Some sanity sewing

I've said it before.

I'll say it again.

When life is SUPER busy...

I sew scraps together.

?????

 

Scraps that DON't NEED to be sewn together.

:/

I find it helps me get through the busy times

with some sanity.

;)

 

My daughter is getting married Sunday.

So what am I DOING???

 

I'm pulling out scraps.

Sewing them together willy nilly

and

getting them trimmed up.

Between wedding preparations...

I sew.

 

I'm SURE to have a nice stringy quilt top when it's over!

:)

Maybe I'll have a couple of pictures too!

 

Art and Fabric

There's a natural progression from quilt to art.

First you make something USEFUL

then...

You make something for FUN!

This little art quilt won a 2nd place today

in the local art show.

I'm pleased.

;)

Sometimes my little art projects

DO

turn into something USEFUL.

Here's a small practice piece.

 

It didn't work in the art quilt I made a while back....

but it WORKS in the kitchen!!!

;)

 

Quick and Easy

When the baby quilt you want to give

should have been made YESTERDAY....

6" squares are your FRIEND!

 

When you HAVE to make a baby quilt

EVERY single time someone has a baby...

even if you BARELY know them...

6" squares are your FRIEND!

You begin with ONE piece of really cute fabric....

Even if there's not enough.

That's o.k.

Pieced backings are "in".

After quickly piecing 6" squares together

making sure to use WHITE,

because white is ALWAYS a winner....

You squiggle through each square

eyeballing a diagonal line as you go.

No One notices if the line is straight

when it SQUIGGLES!!!!

A nice soft pink binding is the finishing touch.

 

and...

It's done!

 

Little bit of green

When I began piecing a brown and pink jelly roll

I thought I'd have a brown and pink quilt.

NOT.

 

Jelly rolls are not created equal.  ;)

There wasn't enough JELLY roll to make a quilt.

Sooo....

I dug around in the orphan box

and came up with some options.

 

The orphans that made "the CUT" contained GREEN.

 

I would never have thought to add it...

but I WENT with it.

Who am I to argue with an orphan???

 

 

I'm so happy these orphans

led me to the color green.

I like what it does for the brown and pink!

 

I'm participating in a quilt drive

for HAnds2Help.

Thank you, Sarah, for organizing

an Opportunity to

GIVE a QUILT AWAY!

 

 

Practical Patchwork

Taking pieces of fabric...

ANY KIND of fabric....

and PATCHing them together

is what I like to do!

Making the patches practical

is in my DNA.

 

Using PATCHes in everyday life

suits my style!

Using PATCHes under every cup and dish....

is my GOAL!

 

Isn't yours too???

 

************

 

Practical bag is now listed here,

Because I have TOO many bags already.

:(

Coasters using orphan blocks

will be living under MY cups of coffee.

*****wink, wink*******

Polka dots to the rescue

I had this little quilt ALLWRAPPED up....

and then...

I remembered to take a picture!

 

I like to document every quilt....

(and this blog is my way of doing that!)

But sometimes I get so CAUGHT up with giving it away...

I forget!

 

Glad I caught myself

BEFORE it was gone.

;)

This quilt was made using some orphan blocks

that have been accumulating at my house!

 

The center looks like an unfinished round the world.

There weren't enough blocks to go around the outside...

so I added some polka dots!

 

Polka dots make ANY quilt

a FUN quilt!!!

 

The back was a fun one to piece!

Lots of polka dots here too!

And....

MORE polka dots!

 

Another orphan block quilt!!!

Let me tell you!

It took me LONGER to FIND these orphan blocks

than it did to piece this one together!!!

 

UGH!!!!

I had struggled to find fabric for the alternate blocks in this quilt

and had the little pieced blocks

folded up INSIDE a larger piece of fabric!!!!

 

Once they were FOUND....

it took NO TIME AT ALL

to piece the quilt!

 

3 hours searching.

1 hour (max) sewing.

 

Thanks to those who sent me orphans.

I've been trying hard to find NEW homes

for your beauties!

And...

I'm having some fun!

 

The end is in SIGHT!

A few weeks ago I made a commitment.

"Thursday mornings will be SET ASIDE for this."

 

Guess what?

I didn't give it 100%

I missed some Thursday mornings.

:(

But I DID Pull it out SOME Thursday mornings...

and I'm glad I did!!!

 

I can see the finish line!!!!

Whoo HOOO!!!!

 

Hey!

I'm so close.....

I might work on it Saturday morning too!!!!

;)

Wednesday

One more quilt top to add

to my  EVER growing pile

of UNquilted quilts.

:/

One of these days...

I'll sit down

and JUST quilt the quilt tops.

 

But,

NOT today.

;)

 

There are quite a few with deadlines

Baby shower,

Bridal shower,

Graduation.....

I'm getting close to getting

all the tops ready!

But.....

I'm putting OFF the quilting.

Do you do that too??

 

I love this one!

It was so fun piecing this FREE style.

When I got to the outside

I DID take some care

and made ALL the  half square triangles the same size.

 

I think they give a little order

to the chaos in the middle.

;)

Moms

 

Right now TOMS  shoes are the "IN" thing.

They look comfortable.

Even my 80 year old mother-in-law LOVES them.

 

I almost bought a pair for myself and then....

I found a knock off brand at the drug store

and added my OWN brand NAME.

Kinda fun, huh?

 

All it took was a little tiny piece of striped fabric,

a black pen

and

a little stitching.

 

;)

 

 

Home again

Just back from a weekend retreat.

:)

I took an applique project with me and

was able to complete my FIRST block

of a new project!

 

Believe it or not...

I was ALL OUT of hand projects

and had to scurry around

to get this one packed up!

 

I CAN.NOT. leave home for a retreat,

doctor appointment

or car trip

without some HANDWORK!!!

 

I hope to make a few of these blocks.

Eventually....I'll have enough

for a quilt!

Had a wonderful time with daughter.

I was in charge of a simple craft.

Tinted jars with knobs.

We painted on the "tint"
(modgepodge and food coloring)

Spray painted the lids

and added knobs.

 

Very simple.

 

Then...

I came home to babysit this....

HAPPY face!

Free piecing on Friday

It's Friday.

;)

 

I'm beginning a quilt!!!

I love beginnings.

This time I'm FREE piecing.

Here are my first THREE blocks.

 

It's easy to free piece.

It begins with pulling scraps.

If they look good all piled up on your table....

Then they will look GOOD in your quilt!!!

 

That's MY theory.

 

I try to get some contrast as I move out strip by strip.

Sometimes there's a LOT of contrast when white is added...

sometimes there's not much contrast at all.

 

The only thing I'm aiming for is...

2 blocks with a LIGHT center.

(half log cabin block)

and....

 

2 blocks with a DARK brown center.

Put 'em together...

and what do you get????

 

A funny four patch in the middle

and some happy scraps...

because THEY found a HOME!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Do some FREE piecing....

and WATCH!

Your pile of lonely scraps will become a QUILT!