A Small Final Finish Amongst the Sew Woes

Sorry for the sad photo but we've been experiencing some gloomy weather for the past few days.  I finally quilted the small wallhanging I made last year during my epic World Series bet with my dear friend, Dee, whom I met when we were members of Pat Sloan's Facebook Group.  The "C" represents both of our baseball teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians.   I wrote about the outcome of this bet in an earlier post, you can read about it here.  I intended to finish this top which was made with Pat Soan's Hometown Girl fabrics before the start of the baseball season but several projects needed to get done first and I am glad to say that I am finally free to work on some other projects.  

Unfortunately my Juki needed servicing; one of the problems was that the bobbin winder would not work which meant I couldn't sew if I needed a certain color thread.  I was without my Juki for over a week and when I finally received it back this past Tuesday, I worked on quilting this top.  Sad to say, I was only able to wind one new bobbin when it stopped working again and for some reason, five small drops of black grease from the Juki dropped on the center part of the top while I was machine quilting.  What is really frustrating about this is that the new bobbin winder ring  which was ordered was never installed, it was just left on the thread holder. The repairman just gave me the back my machine without realizing he never installed it.  I thought he blew me off when I asked what was wrong with the bobbin winder.  Nevertheless, I have to make another trip to the shop next week which is really frustrating since my husband  has some problems with his sciatica and I don't want him carrying my machine--he might drop my Juki and oh yeah, I don't want him to aggravate his condition since he's doing physical therapy, I have to lift and carry this heavy mama myself from the basement, to the garage, from the parking lot to the shop, etc.  And to think I was planning on purchasing a new sewing machine from this shop which I may still do but definitely not from them.

The Hometown Girl Quilt is now hanging on my front door, just in time for Memorial Day and will remain there throughout the summer.  I hope everyone have a wonderful and safe holiday and good weather will be yours.

P.S.  Just to bug Dee, I'm telling her during the NBA Finals, that the "C" is for Steph Curry.  I still remember that smug photo she sent me of her and Buster the dog with their Cleveland wear when the Indians were leading the Cubs 3-1.  Thankfully, I kept the faith.

Linking Up With:

Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish It Up Friday

Busy Hand Quilts: Finish Or Not Friday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict: Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

A Baby Genius Play Quilt for Micah Rose

Last week, during a conversation with my daughter-in-law, Christina, she asked me if I had any black and white fabric to make a play quilt for my granddaughter Micah to use for tummy and stimulation time.  I told Christina I had something better than that; I have in my stash Baby Genius fabric by Benartex which was designed to "encourage baby's brain activity during their first important development years".  I bought this bright and colorful fabric over ten years ago and used it sparingly for co-workers' baby quilts with the intention of saving it, especially this panel, for my future grandchildren.  Micah is only seven weeks old and I thought a Baby Genius Quilt wouldn't be needed until she was at least four months old. According to Christina, Micah really gets excited when she sees patterns in black and white or in colors.  So, of course, I had to make this play quilt right away since I will be seeing Micah this weekend.  When I think about this quilt, it should have been done soon after she was born--my bad.

This panel measures 42" x 48" which is a nice size for a play quilt.  Sadly, my Juki went on the fritz last week and was brought in for servicing and I really missed using it for this quilt.  I only stitched in the ditch because I didn't want any quilting to interfere with the pictures or patterns.  I wasn't really happy with the stitches made by my Elna Sewing Machine especially with the puckering where the quilting intersected--this would not have happened with the Juki.  Hopefully, Micah won't notice.  Since this quilt is going to be used on the floor, I decided to back it with black and yellow ticking which I had in my stash and was waiting to be used for just the right project.

I also have in my Baby Genius stash, this panel which I will make a wallhanging for Micah when she starts talking,  Hopefully, I'll have at least six months to finish it and I'm crossing my fingers that my Juki will be back by then.   Really, what am I thinking, as soon as the Juki returns next week, I should start working on the wallhanging.  After all, any projects for Micah now are immediately put on top of the project list which it should be.

This baby girl knows that she has this grandma wrapped around her little fingers.

BTW, I had mentioned in previous posts that I was finding all sorts of projects which were started over ten years ago and never finished so I was wondering what could have happened back then.  Well, I finally  remember what it was; I went back to work; maybe it was an event worth forgetting since it interfered with my quilting.  I don't think I'll have any problem with remembering I retired four years ago.

Minus 100 Yard Challenge YTD Total:  -60 yards

Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish It Up Friday

Busy Hand Quilts: Finish Or Not Friday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict: Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

Friday Finishes

My big finish for the week is that all of the Free Fall Blocks for the MMM Quilts Sew Along are done and ready to be sewn together next week.  I'm looking forward to completing this top, machine quilting and all--not quite sure how I'll quilt it though.

I will admit that I definitely had to use some brain cells and some hours to complete the last six blocks.  This is what I get for choosing to use two lights instead of one light.  I did enjoy making them and have to give Sandra a shout out for designing such an amazing pattern.

And the Smitten Blocks, I just keep sew, sew, sewing along......just twenty-four more to go and I finally am done watching everything Gilmore Girls.  I'm going to miss them.  Tom Selleck and Blue Bloods are next on the binge-watching queue.

Finally, I'm happy to show that there is absolutely no fabric waste with quilting.  I'm someone who hates to throw away even those tiniest bits of fabric pieces and have finally started throwing away some selvedge bits but I still have several bags full of these tiny pieces.  I found an idea on Pinterest several months ago of making a dog bed with scraps which I hadn't tried yet. Since I had to clean my sewing table which was filled with tiny fabric scraps I decided that would try this idea, you can read it here.  It turned out I had enough scraps to make two dog beds. The first one I  made (above), I cut my fabric 18" x WOF and it makes a nice small bed.  You can see it is Sophie approved. The next one I made, the fabric was cut 25" x WOF and it fits inside the waste basket much better.  I will say, though,  these scraps make for a heavy bed.

Laura from Slice of Pi Quilts also has a tutorial on her website for making dog and cat beds from scraps also, you can read the post here.  I have another case sewn for the waste basket and it's ready for the fabric scraps that can't be used for scrap quilts, rug weaving, jewelry making, etc.  It's so nice to have a place to throw my scraps in and a way to use them up.  For my dear quilting and blog friend, Susan, who just confided in me she throws away scraps that are under 2.5" and I know she has fur babies in her family, you better save your scraps now or else I will call the police.  Ha Ha!

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day (guess what I'll be receiving!)

Minus 100 Yard Challenge YTD Total:  -56.75

Linking up with:

mmm quilts: Freefall QAL Link Up #4

Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish It Up Friday

Busy Hand Quilts: Finish Or Not Friday

Confessions of a Fabric Addict: Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

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Pin Puffs for Smitten Safety

I made these Pin Puffs yesterday after coming home from a doctor's visit and a pharmacy run with my husband.  I'm very embarrassed to be sharing as to why I decided to make these Pin Puffs but I feel it's my conscientious duty as someone who likes to sew on the go.

Before I left to go with my husband on his doctor's appointment and knowing this would be a good time to do some hand piecing, I grabbed some of my paper piecing from my Smitten project and placed them in my neat little project bag, from one of the Fat Quarter Shop Sew Sampler Box, which I was using for the first time.  I've included a needle and thread and a pair of scissors in this bag.  Usually when I transport a project I used a metal lunchbox to contain my project and supplies but this little bag was a nice size for portability and it fits on my lap.  While I was basting and had to rethread my needle, I stuck the needle on the chair since I didn't have a pin cushion. This is what I usually do when I'm sewing in the car.  My husband happened to come out to the lobby while I was in the process of rethreading my needle and we got to talking and I put away my project so we could then go to the pharmacy.  While I was sitting in the pharmacy waiting room, I pulled out my project and realized that I left my needle stuck in the chair at the doctor's office.  I quickly called the doctor's office and alerted them to what I did and fortunately they found the needle.  Even though they thanked me for calling them, I felt so bad thinking about the disaster this would have caused; someone sitting on it, a child finding it, the question if it was contaminated, etc.  In my vision of a worst case scenario, this would have been a news story and I didn't want my face splashed across the screen.

Thankfully, this did not happen, but as a precaution that I will never do anything so irresponsible again, I decided to make some pin puffs which would fit it in this bag.  I had some leftover circles from a yo-yo project and used those to make my Pin Puffs, by stuffing it lightly with foam and adding some funky buttons for embellishment.  I also sewed an stretched-out elastic pony tail band on the bottom so I can wear it on my wrist.

As you can see, the Pin Puff fits very nicely in the project bag.  And if you're wondering why I made so many, probably because I had the circles and also because I plan on leaving one in the car.  

Somewhat sewing in shame, I hope everyone remembers to sew responsibly.  I know I will now.  

Linking up with Beth/Cooking Up Quits

Cotton+Steel Coin Quilt-Top Completed

When I previously posted about the making of this quilt, I may have sounded a little unenthused about this project being that I was using Cotton+Steel scraps that I have already used on many other quilts and was tired of seeing them and longing to work with some fresh new scraps.  I did admit that I after laying the fabric strips next to the sashing I was beginning to come around.  I absolutely love this pattern which is based on the Melissa Corry's Sugar Pop N Change quilt pattern found here: and the quilt made by Kats Craft here:

My block dimensions are different because I wanted to use the 2"x3-1/2" rectangles that I previously cut for another project and soon dropped because I liked this pattern more.  Here are my pattern stats:

Quilt Size:  60" X 75"

Block Size:  15" Finished, twenty blocks total

Block Construction:  Three strips of 10 rectangles 2" x 3-1/2"(cut) with four 2"x 15-1/2"(cut) strips.

Once the rectangles were sewn together and the sashing cut, this quilt sewed together so nice and fast. Did I mention how much I love this pattern? I would make this pattern again but with different fabric scraps, please. I really need to make a quilt with new Cotton + Steel fabrics so new scraps can be made.

I haven't included an update to my Minus 100 Yard Challenge lately so I am happy to say I haven't purchased any new fabric since my buying spree during the first week in April so I'm almost been fasting for a month.  I will admit that I did receive some lovely fabric for my wedding anniversary, thank you 43 years, which doesn't count because I thoughtfully included a rule that gifts of fabric do not count.  And guess what I'll be getting for Mother's Day.

Minus 100 Yard Challenge YTD Total:        -53.75 yards   

Last, but not least, this is Week 3 of the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop in which I am a member of the Better Blogger Bees. I am having the best time meeting fellow quilters on this Blog Hop and am amazed at the creativity and talent I am seeing.  Please be sure to check out these links to meet some new and some familiar quilt bloggers and also to enter a drawing for some great prizes: Better Blogger Bees,  Blooming Quilters and Let's Bee Quilt'n.   

Linking up with:  Crazy Mom's Quilts Finish It Up Friday, Busy Hands Quilts: Finish or Not Friday

and Confessions of a Fabric Addict's Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

It's Smitten Time Again

As mentioned in several of my previous posts, I am doing an unofficial Smitten Sew Along with my friend, Carol.  This is a quilt designed by Lucy Carson Kingwell and consists of 27 large hexagon blocks.  I've finished sixteen of these blocks and have not worked on them for several weeks because I needed to prepare the fabrics for the remaining eleven blocks and hadn't found the time until this past Sunday when I had the house all to myself.  I only had the Gilmore Girls and four sleeping dogs to keep me company.

Each of the remaining eleven blocks consists of three small hexagons so my approach to making them is to make all of the small hexagons and then group them into threes since these blocks tend to have a more scrappier look. I spent the entire afternoon picking and cutting fabrics for these blocks and then placed them and the paper pieces in separate sandwich bags.  I also decided to cut additional pieces to make extra blocks just in case.

Paper piecing is fun BUT produces a lot of scraps, big and bitsy which are put in a big plastic bag for sorting through on a later day.  I have a lot of these bags of scraps from other projects waiting to be sorted.  

I thought it would be a good idea to lay out the blocks I've done (per the layout diagram) before I started working on the new ones to make sure there is a good mix of colors and prints and that some of these blocks should made be on the quiet side.  The nice thing about the Smitten pattern is that you don't have to follow the block layout diagram and can move the blocks around which I pretty sure I'm going to do since I don't like putting the same block types next to each other, but we'll see.    Once the quilt is done, it will measure approximately 48" x 61" perfect for a  wallhanging.  While working on these blocks, I've been binge watching Gilmore Girls and sadly I only have two episodes left to watch.  I decided to re-watch the sequel episodes again before moving onto my series in waiting, Blue Blood.  And if I happen to finish the quilt before watching all of these episodes, I have bags of scraps I can sort.

Linking up with Cooking Up Quilts Main Crush Monday

Freefall QAL--I'm Still Stepping

I have to admit that I pretty proud of myself for completing Step 3 of this QAL which Sandra of mmm! Quilts is hosting.  It's been awhile since I done any foundation piecing and it's good to sew something out of your comfort zone. I still had to draft the pattern for the large leaf points since my printer won't print the correct size which is the reason why I was procrastinating making these blocks.  I'm glad to say these blocks turned out well and am hoping that the large leaf points will click into place once they are sewn with the leaf blocks.

I'm using two different lights from the same fabric line for these blocks since I didn't have enough of just one print.  I'm using the smaller print for the leaf blocks and the larger print for the large leaf points and open areas; I think it's going to work.

Updated Version                                                                   Original Version

Update:  I changed two of the blocks by switching to the other light fabric; I think this creates a nicer flow.

Most of the fabrics I'm using for this quilt were purchased when we were on vacation in Arizona exactly one year ago.  It's funny I didn't realize it until this week when Facebook reminded me of this trip and as I was laying the blocks on my design board that this quilt is going to be a nice momento of the Grand Canyon--it was absolutely breathtaking.

Linking up with mmm! quilts: Freefall QAL Link Up #3, Crazy Mom's Quilts Finish It Up Friday, Busy Hands Quilts: Finish or Not Friday
and Confessions of a Fabric Addict's Can I Get A Whoop Whoop