Five Shadows

Cleaning out the stash! We have all heard “She who dies with the most fabric wins!”  Well, guess what!? I don’t want to be that gal! I want to use up my stash or find good homes for fabrics – people who will actually put the fabric to good use. And of course, I do intend to use my favorites in planned projects.

This past Wednesday, a friend and I got together and created lots of pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer, an organization that gives pillowcases to children in local hospitals fighting cancer.

The sewing actually started last week when another friend came over and got my serger up and running. Thank you, Pat! To test out the newly repaired serger, I sewed up several pillow cases. 4 maybe.  Then this week another friend came over and we now have a total of 24 pillow cases ready to donate. We both had so much fun that we each looked at our fabrics again and have come up with more pillow cases combinations.

This week I have attempted to sew up three different projects using the BasiX Template for using 2 1/2″ strips. Aren’t these just so cute?

The blocks pictured below are from one of two patterns that come with the template. I was going to make three blocks for a table runner, but ran out of the cream fabric. And wouldn’t you know it, I go to the quilt shop and that bolt is gone. Fortunately, they do re-order Moda Solids, I’ll have to be patient and wait.

This next design is also included with the template. I chose to make a table runner using strips from Moda’s Rustic Weave Jelly Roll.

The next pattern is called Twinkle Toes. I used the same Moda Rustic Weave Jelly Roll for the blocks, adding a white dot on black for the pinwheels and a solid white for the background. I love it! It is so bright and cheery. Still needs an outer border which I’ll find fabric for during my next trip to the LQS. But, I must say, I had a dickens of a time with the pattern. Seems the yardage is wrong as well as dimensions in some of the steps. I went to the Quilt Queen Designs website (xblocks.com) to see if they list corrections for patterns, and although I did find one correction for another pattern, I couldn’t find any corrections for Twinkles Toes.

Do you ever find mistakes in patterns and then check out the designer’s website to see if corrections are listed?  I do, and am always happy when I find they do have a corrections page.

I’ll be demoing X-Blocks and BasiX templates this Saturday at Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe in Roanoke, IN from 10-3.

Update! I just revisited xblocks.com and there IS a revision for Twinkle Toes dated 2-16-15.  I’m glad to know I’m not crazy, and they do post corrections!

I’m linking to Connie’s Linky Tuesday.

Thank you, Vicki, for hosting the Drunkard’s Path quilt along! Even though I didn’t finish the quilt, I did have fun playing with Drunkard’s Path units. And it was great visiting the blogs of other participants. There is so much creativity out there in the wide world of quilting!

From the playing I did with the Drunkard’s Path units, my favorite pieced design was the Lily quilt, designed by Lynne Edwards for the Creative Grids Corner to Corner Curve Strip Ruler.

2014 brought several changes to my family. In May, our daughter, Anna, married Nathan. We are very happy to welcome Nathan to our family! In August, Anna and Nathan moved two hours away for Nathan’s job.

Nathan & Anna with my husband and little ol’ me.

In June, our youngest daughter, Charis, graduated from high school. Her freshman college year started in August at a college about an hour away.

My girls, Anna, Charis, Janelle, and Kim

The weekend of Anna’s wedding, our son Luke and his wife, Kim, announced that they were expecting – our first grand baby is to be born around December 30th! Kim and baby are doing well and we are waiting, ever so patiently, for the little one to make his/her appearance!

Kim’s birthday, John & I, Luke & Kim

Just this past week, I started moving my sewing into Anna’s former room. I’m so excited about having a dedicated space that will be all mine! As I move my supplies into the new room, I’m weeding through and moving only what I really want, like or will use into my new space. I’m sorting through the UFOs, setting some aside for charity quilts, and others that I intend to finish in 2015 to either use of gift.

Looking into the sewing room from the doorway.

Looking from the book shelve across room towards the cutting table and computer table.

I have a lot of organizing and purging to do as I set up the new room. The quilt in the foreground is my 2014 Block of the Month, Stitcher’s Garden. Two more borders and it will be complete!

Merry Christmas! everyone!

Block 12!

Almost complete! The blocks with sashing are sewn together. Today I’ll work on the borders.

Picture to follow!

I’m linking up to Connie’s Linky Tuesday over at Freemotion by the River

Rail Fence quilt blocks using Jenny Pedigo’s Quick Curve Ruler.

Log Cabin using Jenny’s curve technique. Love it! Does the corner curve count as a Drunkard’s Path variation? It is the closest thing I have to a Drunkard’s Path this week.

Progress on the Black and White Drunkard’s Path – none! I am still stumped as to what to do about that quilt! Please give me your honest opinion, do you like the white sashing? For me, it just seems too bright. I tried replacing it with a black, but that didn’t work either. (no picture with the black) Hmmm. Maybe the black would work as sashing between the blocks, with the white in the blocks?  I think I’ll give that a try. I’m open to suggestions!

Linking to Vicki’s Cross the Drunkard’s Path Quilt Along.

This little fella needs borders and embellishments. He won’t be finished for this season, but hopefully over the course of 2015, he will be all dressed up and ready for next Christmas.

How are your Christmas projects going?

Linking to Vicki’s Cross the Drunkard’s Path Quilt Along

My girls held a baby shower for my daughter-in-law, at my house a few Sundays ago. The theme was Turtles. So much homemade goodness! My middle daughter loves to bake. She made this lovely & yummy Turtle cake and cupcakes!

Kim, our expecting mommy, and Turtle Cake

Turtle Cupcakes

Turtle toys!

I followed the theme, and made a turtle ribbon blanket. Babies love the texture of the different ribbons. To add more texture, the background is flannel, the back is Satin, and the turtle shell was made with Texture Magic.

Kim received several homemade goodies. Here she holds a knitted sweater, hat, and booties. She also received hand knitted baby wash clothes, and homemade burp clothes.

Kim’s Grandmother sent a cross stitched Alphabet Blanket.

I sewed up a receiving blanket using an alphabet panel. “T” is for Turtle!

The girls forgot to get a picture of the four of them all together. They pulled off a nice party for Kim with 19 guests in attendance. Lovely day!

One more picture! At the shower given to Kim by our church, I gave her a Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt and several books.

I sewed up a very simple front with green wedges as leaves, appliqued the VHC on one of the leaves, and the butterfly floating near by.

Baby is due December 30th! My first grandbaby!

I wrote to Lynne Edwards, the creator of the Creative Grids Corner to Corner Curve Strip Ruler. I inquired about the picture of the blue lily quilt on the Creative Grids website, lovely picture, no pattern. She wrote back saying she would send a copy of her Blue Lily Pattern to me. She gave me permission to use it as long as I give recognition to her. She is so sweet and a very generous quilter!

Here is my Pink Lily all sewn together. Flower stems are raw edge applique.

Visit Lynne Edwards website to see her other beautiful designs and a list of her lectures and classes. She has created several rulers for Creative Grids and also has written books, all listed on her website.

I’m linking to Vicki’s Cross the Drunkard’s Path Quilt Along.

Here is just a little something I’m working up. Inspiration from the Creative Grids Rule website, for possibilities on how to use the Curve Strip Ruler.  All the curve units are a variation of Drunkard’s Path units, with the curve going into the corners.

My version so far. Now that I see the photo, I think I’ll make a few more changes.

The quilt posted on the Creative Grids website does not list a pattern, just a picture. I’m trying to locate the pattern/designer, hoping there is one available – so I can purchase it.

Plans are to  return to my regular scheduled Black and White Drunkard’s Path soon. I have some baby items I need to whip up first. This weekend. For a shower Sunday. I’m so behind.

Linking to Vicki Welsh’s Cross the Drunkard’s Path Quilt Along.