My 2021 finish...geez i'm running behind

 Why keep this blog going when I post so rarely?  It's a record of my sewing...so while I will probably continue to not update this blog that often, finishes - even though they are kind of rare.

In September of 2021 I (in about a week) made a quilt for a friend's birthday.  I patterned the quilt after a scarf for his favorite football team - Birmingham City.  I used the Refrigerator Magnets pattern by Elizabeth Hartman for the lettering.  I can't seem to find a pic of the final finished product that was gifted, but I'll see if the hubby has it!

WOW!

 Just realized I did not have a single post in 2021.  Shocking to me a little bit, but also not so much.  I actually did finish a quilt (just one) in 2021.  I'll add a post for that since this little blog that just keeps hanging on really is how I track all of my completed quilts.  I haven't really been in a machine stitching mood in the past few years.  I've been doing a lot of cross stitch though.  Oh well...new year, and earlier today the urge to make a quilt hit me out of nowhere...so we'll see where that goes!

but wait...there's more!

 Surprise!  I managed to finish a second quilt yesterday!  This is my version of Camille Roskelley's Swiss quilt pattern.  I actually started this and had it turned into a quilt top in short order in January of 2016.  I quilted it and have had it sitting ready for binding since July of this year.  I don't know why I've let this one go for so long, but oh well!  

I love the color orange and finished this one just in time for the Red River Rivalry today!  Hook Em!

Finally a finished quilt!

 Wow!  it's been a long while, but I have finally finished a quilt!  Quilt pattern is Legendary by Elizabeth Hartman.  

Fabric was pretty much all from my stash.  The background is Moda Bella Smoke (pretty much my favorite solid for backgrounds these days).  Backing was an overall green batik with leaves that I also used for the binding.  This one will be off to its new home later today (overdue graduation gift).

the urge to stitch

 The temperatures have dropped where I am (kind of early for us too), and the urge to stitch has reared up in my mind.  I have done a bit of sewing this summer (mostly masks) and most of a bag - but I have also got a quilt to dang near completion...

This quilt is from the Legendary Pattern by Elizabeth Hartman (I love her patterns!).  I've actually had this one quilted and ready for binding for a few months now but the drive to finish hasn't been there.  I also have another one ready for binding...maybe I'll knock out both of them this weekend.  

still going

I often wonder why I keep this blog - especially since I post so infrequently.  The truth is because it's a bit of a record for me of my quilts and the patterns and fabrics and process and how it's all changed since I first started sewing.  So, I'll keep the blog so that I can every once in a while go in and post what I've been up to, what I've been doing and so on.

I keep, slowly, working on a bunch of little pink animals

actually got something quilted, Orange Swiss from way back...now just need to final get the binding done

I've continued to add to my scrap vortex quilt top

started on one of two graduation quilts (which I really need to get done very soon!)

So that's where I'm at...lots of stitching to do - so off I go!

still alive and still stitching

Not much to say other than I do still sew...and have been doing that much more frequently of late:

Hope to get one of my many finished quilt tops actually quilted and finished this weekend (it's only been waiting for almost 4 years)...but the batting hasn't arrived yet....so back to piecing I go!

back to stitching

It's been a bit since I've either posted or sewn something.  I have actually stitched a few things, just haven't posted...but I also haven't touched my sewing machine since before the new year.  So...today I went and visited this lady...

and dug out an OLD UFO...started almost 7 years ago, and last touched just over 4 years ago...

so now I'm back to work on it...only 4 blocks to go til I have all 12 complete!

something new...

So I decided I had to start a new project (am I the only one that gets this way as soon as the weather gets a little cooler???).  I'd been thinking about this one for a long while and I'm really glad I went ahead and got started.  I pulled all the fabric from my stash

and got a few blocks done in a short time last weekend.

and now it's time to get back to it!  Happy Saturday all!

this or that...or what about that

Just dropping in to share some of the stuff I've been working on over the past 6 weeks or so...

It started with National Jelly Roll day...where I grabbed this jelly roll out of my stash and got to work...unfortunately I never took a pic of how far I got (I'm ready to piece blocks), so I'll have to correct that later.

and in the middle of that, I put together a couple of these pineapple blocks

Then because I had been digging through my stash deciding what jelly roll to use I came across what ended up being around 4 or 5 charm packs:

and tossed those together into a quilt top (setting aside the jelly roll), while pulling out an ancient WIP (not my oldest by far though) as a leader ender and now I've got one quilt top done and another needing borders...

and not to settle down and actually get one finished, I moved on to piecing pumpkin blocks together (originally started over a year ago) 

and I actually have a few rows completed...

But now I think I want to start a new quilt (figures)...or I'll abandon the sewing room again and get back to hand stitching on this project...

or I'll just sit around and watch TV...gotta keep my options open!

the move in quilt

Well, thanks to a ridiculous trimming error on my part (i read the directions 3 times and still managed to trim my flying geese to the wrong size) I was unable to complete THE graduation quilt prior to dorm move in day.  Thankfully I had a quilt top that was designated to go to my girl that could be finished fairly quickly.

This Thicket quilt was gifted for Christmas 2016 and then sat in the "i'll finish that soon" pile for over 18 months.

The backing fabric used was a large piece of Anna Maria Horner Woodcut that I'd gotten ages ago and a feather print fabric that has only sat in my stash for about a year.

My girl helped out getting this one basted and prepped for quilting and it was nice to have that bit of time just doing something simple together.

I'm pretty pleased with how this one came out

and that it was the perfect finishing touch to her new bed in her new "home" (for the next 9 months at least).

and now I need to think about moving another quilt from the "to be finished" to the "finished" pile.

THE graduation quilt

Well I have finally gotten around to starting THE graduation quilt...the one for my one and only baby girl!

The focal fabric and others were sort of purchased together, but not actually to be used together.  The original focal fabric was in black and white (not pictured) but my girl wanted her quilt to be bright and colorful.  The fat quarters and such were purchased when I bought the black and white fabric and happened to work perfectly with the new fabric.  So I finally got everything cut out (pictured above) and have very very slowly been piecing some blocks together.

But move in day is now right about three weeks away...so I better step it up...lots more flying geese to piece.

Jax - the quilt

This particular quilt has been waiting to be made for almost 2 years.  And then I got the quilt top done in January, but then it sat...until last weekend when the person who gave me the fabric to make her husband a quilt reached out and asked about it...and boom...had to get it done.  Sometimes we just need a kick in the pants!

My friend had the Jags fabric, several yards, so I had to figure out the best way to make use of the fabric.  For the top I used several fabrics from my stash to bring out the team colors:

For the back, I kept the Jags the focus:

Fabric: Jacksonville Jaguars fabric, various squared elements from stash, chevrons were moda (I think); various solids
Pattern: Double Slice layer Cake Quilt by Missouri Star Quilt Company

Grad quilt part 2

Completed this grad quilt this morning, just in time for a wash and dry before it was out the door to be delivered:

I originally finished the quilt top in July 2016, and thankfully when no other fabric pull from the stash would work for this particular grad's quilt...my daughter and I pulled this one and out and she declared it perfect!  Quilted yesterday evening and today and then it was out the door.

I later received this pic, and it looks like the recipient was pretty happy:

Fabric: Mustang by Melody Miller, various gray fabrics from the stash, Bella Smoke for binding and several background pieces; backing came from Joanne Fabrics, unknown designer

Pattern: Lap of Luxe

Graduation quilts

I am making 3-4 graduation quilts this year...one of which was for my daughters friend who happens to be an Iron Man fan:

The quilt was gifted at his graduation/birthday party and he seemed pretty happy with it!  I was able to piece and quilt this in about a week (thank goodness!).

A closer look at some of the fabrics:

Fabric: mix from stash - lots of Hometown by Sweetwater and Comma from Zen Chic
Pattern: Scrappy Strips Quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew

Updating finished quilts

I'm still around, not that you could tell but the state of my blog...but I'm still around.  I've decided I'll continue to track my finished quilts here, it helps me see and look back (and sometimes figure out what patterns I have used).

Stars and Stripes:

Last seen here in a finished top, quilted and finished July 2017 (a year after the top was finished)
Fabric - various from stash; many Bonnie&Camille prints; lots of leftover jelly roll strips from various designers
Pattern - Stars and Stripes by Camille Roskelley

Skull II

Second time I've made a quilt with this pattern, graduation gift for my best friends oldest.  For some reason I never photographed it finished.  Probably because I got it done at the very last possible second before gifting!  (It's a trend for me).  Completely finished and gifted June 2017

Fabric - various from stash, many were scrap sized pieces
Pattern - it was a free pattern at one time by David Butler from Free Spirit Fabrics but my previous link no longer works.

Blue Baby

Baby quilt made for a friends first grandchild.  Pieced and quilted July-September 2017.

Fabric - again from my stash, lots of Cotton&Steel prints
Pattern - Jelly Roll Jam from the Fat Quarter Shop