Folk Art and Post Cards...finish 2:1

First finish~Second Quarter 2015 Finish Along!

Two different themes happen every couple months at The Bitty Block Committee.  Last one I signed up for was Folk Art and Postcards.  Next we were challenged to make something with out bitties.  This has never been hard for me as I have made something with every one of the swaps I have participated in....they call me The Finisher!:)

What to make, what to make?  Don't need another mini, bunting nor tote bag...hmmm?

Got it!  Let's combine them both and make a ....

....pocket wall hanging!

Top part is a little Folk Art mini.  They all went together like a perfect puzzle and look how everything is facing together or away. Have to admit that was all an accident!

 Bottom part is center pockets with smaller ones on each side...see the pen in the upper right?

Bonus~great place to display buttons and pins. Only a few are on there right now.

Done and done....no bitties left...until I looked up at the bulletin board and found this...

But I have an idea!!

~d

Second Quarter 2015 Finish Along list.

Long time no blog!

Wow...it's been a month since my last post! Been busy, busy, busy and we are trying to stay warm!! Quilting helps!:)

You have already seen the finished Polaroids quilt...I just added a little hand quilting to it but Dance Floor is today's highlight!!

 Dance Floor is from Dana Bolyard's Imagine Quilts. It's the third one I have made from the book having already finished Ampersand and made the zip it! that you see in the actual book!:)

I love the quilting! My pal and coworker Kathleen Imagined it all and it's perfection!

 Love, love, love the backing and the binding and of course the crinkly goodness!  You can see where I hand quilted around the larger Polaroids and tied in the middle of the smaller ones. I love that little extra texture!

(3.5" blocks)

 Was also sucked into another round of Bitty Blocks.  The theme was Folk Art....

(4.5"x 6.5" blocks)

 ...and post cards.  Just waiting to receive from my fellow swappers then I have to put my thinking cap on as to putting them together.

 Finish Along 2015 is still going strong....finished the two tops from the bag-o-strips.  Kathleen now has the two tops for quilting.  Even have the binding all ready!

 The main reason for not quilting those two tops is saving my hands to get the pickle dish finished.  One of the four sections is done...another pin basted.  Loving the wool batting!!

 Woke up to this and 6 degrees (-14.4 C)  Supposed to be colder tomorrow...see why we are trying to keep warm? We sure feel for our friends in New England since they have been getting record snow!!

But this is what has really kept me busy...would you like to hear the story of these 40 and counting Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks? It's really cute!!:)

~d

FAL # 4 Polaroids Forever!!!

Who doesn't love a Polaroid camera? Instant fun at any gathering. Big white-framed magic! Selfies on celluloid.  Then someone had the great idea to use cloth!

Yep, another fun swap, the Polaroid Swap group over at fun filled Flickr!

It all started at the Bitty Block Committee as a side swap but was so popular it branched off to a separate group.  The larger Polaroids are from the BBC so unframed they started as 3.5" blocks.  The smaller ones are from the side swap and new group so with frames were around the same size.

 All sashed up they ended up as nine inch blocks for a finished size of 54"x 63".  How about that wonderful flannel backing fabric. It's a Riley Blake for only $7.50 here!!!  I had a hard time picking because of all the wonderful choices!

Another reason for the multitude of mini blocks was a great package I received from my pal Sooz....she asked if I would like her blocks....of course I said yes and soon this fantastic package of tiny goodness arrived. I pulled out what I wanted and the remainders went to Laura in California to make a quilt for her granddaughter....paying it forward!:)

Thanks to all the gang at the BBC, Polariod swap and Sooz...couldn't and wouldn't have done it without you all!!

FAL #5 is all pieced together and going to my coworker Kathleen to be longarmed.

This puppy is 70"x 84" so I'm not wrestling it through my machine!!

Need to ironed it first.

I need a bigger ironing board!

~d

ps- Yes, we still have snow and are supposed to get more on Thursday!

Little Finishes

Hope all in the Northeast are staying warm...we dodged that storm just having about 1.5  inches of snow and loads of wind.  Today is glorious!

With all this messy weather I have been getting some things done.

 This is Eclectic Manor made from the windows/door theme at the Bitty Block Swap.  If you want to read the Manor's story and see who made each wee block check it out here.  I made the mouse door in the attic!:)

 Here is Eclectic Theater made from the movie theme blocks....read the Theater's story here! I made the drive-in theater block in the middle row on the bottom....I should have picked better fabrics for it!

 January's theme at The Sketchbook Challenge was Artist Dates....I really never made time for myself to go somewhere and just draw.  At the end of the month I realized I was going to mess up my streak of posting a picture every month since the Challenge began January 2011...so I got to it!  The boy gave me a French Press for Christmas so I had coffee on the brain!

It's Ruthie's turn at the Bitty Block Bee.....she picked Harry Potter so I made her a feather and the Knight's Bus....I forgot the bus should have been purple but Ruthie didn't care....thank heavens!!:)  My turn is coming up in May...I have finally have an idea....it's a secret for now!!

Things are really starting to heat up for the Sew South Retreat next month in Charlotte, NC.  I'm doing a few of the fun swaps and one of them is a Sample Swap.  We'll be put in random groups of five and swap little homemade goodies.  I made jewelry pouches.

Little drawstring bags with six pockets on the inside.  Love those colors.  Should have made one for myself!!  We just received our Supply List and I'm so excited. We will be making a clutch purse, a duffle bag, a foundation paper piece project AND some lounge pants!  I've made all that before but this time I'll be with a bunch of like-minded peeps....sewing+talking+food=so freaking much fun!!  

I also received some fun mail this week...aren't these itty bitty wooden birds adorable? I showed my Dad a picture and he made these for me.  I want to put a more colorful trim on them but for now this will do.  They are sitting on my shelf....just being cute! Thanks Dad!! xoxo
~d

Who's That Behind the Curtain?

Bwahahahahaaa!! I'm having tooooo much fun!

This past February the theme at the Bitty Block Committee was Bathroom and I couldn't pass that up...too funny!  Now many months and themes later the ladies are trying to encourage us to do something with our bitties....any of them...with a little contest.   I have made a lot of minis with my bitties but I think this one is my favorite. Take a peek behind the curtain!!!

 Bwhahahahaaaa!

See....too much fun!;)  

The bathroom is all decorated for Christmas and that's the girl and boy age three and one in the mini frames!;)  Beefcake is only staying in the tub til February....then it's anyone's guess as to who will be....cleaning up!:)

~~~~~

On a serious note...

....twenty-six of the over 300 quilts made and donated this year by our generous customers at Webfabrics went to Newtown, Conn....hugs from Virginia.

Peace

~d

A Virtual Hug

Gearing up for Thanksgiving...baking vegan pies and cookies, casseroles and crisps...there has still been time for some sewing.

 Here is a scrappy 58x46 lap quilt using all Kaffe and Company gibblets.  I love that teal Bella solid!

 I especially love that backing fabric....and using leftovers!  This was quilted by my co-worker Penny...I love that all over design...sort of like clouds but better!:)

 I haven't participated in the Bitty Block Committee for a while but this month's theme is Winter/Christmas and who can pass that up? Not me!!  So I made twelve little snow houses and twelve little snow-covered automobiles.  My sis found that little Alaska stamp and gave it to me as that's where I was born....maybe that's why I like Winter!;)

The November theme at The Sketchbook Challenge is Spice of Life....first thing I thought of was a photo I snapped the day hubby and I went to get our Fall pumpkins. No trip to Nalls Farm Market is complete without Route 11 Sweet Potato Chips and Stewart's soda!!

 There's the Kaffe quilt sitting on top of a couple things I can't show you right now and a new project behind the pile!  I'm still auditioning backgroud fabric for that quilt.

Did some non-quilt sewing too!  My wrapping paper organizer purchased 20 years ago at a school fundraiser finally fell apart....totally apart....bits and pieces apart....no saving apart.  So I pulled the hanger out, used what was left as a template and made another one....that will not fall apart!!  There are two pockets in the back and an opening all the way up the right side so I can put those decorative bags we all collect inside!

 Here is my virtual hug....from my online buddy Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts fame!  We have the truckshow in the shop for her new book Skip the Borders.  I wrapped myself in one of them....and sold three signed copies that day...not including the one I bought!:) Great book....great quilts....check it out!:)


~d

Trees and Houses and Gourds...Oh MY!:)

Been playing with my bitties again...now I am all caught up...not a bitty left to be sewn together...PHEW!

November 2010 the Bitty Block Committee made houses...adorable houses....they hung in a bunch from my bulletin board. February we made trees...so freaking cute....they hung next to the houses. Until this past week! I was going to try to come up with some cute neighborhood with a cul-de-sac and an orchard and the Big Woods and Nob Hill for the (s)n0bbier neighborhood but in the end kept it simple...I'm glad I did!:) Plus it was going to end up huge! I made the castle block.

Around the same time we were doing the trees one of the group...who will remain nameless cause she is a trouble-maker...Flossieblossoms...had this wacky idea rolling around in her head and thus was born Out of Our Gourds! Each of us picked a veg and made it human....here is the motley lineup:

Billy the Kidney Bean (Quiltinkimmie)

Carroty Kid (Sandy in Buenos Aires)

Ludwig von Beet-hoven (Ruthiequilts)

Alexander the Grape (the crazy person)

Melon-y Griffith (EdyB1)

Tina Turnip (Fingers, Inc)

Lima Minnelli (LethargicLass)

Pablo Pea-casso (Spiced Coffee)

Beety Boop (Sewjo)

Black Scallion (Lucyellen06)

Dr. Pepper (me)

Squash Buckler (Marilynkb)

Grapeful Dead (Nanotchka)

Abraham Lin-corn (Hohnstreiterrific)

I printed the names on some fabric and put that next to each veggie because I figured we all weren't up to figuring them out...heheheh!:) Thanks Ladies!!!

So...now I am all caught up....I'm hoping to convince the gang that we need to do a bathroom theme...can't you see it...toothbrushes, tubs and toilets...OH MY!:)

On the Doll Quilt Swap 11 front I'm finished. I wasn't feeling it...I mean I really like it but it was outside my comfort zone being new to paper piecing so I'm not really satisfied with my workmanship. Everyone at DQS was so encouraging that I'm going to send it on. Hope my partner likes it!:)

Just for fun I made this little colorful thing out of some Makower Sew scraps that I brought home from work. I was just having fun sewing these weirdly cut strips together adding some Meadowsweet on the outside...looked cute as individual blocks....now I see from the photo that the Meadowsweet wasn't a great idea cause there are some wacky zig zags going on there! Alas I still think it is cute and was going to send it to one of my online buddies....think I still should?:)

~d

Three Minis made by 22 Quilters...and Me!:)

Yep, I could have never made these minis without the total creative efforts of the Bitty Block Committee!!:) Making all those different 3.5" squares is not going to happen but making 12 of the same thing each month and trading is awesome!:)

February's theme was words/text...everyone had a lot of fun with these. I really wanted to make a word with my bitties...one of the blocks was LOL! Perfect!;)

April's theme was sewing. I had an extra measuring tape and was inspired. This mini ended up being 36 1/2" tall....perfect for a quick measurement. The bow at the top is a piece of measuring tape ribbon graciously given to me by the lovely Amy...perfect topper!

In May we were cool and hip with a 60s retro theme. I kept this one simple using some of the extra fabric generously sent by Spiced Coffee and Friedazzzz. I made some easy square in square blocks to go with the bitties to make this groovy little piece!

To always remember who sent each block I make sure the backing fabric is light enough to use a Sharpie and note on the back of each square where it came from...so thank you....

Crazyfun01

EdyB1

FlossieBlossoms

Friedazzzz

hohnstreiterrific

JGmehlin

LethargicLass

Mandalin18

Marilynkb

Spiced Coffee

Mindboggld

4MonkeysQuilts

Nanotchka

Needleanddime

QuiltinKimmie

Ruthiequilts

SandyinBuenosAires

Sewgentle

SewSheDid

Sewwunderful

Silort and

Uniqueandnovel

for being wonderful, creative and generous swappers...I have learned a lot from all of you! A big thank you to all the other wonderful folks of the Bitty Block Committee....go check them out!;)

I still have a stack of wee houses, trees and veggies gone wild to make into minis but in the mean time....

...here is another sneak peek of my secret project!;)

~d

Exclamation Day!!!!!

WhooooHOooooo....it's been a great day! First of all I finished a few things today one being this mini made out of the last scraps of Kaffe...
....it's wonky on purpose and I think it looks like an exclamation point so that's what I am going to call it. I think I want to give it to Maria's friend Beth...don't know why....I just think of Beth when I see it. Do you want it Beth?:)

Second....PIPS are in the house...well...in the store!! We received a shipment of Sherbet Pips jelly rolls and charm packs by Aneela Hoey. This is Aneela's first fabric line and from all the buzz online I don't think it will be her last!:) Bolts won't come in until next month. I guess Moda just wants to get us excited so that's why we have to wait....teases! Decisions, decisions!

Third....my lovely online pals over at Mini QT received their minis today so I can reveal them to you all. This "Dotty " themed mini went to Laney....she's new in the swapping game and I was tickled to be her partner this round! I think we are all ready to see some fireflies!:)

The other mini I had to make this round was 3D for my bud Amy. The felt birds hang off of the jinglebell apples which are also tumbling out of the basket while bead butterflies flit over beaded flowers. These were so much fun to make....thanks ladies for being such great partners.

Lastly, it was a great soft mail day too....my pal Mandy sent me an extra 3.5" block for this round of bitty blocks....she said she was going to scrap it but remembered our sweetie Slate and thought maybe I could find a use for it.....You betcha Mandy!! I added some Max & Whiskers border and a leftover dotty star block on the back, ribbon drawstring and now I have a bag for the nano Don gave me for Christmas!:)

Like I said....Exclamation Day!!!

~d