Friday, October 31, 2014

Winnings & A Winner



I've got to get some late thank you's in order.  My package of goodies from the Pets On Quilts came a little late from Sew South, but I'm also late on saying thank you .  The Stitched book will come in handy for our Quilt Guild's crazy quilt challenge - as well as the threads and that FQ - I have a 'gathering supplies' box for this project.  The Cog & Wheel pattern looks interesting and may be seen done up in 2015.  The wrap around skirt pattern I passed on to a younger generation.


I won a certificate for a Craftsy class thru the Scrap Quilt Challenge and used it to pick up the class 'Pattern Free Quilt Making' with Joe The Quilter.

 
And I was the lucky winner of this School House pin from Barbara for the September NewFO.  It is already on my guild name tag badge.

 

Now for the winner of the Black Cat Crossing give away:

charlotte said...
This is my favorite spooky line of all times. I LOVE your pick four quilt. Just perfect and the divided basket is great in this line.

I will contact her for mailing and thank you all for leaving such lovely comments - that was a very fun Hop with some very creative people.

**And I know some of you are hearing (and seeing) the 4-letter word - SNOW!!  Yes, us too**

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Thursday, October 30, 2014

October NewFO

2014 NewFO Challenge

 Barbara @ CatPatches is our inspiration for starting something new with no pressure to finish.  I normally have something small, so a finish usually happens.


Again my official NewFO is for the Monthly Doll Quilt Swap Group.  My partner and I agreed on the theme "Farmer's Market".  Naturally a little dollie matches the front along with my signature label for these.  Can you guess what is on the front?


We all go to the Farmer's Market to pick up fruits and vegies for those Canning Days.  And I put my canning jars into a window box setting.  It's a blurry photo, but take a close look at the string beans - Sharon's - couldn't have planned it.  These came from my Mom's scraps and a very old fabric.  There was just enough to cut the nine for the front and one to add into the pieced back.  The bits and pieces were used to dress the dollie and that vintage fabric was gone.

Never too hot to Stitch!

I did get this completed this month after having to roll it over from the previous month.  The EQ was loaded onto the computer, but yet to be played with.  Still studying the manual and going thru some of the lessons.  My SIL wants her next quilt designed a certain way (which I drew on paper), but will use EQ to put it in hard copy -  I hope.

And the years of tutorials are finally on my header - don't know why my extra pages are above my banner, but I am not fiddling with it - might lose my whole blog and then I will have a heart attack! 

VroomansQuilts


And you've seen this already - my Rick Rack Ghastlies quilt.  This was a very quick pattern with such a fun layout that I am planning another with some soft florals for the Spring.


I used Valerie Wells little wallet pattern to make up some gift card purses for the Make Christmas Handmade with SewCalGal.


This month's Simple Small Project was a table topper - there is quite a mix of fabric lines in this one, but I like the blend.


The last row for Quilt Doodle Row Quilt was a string of lights.  I'll add the 'wiring' when this is quilted.

My blocks for the RSC14 were done up and sent on to Sarah and I am already seeing them in some lovely quilts.  And my Marcus Brother QAL is actually a quilt finish, but it has been so rainy I haven't been able to take outside for a good photo.


The Country Corners blocks are coming along.  I have yet to make the setting blocks - maybe in November.


The Charming Stars.  I think I am going with 9 blocks (sashed) and then a piano border for a couch throw size.  So this should be a flimsy next month.


And finally taking a day to slow stitch with Slow Stitch Sunday, I got this little project finished and fabric framed.

Of course the Little Letters QAL is still on-going, trying to finish up the lozenges quilt, and like the scrap idiot I am - started on the OMG quilt.


But I'm not insane - I'm using 1.5" strips and my pre-cut barrels to work this one instead of those tiny 1".

I'm surprised I got this much done with my Mom's surgery and care, a three-day Quilt Show, and a broken machine.  Yes, the new machine I ordered came and was a total lemon.  I think I got a factory re-built (not fully rebuilt) instead of brand new - it went back.  I pulled my old Brother that has sat for 2 years 'frozen' to clean up - had a friend who was going to 'play' with it to see if they could get it working again.  Well, I cleaned it up, plugged it in to see if it even was alive - IT WORKS!!  So this is my piecing machine.

Thanks for sticking with me, now to push Bella off that quilt again so I can finish quilting it.


Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Feline Friday - 10/30/14


OK - I know you are totally confused, but then so am I.  I am usually missing a day or two some weeks, but this week I have been a day ahead.  Do you get that way?  I so totally missed that Oct 29th (yesterday) was National Cat Day.  My furries told me not to worry as they are special every day.  **My NewFO post goes up Friday - so Feline Friday is a day early**




We have had a number of days of rain which has made for some kitty 'in your face' time requiring some harsh NOs from MOM.  So they sulk.



I had to sneak up and photo this from above to catch Mr. Sulk hiding behind the sewing machine on the side table - thinking out of sight, out of mind.



Bella, on the other hand, can hold a grudge.  She has been chased off this quilt so many times!!!



And why - she is the fastest 'un-pin-baster' in the world - caught at it AGAIN!!




And because I am ahead (or behind), here is the last three days of the Black Cat Crossing Hop schedule:


Wednesday, October 29
A Stitch in Time     

Thursday, October 30

Friday, October 31
Seams To Be SewMammy Stitches
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Let's Book It - October Link Up

VroomansQuilts

Have you been looking a little more at your book shelf?  Are those dusty books, patterns, and magazines been calling more loudly?  I admit that I have been pulling mine out more frequently to browse and bookmark (again).


This was my pick for October - Pick Four by Sue Abrey.  Now I know Sue only thru blogging as she hosted a few Christmas QALs and surprised us during one of these with the announcement of her book - and I one a copy in one of her give aways.  Sue blogs over at Quilt Times.


This is the pattern that I chose from the book and I used it double duty so to speak - for a blog hop if you remember.


Yes, it was for my Black Cat Crossing project.  The perfect pattern for the end of the Ghastlies.  This pattern worked up so quickly - I had the flimsy done in a day.


And then it took me a day to piece the back and sandwich up the quilt.  And then the next day to quilt and bind it.  I rarely go from cutting fabric to a finish with complete sittings, but this one worked up this way.

This month's Quilt Barn Pin and Charm is the Bear Paw:



QuiltBarnCharmHolder.jpg.jpg  

Now its' your turn to show off your Let's Book It project.  Link will be open until November 4, 10 pm(EST) and I will contact the winner immediately - I do ship overseas.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Monday, October 27, 2014

Successful Quilt Show


Our Quilt Guild President - Matt, Treasure - Kathy (in pink), and representative from Library - Terry with the presentation of proceeds from our show.  It will help the Middleburgh Library and Dr. Best House Museum, Middleburgh.


Remember to visit these lovely ladies today for Black Cat Crossing

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Sunday, October 26, 2014

On the Wall Monday 10/27/14


I know Bonnie Hunter's new mystery will be starting soon, but I have so many scrappy projects on the go - I would rather get things finished at this point in the year.  Would truly like no 'roll-over' UFOs.  So I started putting together my lozenges blocks into rows.  They went into twosies, then foursies - really time to just get this one wrapped up.


The Temecula Quilt Co. 'Little Letters' is all coming together out of that scrap basket too - background/sashing is left overs from another quilt.  Since these are quick little blocks, I usually wait for two to come out and then to make them up together.  The next two I think I need to start putting the row sashings on - then when the last row is done this can be quickly finished up.


And since the 4 (yes 4) scrap projects are not emptying that scrap basket - someone had to mention the OMG (oh my gosh) quilt and using 1.5" bits instead of the 1".  I have a LOT of 1.5" strips (or very ravelly 2" strips) and also using my pre-cut barrels which are overflowing.  So a start on this - half of the setting blocks were quickly done in a day.


Yup, dumped that barrel of 1.5" squares to make up the little 4-patch units needed.  Got all I needed out of this barrel and it still is rather full.  The setting corners will come from another barrel.  And the shoe fly units will come out of that blasted basket, too.


Don't forget that the Black Cat Crossing Hop is still running this week:

Monday, October 27  


Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Original Design Catagory




Fall 2014 BQF Button

I love the fact that we can participate in the Fall Market thru Amy's CreativeSide's brilliant idea of a Blogger's Quilt Festival. You can join in thru the week and even vote for your favorite in each catagory.




Back in April American Made Brand announced their challenge with the introduction of their new line of solid cottons grown and manufactured in America.  I found it difficult to find the fabric because it took some time to find it's way into on-line shops and LQS, but eventually I managed to locate the amount and colours I wanted.


Your original design had to represent from farm to fabric - to me it spoke a feeling I needed to express.  Our  Valley was nearly wiped from the map with storm Irene.  You can see photos of the damage HERE.  We are a farming valley, farming families, farming community, we relate to the earth.



Broken homes, broken paths, some connected and some not.  Loss of some families moving on, others remaining to re-build because the Valley is in their heritage.


The black of the darkness of the night as the waters rose, not knowing what would be left come morning.  Red barns on farms that have been in generations of families.  The blue of the morning that came after.  Green fields that came from the re-birth and yellow for those who carried on the light.

Catagory:  Original Design
American Made Brand solid cottons
One layer craft weight felt/one layer Quilter's Dream Select batt
Connecting Threads - various colors/home machine quilted
Assortment of mini buttons
Finished Size:  28" square

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Friday, October 24, 2014

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Mini Catagory



Our Fall Market Experience

What a wonderful idea for us all to enjoy the Quilt Festival.  Amy let's us show off our quilts in a variety of catagories and we all get to enjoy 'The Show of Shows' in my opinion.

I have participated in each Festival since blogging - always entering the Mini Catagory with one of my doll quilts.  But this year I am using another mini.


I made this mini for the Black Cat Crossing Hop, using up my final Ghastlies scraps along with some of my black strings and bits.


It all started with a dumping of the zippy bag of fun stuff that needed to smile.


I took a coloring page cat figure and enlarged it.  Then roughly drew a square in a square in a square in a square,etc..... to cover the cat drawing.  Then just using the 'flip and sew' method, covered him with all those fun bit of fabric.  Add some fuseable (Steam-A-Seam) to the back and cut him out - ready to add to a background.

  
A close up of the start of the square in a square.  That little center bit was the last of one of my grandpa's ties.  It reminded me of a cat's eye - black cats are quite mystical,  all knowing and seeing - so I thought this made for a purrfect start.


It needed a fence look - think the rhyme "The Crooked Man"  who had a crooked cat - who walked a crooked stile.  So I went with a mini braid bottom border.


And added some mini  log cabin blocks that blended into the 'Mellow Yellow' main background to give the illusion of steps.  We all know how cats like to climb.


I used one layer of Quilter's Dream cotton/poly and one layer of Quilter's Dream 100% cotton for batting.  Simple stitch in the ditch thru the braid and the logs and a meander for the back ground.  The cat was fused raw edge machine quilted with some outline details. 

Catagory:   Mini
Finished size - 15" square.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon