Who sent the Squirrel?!

Since last Saturday I've been doing a little bit tidying on the sewing table. 

Before I packed away the red fabrics (RSC April), I made these two small hot pads. Aren't they cute? 

The rectangle one measures a bit shy of 6.75 x 8.75 inches

The round one is 8.25 inches across

But that was not what I was going to talk about! 

I had finished some items for my Etsy Shop, the hot pads, and the 'plan' was to sandwich another UFO (my goal for May)

After a delicious morning cuppa, I was going to start working on that UFO.

Update (one week later): the UFO is under the needle!  

SQUIRREL DISTRACTION!!!! 

While my DH was preparing tea, a squirrel disturbed my UFO preparation!!! I've made some place mats for my shop recently, and that squirrel reminded me I have place mats panels in the (fabric) buffet upstairs! 

Of course I went to have a look, and this is what came with me to the sewing room; 

8 Paris place mats 

+ backing 

Last year I ordered 2 Advent Calendars from a well known online shop in the US.

This is what they sent me; 2 Place mats panels!!! LOL 

8 cupcakes / birthday place mats!

Eventually I got the calendars and where told to keep the place mats. What to do with them? Not exactly what I would have chosen, but I ended up purchasing backing and binding from the same fabric line. After all, I think they are quite cute and great for cupcakes party or birthday. 

I have a big (I think?) selection of Coffee fabrics and I just love these small mug rug size panels! 

I even made one mug rug! (Forgot to take photo!)

What else came with me to the sewing table?

A UFO! A small wall hanging

I don't know how many times (and years!) this one has been pulled out of the shelf for so to go back in again! I know how I want it, but.... I'm worried I'll mess it all up!

The background is black & white squares pieced together, from light to dark. My idea has always been to fussy cut the poppies and applique to the background, using the raw edge quilting method and maybe add seed beads to the poppy centers. 

Any tips / suggestions?  

A fun chicken / farmhouse panel

I had to laugh out load of these chickens, they are really fun! 

Maybe some potholders? Or mug rugs?

Fun chickens, what about these? 

What can I make of these hilarious cats?? Each panel measures 7.25 x 11 inches, I have two panels. Place mats with some coordinating fabric ( I have only the panels and busy background fabric from that fabric line), or small wall quilts? 

Any suggestion is welcome! 

I'm currently quilting 'Tomten's Quilt' and hope to get it done by the weekend. 

A glorious morning today, however meteo has issued a 'heavy rain watch' for this afternoon. I'd better get ready to do some yardwork before it gets wet! 

RSC Week 12 - More Yellow Blocks and a few Finishes

I thought I was done with yellow for this month's RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge). 

Nope! 

Those of you who have followed my blog for some time, know I'm cutting scraps into squares in sizes from 1.5" to 5". 

I'm trying my best to use those squares, but it looks like some sizes are less used, like 3.5". 

This box containing 3.5" squares were overflowing and it was hard getting the cover on. 

Something had to be done! 

I got the idea to make 9-patches in RSC colors! I started with yellow.

I got 3 blocks 

2 blue blocks

5 pink blocks

I may change the bottom right square in the pink block #2. I can't decide which color it is. To me it looks like something between pink and orange. 

Where on earth did I get all that pink from?! Not even among my favorite colors! 

10 blocks x 9 squares = 90 squares left the box! 

There are more of these squares/colors in the box, but I didn't want to make any duplicates and it doesn't harm to keep a few for further blocks.

It made a tiny, tiny dent! Now it's easier getting the cover on! 

Place mats and hot pads from previous post done

14 inches round place mats

13 inches square place mats

10 and 8 inches hot pads

I think they look spring-ish with the green binding. 

I forgot to take photos of the back, which is all yellow too, all from my stash. 

Do you have any creative plans for the weekend? 

I've started quilting 'Dwellings'. I'm almost done with the second house. Custom quilting those houses take even more time than what it took to quilt the New York Beauty! My goodness! Hope I don't get bored with it! 

Linking up with Angela and RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge)

and Melva Loves Scraps

 

A finished UFO and What Came Out of the Rest

 It's early Easter Monday morning. I've had my breakfast and brewed coffee. I love early mornings; enjoying the first cuppa of the day, the quietness (hubby still sleeping) and the best of all; reading latest blog posts to see what dear quilters have been up to lately. You all are so creative and especially I love the RSC challenge many of you participate in. Lots of great projects!

What have I been up to the last weeks? Busy sewing, of course! The best of all, I have a FINISHED UFO; kitchen wall organizer! 

It became a UFO because I dreaded the inside out pockets. IMO; I never get the corners right. I spent quite some time trying to figure out if it could be done different. That failed too, so I decided to go for it! In the end, it didn't turn out that bad? I added Prairie Points to one side of each pockets and it has a sleeve for easy hanging. A fun project to make! Measures 16.50 x 32.50" / 42 x 82.50 cm. Pockets are 8.25" / 21 cm deep and 7.50" / 19 cm wide. For the back I used a floral white on cream.

Here's the second one

This is how I wanted to make the first one, but could not figure out how to add the pockets since they have different placements. It has the same pocket panels as the above one. Measures 12.75" x 34.25" / 32.50 x 87 cm. 

A large table runner

This is approximately 3/4 of the runner - LOL. I was too lazy to empty the sewing table (which is big enough) to take a proper photo. You get the idea; it's the same pattern at both ends. Measures 18.25" x 52.25" / 46.50 x 133 cm

In my previous post I had prepped for some place mats, which is done

Four round place mats, 13.75" / 35 cm diameter

Set of two square place mats, 13.50" / 34.50 cm

...and another set, 13.50" / 34.50 cm

Thank you for your suggestions to turn the small tomato piece into a trivet

I listened, and here it is, 10.75" / 27 cm square

As I've mentioned earlier, one of my goals this year is to use up fabrics from my stash. After finishing the above items, I had some bits and pieces left. A bit too big to be cut into squares and strips, so I made...

...four round trivets / pot holders, 7.25" / 18 cm diameter. As you can see, there's not four, but three. How come? 'Of course' I ran out of bobbin thread on the last one! More on the way, should get it by next week. 

Two square trivets / pot holders, 9.50" / 24 cm

I need the same bobbin thread (green) to finish this rectangle trivet (plus the round one).

Do you keep records (invoices) of fabrics/notions you buy? I do, and just for fun I had a look in the files to see when I purchased these fabrics. Surprise! Purchased February 2012! My goodness! I didn't realize it's that long ago! Well, you know, some fabrics are too beautiful to be cut or I didn't know what to make.

Fabric purchased; 2 yards of the text fabric and 1 yard each of the others. 

   I didn't use all. There's about 7/8 yards left of the cream, used it only for the table runner. 1/4 yard left of the green, one 2.25" strip will be used for binding the rectangle trivet and there's about 0.15 yards left of the red. The green as well as the cream for backing are from my stash too. 

Small bits and pieces are cut into 1.5", 2", 2.5", 3" squares and a few 1.5" strips. 

I forgot to take a photo of the strips. Nothing to show really; a couple of strips from the text fabric, the vegetable/fruit one and the green fabric. 

Now to wait patiently for the thread to arrive to finish the last two items. 

What's up next? I'm not sure... I have some non-quilting related projects coming up, but not sure when I'll get to it. It needs some planning! I've finished a cross stitch project and currently doing a small cross stitched Easter bunny, but that will be for another post. 

HAPPY QUILTING!

 

Another Red and White Lap Quilt and some Small Items

Yesterday was Sunday and 'blog day', but I was too pooped last night to even write a single word. Early Monday morning, cuppa in hand and here we go! :) 

In my previous blog post, I had started working on some mug rugs, finished one as well as a couple of trivets. Monday came and the plan was to hand sew binding on the table runners that have multiplied lately. The goal was to do one each day for one week and they should be done. That never happened, except one small table topper. Progress! Haha!

I got carried away with another big quilt! A lap quilt size this time.

Ever since I made the red and white custom order lap quilt earlier this year, I have wanted to make another one for my shop.

I have used the same fabrics as the first one I made and some squares were already cut. This one has a different design. I finished the quilt top yesterday. For the back I want to use bigger squares, but not sure I have enough fabrics left for that. 

As I already have mentioned; one table topper is finished! 

Don't you love these poppies? It's so summer!
The table topper will be added to my Etsy Shop soon. 

Drum Roll please!!! 
I have a finished UFO!!!

A small wall hanging or table topper, can also be used as place mat.
This item will be added to my Etsy Shop soon. 

A couple of new trivets. Feels good to use up some bits and pieces. What are these flowers called?  These trivets will be added to my Etsy Shop soon. 

...and a couple of Hu LaLa mug rugs

This item will be added to my Etsy Shop soon. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/586095276/quilted-mug-rug-orange-red-snack-mat

This was my creative week, how was yours? Hope you had a good one! 

HAPPY QUILTING! 

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Updated UFO list per March 18, 2018 

#1 - Log Cabin/Elk Table Topper (orphan block) FINISHED! 

#2 - Table Topper Purple Pansies - FINISHED! 

#3 - Wall Hanging Hawaii Dancing Girls - FINISHED!

#4 - Christmas Place Mats - set of 4

#5 - PSQ - Squares and Pinwheels

#6 - PSQ - Scrappy Squares

#7 - Scrappy Irish Chain in Blue and White

#8 - Bonnie's 'Provence'

#9 - Sunbonnet Sue - NNC block swap

#10 - Lap Quilt in Red and White - FINISHED! 

#11 - Pat Sloan's Grandma's Kitchen

#12 - Scrappy Log Cabin

#13 - Got the Blues

#14 - Nifty Nurses

#15 - Scrappy Flannel Quilt

#16 - Scrappy Christmas Quilt

#17 - Lap Quilt

#18 - Scrappy Black and White Wall Hanging

#19 - Scrappy 1 inch squares (sewn into quilt)

#20 - Bag

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OPAM finishes for June

HAPPY JULY! 

June passed as quickly as the other months. 

I've been busy quilting and have some finished items. I made some Christmas items, but ran out of fabric and batting and finally got it earlier this week. The batting should be in this week. 

While waiting, I made some mug rugs from Christmas scraps. It feels good to use up those small pieces of fabric as well as batting. 

I've had this piece of fabric forever. Finally decided to fussy cut the houses and couple and made them into a set of 4 coasters. 

A piece of lobster fabric was just sitting there from the others I made earlier.

I made a bigger trivet of what was left. 

'Had forever fabrics' turned into a table topper. 

Nifty Nurses mug rugs 

I love making these mug rugs.

Actually I'm working on a custom order of 6 nurse mug rugs. Four of them are almost done, and I love the personalized look. Photos of those will be later when all are finished.