Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? A Quick Project...

Hi, all!

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

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Some friends of mine are opening a little shop this weekend, and they asked me if I'd like to add some of my pieces to their inventory.  Heck yes!  So I gathered up a bunch of pieces I had already finished, and took them down.  We also talked about a baby quilt, so I gathered up some scraps left over from another project and started cutting up squares...

...which quickly became a lot of assembled blocks...

...and then a finished top....

...and finally, a finished quilt!

Simple patchwork works up so quickly, and I used a straight-line cross-hatch design to finish this quilt off. You can see the pretty backing material - a dark navy in this fabric line, Love Story by Maureen Cracknell for Art Gallery fabrics.

So that's what I've been working on this week - - - 

can I get a whoop whoop??

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And now it's your turn!

What's making you whoop 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 midnight Sunday.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

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

Hi, all!

It's been a crazy week, and while I've been working on my Scrap Attack tub, it's been slow work in between other things that needed to be done.  But it's not been a total waste of time...

I made this table runner and the pillow below from the scraps of the Tanya Whelan line I previewed for Free Spirit Fabrics over a year ago!  These will be offered at the grand opening of a friend's new home decor shop this weekend.

And I finished the turtle quilt - not my scrappy achievement, but definitely a scrappy achievement by the original maker of this fun top!  And now it's ready to entertain several more generations of kids as it has in the past...

I also spotted, out and about, this fabulous bento box quilt....

Just a bento box, right?  But what caught my eye was her description of this quilt - a Binding Bento Box!  What a great way to use up leftover binding!!!

I had thought I'd be able to work on scraps today, but a few things interfered with that process..... like registering for QuiltCon 2019....

...and then, this afternoon this happened!

My 10-year old granddaughter Lilli stepped up to the plate (or more accurately, the belly bar) and quilted for the very first time using my long arm machine!  She did great, too - she didn't hold the handles too tightly, remembered to breathe, and had fun while she was doing it.  She was pretty good, too - her first quilt looked a lot better than mine on the machine!  Of course, she's been running the machine up and down the frame ever since she was little - it was a favorite thing for her to do ever since she was old enough to stand up and reach it - so she had a good feel for it, but I didn't expect her to feel so comfortable right from the start!

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So that's my week so far - a little bit of scrap sorting, using up some bits and bobs of an old line that's been hanging around for a while, and of course, registering for QuiltCon 2019!  

What have you been working on this week?  Anything scrappy?  Next week is time to show off June's scrap attack accomplishments - do like me and get busy on those now!!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - It's QuiltCon Registration Week!!!

Hi, all!

The weekend is behind us (alas!) and that means it's time to tackle a brand new week! Oh, the possibilities!  And this is a very special week - QuiltCon 2019 early registration opens on Tuesday morning! (Can you tell I'm excited?)  But before we get into all that, let's take a look at last week's list and see how it went...

1.  Quilt the turtle quilt.

Done, and delivered!  My friend sent this picture of the quilt on the bed in the room that will be for her grandchildren when they arrive...

2.  Assemble the second quilt-along quilt sample.

Done!  No pics, though - but it's not long until the big reveal, coming July 14th!  Mark your calendars for the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop and quilt-along, July 14th through July 25th.

3.  Quilt three H2H tops for some friends.

Done!  The first two were made by Terri B., and the third by Linda S.  They're on their way to Emily for Quilty Hugs.

4.  Start on my June Scrap Attack task.

Started!   I cut all the pieces you see here...

...which resulted in this large pile of trimmings...

...but barely made a dent in this tub!

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

Done.  This quilt went to a 43 year old man who was just diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic and liver cancer...

...and this quilt went to a woman with COPD and severe anxiety.

Additionally this week, I made a table runner and pillow cover to go in a new shop some friends of mine are opening!  I'm hopeful this will become a good outlet to sell some of the things I make, so they don't overrun the house!

And now for this week's list...

1.  Make my wish list for QuiltCon 2019.

2.   Be ready at 9 am CST Tuesday morning to register!  My husband shared this silly video with me - this is what he imagines I'll look like...

3.  Keep working on my June Scrap Attack project.

4.  Teach Lilli how to use my quilting machine.  (She asked!)

5.  Quilt my crescent denim quilt.

6.  Quilt one of the quilt-along quilts.

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

That's probably a lot more than I can possibly get finished this week (I have the grandkids two mornings this week) but I really want to try!  Last week felt kind of like this...

...but I think I've got all the plates spinning now, so it's just a matter of keeping everything in motion.  Easy, right?

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

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? Vintage Reclaimed!

Hi, all!

Can you believe that it's Friday already?  And the first Friday of summer, to boot!  Well, we all know what that means - it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  Are you ready?  Let's get started!


But before we get started, here's a HUGE WHOOP - there's a fix for the Blogger comment problem!!  Go to this blogpost and follow the directions she provides - I've already done it and it works!!!  HALLELUJAH!!!!

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Several months ago, a friend of mine brought me a top that her grandmother had made.  She had fond memories of it from her childhood and wanted to know if it could be repaired so she could use it again...

This was a really big coverlet - about queen size - and in pretty rough shape, so I couldn't get a picture of the whole top laid out.  This was the best I could do!  The top was raw edges on the back, no batting or backing.

Cute turtles, right?  They were appliquéd on all manner of fabrics - cottons, polyester double-knit, even lining fabric.  The lining fabric didn't hold up so well when my friend washed the top before bringing it to me.  Neither did that green fabric bordering each of the blocks.

My friend loved the gingham, but it was faded a lot, and in patches, so we decided to replace it with new red gingham.  We also needed to replace the green fabric, which was a loose weave that didn't hold up well, and my friend chose a blue chambray.

Lots and lots of frog-stitching (does it count as frog-stitching if you didn't do the original stitching?) and I had the gingham and green fabrics off of the turtle four-patch blocks.  That was when I realized that the four-patch blocks weren't square, or even the same sizes!  So I took them apart, squared up the turtles to the same size, and appliquéd some of those turtles to new fabric where their background blocks were frayed or damaged.  Whew!  That's better!

And here's the completed top, spread out on my queen-size bed.  When I quilted it, I used a wide flannel instead of batting, so it has weight, but not thickness.  It's actually more like the bedspread it was originally, just without the raw edges.  Quilting is a random meander everywhere except over the turtles.

Here you can see the backing I found at that great Joann's sale a little while ago - isn't it perfect?

I really do love the way this turned out!  There's something so satisfying about taking an old and well-loved piece and turning it back into something useful.  I hope this will last for many years to come, and allow my friend's grandchildren to form a whole new set of fun memories surrounding it!

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?

via GIPHY

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

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I May Have A Scrap Problem... And Not Enough Hours in the Day!

Hi, all!

Well, here it is Tuesday night and I have absolutely. nothing. scrappy.  Nothing at all.  My day took an unexpected turn today - a good one, because I got to spend some fun time with my grandkids,  but it didn't allow for any scrappy sewing at all - and being out of town last week has put me way behind!  So I've fallen back on my old faithful, Instagram, and I'm going to share some of the beautiful work I've seen out there lately.  Oh, and there'll be a special call for assistance at the end of the post - stay turned for that!

Seen out and about...

Such a beautiful low volume string block!!  Kristi is one of my favorite scrap quilters - if you don't follow her already, you should!

This quilt top was actually a mistake, not what was originally planned - but I love it!  I'm wondering if I have enough solid scraps to pull it off....

                                                                                                             

And isn't it amazing what putting a square on point does for the design?  Beth really outdid herself with this one!

Don't you love the low volume mixed fabric background of this?  A great way to use those odds and ends of low volume fabrics.

I truly love this low volume log cabin quilt - traditional, yet not precisely  - it makes a statement!

And how about this cool piece of wall art someone found in a Home Goods?  I think this could have good possibilities with some leftover strings folded over felt strips.

Feeling a little inspired?

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And now for the request for assistance!  One of this year's Hands2Help charities was Little Lambs Foundation for Kids of Utah, an organization which provides backpacks with personal care items to kids going into the foster care system.  They've put out a call for some items they are in need of, and if you can help, I hope you will!  

The work these folks do is amazing, and the quilting community certainly rallied behind them through H2H, donating over 200 quilts as part of the Challenge this year!  I hope you'll join me in sending them a few things to build up their stock again.

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And that's all I got today - but with only a little over a week until the end of the month, I need to get working on my tub of scraps for June!  

Happy Scrapping!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming...

Hi, all!

Well, the wedding is over, I'm back from Canada, and it's time to get back to our regularly scheduled programming!  Good thing, too because I've got a bunch of things that need finishing, and I haven't even touched my June Scrap Attack project!  So let's see how last week's list went...

1.  Finalize the schedule of bloggers for the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop.

Done!  I'm so excited about this year's hop - and there are still a few slots if you are interested in being one of the hop blogs!

2.  Write the tutorial for the quilt-along quilt that will be on my blog during the hop.

I'm about halfway done - I needed some measurements I left at home - but the bones are there!

3.  Add new tutorials to the Tutorials Page on my blog.

Done!  I added this year's Scrumptious Scraps tutorials...

4.  Write my Monday, Wednesday and Friday blogposts. (Partly done, now that you're reading this!)

And completely done now!  It's always confusing when I'm traveling, and easy to get my days mixed up...

5.  Read a book for my husband (research so he doesn't have to!)

Done! It was actually pretty good - Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers - so I gave him a good review!

6.  Update the quilt ministry "quilts donated" list.

Done!  I really need to do better in keeping it up to date on a daily basis...

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

Fortunately, a quiet week last week - I didn't hear of any quilts that went out (although that could change when I see everyone Wednesday night!)

So all in all, a good week - I also found a little time to try out lettering and calligraphy, which was fun!  The whiteboard was a great place to practice a little bit today...

And I found a sweet little quilt shop in Calgary...

In addition to really beautiful fabrics and cool notions, they had a lot of original (and made by) Judy Niedermeyer quilts on the wall!

My husband spotted the two red quilts shown here and positively drooled... I told him they were kind of out of my skill set, and he said, "But I LIKE them!  You could make one of them for me any day!"  So I guess I'll need to see if I can learn how to paper piece...

They really are beautiful, aren't they?

So last week was fun and productive, but it's time to get back to the regular stuff!  Here's what's on my list for this week...

1.  Quilt the turtle quilt.

2.  Assemble the second quilt-along quilt sample.

3.  Quilt three H2H tops for some friends.

4.  Start on my June Scrap Attack task.

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

Enough for this week, I think - if I get through all this, I'll throw the quilt-along quilts on the frame, or finally quilt the denim crescent quilt!  There's always something to work on in the studio, after all!

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

Hugs!

Sarah

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Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? A Reveal (Finally!)

Hi, all!

Well, Friday has finally rolled around again, and you know what that means - it's time to get our whoop whoop on!  Have you been working on something great this week?  It's time to share - even if it's not a finish, or even if it's not something quilt-y!  Let's celebrate the little things!

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Having said that, I have something to share that's not so little - in fact, it's about 88" square!  But first, let me share with you my view this morning when I woke up...

Let me tell you, it's kind of strange to look out your window on your first morning in a new place and see a different flag flying!  But we've already started our Canadian experience, driving through a Tim Horton's at nearly midnight for a donut and a double-double (coffee with two sugars and two creams) before arriving and collapsing at the hotel.  We've come for our niece's wedding, and I can finally reveal the quilt I made for her and her soon-to-be husband, Geoff, because by the time this posts, I will have given it to them!

You may remember seeing bits and pieces of this quilt on social media, but I'm happy today to reveal the whole enchilada! (Do they have Mexican food in Canada?  Hmmm....)

Let's move back a little bit and see some more of this quilt, which, in my humble opinion, is a beauty!  A big beauty, too...

So large that I had to lay it out on the grass to take a good picture of it!

I'm so in love with this quilt, I may need to make one for myself.  Lots of colorful scraps, alternated with "geeky" fabrics - text prints, math prints, technical drawings - mostly in lighter neutrals.

And on the back, a dinosaur print, just for my niece! (Our happy dance GIF today is for her, too - dinosaurs are her favorites!)  I fell in love with this piece of dino fabric - it was just exactly what I was looking for, but there was only about a yard on the bolt.  So it's mixed in with one of my favorite background "neutrals" - the black and white "etch-a-sketch" graphic.  And can you see the border?  It's a diagonal print of the same graphic black and white, in smaller scale.  I love the look of a bias binding, but not the hassle of making it, so when I saw this fabric, I bought all of it that was left on the bolt!

I've had some interesting thoughts about marriage while working on this quilt, too.  I look at the "nerdy" background fabrics as the framework of the marriage - what signifies 'them' to me.  Then all the bright scraps in between those background fabrics are the events of a married life - the bits and pieces of dresses, shirts, quilts - all representing memories.  I can look at the prints in this quilt and remember the projects that they came from, stretching back over many years.  A good marriage is like that - lots of memories overlaying a common foundation.  I hope someday my niece will make her own quilt using bits and pieces collected over the years representing her own memories of a happy life!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up today?

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