Make-A-List Monday - Making Progress!

Hi, all!

Wow, has it been a week!  We're back to scorching temperatures here in Tennessee again, so there's plenty of time for sewing, thankfully!  I am so. ready. for. fall - how about you?  Well, until it gets here, let's see how last week's list went...

1.  Quilt the baby quilt.

Done, and delivered!

2.  Quilt a vintage top for a customer.

Also done and delivered!

3.  Make progress on each of the annual quilts.

Definitely progress made!  Five drama llamas are complete...

...the moody blues quilt is making great strides...

...penguins are on parade...

...and I found a great back for this quilt today!

4.  Make progress on the Birch Bark quilt.

Progress made!  I have finished assembling one half of the quilt top - this piece is 60" x 100"!  I'll be working on the next half soon.

5.  Make progress on the three My Small World quilts. 

(Yes, I've lost my mind!)

Done!  I've made more blocks than these, but I'll share those on Wednesday...

Blues for Lilli...

Rainbow and fussy cut for Emmy...

And, of course, greens for Nathanael!

6.  Start working on the t-shirt commission quilt if the customer returns the deconstructed t-shirts.

And this is why I got so much done this week - she still hasn't brought the deconstructed shirts back to me!

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

Done!  Not so many this week...

This quilt went to a woman just diagnosed with stage 3 cancer...

...and this one went to a gentleman injured in an ATV accident.

I also, in a complete state of lunacy, decided to jump into the Pine Hollow Patchwork Forest Quilt Along, hosted by Amy of Diary of a Quilter!  Here's the fabric I've pulled for my version...

So as you can see, it was a busy and productive week!  I kind of like the "make progress" directive I put on my board last week - it seems to be less oppressive and a lot more fun!

And here's what I have on my plate for this week...

1.  Make progress on the annual quilts - just Emmy's and Lilli's this week, though.

2.  Make progress on the My Small World quilts.

3.  Make progress on the Birch Bark quilt.

4.  Make progress on the Pine Hollow Patchwork Forest Quilt Along! (In the future, to be referred to as the Patchwork Forest Q/A to save my poor fingers!)

5.  Make some flannel receiving blankets for a local NICU.

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

So another busy week on tap, but at least I won't be tempted to spend too much time outside - at least until it cools off this weekend.  And I'm having so much fun "making progress"!

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

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? A Waddle of Penguins...

Hi, all!

Wow - it's hard to believe, but it's Friday again, already!  Where oh where did the week go?  Oh well - Friday means it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on, so let's get to it!

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This is my handsome grandson Nathanael, with his very special friend, Penguin.  Penguin has become a very special member of the family for about the last six months, and so when I was deciding what to make for Nathanael's annual quilt this year, it was an easy choice - penguins!

I chose the Penguin Party pattern by Elizabeth Hartman.  These adorable penguins are traditionally pieced, no paper piecing.  Woohoo!  But boy do they have a lot of pieces!  And the pattern instructions start with making the eyes - lots and lots of eyes - that seemed to take forever...

But once I had the face units assembled, the penguins themselves went together pretty quickly...

One cute little guy...

...joined by a friend...

...and then there were three!

After a good afternoon's sewing, I ended up with enough to officially call them a waddle... and doesn't that make you smile?  I'm now officially halfway through making the penguins, so I should be able to finish the rest of them tomorrow morning.  

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... My Small World Progress, and Inspiration!

Hi, all!

Oh, it's been a busy week, but I've been having a lot of fun working on lots and lots of different projects!  And part of that is working on my three (yes, 3!) My Small World quilts!  Here's what I've made this week...

2" square in square blocks for Nathanael's quilt...

The same for Emmy's quilt...

...and ditto for Lilli's!

This is all ahead of the game, because I'm working on blocks for the October 15-November 14 time period.  Next up are some teeny-tiny churn dash blocks!!

And now for some inspiration - and Instagram has been full of it this week!  

What a great, bright, fun scrap buster!  I guess you'd call this an Irish chain variation - I just call it wonderful!

And sometimes the simplest block can make the sweetest quilt!  

Strings, strings, strings!  And I love the way this one is laid out - it feels very mid-century modern to me!

I absolutely adore this quilt!  It looks like Tracy used 2.5"x4.5" blocks for this, and the color gradation is amazing!

Here's another string quilt, but doesn't that polka dot center strip really give this some extra pop?

And this beauty?  Looks modern, doesn't it?  But it was made in 1891!

I love this tiny bit of colorful scrappiness!

I'm sensing a theme here - rainbows must be my favorite!

But look how calm and peaceful this scrappy solids quilt is!  I really want to make one of these - it makes me feel "hygge" just looking at it!

So, now that you're inspired -  go forth and be scrappy!!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - Serious Multi-Tasking!

Hi, all!

Another week rolls around, and with it, a whole new set of things to be done!  At least life isn't boring, right?  Let's see how last week's list went...

1.  Work on a t-shirt commission quilt.
I sorted through all the shirts and came up with a plan, then delivered them back to the customer, who will be deconstructing the shirts herself.  I should have them back sometime this week!

2.  Work on a baby commission quilt.
The top is finished and ready for quilting!

3.  Cut out Emmy's annual quilt.
Not only cut out, but I've already made one (or more!) of the llamas!

4.  Work a little more on the king size Birch Bark quilt.
Done! The second third of the quilt is pieced and ready to be cut up.

5.  Start sewing one of the annual quilts.
I have actually done a little on all three quilts! I've started the llamas, made three of the units for Lilli's quilt, and started piecing the eye units on Nathanael's penguin quilt.

Lilli's quilt begins!

6.  Paint the bathroom if time permits.
Time didn't permit!

7.  Try to decide if I should jump into the #mysmallworldsewcial quilt-along (since I already have three versions started!)
I DID jump in!  And I'm so glad I did.  The folks who are hosting this quilt-along are so encouraging - I don't know when they find time to work on their own with all the cheering they are doing!  Here are my first month's blocks, and I'll be posting updates on my Wednesday blogposts too.

This one will be Emmy's...

This one will be Nathanael's...

And this one will be Lilli's!

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

Done!  We sent this quilt to a former member whose husband died recently...

..and this quilt went to a gentleman with terminal lung cancer.

 

And finally, this quilt went to a man dealing with serious medical issues.

So all in all, a good week.  I didn't really think I'd get to painting the bathroom, so I don't feel too badly about that one.  After all, it still works!  So I can wait for a quieter time to do that painting.

And here's what's on my list for this week...

1.  Quilt the baby quilt.

2.  Quilt a vintage top for a customer.

3.  Make progress on each of the annual quilts.

4.  Make progress on the Birch Bark quilt.

5.  Make progress on the three My Small World quilts. 

(Yes, I've lost my mind!)

6.  Start working on the t-shirt commission quilt if the customer returns the deconstructed t-shirts.

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

I have so many projects going on that I've picked up a new mantra - "Make Progress" - to describe what I'm doing on them.  As long as I make progress each week, at this point that's good enough!  

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

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? A Little Drama Never Hurt Anyone...

Hi, all!

Well, it may not feel like fall yet, but it definitely feels like Friday - and you know what that means!  It's time for us to get our whoop whoop on! Are you ready?  Let's go!

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Fall means that it's time to start working on the annual quilts for the grandkids, and this week I began working on Emmy's quilt.  Now you have to know this about Emmy - she is a TOTAL drama queen.  Everything is an opportunity for a dramatic moment.  She's cute, so she gets away with it - most of the time.  But we have a saying around our house - "No drama, llama!"  Usually just saying that will get her back on the right track...usually.  So when I saw Lorna's adorable llama pattern (thanks to Wendy at Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life!) I knew this would make the perfect quilt for E!

This week I cut out all the pieces (68 per llama, and I'm making five of them!)  I started to put it away to work on another project, but I wanted to see how they would go together, so I dropped everything else and started sewing.

OK, that was easy!  Doesn't look much like a llama yet, but let's move on to the next step.

Oh my!  There she is - or at least, I can see her peeking out at me!  And she definitely looks dramatic.... (And I will say, for the record, that Lorna's Sew Fresh Quilts patterns are fabulously easy, even though they look intricate.  Definitely check them out, especially if you are paper-piecing challenged, like me!  They are all traditionally pieced.)

And so I am very happy to introduce you to April Greensleeves, the first in our little band of drama llamas!  April likes Outlander (the books AND the series), lazy mornings in bed, long walks on the beach, snickerdoodle cookies, and knowing what everyone is doing at every moment.  

I can't wait to see what all her buddies have to reveal about their own personalities!  April tells me she's ready for her close-up...

So - - - can we 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 "drama llama" 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