Scrap Stacks

I'm over the scraps.  They are breeding!  I am sure of it.  

DJ helped me sort out a bit.  We put them in piles of roughly the same sort of length.  I have quite a stack of width of fabric pieces.  Time to do something with them.  

So hey, why not just sew a bunch together for now.  But let's wait to see what happens to it.  If something will... 

Ta-Dah

The last bit was auditioning fabric for the right hand side, the top, & the 2 rectangles on each end of the diamondy squares...  It was actually quite tricky & something I couldn't decide on until the rest was done.  Then it was a play with options & the right ones just popped up in the right place.  Another couple of favourite fat quarters from my stash to go on the side & top.  A bit of cutting to make them work but I love them. 

I am really pleased with it.  it was such fun. 

However, it didn't make much of a dent in my scraps. 

IT IS DONE

I did it! I actually DID IT!  

The Town & Country quilt is complete.  The binding was finished off this morning!  A year in the making & it is over.  

It's weird really as it is good it is done.  It's weird to think it is over.  It's odd that I ever managed to keep up with it & to realise it is completed within a good time frame of the end of the year when we got the last of the blocks.  

Now I can tuck it away & give it a rest for a bit.  I will appreciate it again after I haven't looked at it for a while.

Super Thrilled

...  to have my stash of WIPs finished from the quilt cupboard!

Number 5 is done.

This is one of my favourite fabric ranges from this year that we have stocked at work.  It's called Mon Ami by Basic Grey.  It's not even my favourite designer!  I used a layer cake & the pattern is from a book I even invested in as it is so packed full - The Big book of Scrappy Quilts.  Not a cheap book but certainly good value for money as it is a very fat book.

I have had the quilt top done since early this year.  But now have battled the quilting.  I tried a couple of designs in the coloured parts in the blocks.  I tried 2 different designs with stencils I made myself.  I was trying to do something a bit different.  But well, I didn't like either of them.  So spent time unpicking them too.  Back to the simple ideas for quilting it which suits it better to me anyway.

I like my quilted border too which is zigzaggy around the points.  That was slow but so worth while to me.  I like it.  I really enjoyed making this quilt.  All of the aspects of it.

So yay!  I have completed another thing off my 2016 to do list!

Now I can work on something different.  Probably start thinking about some Christmas gifts for teachers & the like....  Both boys have 2 teachers this year!  Plus a daycarer...  hmmm...  5 already!

Anyway, I am excited to have some things out of the stash cupboard.  I can now think about some other fabrics that I have lined up & think about the next quilt top phase.

UFO Becomes FO

Well how is that then!  It's done!  With almost no time involved at all really.  Isn't that typical.

The centre pieced top has been sitting in the cupboard waiting for 9 years.  Yep, my longest serving UFO.  I knew it only needed borders sewn on, & then the basting etc to finish off...  I knew that.  I guess I really needed to be in the mood.  But the other week I dug it out to have a look.  Yep, I can finish that in no time.  Why not.  So cut the first border, cut the second border & the binding.  Found some perfect fabric at work & off we go.

I don't know why it's taken so long.  It would have just about been finished back in 2007 only everyone decided to come home for Christmas!  Yeah, rough I know.  I couldn't finish this as they all came home!  Well it was an odd year that one.  After my stepdad Noel died suddenly, I found myself helping mum out in her shop.  I sold lawn mowers!  & mower parts & all sorts of stuff.  But the mower business isn't one that I could keep myself flat out in, so.....  I got to set up my sewing stuff in the room by the shop.  I got a lot of stuff sewn at the time.  I almost got this one done.  But when Christmas was coming, mum needed that room for family members to stay in.  So I had to pack up.  For some reason I never put it back either so I could continue.  Guess the mood had passed.  But that's OK.   It's done now!

As you can see, I didn't put much effort into quilting it.  The quilt is so busy, it didn't need more than that in my opinion.  I am a less is more quilter as I have found out tonight working on another!  lol

My Virtues quilt is now done.  These are old Max New fabrics & they are called things like Peace, Charity, Faith & Hope.  I don't know what I was thinking at the time.  It is certainly not really me now.  But either way I do like it, florals & all.  But one day it will find it's home where it belongs.  I will look after it until it suits someone...

And Now For The Baking!

Pleading to bake started early today.  No good excuse not to as it was a bit damp out.  

Started with DJ & ANZAC biscuits & then chocolate chip cookies.  

While doing that I came across the Lemon Slice recipe that BJ had been asking to make for a few weeks.  So got that ready to roll too.  

Super excited to be able to say I have a third quilt finished off too.  This Sweetwater fabric range "Reunion" is a jelly roll fun & fast quilt I put together a while back.  Unfortunately I cannot find when, anywhere on here.  I can't remember when I whipped it up.  But now, it's basted, quilted & bound.  It will go in the cupboard with my collection of Sweetwater quilts.  lol  Oh & I quilted it with a template I made myself, trying to duplicate the 4 petal flower sort of design in the fabric.  I thought it needed a big sort of design on it some how.  I'm not good at it or anything but I guess if I do some it's called practice.  

I was reading something earlier about how people don't quilt their quilts for fear of ruining them so the quilt tops get put away for an age until they feel brave enough.  Yes, I can see why.  Have one of those coming up.  Anyway, it's nice to try something new & have a little play.

Quilt 2

Another finish!  I'm really rapt it's done...  I hate to admit it but this was the second oldest UFO.  I just had to search & found the quilt top was made in 2012.  I had bought wadding for it at one point but used it in something else.  So had to get some more & now here it is done.  

I decided when I realised a long time family friend (long time as in 18 years I guess!) was having an 18th birthday this month I suggested to Stuart that we give this to her.  So yes, this is headed off to someone else!  It does pay to have them sitting about half done, as they will get used or given some day.  I hope she enjoys it.  

I even got a bit excited with the border quilting.  Not great at free motion quilting but it's fun trying!   I just hope they don't look at it too closely.  

A UFO

Well I did it.  I pulled out a 9 year old UFO...

One Quilt Down

So happy to have this finished.  I love it.  & I love the backing fabric too.  Take my word for it, it matches so wonderfully well.  DJ is very happy with it.

Finished!

It's been a good few days for sewing I guess.  

Firstly I have these 2 appliques stitched.  

Also I got these squares completed.  

Ta-dah!!!

Lovely, Happy Day

Spent a lovely morning being spoilt by my boys.  

The afternoon was lovely in that I could just sew!  The boys were there playing around me & happy as can be.  I could just hang with them but sew which was very pleasant.  

So this happened...

But now, having got a little over excited, I really need to finish stitching the last 2 applique squares!

But this happened too.  A giant cake that was gifted to us!  Wow!

Colour Play

You would think after a day of work that I would be over this stuff, but I guess when I am in the mood, that's it.  

So I spent the evening playing with colours & sorting the pieces I had cut already.  Photos are handy to refer back to when you have to put them all away!

Charity Tops

Recently I did a lot of sewing of scraps...  this is what I ended up with from the large pile of very "Lazy Log cabin" squares that I did.  I just kept sewing & sewing at the time.  Sewed them together this week to get them out of the way.  They are now waiting in the charity box at work for the next time quilts are necessary for some disaster relief.  Eight quilts from the box recently went to Western Australia for some who lost all in the recent bushfires.  Hopefully the 3 quilt tops I have put into the box recently will get used eventually for something though I am not wishing disasters on anyone.

Borders!

I got my borders on!  I am quite impressed.  Really pleased with it...  you can't see the design in the border fabric very well.  Hard to capture well.  But you can see the piecing design.  This is the most detailed piecing design I have done in an age.  I even quite enjoyed it & it didn't take long.  String/chain piecing goes quickly - lots of that going on in here.  But yes, it sure made sewing this together very simple.  I'm even pleased with my points as they are quite good.  There are flaws, but nothing that will be greatly noticeable to anyone else without then looking really really closely.  

Anyway, I'm excited that I got this one down in less than a week!  Don't know about the finishing off stages.  We'll see what happens.  I really need to pack up the craft stuff & do some housework.  More housework!  

Liking This

These squares really change with the white tucked in between.  The colours popped a lot more.  Quite pleased with this.  The pattern is from a book "The Big Book of Scrappy Quilts".  It's a very nice book.  Most impressed.  77 patterns in it.  But ok, I didn't use scraps for mine,  I made it from a nice coordinated layer cake.  But the picture in the book just appealed to me  - a lot obviously.  I have to see if I can make the next bit work now.  Stay tuned.

So This Happened On The Weekend

A bit of cutting on Saturday night, a dash of sewing on Sunday & you have 16 blocks...  Just need the next fabric for the sashings etc... This was a Layer Cake of fabric called Mon Ami.  I really like it... obviously, else I wouldn't have bought it right?  lol

Work Research

Of course all the crafting I do is work related research!  Of course!  lol

Well this one actually was.

This was the sample of 5 squares that work was given to make shop samples to promote the 2016 Block of the Day Town & Country quilt.  It starts in January.  At work, the three of us that work have all been working on this same set.  They will all look very different than each other too.  I had intended to hand stitch the lot of these but it was just too slow for now.  But I did get my embroidery on & embellished the flowers a bit.  Had a bit of fun doing that.  So I think I will just add bits of that on my quilt next year.  I will see what happens.  I think it will vary all year as it will depend on a mood too of course!

More Christmas Finishes!

On a roll....

I like the bird one but not entirely happy with the reindeer.  Just fabric choices that are bothering me.  But it's done.   

Oh I do like my airmail letter lines around the letter.  Thought that was quite clever of me.  heheheh...

Finishes...

Forgot to post these when I finished them off...

Sew Over Excited?

So I'm addicted to table runners right now.  This one I made up.  I really liked the colouring for someone as a gift.  Had a couple of other colours but ended up scrapping those from this one & went with the simple 2 tones.  I feel quite clever & really like how it came out.  (need to baste & finish off of course...)  

Then...  after the one above in the newest French General fabrics, we got the Moda Candy in at work on Friday.  So I got a couple & a little bit more light.  I was then able to use the 2 fabrics that I didn't use in the one above.  One is the red I have bordered this with & the other will be the binding.  Not sure which one I am giving as the gift now.  I will wait to see if I wreck either of them in the quilting & finishing off process.  Then make a decision based on that.   Oh & this one was a free pattern from the Moda Bakeshop!  Such a lot of good ideas in there.  

A little fun today too as recently our neighbours cut down some Very LARGE trees.  They have created 3 snowmen out the front this week & today were dressing them up.  Our boys got to put their tinsel scarves on them all.  They aren't quite finished in this as they have since had their faces done, arms attached & buttons added.  They look terrific!  Oh & they have some lights attached too so blink all night.  Such fun for kids!