Slow Stitching, Stash Enhancement & NewFO's!

I finally got to play with Bertie!

I spent a great deal of time this week getting my sewing studio cleaned up and organized once again - it was a mess!!! Hubby was a huge help in suggesting innovative ways to organize everything and eliminate the clutter. Sometimes a big job really benefits from a fresh perspective!

My plan was to attack the January Bertie's Year BOM last week, but that didn't happen until this afternoon.  This is my December NewFO Challenge project, so I had to get busy!!!  Here is the block all sewn together and the applique pieces stitched down ...... don't these flannel fabrics look rich and so, so soft???  It looks a little plain without any embellishment, though, doesn't it?

Poor little Bertie - she thinks she's just a plain little brown bird .................

............ and she obviously would love to be so much more flashy and fabulous!  She wants to be a beautiful red cardinal!!!  (I'm really hoping that by the end of the year, she will have learned that she is beautiful just the way she is ☺)  I love her fearlessness and curiosity!  She's not a bit afraid of this cute little snow "ghost"...... I think she is trying to make friends with him!

Sunday will find me enjoying some hand stitching to apply the fun embellishments on this little wall-hanging so it can be ready to go up on my wall for January 2014.  You can see below the stitching that is called for - love all those little snowflakes randomly dotting the background ♥  And the buttons for "berries" were included in the pattern as well :*)

When I signed up for this BOM at Shabby Fabrics, I chose to receive the Presencia threads kit that goes with this series of little quilts.  What is it about shiny new spools of thread that make my heart sing?  Does that happen to any of you?

What a joy to finally sit at my machine once again and play with beautiful fabrics & design!!!

Once I'm done with Bertie for January, I'll move on to start preparing the applique pieces for the last blocks for Blue Collection.  They are all drawn out and templates made .....




Now, how would you like to see some Stash Enhancement?  
Here you go.......

I picked up these three fabrics for backings at Connecting Threads' Year-End sale - wow!!!  They have a lot of fabrics still on sale for 40% and 50% off, so check them out if you're looking for nice fabric at a great price.  I got such a great deal, I'm still smiling!!!!

This batik was one I just couldn't resist!  I have several quilts in progress that could be lucky enough to have this spectacular explosion of colorful daisies for the backing.... I will have to decide when the right one is finished.  I also got enough yardage to use this for borders on a quilt too.... just in case :*)  The colors aren't quite true here - there's actually a touch of lime green too - but close enough.

Next, these beautiful & colorful gilt-etched ornaments are for the backing for my Jovial quilt.  It's on my list of UFO's to complete this year so I'll have it for Christmas next year :*)

This is what the Jovial quilt looks like - mine will have lots more variety of color though :)  Several friends joined in together and swapped fabrics, so we have lots of wonderful fabrics for this fun quilt!  This is a free 3-D pattern - you can click on the pattern name above to go to the link.

Photo courtesy of Moda

And this wonderful Blue Snowflake batik was back-ordered when I first placed my order, so I really didn't expect to receive it.  That really bummed me out because it is PERFECT for Winter Wonderland!!!  I received the first two fabrics and an invoice for them, so I figured this one had sold out early and forgot about it.  Then a few days ago, I got a notice that my "order had shipped" from Connecting Threads - and it was this fabric - whoohoo!!!  I just love it!!!  Notice the touch of purple in there..... oh, it makes me happy!

Backings are always the part that I hate spending so much money on.  You know how it goes.... you've spent a small fortune already on the beautiful fabrics for the front of the quilt, and then you have to dish out big bucks for enough fabric to do the backing.  I honestly don't like making scrappy backings unless the quilt itself calls for it.  When I'm done with the front, I'm DONE, you know what I mean?  I don't want to spend hours on getting the back ready.  So I'm always a happy girl when I can find backing fabrics at dirt cheap prices!!!

We have family coming later this week and then I'm planning to scoot on over to North Carolina to get some cuddle time in with Mr. Cooper, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to sew this week.  I do have one sew date scheduled, so at least I'm assured some time with my machine this week :*)

I also wanted to share one last look at Christmas 2013......

Here are a couple of mini-pineapple ornaments made and gifted to me by my sweet friend, Janet O, who blogs at Rogue Quilter ..... aren't they just adorable?????  Janet knows I love color and batiks :*)  I feel special and honored every time I spy one of these on the tree.  Of course, they will not be put away with the other ornaments!  They hang in my sewing room the rest of the year.  I have a small ornament stand that they adorn quite beautifully ♥

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to sit and enjoy the tree once it is decorated.  I love to look at each ornament, remembering where it came from - each one has a history and is truly special to me.  These new works of art really added a sparkle to our little tree this year :*)

And speaking of sparkle - what sparkles more brightly than gold????  I won these amazing brass quilt-block ornaments from a giveaway hosted by Barbara at Cat Patches!!!

I couldn't wait to get them on the tree when they arrived!  You could hear me holler a mile away when I got the news that I had won :*D  Thanks again Barbara - they are unique and I just love them!!!!  I'm thinking these will also stay in my sewing room after the tree comes down ♥  I can't imagine them sitting in a dusty old box for 11 months out of the year, can you?

Wishing all my blog friends Peace and fun quilty things 

that make you smile this coming year!!!

I'll be linking up with the following fun Linky Parties - come and check them out!

Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday

Judy's Patchwork Times Stash Report
Cat Patches 2013 NewFO Challenge
Freemotion by the River's Linky Party

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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