Christmas Flimsy, Preparing Backing and New Projects

 Hello everyone! 

I hope you've had a good week. To those of you in the US and Canada; stay inside, stay cool. Can't imagine the heat some of you're dealing with.  As you know; it's 'winter' in the tropics and to keep my fingers warm, I've been busy sewing! 

If you read my previous post, you know I was sorting 2.5' Christmas Fabric Squares (already cut) on colors. Rather boring, to tell the truth! Good thing there weren't that many!

After the sorting was done, I started sewing, and sewing... and sewing!!! Couldn't stop until I had a flimsy; 20 blocks! Here's a sneak-peek. I had sew much fun piecing these squares together and rediscover fabric I can't even remember what were used for. Sew fun! I'm thinking flannel as backing on this one (which I don't have). 'Of course' I don't have enough batting either! More added to the online shopping list; flannel and batting! 

The 'plan' for today... well, I don't really make plans, because they always fail! Better say; what I had in mind for today... that sounds better... was to continue on a couple of fall WIPs. That didn't happen! Instead I pieced the backing for the Pineapple Quilt (UFO). 

I've had this floral fabric for 'I don't know how long'. Not enough, as you can see, but after I took the photo, I added a beautiful brown to each side, top and bottom. Not the perfect backing for the quilt, but my aim is to use from my stash whenever I can. 

Don't you get fed up on UFO's sometimes, and want to make something new? I do! 

I pulled out some fall fabric and here's the beginning for an applique wall hanging. This is the second attempt...

...here's the first attempt..

I'm sure my brain had a short-circuit, because almost everything went wrong on this one; the three pieces for the fence are too wide and I managed to cut the background fabric 1/4' too short! UGH!!! I could have adjusted that with the black narrow border, but I got so ****** that I started all over! The error-piece won't go in the bin, I have an idea how to 'rescue' it. 

The beginning of a fall lap quilt

HA! Now I see the two small blocks have the same green center! I think I'll swap the red block with another one. I shall see.......

Amazing what pops up when it has been long forgotten, isn't it? 

Last year, or was it the year before?, I cut fabric, batting and insul bright for an oven mitt, mostly because I wanted to use up the piece of corn fabric. I don't even like corn, but the fabric is quite fun! I like how it turned out, except the thumb could have been longer; blame the pattern! Oh well, my very first handmade oven mitt! 

HAPPY WEEKEND! 

Finished UFO's and New Project

It's not often I have two posts in one week, but I'm excited to share some (quilting) news with you!

First, I have some finished UFO's! 

The Scrappy Christmas Quilt was finished in April, but never got around taking photos

I've used red, green, grey, white and gold scraps (I almost ran out of greens!)

For the back I've chosen a beautiful poinsettia fabric

The stocking kit was given to me a couple of years ago (I never buy kits). This UFO was also one of the 'laying on the bench next to the table'.

 I rarely make stockings, so it took me an unpick to get the lining inside and not outside! lol

This photo shows what was meant to be the back of the stockings.  Aren't these too cute to be hidden on the back?! Instead of two, I made four! 

Those of you who read my blog regularly, know I love making scrappy quilts. I'm a member of the Quiltsy Team on Etsy. The team has monthly challenges and for July/August: Scraps! Make anything from table runner to twin size quilt. 

I have cut squares from leftover fabrics for years, separated Christmas from all other themes. 

Big shoe box full of 2.5' squares! 

Not so much sorted on colors,

that's what I did last night; sorted on colors! Phew! Here are only a few. 

Sorted on colors, and one of each. I'm thinking a lap quilt, but it won't be a unique one (meaning: no duplicates!). I have several of most fabric, it has to be duplicates. 

Fun seeing some of these fabrics again, and some I can't even remember what I made. So this is what will keep my fingers warm the coming days. 

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Update: 'What's-on-the-table/chair/bench' list:

- 3 Tea Cozies - quilted - fix loop on each

- PSQ blocks 36 patches - ongoing project - no new blocks

- Pineapple Quilt (UFO) - make a pieced backing - not done

- Double Wedding ring quilt (2021) - arcs done

- NYB - 48 blocks done (2021) - layout

- Christmas Stockings (kit / UFO) - DONE!

- Coffee menu - cross stitching - no progress

Updated APQ UFO list, July 2, 2021

#1 -Blue & White Irish Chain

#2 - Black/White Poppies Wall Haning - FEBRUARY

#3 - Got the Blues

#4 - Christmas Lap Quilt - APRIL - DONE!

#5 - Pineapple Quilt - JUNE

#6 - Christmas Stockings Kit - DONE!

#7 - Log Cabin Blocks (Nancy Halvorsen) - JANUARY - DONE!

#8 - Scrappy Quilt / Migration to Africa - DONE!

#9 - PSQuilt - MAY - DONE!

#10 - Basket Quilt

#11 - Kitchen Wall Hanging (Vegetables) - MARCH

#12 - PSQuilt Blocks - JULY - DONE! 

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#13 - Crumb Quilt

#14 - Scrappy Flannel Quilt 

#15 - Scrappy 4' Squares

HAPPY QUILTING / WEEKEND!

 

Weekend Sewing and Updated UFO / WIP Lists

Happy Wednesday!

(I started writing this post Monday, some paragraphs are updated)

After working hard on WIP's and actually finish some of them  (previous post), it took me a day or so to decide what's next. 

I decided to work on the tea cozies. They are quilted and ready for binding.

Update: 2 tea cozies are done, just have to fix the loop on each. 

I've this one left to do. Insulated tea cozies are a bit tedious to make, especially to machine sew the binding through four layers cotton batting, 2 layers insul bright + the front and lining. For this, I use needle #18/110, slow, and lots of P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E, and COFFEE!!! lol

While hunting for the binding fabric, I pulled out a small piece of poinsettia fabric, just enough to make a tea cozy in a different design. This one is done, I have to bias cut binding for the small teapot mat. I think this tea cozy turned out really cute. 

Well, my to-do list consists of WIP's already on the table and chair. What I didn't count, are the WIP's on the bench next to the table! HA! Guess what I found there?!

40 arcs for a Double Wedding Ring quilt

I'm a member of the Quiltsy Team on Etsy and one of the challenges this year is to make something we've always wanted to do but never made before. For me, that's a DWR quilt! I'm making it in scrappy batik.

 

48 New York Beauty blocks

These were put aside when I decided to work on UFO's. 

Christmas Stocking Kit

I never buy kits. This kit is a gift from a quilter in the US.

Update: Working on these. Stockings, batting and the back are cut. Have to go hunting in my Christmas stash for lining fabric. 

During lockdown (beginning March 10, 2021) as well as recovering from a surgery, I couldn't move much around. To stay sane, I did counted cross stitching. I used to do it some years ago and really enjoyed it. I made these ornaments more than 10 years ago. For the 'Coffee Menu', I had one color missing and due to the lockdown I couldn't go into the city getting it. Eventually the lockdown was lifted, I got the floss, and no more progress.

 Seriously, I should work on this one too, because I love it! 

The 'What's-on-the-Table' list has shrunk considerably, from this, to this:

- 3 Tea Cozies - quilted

- PSQ blocks 36 patches - ongoing project - no new blocks

- Pineapple Quilt (UFO) - make a pieced backing - not done

NEW to the list:

- Double Wedding Ring quilt (2021) - arcs done 

- NYB - 48 blocks done (2021) - layout

- 2 Christmas Stockings (kit / UFO)

- 'Coffee Menu' Cross Stitching  

Updated APQ UFO list: 

#1 - Blue & White Irish Chain

#2 - Black/White Poppies Wall Haning - FEBRUARY

- #3 - Got the Blues

 #4 Christmas Lap Quilt - APRIL - DONE!

#5 - Pineapple Quilt - JUNE

#6 - Christmas Stockings Kit

#7 - Log Cabin Blocks (Nancy Halvorsen) - JANUARY - DONE! 

#8 - Scrappy Quilt / Migration to Africa - DONE!

#9 - PS Quilt - MAY - DONE!

#10 - Basket Quilt

#11 - Kitchen WH / Vegetables - MARCH

#12 - PSQ Blocks -JULY - DONE! 

#13 - Crumb Quilt

#14 - Scrappy Flannel Quilt

#15 - Scrappy 4' Squares

5 big quilts finished in 6 months. Not that bad, eh?! 

HAPPY QUILTING!