Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? More Progress..

Hi, all!

Can you believe it? It's Friday again - and that means it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!!  Are you ready?  Let's get started!

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I've had a busy week - another week of working on multiple projects - but I have had some success in small accomplishments!

I finished the t-shirt quilt - here's the front...

...and the back!

I put together this fun top using twenty donated quarter-fan blocks. It really was a group effort, as several of us fiddled with the blocks to create the design, then auditioned borders for half an hour before we were satisfied!

I raided my Christmas scraps box and created this quilt back...

...and here's a sneak peek of the front!  There will be a tutorial/quiltalong for this quilt during the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop, starting on July 14th...

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you dance a happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you - 

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until midnight Sunday.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have a Scrap Problem...The Eternal Question!

Hi, all!

I'm sure you all know this - there is one eternal question for those of us who are trying to work through our scraps...  why (and how) do they keep multiplying?

Today I needed to make a back for a Christmas quilt, so I dragged out my tub of Christmas scraps and dumped it out on the worktable.

I dug through this and pulled some bits and bobs left over from other quilts, cut some blocks and larger pieces, and started sewing them together.

This sure isn't a fast process!  But I was heartened by the thought that I was using up my scraps, and that box would be a lot emptier when I finished!

Almost there!  I just needed a little more width, so I cut some long strips from some smaller yardage pieces I had in the stash for the sides.

And here's the finished back!  Quite a mishmash of fabrics and scraps, but I love this kind of back - so much to look at!

But you know what happened when I started cleaning up, and neatly folded all the leftover scraps and put them back in the tub?

They filled it right back up again!!!

Seriously - - - how does that happen???

There's only one solution - keep plugging away!  Because I'm not going to let this guy....

...get the best of me!!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Crunch Time!!

Hi, all!

Welcome to Monday, and a whole new week - a fresh start and a clean slate, right?  Or a continuation of ongoing projects... either one works!  I'm coming into a really busy time, and starting to feel a little overwhelmed - so my lists are more important than ever!  First of all, let's look at last week's list....

1.  Finish the t-shirt commission quilt.

Almost!  I finished the quilting today, and tomorrow morning early I will put on the binding and run it through the wash.  

2.  Work on the 12 Days of Christmas in July quilt and tutorial.

In progress!  The top is finished, and my tutorial notes are ready to be transcribed  deciphered.  Pics are taken for the tutorial too!

3. Keep working on the pineapple blocks for the Long Time Gone quilt.

I made one lonely little block last week - but hey, one block is better than none, right?

4.  Quilt two H2H quilts. 

(Boy am I glad Emily takes quilts all year long!)

I still haven't gotten to this, and I think it's going to have to take a back burner for a couple of weeks.  You'll see why in a few minutes...

5.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

It was a quiet week, thankfully!  This quilt went to a woman with lung and brain cancer...

...and this one went to a woman just diagnosed with breast cancer.

This quilt went to a man with colon cancer.

So that's what my week looked like last week.  And I looked at my calendar of upcoming deadlines and about fell over.  I have nine projects in the works that must be finished at various times over the next ten weeks or so!  So as I said in the title of this post, it's crunch time!!!  Here's the list for this week...

1.  Finish and deliver the t-shirt commission quilt.

2.  Meet with a new customer about quilting her two t-shirt quilts.

3.  Order fabrics for a new commission quilt - a photo quilt this time!

4.  Quilt the 12 Days of Christmas in July (12DCIJ) quilt.

5.  Start writing the tutorial for the 12DCIJ quilt.

6.  Cut out the pieces for a new project for Free Spirit Fabrics.

7.  Make some progress on the Long Time Gone quilt - I really want to enter this quilt in our local quilt show in September!

8.  Pull the fabrics for quilts for my twin nieces, due in September/October!

9.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

See what I meant about crunch time?  I can get all of this done, but it's going to take a lot of concentration and willpower!!  (And maybe a really good book on Audible...)

Must. Keep. Balls. In. The. Air.......

And now, the question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Save the Dates!!

Hi, all!

I know it's hard to believe, but Christmas is exactly six months from today!  We are on the downhill slide to the holidays - and that means it's almost time for the Twelve Days of Christmas in July blog hop!!

From July 14th to July 25th, we'll have over 30 bloggers sharing great ideas for gifts, quilts, table runners, wall hangings, and much more, all designed to get you in the Christmas mood!  Who knows? Maybe you'll get inspired to get a jump on your holiday sewing this year, and even make a Christmas quilt for yourself!  I'll be hosting a quilt-along on this blog each day during the hop with directions for a simple and fairly quick quilt that you can make in a Christmas theme, or use other fabrics if you wish for a great gift quilt.

Last year's quilt-along quilt!

So mark your calendars now and start checking out all the beautiful new Christmas fabrics that should be showing up in the shops soon!

And maybe - just maybe - there'll be a giveaway or two!

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? Lots Going On...

Hi, all!

Here it is, Friday again - - - how did that happen?  But however it happened, it means one thing - it's time to get our whoop whoop on!  Are you ready?  Let's get started!

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It's been a strange week for me - I've been hopping from project to project, working several things at one time, some on a deadline, some not.  I've worked a little on the Long Time Gone quilt, which I want to have finished and quilted in time to enter it in our local quilt show in mid-September...

These pineapple blocks are a real trip to make - paper pieced, which I am absolutely. no. good. at - but I managed to make five so far, and they're getting better.  

I made this t-shirt quilt top, then had to sit on my hands and wait for the backing material to arrive.  It finally arrived on Tuesday, and on Thursday I made the back.  There's a strip in the middle made up of the smaller imprints from the front of the shirts...

...and here it is, sewn into the backing fabric.

I also worked hard on the quilt for the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop!  Here's part of it - and there will be a tutorial for it starting July 14th.  We've got lots of great stops on the blog hop this year - mark your calendars!

And at church Wednesday night we played around with some donated blocks and came up with this fun arrangement.  I'm working on pulling this together into a quilt top!

So that's my week in a nutshell - lots of work, but not so many finishes.  Still, though, it's progress, so can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you - 

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

I May Have A Scrap Problem... But I'm Working On It!

Hi, all!

It's now officially summer, when the combination of rain and warm weather makes everything grow - and I think that includes my scraps!  As much as I've been using them, they still keep increasing... oh well, guess that means I need to find more great quilts to make!

But first, let me show you what I've been doing with mine this week...

I finally bit the bullet and tried to make the pineapple blocks for my Long Time Gone quilt.  Only five so far, but I'm happy with how they are turning out!  I did learn a trick that made them go a lot easier...

WASHI TAPE!  Using washi tape to hold the piece in place as I sewed it from the back was a real lifesaver - I did a lot less frog-stitching after I figured this one out!  So I'm not cursing any more as I make these blocks, although they take a really long time to make.  I guess, if they were simple, everyone would make them!

I'm also working on the quilt for the 12 Days of Christmas in July quilt-along (coming to the blog starting on 7/14/17!) and in the process, using up my Christmas fabric stash - it feels good!  Although I don't think I'll ever work through it all... it also reproduces during the summer, it seems!

And now for a little Instagram inspiration - some great scrappy quilts I saw this week that made me want to dig in my scraps and play!

I do love an hourglass block quilt, and it's a great way to use up scrap squares!

And this quilt is a very nice scrappy layout using one size rectangular block - a lovely mash-up of colors!  But it would also look very nice done in all one color...

And look at Beth's fabulous string quilt!  I think this is one of the most creative layouts I've ever seen, and yes, Beth, I'm going to copy it shamelessly!!

\

And how about this sweet little baby quilt?  We make a lot of charm quilts in the ministry - it's a great way to teach newbies how to get a consistent 1/4" seam - but we may start adding in the square-in-a-square blocks for a cute little pop now!

So let's go play in scraps!!  They're just sitting there waiting for you - what are you waiting for?

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Summer Days, Drifting Away...

Hi, all!

Are you enjoying these summer (or nearly-summer) days as much as I am?  It's either been beautiful here, or horrific rain and thunderstorms - nothing in between - but mostly it's been nice.  The sunshine makes me happy, and when I'm happy, I quilt!    Good thing, too - there's a lot to do lately!  Let's take a look at last week's list and see how it went...

1.  Hang up the Hipster Cat quilt in my doctor's office.
I've taken it down there, but wasn't able to hang it yet.  I'll check later this week to see where they ended up putting it and get some pics!

2.  Work on the new t-shirt quilt commission job.
Done!  Well, at least the top is done.  I'm still waiting for the backing fabric, which should be here tomorrow.

3.  Start the pineapple blocks for the Long Time Gone quilt.
Done!  Five of sixteen, but I'm happy with that - paper piecing isn't my favorite, but at least I'm not cursing every time I start another one now!

4.  Work on the quilt for the 12 Days of Christmas in July quilt-along!
Done!  I had to re-start but I made a good start on it today and have part of the tutorial written, too!

5.  Quilt two quilts for Hands2Help.
I didn't get to this one....

6.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

A quiet week this week - we only gave away one quilt. This one went to a woman just beginning chemo treatments...

So not too bad last week - I didn't get to a few things, but I'm comfortable with what I did finish.  Here's what's on tap for this week...

1.  Finish the t-shirt commission quilt.

2.  Work on the 12 Days of Christmas in July quilt and tutorial.

3. Keep working on the pineapple blocks for the Long Time Gone quilt.

4.  Quilt two H2H quilts. 

(Boy am I glad Emily takes quilts all year long!)

5.  Keep up with any quilt ministry needs that come up.

Fingers crossed I can get all this done!  I've got some fabric coming in tomorrow for some secret sewing that I can't wait to play with, but I've got to get some other things off my plate first.  

So now, the question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? One Cool Cat...

Hi, all!

Friday is upon us once again, and that means it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  Are you ready?  Let's go!

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This week I finished a quilt that will hang on my eye doctor's office wall.  I've wanted to make this quilt for years, but really didn't know where I would put it - but then I got some cool "hipster" glasses last year, and realized this was the perfect place!  So here is my Hipster Cat wall hanging...

Isn't he fun?  And really pretty simple to make...

All the pieces are fairly large and are just appliquéd onto the backing.

I decided to do straight line quilting about an inch apart using a lime green Glide thread - it gives the background just a hint of color!

Do you want to make one of your own?  Thanks to the amazing sisters at Schwin&Shwin, you can download the free pattern by clicking here!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you dance a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you - 

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah