An Awesome August It Was

Even though there are a few days left in August and the possibility to sew-queeze out another finish, I decided I’ve done sewn enough to call it a month. It does seem like August is lasting forever especially with it having thirty-one days like July. I thought I had jinxed it by mentioning in last month’s Post that I was looking forward to having an awesome August but it started out awful because I forgot I was scheduled for dental implant surgery on the 1st. Then I had back spasm pains the next day but thankfully with the help of some OTC pain medication (Aleve), I was ready to start sewing by the 3rd. I thought I would feature my Frisky Quilt  which I just finished several days ago and a very fitting to end my month of awesome sewing. I also like to mention the Master Quilt Holder provided his invisible assistance in holding up the quilt.

Two years ago while vacationing in Colorado and celebrating my birthday at my favorite quilt shop in Granby, The Fabric Nook, I fell in love with Zen Chic Frisky fabric line and purchased a layer cake and yardage. And I must have loved it so much that I later purchased a fat eighth bundle of the collection from The Fat Quarter Shop (FQS) and then sat on my shelf waiting for the perfect project. Last November, FQS released their Fat Eighth Flip Pattern and I knew it was just the perfect pattern for my fat eight bundle of Frisky. I have to mention it is one of those patterns which I plan to make again. I created a modified version of it for fat quarters and used it for my Kaffe Fassett Fat Quarter Flip Patchwork Throw which was just finally finished this year. My Frisky flimsy was made during the last week of December and has been waiting to be quilted all these months.

I think part of the reasons for procrastinating in machine quilting was because I didn’t know if I wanted horizontal wavy lines, cross-hatch or straight-line and didn’t decide until after it was pin basted which I enjoyed this time, since it allowed more time to gush over the fabrics again. Straight vertical line quilting it was, 1” apart, not too wobbly thanks to my quilting guide, using CT Esssential Thread in Marigold.

I used a gold homespun yardage which for some reason I had over ten yards for the backing. I may have a secret fondness for gold fabric. A teal/navy dot print from the Frisky fabric line for the binding which was hand sewn, something I seem to be enjoy doing now. As I have mentioned in previous Posts, when buying pre-cut bundles, be sure to buy yardage for the binding which I did but wished I had bought another print instead. Frisky measures 56”x70” (approx.) and the pattern can easily be adjusted to make it larger.

One last pic of Frisky and I think the colors are a wonderful segue from Summer to Fall. One Finally Finish, although lovely as it is and kicking myself for waiting so long to finish it, does not make this an Awesome month but the following does.

Eunice and my Studio Squirrel were all revved up with some reorganizing, looking through a lot of the bins and shelves for “lost” fabric which then prompted me to make these five flimsies.

Prompting meaning I was tired of seeing some of the fabric bundles laying on my shelf or having “accidentally” finding them while looking for something else. I also should mention these flimsies are almost twin-size and not lap because I was trying to use up as much of the fabric for less scraps but it didn't always work out. Also I was also in a flimsy making mood since I needed a break from machine quilting. I’m naming the top two, the Citronickle Couch Quilts and maybe used for the future quilt retirement hotel suite , Pieceful Wendy and I are envisioning. Still, there was more to be made for it it to be an awesome month.

My iPhone case has been broken for more than three months and I was really mad and disappointed that the new one ordered did not have a circle bracket but was just decoration. (Insert salty language) I was tired of having to prop up my iPhone so I finally did some research on how to make an IPhone pillow.

At first I made three, one for Hubby and I to use for the kitchen table and one for the upstairs studio.

But then I decided to make more since I wanted them to be strategically located in both our house and the GP House so I needed twenty (none of them are located in the bathrooms). I also asked my boys if they would like some and ended up giving ten to them. I made several for friends and neighbors, so I made over forty of them and only have ten left. After making fifteen of them and compiling the features of three of the tutorials I looked at, I came up with a faster way to make which I will share later. I like to mention that all of the fabrics were from my stash, mostly from my wonderful novelty print collection and I didn’t think plastic pellets were that expensive. I’m calling these Phone Plops.

Rather serendipitous, during one of my searches I found six of these slow stitching mats made last year which were the right size needed to make Phone Plops, fancy ones I think. This one is sitting on my Studio desk.

These are the last three I made and I’m saving one for my Blog Buddy, Roseanne, Homesewn By Us. (Insert Big Laughs here because she’s a big Packers Fan).

Last, but not least, is my Asian Butterflies PatchBox Quilt, the flimsy of which was made well over ten years ago. I thought this was going to be my only Finally Finish for August. Hand quilting was  done using a variegated #20 cotton thread and it is one of the causes of mentioning the reorganizing, fabric hunting and binding in this Post. I could not find the binding in the designated binding drawer and was going crazy because I think I see the border print every time I’m in the studio but could not find two strips of it anywhere, I did make some lovely fabric reacquaintances but I settled for a Debbie Mumm stripe for the binding. I ended up reorganizing the binding drawer and also have ten new projects.

Would you agree that I had an Awesome August? I thought I spare the details of two new scrap projects, rug punching and resurrecting two Thirties Reproduction projects. I’m ready now to do some secret Holiday Sewing during the Labor Day Weekend. I’m also thinking I may be putting out my Fall Quilts/Decor next week, because some of foilage like the Hostas are changing and we’re having some cool weather now. 

Wishing you a happy, pieceful and sewful Labor Day Weekend.

Linking up with: My Quilt Infatuation/NTT

The Bitsy End to 2024

I thought after my last Post two weeks ago, I would only have one finish to write about but I managed to sewqueeze out a Quilt repair, EPP over fifty Tumbling Blocks and two flimsies before heading back to the GP House to spend the last week of December with the darling Granddaughter. I’ll be somewhat brief, hopefully, to explain these pics.

• The Fish Quilt, upper left, was made and gifted twenty-five years ago to the Master Quilt Holder for his 47th birthday. After the last washing earlier this year, I noticed the binding was coming apart in several places and planned to do a quick mending. But, upon further examination, I  saw the crossed-hatch machine quilting across the framed nine patches  were coming apart so this was going to take more time. Fortunately, unlike Demando the Son, Hubby is patient and didn’t mind that his quilt sat on a chair in the dining room all these months. It helped he has three other quilts to use when he’s reclining in his chair. After finally being tired of seeing it in the dining room, I decided to mend it by removing all the cross-hatch quilting and requilting the middle and hand sewing the binding. I should mention that this was one of the first quilts I machine quilted and it didn’t hold up to all of the washings. I read sometime ago that machine quilting should last 250 washing which definitely did not happen and at the least only lasted ten washings. Coincidentally, I finished it the day before Hubby’s birthday and jokingly referred to it as a Silver Anniversary re-gifting of his birthday quilt. Another interesting side note is that the quilt pattern is the same one used for The Granddaughter Quilt #1 which was made the same year, 1999, and was finally finished earlier this year. Kind of serendipitous, right?
• I really dropped the ball when it came to making new Halloween, Fall and Christmas quilts this year. I only managed to make the Kitty Christmas Table Runner, upper right, and only did so because I thought it was needed for the GP House because I misplaced the one we had. As luck would have it, I found it and the Kitty Christmas Table Runner is now a wall hanging. The pattern is a modified version of Villa Rosa’s Clover pattern  and I used Urban Chiks Kitty Christmas fabrics.
• As mentioned in earlier Posts, I’ve become a big fan of Kate at The Last Homely House YouTube videos and once again I was inspired by her EPP project of making Tumbling blocks with Liberty Fabrics. I am not yet a fan of Liberty fabrics but thought it would look nice with Kaffe Fassett fabrics but the blocks needed to be larger, like 9” blocks. I’ll write more about my epic EPP project once I get to the next stage of sewing the 58 blocks together to make a 52”x 70” flimsy. I’ve already sewn two rows together and the first seam had me asking why did I ever wanted to make this but the sewing got easier after the first few blocks were sewn together.
• Two flimsies (last two pics) were made to close out the year: one using Zen Chic’s Frisky fabric line and the other one with a fat quarter bundle of Kaffe Fassett fabrics received on Christmas Eve. I have a new favorite pattern which is Fat Quarter Shop Fat Eighth Flip pattern which is what I used for the Frisky fabrics and a variation I’m calling Fat Quarter Flip for the Kaffe Fassett fabrics. I’ll provide more details once these flimsies are machine quilted which I hope will be in January after my sewing desk is cleaned and reorganized.

It wouldn’t be an End of Year Post without providing some stats, right?

• Forty-four quilts were finished: 26 were lap size and larger, 18 were smaller, baby quilts, table runners, wall hangings, etc.
• Thirteen were backed with Plush also referred to as Patchwork Throws, Baby Boomer Blankies or Baby Blankies.
• Fourteen were UFOs; two were over 20 years old and two were 19 years old.
• Seven Flimsies

I compiled my own Top Nine Quilts pic based on Post views and you can find links to these quilts by clicking on the 2024 Quilts and Project tab on my Blog. I had a pretty productive year considering we spent over a hundred days at the GP House where I don’t have the conveniences of my home sewing studio. But, I’m not complaining since it’s nice to take a break and I rather spend time with the darling Granddaughter who is growing up too fast.

My plans for 2025 are to enjoy my Kaffe Fassett fabrics, more EPP and FPP projects and spending time with my wool and felt stash. I really don’t want to purchase any new fabrics as my 2024/25 Project List includes some lovely fabric bundles which have been sitting on the shelf for too long. My aim is to add new scraps to the already existing heap but then  I want a break from making scrap quilts. And Wonders of Wonders, I figured out the annual puzzle of adding the new 2025 tab to my Blog without any problems.

Wishing you a most blessed and Happy New Year filled with Love, Good Health and Peace.