Last week of February

This week is already flying by so quickly. We've had 2 late start mornings and I feel like we may have another one tomorrow. Monday was President's Day and I had big plans for a quilting day at my dad's house after the kid's dentist appointments. The weather was supposed to be bad (6" of snow and below 0 temps), so I changed the plan. I decided Friday that I would go out on Saturday afternoon, after morning haircuts. I worked on the side borders for this quilt until 10:30 Friday night (after my birthday supper at Fuji Steakhouse). I couldn't get them on right, so I went to bed. While Paul took the kids to haircuts, I finished the borders, mopped the floors, cleaned up the kitchen, and sorted laundry. 
Saturday after lunch the kids and I went to Dad's house to quilt. I quilted this little boy quilt for Jace, the son of our work-study student Megan. Then I quilted my pillow swap (which I'll show after it's received) and the HST Valentine L'Amour table runner. 

It was going so well and it was only 2:30, so I loaded my Hey June quilt which is 73"x97". It is a big one, but I knew I had time to quilt it. The machine would not work! I messed with it for 30 minutes before giving up! I set up mom's sewing machine and fixed my dad's shirts and a couple things for his wife. I put everything away and decided I'd come back another day. I moved the quilting machine and it worked! It literally was like God said, "fix your dad's mending". I would have otherwise put him off. 

Thursday I had a foot doctor appointment and had enough time to finish sewing this quadrant of my EPP quilt. 

So I quilted Hey June horizontally (as I had 1" of backing and batting on each side). It was meant to be quilted this way. It quilted up beautifully after the break! I couldn't find anything else that could or would have caused the issue. I don't know who this will go to, but it's quilted and that's what matters. I used wide back red and 124" wide white warm & white batting from the Sewing Center. After it was done, I quilted a 40" square of purple Homemade fabric to make some more by Annie bags/patterns. I didn't have a plan, but I just quilted up the fabric and will cut it out later when I decide what to make with it. 

Last night I sewed the binding on my pillow swap pillow, my valentine's table runner (but was short, darn it!) and then I had put these by my table to finish as needed. I ended up sewing the binding I had cut on these 2 table toppers. I just gave them to a student for an adoption fundraiser he is helping with this weekend. I didn't have any other thing planned for them and it just felt like they would help that cause. 

Monday night I finished the binding on Jace's quilt. I think it turned out pretty cute for a "scrap quilt". I was kind of kicking myself for spending $40 on backing and more background for a scrap quilt (which I think of as a free quilt), but I know it was the right decision to spring for the minkee backing. I did frankenbatt the batting together from scraps, so that was free too. 
 
Sunday night Mathew and I played his new Monopoly game. Friday was the 2 year anniversary of my cancer sister's DMX. I wore my Heidi shirt to work as I celebrated what being a survivor means for me. Harmony is the background quilt. 

November OMG Finished

My OMG for November was to make the Fractions quilt top from Stripology Squared. I not only got the top done but was able to quilt and bind it as well. I love how the quilt turned out.


A close up of the quilting. I spent Veteran's Day at dad's and was able to get it quilted.

I finished up 4 more bags that I had cut out. I'm so pleased to have all of these done.

I made two Becca Bags with the leftover quilted fabric from my duffle bag.

I made 3 Becca bags from some scraps.

I made the Best of Joy table runner from Gudrun's Quilt Crew.

I made two table tents for imaginative play.

A Giant Starburst quilt from scraps for my favorite GB fan.

A trinket case to test the pattern out with my scraps. It went to my nephew Cooper for his birthday.

I made a Sew South tote to haul my books around in for classes.

I made 18 Boo Boo bags for Mathew's Birthday party favors.


I cleaned up my sewing studio as well and re-organized it. I also did the kids bedroom.



It was a very productive November!

November Stash Report
Fabric bought this month: 11 yards
Fabric bought this year: 95.5 yards
Fabric used this month: 44 yards
Fabric used this year: 268 yards
Net Fabric used this year: 172.5 yards!

Linking up with Elm Street Quilts for OMG. 

Whims And Fancies Trunk Full Of Quilts 2016

Whims And Fancies Trunk Full of Quilts

As I was looking through my Flickr account, I realized just how many quilts I have made this year, so I decided to focus on those. This is in no way a comprehensive list because I realized many of them I got them quilted and didn't take a picture after binding.
My most recent finish - last night - is the Giant Starburst quilt using scraps from a previous quilt. I love the simplicity of the pattern and the colors.

Last Friday I finished Fractions, a quilt I'll be teaching in February. I love the pattern, designer, and the fabrics are so modern.

This fall I took a class with Gudrun Erla of GE Designs. She was a bucket list quilt designer who I wanted to take a class from. I made the Strip Burst in a baby size. This used up some of my mom's pink jelly roll.

I made this Strip Lash quilt using the leftovers from the same quilt I made in the spring for my MIL.

This is a "miniature" radiant star I made for my co-worker for Christmas. He said he liked neutrals.

I made this faux granny square table topper after teaching how to make the block.

This coin quilt is made from scraps of all the other 5 cowgirl quilts I have made. I put my last bit of cowgirl minkee on the back.

I tried to make a minature granny square, but I could have gone smaller. The blocks are 4.5".

I made this BQ quilt for my friend Cindy using my mom's fabric stash of Loralie. She loves the quilt!

My nephew Owen needed his big boy quilt, so I made this twin size Case IH quilt for him using a different BQ quilt pattern and adapting to my squares.

I made the Remington quilt as a sample for the store. It turned out great and both my brothers want it. Who knows who will get it?

My MIL loves blue and white, so I used my mom's blue/white/gray winter snow fabrics to make her this quueen sized strip lash quilt. I gave it to her when she got a new job that I helped her get.

I've made a lot of bags, table runners, and several other quilts this year. Visit my moneikquilts flickr account to see all my projects.

Design Wall

This week has been especially successful in the sewing studio. I cleaned up, re-organized, and don't have any pressing deadlines, so I have been able to finish up a few odds and ends.
I made three project bags. I ran out when I was going to retreat a few weeks ago and I was mad I didn't have any made up. I had intended to give these away... two years ago, but that didn't happen, so I can use them now.

I'm really trying to finish up the sweetpea pods I have cut out from when I made bendy bags last fall. I finished 5 more this week. I think the 7-10 I still have left can all be done with navy thread, so I need to get that on and finish those up. These will probably end up as gifts.

My friend Kim asked for a new coaster, so I made this purple one for her. We have the same love for purple. Super simple and quick, but well loved.

I made this giant starburst top from scraps. It's almost identical to the last one I made, but with different yellows. I made too many yellows this time, so I'll have to figure out a plan for them.

Today we have an accreditation visit for our full program we have that I assist with. I planned the lunch/reception and cleaned up the office. I also made my SDSU mouse pad from a leftover block. I had originally made it for a demo, except it was partially together (think 1 corner missing) and it got lost. I sewed up the corner and finished up the block, quilted and did the binding last night.

It looks super cute next to the table topper it was meant to be in. I made the one in the upper left-hand corner to replace the missing block. Oh well, no harm in having an extra block.

Last night I started on the Peek-a-Boo table runner I am doing for a class in January. I always struggle when starting quilt as you go, but once I get going, it's easy. I made all the pieces and this morning I was up early with my little early riser, so I worked on this for 1/2 hour. Got the center started and I'll be ready to work on it when I get home tonight.

Quilty Sunday

This weekend was so nice, after a blizzard day last week and a snow day that was awful, it was nice to see sunshine and warmer temps. I was so excited to be able to get outside and enjoy the weather. It also meant Paul could finally work on the door for my dad's crawl space on his house. A trip to Dad and Ann's ranch means quilting for me!
First up on the agenda was Mikaela's Wanna Be a Cowgirl quilt. She helped me sew it this week and it went together so quickly on Friday night that I was ready to quilt it on Sunday. The front and back are a bit different, but they go together well. The back is minkee. It quilted up very nicely!

Here's the top after quilting. I used a warm and natural batting and pink/brown King Tut with a medium pink Bottomline. The quilt is 60.5"x 72.5". I stretched my limits with the minkee, so a bit of the seam is on the back.

Paul was still working, so I loaded my mom's Loralie quilt. This is the back. I used a dark red King Tut and red Bottomline. The sashing is all red hearts. I need to get my Loralie fabric stash out and figure out what will work for the binding.

This is the front. I loaded it sideways so it was a quick quilt for me to do. It's probably in the 60x70 range as well. I finished it up after lunch while Paul was taking a nap.

Since Paul was still sleeping, I loaded this Giant Starburst quilt top. It's made with Green Bay Packers colors and I'm not sure where it will go, but it will be done. It's backed with a scrap of minkee as well. I love to quilt with minkee as the backing.

Last night I trimmed up this one as well as the Pink one and started working on the binding. I'm so excited to have them done. I am down to only 2 BIG quilts left to quilt on the frame - Scrappy Swoon and Merry Go Round. It's time I got busy working on a few others.

I worked on my Scrappy Trip Around the World on Saturday night, but it was getting late, so only finished one. I have another ready to sew together. I also got partway finished with 3 Winding Ways blocks.


I felt so productive getting that many quilts quilted. I also got the Scrappy Swoon quilt loaded and it is ready to quilt when I get back out there. It's so nice spending time at my dad and his wife's house in the country. The kids get to play outside and spend time with grandpa and grandma, free of mom and dad, and I get to spend some time quilting. We had such an enjoyable time. After I finished quilting I helped them with their ipad and we did some stuff in the yard/garage. Such a fun day. The kids were exhausted and so were Mommy & Daddy.