September UFO: done and done!

Yikes-how can it be the end of September already??

I almost forgot that I hadn't finished a UFO for this month. 

I had planned on getting one of my UFO tops quilted up at the beginning of the month, but that never happened (no surprise there!).  

Halloween Cat
I made this little wool mat several years ago.
In the pattern, there is also a Christmas cat and an Easter cat.
 

I don't remember cutting all this stuff out for the two mats that I never completed, but here it all is!
I kind of remember getting this out to work on once before, but it was such a mess, I shoved it all back in the plastic bag and put it back in my bin of "Fun Little Projects".
Yes, I have a bin labeled Fun Little Projects--haha!
You would think with a label like that, I would be encouraged to get them out and make them, but they all sort of look like this one--very disorganized!

This has been my nightly stitching the last few nights.
They stitched up pretty quickly once I got all the little pieces in the right places. 

 Christmas Cat

 Spring Cat
The pattern is from Debbie Lofgren of Little Stitches.
Cat Season: Simple Woolen Ornaments #416
I won't use mine as ornaments--I will set them out as little penny mats.

I'll be stitching on my Sunflower Gatherings border while watching Miss Marple tonight!

A Red and White Quilt Challenge

Back in March, I showed a quilt I had designed in EQ7 named Moon Phase, for the Design It! Red and White Quilt Challenge. I had every intention of making Moon Phase for Phase 3: Make It. I just couldn't motivate myself to get started.

Even though I still like what I designed, my heart just wasn't in it.
I think maybe it's a little too "modern" for my tastes.

Last week, I realized that the "Make It" deadline was coming up in 12 days.
 It's now or never, as they say.
 Moon Phase is was out of the question, but there was a block I had come across recently that I thought would be fun:

The block is named Domino.
 I figured out how to make it with all strip sets so it went together super fast!
I used two of my favorite fabrics from my stash:
Buggy Barn dots and a Moda Muslin Mates check.

I made twenty blocks last Friday night....

and played with them on Saturday.
Here the blocks are set all the same direction.

I think I like this a little better....

yeeesss--this is the one!

Well, now you know what I did the rest of the week!
I finished the quilting Wednesday and attached the binding on Thursday.
 

Even though I love the traditional look of the quilting,
 I will never do crosshatching on the long arm again--too tedious!!

I call her Hidden Hearts--can you see them?

Quilted with Aurifil 50 Wt. #2310
Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon All Cotton batting
I can't wait to wash her up and see her all crinkled up and cozy!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Make It quilts HERE

Just Another Wooly Wednesday

I've been sidetracked by another project that I will hopefully have finished soon. In the meantime, I have a few of my wool hexagons finished--I am waaaaay behind on them, but at least the ones I'm getting stitched are in the right season.....

Pumpkin Stack

Cat, bat, and Jack

Trick or Treat Ghost

Treats

Moonlit Bats

Blowing Leaves

BOO!!

Hopefully there will be more hexies soon!

Sunflower Gatherings Update

Several years ago, I made a blue version of Flight of Fancy

At our sew-in last week, Sherry brought in two of her latest finishes that I had to share:

This is a her Flight of Fancy by Crabapple Hill Designs.
I love this brown version!
.

The embroidery patterns are so beautiful!
 I changed the alternate block pattern to an uneven nine patch and so did Sherry.
My friend Sandi has made a green version with the same alternate block.

Meg's original Flight of Fancy done in French General Fabrics.
I felt that the big four patch alternate block kind of overwhelmed the delicate embroideries.

Sherry also finished this gorgeous Edyta Sitar spool quilt--wow!!

I have an empty tub!!
Sunflowers Gatherings is done...well, almost...

I've been keeping on task, trying to get my Sunflower Gatherings top together now that all the blocks have been sent out. I didn't opt in to purchase the finishing kit, so I am doing my own borders. 

This is the start of my borders.
 I brought the "chain" out to points using scraps from my stash and strips of Primitive Gathering's background prints that I've been collecting this summer.

There won't be much more added to bottom and sides, but I am testing out an idea for a top border.

More later!

It's a Wrap!

This week marked the last meeting of Stitch Therapy for 2014. 

We had several tops almost ready to be quilted!

Paula had her gorgeous black and cream version completed!

Pam's adorable blue version with an applique border she designed.

And how fun is this one??? I love all the colors of wool set off by the red and green piecing.

The gradient colors in the wool appliques are so cool.

Another blue version--happy scrappy!

Lots of prints in dark and light blues--so pretty!

We had other show and tell too--how cute is this Kim Diehl design with antique buttons?

The start of a Christmas quilt!

Tiny little pumpkins--those flowers in the border are the teeniest buttons ever!

 I haven't decided what project we'll work on next year, but I have a few ideas!!

Whatever it will be, it's going to fun to see everyone put their own spin on it.

We Have a Winner!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:8Powered by RANDOM.ORG
The winner of the Brilliant Bindings ruler is number 8:
Colleen!
Congrats Colleen!I'll be sending an email to collect your mailing address.

A series of Eagle Quilts?

I haven't started an Eagle Quilt yet, but 

I seem to be seeing eagles everywhere! 

I've always wanted to make this Jo Morton quilt.
(Banner Day book)

And I have the panel needed to make this Jo Morton quilt.
(Banner Day book)

This Kim Diehl pattern is also on my list!
(Simple Season's book)

My friend Julierose reminded me about this one in American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.
(October 2002)

Maybe a quilt of just eagles?
(Nancy Kirk collection)

And right outside my sewing room window, the eagle watches!!
(wish it was a better photo--taken through the glass window and it was raining!)

I think I see a series of Eagle Quilts in my future!

Sunflower Gatherings--getting there!

I'm still open to signing up for the notion give-away. 

I should have mentioned that I'll pick a winner on Sunday September 14th using the random number generator.

I've been sewing like crazy trying to get my Sunflower Gatherings summer blocks of the week finished. I had waited to piece the alternate blocks until last week when the last of the fabrics arrived in the mail. 

Sunday night:
Here they all are--finished and ready to sew into a top! Yay!

Monday afternoon:
The top is together. The inner borders are pieced and ready to sew on.
Then I need to go back and start appliqueing all the pieces that overlap into the neighboring blocks--I hope I can decipher my note on the threads that I used--we'll see!
Hopefully the next time you see this, it will be done....