My latest distraction...

Long time no post!   I've been a bit distracted and busy lately and here's why:

I got a puppy!!!!

We've been without a dog for over 3 years.  It was time.  

Her name is Miranda and she's a yellow lab. 

  I can't get enough of her. If she sleeps, I like to hold her. She uses an old towel as a binky to fall asleep.  So cute.

Or I'm outside on one of a zillion potty runs or playing.  

She'll be 10 weeks old this week.  Its gonna be a busy year puppy training and puppy loving!

I imagine I'm not gonna have loads of sewing to show.  :)

Bloggers Quilt Festival Fall 2015

Twice a year Amy Ellis hosts the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  Its such a great time to blog hop and see some wonderful quilts and read inspiring stories.  I've only entered a quilt once before in 2012. You can see that quilt here.  Mostly I like to just see what others have done.  But I just finished a mini that I'm in love with so decided to enter the show!   

 So cute!  

Its a single 16 inch block from a quilt pattern called "Whirlygig" by Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins. From their book called "Quilts with a Spin".

The center is hand appliqued. The circle of triangles is paper pieced. 

I am always saying how I don't enjoy paper piecing (and I don't) but I keep doing it!  Some things are just better done that way.  :)

I quilted in the ditch all around the applique and triangles.  Then did some circle quilting around the entire center.  

This mini is actually for a swap....so yea, I'm giving it away.  I sure hope my partner likes it cuz I really really love this one!

There are 12 categories in the Festival....mine is in the Mini group.  Go check them out:  Bloggers Quilt Festival Fall 2015,

January Block Mini

I occasionally swap mini quilts in the Mini QT Swap group I'm in on Flickr.  The gals in this group always do great work so I'm never nervous about swapping!  The theme for the one I just did was "Circles & Curves".  I picked the "January Block" by Lady Harvatine.  I've had my eye on the block for quite some time and this was a great time to try it out.

 The block is originally 12 inches.  I needed it to be smaller in order to fit our measurement requirements.  So I reduced it down to a 9 inch block.  I'm pretty comfortable with curves but still this was a challenge.  Slow sewing and pins were my friend!  

I also tried my hand at some spiral quilting.  Turned out pretty good.  

I made a Boxy pouch as an extra for her. First time making one of those too.  I used this tutorial from Pink Stitches.

My partner just got everything and loves it.  Happy dance!

House Mini

I joined a mini quilt swap via Instagram called "Home Sweet Home". My partner has gotten her mini so I can show it to you now.  I made two mini houses using the 2014  Row by Row pattern from Quilted Strait.  I love these little houses!  And I had fun fussy cutting for windows.  

And then since my partner liked light houses I had to add one of those too.

Here is the finished mini:

I embroidered her house number on the purple door - her favorite color (aqua is mine!).  I machine quilted in the ditch around each house and each section.  Then I added some hand quilting.  Here's a detail picture:

We were to add one mini item as an extra in our package.  I decided mini houses needed a mini mini quilt so I made one that measured 3x4 inches.  I forgot to take a picture of it all bound and quilted but here it is before I did that:

This was my first swap via Instagram.  My partner was silent through the whole thing which was disappointing but I had fun creating for her anyway.  Creating for swaps makes me stretch and I like that!

Holiday Stitching Club

Isn't Latte Bunny the cutest?  

Wild Olive designs the most adorable embroideries.  I recently joined her Holiday Stitching Club (just started and still open if you are interested) and this bunny was our first project.  Small enough to get done!  I like that.  

Women of the Bible Sampler Blocks 39 & 40

The last two!  

Block 39 - Elizabeth   10 inches.

Block 40 - Mary     15 inches.

Those are the last of the main blocks in this sampler.  I still need to make all the filler blocks...and there are 22 of them!  I haven't even begun to do them yet.  They aren't very big and they aren't hard (flying geese, 4 patches and pinwheels).  I've been procrastinating because of color placement.  I decided today that I'll just sew them as I go along putting together the top.  Its sewn in 5 different sections.  That way I can lay out the section and choose fabrics to balance out that particular part. I think I'll be be most happy doing it that way.  

I really, really, really don't want to lose steam on this quilt and have it end up in my never ending u.f.o. pile!  I'm so bad at getting distracted with new projects.  

Not this time.  Nope. 

Poor neglected blog

I have been sewing! But these lovelies are what has distracted me from remembering to blog my creative projects this summer!

Grand kids over for summer play.

Vacation time!

Baby cuddles.  She has finally gotten used to Nana. :)

Summer is winding down so I should remember my little blog again!  Hee, hee.  

Quilty pics to come.  

Women of the Bible Sampler Blocks 37 & 38

We are so close to getting done!  I just got the directions for the last two blocks (just now pulling fabrics) and then it will be the filler blocks are sewing it all together!  Can't wait.

 Block 37: Lois & Eunice.   15 inch block.

Block 38: Syro-Phoenician Woman.  10 inch block.

Hillside Houses

Pretty Little Quilts started a free quilt-along for Hillside Houses back in May, I think.  I loved the quilt and have a full bin of solids so decided to participate.  I actually finished my top not long after the last block was posted on June 10!  A first for me.  :)

This was my first row.  

Then the next row:

Isn't it cool how they interlock?  The pattern has 3 sizes (throw, wall or mini) and I made the throw. That made for big pieces to work with and big blocks......which for me meant easy and fast.  

Here's my finished top:

I love it!!!!!  

I have no idea what to tell my quilter to do for the quilting.  Any ideas?

There have been some fun variations being made that I've seen on Instagram.  One of my favorites is a Christmas village with Christmas prints for the houses, white for the roofs and fussy cuts in the windows.  Creative.  

You can find all the blocks here if you want to make some houses yourself!

A bag and a pouch

 I made a little zip bag as a sample for the shop where I work, Quilted Strait.

Its called The Runaround Bag by Lazy Girl Designs.

This was the easiest zip bag I've ever made.  It has a lining but  the seams are exposed rather than in-between the lining and outer fabric.  This would be a good beginner bag to make.  Or as gifts since they are super fast!

For the cat mini swap I just did, I made a Two in One Pouch by s.o.t.a.k handmade for my partner. This was also a pretty fast pouch.  Lined with hidden seams....my favorite way! Construction was different than I've done before but completely easy to do.  Her pattern was thorough with lots of pictures.  

This is the pouch opened up. 

And folded over. 

The construction method allowed me to use 4 different scraps for the lining.  So fun!

I will definitely be making more of these.   :)

Mini Quilt Swap

I participated in the last round of swapping minis with the Mini QT Swap group on Flickr.  The theme was "Furry Purries". :)

Based on my partners mosaic and color preferences I made this mini for her.  Thankfully, Pam took a picture of it cuz I forgot to! 

Its some of the blocks from Elizabeth Hartman's pattern "The Cat Quilt".  So much scrappy cuteness.

You can't really tell in the picture, but I hand quilted around each cat in coordinating perle cotton.  

And Pam made this mini for me:

Can't even begin to say how much I love it!   So cute and so me.  Thanks, Pam!

This was a great round of swapping.  

Women of the Bible Sampler Blocks 31 - 36

Here are the latest blocks in the sampler.  

 Block 31 - Martha & Mary.  10 inches.

Block 32 - Salome   10 inches.

Block 33 - Pilate's Wife   10 inches.

Block 34 - Queen of Sheba   15 inches.

Block 35 - Adulterer  10 inches. 

Block 36 - Menstruating Woman   15 inches.

Its getting so close to the finish!  Can't wait to see this all come together.  

Women of the Bible Sampler Blocks 27 - 30

Here are the latest sampler blocks I have done.  Its getting harder to pick fabrics for each as I've been trying not to repeat combinations.  But I think I'm going to need to let go of that!   :)

 Block 27 - Samaritan Woman.  10 inches

Block 28 - Anna   10 inches

Block 29 - Priscilla   10 inches

Block 30 - Joanna    15 inches

I thought I'd show you a pic I took (before the above blocks were made) of the blocks laid out in their approximate locations.  I needed to see how my color placement was working out.  Not too bad.  

The angle distorts them.  I assure you they are all square.  LOL!

Aeroplane Bag

I've been ignoring my blog again!   Instagram has kinda taken over as the place where I post pics of what I've been doing.    :) 

I bought the Aeroplane Bag pattern by Sew Sweetness over a year ago.  Just got around to making it.

I made the large size bag. Its a carry on size.  I did have challenges with this bag.  Lots of stiffness and bulk to put under the needle.  A few ugly spots by the zipper.  

There are two zippered pockets inside.

 I used it on my recent trip to Texas.  I had a weeks worth of clothes & shoes in it.  Worked great.  Only thing I didn't like was that with no wheels I had to always carry it.  

I will be sticking with my regular carry on for plane travel and use this bag for car trips.

My bff and I both made the bag. Here's a pic of both.

Pretty, huh?  :)

Design Wall Monday - Primavera

Urban Beads is done and off my design wall.  Piecing a back for it now so I can have it quilted. 

I decided to put my Primavera blocks back up.    I rarely work on this quilt.  Its a really old project (it was a Design Wall Monday post in 2010!).  I want it done and out of my head.  So I decided to not do any more of the applique blocks.  Instead I'm piecing blocks to fill in spaces.  Already made some sawtooth stars. 

 I have to rearrange what I have made so far and then do some math to figure out how much I need to piece.  I also have to do all the embroidered bits to the blocks I have.  Just thinking about it makes me want to pull them all down again!   Focus, Cindy!

Linking to Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.

Women of the Bible Sampler Blocks 24 - 26

And here are the last 3 that catch me up.  These are all 10 inch blocks too.

Block 24 - Dorcas/Tabitha

Block 25 - Crippled Woman

I completely changed the construction of this block.  Directions called for all half square blocks to make design.  I wanted to eliminate seam lines and some sewing!  This was much faster and it looks the same.  And it allowed me to fussy cut that center.  

Block 26 - Mary Magdalene

Huge shot of color with this one.  Not sure what I'll think when I lay it out with the rest of the blocks.  I may end up remaking this one.

I've stopped taking the blocks out to arrange and choose fabric/colors.  Handling every two weeks was starting to cause more fraying than I want.  So now I'm relying on coloring a black & white pic of the final layout.  Its not perfect but its better than nothing.

Women of the Bible Samper Blocks 21 - 23

I can't believe how far behind I am in posting pics of my sampler blocks. I thought it was just the latest two but I have 6 to show!    Gonna break that up into two posts.  Just cuz.  :)

Block 21 - Hannah

There wasn't much orange in the fat quarter set of Mimosa fabrics I bought. I debated using them as I don't love the shade of orange. But then I thought what else was I going to do with them.  As busy as this quilt is going to be I think they will meld nicely into the whole picture.  I also changed fabric placement again....making the background light rather than dark.

Block 22 - Delilah

Block 23 - Shiprah & Puah

All three of these blocks are 10 inches finished.  

More tomorrow.  :)