WIP's and a couple of finishes

I was supposed to finish the table topper AND runner from my previous post... 

I did finish the table topper, but not the runner. I had such problems with the thread tension so I just put it away. 

I finally hemmed the coffee table runner

Since my previous post, I've started a new project; log cabin blocks! I bought these fabrics at the end of last year, just because they are so beautiful! Purple has always been outside my comfort zone, but I fell in love with these fabrics. So far I have 8 blocks and I will definitely need more fabric to finish up the quilt. 

Old jeans from a friend and cloth rice bags from Pakistan,
this is going to be an upcycled grocery bag. I just have to pull out some more jeans from a box... 

Working on a Christmas custom order; 4 placemats

Yesterday I was cleaning part of the sewing / studio, where I have most of my quilting fabrics, books, magazines etc. I have a huge buffet that is filled to the brim and 'of course' some containers stored on the floor - to hubby's despair - lol. After the cleaning yesterday I felt a little bit lazy today and just wanted to go through some of the containers. Started with a basket I thought contained of things to be thrown... Wrong! Well, it was things at the top that was ready for the bin and what else did I find? Bits and pieces of fabrics from projects that were finished at least 2-3 years ago and lots of HST's!  I started to sort it out and now I have a nice little heap to be cut into 2, 2.5 and 4 inch squares and 1.5 inch strips. There are some orphan as well as error blocks too, which I'm going to re-cut and I will use most of this in a super-scrappy quilt... one sunny day! :) 

HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY! 

A flimsy, surprise gift and other WIPs

One week has passed since my previous post and what have I been up to? 

Well, I have not hemmed the coffee table runner that I was supposed to do. What I have done is to cut the two layer cakes; each 10 inch square into four 4 7/8 inch squares - instead of 5 inch. Most of the supposed to be 10 inch squares were either 9 7/8 or even 9 3/4 inch! :( For not to get any surprises when adding the squares together, I decided to cut them all into 4 7/8 inch squares. 

I have a flimsy! 320 squares added together! The fabrics are from two layer cakes

'Aviary' by 3 Sisters

'Beach House' by Blackbird Designs

To make it a double size quilt, I need fabric for a border, backing and binding.... not sure when that will be... :) 

There were 16 leftover squares I turned into a small table topper. 

I have sinned!!! 

Being on SSD (Strict Stash Diet) I'm not supposed to buy fabrics and other items UNLESS I really NEED IT! 

I have stuck to my rule so far this year and bought what has been needed; fabric for custom orders, batting and thread. 

Then I read about a 60 degrees ruler and all the possibilities it has... I needed thread as well as refill to a marking pen... and then I saw some beautiful batiks... 

You got it! I had to buy it!!! Aren't those batiks beautiful?! 

Earlier this week I placed an order for thread and insul bright as well as fabric for a new custom order.
Here's two of the panel blocks I'm going to use for the custom order

I received a surprise gift from my penfriend Mayumi  in Japan today! 

It's an ornament / handcrafted ball,  beautifully decorated with thread. 

This form of folk art is called TEMARI 'hand ball'  in Japanese.

Temari are highly valued and cherished gifts, symbolizing deep friendship and loyalty.

(Wikipedia) 

It's so beautiful made and I will treasure it forever!

Thank you so much, Mayumi!

I made this table topper and a runner last year, I think it was..... The idea was to hand quilt both, but since it has not happened by now, I gave in and it will be machine quilted instead!

You may wonder about the masking tape? I'm doing straight lines and I find it much easier to use masking tape compared to marking pens on smaller items. Easy to remove and no marks to worry about afterwards.

All the 2 inch fabric squares for the PSQ Charm Swap were shipped Monday this week, so in about one week's time I should receive charms from my swap partners.  :) 

We observed an amazing half arc rainbow yesterday morning, take a look here. 

Using up bits and pieces, layer cakes and the PSQ craze

Welcome April! 

Springtime many places on the globe and here it means cooler days. We can feel it already, which is just so wonderful! 

What have I been up to since my previous post? Not much really.... I've been using up fabrics from the 'Blooming spring' by Joanne Porter for Wilmington prints. 

I had some border fabric left and made a set of 4 placemats

 ... and two trivets / hot pads. Love to use up bits and pieces.

Some weeks ago I cut the fabrics for this table runner... Yesterday I added the pieces together, quilted and now it's ready to be hemmed.

Back in January I pulled out two layer cakes from the shelf that had been sitting there forever... almost! What has happened since then? Nothing! Not until this morning when I decided to cut each 10 inch square into four 5 inch squares for a twin quilt.

 'Aviary' by 3 Sisters

and 'Beach House' by Blackbird Designs

I think these two layer cakes blend well together. I'm going to 'mix & match' the fabrics squares and I think it should be enough for a twin quilt - I have to calculate on that. (The photo doesn't do justice to the colors of the fabrics, it was too dark in the room so I had to use the flash).  

What's your experience with layer cakes? 

Before I started cutting the 10 inch squares, I measured properly to verify they are exact 10 inches square. Well, they are NOT! On almost every square - those I have cut - they measured 9 7/8 or 9 3/4 inches! I figured out this is not going to work, so I decided to cut them all into 4 7/8 inches squares. By doing so at least I know the squares are squares - lol - and I won't have any surprises when adding them together! And even better; I cut off that terrible pinking edge! I'm glad I'm not allergic to all that cotton dust that comes with it! 

...And the craze is on again!

900 2 inch charms ready to be shipped to the US, Canada and UK. 

200 2 inch newbie gifts are shipped to the US, Canada and New Zealand. 

A big THANK YOU  to Mary over at The Curious Quilter who is doing a fabulous job as well as keeping us out of trouble! :)  

Well, the coffee break is over and I have to get going with the second layer cake!

A wonderful weekend to you all!

Happy Quilting!