Soon I'll Be Covered in Chocolate

I've finished all of the "quilting" on my Crazy Cravings lap quilt. 

So today I hope to add the binding and finish this up.

Normally I think crazy quilts are tied. And I don't think they have batting.  But I actually quilted this with a running stitch here and there throughout the quilt. 

I've tried to make the running stitch part of the quilt by stitching around cupcakes and donuts which makes them stand out and puff up a little. 

Sometimes I stitched in the ditch under the seam treatment or I added a row of running stitch to the embroidery, or I stitched around a cupcake or I stitched on top of embroidery that was already there. 

I wish I could show the texture the stitching adds to the quilt. 

This is all hand pieced, embroidered and quilted.  In fact, the only time I've used the sewing machine for this is to sew the blocks together.   And I'll use the machine today to add the binding to the front but I'll hand stitch it to the back. 

And soon I will cover myself in chocolate. 

Join us today for Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts

if you are working on something by hand.

Still Blue

The color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is still light blue.  

I've used some of my scraps in four 8 inch string blocks...

...a  16 inch Chevron block...

...four 8 inch kaleidoscope blocks...

...and an HST block. 

Got Scraps?

Use them up and show them off each ScrapHappy Saturday. 

Still Following Along on the Drunkard's Path

And that makes 72 - 6 inch blocks with 48 more to go. 

Sewing along on the Drunkard's Path with Vicki Welsh of Field Trips in Fiber. 

Two Flimsies

Heartstrings Quilt Project suggested a black/white and brights project for November. 

When I dug into my string scraps I found  shorter strings in mostly black with a few black/white and for brights I found a lot of blue so stopped there. 

I ended up with a 40 x 56 Wonky Log Cabin top which, when finished, will be donated - probably to Quilts Beyond Borders.  

My other flimsy is "Cat Houses" 

63 x 77 

I have to make some little embroidered in neon signs for the buildings and some words for the backing. 

The night sky will be quilted with glow in the dark thread. 

Now off to finish some prep for Thanksgiving dinner and wait for the families to arrive. 

Even the little ones look forward to reciting what they are thankful for at dinner.  

Vintage Spin Update

 

More Vintage Spin blocks.

Pattern is from Adding Layers by Kathy Doughty. 

It's pretty easy to make so when I want some easy, mindless sewing I work on a few blocks. 

Blocks are large and finish at 13 inches. I'm making my quilt larger than the one in the book. 

Hmmm, that orange might be a little bright. We'll wait and see if it gets included in the final quilt. 

I'm not using vintage fabrics so maybe I'll have to call mine "My Head is Spinning". 

Two Finishes

I've finished two quilts. 

This was my November Lovely Year of Finishes Goal. (#27 at the Goal Setting Party).

My goal was to get it quilted, bound and labeled so I could send it off to my husband's veteran friend for Christmas. 

64 x 80 

16 inch Depression Blocks

I made it this summer during a HSTeria Quilt Along hosted by Vicki Welsh. 

We could make any project that used HSTs so I chose to make one of my favorite blocks with 4.5 inch patriotic fabric HSTs. 

(note: this block is a great scrapbuster if you don't mind making HSTs)

I was making it to donate to QOV but my husband saw it and asked if I would send it to a friend of his I have never met.  And so I will. 

I quilted it on my DSM with loops and stars. 

My second finish is a Pirate Themed Happy Block quilt 60 x 70. 

I have a BIG box of Happy Blocks in various sizes and themes. When I feel like sewing something fast and easy I sew a few up and throw them in the box.   I had almost enough for this pirate themed quilt but had to make an extra 15 for the size I wanted.  I was going to use Cowboy Happy Blocks for the backing but didn't feel like making any more Happy Blocks. 

I quilted X (marks the spot) through each block and then stitched 1/4 inch away from the seam lines in straight lines since I don't see (or steer my DSM) well enough to stitch in the ditch. 

As fate would have it...since I didn't feel like making more Cowboy Happy Blocks for the backing...I found some pirate fabric on sale that ended up to be about 3.00 per yard after all the coupons and senior discount.  So, that's what I used for the backing. 

Linking up to 

Linky Tuesday at Free Motion by the River

Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story

November A Lovely Year of Finishes Party

Four More for the Road

Four more 15 inch Road to Lampasas blocks makes a total of 15 (I think). 

I'm using 30s reproduction fabrics. 

That's all that fits on my makeshift Design Wall this cold blustery snowy Monday. 

Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times

Singing the Blues

Light blue is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month. 

It is year end and I still have a lot of 2.5 and 1.5 inch scraps so I decided just to turn them into as many different 4 inch blocks as I could and continue this into next year.  I may or may not combine all blocks into one quilt or several.  Who knows where it will lead. 

Four inch four patches, HSTs, pinwheels, snowballs...

...4 inch bowties...

... and 4 inch Happy Blocks.

I've been making 6 inch Twinklers all year and I think these will continue into next year. 

 I think I have 52 of them but will probably make a full sized quilt so need about that many more. 

1.5 inch Scraps

I made 2 more 9 inch Vintage Butterfly blocks (aka Beggar Blocks).  I need to see if I have enough now for a full sized quilt. 

And I've added a few more 3 inch spool blocks to my collection. 

2.5 Inch Scraps

I've made a couple of 8 inch Depression Blocks from my 2.5 inch scraps. I have made these throughout the year if I had any HSTs left over from making my Little Monkey blocks. Now that I have enough Little Monkeys I will specifically make 2.5 inch HSTs from my scraps for use in these Depression blocks.  

(Side note: I really love the Depression block and have made it in several other sizes.  It's a great scrap buster besides). 

And these are some other 8 inch blocks that use 2.5 inch scraps.  I saw it on line somewhere but didn't take note of the name of it.   Anyway...more of these blocks will be made next year to use up my 2.5 inch scraps. 

Got Scraps?  (I sure do). 

Join us each ScrapHappy Saturday and show us what you've made with them. 

Adding More Pickles to the Dish

 I've finished two more rows of my Pickle Dish quilt but I have no design wall so I'll break the rows into 4 block sections for these pictures. 

 This will be a wedding quilt for my granddaughter's hope chest. 

I will hand quilt it. 

And now I only have twelve blocks to go. All arcs for the blocks are already paper pieced. 

And I need to make a piano key border. 

I've used the pattern in Kaffe Fassett's book Quilt Romance. 

These are the first two rows.  I completed them in October. 

Linking up to other quilters at: 

Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story

Linky Tuesday at Free Motion by the River

WIPs on Wednesday at Esther's Blog

Sister's Choice

 

Awhile back I participated in a 6 inch 9 patch swap in civil war reproduction fabrics - blue corners, red centers and the rest of the block in tan. 

I've slowly been turning them into  10 inch Sister's Choice blocks. 

Design Wall Monday

Chickens and Chickens and Chickens, Oh My!

Since last we met for some Slow Stitching on Sunday I've added some binding to my 7 potholders - hand stitched on back just like a quilt.  I really don't like the look of binding that shows machine stitching.  I showed the back of the potholders in the middle of the potholders on the right. 

I've also finished the embroidery on another dishtowel. 

And, not slow stitching, but I made a reversible fabric grocery bag.  

So, into the bag goes an embroidered dishtowel, potholder, crocheted dishcloth and sometimes a refrigerator magnet or other nick nack. 

That's what I usually give some friends and family for Christmas.

The red plaid is the reverse side of the fabric grocery bag. 

So, for Slow Stitching this week I'm going to try to finish up a few more embroidered dishtowels. 

I need to get some of these sets mailed off to distant parts for Christmas so time is of the essence! 

Doing some hand stitching today? 

Join us at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday. 

Blue - Using it and Feeling It

Light blue is the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

I've been making 3 - 12 inch kaleidoscope blocks each month - one in the color of the month one in the color of month plus it's complement and one in color of month plus previous month.    I want to have 42 blocks before I assemble the quilt so made an extra all blue one this month. 

I've been making the corners of the blocks out of crumbs. So in addition to using up scraps for the kaleidoscope I use up LOTS of crumbs in the corners. 

I was to also make a border out of crumbs for my kaleidoscope quilt but in mixed up crumbs. I think that will look like little kaleidoscope pieces.   I've had crumb strips that are left over each month  (at top in photo) after making the kaleidoscopes that will be used in the border.  They measure about 4.5 inches.  In addition I've had some strips left over each month from the kaleidoscopes that I've been cutting into 6.5 inch squares to use in something else (yet to be determined) later. 

Since I've been using a lot of crumbs and smaller pieces in projects this year I've started using my bigger scraps in some rainbow projects that will continue into next year like this Dresden.   I've used 4.5 inch pieces in this and will use a gray background, a polka dot center in the color of the month surrounded by gray rick rack.   With this I practice my applique skills (which are about nil). 

Got Scraps?

Join the Rainbow Scrap Challenge each Scrap Happy Saturday and show us what you've done with them. 

Stumbling Along on the Drunkard's Path

Today's Drunkard Path blocks leaves me with a total of 51 out of the 120 I need.

Blocks measure 6 inches finished and consist of four DP quadrants. 

I'm using dots and dashes from my stash.  

Stumbling   Quilting along with others and with

  Vicki Welsh (of Field Trips in Fiber)  Crossing the Drunkard's Path.

And do you think I Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?  over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  

Vintage Spinning

I have finished 4 more Vintage Spin blocks. 

Pattern is from the book Adding Layers by Kathy Doughty 

Vintage Spin or Burst of Energy?

Linking up to Esther's WOW Wednesday. 

More Wonky Logs

I've been using my blue short string scraps and black/black and white short string scraps in Wonky Log Cabin Blocks. 

Blocks measure 9 inches finished. 

I used the more traditional red centers. 

I made 24 blocks. 

With a small border this will eventually measure out to be a child -sized 40 x 60 quilt for donation. 

I've used up a lot of scraps but probably have enough for another quilt this size. 

The last Wonky Log Cabin quilt I made and donated to Wrap-A-Smile was the one above. 

Linking up to Scraptastic Tuesday.