Scrappy Orange Pineapples

 Playing with scraps is so fun and so very messy!! My winter plans are to work with orange and neutral/tan/beige strings/scraps. I previously had used some for string blocks(now in storage for a bit). The basket on the left were ones I had used in the string blocks and will keep them separated for a while longer. Somehow as I look at the neutral container of strings it looks much fuller than this photo shows, I guess a bit of fluffing has occurred!

The center orange square is a 2.5" square. Add neutral strips to each side and trim, and then a round of orange strips and trim and repeat.

I am using the Creative Grids Pineapple trim tool. Not affiliated, just love the ruler.

Here is one block all pieced and trimmed up. I have been doing five blocks at a time and sewing slowly as I am still trying to get over a cold, it's been over a week and I am tired of it! Next week we are supposed to go out boondocking/atving and attending a powered parachute gathering. So I need to get better ASAP!

Here are 10 blocks. At this time I am thinking I will sash them with neutral strips and perhaps a dark brown cornerstone. For now I will make a few blocks here and there as there is no hurry for this one. 

Linking with Off The Wall, TGIFF, and Finished or Not Friday

New Project Bags

 Last fall I had a customer buy two project bags I made using vinyl for the front. She wanted two more and wasn't in a big hurry. I asked if January would be okay, she was very patient while I got the new studio set up. I made five bags, two that she had picked fabrics for and three to put in the shop eventually. These were the two she wanted. 

And the extras. 

And she ended up buying these three...

These bags at 12" x 12" are nice size for storing knitting needles, crochet hooks, small projects, cross stitch, sewing supplies or whatever you can think of. And with the vinyl window you can see what easily what is in there.  The pattern is a freebie from Center Street Quilts. 

Okay on to the next project! Which I think will be scrappy. 

Linking with Sew and Tell Monday, Monday Musings.

Southwest placemats

Happy Friday my friends. I have something new to show! I made a couple placemats with southwest fabric because I couldn't stand putting dishes right on the new table, LOL. Oh the joys of being a quilter and able to whip up something when needed. 

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It's very rare that I used my domestic sewing machine to quilt anything, even small things. However that is what I had available to me, I used the walking foot on my Janome Skyline 7 and it did a fantastic job and pretty quickly too.  First I followed lines in the fabric design vertically and horizontal. After that was done I discovered I wanted more quilting so I went in between those lines. 

Hobbs 80/20 batting is what I used to sandwich the southwest fabric and orange backing.

Someday I will make 2 more so when we have company over we have a matched set. And just perhaps there will be a small runner for the middle of the table;)

And so I am prepared for Slow Stitching Sunday, I have still been working on knitting slippers. Three more pair have crossed the finish line for a total of six pair in the last 45 days. This weekend I hope to finish another orange pair.

Linking with Finished or Not Friday, Beauties pageant, Off the Wall, TGIFF and Wednesday Wait Loss.

 

Two morning star table runners

The past week my quilting took on a sunny look with these two yellow Morning Star table runners. I used the Accuquilt Morning Star BOB(block on board) die to make these. Personally I would not want to tackle these without the die as the die has the corners of each triangle trimmed so they all fit together nicely. 

This is my Design Wall Monday. Also linking with Monday Musings and Sew and Tell Monday. 

 

Design Wall Monday

 It really is Design Wall Monday for me as we got my design wall up! This is the first of the two insulation foam boards covered and attached to the wall. We covered them with white flannel. We finished the second foam board a little quicker than the first and I didn't snap a photo of it up.

I am loving having an 8'x8' design wall for the first time ever!  This is a UFO I started a year ago. I had half of the blocks done and put it away. This year I decided it needed to make it's way to the flimsy stage. Here you see part of the second foam board where the last column of blocks are.

All the blocks got made this past week and borders made this weekend. My first flimsy finish for the year. I worked on it on New Year's Day as I have heard that whatever you do on New Years Day is what you will do all year long!  I hope it holds true!!

This is from a Missouri Star tutorial called Sticks and Stones. After seeing one that Melva made I knew I had the perfect jelly roll to use for it. However once I got going on it I wished for a few more darks to be in it, but looking at the photos I think it is just fine. 

Linking with Sew & Tell, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, and Wednesday Wait Loss

Hanging a quilt plus a pressing table

 Things are happening in the new studio. We made a very quick and inexpensive quilt hanger from a 1x2 board. I painted it white then we screwed it to the studs in the wall. Unfortunately the studs were not centered in the wall and I wanted the hanger to be centered. Thus you can see nail heads that are not evenly spaced. Oh well it still does the job of holding a quilt and that was my main focus. We also screwed spring clips to the board, I don't like that they are red but that is what was available.

Remember me loving my lift desk for my sewing machine? Well I bought another and am using it as a pressing table. These tables were from Amazon. Being an electric lift table allows me to use it standing up pressing or when I am say paper piecing I can pull the table next to the sewing machine and lower it to a sitting height and not have to get up to press. On a normal basis I do like to keep the pressing area away from the sewing machine so I have to get up and move around.  My first finished(piecing) table runner in the new space.

Another pair of slippers finished, so I am up to three pair. 

Linking with Monday Musings, Design Wall Monday, Sew and Tell Monday and Wednesday Wait Loss

Sewing table

 For the new quilt studio I spent a lot of time checking out different options for a sewing table. This one is working out perfect! It is a 24 x 48 free standing desk with electric lift so I can make it the perfect height. It's very sturdy too.

I have been sewing orange string blocks on phone book pages. Fifteen done so far and wish I had brought more but of different fabrics so I wouldn't have to repeat so many! So I switched to a different project:0 for now at least. My design wall has not progressed yet so I decided to just pin these on anyway, LOL. 

Will you join me over at Alycia Quilts for lots of inspiration.

Merry Christmas!

 Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! 

My snowman wall hanging that I made several years ago is all hand embroidered. It hangs in my new studio.

Thought you might enjoy the colorful sunrise from Tuesday morning. I didn't get a photo but Tuesday evening it was just as colorful.

No matter what Holiday you are celebrating I hope it is a wonderful one.

Linking with Wednesday Wait Loss

Setting up a new quilt studio

 Setting up the new quilt studio is coming along. I'll share piece by piece as it happens. I ordered a kitchen Island to use as my cutting table because of the storage it provides.  Behind it you see purple insulation boards that will eventually become my big design wall(so excited about that). 

One drawer holds rulers and a few Accuquilt dies. Also some appliques for future table runners.

While the other drawer holds thread, sewing machine accessories and rolls of vinyl(for future project bags). 

Underneath is room for lots of projects that I will work on over the winter. 

The outside has storage too! Plus it has what would be a towel holder. Hmmm...I wonder what a quilter could hang there, hehe. I didn't snap a photo of the other end but it too has a towel holder.

Linking with inspiring linky parties- Monday Musings, Sew n Tell Monday and Design Wall Monday

A bit of slow stitching

A little bit of Tree Farm got stitched this week. 

Finished knitting the second pair of slippers, they just need to be stitched up. These are childs size, perhaps a 8-10 yr. They do stretch so that makes it great to fit several different sizes. 

The third pair begun with two shades of green. I tried a dark green and the lighter one together. They got ripped out as it just was to much contrast. 

I'll be Slow Stitching on both projects a bit this evening. It's just to nice out to be inside stitching today. Plus we invited friends over this afternoon. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post on setting up my new little quilt studio.

 

Slow stitching

 I hope everyone is having a great December. Ours has been busy. But I have taken time to do some slow stitching for a change of pace. While traveling the first week of December I started knitting socks again.

But as you can see this is as far as I can go because my needle broke. Will have to wait to continue until I get to Hobby Lobby.  

But that is okay I had other yarn and needles to start making slippers again. One pair done using a burgundy 4 ply yarn with a sport weight pink yarn.

And second pair started using a variegated 4ply with a blue sport weight yarn. My daughter-in-law loves these and so I make and give to her to donate to someone in need in her community.

And I also started this Christmas Tree stitchery from a pattern by Melisa at Pinker n Punkin blog.

That is my slow stitching this week. Also linking with Sew & Tell and Monday Musings

Slow stitching after the snow

 The start of a new pair of socks. The teal color is a Kroy sock yarn that was thinner than some others I have used. So I paired it with a skinny 2/24 acrylic/wool in gray. Why gray you ask-because it was the best combo that I had in the stash!  This is my Slow Stitching Sunday project.

We are staying put for a few days because of the 7-8" of snow we got from 3 am Saturday until Sunday 6 am. 

Hubby had plowed it mid morning on Saturday and then early this morning again. The sun is out now but it's only 22 degrees and going down to 5 deg. tonight:(

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for all of you that have been my faithful followers. You might have noticed I haven't posted for a few weeks. I just am in need of a break from blogging, so I will be MIA for a few more weeks. My hope is that you all will come back when I return! Here is my little seasonal corner for the turkey season!

A variety of projects

 A variety of projects for different seasons. Colorful Christmas lights on black fabric is the focus fabric on this round wedge topper. From that I pulled red and green tone on tone fabrics and the black accent fabric has metallic gold dots for a bit of glitz.

For the backing I found more Christmas lights fabric but with a white background. It wasn't enough for the whole backing so I added a bright green and made it striped.

The first of three St. Patty's long table runners is totally finished. Number two is quilted and bound, the third one needs quilting and then those two will get totally finished as I need more in the shop.

And it's backing. You can see that I appliqued after quilting.

Yes I am planning ahead a bit by getting some St. Patrick's items finished. I just need to write a listing for them. All in time;)  I do have an order for one of these in different prints, I 'll be working on that one today.

I have a very busy week of sewing/quilting, kitting up more projects and a yucky event on Thursday-a root canal. I hate dental work. I usually have a sedation for root canals but I can no longer go to that endontist as his prices went sky high and they are not in our network. Trying a new one out of town and they don't offer sedation. I will be trying lorazapam and hope it works really well so I don't know what is going on.  

Hope your week goes as you plan. Linking with Monday Musings, Design Wall Monday, Sew and Tell Monday