Killing 3 Link-ups with 1 Post!

I've been SO busy this weekend!  We had lots on our agenda around the house, plus I had a lot I wanted to accomplish in the sewing studio too.  Why are the weekends never long enough???

First up, I finally managed to find time to dig into my BLUE fabrics and get this TOTALLY CUTE little Hootie owl ready for buttonhole stitching.....

I took everyone's advice and put the BLUE owl on the moon so I could use lots of bright, bold blues and still have them show up considering the background :)  If you didn't catch my last post on Hootie, you can see my planned layout HERE.

Close-up of the fabrics used

Since these cute owls will be sitting on a tree branch in the final layout, I'll have to leave the bottom of each owl unfused so the feet can be inserted and sit on the branch instead of the background.

I also had to measure to be sure there was 1/4" between the edge and the bottom of the owl to make room for the branch, which will basically be a brown sashing strip :)

When I got that done, I really couldn't resist pulling out some fabrics for another block I want to make for this year's Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I won't use scraps for this one, but I will follow the colors each month as posted by Angela at SoScrappy and make 9 blocks for the quilt.  I'll show you more about that when I have at least one block made :)

Auditioning BLUES and background fabrics for another RSC project.....

I'm linking these projects up with

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Next up, my #2 priority was to finish up the January Bertie's Year BOM block....and I finally got that done while watching the NFL Playoffs today - Yippee Skippee!!!!

Sorry, this picture was taken at night in my studio, so there's a lot of glare!  But I'm SO darn tickled with this cute little wall hanging!  I promised to share a little about the finishing called for in the pattern too...

First, you sew 1" strips all around the finished piece.... 

(yes, it's crooked!  I never pretended to be a photographer LOL!!!)

Then you sew it right sides together with batting between like an envelope, 

leaving a slot at the bottom to pull it right sides out, 
and whip stitch the hole closed by hand.....

With the next Bertie, I will leave this hole at the middle of the backing.  

They have you seam the backing anyway, why not leave the hole there 

and not have to get all those edges perfect???

Then you sew all around it on the seam line of the 1" strips, as shown here....

Voila!  An amazing fake binding effect!!!

I love the Stitch-in-the-Ditch walking foot on my Janome 6600!!!

Here's a final close-up of January Bertie and her good friend, Snow Ghost :*)

I'm almost finished with February Bertie too!!!!

I'm really not fond of my embroidery stitching around the seams ..... 

But it's going to have to do!

It's a definite learning curve.....

PS - that's a leaf stalk sticking out of Mr. Bertie's butt...
Just in case you were wondering.... ;*D

February's Bertie has MUCH less hand work to be done, which makes me a happy girl!  

I thought I would never be finished with the January project.  

I gave a little yell of Hooray when the last snowflake was stitched!!!

I'll be linking these projects up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching!

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And 3rd - well, it's time for Design Wall Monday, 

so I'll be linking this post up to

Judy's Patchwork Times!

I'm also linking up with Connie at her Tuesday Linky Party HERE!
And Sarah's Can I Get a Whoop Whoop HERE!

Hope you all have a lovely week!!!!
I'm buried in EQ7 right now, so I'll be back as soon as I can :*)

Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
=^..^=