ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC18 - Week 47

Welcome to Week 47 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  I've been busy this week.  Would you like to see what I've been up to?

SUNDAY - I released a new Sew Some Love post and did a couple loads of laundry.  I also did a bit of sewing:

MONDAY - It was a special day in Joyful Quilterland.  My friends got together to have lunch with our friend Lisa who is home for Thanksgiving from "across the pond."  Here is the bunch of us:

This is what I was sewing yesterday:

Lisa was being silly for The Junior Quilter and willingly hammed it up for the camera, modeling her new "hat" (I didn't know) I made:

It was Quilt Guild night.  When I got home, I released a new Mystery Monday post.

TUESDAY - Hoping for a little bit of sewing time... Nope!  Didn't happen tonight, but I do have plans to quilt with a friend over the long weekend (and the next week, too!)  :o))

How about a closer look at the quilted basket that I made:

The exterior even boasts one of my custom labels:

Thank you, Dee Dee, for including such wonderful batik scraps in the bag you gave me!!

WEDNESDAY - (Along with half of the people in America) Today was baking day.  You know?  The day that you bake all the pies and such for tomorrow's BIG event!

Meanwhile, view two potential uses for that Quilted Basket...

Yarn Bowl:

Rainbow yarn for my RSC friends.  :o))

Large Thread Catcher:

It can even hold a variety of sewing tools!

The binding was a scrap from Jean's giant bag of scraps from a few weeks ago and was sitting right on top!  It was just the right color to finish this off:

Thank you, Jean, for preparing the perfect binding for this basket!!

THURSDAY - Happy (American) Thanksgiving!!!  Safe travels to anyone who is going "over the river and through the woods" today.  We headed over to Greensboro, NC to visit with my MIL.  Fun times and good eats!

Well...

Except for the pumpkin pie.  This will be forever known as the day the pumpkin pie got thrown in the TRASH!

Let me explain...

I bought groceries last week, but already had the pumpkin pie fixings from when I thought about the holiday baking earlier in the month.  As it turns out, Pumpkin Pie Mix is NOT the same thing as the traditional Solid Pack Pumpkin that I usually get.

The resulting pie was too sweet (I never put the full amount of sugar) and it was too wet (I make a firm pumpkin pie).  Only THREE small pieces were consumed:

The rest?  The rest got tossed in the trash:

It was a VERY sad day.  :o((

FRIDAY - Whew!!  I'm glad THAT'S over!  Too many calories.  Too much emphasis on food.  NOT the best holiday for those of us who are trying to lose a few pounds.

While many were out shopping for Black Friday deals, my friends and I met for Knit Group at Filament in Mebane, NC.  We had a lovely morning of knitting and the weather outside served to spur us to knit faster.  Winter is well on its way!

Today was also the day that "Bonniacs" have been waiting for.  This year's Mystery begins today!  Bonnie Hunter fans from around the globe will be slicing and dicing fabric for this new quilt.  Go to the Good Fortune link at Quiltville.com for the first set of instructions.

While I'm not PLANNING to participate in the project, come back on Monday to see if I caved and started the Mystery!

SATURDAY - IN-credible!!  LINK PARTY is upon us once again over on Angela's So Scrappy blog.  It feels like I blink and it's Saturday, again.  Sigh...  There's only ONE explanation.  I must be getting old.  :o((

Well, that's neither here nor there, as it's better than the alternative.  The important thing is that YOU head over to see what wonderful rainbow finishes have appeared this week.  Knowing the RSC Quilters, there will be at least a few.  I'll meet you over there.

Enjoy the photo above?  The rainbow-ish pin board that I found during yesterday's shopping event might work for attaching all of those project ideas that you have for the 2019 Rainbow Scrap Challenge or some other quilty notes in your sewing space.  I left it at the store.

SEW...

There's still time for YOU to scoop it up.

Linking up with Cynthia for Oh Scrap!!

Until next time...
Get SCRAPPY!!!

{Magical} Mystery Monday - The Epilog

Welcome to another edition of Mystery Monday!!  Today, I'd like to report my additional progress on Libby's Mystery Quilt Block Along.

You see, I got the bright idea to teach Libby's Mystery at my Quilt Bee's retreat last month at the beginning of this Fall.  That meant that I needed to choose additional fabrics, if I wanted to continue with THESE blocks made during Libby's Block Along earlier in the year:

SEW...

Since I didn't have the necessary fabrics, nor did I want to BUY more fabric (take my temperature, please!), I opted for using a kit of fabrics from my Quilt Guild's Donation Quilt program.

Here's how things progressed...

I traveled to Lake Ontario and shared Libby's Mystery with three of my fellow CCLQ members.  I got them started and then worked on getting caught up, while enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the retreat space.  Among retreat attendees, it's fondly known as The Sewing House, not to be confused with The Eating House.  :P

Stitching...

And they're off:

Three cheers for chain-piecing:

Four-patch units, ready to go:

Block components, stacked and waiting:

Sewn blocks, pressed and ready:

Layout...

Making use of the retreat design wall:

Interesting alternative:

This might work:

The layout, round 2, after deciding that I didn't want to return home with only a pile of blocks to show for my time away:

Another option:

All the blocks now:

Yep!  Let's put this puppy together:

Blocks become rows:

The 2.5-hour assembly line:

The Results...

Voila!! I give you a completed quilt top:

Yes.  It really only took me around two and a half hours to sew the blocks into a quilt top!  I have a process (and I was a woman on a mission.)  I certainly COULD have dithered endlessly, but my desire for a quilt top far outweighed need to explore the plethora of options before choosing the "PERFECT" layout.

Quilted...

Here's a closer look at the binding options, shown along the edges above:

Bound and DONE:

And ..

In case you'd like a look a the back:

I'd like to take a moment to thank Libby for putting together this Quilt Along.  I appreciate the time it took and the enjoyment I received from those efforts.

These are the process picture of my "students" quilts...

Linda:

Deborah:

Candy:

Here I am, turning my quilt in at Guild tonight:

Best of all...  This knocked another project off my UFO List.  Color me SEW happy.  :o))

12/15/18 Update...

Candy completed her quilt top:

It's SEW different from the others, but equally as wonderful.  Nice work, Candy!!  I'll be looking forward to seeing this (and each of the other Magical Mystery Quilts quilted.)

Until next time...
Be Mysterious!!!

Sew Some Love Sunday - Charity Update

Welcome to another edition of Sew Some Love Sunday!!  This week, I'm here for two purposes.  I want to share two new things with you.  Well, one new and one nearly finished...

Where shall I begin?

Let's start with the new.  Mari at The Academic Quilter shared a new-to-me charity.  As you know, I like to pass these along to YOU.  Everyone has their own "thing" that speaks to them.

Bernie at Needle and Foot is heading up a quilt drive for her friend Patty, a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Sacramento, California.
If Mercyful Quilts speaks to you, by all means, make a quilt or two or ten for them!  It's another palliative care program for dying patients and their families, like Covered in Love, but in another area of the country.

Continuing with the nearly done...

I quilted this week.  Twice!  It took that long to get back into the groove of quilting on the longarm.  Plus, the first night, the machine was giving me fits.  Thread breaking right, left, and center.  I struggled through the ENTIRE first row before giving up.

On the second night, I changed threads and it was fairly smooth sailing from there.  Whew!  I forget that I either need to change needles or change thread when the machine gives me trouble.  I'm incredibly stubborn that way.  LOL!

Anyway...

Success came at the end of the second evening.  Here is the Donation Quilt that I am hoping to turn in at Quilt Guild on Monday night:

This is the Magical Mystery from Libby at Hillside Quilter.  I taught the Mystery at CCLQ @ The Bluff Quilt Retreat in September.  The top has been waiting on the longarm since October.  I (finally) decided that it was time to move it along!

Next up, decide on the "right" binding for the quilt.  If you look closely, you can see the 3 options that I auditioned:

Soon.  I will have it finished very soon.  It's on my Autumn 2018 (Ravelry) UFO Club project list, too!

:o))

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

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC18 - Week 46

Welcome to Week 46 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week, I'm trying to take it easy.  Don't want a relapse of walking pneumonia.  Once in a season is more than ENOUGH!!

Here's how the week flowed...

SUNDAY - I did a little bit of laundry, a little bit of catching up on blog posts, and a whole lot of napping!

MONDAY - Worked on a Secret Santa project.  Sorry!  No photos.

TUESDAY - Not much going on today.  Although, my evening Quilt Bee tried something new... A 2nd meeting during the month.  I got some pressing and trimming:

I also cut a stack of batting scraps for another secret project:

WEDNESDAY - Knit Group was followed by a hair appointment.

The evening was spent finishing the quilting on this Donation Quilt:

THURSDAY - I was hoping to get to my Weekly Quilt Bee for a visit.  Alas, that didn't fit into my day.  :o((

FRIDAY - Is it just me or are the weeks passing quicker than they used to?!

Forgetting that it was the Friday before Thanksgiving, I went to the grocery store this afternoon.  That was a really BAD idea!!!  Everyone and their grandmother was there.

I also ripped out half of one sleeve on my Hoodie Shawl Cardigan, as I had been striping the wrong colors:

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day over on the So Scrappy blog.  Head over to see the rainbow scrappy finishes that are sure to be happening.

Until next time...
Get SCRAPPY!!!

Wonderful Wednesday - November Sew/Craft Friend-zy

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  This week, I'm here to report on November's Sew/Craft Friend-zy.  

People came and went at various times, but...

Here are the highlights...

Tiffany was presented with her REAL 50th Birthday gift:

I modeled how to wear it as a shawl:

Carol worked on creating some gifts:

Lisa planned to start out the morning with an ornament project: 

Tiffany demonstrated use of the cutting machine:

Tiffany and I took a selfie with her new shawl-turned-scarf, so Lisa decided to photo-bomb the picture:

Denise came with ANOTHER new kit:

The Cuba bags are nearly done.  Tiffany finished the embroidery:

Denise is ready to start laying out blocks and bagging them up:

A couple of the crafters were working on making ornaments:

Kristen and her tablemates worked on scrapbooking:

There was also a production line for making Art Bowls:

Crafters, old...

... And young alike, worked on decorating the bowls:

Another crafter was responsible for shaping the bowls.  Over bowls.  Then the waiting begins:

Electronic stencil maker:

This is the sign above the coffee bar:

Someone forgot to pick up their stamped Halloween shirt:

Lisa is making progress:

Her next project will be these curling iron holders:

BEAUTIFUL, Denise!!  1 down, 19 to go:

With photos taken, I was ready to follow my sock's advise:

You KNEW that I wasn't REALLY done with photos, didn't you?!

Tiffany busied herself making circles:

The knitter in me HAD to have a picture of Denise's Wolkig Cowl that she started with yarn she bought at SAFF last week:

Her knitting style intrigued me:

Just LOOK at that super soft baby alpaca yarn and that gorgeous wooden yarn bowl:

The m&m station was set up behind my machine:

Carol completed a flat iron holder:

MORE circles for Tiffany's newest applique project:

Lisa prepares binding...

... Using Tiffany's binding maker:

I've sewn the first seam on the last batch of blocks:

I pressed them with my new Steamfast Iron:

Carol completed her last two Flat Iron Holders:

Melinda showed up with a faux wolf pelt:

She's making pillows for one of her offspring:

Britt is working on completing the top of It's a Blooming Jungle:

Here she is, fitting the final pieces of this puzzle together:

Remind me never to sew with fake fur, please!!

It looks like Denise is getting close to having her blocks packaged:

Woo!!  Hoo!!  Block number 20 is in the bag:

Britt's B9P is a completed top:

Super soft shirt brand:

Lisa is making another Iron Caddy:

MORE circles for Tiffany's applique project:

Britt auditioned border sizes...

While I got artsy with my photography:

Busted!!!  As I was getting the artsy shot, Britt captured me:

All of my 9-Patches are pressed:

Lisa is cutting binding, Britt is cutting borders, and Denise is starting the cutting for a new project:

Here is the stack of my completed blocks:

This is our next project, as several of us have the pattern:

The artist is on to another project:

I need to look for this book in my quilt library at home:

Lisa finished the Iron Caddy that she was working on:

I moved on to assembling a portion of my B9P quilt:

Britt's first Blooming 9-Patch is complete, including an added border:

Carol is working on the layout for her son's quilt:

This is my favorite block:

Here are the FOUR Flat Iron Holders that Lisa made today:

Almost ALL of the circles are prepared:

My last round of 9-Patches have been added to the row ends:

Tiffany can begin to work on the remaining applique blocks:

This is the border that will be added later:

Thank you to St. Andrews UMC in Raleigh for hosting this event.

Until next time...
Quilt til you wilt!!!