thin pinstripes of colour through the larger black sections.

Once this quilt has a run through the washer and dryer, it will be ready for my new niece when they arrive on Boxing Day.

If you have a finish this week, consider sharing it at:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict 
Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

✔ Day 21 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

Quilting Pins

No time for sewing tonight as my new closet shelves were installed.  I am so excited!!!  They look great.  Stay tuned for after photos once I get my sewing room organized over the weekend.

I recently placed an order with Connecting Threads, and I got these great quilting pins.  I think this first one is a great motto.  😊

But I do need to stop adding to the stash as I have quite a lot of fabric.

Log cabin is a great block.

I think Press to the Dark Side would have been a fun saying.

This one is appropriate considering the recent reno on my closet.

And so my success continues, and I have made it to Day 20 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

WIP Wednesday - Classic Meets Modern Quilt Top

It's Day 19 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

And we have come to the end of the Classic Meets Modern BOM hosted by Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation.

It was a slow-paced QAL, with just two blocks per month -- there was no stress with trying to keep up.

I love the combination of Kona colours that I used (copied from Kelly's original version):  White, Steel, Turquoise, Berry, Pool, Parrot, and Royal.

Now, as usual, the hardest part of the process -- deciding on a quilting plan and thread colour.  I don't free-motion quilt on my domestic Singer because it doesn't like it.  And my longarm (a Pfaff on a frame) only has a 6-inch quilting span.  So I either use the walking foot or do crappy free-motion quiting on my Singer, or do an all-over design on the longarm.

The shelves for my closet in my sewing room are being installed tomorrow.  I am so excited!!  I hope to spend a good part of Saturday organizing my sewing room.

This was my December OMG goal.

Linking up with:

Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts
WIP Wednesday @ The Needle and Thread Network

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

Credit Card Holder

We're on Day 18 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.  It's hard to believe that Christmas is one week away.

Two years ago, I made a credit card holder.  I found it too big for my purse, and there were many empty slots.  So I decided to modify the tutorial -- I deleted one row in the outer section and two rows in the inner section.

I'm too tired to move my cards over tonight.  We've had a small snow storm today, but enough that it required shovelling.  I hate shovelling, but even more, I hate having to park my car on the street in order to shovel the driveway after a long day of work.  It's dark, and I'm tired...luckily, the snow was light, and it didn't take too long. So supper was late, which mean sewing was late.

Since I didn't want to cut any yardage, it's a colourful project from the scrap bag.

We have new parking cards for work that require using it to enter and exit the parking lot.  So I need to have my card handy at all times.  I spent time Sunday working out the math for an added pocket...and then I forgot to sew it on tonight.  Sigh....  So I hand stitched it on.

Time for a hot bath and then off to bed.

I Need an Intervention!!

There is so much to do in my sewing room, but what did I do Sunday afternoon???  Make more hexie coasters.  😮  And so I am not the only one addicted, I'm sharing the tutorial again.

I thought I'd try using just two fabrics.  Maybe I'll try three fabrics next time.

I took these late in the day, so the lighting is not the greatest.  I'm hoping this little Christmas cactus will bloom soon, so all three will be in the bloom at the same time.

My huge Christmas cactus is light pink, and the medium one is bright pink.  I'm not sure what colour the little one will end up being, but it looks quite light.

✔ Day 17 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

Edited:  I'm linking up with DREAMI hosted by Sandra @ Musings of a Menopausal Melon.

I Have Too Much Stuff!!

Sooooo...I continue to fail on one particular goal I set each year -- organize my sewing room.  I set this goal for 2016, 2017, and 2018.  As we come to the end of 2018, I am finally making progress!!!

My sewing room is a spare bedroom.  I had previously removed the sliding doors on the closet.  I am getting shelves built (hopefully before Christmas) inside the closet.  I am embarrassed at the amount of stuff I had jammed into the closet, so you only get to the see the empty closet.  😉

I finally went through the piles of batting scraps.  They are now labelled by size, and I have a list.  No more opening a new package of batting until I check my list.

I have a small table behind my sewing room (that currently is covered with stuff) that is meant to hold the bulk of quilts as I sew.  Underneath the table is a pile of batting.  I use Hobbs Premium 80/20 batting that I buy at Michaels when they have a 50% or 55% coupon.  It seems that I got carried away with myself, and I have 30 to 35 packages of queen batting (all underneath the table).  And as I type, I realize that I have an additional 10 packages on the top shelf of the closet (see above photo).  Clearly I need to stop buying batting.......

I am not going to show you the rest of my cluttered sewing room.  Maybe I'll start 2019 with a tidy, organized sewing room.


✔ Day 16 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

31 Day Blog Writing Challenge - Halfway Point

I've made it to Day 15 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.  And it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.

My plans to sew all day were sidetracked...but all for good reason.  First thing this morning, my cousin called, and we had an adventure at IKEA (including breakfast) and then a visit to the local farmers' market.  I had a nap this afternoon -- I've been sick for several days, and although, I am feeling better, I was very tired today.  Then I had errands to do, so sewing didn't happen until this evening.

I finally finished the splash pants for my niece Aliyah.  I inserted the elastic in the waist (after measuring her during their last visit), and I put a casing in the legs.  I'll wait until they arrive on Boxing Day to insert the elastic.

I'l make her a black pair as well, but I want to make sure these still fit.  I don't think she's grown much but you just never know.  And then I had a little fun putting the pants on my bear, but they were too long.  😊

I found a new iron today.  It's a 2-in-1 iron/steamer.  It was on sale for $14.99 -- 70% off.  Merry Christmas to me!!

And so now I think I'm going to paint my nails and watch a Christmas movie.

TGIFF - Pincushion and Needle Minder

You may recall that I mentioned I went to Sewtopia Boston back in November.  One of the activities was a make and take session.  Deborah Fisher from Fish Museum and Circus was on site and offered two projects.

The first project was a strawberry pincushion.  Mine ended up being tall, rather than short and plump.  If you squint, it looks like a strawberry.  😂

The second project was a needle minder.  I've never had one, and I love it.

It was a fun activity; although I didn't finish either project at Sewtopia.

Edit:  The yellow centre is the magnet; the white petal is foam; and it's on a pin.  Here's a better photo.

So it's great to stick in the sofa or a pin cushion, but if you're not near those things, it won't work.  Hmmm....maybe remove the pin and just let it lie flat.

I like a pincushion that lies flat, so I likely won't use the strawberry.  But I'll definitely use the needle minder.

If you have a finish this week, consider sharing it at:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Kathy Kwilts and More

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict 
Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

✔ Day 14 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

Playing with Curves

I'm almost to the halfway point of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

I've been enjoying sewing with curves in recent months (see here and here).  These were left over from a block I recently made, but I just realized that I didn't take a photo of the block, and it has now been sent with my application to become an Island Batik Ambassador.

These are 4-inch blocks.

This layout doesn't impress me much.

So I think I'm going with this layout, just like my Potter's Wheel pillow (but those were smaller blocks).

✔ Day 13 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

WIP Wednesday - Stellar Stars BOM

It's Day 12 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge.

I am so far behind in my Stellar Stars BOM.  I'm still working on April's blocks.

There were 16 small flying geese blocks.  And when I took this photo, I saw that I trimmed one of the blocks on the sew line, not the cut line.  Drat......

I finished one of the large flying geese blocks.  Only 15 more to go.

And there's still a 12.5-inch paper pieced block to do.  All but the small yellow block were paper pieced.

I think it's safe to say that I will not finish this BOM before the end of the year.