Wonderful Wednesday - A Scrappy Exchange

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  This week I am pleased to share...

Another Quilted Yarn Bowl in the making:

And done:

Remember that one... because you will likely see another like it in the coming weeks.  :o))

I neglected to take any flat photos of the next basket:

I attempted Ribbon Quilting on the basket made from Sandy's recently gifted scraps:

I incorporated PURPLE scraps...

... For February's Rainbow Scrap Challenge Color of the Month:

The lining is a wild FQ that I received in a "Dirty Santa" Swap back in December 2016:

The two-toned PURPLE binding was added since the basket was completed as one of February's RSC projects:

In talking with NeedleB, a couple of light bulbs went off...

... I sewed the off-cuts from my Quilted Yarn Bowl...

... Into a small rectangular Pin Cushion:

Just how small is it, Joyful???

It is approximately 1.5" x 4.5" and that is a challenge to hand finish, let me tell you!  It is to be used on NeedleB's sewing machine bed during future sewing sessions:

Her idea was to use the corner cut-outs from her Fiona Basket in Neutral as the basis for a Quilted Thread Catcher:

What size basket does that make, Joyful???

Here is MY new Quilted Thread Catcher, as presented by NeedleB:

She didn't think it was right for the maker of Quilted Thread Catchers (for our entire Quilt Bee) not to have one of her own.  Hooray for someone else making it for me!!!  Thank again, B!!

Until next time...
Exchange ideas!!!

Mail Call Monday - IMPROV Scrap Swap

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  Just LOOK at the package that came in the mail last week from Katyknitsnyc:

It's so full that I'm surprised it didn't explode in transit!!

Within the confines of the package, the fabric was adequately protected from the elements:

This is the fabric from the smaller of two bags:

I've highlighted the PURPLE bits since that's the RSC Color of the Month for February.

The larger bag contained this fabulous assortment of large-ish fabric scraps for a potential IMPROV quilt challenge over on the Quilters Knitting group at Ravelry.com:

Thank you, again, Katy!!!

In return...

I was so concerned with mailing off my (tardy) swap package that I forgot to take any photos!!  :o((

Katy has since reported that her package arrived safely.

Here is what she had to say:

It arrived Friday. I love the little basket! I already have some thoughts about the large HSQ squares. 
I meant to respond earlier, but yesterday started way too early and lasted way too long and I never even looked at the internet.

Thanks!

Here is what I have to say to that:

You are quite welcome, Katy!  It was a fun swap and I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone does with their treasures.

Until next time...

Scraps happen!!!

Sew Some Love Sunday - The Thomas Top

Welcome to another edition of Sew Some Love Sunday!!  This week you are in for a real treat.  I'm here to show you how my Quilt Bee's most recent donation quilt came together.

It went together in quadrants, like this:

Here are the four quadrants squished together, ready for assembly:

Hooray!  The top half is sewn together:

Here is the completed top with our generous volunteer, NeedleB:

I knew you would want to see the completed Thomas Fire relief quilt top.  Isn't is lovely?!  Here is one last look:

The thing you are going to want to remember is the technique that we used for creating the border!!!  Scrappy border chunks were added as the rows were assembled.  It saves the maker from having to wrangle long borders AFTER the top has been put together.  The hardest part is not forgetting this slick trick BEFORE the blocks have been transformed into a top!

Thank you to all members of CCLQ who contributed blocks for our Thomas Fire Relief Quilt!  Gratitude goes out to C. Breeze Quilt Studio for volunteering to do the quilting on this group project.  We appreciate the time and talent that will go into stitching!!

Until next time...
Sew Some Love!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC18 - Week 8

Welcome to Week 8 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  My rainbow sewing isn't going very well thus far.  I seem to be opting out of my RSC block plans in favor of the "Fiona Basket of the Month" Club.  So far, that's not done, either!!

Sigh...

SUNDAY - Is it terrible that I can't remember what happened?  I knew there was a reason that I try to update the post as the week goes along!

MONDAY - Monthly Quilt Guild was tonight.  The speaker brought what looked to be 100 quilts.  It was SEW entertaining!!

TUESDAY - Hair appointment and Girls Night Out. I completed the first row on the body section of my sweater... Incorrectly, but I'm going with the assumption that I can correct it on the return row. We'll see...

WEDNESDAY - Alycia released Clue #2 of The Patriot Mystery.

THURSDAY - Knit Dinner was canceled due to lack of participation this week.  :o((

In order to console myself, I decided to go get a manicure.  My cuticles were a mess!  Plus, I finished up my day earlier than expected.  Sometimes, we just need to pamper ourselves (even when there's only ONE week left before a new RSC Color of the Month.)  Amazing what one extra coat of polish does:

FRIDAY - I spent the morning with a friend, the afternoon was spent sewing with Needleb.  I did some commission work:

But... I ended up with the evening to myself.  What better time to dig out a quilt project and load up the longarm?!

Well, I didn't really need to dig, as my antique Double Wedding Ring quilt has been thrown across the rails for at least a week now.  Here it is ready for quilting:

SATURDAY - It's time for the weekly LINK PARTY over on Angela's So Scrappy blog.  I'll catch up with you tomorrow.  I'm off to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, Virginia.  The bus leaves at 6 AM and I'm pretty sure that Angela's not awake yet.

Oops!! Ran out of time before leaving and I just got home.  It was a LONG day, but SEW much fun.  Here is a pretty PURPLE border in a quilt book prize on the bus:

Rainbow-licious jacket in the Hoffman Challenge:

Simple designs can be SEW effective.  This (PURPLE) appliqued Paint Chip Challenge Quilt at the Show is a great example:

The good news?  I didn't spend too much money (just about average for the bus.) However, the 47 quilters on our bus spent a combined total of just over $7000 dollars!!!  (You're welcome, Virginia state economy.)

While you are roaming around BlogLand this weekend, be sure to check out Libby's new Magical Mystery Block Quilt-Along.

Until next time...
Get Scrappy!!!

Wonderful Wednesday - Slick (Longarm) Quilting Tricks

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  In this week's post, I hope to clarify what you might have seen in the following photos from THIS POST.

The soup can treatment:

You should notice a can on either side of the needle.  In the direction you are sewing, the can ahead of the needle rolls along (mostly) on its own.  The one behind the needle needs a bit of a push as you move along the quilt.

The weight of the cans pull on the quilt sandwich just a bit.  They draw the quilted and unquilted portions, on either side of the needle, down just enough so that fullness is eased in beneath the hopping foot.

How shopping benefits the quilting process:

In the photo above, I would like to draw your attention to the plastic shopping bags shoved into the rolled up quilt.  That's the part that's already been quilted!

As a quilt is advanced on the frame, there are times when the row just quilted was straight, but the row to be quilted next doesn't QUITE match up to the pattern of your pantograph or template board.

In the photo above, the beginning of the new row was about one-half inch off (when compared to the rest of the row - which matched up perfectly.)  The bags take up just enough space to line up the section of the row that was a bit skewed.

Spray starch may be your next best friend:

Not addressed in that post, but still a valuable trick which Ellen Little Jewel Quilts at assures me works WITHOUT starch or magic sizing.  She warns to just be sure not to press in a crease!!!  

In the photo above, you might notice that the edge of the quilt is waving at you.  While waving at people is considered friendly, it's not terribly nice when your quilt does this!  Ruffled borders make for difficult quilting.  At times, I have resorted to taking tucks.  While not ideal, that eases the fullness and appears as any other seam along the border might.

Nancy from Grace and Peace Quilting relies on wool or puff batting and meandering to tackle the problem when her cordless steam iron doesn't do the trick!  Well, it was WAY too late to switch batting and a meander was out of the question, as well.  I didn't have a cordless iron at my disposal (or so I thought!), but I heated up my iron as hot as I could get it and spritzed the edge of the quilt with some water.  Pressing carefully seemed to shrink the fullness in that final border.

There you have it!  Quilting with items from your kitchen (and laundry room.) Who knew?

Until next time...
Share those Slick Tricks!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC18 - Week 7

Welcome to Week 7 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week marks the middle of February.  There are some interesting happenings. Read on to find out all about it...

SUNDAY - It's laundry day, as I just wasn't in the mood to tackle Mt. Washmore yesterday.  Silly, really!  Laundry is the easiest household chore there is.  It gave me a chance to scare up some more PURPLE scraps that were hiding up in the studio:

During the downtime involved in doing laundry, I released another edition of Sew Some Love Sunday this afternoon.

MONDAY - I started quilting my newest Quilted Yarn Bowl... last night (and forgot to take a picture.)  I started with orange and added lime today.  I also released my newest Mail Call Monday post.

Oh!  Sharon at Moosecraft wanted to know the shade name for this month's nail color.  With 600 bottles from which to choose, it was a challenge to locate the right one!

At first, we thought it was MISS PURPLELARITY:

By Cuccio:

However, upon closer inspection, we realized that one was a little bit darker than the color I'm wearing.  Here it is!  It's PURPLE RAIN IN SPAIN:

By CND  Creative Play:

TUESDAY - I added the hot pink quilting on my Quilted Yarn Bowl and trimmed it up.  It's ready for assembly... tomorrow.  The scraps came from Sandy at Sew... This is my Blog.  Thank you SEW much, Sandy!!!  Here is a reminder of the scraps used:

WEDNESDAY - Happy Valentine's Day, quilting friends!!  Sandra at MMMQuilts! has a gift for us all.  Today is the beginning of her Postcard From Sweden QAL:

 Look!!  PURPLE in it (for the RSC Color of the Month.)

THURSDAY - GALentine's Day Knit Night!!  Wine might have been involved... depending on your preferences.

Bubbly:

Red:

Or white:

One friend had the house to herself and invited us all over for dinner (7 of us!) and knitting, but the quilter in me wanted to race home to start sewing on Alycia's newest mystery, A7 - The Patriot Mystery Quilt.  She released the first clue yesterday.  Looks like a fun clue!! Head over to see what she wants us to do.

FRIDAY - This week's (main) scrappy finish was a Quilted Yarn Bowl FOR ME!!!  I used my "Sandy" scraps and finished this off on Wednesday afternoon while sewing with Needleb:

Please note that I added PURPLE binding (in honor of the RSC Color of the Month.)  I am SEW happy to have a Quilted Yarn Bowl of my very own!!  Special thanks to Sandy for the scraps and to my friend Britt for the lining fabric.

SATURDAY - Already?!?!  Yep.  It's that time, again.  Head over to Angela's So Scrappy blog for the weekly LINK PARTY for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  You are sure to see projects in THESE shades and many more:

The color card shown above comes to you compliments of the local Big Box Home Store.  Paint chips to inspire your RSC sewing.

I was a little late to the party, as my Monthly Quilt Bee meeting was this morning.  We had a baker's dozen members show up to chat, share projects, and enjoy a fabulous Pot Luck lunch.

Linking up with Cynthia for Oh Scrap!

Until next time...

Get Scrappy!!!

Mail Call Monday - The Outgoing Variety - Secret Sewing

Welcome to another installment of Mail Call Monday!!  This post is actually about Mail Call Monday in Reverse.  It's mail that I sent out and have been waiting for it to be received.

Here is the feedback...

Belinda:  JOY!!!!!!  "what a beautiful quilted box. will use it to hold weaving stuff. thank you so much."

Libby:  It arrived yesterday!  All those tiny pieces!  And my favorite color!  Perfect!

Here is what they got...

For Belinda, I started with some fun scrap piecing by adapting Fiona's tutorial for a QAYG fabric basket - I didn't use a Quilt-as-you-go method, nor did I use the same sized base piece:

Then I did some straight line quilting:

Presto-chango!  And add some binding:

I give you a quilted "yarn bowl":

A "brim" can be folded down, if the bowl is too tall to suit:

Up...

Or down...

It's a gift that I was pleased to give.  Use it any way you see fit, B, just know that it was made with love.

For Libby, I started with a handful of red 1" squares and a design:

The iPad photo was for pattern reference.  Sorry, unknown blogger!  I used your photo to check the angle positioning, not to mimic your quilt.  Notice:  My version is totally random and scrappy!

Then I started matching up pairs of squares:

And pairs of pairs which equaled rows:

Followed by pairs of rows - and sewed those to make halves:

The quilt top was assembled and flattened as best as possible:

You may remember this photo from a previous post:

Then it was on to figuring out the borders...

And doing the quilting:

You wouldn't think that something SEW small would take such a LONG time to complete.  Alas, that is how this project rolled.

Here is the complete mug rug:

Smile for the camera:

(A staged shot...) Ready to put into service:

Until next time...
Surprise a friend with sewing!!!