Slow Sunday Stitching--Christmas Gifts

Slow Sunday Stitching of some mug mats. 

See more Slow Stitching on Kathy's Quilts blog. 

I have another batch layered, sewn around and turned right side out.  It has been fun to work on these. 

These pastel and bright mini-charms are so pretty. I'll sit by the Christmas Tree and enjoy another cup of tea while Hubby watches football.  Another batch awaits machine stitching and that is planned for today as well. I'd like to make more but completely forgot to look for Insulbrite when I stopped by the fabric store yesterday! I was distracted by picking out a binding fabric. More on that tomorrow:)

Design Wall Monday--Mug Mat Pallooza

 Design Wall Monday---see more great projects on Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts blog. 

I was scrolling on Pinterest recently for quick gift projects and came across a Coaster pattern by Crafty Staci.  This was for a small mug mag with a faux binding technique.  I've made other projects by this designer/crafter and like her easy directions and tips for her projects. Though she made hers with 2 1/4" squares, I wanted to utilize  2 1/2" charm packs I've acquired, mostly through gift baskets, etc.  I also wanted to upsize the size to a snack mat size. 

I decided to use 9 squares for each mat. 

What fun I had laying all these out and playing with color.  Easy row sewing for assembly.  The pattern calls for 1" wide strips all around; this forms the "binding" when the mat is assembled and ditch quilted. 

Initially I was pulling 1.5" strips from my scrap drawer system to trim down for the narrow borders, but switched to 2" strips for more mileage out of each strip length, since they could be sliced in half lengthwise for the 1" wide border pieces. Lots of backing squares were also cut from scraps and fat quarters.  I sewed up the first couple of mats...

The mats have batting as well as Insulbrite per the instructions, so are pretty thick.  I left the top right mat unquilted except for the faux binding, and on the black/gray/white one I added quilting just around the  center square.  Many of the mats are intended for my workmates. I did want to try the 4 patch size too, and used Christmas charms.  There is a little hand sewing closing the opening after assembling and turning the right side out, but otherwise lots of fun piecing. I've also sewn together  some of the remaining Christmas charms for a larger hot pad.  I'll cut up all the Insulbrite I have on hand to finish all these, no doubt!

Design Wall Monday--Holiday Quilts

Design Wall Monday--Joining up once again with Judy of Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.  

Happy December!  November sure seemed to last a long time, but I know the next few weeks will fly fast.  I spent some time over the weekend getting out Christmas decor; I got a lot of steps counted with all the decorating. 

The projects of the moment in the sewing room are both Christmas related too. 

My arms got quite a workout quilting the Meadowland Christmas quilt. Having quilted all the diagonal lines, I figured out a way to quilt the center shapes in two passes.  My arms did get quite a workout moving around this 65" square quilt. I also ordered fabric from this line (We Whisk You a Merry Christmas) from an Etsy seller for binding--it will be the green/black plaid print.  I will make bias binding for a fun finish. 

I did catch the batting edge at one point, haha, but was able to trim it closely and tease out all the fibers without having to remove any of the quilting.  While I decide on motifs for the white squares, I turned my attention to an old project. 

Many years ago, when I first started quilting, I made this tablerunner. which was an AP&Q magazine cover project. It was an ambitious project for a new quilter!  My binding skills were not great then and I was never entirely happy with the finished look, so I decided finally to remove the too wide binding.  I found the trimmed seam allowance isn't the most even, but I can adjust a little. 

I have two options from stash, a stripe and a dot.  

I like the stripe a lot but am concerned it is distracting from the poinsettias in the center...

...and the dot is okay but is a different shade from the corner squares and the dots are far apart.  Opinions welcome!  

Moving Things Along

 I'll be working on getting tops turned into quilts for some time!  There was more walking foot quilting over the long holiday weekend.  The APQ charity quilt got finished.  I first quilted around all the rows of mini charm squares. 

That left some gaps on the back. 

 

I decided I wanted all the vertical and horizontal lines quilted. The quilt did have to go in time out for a short time when the Sulky variegated thread refused to cooperate at the beginning of the stitching line. 

All done with quilting.  I need to decide on a binding color. 

More walking foot quilting started on the Meadowland quilt. 

I got most of the long diagonal lines ditch stitched. Pondering quilting ideas for the blocks themselves but haven't thought of anything brilliant!

There were lots of folks putting up holiday lights and decorations on the weekend. I'll get started on ours since I de-Fall decorated over the weekend too.  

Getting Things Done

We had a lovely Thanksgiving gathering--we were 22 for dinner  and got to catch up with my brother Tyler's kids,  whom we had not seen in some time. There was a lot of furniture moving and cooking for the big meal.   I took zero photos but we did have two baby announcements! One was of our nephew and his wife who were not able to make it, they live a 12 hour drive away.  It is their first baby and my brother and sister-in-law's first grandchild.  So exciting for them  The other announcement we can now share is of our own son and daughter-in-law's pregnancy!  Dane will have a baby brother or sister next year.  Very excited about another grandchild!  It was great to have a big family gathering again.  Plenty of leftovers to enjoy too. I gave the Windham Challenge pillow cover to my sister-in-law.  

I did kind of "squircle" quilting, which is not perfect!  Though I like the colors and prints, it does not go with anything in my house. 

Extra parts landed on the back.  I had the text print in stash to use--only Windham fabrics were allowed.  The stripe navy print made a nice accented binding. 

My sewing room became a sitting room for the big Thanksgiving event--the annual furniture resetting was accomplished pretty easily.  I first worked on the quilt top of the moment, Beachside Bungalow. 

I had the bright blue solid and the purple print in stash.  This long and slender quilt will be great for naps. I will look through stash fabrics for backing options first.  

My sister's longarm machine may get fixed soon, but until then I decided to quilt some smaller projects on my own to ease the crowding in the "to be quilted" closet. 

Curved organic crosshatch with the walking foot for this small quilt/baby quilt.  I used pink thread for three of the corners, and black thread for the last one, just for fun. 

During the burying of thread tails in one section, I lost my grip on the needle.  My husband and I were searching my sewing area for about 25 minutes with flashlights without success.  Finally, I went to pick up the quilt from my sewing desk and the magnetized needle was sitting on a pair of scissors on the quilt!!  So glad the search ended well. 

Backing made from leftovers from other quilts.  I love the monkey print that came from grandson Hunter's baby quilt.  I'll use black for the binding.  Tomorrow I plan to get another smaller top quilted to end the nice long weekend.  

Setting Triangle Woes

The Beachside Bungalow tablerunner project occupying my small sewing room floorspace needed its setting triangles cut.  I used Kona Shale for the neutral and decided to continue that as the setting triangle color.  There was a decent length of fabric left for this job.  I checked the Scrap Basket Beauties book by Kim Brackett for the setting triangle size.  I prefer using Bonnie Hunter's Easy Angle Ruler to cut QSTs from strips, but after drawing out the square on paper and measuring, it was an odd size.  Therefore I just cut squares per the book.  Unfortunately, I was looking at the wrong pattern in the book!! I was just able to eke out the  correct sized 18 large QSTs out of my now smaller chunk of leftover Shale. 

It was a puzzle to put together.  I had not noticed initially in the pattern that there are no "corner" triangles, they are just two setting triangles meeting there. I think that is very clever and time-saving. I don't care a whit if there is a seam there!

The pattern for the quilt has a different print for the setting triangles, which I do like for its border effect, but for my smaller project I wanted to feature the rings and keep the background the same.  These triangles on the cutting table are the wrong sized ones....

...versus the correct size.  I was WAY off, lol!  Today's project is to get the rows off the floor and all sewn together.  My sewing room will become a sitting room for the Thanksgiving Day crowd.  Hoping for good weather--without the strong East winds we have had for days...

Sewtopia Palm Springs, Part 4

Sewtopia project #2 was a tablerunner, a cropped portion of the Beachside Bungalow quilt by Kim Brackett, in her Scrap Basket Beauties book.  I had all the block pieces cut and ready to sew.  I needed my husband's help to take a photo of the layout directions in the book, as I had only written down my changes on a piece of paper.  Eventually he got back to me after golfing! By that time I had finished all the blocks. 

Very scrappy but fun.  Most of the fabrics were from a JoAnn's store jelly roll, with some additions from stash.

The "corner" blocks alternated with a "twist" block. There was no further assembly as I will have to figure the  the setting triangle size for the sides.  I am glad all the center pieces got sewn, anyway!

My third project was the Four-patch X by Bonnie Hunter, but I was only able to get one block completed before the end of the last day.  

The pillow cover I made did not win the Windham challenge; I am not sure who won!  The winner was chosen when I was busy elsewhere, I suppose.

There was a great trunk show from Latifah Saafir as well, with lots of HRTs.  She was selling her new HuRTy ruler afterwards. 

Sewtopia swap gifts were on the tables in the morning.  I received a very clever zippered folding tray with goodies inside. 

When opened, it was full of loot. 

A needle minder, needle book, needle setting tool, magnetic pin holder, and mini charm pack.  Thanks, Mandy!

Look at all the Sewtopia loot given and some I took home after we played games.  I did buy the strawberry print yardage and couple of fat quarters in the Sewtopia shop.  

An ironing board cover and several bottles of Soak spray, with a Kona color book were also gifted. 

Finally, I got a couple of birthday gifts, since mine fell during Sewtopia. My sister made me an H-bag. 

Love the sewing theme and the Lucite handles. Kathy cut up and covered used campaign signs for  a sturdy base inside the bag.  Our sister-in-law gave me a beautiful lipstick holder and thread winder butterflies. 

Finally, next year's Sewtopia was announced as NASHVILLE, TN!  I have never been to Tennessee.  Kathy is excited as her daughter and friends from Missouri.can easily visit.  We look forward to another great time put on by Amy and her SEWtopia crew!