Monday, November 27, 2023

Make-A-List Monday - Who Has Time to Sew??

 

Hi, all!

Monday has rolled around again, Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror, and the Christmas season is in full swing!  

We had twenty-four people at our house for Thanksgiving, so I decorated the house for the day and took care of some long-neglected tasks, like....


...fixing the "pinchers"....


...sprucing up the front door welcome mat....


...and making a really pretty centerpiece for my dining room table!

Of course, once Thanksgiving was over, it was time to start decorating for Christmas, because I have two parties at my house over the next two weeks.  We got a new artificial tree for the foyer (after last year's tree fell over, we had PTSD!) and it is set up and, now, decorated!


So my week is going to be filled with lots more decorating - I have another tree to bring down from the attic, along with all of its decorations - and a little bit of baking and cooking.  Thankfully I have several days so I can spread it out, since the kids are in school and not available to help as they have in the past.  I'll share more pictures next week!

And speaking of Christmas, did I tell you that Emmy is in the cast of A Charlie Brown Christmas in her middle school?  She plays Snoopy, and the play is this coming weekend.  I know her mom will be happy when rehearsals are over and life goes a little back to normal, but Emmy is having a ball!

So that's what my week looks like - and I really need to know that someone out there is having fun sewing!  So tell me - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

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Friday, November 17, 2023

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? A Finished Quilt!

 

Hi, all!

Well, here it is, Friday again, and only a little more than five weeks until Christmas!  But we're busy working on Thanksgiving here, and won't go into Christmas mode until next Friday.  But since it is Friday, that means that it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  Let's go!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

As you know if you've been here for the past few weeks, I've been working on a fall quilt for my bedroom, and last week I was excited to announce that I had finished the top.  Well, I'm happy to say that this week, I have a finished quilt!

Monday I took my quilt, backing and batting up to church, where our new quilt machine sits on a 12 foot frame - plenty large enough to quilt my king-size quilt all at once!  

This was the first time I had a chance to quilt with the new Innova, and let me tell you it was smooth as butter!  And so, so nice to be able to quilt my top all in one piece, rather than in two sections and joining them together.  


On Tuesday, I put on the binding.  I played a little binding chicken, and as you can see, I won!  You can see the backing fabric here, too - a pretty 108" wide print from Joann's.


A trip through the washer and dryer, and it was ready to put on my bed!  I also changed the quilt on the headboard, and ordered some new pillow shams to replace the white ones I had for my winter and spring quilts.  I'm still planning to make a long accent pillow, probably a 2" square patchwork using the fabrics I used for the leaves, but I don't know if I'll get that done before Thanksgiving.  But for now, my bed is festive and seasonal!!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

And now it's your turn!

What's making you whoop it up this week?


What's got you doing 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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Monday, November 13, 2023

Make-A-List Monday - A Mixed Bag....

 

Hi, all!

Is it just me, or do the weeks seem to go by faster as we near the end of the year?  It doesn't seem like seven days since I last put together a to-do list, but it has been!  So let's see how I did on last week's list....

1.  Keep working on those quilt blocks.
Done!  And not only did I work on the blocks, I finished the top!


2.  Do some more cleaning upstairs.
Nope! I didn't do any upstairs - but I did do some serious cleaning and re-organizing in my kitchen!  


First, the pantry!  I didn't take any before shots (I was too embarrassed!) but I will guarantee you this is a HUGE improvement!


I even cleaned up the racks on the door!


And because I found a bunch of storage containers in the bottom of the pantry, I re-organized the dog's treat cabinet too!  (Can you say spoiled??)


And then, because why not, I cleaned out the spice cabinet!  It's so nice to have it all organized now!

3.  Take care of some Nana duties while my daughter is out of town.
Taken care of!  I do love being close enough to help her when she needs me, and it's great to spend time with the grands!

4.  Work on the scrap bin if all this gets done!
Not even once.....

You all really should be laughing at me, because as I write this, my dog is going ballistic barking at something outside.  My husband put her leash on to take her outside so she didn't stay out there barking all night (we like our neighbors more than that!) and when he went out, we heard some really strange, loud, really inhuman sound.  (Several times!) Let me tell you, he got back inside in a hurry!  Now we're both totally creeped out, closed the blinds, and we're wondering if it's an alien invasion...... 😟

Anyway, let's get going on next week's list...

1.  Finish the fall quilt.

2.  Clean up my patio area.

3.  Make or find tablecloths for all the tables for Thanksgiving.

4.  Finish cleaning upstairs.

As you can tell, I'm moving into Thanksgiving mode - we are having 24 people over to our house for the big day and there are a few things I've been neglecting that need doing!  It's exciting, through, and my husband always loves having company, because that's when all those things get done.  

And now, I really need to know - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah
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Friday, November 10, 2023

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? A Fall Quilt Top, Finished Before Winter!

 

Hi, all!

It's Friday again, and we all know what that means - - - it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!!  I hope you're ready - I know I am!  I sewed up a storm on Thursday just so I would be.  Let's go!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

As I said, Thursday I woke up determined to get my fall quilt top assembled in time for this post.  Wednesday afternoon I had laid out all of the blocks to get them in the right spots....


I am really thankful for my large studio that has plenty of room to lay out a king size quilt on the floor!!  All I was trying to do at this point was get the colors spread out properly.  I gathered up each column to sew up the next morning.  


I got up early and jumped right in, creating the nine columns of leaves that will comprise the quilt.  Then it was time to cut and create the sashing strips that go between the blocks.  And a few hours later, look what I made!


Isn't it glorious?  Thanks to @rnquilter, who suggested a purple background to allow the leaves to shine.  


I used 34 of the new fat quarters I bought last month, in fall browns, red, oranges and yellows, to create these blocks.  I still need to find a backing, but will probably use an extra-wide print of some sort.


It's a simple block, which works up quickly and is easy to speed through with chain piecing.  I made the blocks one at a time, but used chain piecing to create components and then press them all at one time.  So the 63 blocks I needed for a king size quilt went together pretty fast!  The pattern is called Fall Leaves by Cluck Cluck Sew, and I highly recommend it.  The instructions were clear and the cutting instructions in particular were perfect, even to the extent of ensuring that directional fabrics were cut in such a way as to keep the pattern running in the same direction! It's also very fat quarter friendly, and has a bonus table runner pattern included.

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

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


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Monday, November 6, 2023

Make-A-List Monday - Chugging Right Along!

 

Hi, all!

Well, we've come back around to Monday again, and it's November - can you believe it?  And our grandson Nathanael turned twelve today - hard to believe they are all getting so big!  He's excited because he got a new Minecraft game, and exhibited impressive patience while waiting for it to download - better than I ever did, for sure!

Let's see how I did on last week's list....

1.  Keep working on that scrap bin!
I actually didn't even touch the scrap bin this week, except for making new ones.  Bad quilter!

2.  Clean up some long-neglected corners of my studio.
I did do this, and I'm so pleased!  This little corner was a catch-all for everything non-quilty...


The little kitchen area....


And my desk area.  


But now it looks like this!!!  Isn't that a huge improvement?

3.  Cut out a fall quilt for my bed.
Done!  Look at all those pretty colors....



And not only did I get it cut out, but I started making the blocks....


And I've not only got these 25 done, but another 9 - so I'm about halfway through making all the blocks I'll need.  And I think I'll be able to quilt it on the frame at church, which is larger than mine and will take a king size quilt!

4.  Maybe - quilt one of the vintage quilt tops.
Nope - didn't do this.  I got too excited about making those leaf blocks!

 So even though I didn't get to everything on my list, I'm pleased with my progress - and I foresee a beautiful fall quilt in my near future!  But we've got company coming for Thanksgiving, so I'm going to need to temper my sewing desires with some cleaning too.  Here's what I'm looking at for this week...

1.  Keep working on those quilt blocks.

2.  Do some more cleaning upstairs.

3.  Take care of some Nana duties while my daughter is out of town.

4.  Work on the scrap bin if all this gets done!

Enough to keep me out of trouble, for sure!  And now, I really need to know - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

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Friday, November 3, 2023

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? It's The Little Things....

 

Hi, all!

Friday has shown its beautiful face once again, and we all know what that means - - - it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  I hope you're ready, because I sure am!  Let's go!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

I've got a lot of little things I'm whooping about this week, and since we have to start somewhere, I'll start with the one that was the least fun, but the most gratifying!  These two very messy spots in my studio....



...had been bothering me for the longest time - they were catch-alls and just totally cluttered!  But because they weren't in an area I work in frequently, I just ignored them and worked on other things.  Well, I decided that I was going to start working on cleaning up some of these neglected areas, and now it looks like this!


Isn't it amazing how much better that looks?  I honestly don't know why I let it get as bad as it did, but there's always something more pressing to work on, I guess.  


After I finished the cleaning, I decided to reward myself by doing a little fabric pull for a fall quilt for my king size bed.  Aren't those colors gorgeous?  I had thought I might do a teal or dark blue background, but then someone on Instagram suggested a purple background.....


...and after some heavy-duty cutting on Thursday, now I have a "quilt-in-waiting"!  I can't wait to start putting these blocks together!


Now, this is probably a strange thing to be whooping over, but this week I ran out of 1.5"x2" post-it notes, which are a staple in my studio.  I use them to mark all kinds of things - the sizes of flimsies, the size of pieces cut for quilt tops (an absolute necessity for some of the quilts I make!), and the lengths of my binding scraps, among other things.  None of my local haunts had them in stock, so I looked on Amazon and found a pack of 50!!!  I may not run out for years, and I feel absolutely decadent having this many on hand.  Those of you who also have office supply fetishes can feel me, I'm sure!



And last, but definitely not least, check out the awesome hoodie my husband gave me for my birthday!  And yes, that is Bree right on the front.  He found a company that takes your photo of your pet, converts it to a line drawing, and embroiders it on a shirt.  I've even got her name embroidered on one of the sleeves!  Now everyone knows just who I belong to!!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

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


This linky list is now closed.
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