The squirrels are running rampant!

Oh boy I couldn't resist another squirrel when I saw this tutorial at Center Street Quilts, I mean red tulips come on I had to stop everything and make them!  Especially I am only getting one bud on my tulips, they just don't like the environment and the pesky rabbits don't help.  DH got the cage around them earlier this year so maybe it'll really open before it gets chewed off!  

So happy that I had the red gingham on hand to tie it all together.  I must confess I am really smitten with this farmhouse style table runner.  

Each tulip is 8"x12", that is a good size block, but to get it to the length I wanted I added one inch finished background strips before adding the red gingham.  The overall measurement is 45"x 16".  

That wasn't the only squirrel that stopped by to torture encourage me to play:)  In the interest of using some precuts I searched for an idea for a mini charm pack.  Ya, ya I know that doesn't use much stash, but still!!  I found this tutorial at Fort Worth Fabric, it is called Day Sail and designed by Lindsey Weight.  

As you can see I am still on the polka dot kick:0  I just can't get enough of them!  This is a mini charm pack of Moda Grunge.  I have another one just like it, I won these a while back.  It was good to finally use one up.  

My plan was to use a fun allover quilting design, but when I got it on my longarm I couldn't resist spending the time doing a custom treatment.  I did use a template to do the grunge squares, and then freehanded the stipple in the background.

Well those were two DrEAMI squirrels that kept me occupied for a couple of days!  Next up is to get my OMG goal met.  That is what I will be working on today.  Have a fabulous weekend!

Linking with Peacock Party, Beauty Pageant, Finished or Not Friday, TGIFF, and DrEAMI.

Weekly Goals

We meet again on this Tuesday to check out our goals for the coming week and see if we met last week's goals.

On my list last week- along with the photos of what I accomplished this week. 

• Start a new embroidery project ✅

I found this cute hand embroidery pattern in the Primitive Stitches Etsy shop.  A few evenings of stitchin' this week and it is all stitched.  Now I have to decide what I want to do with it from here. 

• Start a new pair of socks ✅

I am using two different yarns in an effort to use up leftovers.  One skein is a variegated green and the other variegated blue. So far I am changing colors every 10 rows for the leg. I thought it would be ugly when I started and now I kinda like the uniqueness of it!  I don't remember the name of the yarn but they are the same kind. 

• Patriotic Welcome wall hanging ✅

Almost the same as the previous one I made, but this one uses a different white fabric. You can find my pattern in my pattern Etsy shop. 

• An applique stars patriotic table runner ✅  

You can see a post on this finish HERE.

And on Saturday I finished this table runner using three Morning Star blocks from the Accuquilt Morning Star BOB(block on board).  This wasn't on my to do list but I had time and had the blocks already started. It didn't take long to add the borders and get it quilted and bound. 

Goals for this week are:

• Make a Cherry table runner
• Make a cupcake table runner
• Knit more on the sock
• Work on a UFO cross stitch project
• Use a mini charm pack in a table runner
• Work on my One Monthly Goal-time is running out for the month and I have done nothing on it.

This is a healthy list so I better get a move on!!   Linking up with Linda at Texas Quilt Gal for To Do Tuesday.

A Friday finish

It's the start of patriotic season in my Etsy shop. Therefore I am trying to beef up my supply, maybe add some new things, maybe some things I haven't offered in a while. This was a design I whipped up in EQ and made a version of it a couple years ago.  This year I used a different blue print for it, but used the same mini charms in red, white and tan.  I had won 3 packs of these guys a few years ago and in the interest of using my stash I now have only 1 pack left;)  Sure they don't take up much space, but still used is good, right!

The stars have been appliqued on after I quilted the table runner. This project was on my Tuesday To Do list, glad it is done and I can now work on my other weekly goals.

The perfect backing was way in the back of the stash!  When appliquing I try to use a thread that blends into the back but this time I couldn't get the tension just right so it was better to use the same color top and bottom.

The it was time for a little photo shoot.  I love running around the house to find cute props to put with them.

That's it for my Friday Finish, how about you did you manage to get a project finished and are heading to TGIFF hosted by Roseanne and Sue.  I am also linking with Finished or Not Friday, Beauty Pageant and Peacock Party.  And with April table scraps at The Joyful Quilter since a few of the little squares having words on them;) And words were the theme this month.

To Do Tuesday

Another week has rolled around for To Do Tuesday over at Texas Quilt Gal.  Let's check out what I put on my to do list last week and see what I accomplished or not;)

• Finish a couple of table runners ✅
• Piece a Patriotic Welcome wall hanging- not done, not even started
• Sunflower table runner ✅
• Anything else I want to ✅

This patriotic one was made using Deb Tuckers Rapid Fire Hunter Star ruler.  Easy enough to do but there is a lot of trimming involved. But I like the result.

                              

While the patriotic fabrics were out I decided to do a red, white and blue version from the Anka's Treasure book.  It's like the one I showed on Friday in modern fabrics. 

Ya just got to do what you are in the mood to do, you know.  A patriotic version of the S swirl runner. 

Up next was to do a sunflower runner. Yes this is a new one just like ones I have done in the past:)

Anything else I wanted to do was filled by the two runners I showed you on Sunday, if you missed those you can see them HERE.  Another thing I finished wasn't on the list...the latest pair of socks.  I started these while in Arizona. 

It was a productive week.  Will this one be I don't know, come back next week to check it out.  On the list to do is:

• Start a new embroidery project
• Start a new pair of socks
• Patriotic Welcome wall hanging
• An applique stars patriotic table runner

I think I will stop there as I just am not feeling productive this morning.  But if time, energy and desire kicks in I will just make whatever I feel like!!  

Planting Roots-Accuquilt party

I am here to let you know about a fun launch party Accuquilt is having tomorrow Tuesday April 19th.  You might want to check out their new die that is coming out.  Here is a link to get REGISTERED.  Remember there are always give aways at their parties!  If you register you are entered into the drawing.

On a Quest...

To use up a fat quarter bundle, that is what I am on a quest for.  These pretty fabrics have just been hanging around too long.  They started off as a quilt and then the leftovers (aka scraps) just sat there.  Next came a table runner that I showed you on Friday, you can see that HERE.  It is now time to use them up or at least get close to using them up!

This one has a totally different look, nothing like the one I showed you Friday.  But it's from the same pattern book,  Anka's Treasure's book called On The Run Again.  I confess I did go out and acquire a few more fabrics, just to use up the FQ bundle...hmmm does that even make sense to buy more to use up some, LOL.  Oh the mind of a quilter😂😂.

The two polka dot fabrics were purchased and am I ever glad I did.  At the time I wasn't intending on using them both in the same runner.  But after quilting it I grabbed the solid navy to use as a binding and then spied the navy with white polka dot and bam! It's perfect for it😋

An allover quilting of lettuce leaf feathers around a swirl seemed just right for this one.  I used a light gray Glide thread and an 80/20 batting. 

Here comes the next runner with the same fabrics.  Also from On The Run Again.  I mean while I had the book out I might as well see what else I can whip up.

This one just seemed to need a solid navy to pull it all together.  Although the three runners have all used the same FQ bundle fabrics they all seem so different don't they?  It's been fun seeing them come together.  Guess what, there will be more as I still have fabric left!!!  This bundle is really getting stretched out.

I love that I had the perfect backing in the stash, both of these used the same one.  Linking my scrappy projects to Oh Scrap, and Design Wall Monday.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

A Squirrel came into my studio!!

Okay not a real squirrel, but one of those that just pops in to our daily life and says make me!!  I obliged right away.  And you know what, it felt great to do something new and different.  It all started when I was trying to get inspiration from Pinterest and one of Heather Mulder Peterson's table runner patterns popped in the mix and I checked out the link and it lead me to her pattern book.  Guess what, I already owned that one!  It's her On The Run Again book with a bunch of table runner designs.  

I always find it interesting to see a before and after quilting photo, in my haste to quilt it I forgot to take a total before one but here is part of it after it was pinned onto my quilting frame.

 

Stitching in the ditch around the white sections that bordered the aqua polka dots is where I began. Next came wishbones in the star points and at the same time the stipple in the white. 

The flower in the white hexagon center. I marked from point to point with a purple air erasable marker and used a circle template to stitch it. 

Isn't it cute!

And before long it was all done.  It's been a while since I took the time to really enjoy the custom quilting process. When deciding which fabrics to choose I looked at my fat quarters to see what I might use up.  These prints were part of a bundle that was used in a quilt at one time. I still have lots left and I am going to try another pattern from her book with them.  I just happened to have that polka dot in the stash too. That is almost gone now so I will have to use something else to coordinate. 

Gosh I am so glad that little squirrel interrupted my day!  Have any squirrels visited you lately?  

 

Linking up with:

Finished or Not Friday

TGIFF

Peacock Party

Off The Wall Fridays

Beauty Pageant

Things done and things to do

 On Tuesday each week Texas Quilt Gal hosts the To-Do-Tuesday linky party.  It helps encourage us to move our projects along.  

My goals last week:

Finish up my Patriotic Welcome wall hanging pattern-✅

Work on hand stitching-✅

Do some quilting-✅

Last Friday I released my Patriotic Welcome pattern, you can find info on that in this POST.

I finished hand stitching up the last frostie.  

And for the quilting these table runners were quilted and bound this week.

I felt like it was a good week. How about you was your week productive?  Check out everyone's progress at Texas Guilt Gal.  Also linking with Midweek Makers and Wednesday Wait Loss

This week I need to finish a couple of patriotic table runners, piece another Patriotic Welcome wall hanging, work on a sunflower table runner, anything else I want or have time for!

Wishing you all a wonderful week.

An unexpected fun day

A week ago on our way home from Arizona we were tired of having long days of driving and wanted a shorter one. I casually mentioned to my hubby that I knew what we could do.  We'd still be heading in the direction of home and it'd be a shorter driving day of only 4 hours instead of 10.  I mentioned I always wanted to go to Hamilton, MO to see Missouri Star Quilt Company!  It was really only 22 miles out of our way(round trip). And they have a campground there and it just opened up the day before.  Hubby said okay!! 

As you come onto main street you are greeted with this beautifully painted side of the building, you definitely know where you are!

This is the side view of the main store which is store #1.  You want to go there first and sign in and get your passport and a map of where all the stores are.  Which is really all in two blocks.  In this building you will get a little taste of everything in each store. 

Most of the stores are in this block.  Each store has a theme, batiks, modern, seasonal, floral, tools, etc. I have always heard to allow at least a day if not more.  I only had an afternoon and I made all the stores with time to spare.  I didn't have a list of things I needed or wanted, but I found a few things anyway! 

This is the painted wall of the retreat center. Makes me wonder if the painter might be a quilter or turned into one after doing the painting. 

Jenny was not around, I was told it was Saturday and she usually stays home that day.  But her flat Jenny was around, LOL.  I couldn't resist asking the cute young clerk to indulge me with a photo!

I didn't know the town also had a quilt museum, so with time to spare I walked the two blocks only to find out it was closed already.  But I did get to see the world's largest spool of thread.  Afterwards I looked up the museum online to find out it houses lots of toy sewing machines along with loads of antique quilts. It would have been fun to see.

Oh you might be wondering what did I buy while at MSQC...I treated myself to a new Tshirt, and mug. And then picked up some fabric for future table runners for the shop, found a couple of fall panels to make wall hangings. 

It was an unexpected treat to be able to stop and see the stores.  I was there many many years ago when it was one tiny store.  We made it home the next day and the work of unpacking began.  It was a very fun trip again, but also glad to be home.  More trip photos in future posts;)

Did any of you have trouble getting into Bloglovin this weekend?  I tried several times and always says page not available.  And I didn't get any emails from them either. 

Patriotic Pattern Release

As promised I'm back today to tell you about my newest pattern I just released.  A Patriotic Welcome is the third in a series of small wall hangings.  It is 13"x 26", just right to fit on almost any wall, or how about on your front door to welcome guests.  This is available as a digital download, that you can have in your hands quickly!

This is an easy, quick make but still a very satisfying finished project.  Really you could make it in an afternoon. Show your patriotism all year long or use it for Memorial Day, Fourth of July or Labor Day. 

Two of the stars are layered and appliqued on by machine. I used a small zig zag or satin stitch.  If you wanted you could hand applique them by adding 1/4" to them to turn under. 

Thank you to my friend Wendy at Pieceful Thoughts for testing the pattern for me.  She too said it was quick, easy and fun to whip up.  Wendy will be posting her finish soon so be on the lookout for that!  Thanks so much Wendy, I appreciate you:)

The PDF pattern is in my Etsy Pattern shop, PatternsbyVicki.  You can also find that link on my right side bar right under the 'Follow me by email' signup.  To celebrate this release A Patriotic Welcome is on sale thru Monday April 11th, 2022. Hurry over and get your copy today!

Linking up with:

TGIFF

Finished or Not

Peacock Party

Off The Wall Fridays

Beauty Pageant

NTT

Put Your Foot Down

What I am working on

In February I was on a roll doing some pattern designing/writing.  I struggle with getting the diagrams drawn up and into Word. One evening we called our son and asked him for his advice on what program I could use to make it easier for me.  I mentioned several people use Inkscape but I wasn't having much luck with it.  What a patient, smart son we have.  He must have spent an hour tutoring us.  I say us as we had him on speaker and both DH and I had our laptops with inkscape open and our son walked us through it.  Wow it was like a light bulb went off!!!  And I was drawing several diagrams for some new patterns.  I hope to release two more later this year. 

So here is a little teaser for you, I was able to quilt, bind and applique the project for the cover of the pattern.  I plan to release it on Friday. I hope you will come back to see the final product. 

Also there has been a little hand stitching while we were traveling.  Yes traveling, I will tell you more about that in later posts. This is 11th frosty I have stitched.  Melissa generously gave us patterns for 12 of these cute frosties.  

So my goals for this week are to finish up the pattern, finish unpacking, do a little more hand stitching. And somewhere in there a little quilting!  Gonna be a busy, but fun week!  

I will be linking up with lots of you creative people that set goals each week over at Texas Quilt Gal for To Do Tuesday.