UFOs and Other Stuff

I recently pulled out a very old UFO that I have been wanting to get finished for Christmas.  The
quilting group I belong to did a number of Bee-type projects where we made blocks for each other a few years ago.  This one was 12 inch blocks, and my theme was Christmas.  Shortly after the blocks were all completed, I put the top together, and since then it has been sitting, draped on a quilt rack, waiting to be completed!

It is a much more traditional quilt than I have been making recently, but it is very special to me because most of the blocks were made by special friends in the group.  Each block is different from any other.  I can't choose which one is my favorite, but here are a few close-ups:

I managed to get the quilt sandwiched and basted so that I can machine quilt through the black sashing and the border.  Because it is a huge quilt, and becoming quite heavy, I'm going to add some hand quilting inside the blocks instead of trying to wrestle it around through my little machine.  At least I am making a little progress on it!

But because I always need some instant gratification, I had to put together something small for my weekend project.  JoAnn's had its Christmas fabric on sale a few weeks ago, and my husband showed me that there were some "Little Penguins" included in the flyer!  Of course, I had to have some!  So I cut some 6 inch squares out of the different fabrics and created a simple patchwork table topper with them.

That peppermint fabric is fun, too!  Penguins on the back - so cute!

I'll be finishing up the binding this afternoon during the football game, and then I will be all set to bring it out after Thanksgiving dinner.

Those are my first set of Wonder Clips!  I saw one of those amazing Daily Deals from Missouri Star Quilt Company recently - a set of 10 for 22 cents! They are definitely wonderful!  

Happy Thanksgiving, all!  I am thankful to be a part of the online quilting community!

Back to Work!

It seems like forever since I have been able to write about something new here.  The end of September through the end of October have been crazy with two trips out of town and tons to do at work.  I haven't even had the chance to sew much, but I have been building up my stash and finished a couple of small projects.  The little finishes help me keep my sanity when nothing else is doable!

I have gotten some happy mail recently!  I won a giveaway from Blossom Heart Quilts in connection with Alyce's Bright Sky QAL.  The prize:  a fat quarter bundle of my choice from anything in the Art Gallery Fabrics line through the Fat Quarter Shop.  Wow!  What a treat!  My choice was Gleeful by Sew Caroline, and was I ever "gleeful" when it arrived!  I am enjoying looking at this stack of fat quarters sitting on my cutting table!

 

This happy bundle of fabric will be fun to work with.  My plan is to use it for a Bright Sky quilt, so thank you, Alyce!

A friend visited New York City recently, and I told her she had to get to the City Quilter while she was there.  Well, she did, and she brought me something back!  

 

A little bundle of Charlie Harper bird fabric, including my favorite cardinals! Love this fabric!  It is also sitting on the side of my cutting table, just fun to look at!

I have wanted to try making some fabric baskets from this tutorial by Seaside Stitches.  I found some fat quarters of Elementary by Sweetwater for Moda, and went to work.  This is a quick and fun project which is great for gifts.  This one was a birthday gift for my teaching partner, so the perfect choice of fabric!  I love how it turned out!  I filled it with tea, chocolate, and cozy socks.  I think she liked it, too.

 

Finally, I ordered some charm packs of Best. Day. Ever by April Rosenthal for Moda from the Missouri Star Quilt Company, and used my favorite squares out of one to make a tote bag for myself from their YouTube video tutorial.  Another fast, easy project that makes you feel like you have accomplished something and gives you a chance to play with fabric for awhile!

 

Teachers always need a new bag to carry all their stuff in, right?!  I am going to love having one out of my favorite fabric.  This one is the perfect size for taking a pile of grading to Starbucks, which is exactly what I did today!  

So, I'm back to work on my favorite things.  Happy sewing, all!