December Finishes

Another piecing and quilting year has come to an end. I do have a few December projects for 2022 to share. 

UFO Completed

A UFO from the past was completed. I attended a workshop soon after I purchased my Babylock Solaris (a few years back) on stitching line-art from coloring book pages. 

The coloring book page was scanned and stitched out in the workshop but that was as far as I got. It was not finished until now. I decided to do some free motion quilting on the project after adding some borders then binding and it would be finished.

I really have no good reasoning why I hadn't finished the project, it just got put on the back burner.

Another small December finish was a rug mug done in the hoop. This project was done in a zoom class with a local quilt shop. I needed a small gift, and this worked perfect.

Circles were used for the quilting fill then skewed to look like pebbles. 

Other Christmas projects embroidered were a tea towel and a Christmas pillow. I made eight other different Christmas tea towels for gifts but forgot to take pictures.

Sewing and Embroidering With My Grandsons

For the past few years, I have spent a day with my grandsons right before Christmas and we work on sewing and embroidery gifts for their Mom (my daughter). This year it took two days (I loved it) because of their schedules. This year, they made rope coasters and a tea towel. We also spent part of a day baking Hello Dollies. 

I hope they learn a little each year about sewing. They don't complain so I hope they enjoy the projects. We had my Crescendo and Solaris going on the second day to keep them both busy.

Tiger Quilts Finished

My second tiger throw was finished just in time for Christmas. The first one was completed in November.

The Christmas Quilt

The Christmas quilt I finished in November was gifted to my daughter. She was very surprised and loved it!

There you have it, my December finishes. Thanks for stopping by - Judy.

PS - I haven't gotten to sew a stitch so far in January. My husband and I both tested positive for Covid over New Year's weekend. Luckily, we are having mild cases.

My One Month Goal is to make Block 1 of a Mystery Quilt that my local guild is starting this month.

Linking to:

Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Sew and Tell Monday @ Melva Loves Scraps

Monday Musings @ Songbird Designs

To-Do Tuesday Link Party @ Quilt Schmilt on Monday

One Month Goal @ Elm Street Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Scrap Infatuation on Wednesday

Put Your Foot Down Thursday @ For the Love of Geese

Beauties Pageant @ From Bolt to Beauty on Friday

Home Matters Link Party on Friday

The Peacock Party @ Wendy's Quilts and More on Friday

Off the Wall Friday @ Creations, Quilts, Whatever

Finished (or not) Friday @ Alycia Quilts 

TGIF Linky Party @ Kathleen McMusings

Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

TGIFF @ Sarah Ruiz Quilts

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Oh Scrap @ Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt on Sunday

October and November Finishes

After boating seasons ends in September and early October, I settle down to working on or finishing Fall quilting projects.

I started working on my President's Challenge quilt in the spring but when boating season starts my quilting slows way down.  It was finished and presented at our October meeting. 

The fabric is Hummingbird Lane by Robert Kaufman. Burst of Color is the pattern, and it is free. 

I made the quilt for a guest room in our house. It is a queen size quilt with a large drop on the sides. 

Also in October, our quilting group had a Quilting Retreat at KenLake resort on Kentucky Lake. Seems like we line up lots of projects to take to retreat and are happy with whatever we manage to finish. Retreat was so much fun!

Before I left for retreat, I started a Christmas quilt and wanted to finish the center four blocks. I knew they would be the hardest for me and I wanted to be able to really concentrate. You can see the four log cabin blocks in the center with bows and ribbons. There were some mirror image pieces to make (the red fabric). Anyway, I finished the four center blocks and began a few of the surrounding log cabin squares then off to retreat.

At the retreat, I did finish the 12 surrounding blocks but didn't join them all together until the retreat was over and I was back in my sewing room. 

In November, I finished the Christmas quilt and plan to present it at our December guild meeting. 

Also in November, I finished another Christmas present for one of my grandsons. It's a tiger quilt (throw size) and I presented it at our November guild meeting.

Both of my grandsons go to school in Murray, KY and they are the Murray Tigers. The panel is by Kaufman and the border fabric is also Kaufman. I embroidered his name, Murray Tigers, and the year he will graduate on the quilt. I'm still working on my other grandson's quilt and plan to finish it before Christmas. 

On another note, we had pelicans around our boat docks last week.

The American White Pelicans migrate through Kentucky Lake. We love to go pelican sight-seeing in October and November.

Happy sewing and quilting! Thanks for stopping by - Judy.

Linking to:

Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Scrap Infatuation on Wednesday

Beauties Pageant @ From Bolt to Beauty on Thursday 

Home Matters Link Party on Friday

The Peacock Party @ Wendy's Quilts and More on Friday
Off the Wall Friday @ Creations, Quilts, Whatever
Sweet Inspirations @ the Boondocks Blog
Finished (or not) Friday @ Alycia Quilts 

TGIF Linky Party @ Kathleen McMusings
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting
TGIFF @ Sarah Ruiz Quilts

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Oh Scrap @ Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt on Sunday

Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Scrap Infatuation on Wednesday

Hooray for Crumb Quilts

Now you know what I have been doing for the past couple of weeks. 

Yes, working on a crumb quilt with my red, white, and blue scraps. 

I have saved the scraps from every patriotic quilt or project I have made over the past few years. Now I'm ironing, pinning, sewing, cutting and enjoying every minute of it! I do love sewing with red, white, and blue fabrics. It gives me a good feeling about patriotism!

Most of my sewing has been at night this month with yard work consuming by daylight hours. I did get a nice surprise when I was dead heading my roses the other day.

I have about six blocks finished and think I may get five or six more by the time I'm done. If you aren't a quilter, you may be wondering what a crumb quilt might be, if so, here's a short definition:

 

Basically, it’s sewing small pieces of fabric together to make new fabric which can be cut up to make blocks, borders, sashing and more. source

So, I've been sewing every small bit and piece of these fabrics together then cutting the blocks into 12-inch squares. Here are four of the finished blocks.

I'm thinking about how to put the blocks together. Since it is my very first crumb quilt, I need your advice.  

• Should I add sashing between the blocks? 
• If so, what color should the sashing be?
• Should I use corner stones? 
• Color of corner stones?
• No sashing?
• How about borders and binding?

I would love to hear your thoughts - Judy.

Linking to:

Beauties Pageant @ From Bolt to Beauty on Thursday 

Home Matters Link Party on Friday

The Peacock Party @ Wendy's Quilts and More on Friday
Off the Wall Friday @ Creations, Quilts, Whatever
Sweet Inspirations @ the Boondocks Blog
Finished (or not) Friday @ Alycia Quilts 

Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Oh Scrap @ Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt on Sunday

Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Scrap Infatuation on Wednesday

Feather Your Nest Quilting Project

After buying this panel, layer cake, and some yardage over three years ago, I finally decided to get something made.

Initially, I bought some yardage, layer cakes and border fabric of "Feather Your Nest" by Nancy Mink for Wilmington Fabrics and planned a large quilt. 

Later, I saw the panel and knew it would be great to add it to my collection of this line.  Sadly, the project got put on the back burner and not touched for at least 3-4 years.

Finally, something sparked, and the projects are complete, and I am so happy I didn't make a big quilt but instead made several smaller projects.

A throw!

Small hearth quilt

There are two matching pillows on the right side behind the two large rabbits. 

A bed runner and pillows

Presenting the throw to our quilting guild.

There are a few pieces from the layer cakes remaining but no yardage. I'm looking for suggestions what else I could make. Let me know if you have any suggestions and what you think about my projects.  Thanks Judy.

Linking to:

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch 

All About Home at Common Ground and Follow the Yellow Brick Home on Monday at 6 pm

Beautifully Made @ Across the Blvd. on Tuesday

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter
Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Grace at Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday
Thankful Thursday @ It's A Small Town Life
Put Your Foot Down @ For the Love of Geese

Home Matters Link Party on Friday

The Peacock Party @ Wendy's Quilts and More on Friday
Beauties Pageant @ From Bolt to Beauty on Friday
Off the Wall Friday @ Creations, Quilts, Whatever
Sweet Inspirations @ the Boondocks Blog
Finished (or not) Friday @ Alycia Quilts 
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

Farmhouse Friday @ The Painted Hinge

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Oh Scrap @ Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch 

Beautifully Made @ Across the Blvd. on Tuesday

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Locking Chains Bed Runner

I'm happy to get the chance to sew and quilt again after an unexpected bathroom and bedroom remodel that put me out of my sewing room for almost three months. Much to my chagrin, everything seems to get shoved into my sewing room.

My Locking Chains Bed runner is complete and on my king size bed.

Scraps were used from previous shamrock and green fabric. Only the binding was newly purchased fabric. The bed runner is 102 inches long to include some drop on each side of the bed.

Although I've had my Baby lock Solaris sewing and embroidery machine for a few years, I'm still learning new things all the time. I decided to practice with decorative fills since I had lots of triangles that I could fill. They aren't perfect but it's a start.

Decorative borders can also be used with the Solaris. You put in the length, width and how wide the border should be, and the machine performs the magic.  One of my corners was an issue but I figured out how to correct it. Here's a good shot of the embroidered border as I sew on the binding.

The project was a good one and I learned a few more tips and tricks to sewing and embroidering on my Solaris. 

Thanks for stopping by - Judy. 

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter
Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Grace at Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday
Thankful Thursday @ It's A Small Town Life
Put Your Foot Down @ For the Love of Geese

Home Matters Link Party on Friday

The Peacock Party @ Wendy's Quilts and More on Friday
Beauties Pageant @ From Bolt to Beauty on Friday
Off the Wall Friday @ Creations, Quilts, Whatever
Sweet Inspirations @ the Boondocks Blog
Finished (or not) Friday @ Alycia Quilts 
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

Farmhouse Friday @ The Painted Hinge

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Oh Scrap @ Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch 

Beautifully Made @ Across the Blvd. on Tuesday

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

December Quilting Projects

Hi Everyone and Merry Christmas! I hope you have almost all of your quilting projects are done for Christmas! I have had a busy month sewing and quilting for my family and tornado victims in Western Kentucky. 

Here are my December projects:

A Jellyroll Snowflake quilt was pieced in blues and white. I started this project a year ago and for some reason, it was put aside and only needed about 40 minutes of work to finish it.

I finished piecing the quilt and quilted it in the hoop on my Solaris.  I showed the quilt at our December quilting guild meeting. 

Another project presented at our December meeting was a charity quilt I made for the Tornado Victims in Western Kentucky. Our guild is sending several quilts for this tragedy. 

Mayfield, Kentucky is located about 24 miles from our house in Murray. My husband and I had driven through Mayfield on Friday evening, December 10 at 8 pm and drove through the square area and past the courthouse. We talked about how beautiful the courthouse area looked with Christmas decorations and lights. Sadly by 10 pm that evening it was destroyed. I took these photos on Sunday. So sad! There has been a tremendous outpouring of help for Mayfield and the other quad state towns hit by the tornado.  It is simply unbelievable; everywhere I turned my head, it was destroyed. 

I just read on Facebook that Hancock's Fabric of Paducah has received 1,893 donations of quilts, blankets and throws for those impacted by the tornadoes. Many individuals and quilt guilds are helping. I could keep talking about the destruction and the need of so many and the generosity of others.

Thankfully, our home was not affected by the path of the tornado, but all of our surrounding area was without electricity and phone service for several days. Luckily, we have a fireplace and a gas stove. We were able to keep our house warm and food cooked. I'll stop now . . .

This week, I finished a Christmas gift of 8 quilted placemats.

The placemats started as a panel. 

Then they were cut apart and piping was added using the Baby Lock Pearl and Piping Foot seen in the pic below.

Borders were added and a knife-edge finish was used so binding wouldn't be needed.

There you have my December sewing and quilting projects and my thoughts and words about the tornado. Thanks for stopping by - Judy.

Linking to:

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter
Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Grace at Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday
Thankful Thursday @ It's A Small Town Life
Put Your Foot Down @ For the Love of Geese

Home Matters Link Party on Friday

The Peacock Party @ Wendy's Quilts and More on Friday
Beauties Pageant @ From Bolt to Beauty on Friday
Off the Wall Friday @ Creations, Quilts, Whatever
Sweet Inspirations @ the Boondocks Blog
Finished (or not) Friday @ Alycia Quilts 
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring
Friday Foto Fun @ Powered by Quilting

Farmhouse Friday @ The Painted Hinge

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Oh Scrap @ Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy