November Quilting Summary

A blogger who I follow blogs an end-of-the-month summary which works well for her. Sometimes I don't have the time or fortitude to blog on a regular timeline and I can get lost in what I have done each month. I thought I would post (if only for my own record) the projects I have worked on this last month.

The trip to Houston--I still want to post about what I saw and who I met.

Before I left on the 9-day trip, I had to sew a few items that had deadlines.

I made the scrapy star blocks for the Gridsters' Queen Bee. They were fun and I like using my scraps. I always feel I bought the fabric and should use all of it that I can! You can find the pattern HERE.

I embroidered some Christmas items for the consignment shop.

Coasters

Pencil Toppers

Candy Cane Reindeer

Dish Towels

My daughter and I made a quilt for her new nephew one weekend.

I attended a free watercolor class at the library on Saturday, November 17. A local artist, Lori McElrath Eslick, taught the class. I hadn't done any watercolor painting since high school and it was fun. We traced her illustrations and worked through techniques she explained for these two pictures.

And I finished my entry for The Modern Quilt Guild Michael Miller Challenge. Here's a close up.

Last Week's Accomplishments

I was sewing quite a bit last week, but not at home!

My embroidery machine was fixed and ready to pick up. The dealer is 55 minutes away, so it only makes sense to make the most of a long drive. One the 2nd Tuesday of each month, they have a free Open Embroidery Day. I chose to pick up the machine on that day and stay for embroidery time. I thought if the machine gave me any problem, the technician would be there to help. The machine worked well. I am still a beginner with the machine, but the other ladies were helpful when Patty, the store's embroidery teacher was busy with someone else. I felt very accomplished when I left with these items completed. 

Pillowcases for two little girls I know. 

And the beginning of four biscornu pincushions. ( A few times I forgot to change thread color. Ooops.)

On Wednesday I drove again to the city to Inspirations of Art Studio, where I can pay for studio time and use the Sweet 16 Sitdown Longarm machine. I worked on a T-shirt quilt for a 2016 graduate. I returned on Friday to finish it, and work on some other quilts. 

The quilt turned out quite nicely and a I found a great backing in my supply room, just right for a young man. I got the binding attached at home on Saturday. 

I finished this charity baby quilt there, as well. It was made with squares cut to 6".

Thursday was our guild meeting. 

We had a speaker coming, so some of the members met her for dinner before the meeting. Janice Jenkins from Elm Creek Home and Garden Center in Farwell, MI, gave a wonderful, entertaining presentation on Picking Fabrics for Fun and Color. 

I have been to their store more than a few times. They have so many choices in fabrics. 

Plus, they are a nursery and garden store on one side of the building. So it is fun to visit it all. 

This post shows me I really was busy last week!

I will see what this week brings.

What did you do last week? What do you have planned for this week?

Crazy Quilt Journal Project

I delayed the start of my crazy quilt block for the 2015 Crazy Quilt Journal Project until mid-January, but finished it. I have never worked on any crazy quilt blocks in all my years of working with fiber arts. So for me the simple rules of the project were easy: "The CQJP is about promoting the art of crazy quilting and expanding the participant’s individual artistic creativity and technical knowledge." 

I am planning each month's 8" block in a different color, reflecting the holiday or season associated with that month (in Michigan, USA). I will incorporate the 12 blocks into a wallhanging. 

I have a large supply of various embellishments, fibers, threads and yarns to use. I have not done hand embroidery work for over 20 years (pillowcases and crewel embroidery pictures) and getting back into the swing of it was not as easy as I thought. I also want to include in each block a picture printed to fabric with my inkjet printer. The one in this block is from a Dover book collection. 

Next month I will be thinking Valentines! Come back and see what I have done and how I might have improved. Thank you for visiting. 

Valentine Tote and Potholders

On Saturday I finished 4 potholders embroidered with the applique of the state of Michigan. I still have to get a Christmas present to my brother and his wife. They live out of the state and I am sure they will like one or two. Not sure yet who will get the others. (I make 4 at a time by folding 1/3 yard cuts of fabric into quarters and cutting 10" squares. It is so easy to sew up 4 and then I have some for gifts any time I need them.)

I also finished a little Valentine's Day tote. I wanted to try stitching the Tree design I got from CuteEmbroidery.com. (You can find it HERE.) I was very pleased with how easily it stitched on the felt.

I used decorative stitches on my sewing machine to attached the felt to the outer bag fabric. I wanted to have the lining of the bag show around the top outer edge of the tote but it doesn't extend as much as I wanted. I will try another tote and cut the lining even longer. But I am happy with my first attempt. My next tote will also have a different look to the handle. The solid pink will show 1/4" on both edges of the handle front. 

What have you been working on over the weekend?