Bright and scrappy trip!

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This is how far I have gotten with my scrappy trip blocks.  I started them during a workshop that I helped teach a few weeks ago.  I manage to get two or three done at a time (although several are in progress).  

I think it is amazing how different they all look.  Some look very scrappy, some look more planned.  Mine seems to be pretty intense in color (probably because those are the fabrics I had with me at the time and I just kept with similar fabrics once I got home).  

If you haven't seen an overload of these blocks, you can check them out on Flickr or Instagram.  The original tutorial is by Bonnie Hunter on her Quiltville blog.  You know, in case you have a few scraps around and you feel the need to sew a block or two.

It was snowy and cold all weekend.  Now it is near 70.  Weatherman is predicting snowy and cold for next weekend.  Sounds like good sewing weather to me!

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Row Robin Neighborhood Quilt

My quilt guild had a wonderful Row Robin.  We each made one row to begin and then the quilts went one to five other members who each added a row.  My first row is the blog header above.  I asked for my friends to add to the neighborhood. 

 And boy oh boy!  What a wonderful neighborhood they have created for me!  We have a hobbit house, fruit trees, some foxes and some owls, some high rise apartments and some walkways, and many beautiful stars!  

You can tell the wind was blowing (and it was freezing cold!!).

My improv star log cabin in beachy, sea glass colors.

I added the white border and bound it in stripy binding.

Here's a little glimpse of the quilting.

I am having the friends who made the rows sign the white squares in this line.  I only managed to get two of them this month so I will bring the quilt to our next meeting, too.

Thanks for reading! Stay warm!

Strip pieced quilt

 Do you watch quilting videos on youtube?  I feel like there is so much out there to learn.  Every once in a while, I like to try new techniques and the videos by Jenny at The Missouri Quilt Company are short, sweet, and entertaining. Last fall, I watched this one:

And I made this quilt:

This quilt was made for my wonderful sister-in-law, Janet.  It matches the pillows I made her last year.  I really love the color combination of white, black, and red.  It makes me feel so happy!  I used a new method (new to me!)of making the squares (from you tube).  It went quickly and then stayed on my wall for months.  I got it pieced together around Thanksgiving but had a small problem: it is really big (to me!)  and I needed to quilt it in my regular sewing machine.

So I pondered that for awhile.

I finished another quilt (my Scrappy Stash rainbow quilt) in two sections and then connected the two halves.  It worked well except I can feel a lump there in the middle and I don't like that.  

So I pondered that for awhile.

I decided to try it anyway.  So I pieced the two halves together.  I put the borders on with the inserted strips so there wouldn't be a seam in the middle of the white borders.  Then I pieced the back (you knew that I have to make that complicated, right?)

Then Christmas came. 

 I knew we would go see the inlaws after Christmas so I had to get this done.

I basted it, quilted it, and bound it the day after Christmas. I quilted it in two halves but I trimmed away a bit of the batting before I connected them so no lumps!

 Tada! 

 I love how it turned out.  

If I make this again, I would spray starch on the pieces before I cut the strips because there was some unruly stretching going on!

I quilted an all over paisley pattern in black thread.  I used six bobbins!

Quilt back

I wrote on one of the white strips for the label.

Goodbye to 2012!

Here is a mosaic of my finishes for the year (or most of them).  I am pleased to see I got this many things finished.  Only a few of them are full sized quilts, though.  Most of the finishes are smaller.  I know a few things are missing but I am proud of all of them.  It is fun to see them all together.  You can tell I like bright colors and white, can't you?  I will have to make a new page for the blog I guess!

1. Tree skirt   2. Placemat  3. Strip quilt  4.  Potholder  5. Coming up Roses wall quilt
6. Back of Coming up Roses 7. Halloween quilt  8.  Table topper 9.  Jay McCarroll challenge quilt 10. Table topper
11.  Improv log cabin 12. Sherbet Baby Bento Box Quilt 13. Violet Mother's Day Quilt 14. Baby Quilt 15. Iphone Zippie wristlet
16.  Anniversary of BMQG pillow 17. Vroom! Vroom!  Baby quilt  18.  Kim's Wedding Quilt  19.  Scrappy Stash Rainbow quilt  20.  Potholders for my daughter
21. Donkey Zippie  22. Unintended Table Topper 23.  Crosses potholder 24. Doll Baby Quilt  25. Chevron Baby Quilt (back)

This was the handprint quilt the Kindergarteners made for our assistant teacher (who is now a fifth grade teacher!)

 And my One Little Word quilt for 2012 was Grow!

I haven't figured out my One Little Word for 2013.  Hope it is a creative and fun year for you!

Adventures with Placemats

Is it just me or are placemats like little quilts?  Somehow, I decided to make a set of placemats for each of my sisters for Christmas.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  But, wow! I felt like I was making 14 mini-quilts!  It kept me busy and out of trouble, I guess.

My sister, Mo, started the whole thing when I went to visit her last summer.  She was kind enough to let me visit and drag her to the quilt show at Sisters, Oregon.  She is not a quilter but she was a very good sport.  She spotted some fabric she liked and casually asked me to make her a set of placemats.  I agreed.  How hard could it be?

Then we met up with my older sister, Kathy.  She said she would like her placemats in green and burgundy, to match her kitchen.

Oh my.

My youngest sister just said, "How nice.  Can I have more potholders, too?"

So, after letting the idea ferment for a few months, I got right to work.

I made the ones I had the fabric for first, naturally.  I strip pieced them and made a potholder to match.  Mo had picked out some black and beige fabrics with a few red accents.  I used some stash fabric for the backs.

Set number two!

Green/grey side (sorry for the blurry picture!)

Burgundy with a star side- I quilted all of them with different patterns.

Set number three: Modern strip piecing side

I made six different color backs and quilted them all with swirls.

I did get to practice my FMQ and binding skills (a lot!) so that was a plus.

So that is my adventures with placemats for this year.  My husband saw these and thought we needed some, too.  Um......


I also made my mom another Muumuu using some modern fabric. (She doesn't need any placemats!!)
I hope it fits her.

Potholder Party!

Well, not really a party!  These are a few of the gifts I have been busy making for Christmas.  I can finally post a little about them now theat they have been given and received.  Every year I try to make many of my gifts, especially for my family.  I love to think about the person I am giving the present to as I make it.  Of course, I always believe I can get way more done than I actually can!

I have a few more things on my list.  The recipients will just get a happy surprise in January or February (last year it was May before I got them all sent!!)

Anyway, here are three different kinds of potholders I made this year.

Bright star with swirly quilting

Back of Star

Black and White log cabin variation with Jester's Hat quilting

Back

Green with ladybugs disappearing four-patch with a swirly Jester's Hat variation.

Back

 Potholders are fun to make and go pretty quickly.  I use the heat resistant batting in them.  I love to go to my friends and family's houses and see them using my potholders!