Rainbow Finish

What better quilt to show you on another snowy day than a batik rainbow? This quilt was pieced in early January, so it hasn't languished in the WIP pile for very long.

I quilted it yesterday when I should have been cleaning out my bedroom closet. Let's call it procrastination productivity!

The rainbow cat print for the back and the solid orange binding came out of the charity fabric bin, so this quilt will be donated to a good cause.

When my husband looked at the quilting, he asked if the thread changes color, as if he has never seen variegated thread before. Where has he been for the last 20 years?

To create that wavy line with my machine, I use stitch #4 with the widest width and a length of about 4 (5 is the longest). It makes using a walking foot a little more fun.

One more view of the quilt because I can't get enough of these rich colors.

Batik Rainbow

Started 1/9/14

Completed 2/12/14

Fabric: Timeless Treasures Tonga Treats

Pattern inspiration here and here

48" X 60"

WIP Wednesday

It feels great to make progress on sewing and home projects, but it is hard for me to maintain a high level of productivity for long. Balance is a buzz word that might play a large part in my life this year.

Finished this week: Crackers quilt for charity.

In progress: 
Clamshell pillow cover. I should be able to finish this today, and then start another one.

 Ninigret Friendship Star Swap. We had our second round of swapping last night.

Take it All with you bag. I'm going to a class this weekend to make this amazing bag with 42 pockets. There was a lot of prep work (cutting and fusing) so we can get right to work with bag construction in class.

Random:
I just got this gorgeous Riley Blake fabric in the mail. I have no idea what it will become, but I love it!

My friend, Kate, made this cute basket for me. Thanks, Kate!

And now, it's time to surf!

Crackers Quilt

 I finally got around to quilting one of the donated tops from the pile of charity quilts. This one is a crackers quilt that looks like an assortment of true vintage fabric, reproductions and not-as-old calicoes.

This one was a challenge to quilt. It was not flat, square or straight. It's puffy and wavy, but there are no puckers. It is what it is.

 

I wanted to document some of my favorite prints. 

As awesome as the aqua apples are, I love the shade and texture of the blue solid.

This pink one looks vintage to me. It was rather thin.

A fun baby print.

This blue floral looks like a reproduction I had once, but the red looks and feels vintage.

It was fun to hand stitch the binding while watching the Olympics.  If you like the pattern, Moda Bake Shop has a modern version using a charm pack.

Time to make the donuts!

I need to share this, mostly for my own benefit. These donuts are so yummy! 

I used Wilton's recipe for baked donuts and this recipe for Nutella ganache. Let me repeat that: NUTELLA GANACHE! I like the cake part of the Wilton recipe much better than the one with the ganache. There is plenty of ganache for 12 donuts. My friends need to get here soon or there will be no donuts left for them!

Mini Valentine

 I had some scraps left over from the Be Mine/Big Love wall hanging, so I made a mug mat for my mom. I'd like to write a full tutorial but I don't have time today, and you might want to make one right away!

 I followed Beth's mini heart tutorial at Smazoochie using her dimensions for the 4" heart. Then I made 16 HST units that are 2.5" unfinished (2" finished). Bonnie Hunter and Marianne Hatton finally convinced me to use the Easy Angle ruler for half square triangles and I love it! You should use the method that works best for you.

A dusting of powder on top of 4" of  icy snow frozen solid.

 I had fun with the straight parallel lines of quilting. I love the area where they intersect under the heart. Let's ignore the fact that I chopped off the bottom point of the heart. I told a friend this week that there is a time and a place for perfectionism. This was not the time or the place!

Mini Valentine Mug Mat

8" X 10"

2/6/14

WIP Wednesday

 Now that the garage is cleaned out enough for Bill to park his car there, I am free to sew again. Yay!

Started & Finished: Be Mine. Read all about it in yesterday's post. Seeing it hanging in the kitchen makes me smile every time I walk in.

In Progress: Ninigret Quilters Friendship block swap. My blocks are ready for the next round of the swap at next week's meeting. I've always loved that blue and yellow batik.

These are the blocks I swapped for last month, plus a few extras of my own. Cool, right?

Next up: The Ninigret UFO challenge project for February is #6. According to my list, I need to complete this nine patch swap from 2009. Yeah, it's time!

Ongoing: We've had two snowstorms this week, with another on the way on Sunday night. I'm sick of shoveling, but it has been so pretty.

That's all for now, so it's time to link up. Have a great week!

Be Mine

 This big heart wall hanging was my project for the 2nd Annual Super Bowl Sunday Craft-a-thon, hosted by a friend of mine on Facebook. It looks great in the snow, but I'm really getting tired of shoveling!

Photos of Dear Stella's Big Love were popping up all over in the past few days. The pattern was designed by Nicole from Modern Handcraft. I pulled my favorite reds and pinks from my stash and found a package of Big Thangles on my cutting table. Sweet! 

 

The tutorial calls for 10" squares and makes a large lap quilt. I wanted a wall hanging, so 4.5" HST units were just right. Thangles are the best invention for quilters since the rotary cutter!

I added an extra row on the right side and bottom to push the heart off-center. I finished the top shortly before the game ended, just in time to watch Sherlock!

 

I got started layering and quilting on Monday. I had some issues with puckering with this concentric heart design. It's fine for what it is- a fun Valentine decoration for my home.

 

I found a sweet red on white calico for the back and used a tiny red dot for binding.

 

Be Mine

Pattern: Dear Stella Big Love

31" X 36"

Started 2/2/14

Completed 2/3/14