Another one bites the dust...

While snooping in my craft room stash, I found quilt blocks, sashing, corner stones and borders...all of the fabrics together except for the sashing and corner stones.  But I did find them in the stash of fabrics...it works, I think.  So I set out to finish the quilt...easy peasy...and now it's completed! Another one bites the dust! Yippee! 

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day! Thank you all service men and woman! God bless America!

Crossroads Quilt Along...

Here's the first month of the Fat Quarter's Crossroads Quilt Along; I didn't think I would like the background fabric...but love how it turned out. Can't wait for next month! #crossroadsquiltalong #fatquartershop

Then there's another or REAL story:

So I'm working through my stash which is a good thing, right?! I found several yards of this cream background which turned out cute, agree?! EXCEPT this fabric STRETCHES! It got a little better when I pinned, but I might have to change up the background to a more scrappy look...the bright: I'm working through my stash, yippee! 

(Please note: I'm working through my stash so I can buy more fabric...in case anyone was confused! 

It's a new year...

It's a new year...and I've started it with a bang! After several years of wanting to sew a Christmas tree skirt. I've completed it!

I'm, also, very happy that APQ has assembled another UFO challenge; the list might look similar; I didn't changed much on the list, because I hadn't finished most everything on the list.  And instead of completing another one, I just changed things around.

(and what do ya know...the Tree Skirt was the first item to be finished!  I think I rigged it! (insert devilish smile here)

Hoping this year I'll be able to completely more on the list than last year...

Not the progress I was hoping for....

So far, I haven't been able to keep up my end of the bargin...posting on Mondays and Fridays.  I need to make adjustments....how about I try Mondays and Thursdays.  These days fit better into my weekly routines and such.

Anyho, here's what I've been up to:

Hubby still thinks I'm a seamstress...he's had me fix a zipper in his work jacket!  At first I thought I would have to cater to each stitch with my seam ripper! Finally, on a whelm, I just grabbed hold of the zipper and R-I-P-E-D...thankfully, it worked!

In the rush of the weekend, I forgot to get a final picture of the outcome.  So last night, I text darling hubby to take a quick picture of him wearing the jacket...and this is what I got!

Isn't he the smart one! Honestly, next time I will not forget the final picture...

Oh, and I got the cutest card from my Oregonian peep (and BFF), Stephanie!  I love it! Thank you for being so thoughtful! And I'm glad she's loving the Stampin' Up! products I got for her as a birthday gift!

What else have I accomplished?  Oh, I remember! Friday, I got up early as usual...and well, I got a bug in my bonnet...I started a mini album for Hazel, my oldest granddaughter...she started kindergarten this year...definitely, a pretty big occasion! My guess...Brittany would have done the mini album herself, but she still has 2 toddlers and 1 newborn at home...simply, too much going on!  So I'm doing it for her...hopefully, she will like what I created!  

Recently, My Sisters Scrapper started posting Tutorial Thursday on YouTube! She's amazing! I love her creations...all of them! I've been missing her tutorials...until now!  Check her out if you're looking for some SERIOUSLY great inspiration!

and finally, one last thing I'm working on:

I've pinned the Vintage Christmas quilt...I wasn't sure if I wanted to machine quilt or hand quilt this beauty...I think I've decided to hand quilt...BUT one small problem...well, a couple small problems! 1) I've never hand quilted anything EVER and 2) I can't find my handy little book on how to hand quilt!  Today, I think I'll have time to search the craft room!  I won the book for some festivity at the local quilt store, probably a shop hop or something! And thought I would never use it! UNTIL now!  

I'll keep you posted on the results of the search!  Thank you for stopping by!

Have a great day!

There was a hiccup....

There was a hiccup in my plan....I had Tim's sister and nephew visit on Saturday...kinda unexpectedly.  So I had to CLEAN a little more than usual, since I worked this past weekend, I needed to get it done on Friday....YUCK!!!

It was great to see Josh...check out the picture of Josh and Odessa!  Odessa LOVES him!

I was working on a couple of things later in the week...it has been a project that I've been working on for the last five years...that might be a bit an over estimate, but it's not a far off!

There's a lot more progress which needs to happen but at least it's on the sewing machine again!

First, I got everything organized and set up...

Then the sewing begins...I have 2 plastic shoe boxes which I have 1 inch strips cut...1 plastic box for the dark colored fabrics and 1 plastic box for the light colored fabrics.

It takes me a little longer to sew each block, because I'm sewing 1 block at a time...I'm trying to have the scrappiest look ever...I'm afraid there will be a couple of blocks which have the same fabric...that's out of 144 blocks....crazy, isn't it!

Then I cut the strip...

and finally, the block is ironed...then I start all over again!  Just NUTS, isn't it!

Oh, and I had some time to create a card....LUCKY ME!

The Paper Pals Arts supplied a (sketch) challenge #244; not too complicated, which was nice...that way I could use some great designer paper!  I always like to maximize at most 2 challenges if I can...so I took a peek at the Color Throwdown colors...Red, Pale Yellow and Pale Pink...well, I went a little brighter than what was intended but I really like how it turned out! Don't you?!

Recipe for card:

Stamp Set: Hi Cupcake (Fiskars)

Ink: VersaInk Dazzle (frost)

Paper: Serendipity (BasicGrey), SU! Pretty In Pink, SU! Real Red, and SU! Whisper White

That Little Something: Static Pal, Red Embossing Powder, 

That Little Helper: VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad, Coffee Filters, SU! Dimensionals 

I didn't like how the embossing powder speckled itself on the paper; I even used the anti-static thingie to help!  Perhaps it was the cheaper than normal powder...I'm going to have to do some testing!

Anyho, that's it...for now! Have a great evening!

Lesson learned...

So as you many know I'm working on a Christmas quilt; as seen here:

If you look at the picture from the magazine, it shows SEVERAL half triangle squares...SEVERAL!  So I thought it would be smart to use Thangles. Well, I've never used them better but I knew they were pretty straight forward, or so I thought.

I purchased a pack...it says to cut 3 inch strips and finishes at 2.5 inch...yep those are the ones I need! I think to myself...yippee! I can work on my quilt again! Being the cautious person when using a new technique...I make one set. I complete all the steps are stated in the directions...the finished product is 3 inches...1/2 inch off!  So I've done something wrong because I need the half triangle squares to be 2 1/2 square! Well, perhaps it was because I strength the fabric when I took the paper off. I watch a tutorial on YouTube...I re-assess that it looks likes I'm doing everything right! 

So I got ahead and sew all the Thangles I need and I cut apart the first one; being very, very cautious...I think to myself this time I got it! I measure it and nope, I ain't got it! I still have a half triangle square measuring 3 inches!

After much thought and research, I mean MUCH THOUGHT AND RESEARCH I figured out the following: the 2 1/2 inches finished refers to the block size when you sew it into a block...does that make sense?! 

So after several thoughts, I decided to cut then like so:

Which gave me this:

I figured at least I wouldn't have to cut all 4 half triangle squares...if I cut them like the above picture.  

Here's my final result...exactly what I needed...2 1/2 half triangle squares! 

Yippee! Time for my next step!

Every one needs to audition...

I'm going to start my first applique quilt and before I get ready I need to do all my research...meaning...I need to watch some YouTube videos to refresh my memory.  I took an applique class a couple of years ago by a great instructor, but I haven't practiced anything which I was taught from that class.  Then I need to audition all the fabrics...check it out:

I'm trying to work within my own stash, however, I didn't have any solids...so I went shopping...fun, fun, fun!  I'm not completely convinced on all my color combinations, but it will work....some how!

I, also, purchased some applique needles...Mary, Quilted Treasures, said they were beautiful to work with! 

Oh, lookie...lookie...

Oh, lookie...lookie...what I finished! I know it wasn't on my 2013 project list, but I got another UFO finished!  Actually, I take it back...I have the borders to add, yet.  These blocks were my first embroidery project; it was a really nice first project...there wasn't a lot of detail to the blocks.

I think the next project is going to be a wall hanging...something easy and quick to finish! Digging through my stash...is the fun part...can't wait!

Totally completed...and finished!

Last week...correction...a couple of weeks ago, I posted a progress report on the Yellow Brick Road...and that it would be finished by the end of the week.  Well, it didn't happen until now...here's a better picture of the completed quilt.


And if you noticed...there's no snow on the ground...this time last year...parts of Minnesota had 17 inches of snow on the ground...not this year!  Kinda puts a damper on the Christmas spirit and all...