Holiday Fun

From the moment school let out and I was "officially" on break it's been a whirlwind of excitement and holiday fun around here!  I finished my Christmas shopping, I've been visiting with friends, I've gotten to do some obedience and agility work with Tally, and still have managed a little sewing!

I've started on my friend Ruth's quilt - Vintage Bliss - a simple and charming 5 inch charm square oversized lap quilt featuring Moda's Bliss!

I also decided to try something that would continute teaching me quilting with my walking foot and learning binding - a potholder!  I decided to use some scraps from a Christmas quilt I did last year and make the front a 9-patch with the coordinating back.  I've quilted it 1/4 from each seam, giving it a little grid-work feel. I haven't done the binding yet, but overall I'm pretty pleased with how this came out so far.

Successful "SEW DAY"

 We were off work again today because of ice, so I was able to FINISH the Botanicals top!

Now on to the next project - I'm thinking circles!

Botanicals - 50%

Due to the bitter cold weather, the school district I work for was called off and I was able to have a very productive "sew day!" I'm roughly halfway finished with the Botanicals and the more and more I sew on it the more I am LOVING it!  I'm already wondering what I should back and bind it with?  - Green binding and mocha backing? More yellow? Black?  Oh the combinations!  I definately have some thinking to do on this! 

The pile that never ends

Tally always wakes up just in time to get her picture taken!

Close up of the fabric

Botanicals - 1/4 done

I really like how this one is taking shape! I really like the random chunks of colors thrown in against the solid yellow. It's taking a long time to get all those pieces together, even with chain piecing!  Though, I can't wait to keep working on it and see how it all turns out!

Botanicals - Progress

After cutting 1,698 pieces (I can't believe this has more pieces than the Tokyo quilt!) I'm sewing some columns for the Botanicals quilt.

I thought I was going to go with Kona Coal for my middle strip, but I ended up with Kona Corn, it just added a nice warmth to the color palate that I really liked.

 I can tell I'm going to like this one already!  It's going to be 93x96 when it's done. Floral & funky! FUN!

Botanicals

Here's a preview of the fabric I'm using for my newest quilt - Botanicals.  It will feature the newest line by BasicGrey for Moda, "Origins".  I've taken 2 jelly rolls and cut them into various sized pieces (1, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 inches) and will be making strips of all the various sizes and colors. Then rotating that with a solid in between columns - I'm thinking grey, tan, or any other suggestions??  Who knows what solid I'll really end up with! 

It's Elementary! - Update

WOW!

My 50th quilt came and went!

It's Elementary! was pretty fast to chain, had a lot of pinning (which is my least favorite part) and took a bit for the layout, but I LOVE how it turned out!  I'm really like the vintage feel and look of these fabrics. I also really like that on first glance you see the bold colors, then the second pass thru you see all the neat stuff hidden in the fabric, like the alphabet, chalk tips, etc... 

Roxie approves of the final layout!

Top done and ready to be quilted

The Golden Quilt Special - Celebrating The Making of 50 Quilts

Last night while working on "It's Elementary!," I realized I had started working on my 50th quilt!  I've learned a lot over 50 quilts and have had a blast learning a new skill and enjoying a new hobby.  It's not often you find something you absolutely LOVE to do!  I also have to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to Patti who has been a wonderful mentor to me during these 50 quilts.  Without her expertise and guidance, I wouldn't have made it this far! She always has an idea or helps me work through a pattern to get it just right.  Also, a BIG thank you goes out to my Mom - (Jean aka Madge - you might know her from her fingers holding all the quilts in the pictures!??!), for helping with the ironing, pattern placement, trips to the fabric store, and the company on the many trips to Sullivan, MO to drop the quilts off!  She definately earns her J in the PBJ QuiltSandwiches name!  Another thank you goes out to Mike & Ben who continue to supply me with fabric finds - I love the variety of stuff they bring to me! Finally, those of you who always have encouraging words and enjoy watching the process - thank you!  I've also had the good fortune to have 28 out of the 50 quilts I've made sell on eBay, Etsy, or they have been commissioned and sold outright. Here's to 50 quilts and here's to 50 more! CHEERS!

It's Elementary!

Here is my newest project - It's Elementary!  I'm using Moda's Punctuation line from Sandy Klop/American Jane Fabrics.  I'm taking 2 charm packs and mixing it with a Kona bleached white and making a cute little pinwheel quilt! I think this fabric is adorable and has a nice vintage feel to it with its use of chalk board alphabet, flowers, punctuation marks, stripes, and dots! 

 Here are the the stacks cut and ready to be sewn into pinwheels.

Finally, the fun part - PINWHEELS!

Tokyo Subway - IT'S FINISHED!

I've been burning the midnight oil the over this holiday break trying to get a bunch of quilts done and I am proud to say I have finished 3!  The Tokyo Subway Quilt top is now completed!  I'm VERY pleased with how this turned out and the ease of the instructions from Oh, Fransson! really helped make this an awesome project! I'd recommend this quilt to anyone trying to use up some of their scrap fabric, it's a great stash buster! I've decided to back it in Kona White, bind it with either Kona Coal or Black (or any other suggestions?), and have it stippled all over! I cannot wait to drop this one off at Melear's, those gals always do such a nice job stitching on my quilts. Ah, back to the grind tomorrow - work, work, work! 

Block 16 (Can you see the fun green watermelon?)

Block 17

Block 18

Block 19

Block 20

Rows 1-4 (Blocks 1-20)

Block 21 (A fabric newspaper clipping piece!)

Block 22

Block 23

Block 24 (Come sail away with me!)

Block 25 (Ahhh, the last one!)

Rows 1-5 (Blocks 1-25)
COMPLETED QUILT!