My day - 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop

Welcome to day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop.  We have been prepping for this showcase for months. So, so glad that Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict had this wonderful idea and gathered us all in for this summer rush.

The photo above is a warm welcome using my version of the quilt that Sarah is doing as a quilt along each day of this hop in 1 hour increments.  I was priviledged to be a tester and Yes it is very doable in 1 hour segments. Her tutorial is spot on to follow.

I have a collection of small quick gift items.  I use them not only as Christmas gifts but also as hostess gifts throughout the year.  Even though these are all being presented in Christmas fabrics there is no reason not to make them, for example, for your Thanksgiving hostess in fall fabrics, there is plenty of time. So lets get started.  Oh and if I used a tutorial I have the link in the title of the item.

The first item on my list would be the ever popular 1 Hour Basket  

After all you need something to put all these goodies in.  This basket can really be whipped up in an hour. When making multiples at one time they go even a bit quicker.

Now this wrapper for a bottle of wine takes about 20 minutes to sew up. It is as simple as it looks. A tube of fabric with a ribbon in the side seam and a boxed bottom.  It's all in the fabric.

                                        

This little envelope contains

a gift card, again great for any occasion.

This is a fun gift that I started making this year,  coasters made with coiled rope and some fabric scraps.  

Takes less than 15 minutes per coaster to make. Made the little  Catch All Tray  just the right size to contain them.

This Hexi pattern for the Pot Holder / Hot Pad was new to me. I really enjoyed making them.  I list them as / Hot Pad because I forgot to put the traditional hanging pot holder loop on and didn't notice until picture time.

Last but not least are my dish towels/hand towels.  

All depends on where you hang them.  These are another under an hour project. 

In some of my pictures you will see assorted holiday candy tins or  a box to keep with the  Christmas theme. I live about 10 minutes from a Russell Stover Warehouse store.  It's huge and the selections are endless. We just had to go this week cause I needed Christmas props. Oh yeah, not only do they sell candy but they also have an ice cream stand.  Wowzer.

This is the background quilt for lots of the shots. It is a very enlarged  Swoon Block (king size) that I made in the summer of 2012 for the first Christmas in this house. This particular version of the block is an 80 inch square before the borders. Can't find the posting of the finished quilt. The front side of this quilt is made of 16 regular size scrappy swoon blocks.

And keeping with the theme of this event I am linking you to a post I did last year for another fun hop that has my tutorial for the Quickest Easiest Fudge Ever

I hope you have enjoyed your Christmas visit. I enjoyed having you, so much so that I am having a give away. I am giving away both the Pot Holders and the Hand Towels to 2 of my visitors at the end of the Hop.

Here is a list of all of the participants in this wonderful hop.   So many great ideas with so much time to get them started  for Christmas.

Merry Christmas,     Selina

July 14th:     Sharon Vrooman @ Vrooman’s Quilts

                    Carole Carter @ From My Caroline Home

July 15th:    Yanicka Hachez @ Finding Myself As An Artist

                   Chris Dodsley @ made by ChrissieD

July 16th:     Marsha Hodgkins @ Quilter in Motion

                    Leanne Parsons  @ Devoted Quilter

July 17th:     Tonia Conner @ All Thingz Sewn

                    Selina @ Selina Quilts

July 18th:     Lara Buccella @ Buzzin Bumble

                    Soma Acharya @ Whims and Fancies

July 19th:     Joanne Harris@ Quilts by Joanne

                    Suzy Webster @ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

July 20th:     Vicki in MN @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

                    Jennifer Fulton @ The Inquiring Quilter

July 21st:     Michele Kuhns @ Crayon Box Quilt Studio

                    Jan Ochterbeck @ The Colorful Fabriholic

July 22nd:     Alla Blanca @ Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes.

                     Zenia Rene @ A Quilted Passion

July 23rd:     Joanne Hubbard @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt

                    Paige Alexander @ Quilted Blooms

July 24th:     Carolyn Jones @ …by CJ

                    Tisha Nagel @ Quilty Therapy

July 25th:     Susan Arnold @ Quilt Fabrication

                    Beth Sellers @ Cooking Up Quilts

                    Linda Pearl @ One Quilting Circle

Count Down to Christmas in July Hop

Only 2 more days and it begins. The Christmas in July Blog Hop kicks off bright and early Thursday morning with postings by Sharon over at  Vrooman’s Quilts and Carole  From My Caroline Home

                                                  The full list and links are noted below.

 Every day of the Hop will also have steps to a Christmas Quilt Along by Sarah (the wonderful creator and coordinator of this Hop, over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. I was thrilled to be part of the test team for this quilt. I took pictures of some of the steps as we went along.

This was the start. The fun part, picking just the right fabrics.

Then came the making of many HST's and my least favorite but very important step, squaring up.

The results were worth it.

It's coming together now.

And here is my finished top.  It is on the floor for this picture as it got to big for my design wall. Sarah will give you a step a day.  Work on it step by step and you'll have a Christmas Quilt done in plenty of time for Christmas.

I'll be seeing you on Sunday the 17th.

July 14th:     Sharon Vrooman @ Vrooman’s Quilts

                    Carole Carter @ From My Caroline Home

July 15th:    Yanicka Hachez @ Finding Myself As An Artist

                   Chris Dodsley @ made by ChrissieD

July 16th:     Marsha Hodgkins @ Quilter in Motion

                    Leanne Parsons  @ Devoted Quilter

July 17th:     Tonia Conner @ All Thingz Sewn

                    Selina @ Selina Quilts

July 18th:     Lara Buccella @ Buzzin Bumble

                    Soma Acharya @ Whims and Fancies

July 19th:     Joanne Harris@ Quilts by Joanne

                    Suzy Webster @ Adventurous Applique and Quilting

July 20th:     Vicki Schlimmer @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

                    Jennifer Fulton @ The Inquiring Quilter

July 21st:     Michele Kuhns @ Crayon Box Quilt Studio

                    Jan Ochterbeck @ The Colorful Fabriholic

July 22nd:     Alla Blanca @ Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes.

                     Zenia Rene @ A Quilted Passion

July 23rd:     Joanne Hubbard @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt

                    Paige Alexander @ Quilted Blooms

July 24th:     Carolyn Jones @ …by CJ

                    Tisha Nagel @ Quilty Therapy

July 25th:     Susan Arnold @ Quilt Fabrication

                    Beth Sellers @ Cooking Up Quilts

                    Linda Pearl @ One Quilting Circle

In my post of May 31, I posted a picture of this quilt as a finished top. At the time I thought I would get it quilted and bound that week.  Finally got it done this week. It's for our local Honor Flight Chapter whose next trip will be in September.

Front

This is the back.  

I finished it at a quilt in with my local guild.  When I showed off the final quilt  several of the members threw out the idea that the block would work up into a great table runner.

I took it as a challenge. 

Turned out that they were correct.  I had some Christmas fabric out for another project that I am working on so I made a Christmas table runner.

This is the back of the table runner.  I always try to make the back of a table runner or topper as an independent item.  This one will work well for Valentine's Day. It's the heart pattern by Cluckclucksew.

Yesterday was my sisters birthday.  This is what she got as part of her gift. It was the "packaging" for her gift card.  Sure had more appeal than a cardboard box covered with paper.

I also did several hat and scarf sets and am working on projects for the Christmas in July hop.

Looking forward to seeing you here then.  In the mean time, enjoy summer.

Chistmas in July - Oh My

Have you heard, Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming... in July.

Yes it is, starting July 14th with 26 quilters showing their stuff. In addition our lovely Hop Hostess  Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict will be doing a sew along Christmas quilt throughout the hop.


I'm posting on the 17th and I've been a very busy elf.  I will be posting several quickie gift ideas. If I used a tutorial or know of one I will be sure to include it so you too can get some gifts done early.  Actually I believe that all of the items I will be posting I've made before, using different seasonal fabrics, for hostess gifts or house warming gifts. All were warmly received.

In between and around the Christmas stuff spread all over the quilting room I have been making mesh totes.  They are my latest obsession.  I really don't usually make one of anything.  The totes are no exception, I am up to 6 of them in various sizes and fabric choices. 4 of them have already gone on to new homes. And I have 2 more to make and mail out this week.

Gone

Gone

These are actually the same size, the one on the left is gone

These 2 are currently mine, The back one is from the photo above.

The front one is an experiment in sizing.

And this one is also gone, it's my fun favorite.  yes they are skeleton heads.

I have a niece who is really into this kind of thing.

 In addition to not knowing how to make one of something I also have a NEED to know issue when it comes to how long something takes to make.  I didn't have a pattern for this bag.  I just saw it in passing on the shoulder of a shopper in a local quilt shop. My first one took almost 3 hours which included coming up with a good size and placement of the accent fabric,  number 6 took about an hour and a half.

Fun story, I took some of my Christmas goodies and one of the mesh totes to my neighbors for show and tell.  I walked into her quilt room and there on her table were 3 of these totes. She had just gotten back from a class on making them.  Hers were all done in fun beach patterned novelty fabrics for her grand daughters, they were wonderful, yep small world.

I've also managed to whip up a couple of hats with matching scarves for the local chapter of Angel Snugs. I am glad to be doing something positive where someone is benefiting from my inability to sit still while watching TV or sitting at a meeting or in a waiting room. You know when you go for your mammogram how you wait to be called in, then you get undressed and wait to be called for the photos and then you wait for results and then you get called in for more photos because one wasn't clear and then you wait for the recheck and then you wait for the chat with the doctor to confirm that you can go.........well I got a whole hat done while I was "waiting".  Of course they looked at me funny when I had a skein of yarn sticking out of my purse but by the time I was done they were all smiling. You really couldn't miss that orange.

I also found this great Hexi Potholder pattern. They were fun, fast and easy to make. Great scrap buster.

Last but definitely not least are these Rainbow Heart blocks. Several of us are making blocks and Linda of Flourishing Palms will coordinate the making of the finished quilt with additional help in the quilting and binding department. She will also see that the Orlando MQG gets it for distribution to victims and victims families. The blocks are made using the tutorial by Cluck Cluck Sew

Two Tops, A Tote and an Organizer

I've been on an a major roll over the past couple of weeks.  Went through some boxes in the garage and purged lots of stuff.  Organized my sewing space and purged in there also. But I also was on a major sewing toot.

I had been working on this quilt top for Honor Flight for a couple of weeks and decided it needed to be finished.  Ok it still needs to be quilted but the top is done. 

Last week there was a tutorial on Missouri Star Quilts for using striped fabrics.  I was fascinated.

Headed to JoAnns with coupon in hand and this is the result.  It looks nothing like her samples.  The stripe pattern and the widths of the strips make such a difference quilt to quilt.

Mine finished at about 42 x 50.  It was quick and easy.  Can't wait to do another with a different stripe.  But I do need to quilt these 2 tops before starting another one.

Last week I saw a lady in the LQS carring a bag very similar to this one.  I had it on my mind for the whole week. When I went to buy the striped fabric I picked up the mesh. Last night I had to do it. I used a generic tote pattern that was in my head from doing many totes over the years.  It took me about 3 hours from start to finish.

It's base is a plastic screening/mesh. The fabric with the straps forms 6 outside pockets. It is unbelievably light. I had to weigh it down for the picture, it kept blowing away.

The best part of organizing the garage was that I finally found my missing crochet hooks.  I had't been able to locate them since we moved 16 months ago.  Every time I started a new project I had to go get a new hook.  Then last month I got all of my late MIL's hooks. Well I now have 60 plus hooks.

I really needed a hook organizer.  Not only because I have so many hooks but because I can't always read the needle size without my glasses.

I used a large muslin scrap and a tie from a fabric bundle and I'm all set.

Tomorrow I have a sewing date with my sister to do pillow cases and then I must buckle down and sandwich those 2 tops.

H2H 2016 - Another year for the record books

Congratulations to Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict who has organized another terrific Hands to Help Challenge.  A record number of quilters have participated this year creating a record number of quilts for various charities world wide.  If you click on the link it will take you to the linky party for the event. People will be posting their contributions through Saturday.

I decided to make 3 quilts, 1 for each of this years primary organizations.

When I went back to link my quilts I found that I never posted them completed.  I did post each of them as in progress but never as finished.

So I will post all of them here and now.

I'd been wanting to make a plus quilt for awhile.  Thought it would be a great time to try it out.

Didn't use a pattern but figured it out from the hundreds of posting on pinterest.  Busted some of my stash for the front.

I tripped over a pattern on Moda Bake shop called Lawn Chair Quilts.  I started it many years ago. Found it in a box in my sewing room and determined that this would be a great time to finish it up.

 and last but not least

I started this one as a leader/ender  a couple of months ago.  Started to run out of time and just had to go for the blocks as a project to meet deadline.  I finished it this afternoon. Used up lots of 2.5 squares.

I got the block pattern from Linda at Flourishing Palms. This links to her quilt using this block with her scrap squares.  She chose a different layout for her version.

The girls felt the need to help with the pictures.  They have claimed the wall as their own. They have both demonstrated their agility by jumping over it.  Very scary to witness since they have rather low centers of gravity and rather short legs.

Thank you Sarah for all of your hard work and the untold hours spent sewing and coordinating this challenge for all the recipients around the world who will benefit.