Piecing Week

Last week I focused on making a couple bags. This week I am focused on piecing. I started piecing flying geese for an SDSU quilt. I started the next step last night and I needed to trim them. Instead of going to bed, I pieced this Teen Spirit top together. The top went together very quickly. I just need to press it now. I'm not sure who will receive it, but it's my APQ quilt for March and I'm excited it got this far. 

I used my Clue 6 of Grassy Creek as the leader/ender for the piecing I have been doing this week. 

Day 25 of the IG Quilt fest was organization. I use the Art Bin's in a storage shelving unit for many of my projects. I have this unit that matches my sewing furniture and I keep the random fabric in it. I also use plastic bags I make with fun zipper colors. 

This week at Cardiac Rehab I have been sewing on the brown hexies. I haven't worked up to 30 minutes, so while I wait for the others to finish their exercise and then do our stretching or weights, I stitch a bit. It's very relaxing and a great way to cool down. 

 

National Quilting Day! - Quilting at Dad's House

Saturday was National Quilting Day and I was lucky enough to get to go to Dad's house to drop off the kids for an overnight stay and found some time to quilt too. I made this t-shirt quilt for his wife and quilted it with a primary King Tut verigated thread. 

The backing was an extra-wide gray swirls fabric and went with it really well. I'll bind it in a gray as well. 

I started and almost finished this Hillside Charm quilt with tan minkee on the back. I promised Paul I would leave by 2 and I needed to pick up thread at the Sewing Center before 3, so I left it with 3 rows left to quilt. Turns out the Sewing Center closed at 2pm, but Chad and Tammy were still there, so I was able to get the thread. 

The thread I needed was for Mathew's blanket. It's minkee on the top and luxe cuddle on the back. It's luscious to sleep under it. 

He chose his favorite orange/read Luxe Cuddle. 

The finished Hillside Charm quilt is going to a friend's friend to gift. 

The kids got to spend the night with Grandpa and Grandma so we could attend the Construction Industry Awards Banquet. Paul's company won for a residential pool house they completed when he started with the company in July. 

We do not get out often, but we clean up nicely. 

The kids built the best tree fort. They are itching to go back and work on it some more. 

 

Last Weeks Sewing

Last was crazy busy. I started Cardiac Rehab, so I'm going to that 3 days a week and not getting a lunch hour. It sure cuts into my prepping time for sewing. Sara sent me these yellow and blue strips to use in an SDSU quilt I am working on for a friend. I had sent her some Tula strips and scraps for her quilt. 

Mik is taking swimming lessons, so I have about 30 minutes to sew. I made a few hexie flowers last week. 

Monday night I finished up the Harper Holdall Tote, a pattern by Lazy Girl Designs. The back side is fabric with Decor Bond. 

The front side is a piece I quilted of Soft and Stable. I had a chunk where the backing flipped up and I couldn't use it for other bags, but since this has a lining, it worked perfectly. 

Handles are Decor Bond as well. It's become my gym bag for Cardiac Rehab. 

I spent 2 nights making this sew-together bag with Pinkerville. The unicorns are in both sides of the open pockets. I love how it turned out. 

I'm really pleased with how the bags turned out and this week I hope to focus on piecing. 

 

Ann's T-shirt Quilt Top

Tuesday night everyone was in bed by 8 pm. The kids were in bed at 7 due to standardized testing. When they go to bed and asleep by 7:30, I have extra sewing time. I sewed the bottom block for my dad's wife Ann's t-shirt quilt, then sewed the top together. It turned out pretty cool and I'll visit with her this weekend about backing fabric and then hopefully next weekend I can get it quilted for her. 

I also used this mini brick road table runner as my "leader/ender" project to finish it up. I'm not crazy about it, but it's from scraps, so it works. It's Glamping Gypsies fabric and about the 10th thing I've made from this fabric. 

Yesterday I had a heart Dr. appointment. I'm starting a new grandmother's flower garden table topper out of L'Amor fabric (11 years old) and I put it in the bag Jen Wehr made for me. She started me English Paper Piecing (EPP) when my mom was in the hospital, so I would sit with her and stitch. It only seemed fitting to use it for this project. 

Last night at Faith Formation (1st Communion class), I started this cross stitch project. I'm using mom's thread holder, but I think I'll be getting some bobbins to put it on. I just purchased the frame online after seeing others using it. It's been so handy. I think I might really enjoy this craft. I have done cross stitching many years ago, just haven't picked it up in a while. 

Yesterday the prompt for the online quilt festival was upcycling. I do not upcycle fabric, but I do upcycle these glue cartridges. I put old needles in them to throw away. I've also put some new ones in for storing my hand stitching needles. 

While at the heart Dr. appointment I took this photo of my new thank you heart beating mask. I thought it was so appropriate to wear. I also am wearing my needle minder, although now I have seen that others are putting them on the project. I'll have to try that as well. 

 

T-shirt quilt and APQ challenge

Last week I laid out the Wildlife Teen Spirit quilt. I was thinking it was really long and narrow, so when I got home I checked the pattern and it needed to be 5x4, instead of 4x5. I laid it out again yesterday and now it's ready to sew together. This is my APQ challenge for March. 

Last night I whipped together 2 masks for Mikaela's 1st-grade teacher. She loved them! She's now the literacy specialist, but they have such a special bond.

 

I took Angela Walter's new t-shirt quilt pattern and made it a bit bigger and used my dad's wife's t-shirts to make a quilt top. I was able to lay it out today and hope to get it sewn tonight. I'll make another block from the sleeves I have at home. I hated doing the math, but love how it turned out. 

 

Sewing the week away

With a new week, also comes a new month and new goals. I worked on finishing up the blocks for Threadology block 6. I still have 5 and just cut out 7 & 8. I hope to keep this one moving forward. 

My friend Linda recommended these pencils for marking, so I picked up a couple of each color. I think these are working pretty well. I used them for marking flying geese for Ann's t-shirt quilt. 

My APQ goal for March is the Wildlife Teen Spirit. I organized it and started sewing on Monday. I got 5 blocks completed. 

I also worked on putting together a mask-making presentation. I am teaching our 4-H kids to make them on Saturday. It was fun putting the demonstration together on my board. 

My first finish of the month is Rock Candy and I finished hand sewing the binding down on Monday night. I used scraps of Handmade by Tula Pink. 

Last night I worked on getting all the blocks done for Teen Spirit in Wildlife fabrics. I'm pleased with how they turned out. I think this will be a quick finish. I'll probably try to lay it out tomorrow. 

 

Design Wall Monday

 Last night, in an attempt to meet my February goal for the APQ challenge, I pieced my block 4 of the Threadology quilt along. I was trying to get it done quickly and missed that I sewed one wrong, so I'll be fixing it tonight.

Saturday night I stayed up way too late finishing my February Hillside Charm quilt for The Sewing Center support group challenge. It's going to one of the kids teachers. 

I picked up this thread cutter with birthday money and it is awesome! It cuts right through the thread on the first cut. I'm in love with it!

What is on your design wall today?  Linking up for Design Wall Monday.

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