WIP Wednesday 1-16-13

Well hello there!  I've been busy sewing and not too busy blogging but I do have lots to share soon!

The big finish this week is all of my blocks for the 3x6 bee.  I used the Two Stars Squared pattern by Diane, which you can buy on Craftsy.  I highly recommend the pattern!  All of my blocks stitched up perfectly and there aren't tons of tiny pieces.

Now I just need to finish the Swoon quilt I started!  Fingers crossed that I can finish the top this weekend!

Just in case you'd like to add a bit more fabric to your stash here are two great swaps going on -

• Scrappy Trip Along Swap @ Happier than a Bird Quilts - We're swapping strips to make our own Scrappy Trip Alongs!  One slot is 28 strips and there are a few openings left.

•  Text Me a Text Fat Quarter Swap @ Plum-Patchwork - We're swapping FQs of texty prints.  Send in as many as you'd like and you'll get that many different ones in return.

 What are you working on this week?

Linking up at Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday 12-5-12

How is it Wednesday again?!?!  This time of year goes by so fast - slow down please!  Although I've been checking more things off of my to-do list which is a great feeling!

The big finish for the week is two baby quilts that are getting mailed out to two lovely families.  I'll post the pictures once I know they've reached their new homes but I'm smitten with both of them!

We also went out for my favorite tradition of the holiday season - cutting down our Christmas tree!  I have only three requirements when it comes to the tree.  1) It must be real 2) It must be a Blue Spruce 3) It must be gigantically round - Think Christmas ball.  This year's tree meets all the requirements :)



I also put together a little holiday swap amongst my do.Good stitches circle.  For my partner I made a pincushion and a little needlebook!



For the pincushion I made a small Ohio Star block from some Chicopee.



For the needlebook I used this tutorial from nanaCompany.  The tutorial is very well written and it comes together in a snap!  I highly recommend making one for yourself - I know I'm going to!





I have one more big project, a Swoon Quilt, to finish before Christmas.  My overly ambitious (read totally crazy and not going to happen) goal is to finish the top this weekend - I have one block done and nothing else cut yet.  What are you working on this week?

Linking up at Freshly Pieced!

W.I.P Wednesday 11-28-12

I've been working a lot on prioritizing my sewing lately.  It's not always fun.  Some (most) days I want to just sew whatever I want but I have things I need to do so those come first.  I knocked a big one out last week - all of my 4x5 Bee blocks were finished and mailed!!!

 

I used the Supernova pattern from Craftsy and I highly recommend it!  

I've also been quilting away and have three (!!) quilts that just need binding - hopefully tonight.  Here's a peek at one of them.

Those quilts, a few more bee blocks and one more quilt to start and finish and I'll be done with everything I have to do this year!

What do you have to finish by the end of the year?!

Linking up at Freshly Pieced.

 

WIP Wednesday 10-24-12

 Busy busy busy!!  I've been working away on lots of projects!  Plus I got a job helping at my favorite quilt shop and I started on Saturday!  It's like a dream :)

Finished - 

• Leaf Quilt - I finished my leaf quilt!!!  If you follow me on Instagram I shared a pic but here's a sneak peek from when I was binding.  I'm going to do a whole post on it on Friday for Blogger's Quilt Festival.

• 4x5 Bee Block - Finished another one of my blocks!  Only three more to go!

 

In-Progress - None of those projects got any love.  I've been on a starting new projects kick!!


New - 

•  Mystery Quilt - This one won't be revealed until after Christmas!  But I'm using Marmalade so it's wonderful :)  Except for all the trimming! So much trimming!

 

• Birds & Bees Quilt - I started this quilt last night!  I don't need more projects but I had just worked out all the math for a pattern for my mom and I wanted to make a quilt for the Tula Pink Sew Along so I decided to get to work!

 

• Weekender Bag - I'm going for it! I'm going to join in for The Long Weekend make a weekender bag.  I am going the scrappy quilted patchwork route using Chicopee and Ohio Star blocks.  I'm having terrible luck getting the pattern - the last two I've ordered have both been out of stock but not marked on their website!

• A Walk in the Woods Baby Quilt - I took two charm packs and started working on a pinwheel baby quilt.  I made all the HSTs and trimmed them, now I just need to put the top together!

Announcements - Here are a few tidbits for you!

•  Be sure to stop here (or at Heidi's) tomorrow since it's our first feature post for The 100 Day Hustle!

• Have you ever wanted to win a traveling stash box?  I'm giving one away here.

• Kristy & Alyce have put together a great Christmas Blog Hop and I'm one of stops!  It'll start on November 1st and go for 13 days.  There are 25 bloggers sharing projects made with some Christmas themed patterns Kristy & Alyce designed.

What have you been working on?  As always, linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced.

WIP Wednesday 10-10-12

I'm not sure if it's the weather, the fact that I've been all caught up on housework or just pure luck but I've been having a great week of sewing!  Not that it doesn't always, but it's been making me feel extra happy
and chipper and so I love sewing :)

Let's see what's on the list this week:

Finished - 

• The Mary Kate Experience T-Shirt Quilt - So happy to have this one done and delivered.  Her mom is taking it down to her at college this weekend - can't wait to see what she thinks!

Loads of Pictures HERE

• Bee Blocks - I'm trying really hard to be less of a procrastinator!!

Heal @ do.Good Stitches

Heal @ do.Good Stitches

Stash Bee

In Progress - 

• Leaf Quilt - Finished the top, ordered the backing and am hoping to wrap it up this weekend!! 

•   Double Wedding Ring - I finally sat down and finished piecing all of my arches!  I also ordered a polka dot print for the background which came this week so on to the next step of cutting all of those curved pieces.

 

New - 

• 4x5 Bee - I joined the 4x5 Bee for the Fall quarter and I'm leading the paper pieced hive!  I picked my block, the Supernova from Craftsy, and decided last night to try it out by making my block first.  This one is a doosie!!  So many pieces but I love the end result!!  Now to make some more for my hivemates :) 

Loads of seam ripping and one flub up but I love it :)

Whew!  I did a lot of sewing!!  What did you work on?  As always, linking up over at Freshly Pieced.

PS - Are you #notgoingtosewingsummit?  I wanted to go so bad but kind of forgot about it and neglected to save any money to be able to go so I'll have to try next year!  Amy of AmyLouWho is throwing an Instagram #notgoingtosewingsummit sewing party this weekend so join in if you're at home sewing!!  I'm @kelseysews on Instagram.

Happy Sewing!!

WIP Wednesday 10-3-12

I've only been working on one project (the t-shirt quilt) for the last week and I think it'll be done and headed to it's new home on Friday!

Added the final gray borders and finished the top!

Backing ordered, arrived and pieced!

Late night basting last night - on to the quilting tonight!

Linking up at Freshly Pieced!

September in Review

How is it October already!  September went by so quickly but I actually got a lot done!

Let's see I started three new quilts, finished one quilt, got addicted to hexies, participated in two blog hops (Friendship Quilts & Dots on Dots) and made five bee blocks!

 

What did you do this month?  

Linking up over at Lily's Quilts for Fresh Sewing Day!  Be sure to stop over and see what everyone else accomplished.

WIP Wednesday 9-26-12

First of all, I love you guys!! When the idea for The 100 Day Hustle popped into my head I was really nervous about putting it out there.  What if no one joined in?  One of my personal goals is to put myself out there a bit more in the quilty/blog world so I went for it.  I told my husband that if 5 people wanted to play along with me and linked up I would be ecstatic.  You guys, there are 93 wonderful lovely bloggers who are playing along! NINETY THREE!!  That's 88 more than I had hoped for!  I really appreciate all of you who joined in.  It means so much to me and I've loved reading all of your lists and finding loads of new blogs to follow :)  Now I need to start planning prizes!!

Now on to the WIP Wednesday portion of the post.  I worked on  two new projects from my Hustle list!

First up, the dreaded  t-shirt quilt.  I'm just going to be honest and say that these are not my favorite thing.  But it's a surprise for my husband's cousin and she's awesome so I'm going for it.  I decided it had to be jazzed up so all the blocks are getting framed in punchy colors and then sashed together with a dark gray print...I love it so far! Never thought I'd say that about this quilt!!  Here's a bit of the progress.

 
 Then last night I started on the Sparkling Cider quilt.  I got two blocks done and am very excited about this one too!  I just love hometown :)

 

 I'm hoping to finish the top of the t-shirt quilt tonight and then I have to figure out how to quilt this giant (it's 92x92) - any suggestions?  What are you working on?

Linking up over at Freshly Pieced.

I Need a New Project...

...Like I need a hole in my head!  So what did I do?  Decided to start (another) new project!!

First let me explain something.  Once I get an idea in my head it isn't humanly possible for me to get it out of there.  Occasionally I may let it fall to wayside - or I come to my senses in some cases - but it's usually there to stay. 

So a few weeks ago on Instagram Lindsey posted pictures of a leaf quilt she made - it.was.awesome!  Once I laid eyes on it I just knew that I had to make one.  I went through the usual rundown - I have too many other projects, what about all the other quilts I have started, I'd need to buy all the fabric for it but it'd be so pretty, I LOVE Fall so I must have a Fall quilt and I really need more Fall decorations.

Tuesday morning rolls around and I just couldn't shake the idea.  I did some quick calculations and then proceeded to buy all the fabric I'd need!  I just couldn't help myself!!! 

Here is what I ordered along with some cream for the background.  I am also planning to add another gold/yellow from my stash.

These three are from The Intrepid Thread.  The first two Lizzy House prints are for blocks and a scrappy binding of the two.

The next four are from Sew Lux.  All four are for blocks.

The last batch is from Connecting Threads.  All are for blocks except for the leaf print which is going to be my border.

I'm going to be using this tutorial for a Maple Leaf Block.

I'm going to do 6 rows of 6 blocks but one of the blocks from each row is going to be solid cream.  Then when I quilt it I'm planning to use orange thread and quilt a leaf onto each blank block - fancy right?!  With that layout plus a three inch finished border I should end up with a nice, snugly 75inch square quilt!

All of this sounds so great right?  There's a catch.  I HAVE to finish the following before I can start - hold me to it!

1. August & September do.Good Stitches blocks
2. September Stash Bee blocks
3. Finish my Friendship Quilts Blog Hop Project
4. Make my Polka Dot Block

 I'm going to share with Diane's from blank pages link-up - have you started planning any new projects?!

PS - I gave the blog a bit of a face lift and made it a Facebook page! 

Winner & A Newish Project

First things first - congrats to Lyn on winning the 100 follower giveaway!!  I just sent you an email about it :)

Thank you to all who entered!  It really meant a lot to me that so many of you entered and left such nice comments.  Plus, I learned about a bunch of patterns and fabric lines that are new-to-me!

The "newish" project?  A double wedding ring quilt!!  I started it months ago (I may have made a quick mention of it here on the blog), made a bunch of the arcs and then got sidetracked and it's been sitting neglected.  Then I saw that Jennifer and Rebecca are each working on one as well and are going through it together and they were kind enough to let me join them!

Mine is a scrappy version with everything  for the arcs coming from my scrap bins.  So far I have 60 of them pieced - Only 20 more to go!

I have a print from Terrain and a print from Flora for the corner squares and another Flora print for the background. I'm still not sure what I'm going to use for a background.  I was originally thinking a white with light polka dots but now I'm wondering if that will be too busy....

Are you working on any new projects?!

PS - Linking up at Manic Monday!!

WIP Wednesday 8-29-12

Wednesday again!  There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day to get all my projects done.  I have, as usual, overextended myself and am feeling a bit of pressure.  Everything sounds so fun I just can't say no!  When this happens I just make a list in order of what needs done and chug along checking each item off. 

The first item on the list is the granny square quilt I'm making as a wedding gift for my sister-in-law.  Her shower is on the 8th so getting that finished has been my top priority.  Last night I finished making all the blocks, 64 of them, laid them all out and am now about halfway done piecing them into rows.  I'm making a trip to the LQS on my lunch today for backing and binding fabric so hopefully I can have it done soon!

Lots and lots of blocks!

Plus a whole other row that I had off to the side - big!

I also have a new addition to my sewing space - a new-to-me sewing table!!!  I was driving home from work and saw this lovely retro table in someones trash - I couldn't believe it!  I drove back by a few times to make sure it was the real deal and then the hubs agreed to pick it up for me on his way home.  It is much bigger than what I'm using now and in good condition. It will be perfect once I give it a good cleaning!

What have you been working on?

I'll be linking up over at Freshly Pieced today.  Coincidentally enough I won Lee's Aurifil giveaway a few weeks back and she became my 100th follower!  I'll be hosting my own giveaway later this week to celebrate so be sure to stop back.

WIP Wednesday 8-15-12

When I looked today to see when I posted last I was flabbergasted that it's been almost a whole month!  This summer has been going by SO FAST, but I'm 100% okay with it and am most definitely ready for Fall.  Things are finally settling down and I'm happy to have more time to sew and post. 

I have lots to share so I'll keep the Instagram pictures plentiful.  Here's what I've been up to for the past month:

Made Pickles!!  They were supposed to taste just like Claussen - they were close but I used the wrong dill, still tasty though!

Yes my counters are teal and my back splash is mauve

Added (LOTS) more fabric to my growing stash!  I went on a bit of a fabric bender and this lovely bundle is one that made it to my house :)

Birds & Berries FQ Bundle

Started a new quilt for myself!!  Did a bit of cutting and am almost done turning some Amy Butler lovelies into an On a Whim.

Went to the beach!!  We went up to the shores of Lake Erie for our annual trip with the husband's family.  Lots of sun, beer and some grown men in American Flag speedos made for a great trip :)

Long story short, I got fed up with my sewing machine always breaking and my parents picked this lovely up for me while we were at the beach!  Now I need to play catch-up on some bee-blocks!

Bernette 92C

Started (another) new quilt!  My sister-in-law moved up her wedding date so I have 3 weeks to finish - eek!  More on this tomorrow.

 

Psst - I'm 3 followers away from 100 - which means we're 3 away from a giveaway!

Also, check out the Friendship Quilts Blog Hop that Diane announced today!  There are some great bloggers participating and there is even a link-up at the end with prizes.  I'm posting on 9/13.

Linking up over at Freshly Pieced - be sure to stop by and see what everyone else is working on.

WIP Wednesday 7-18-12

It's been so hot, I honestly cannot believe I've managed any sewing this week!  I took a looksie at our thermostat last night (@ 10:00pm mind you) and it was still 90 degrees - in our house!!  Now I truly do not mind not having air conditioning but at that time of night it should be cool.

Finished

• The Sherbet Quilt - Yay finally done!!  See more here.

• Quilting for a Cause Block - First, check out this great Flickr group Diane started.  It's a hub to volunteer (or find volunteers) to make quilt blocks for good causes.  This block is headed to Marika for  a quilt she's putting together.

In Progress -

•  July Bee Blocks - I finished my Heal @ do.Good Stitches blocks for Manda.  She asked us to make Ribbon Star blocks.  I love the finished look but there is a lot of piecing for each one!!  Now I just need to start/finish my Stash Bee blocks.

New -

• Sew Intertwined Quilt-a-Long - SO excited for this QAL to start!! I'm thinking about making mine out of Flea Market Fancy...



I'm linking up over at Freshly Pieced! 

Try to stay cool today :)

Finish - A - Long Quarter 3

I've been meaning to join the quarterly finish-a-long that Rhonda sponsors over at Quilter in the Gap since the beginning of the year but I always miss the link up.  This quarter I remembered!  Plus I have lots of unfinished projects that need to be done before I start more so this is the perfect motivation.

Here are the three projects I'm trying to finish this quarter:

1) My quilt from the Sew.Happy.Quilt QAL - I love this quilt!  I finally bought the backing so now I just need to decide how to quilt it and then get to work.

2) The Sherbet Quilt - I don't think I've ever even shown pictures of this on the blog - that's how long it's been lingering!  It's the second quilt top I made and the first out of quilt shop fabrics but I fell less in love with the longer I worked on it so it got put in a pile.  I have the backing and binding cut I just need to quilt it and be done!

Our poor grass :(

3) Swoon Wall Hanging - I made this block as a test before I decided to make a whole swoon quilt.  It's going to be a wall hanging.  I have it all basted and did a bit of hand quilting on it, didn't like that, so I need to rip that out, machine quilt it and call it a day!

Linking up at the Quarter 3 Finish-a-long post.  Now I'm off to go baste the Sherbet Quilt!!