Scrappy Happy

Warning! Photo Overload Ahead!

I've finally started to go through my photos from quilt camp way in the beginning of October. If I remember correctly, my camera battery died in the middle of Show and Tell and I couldn't locate my spare (turns out it was in my pocket--almost as bad as those sunglasses I couldn't locate yesterday because they were on top of my head--doh!). Soooo....these are just some of the quilts--the rest of them are on my phone, so hopefully they will be coming later. 

We always have an awesome Show and Tell because you may end up doing the Hokey Pokey if you don't have something to show!
 Enjoy!

Of course, a cyclist needs a quilt with bicycles on it! 

This photo doesn't do justice to the beautiful paper piecing and colors. 

Cool batik blocks

I'm imagining some wonderful quilting in those open spaces!

Fun scrappy....

...and a fun back!

Love this blue and white one...

...and it's lovely toile backing and fan quilting!

I'm not the only one to succumb to the Temecula Olympics Challenge.

I almost caved on this one too--maybe it's not too late!

A wonderful vintage find.

A new meaning to a Charm Quilt...

...See?!?

Love this stash burner! 

I have a "thing" for 60 degree triangles--this one is on my bucket list.

Love this block--britches?

Cool Gypsy Wife in repro fabrics.

I think you can see how enormous this one is--super king size with amazing piecing! 

Yes, those are tiny bow ties--wonderful!
I wish I had the stamina to make one of these.

I think I heard that this quilter bought an entire bolt of cheddar fabric--

and is using it to make some awesome quilts!

Love the scrappy colors in this one...

..and this one!
This is when my battery went out--more to come soon.

My birthday was the same week as retreat and my cousin Barb made me this fun pin cushion presented in this vintage cheese box!  The box is the perfect size to hold my small rulers that I use everyday for the 365 Challenge blocks--how cool is that?!?
Do you remember when cheese (well, sort of cheese) came in these boxes?
I do--guess that shows my age! 

 These beautiful blues were gifted to me by Miriam (piecer of those tiny bow tie blocks)--love them! I think I've already used up a couple of them in my 365 Challenge blocks. 

This is my 365 Challenge top so far--it's already so big I had trouble getting the whole thing in a photo. We are almost ready to add the next round of dark blocks--not too many 3" dark blocks left to make! 

Linking with Scraptastic Tuesday HERE
and Let's Bee Social HERE

November UFO goal

I hadn't planned on trying to get a UFO finished in November since I was booked for cataract surgery. After watching the "informative" video the clinic has you watch before surgery, I was convinced I would never see properly again. I know they have to tell you all the things that could possibly go wrong, but when one of them is "loss of vision" (that means BLIND, right??) it kind of sticks in your brain. Thankfully, none of that happened and my first eye surgery is a success--yay!

I decided to go easy on myself and will be working on getting "Walking on Broken Glass" quilted. It will probably be and edge to edge design, so should go pretty quickly. 

I don't think I've mentioned before that I joined a Facebook group that is doing the Primitive Garden quilt. Most of the participants are doing the wool version, but I had purchased the cotton version quilt several years ago from someone who had started it (only the hoe) and was selling the kit on eBay. It seemed like a now or never situation--it's good to have an incentive to get to work on the blocks.
The sew-along started last month, so this is the October block finished.
I'm almost done with the November block--a pot of geraniums, and I'm amazed that I am able to be working on needle turn applique already with my "new" eye! 

One Monthly Goal has moved to Patty's at Elm Street Quilts HERE

One Monthly Goal and Lots of Slow Stitching!

My October One Monthly Goal was getting my Temecula Patchwork Olympics top quilted.  This quilt was also on my fourth quarter Finish-A-Long list HERE

I used up a lot of old Thimbleberries (among other fabrics) in this quilt--fun to finally use up those scraps! (Free Thimbleberries patterns and gorgeous photos HERE)

The quilting went quickly since I did Cinnamon Rolls--so fast and fun.
I used an Omni thread (by Superior) in the color Maple and it seemed like I got the best tension I've ever had on my machine--love that!

Yes--it's labeled!

The design for the large area of Let It Snow mystery BOM was finally posted--it was so hard to wait for the final block! There will be finishing instruction next month, so I will wait to sew the blocks together until then. In the meantime, I seem to have lots of Slow Wooly Stitching ahead.....

....have you heard of the Wooly Block Adventure? I couldn't resist a little road trip up to Piecemakers in Hackensack (MN) to pick up their free pattern. I ended up buying the kit and had to do the fusing as soon as I got home. It's so sweet--reminds me of a vintage Christmas card.  I can't wait to start stitching on this one.

Since the Front Porch in Walker was just a bit further down the road, I had to go pick up their free block too--how cute is this little truck? I'll get this one ready to stitch pretty soon too. I think you better check on whether shops in your area are participating---there may be some adorable blocks waiting for you! 

Linking with One Monthly Goal HERE 

and Slow Sunday Stitching HERE

Front Porch Report!

I just returned home from quilt camp, and am linking up my October Front Porch block before I take a nap--lol!

This month's block was the birdhouse.

I also had some time to do the smaller blocks that go to the right.
I made a four patch instead of one big chunk of the floral since just to break it up a little.
I love that Lori added her initials in this area--I may be borrowing that idea elsewhere in my quilt.  

And this is the entire row complete--yay!!

I also finished my Blackbird Gatherings block before I left for camp. I have all the blocks sewn together (did it twice), but haven't had a chance to take a photo yet. The finishing instructions will be posted next month--can't wait to see what Cheri has planned. She has another cute bluebird design for autumn as part of a Buttermilk Basin blog hop HERE (click on the Happy Fall link near the end of the post)--I'm going to have to do that one as well--it's adorable!

See more Front Porch blocks at Humble Quilts

Finish-A-Long Fourth Quarter

Wow--can you believe we are in the final three months of the year? 

I don't have high hopes of getting much done before the new year with the holidays coming up and my impending cataract surgery on November 1st and 15th. I haven't made a lot of progress since getting home from quilt camp, but I've managed to do some fall clean up outside. 

These are the projects I would like to have completely completed by the end of December--wish me luck--LOL! 

Sigh.
Yes, this has been on my list all year--why can't I get these Stitching Society hexagons put together?? Maybe it will happen soon...

All the instructions for the Temecula Circa 2016 have been posted and will be removed soon. I have kept up with all the blocks and the half square triangles are done, so this should be a doable finish.

The final block for Blackbird Gatherings has been posted on Facebook, and I'm itching to get this all together--shouldn't be too difficult. It was fun to use up some of my homespun scraps for the log cabins--I don't use them often enough. 

I just finished the September block with the bee skep, and the bird with the heart is the final block. 

I know everyone doing Buttermilk Basin's Let It Snow is waiting on pins and needles to see what will go in that empty space--and then we will be done! 

Walking on Broken Glass by Teacher's Pet is the one and only jelly roll quilt I've ever made. I've been taking this project to retreats for years and finally just finished it. I was lucky to find a red at Gruber's for the inner border, and I found a brown Paula Barnes print in my stash (yay!) that I like for the outer border.  I was tempted to go with a green border, but I think the brown will keep it from looking like a Christmas quilt and more usable year round, since it will probably be a donation quilt. 

Lastly, since this scrappy Patchwork Olympics is my October UFO, I better get this one completed, for sure!

Linking with Scraptastic Tuesday and 2016 Finish-A-Long Q4

(links on my sidebar!)

One Monthly Goal

I'm choosing something simple for my OMG this month.

I've already been to quilt camp at the beginning of the month, and I have another retreat later in October. I need a goal that I may be able to actually accomplish! 

I had wanted to add a border to my Temecula Patchwork Olympics Challenge top and managed to get it done at quilt camp. I should be able to get this quilted sometime this month--possibly with Cinnamon Rolls??

Another thing I accomplished at camp was to finish the second corner block for the 365 Challenge--and this block was a challenge, for sure! I'm so glad to have it done--whew!
Linking with One Monthly Goal HERE

Something Fishy!

I'm just back from quilt camp, and the first thing I needed to do (after visiting the clinic for my flu shot) was link up my Gwennie Inspired Medallion.  I got this finished just before I left for camp:

I wanted my quilt top to be a rectangle, so I added my "Something Fishy" themed final borders only on the top and bottom. 

I was calling these arches clam-shells to comply with the fishy scheme, but my friend Val said they were fish scales--even better!!

My top isn't as free-form and carefree as a true Gwen Marsden  would be, but I'm happy with the results and it was a fun sew along.
The best part: finally using my Lori Smith orphan block for the center.
Thanks Lori!
See more Gwennie Inspired Medallions HERE.