So Long January 2014!

Didn't it just fly by?

For me, putting a goal in writing and linking it up is a sure-fire way to get a finish, at least when it is quilt related:-) This is mostly because I don't commit easily to future intentions in my creative space. Early January, (WEEKS ago!), I linked up with  A Year of Lovely Finishes and said that I would finish Purple Kisses this month.
I should have said I would finish quilting the partial spaces on the edges, the little border, and one line down the center of all the purple X's...

That was probably 5 or 6 hours on Mr. Juki. I am not real fast when it comes to FMQ!
I intend to have this done by Valentine's Day, so Purple Kisses will now have to be my February commitment for AYOLF!

Distracted mid-month by my friend's birthday, I decided to make something special to celebrate.

..Hers and Hers BFF Jewelry Rolls!

I posted more about them here (last week), 

Linking up with Barbara at Cat Patches to celebrate all the January NewFO's!

And with Sew BitterSweet Designs for A Year of Lovely Finishes!

My BFF & I - Jewelry Roll Finishes!

Have you seen MIXED Bag by STUDIO M for Moda?

Mini-charms are such a great way to sample a new line! I picked this up on impulse when I noticed several prints in it that will go well with my 2.5" charm collections.
When I got them home for an even closer look, I found Mixed bag to be a really cheerful color-way that blends well with much of my stash.
I was inspired to use the blue and greens for a couple jewelry rolls I have been intending to make.

One is for myself! It is the one with the button closure because I forgot to sew the straps into the binding. All is well though, that button is from my grandmother's sewing box and I found pleasure attaching it!
For the 1st jewelry roll, I fussy cut a sewer-girl like myself from a very retro piece I've been hoarding. I added seven charms from the Mixed Bag mini-charm packet. I love the Comment print! :

The next one is for my BFF! I added six from prints from Mixed Bag to this one. And quite a bit of Amy Butler to help the modern prints mix well with the retro/vintage prints. Dragonflies for Terri as well, & some books & a heart:-)

Terri and I have been friends 25 years, since we were 13!
Lucky me, she befriended me on my first day as a new student in her school.
I've learned a lot about friendship (and relationships in general!) from Terri. She practices unconditional love, faith, forgiveness, compassion, empathy.
Terri doesn't sew, but I still like her a lot.
We make each other laugh and we make each other cry in all the ways good friends should:-)

For the most part, I followed the tutorial at Haberdashery Fun. Since I wanted to make quilted rolls, I did not use interfacing, and I kept square corners. I did not have the same length zippers, so I used short ones for mine, and longer ones for Terri's. I haven't used that plastic stuff much, and I did not want to sew it on the topside of the zippers, so I topstitched along the outside edge of the zipper to attach the plastic, then I flipped it over and stitched along the edge of the plastic to stabilize it...

I rushed to finish these in time to link up with TGIFF, held at Quilty Habit this week, and with Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Of course, I had to pick up a couple more mini-charms of Mixed Bag next time I was out!
One is a replacement, with it's original intent, and one to share with a lucky reader!

A name will be drawn for this sneaky little giveaway January 31st, 2014 at 5PM PST.

A fun token gift in appreciation of the great opportunity we have to connect as quilter's, online, to celebrate finishes, and to SHARE!
And simply because I enjoy giving and receiving fabric,
Please leave a comment to enter, if you like you can answer me this:

Does your best friend sew?

TGIFF Vintage Hexie Finished!

This little cutie is finished at last! I think it is about 30 x 36. I used a cheater fabric that I did intend to sell when I first purchased it a while back. As happens on occasion, by the time I did a vinegar/baking soda soak, then a wash and press, I knew it would not make it to my Etsy site ;-)

I figured it would be so simple to make a sandwich and quilt it! It's just baby size, and the quilting lines are printed right on this cheater fabric!

Of course, it was actually very slow-going. The stitches had to be small enough to cover the marked lines, and I went super slow so that I could stop accurately at each intersection. Plus, there was a lot of back-tracking. You can really see it on the back since I choose yellow. I liked the beehive look, but I do wish I had used something to mask the stitching instead..

I love the binding fabric, although I do not remember now what it is. I remember purchasing it in Spokane about five years ago or so. It is one of those that has wound it's way into many of my quilts.

Baby Hexie sat in Mr Juki's lap far too long! I had a hard time sewing more than a half hour or so at a time. I am so happy to have this finish, and I thought I would link up and celebrate!

TGIFF is at That's Sew Julie this week!

 

How bout it, Can I get a Whoop Whoop?

BOM's Away Kitschy QAL: Block One!

I finally made my fabric decision and whipped up the first block to link up with the cool & Kitschy QAL at Quiet Play. I went with fabrics that remind me of my own childhood. This block reminds me of my Grandpa's rustic cabin in Canada, back in the 70's.
For a beginning paper-piecer, it went together pretty well. I was a bit stingy cutting into that way-vintage print, so I did have a couple close calls in which I was left with barely enough fabric.

I also finished Grandmother's Garden Block #23! Photo is not the best, but it is a cute block, meant to help tie in some of the other fabrics.

One or two more of these to go and I can start putting this puppy together!
Hopefully I will have a photo of all the blocks for the February linkup at Hydee's InHand EPP Party at Splish Splash Stash! I will play with a couple options, but I am leaning toward bone, or ivory solid.

I am linking up my blocks today with Lyn at What a Hoot for BOM's Away. Her post today has photographs of her adorable new kitten:-)
And Quilts.
of course.

Purple Kisses 2B Quilted in January

Finishing this sweetheart is at the top of my list this month!
I love this mix of vintage & modern fabrics, sewn last spring with Christa's Hugs and Kisses QAL.

The O's are all quilted - just the center's & the X's are left...

Putting this goal in writing spells c-o-m-m-i-t-m-e-n-t.

I think I can.
               I think I can.
                              I think I can...

Linking up with Fiber of all Sorts for A Lovely Year of Finishes:-)

Custom Quilted Crafting Tote for Donna!

My Mother-in-Law is celebrating a Birthday today!
Ty & I get to see her several times during the winter months each year while they do their snowbird thing, and last week I was able to hide a birthday gift when we were visiting her on Christmas. Look in your guest closet Mom!!

We are very lucky that Ty's Mom is sooo talented! She enjoys knitting socks, and we have received a few of her yummy creations to keep our toesies warm:-)

Last spring I was working on quilted project books when Mom traveled through Vegas on their way north. Although she adored them, her knitting needles would not fit(!) & I decided to make a large-scale project book for her. Six months went by before our next visit and I had only roughly planned the tote, and meanwhile she had begun making amazing beadwork! Look what she gifted me in November:

I knew I had to add more nooks and crannies to her tote, to accommodate 'other' supplies she may need to pack.
The finished tote is a large tri-fold with a warm desert vibe about it:

It measures about 22" x 14" when it is all the way open.

Outside Layout

Inside Layout

Happy Birthday Mom - You are the best and we love you!!

Linking up with gratitude!
 

Stop by and thank Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for hosting Needle and Thread Thursday!

And Lily at Lily's Quilts for Fresh Sewing Day!



Happy New Year!

Sew Kitschy BOM starts today over at Quiet Play!

This quilt is irresistible & I am too excited to start a new BOM for 2014!

I am still debating my fabric scheme. I first thought of the green & orange stack I have on a shelf for no particular reason other than eye candy (violet would be fun to splash into this) ..

Hmm, retro brights would be fun for this quilt too...

I began thinking of the blocks in a way reminiscent of my own childhood when I found a couple of 70's style prints in my stash.

I had trouble capturing the actual color of those, hence the flash. Here they are with some Road15 and Reunion ..

The bundle currently looks like this, with the 'standby' stack on the right. These colors take me right into childhood kitchens:-)

I better decide quickly though, I am off right now to print the first pattern!

I am linking up today with Barbara of Cat Patches, for the final NewFO Party for 2013! I have added some new strips to last month's NewFO,

I first introduced this last month and progress has been slow. I was feeling a bit hesitant about the color palette for my mother, and sure enough, she replied that it is a bit busy for her.  Although I do have a few more triangles done, I am really uncertain where I am going with this now. I will continue playing with options, but I still like the large wonky squares. Oh, and not to offend my mother, but this quilt has been renamed: Not My Mama's Quilt.

Would you like me to make a custom crafted gift for you? Do you love the Pay it Forward concept? There are still openings!! Please see my Craft it Forward 2014 post to sign up!