Teacher Gifts

Each year I plan to make a quilt for the kids teacher's gift for Teacher Appreciation Week. This year I really struggled to find something that they would each like (because I don't know them well and nothing on their intro info gave me a clue). I did a bit of FB stalking to get a clue and asked the kids. 

For my daughter's main teacher I made a Random Shuffle quilt with minkee on the back. Glamping Gypsies is the fabric. She loves camping and biking. 

I used the same label and customized it. 

For my son's main teacher I did NE Huskers and a modified 5 yard quilt. I put Luxe Cuddle on the back. Do you know how hard it is to sew a label on it? Yuck!

My daughter's writing teacher loves to hunt deer and pheasants with her dad (who battled cancer and won), so I knew she loved those things. I made the top and another person wanted to buy it, so I ended up making this as a 2nd one, very similar with more phesants. 

The reading teacher was harder because I knew nothing. I did end up doing this one as I had it cut out and it was all hiking and birds-related, which is what my daughter told me she likes. 

Having been a teacher myself I know how much work goes into teaching. I am so appreciative of the work these teachers do and this is my way of showing it. 

 

February Progress

While my last post showed a few finishes, it really didn't showcase all I worked on this month. I said at one point over the long weekend (with a snow day added), that I had quilters ADD. I was working on 6-8 projects all at one time!
I finished this green and gold bag for the SDHEA conference silent auction after I arrived at the conference! I set up my sewing and had it done in less than an hour, start to finish. I donated 4 bags in green/gold and blue/yellow.

While I was away a the conference, I made all of these blue and yellow Blue Ridge Beauty blocks. I would like it to be bigger and have plenty of HST's but needed more 4 patches. Since it's the scraps from my Scrappy Y/B trip around the world that I'm using for the 4 patches, I needed to make more of those blocks!

I'm teaching a class on making Crown Royal quilts or really any focus fabric and designing a quilt around the fabric, so I made my brother pillows to match his quilt.

I made a few more yellow and blue scrappy trip blocks.

Then I made a few more... and a few more... and a few more. I didn't take pictures of all of them, but I'm sure I finished about 20 this month. I do about 3 each round of chain piecing.

I made Mathew a blanket for his teddy bear. 


I made this doll blanket for an auction at Mikaela's school.

I made this backing for a black and white baby quilt.

I'm doing the Quilters Planner Sew Along, so I made this block for January.

This is the February block for the Quilters Planner Sew Along

I was able to make a few more 4 patches

And a few more yellow and blue scrappy trip blocks.

I had a quilting day at my dad's house and quilted this baby quilt I made from the leftover blocks of my quilt.

My 5-yard quilt in black/white/ pink/green was also quilted at dads. I need to bind both of these.

I also made this doll blanket with minkee for the auction, but Mikaela kept it for herself.


It doesn't look like I posted my in/out for January, but I was neck and neck, 30.75 in and 33.75 out... Well, I didn't do quite so well this month. I was at the quilt shops a bit too often and my "big" finishes didn't get bound due to a fall that hurt my back on Saturday, so I'll have to keep them for next month. I will be ahead of my stash soonish.

February In - 29.25 Yards
February Out - 14 Yards
Year to Date In - 60 Yards
Year to Date Out - 47.75 Yards
For a total of 12.25 yards, the stash is ahead!

One Monthly Goal January Accomplished

This month my One Monthly Goal was to finish my Crazy Mom Quilts Focus Block English Paper Pieced table topper. This was also my American Patchwork's UFO of January.
I was able to finish sewing the hexie's together and found a little time at my dad's to quilt it. It's all bound and completed thanks to time at the guild meeting. I'm so excited to be done with this EPP project. It was the last one I had going, so I've gotten started on another one, but haven't made any progress yet.

I was able to attend our guild's SOYO - Sew On Your Own retreat and got most of my FGV quilt together. I have a few spots I need to fix, but I'm so glad to have it in this spot right now.

I spent most of the weekend getting these black and white blocks into a quilt top. It's my oldest UFO and I really wanted it done. The top is done and now I can focus on quilting it next month. This was my Patchwork Times UFO for January and the top stage is more than I expected, so I'm happy with my progress moving it forward.

My daughter got to go to quilt retreat for the first day. It was her birthday and she made two bags.

I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal and the linky party.


I'm also linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times.

WIP Wednesday

This has felt like a productive week, even if I haven't spent much time sewing. During my personal time at work I was able to finish the hand sewing on the binding on this 5 Yard quilt for our daycare lady for Christmas. I just have to add a label and it will be ready to gift.

I finished up the notebook cover for my MIL's co-worker. I had the embroidery machine at my house for the week, so I added her name.

I quilted the BQ2 quilt with the Jim Shore angels and have started the hand sewn binding. I'll add the label and have it ready to donate in Dec.

I finished up the Tiny Taylor fabric book for Mikaela.

I embroidered it on the machine as well.

At Groovy Girls I made these HST blocks and have one more of 4 to finish. I'm planning to make some table toppers/wall hangings for friends. Does anyone have  a favorite saying they would embroider on the center relating to friends/quilts? I plan to embroider with the machine the same thing on all four and give them to friends for Christmas.

When I was home last weekend my little Bro Ed wanted his sweatshirt embroidered, so I put his name and company on it.

This week I made the last block for my friendship swap. I got behind and this is an Oct. block. So happy to finally be finished with it.


 I also finished the 36 HST blocks for Jen V. I had a hard time with picking fabric, so finally had friends pick it. I hope they are okay.

Tonight I worked on the final 24" HST block. Now to get them embroidered.



Finished this week:
Linda S. Friendship Block
Jen V. Friendship Block
Cressa's Cowgirl Quilt - DONE!
Numbers Sewing Book - DONE!
Ongoing projects:  (and progress this week on them)
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Wall Hanging - 2 - Finished 4 of the 4 Blocks - Need to figure out what to embroider on them.
Buggy Barn Pink/Brown Extra Blocks - No progress
Ed's Crown Royal Quilt - 2/3 of the way done on the last set of blocks - No progress
Mocha Meringue Wonder Blocks - still sitting
Jim Shore Quilt - Quilted and binding machine sewn on -  working on hand sewing.
Linda's T-shirt Quilt - started cutting and interfacing 47 t-shirts for King size quilt
Paul's Wolf - 2nd eye, nose and face done - No progress this week.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Blush Quilt
No progress:
Pokey Little Puppy Book
Mom's Pink Ribbon Quilt
3 Mug Rugs
This week's stats:
Completed projects -4
New projects -0
Currently in progress - 13
Finished this year - 118 projects + 12 Receiving Blankets & 20 Burp Clothes


I'm linking up for WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

5 Yard Wanna Be a Cowgirl Quilt

Friday night I didn't feel like working on the Crown Royal blocks any more, so I decided to start something new. I have had my scraps of Wanna Be a Cowboy fabric all in a box and I had planned to use it to make a 5 yard quilt, so I pulled it out and started cutting. I knew it was going to have to be scrappy because I didn't have enough of any of the fabrics left.

I cut it out and started piecing Friday night, sewed the first set of blocks Sat. morning, sewed the framed blocks Sat. afternoon, and laid it out Sat. night. I got the top sewn together and put the borders on Sat. night.

Sunday I pieced the back together and loaded it on the frame. I got a few hours quilting time in, while Mikaela napped and was able to get it completely quilted. I put the binding on Sunday evening and started the hand sewn binding. I love how it turned out and I think it will make a great Christmas present for our daycare gal. She loves pink/brown and horses/boots/cowgirls stuff. She's always curled up on the couch when I get there, so I think this will make a great snuggle quilt for this winter.

I used a pink/brown variegated King Tut thread on top and a medium pink Bottomline.



The fabric in the borders is also on the back. I cut the binding on the bias so the stripes would look cool.

Karen's Christmas Quilt

Tuesday at break my co-worker Karen asked if I had time to quilt her Christmas quilt this week. She's having a party on Sat. and wanted to have it done to hang by then. I told her if I had it Wed. I could bring it back on Thurs. We agreed on a price and I didn't think much more about it. Wed. morning she had it, complete with backing and batting ready to go. I was on a mission!
I was so excited to quilt this one as it's very rich looking and I knew I had the perfect thread for it. I used  Rainbows Green/Good/Marroon verigated and marroon Bottomline The quilting came out beautiful and I only had to change the bobbin once, in the middle of one of the darker blocks, so it doesn't show.
Here's the completely quilted quilt, in about 2 hours.

I just love the fabric she used. The pattern is the 5 yard quilt. We've both made the pattern a few times as it's so quick and easy.

A close up, shows the different gold fabrics.

And a real close up shows the thread. It matched so perfectly!

She loved it and I enjoyed quilting it for her. It was such a powerful night of quilting! Never underestimate a quilter on a mission.