Random Roundup #22

I’ve been working on some quick little projects so I have a lot of little things to share.

Midibag:

I was preparing for a minor surgery and had quite a bit of nervous energy so I made a Midibag the day before which worked great for holding my clothes, phone, and wallet. I also got a few compliments from the nursing staff.I combined 3 mini charm packs – one Modern Background Ink and two Just a Speck by Jen Kingwell. The bag turned out so cute and was the perfect size! You iron the squares to the supplied interfacing and then fold and sew it together. The pattern contains interfacing for 2 bags. I need to decide on mini charms for the second bag. It’s a great little bag for art and craft fairs or the beach.

With the remaining squares, I was able to make this cute little pouch which is now with my sister-in-law. It worked beautifully for transporting a selection of Peppa Pig figures to my nephew.

Microwave Bowl Holders:

My brother’s family requested some of these bowl holders last year when they were here and I finally got around to making them as a housewarming gift. I use a great tutorial from Happy Hour Stitches.

Fabric Swap Box:

My guild is setting up a fabric birthday box swap and I needed a box to use to turn in my bought or ‘curated from stash’ fabric. The accessory box from The Container Store can hold 15 to 18 fat quarters depending on how you fold them. So I created a fabric name label to fit that box. I used my favorite fabrics for this one.The letters are from the Just My Type – lowercase pattern by Kristy of Quiet Play. I used headbands as the straps and sewed them into the binding and it worked beautifully.

Summer Sampler 2019:

I have been wanting to join in on the Summer Sampler that is hosted by Lee at Freshly Pieced, Katie at SwimBikeQuilt, and Faith of FreshLemonsQuilts but I was always preoccupied. This year the theme is Piecing Bootcamp and I love learning new techniques or improving my current techniques.There are two different finishing options but I just adore this curved layout. I’m planning on rainbowing this thing up and chose to use the Ombré Confetti Dots that I’ve been hoarding. I’m combining that with Tula Pink Fairy Dust and a grey Essex linen and it’s going to be epic!This Sampler Series starts tomorrow (May 20) with a block being released once a week. Here’s the link to sign up through Katie’s blog – Summer Sampler.

Stash Enhancement:

Alison Glass Holiday arrived and I cannot wait to get started on the quilt I designed last year. These fabrics will just pop!

I also received Alison Glass Sunprints Light. No plan for those but I just had to have them to fill in my low volumes.Lots more to share but I will pause here to take a breath and get some more sewing done!

Until next time- happy sewing!

Countdown to Christmas

I always start out the holiday season with such high hopes for my crafted gifts and/or decorations. On my original list I had 3 cross-stitch ornaments and my quilt guild swap gift. This list was put together in my head in November. That’s plenty of time to make 3 small Christmas ornaments for co-worker gifts. I’m about 3/4 done with a cute cardinal.

I’m only 20 stitches in on the other two and I need to be complete by Wednesday. Therefore, that project has been scrapped until next year.

I finished and gifted my swap gift. And I kept one for myself.

In the meantime, I did start and complete a pillow cover for a peer at work. She was going to get one of the ornaments but this will be better.

I got the tutorial from Quilt Story as part of their Holiday Tutorial series. I sewed the pillow cover shut by sewing right sides together, on all four sides and pulling right sides out through the zipper opening, instead of using a binding.

My pillow inserts come on Monday – ordered through Pottery Barn as per The Sewing Chick’s suggestion. I’m working on another one that needs to get together before Christmas.

I just need to get motivated between all the work (I work in retail accounting) and the baking of the rest of the work gifts and I also have to get my Dad’s favorite cookies done, of course. He asked about them yesterday. Time to get movin’.

Bloom, Bloom, Pow complete!

I finished quilting the Bloom, Bloom, Pow quilt-a-long quilt designed by Lee at Freshly Pieced.

I used some cool blues as the flowers and a blue/purple blender on the border. I removed my first border quilting (see previous ‘Oops’ post) and continued the interior quilting out. I used a variegated blue thread in the border rather than the neutral that was used on the interior quilt top. I love how it all turned out.

I’ve also been working on some Christmas projects and my brain doesn’t stop thinking of new ones that I just have to make for holiday gift giving. My brain sometimes works faster than the actual time available to complete all these projects. However, all of the big quilts are complete. I’ve got work gifts to make, another stroller size quilt for dolls, and other random small gifts. This is my favorite time of year.
I also recently bought some gifts for me. New Fabric!!!

Both are Robert Kaufman. The bundle on the left is Somerset Spring and the bundle on the right is Grandeur Jewel. They are both shiny and sparkly as well as dripping with beautiful vibrant colors.

I must come up with something wonderful to make with them. I can’t wait to see what my mind comes up with for those gorgeous fabrics.

Busy, Busy, Busy

There is a lot going on and I have not taken too much time to work on the quilting I need to do. But I was impressed with myself that I completed the sandwiching process, which I hate. I just don’t have the room to do it properly and then my back is never completely taut like it is supposed to be. It’s very frustrating. Any tips and tricks are definitely welcome!

After that process, I began the quilting. I’m doing a bit of stitch-in-the-ditch by going around the squares. Every so often, in the small solid squares, I’m going to add this little spiderweb design. I think it looks kind of cool.

The quilting is coming out pretty well. I’m only about 1/3 of the way through. The quilting on the back looks better than I thought it would even with a horrible pucker of looser fabric back there. Urggh!

Here’s that pucker. Luckily it doesn’t show up too much on the black fabric. I may end up hand-tacking it down though.

I hope to make some progress within the next few weeks. Mom needs to have this one by the end of September so she can add it to her Halloween decorations. I’m getting excited for her to get it!

Halloween in July

Today Ive been working on, well contemplating really, portions of a Halloween quilt I’m putting together for my mom. I’ve made the blocks using the Topiary Tiles pattern by Amanda Murphy. (It’s a free one!) I think the blocks are really cute. In this picture I’m trying to find a good layout for the quit top. Without a design wall the bed will have to do.

I have 10 more squares cut and I’m trying to figure out which fabrics I want to use for the sashing within those blocks. I also need to get some sashing for in between the blocks in the quilt itself. I’m deciding between black Halloween texture or a black/white Halloween pattern.

The fabric is Costume Clubhouse by Riley Blake designs and I think it is just darling.