Whimsical And Wonky Table Runner featuring "Check It Out" by Island Batik!

I fell in love with the Check It Out yardage I received in my July Island Batik Ambassador Box - so fun, and absolutely perfect for the December Challenge!  Checkerboard fabric makes me think of Mary Engelbreit's designs which I think are perfectly whimsical (playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way).  And even though most of my quilt designs are more traditional, I love to incorporate a touch of whimsy in my choice of prints, or color combinations.  As far as wonky (crooked, off center or askew) goes, I have to admit that I don't usually work in that arena, but I'm always willing to try something new!

Did you know that it's super simple in EQ8 to tilt a quilt block?  All you have to do is go to the Block menu, choose Serendipity and choose the tilt option.  From there you can tilt the block by any amount you choose.  Save your block to the sketchbook and you are ready to go!  Luckily the tilt I chose turned a 12 inch block into a 15 inch block.  Right now I'm not sure how you could work it so your block comes out sized as well as mine did, but if I find out, I'll be sure to share that information.  The nice thing is that if you choose to print out the rotary cutting instructions, you can find out how to cut your wedges for tilting your completed squares as well.  I was a little doubtful, but it worked like a charm!

I started out by making 16 of these blocks.  My original plan was to make a lap quilt, but I decided yesterday that finishing a 60 inch quilt in two days was a bit more than I could manage at this point.  I chose instead to make a table runner from four of my blocks, and I will use the rest of the blocks to create a smaller lap quilt later this winter when I have more time.  And I know I will definitely do that because I love the way these blocks look set together with their wonky checkerboard triangles!

I finished four blocks and sewed them together, then basted them this morning - so pretty!

I quilted them with a swirl design and added a medium blue binding (also from Island Batik).

Definitely whimsical and wonky!  As well as delightful :)  It finished at 15 1/2 x 60 1/2 inches.

So pretty on my new floor!

It's going to look awesome on my table - once I finish my puzzle!  I love that I got all these blue fabrics to play with - thanks to all the nice folks at Island Batik, they always seem to know just what I love to work with!

And speaking of Island Batik, all of the Island Batik Ambassadors from 2018 are busy getting ready for our final event of the Ambassador year.  We will be spending the next month showing you all the stunning Spring and Summer fabrics that are shipping out right now to your local quilt shops!  This Blog Hop theme is Getaway:

It starts next Monday, there will be lots of projects, prizes and all around fun!  I'll post the schedule for you later this week - I hope you will make sure to join in on the fun!

Happy New Year! 

2019 - Setting Some Goals

It's that time of year.  I kind of resist actually putting my goals down on paper, I think that it makes it too real - like a checklist I need to make sure I check off.  But I guess that is what a goal really is, isn't it?  Something you want to accomplish.



The last several year, I've been choosing a word to focus on - I don't know if I shared mine last year, but it was RELEASE.  I had a lot of emotional things I needed to let go of - one of them being the feeling that everything that happens in my family is my responsibility.  It was really good for me to let go of that idea, and allow things to develop without feeling that I needed to intervene in every situation.  I have felt much less anxiety and more peace by just not trying to always fix things, or even figure out how to fix them!

In the same vein, this year I am choosing REDUCE as my word for 2019.  I want to reduce the amount of possessions I own, the amount of sugar I consume, the amount of screen time I am just aimlessly using....and just be more mindful about my life.  It seems like kind of a negative word, but I've really been thinking about it, and it's what I need to do right now.

I've also been setting some quilting/business related goals.  One of my best accomplishments of last year was getting the Honorable Mention for my Solar Flare quilt in the Northwest Quilt Expo, so I'd like to enter quilts into 4 shows this year.  So this will need to be budgeted for as well - between shipping and entry fees, I'll need to set aside some money for this part of my goal.

I've also been thinking about where my business is going.  I realize that, at least for where I am right now teaching needs to be limited to my local quilt shop.  The travel thing is just too complicated to deal with at this point, so I am not going to make teaching a huge goal, I am going to aim to do two classes a quarter at the quilt shop, and not worry about reaching out to other places right now.  I will continue to submit to magazines, and want to design 3 - 4 new quilts each quarter.  I do not want to vend at shows, but I do want to see if I can get my designs in with a distributor, so will work on that as well.

Craftsy has made a major change in their marketplace, and even though I was allowed to keep my patterns there, they only left 5 out of 54.  Which means a lot of work for me as far as deleting links that no longer work and figuring out how to accomplish my Quilt Block of the Month so people will have access to the previous patterns.  And making a place for my tutorials to live as well.  This will delay the start of my SeaSide project, but I will get there shortly!  I've decided that between all the changes on Etsy and Craftsy that maybe it's time to spread my wings and create my own place for people to buy my patterns.

I had a major time crunch in December with projects, so I think it's also time that I budget for some long arm quilting when I have too much to do.  I plan on reaching out to a few places to see what their time frames are and make some back up plans for getting things done when needed!  I really do enjoy the fact that I am the sole maker of my quilts, but I think it's time to allow for an exception for some projects.

I think my biggest goal is just to keep having fun making quilts!  Lots of them.  And believe me, I think it is the best sewing fun of all :)

So, with all that to chew on, I think I'm about ready to ring in 2019!  Thanks to Yvonne at Quilting Jet Girl for hosting the #2019PlanningParty!  It's been fun reading everyone's posts with their thoughts and dreams for the coming year, I hope you will join in as well.

Cutting Lots of Quilt Blocks Efficiently

I don't mind cutting, but I definitely like sewing more, so I try to be as efficient as I can when cutting out my pieces.  Sub cutting units from strips is a great way to speed up the process, so I do that when I can.  I also use strip piecing when I can - a great example of this is making four patch units.  The fabrics I am using are from Island Batik for use in my December Challenge.

My current challenge project needs a total of 64 four patch blocks that are made using 2 /12 inch squares.  I cut 2 1/2 inch strips, and sewed these in pairs as needed for my blocks.  I use my June Tailor Shape Cut ruler and stack up my units to cut all of the pieces needed in just a short amount of time.

 I place the pairs of strip sets right sides together, nesting my seams.  I use a line on the cutting mat to make sure my strips are laying perfectly straight - I let the ends of the strips hang off the far edge of the mat.

 I pair up a second set of strips and lay them down 2 inches above the first set of strips, once again making sure to line the top edge up with a line on the mat.

 The third set goes another 2 inches above. 

 Since the shape cut is 12 inches tall, there is enough room for my fourth set as well, so I can cut all of my strip sets at once!

 Line up the bottom edge of the first strip set with the 0 line on the ruler.  Trim at the first slot on the ruler, then make a cut every 2 1/2 inches for a total of four cuts.

 With just a few swipes of the rotary cutter, I've cut 16 patches!

I transfer them to a design board, then move my ruler to cut the next set.  I can cut three sets, then I have to move the remaining fabric and line it all up again, but as the pieces are short it doesn't take long.  It literally only took a few minutes to cut all my four patches and then I'm ready to sew them all up!

I also cut a big batch of units for Flying Geese.  All in all, a very pleasant afternoon of sewing units for my project!  With any luck, tomorrow I'll have a top ready...

2019 UFO Challenge

Don't you just love the start of a New Year?  I sure do, I love thinking of the possibilities, setting goals, making plans!

One of my goals from last year was not to create any NEW UFO's  I did pretty well at that, but I also didn't make a lot of progress on my previous UFO's, and I have plenty of projects that I would like to get moved along and finish.  So to that end, I am joining up with Patchwork Times for the 2019 UFO Challenge.

1. Dear Jane
2. Giant Dahlia
3. Pattiserie
4. Quilt for DH
5. Blue and White Mini Memories
6. Celtic Solstice
7. Good Fortune
8. Apple Table Runner
9. Genie's Quilt
10. Queen's Garden
11. Big Surf
12. Metro Rings

I plan to break out the Dear Jane quilt and start working on it again right away, and keep continue making blocks because it is likely more than can be done in one month's time, but hopefully by the time it's number is drawn I can be ready to put it together and start quilting.  We will see if I can get most of these projects finished this year!

Speaking of finishes, my DH and I managed to finish another home improvement project today!  We installed my new dishwasher.  It was a good 4 hours worth of work - we ended up having to go under the house to move the electric supply (and my dryer vent had come loose so we fixed that while we were at it).  So yucky under there, but no bad surprises - some loose insulation, and lots of dust and dirt, but no leaks or infestations of any kind.  The stainless steel is a big improvement over the old black one, it served us well for 24 years, so I can't complain, but it was time.  So glad to have this job done...what a year of projects it has been!

Looking Back - top five of 2018

I'm feeling a little melancholy this morning as everyone has left and our house is quiet once more.  It's a good time to stop and take a look back at 2018 and pick my top five posts!  It's really hard to pick just five, but these are my personal favorites for the year.  These projects ranged from very small to queen size - and all of them are scrappy looking, I just love making quilts with lots of fabrics!  Click the pictures to see my original posts for these projects.

My Happy Place - Under the Stars

Participating in Blog hops - it's just fun to create something and share it along with a group.  It's always fun to see what everyone else makes and to come up with a project as well.  Marian at Seams to Be Sew is an awesome hop hostess - she makes it super enjoyable and always has fabulous prizes!

My Eiffel Tower Quilt for the Great Outdoors Blog Hop by Island Batik is definitely a favorite of mine.  I was so excited to work with this fabric line and I just love how my quilt came out!  

Mountain Dawning was my quilt for the Modern Challenge in June for Island Batik.  I was surprised at just how popular this quilt (and pattern) has been.  This is one of my top pins on Pinterest for the whole year!

Scrappy String Quilt - I love playing with scraps, and this string quilt was definitely a favorite of mine this year!  I am still working at making more blocks for another quilt - it's a great way to use up those awkward strips that build up in your scraps.

Small, Smaller, Smallest Blog Hop.  Carol at Just Let Me Quilt is another great Hop hostess!  I really enjoyed participating in this hop - you know I love mini quilts.  If you have never tried a blog hop, you should.  It's really a lot of fun and it's a great way to get to know some other bloggers.

I've also been enjoying participating in Linky Parties this year.  It's also a great way to connect with other bloggers!  This is a great end of the year one - it's a great time to look back at the year and see what you have accomplished.

Join in at:  Meadow Mist Designs Best of 2018 Linky Party

Now it's off to the sewing room to do a little cleaning and a lot of quilting!  Love these days between Christmas and New Years (plus this year I am not sick - last year I had the flu and was down for the count!)

Perfectly fitting...

I had a fun day of sewing today.  My bride to be daughter was here, so it was the perfect day to work on fitting her gown! 

This is the dress pattern she chose.  So pretty!  We decided to leave that bustle piece off the back.  I got the bodice and sleeves fitted, and basted the skirt on to see what length to hem it.  It's going to be just beautiful!

She loved my choice of lace for the bodice and sleeves, and the little buttons that will go down the back and close the sleeves.

For me, it was so nice to be able to make small adjustments and have her try it on without having to have everything together!  I'm excited to start working on the detailing.  Plus I need to start thinking about what I would like to wear.  It's going to be such a happy day - the whole family is enjoying looking forward to it, and the trip to Boston to be part of their wonderful day.  April seems far away now, but I know it will be here before we know it!  It's nice to have this project well on the way toward getting finished.  Now I need to get to work on some more projects and clean up my sewing room.

Are you ready for the New Year?  I'm starting to work on my goals and plans...so many things going through my head, but I know for sure that there are lots of quilts planned for next year!

Merry Christmas!

I had to take a few days off from the 31 Day Blogging Challenge - just too much going on!

There was some of this:

More of this:

Lots of this:

My daughter cooked, so I cleaned up:

Then we came home and had more fun with Scamper:

It's been a wonderful holiday!  I hope yours was as well!  God Bless us, every one!

Late Night Pajama Party!

I'm getting too old to stay up until the wee hours sewing - I'm ready to go to bed already tonight and it's only 7:30!  I did get all of my PJs finished, so tonight's party will be a wrapping party - and it's not going to last so late for sure.

  If you are one of my daughters, you may not want to read too much further, because there will be a picture of my work last night (wink, wink)

7 pair of PJ pants and two nightgowns.  Not bad for a nights work!

Today I spent working on the wedding gown for my oldest.  I finally got the separating zipper I need, so I can get that in, add the skirt and be ready for the fitting.   I'll have lots of detail work to do after we get that done, but it will be fun!  Can't wait - did I mention we have two daughters getting married in 2018?  We are sure excited about it!

Tomorrow we are headed north for our family Christmas.  I'm ready for a couple days off and playing with the grandkids!

Dining Room Flooring - almost done!

Today was the day!  We didn't quite get it done, but thanks to our wonderful friend, we got about 80% of the job finished, including several of the tricky spots.

I originally wanted a lighter color, but the Russet Hickory really sets off the rest of the woodwork in that room.  I absolutely love it!

The grain and texture are beautiful, and it feels so good to walk on.  This is a huge upgrade for our home, and even though we have a lot of work left (now we really need to paint!) it just makes it look so much nicer.

We'll finish the last bit next week.  Now it's crunch time for the PJ pants marathon...when do you suppose I'll finish?  I'm hoping before midnight, but we'll see!

Get ready, Get set...

Another non sewing day for me, but we are ready to install our new dining room floor tomorrow!  I promise lots of pictures of the progress, and hopefully we will have a smooth and stress free installation.  I can't wait, it's going to be so beautiful!

I worked a half day at the quilt shop this morning.  Today was the monthly meeting so we had lunch and a little Christmas party.  I picked out fabric to cut charm squares for my Charming Heart Table Runner class in January.

This is always a fun project, and a great beginner quilt.  You can also make it into a wall hanging.

I'm looking forward to teaching this! 

After work my husband and I went over to our daughter's house to help install a light for her front porch.  (Going back into home improvement mode again!)  It only took three tries to finally get the light hooked up and attached.  Then when she turned the breaker on and flipped the switch, there was no light - what?!  Luckily I looked at the trouble shooting section in the manual and figured out that this light has a sensor and only turns on when it's dark.  Sure enough, an hour later she sent a picture of the light shining brightly.  If you ask me, that's a great idea - you don't have to worry about your light being on all day if you forget to shut it off or you can turn the switch on when you leave in the afternoon and not have to come home to a dark house.

After that I did go to Joann's and buy some more flannel (Christmas PJ time!).  So many fun choices - it was hard to pick which ones I liked best.  Now I'm ready for some sewing time for sure!  But first, that new floor...I feel like it's Christmas already, don't know if  I'll sleep tonight - actually, I think I will, I'm tired out.

It was a dark and stormy night....

Yes, it surely was.  The wind was whipping like crazy and it was hard to sleep.  We lost a few shingles off the roof and my patio swing tipped over - so it was quite a storm.  We are expecting a couple more rounds, hopefully not as windy as this one was!

My half day at the quilt shop was not too stressful - had to reprogram the new phone system, it was over screening our calls so now we are letting all calls through.  I did some computer work, and sent out an e-mail. We've got our class schedule set through February, so I guess I got quite a bit accomplished for the day. 

I came home and basted a couple quilts and made some progress on the wedding dress.  Tomorrow we are going to finish prepping the dining room for the new flooring, and Thursday we'll be installing!  Woohoo - I'm excited!  I guess we need to check in on the dishwasher and see if that's arrived yet.  I also need to pick up some flannel at Joann's for PJ's.  Can't believe Christmas will be here in less than a week!  I am really not ready, but am I ever?  It'll be fun now matter what.  I'm just trying to enjoy each day, even if things are feeling a little hectic.  I am also going to make sure not to get myself in such a state of affairs again!  I am going to be very strict about how many projects I take in and not get over-committed in the future. 

I also want to take a little time and do some goal setting for this coming year.  You might want to join in on the 2019 Planning Party, too - Quilting Jet Girl has some fabulous prizes lined up!  While you are at it, go check out how everyone else is doing on the 31 Day Blogging Challenge.  Have a good day!

Day 17 - 31 Day Blogging Challenge

Thanks for the nice congratulations on my milestone post yesterday - I sure appreciate it! 

Today was a pedal to the metal day and I actually got the final quilt top done for my secret sewing projects!  And the backs are ready, so now all I need to do is get them quilted.  I am happy to say that this one came out even better than I thought it would, and it will be a new pattern in the spring.  It's been an idea I had in my head for a long time so it was really satisfying to see it come to life.

When I checked my email this afternoon I noticed that I had a package coming from Island Batik and I was wondering what it was.  Then I got another notice that they had accidentally sent me one of my current trunk show quilts - I'm kind of excited to see it again!  It is my reflections quilt made in the Moroccan Bazaar fabric line:

I'll hold on to it until it's requested for a trunk show, so I'm hoping to get to take it to the next guild meeting, it will be fun to show it. 

Have you ever ordered from Wawak sewing?  If you haven't, then you really should check them out.  So many fun things, they ship cheap and super fast.  It's a great place to get sewing machine needles and stuff like that.  I ordered buttons and loop for my daughters wedding dress!  It's going to be so gorgeous, can't believe I needed 70 buttons.  Oh my, only for her would I sew that many buttons on a dress!

Tomorrow is a half day at the shop, so it's time to get some rest - it's supposed to be stormy tonight, so I hope we don't lose electricity again! 

Blog Post 1000!

Woohoo!  This is my 1000th published blog post!  

It has taken me quite a while to hit this milestone - just about 13 years, but I am pretty darn impressed with myself for making it this far!  If you would like to read my first post,  I wrote about making a costume using a bear skin - I still can't believe I did that.

My First Blog Post

I thought it would be fun to do a celebratory giveaway , but since things are a little busy right now, I think I will put that idea on hold till after Christmas, but don't worry I won't forget, I just want to do this right and make it fun.

Today I've been working on a new version of my Tidepools quilt.  I can't show you the fabric I am using for it, but this is the pattern.  Only one more quilt to make, and I'll be finished with my secret stewing for the year and will be able to relax a bit.

I also hemmed a pair of rain pants for my hubby - he's been retired for six years, and just got a part time job helping take care of horses at a local farm.  He is so excited to get to go do something he loves for a couple days a week and get paid for it.  I'm happy for him to be able to do this, he has wanted to do something like this for a long time!  Our lives have sure changed since that first blog post. 

I also finished up a couple projects for other people, so I've cleared those projects off my list.  It feels good to know that my list is definitely getting shorter.  I can hardly believe that Christmas will be here in just a bit over a week!  Hope everyone else is getting projects on their lists crossed off, too! 

When it rains, it pours...

I'm starting to wonder if the topic of my blog is becoming more home improvement than quilting!  Luckily I did get to do some of the latter today, even if I can't show you my project yet.  I'm halfway done with my secret sewing projects...and am well on the way toward getting the next one together. 

Unfortunately the other part of my day was spent going to the plumbing store to pick up a connector for my dishwasher because I discovered on Thursday that we had a leak under my sink! Luckily it was a one trip project and just involved replacing one.  The ironic thing is that we will be installing a new dishwasher next week - oh well.  Seems like it's been one thing after another around here lately!

I'm pretty impressed that I've made it through 15 consecutive days of blogging!  I'm making this a quick post for today because tomorrow will be a big milestone, and I'm making plans for it to be a good one!  I'll be back tomorrow with the big news!

Big wind, and hot soup.

My Bunco party today was a success, but it was not without some hiccups!  When this morning started out, the weather didn't look too bad, but shortly before all of my guests arrived, the wind started blowing.  It was not long after we started our game that the lights flickered, then were out for the duration.  Luckily we were still able to see to play, but I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to heat up the soup I had ready for lunch.

After checking with the power company I realized that my worst fear was true - our outage was not estimated to be taken care of until 4 or 5 this evening!  Luckily for me, one of my friends was able to take the soup home and heat it up on her gas stove and bring it back, so we all enjoyed hot soup, plus salad and chocolate cake for dessert!

After everyone left I decided to hand wash my dishes since there wasn't too much to do, and there was plenty of hot water available.  That's the one thing I've learned - when the power goes off  the water heater keeps the water nice and hot for a good while!  About the time I got done, the lights came back on.

I kicked my feet up and sat back to relax for a bit!

I worked at quilting a project for Island Batik this afternoon - hopefully I can get them all finished next week so I don't have to be working on them at the last minute after Christmas.  Now, I'm off to see what this week's clue for Bonnie Hunter's Mystery is.  I didn't get to do a single unit for last week, so maybe I can catch up a bit this week?  I hope!

We are almost halfway through the 31 Day Blog writing challenge - and I'm closing in on the 1000 post mark!  I'm planning something special, so stay tuned...

Merry and bright!

I spent a very satisfying morning decorating my Christmas tree - it was quite pleasant to take my time and enjoy looking at and hanging all the pretty ornaments.  I enjoyed remembering many of them - lots of great Christmas memories.  Here is one of my favorites:

We have a whole set of gold ornaments that my mother in law bought for us in 1999.  She passed away this summer, but is still close in our memories, especially this time of year. 

I baked a cake and made soup tonight, so I guess I am ready for Bunco tomorrow!  Can't wait for the fun, my poor cat will have to go hide because he does not like all the noise we make laughing and carrying on over our game.  It sure is fun to get together with friends, and this is a nice time of year to share my home with them.  Plus it forces me to get the decorations up and the house clean for the holidays! 

Letting go of the stress!

Another half day at the quilt shop for me today.  We got lots of fabric in today!  That's always fun, sometimes so much time has gone by since we put in our order that we have no clue why we ordered it.  Then I have to go ask google what to do with those fabrics.



The Garden Bright line by Sue Penn is beautiful - and we are excited to have someone make a sample of the Sunshine in the Garden quilt to show it off.   And we got more in from M and S fabrics, too:

We are loving the Aborigine inspired fabrics and are getting quite a collection in.  I haven't made anything with them yet, but I'm sure I will soon.

When I got home I finished up that baby quilt so I could mail it out.  So cute!

Then I went out to the post office, bought groceries, and headed home.  The tree needs to be decorated, and I need to do a little more cleaning up, so I'm almost ready for Bunco.  The floor won't be finished by then, but that's all right and it takes some of the pressure off.  I'm looking forward to a fun time with friends, and that's what counts. 

Hope you are having a low-stress holiday season!  Just remember that it's ok to let go of some things in order to let in some peace and joy!

A good nights sleep makes everything better...

After a good nights rest, I feel a lot better about our flooring project.  It's amazing what a little rest can do for your outlook on things! 

Today was a half day at the quilt shop, it was nice to get out of the house for a bit and play with fabric. 

I wore one of my Island Batik rayon scarves - I love how the yellow matches the print in my top!  I just want to buy all the colors of these!

We got these new ombre batiks in from Anthology fabrics.  So pretty!

When I got home I had to pick out some fabric to match this quilt.  I'm going to add a name to it for my customer who wanted it personalized.  I love how this one looks, it will be perfect for the lettering.  I print out the name in EQ8, then raw edge applique to the border.  This makes a super cute personalized baby quilt.

I basted a quilt, then got started cutting out a jacket that a customer needs for a Christmas gift.  Just a few more deadlines and I can enjoy some free sewing time.  Can't wait!

Regret or relief?

I'm not too sure whether I should be feeling relief right now or regret.  My husband and I are working on removing the old brown shag rug from our dining room (yes, I wore a dust mask!) and hope to get new laminate flooring installed.  Right now it looks pretty scary in there...do you know what's hiding under your carpet?  I do, and it's not very nice! 

It looks like there is a bit of water damage at the edge under the bar, so we may have to pull up some of the particle board there and replace it - we'll be consulting an expert for an opinion on that issue.  Also, the bar looks like it was built after the carpet was installed, so I am having a hard time trying to get the tack strips up on that side of the room as well.  At least we got the bulk of it done today.

I know it will all be worth it in the end, but right now I am tired and sore from working all day and wish it was over already, or that we had waited to start until after the holidays.  At least tomorrow I can finish the clean up and get my Christmas decorations up - any maybe then everything will feel better.  And I'll sew.  I need to sew!

I hope your Christmas preparations are going well!  This is last year's tree.  This year's will look the same as it's artificial!  

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

A secret sewing project for Island Batik!  I can't show you yet, but I know you are going to love this quilt as much as I do - it's always fun to see a project that comes out even better than you think it is going to.

As a consolation I will show you a pretty picture of a project I did earlier this year:

This is the baby size version of my CityScape quilt pattern using fabric by Lewis & Irene.  Isn't it sweet?

Use the discount code DEC2018 to save 25% off my PDF quilt patterns this week only!