Almost Done! (Almost Wordless!) - Day 30

(Stay tuned for the big reveal tomorrow!)

Cutting it close...-Day 29

I am quickly running out of time. I am working hard to get my affairs in order to take a vacation as well as trying to meet some deadlines for quilts that need completion.

I spent some time quilting today and am almost done with a large project. I just need to make and attach the binding by Thurs.

I'm so in love with this fabric I almost hated to cut it up but it's going to become a sweet border for this colorful quilt I'm finishing.

Bright Stripes 
Remix by Anne Kelle for Robert Kaufman

Fingers crossed I make it!

Stashbusting Saturday - Day 26

Today, I woke up with the urge to see what others are working on and go shopping! I went to the local Stashbusters meeting to see some projects and came away with a few cool tips.

Here are some of the quilts shown:

It's always fun to see new patterns and ways to use up all of the fabric we quilters tend to collect.

Then I went next door and found what I've needed for the last 2 months. I can't wait to finish this quilt now that I have the perfect backing fabric. (You'll have to wait for the big reveal coming soon.)

I also finished my friends' wedding gift and whipped on that binding like I was a pro! Check this out:

This chevron fabric made such a fun arrow when it was folded over. I really love the end result. I was able to do the continuous binding on my first try and my corners were so sharp, you could cut yourself.

18 Done and 2 to Go!

I finally glued down my last remaining Skillbuilder BOM.

I will sew them down tomorrow with clear thread and add them to my collection. I can't wait to put them all together.

What did you work on today?

Counting down... - Day 20

In 14 more days, I will officially be on vacation! I'm so excited that I can just burst.

I know this might sound odd but I'm using a big part of my vacation to work at home on projects that I never have time to complete. This is work that I actually want to do because I am getting rid of some furniture, sorting out my sewing room, and making a waist level cutting station and a proper design wall. No more bending over on this low table for hours of cutting need to make some quilts. I've been using the dining room table as a "design wall" for more years than I can stand at this point. It's something I've dreamed of doing for many years but now am taking the plunge.

Sunday's Sew Time

It took a lot longer that I thought it would but I finished my quilting on the table runner I mentioned in yesterday's post. I really love how it turned out and might just make another one for myself to keep.

(Echo quilting on this beast.)

Now, on to binding it!

Continuous Binding - My Nemesis

I spent some time today working on binding. I still haven't mastered the art of continuous binding so I wanted to practice before finishing up some bigger projects on the horizon. I made some little Halloween pot holders that would be the perfect size to work on this skill that seems to elude me. (I recently lost one of my favorite pot holders to a stove incident. I can laugh about it now but it really hurt.)

The rat's nest I kept getting when the fabric
got stuck in the feed dogs.

I kept getting it twisted up once I sewed it down.

After sewing and unpicking the same seam 3 times, I finally turned to Youtube for some sanity and found the most wonderful video. I've bookmarked this gem for future reference. The directions here were so amazing and simple. (I was almost to the desperate stage of just chucking the pot holders and ordering one of those fancy binding tools I've seen online for ten bucks.)

 I ended up with two pot holders and a few hours of frustrating attempts to make the binding line up on the diagonal and lay flat the right way so I can sew it down. I do feel that I am getting the hang of it and am not so scared to do it again next weekend.

 Hope your weekend was super fun and productive. Wishing you a great week ahead!

Works in Progress a.k.a Procrastination Sunday

I've been sitting in my sewing room for about 20 minutes watching Youtube videos and reading Facebook/Flickr comments because I'm procrastinating.

I have several projects that are in various states of "almost" done. I have quilts that have most pieces cut and need to be sewn. Some are projects that are mostly pieced but not sewn into strips/tops while others are done but not quilted. I even have one quilted piece that just needs binding. Don't even get me started on the fabric I've purchased with the intention of making specific projects that have not even been cut yet.
So now I am writing this post because I still don't know where to begin today...I have to work later tonight so I want to get something creative done.


Here's my first of two blocks for my next Skill Builder BOM. I basted all of the pieces last night as I finished up the last season of a TV show on Netflix. I will need to work on the diamond carat another day.

Chev N Hex basted, not pieced

 I saw a great tutorial on GEN X block library that I've always wanted to complete. I cut these pieces out a while back. They keep getting stacked and shuffled around on my sewing table but have yet to make it close enough to my machine to start sewing. I should finish up at some point this century.

Spiral Hexagon cut pieces

 I'm teaching a mini-lesson for the next OMQG meeting on hexagons. I shouldn't come to the meeting unprepared. I did cut them out so that's a start!

Hexagons for Wed. Tutorial

 I won these Shoo fly blocks last month and have most of my ideas on paper in my sketchbook. I  just need a few more sashes sewn to complete the tops I have planned.

Shoo Fly blocks from OMQG

 I scrappy baby quilt top for my good friend from work. They decided to let the sex of baby #4 be a surprise, so I thought, "You can't go wrong with every color in gingham". (Their son was born last Saturday so I need to get this done before he starts preschool!) I am hoping to complete this on a long arm and have some fun quilting it.

Finished baby top, needs quilting

 A finished blanket for my daughter-dog, Evie, who loves to sleep. A lot. She's 14 and mostly blind so I wanted to make something soft and light for her upcoming birthday in May. I love watching her circle and scrunch up her bedding to find just the right spot to relax.

Finished quilting, needs binding

 Here's a kinda sorta done Drunkard's path set of blocks that I am making, too. All pieces that I need are finally cut but I haven't finished sewing all of the pieces together yet. Then, I need to sew all of these rainbow/black blocks together for this crazy design idea I have in mind.

Halfway through Drunkard's Path Project

I often feel like the man in the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough At Last".
(Spoiler Alert: In case you somehow missed this awesome episode!) All he wants to do is read in peace but there is no time in his busy life. He's the last one standing after the destruction of the world and he's kind of happy to get to the library after wandering around a bit. He's finally settling in with a stack of books. He walks outside, stumbles and then breaks his glasses. ~In my case, I would break my sewing machine or there is no more electricity when I finally have enough time to sit down and sew all day. Oh, the horror!

Hope you had a great and productive weekend.