February to date projects

I've been pretty productive so far this month.  I started with a couple of pot holders for my grand niece.  In January I received a tin of my most favorite cookies from NJ.  She is 11 and has started to bake and these were her first attempt.  They were wonderful, I'm so glad that she remembered me.  

In return I made the new baker a set of potholders of her very own.

I have finished the February block from Cindy at

quiltdoodledesigns BOM 2016

I love the trees but I will admit that they were not my favorite type of block to make. The finished block is 8 1/2 inches. Way to many tiny squares for my general quilt making skills.  

This is part 1 of #4 of my Q1 FAL

My latest yarn related project is for a fund raiser for Angel Snugs.

This is my first attempt. It is new born size. It is supposed to have 2 big white buttons on the red portion.  My job is to crochet.  someone else will assemble.

This past weekend I took a workshop  with Lee Heinrich's (FreshlyPieced)  for Advanced Piecing.  The blocks we made were paper pieced and are from her book  Vintage Quilt Revival .

I am not generally a paper piecer. I was therefore rather impressed with the outcome of my blocks from her class.  If you have the chance I would highly recommend a class with her.

The chapters of the Quilt Guild of the Villages are committed to making 135 quilts for Honor Flights this year.

My chapter spent this weeks meeting working as a group to get a few started. Members donated patriotic fabrics. Several members cut the fabric into the building blocks while others pieced and others pressed. There are also members who will assemble and others will quilt. Great team project.

I managed to sew 20 blocks, the number needed to make a top.  I took them home and got a top pieced. I'm hoping to get it quilted by the next meeting.

Last but not least are some more placemats.  MJ has decided that he is tired of me making placemats so he can watch them walk out the door ( including holiday gifts, we are talking 20 +).  He requested that I make a set for us to keep and use.  This is really not a great picture of them.  The various browns actually match a lot better than this picture lets on.  No matter, he's happy.

I am still enjoying doing the Quilty 365 project, and am right on target. I might actually be a block or 2 ahead.  No picture at the moment because I needed the design wall for the Honor Flight quilt. 50  6 inch blocks take up a considerable amount of space. 

Where did January go?

January certainly flew by.  Looking back I can see I was busy, and actually accomplished way more than I thought. Great thing taking pictures of everything that happens in life ;-}

This is my Quilty 365 project that I started on January 1.  So far so good.

I also managed to finish this baby quilt for my cousins first grand child.

This is #2 on my Q1 FAL

Love the fabric I found for the back.

So very little girly.

The big happening in my life this month is that my little sister moved from NJ to 4 blocks from me here in Florida.

I really missed having her near by this past year.  What I forgot was that she is my biggest quilting fan and that she isn't shy about asking me to make her things. And being the wonderful big sister  that I am, I don't know how to say no.

She told me she was in need of new placemats and some matching rope coasters.

This is her set of reversible mats.  

And a close up of the matching rope coasters.

She asked for them after seeing this set made for a local church. They supply weekly meals to their seniors.  A placemat goes out with the first meal and at Christmas all mats are replaced.

Fronts and backs

Our guild is taking on this project.

I have a personal goal of 2 per month for the year.  

Another local group, Giving Dolls, hand makes dolls for various Childrens Organizations.  When they send their dolls to hospitals they include 24 inch square quilts.  This size works well with wheel chairs.

This is part 1 of # 3 of my Q1 FAL

I had some great monster fabric 

I'm hoping to make at least 1 of these a month for 2016.

I had this great fabric in my stash for the backing.

Come on February, bring it on.

January Updates

Where is time going? We've already passed mid January. Yikees!

I have been productive, I am happy to announce that I have finished my Christmas gifts for 2015. 

 They are now in the hands of my very patient friend.  This was the first item to be crossed off my 

Q1 - FAL list.

BA is the recipient of just about every Christmas thing I have ever attempted to make.  Going to her house at Christmas is like going to  a  "crafts my Selina show". Room after room.  We have been crafting friends for upwards of 40 years. Sharing gifts, ideas and challenges the entire time.

So for this Christmas I decided I needed to do something for spring instead of winter.  When we were together in the fall she mentioned that she liked to use placemats.  I have made her Christmas ones in the past.  Spring sounded like a great idea.

As I was finishing them up I came across this tutorial by Julie Hirt  for making rope baskets. Great tutorial and so easy to do. The fabric scraps in the basket and coasters are from the placemats. A great addition to the package. ( she called to thank me and to have me send her the tutorial info )

For Christmas I participated in another postcard swap.  This lovely tree was made for me by       Eglea Senna . It came to me in Florida from Brazil.  I love it.

The  winter bunnies were done by me based on a pattern by Michelle over at The Raspberry Rabbits. They made their way to Brazil and I believe they had a very Merry Christmas there.

My sister saw the basket and coasters that I made for BA and she wanted a set.  Of course she wanted them to match her placemats.  The ones I made last year.  Good thing I am a scrap hoarder.

The basket is about 14 inches across and 4  inches high.

The coasters are about 4 inches across.

It's a good thing that they are addictive to make because we had company for dinner on Sunday who saw them and wanted a set. She went to my stash to pick out her colors.

And I have been able to keep up with the 365 project in spite of the temptation of the baskets and coasters.