Quilting Twinkle Stars!

I think I've found a new love!

Big-stitch quilting...

♥♥♥

Twinkle Stars is my RSC project in blues for January, and even though I got a late start, I managed to get it pieced fairly quickly.  I simply stitched the four stars blocks together and added a corner triangle on each end.

Last week I learned how to use my long-neglected tri-recs rulers, and this week I dug out a few others to help me cut those triangles ....

It sure does help to have the right tools, doesn't it?

The quilt was quickly sandwiched and pinned for quilting - I want to get this one done and use it on my kitchen bar before the winter season is over!

Deciding on a quilting design was a little problematic for me.  I could think of a lot of different ways to do it, but none of them clicked.  I kept thinking that all that white looked a little too much to me, but I really wanted to keep it VERY simple so I could finish quickly, which meant not a lot of free-motion razzle-dazzle, and no special shapes, etc.  I was also determined to keep the beautiful star as the STAR ... I didn't want a lot of quilting to take away from its shine :*)  Still, just quilting in the ditch was too blah .....

I'm not sure how Big Stitch quilting finally occurred to me, but I'm pretty sure it was because I had recently seen this post by Sherri Noel at Rebeccca Mae Designs and was totally smitten with the look of her beautiful quilting!  Fortunately, I had pinned the post to my Pinterest board and was able to find it quickly.   

♥ Click HERE for Sherri's wonderful tutorial ♥

I knew immediately that it was exactly what this little runner needed, so I hurriedly ran to see if I had any royal blue in my perle cottons - and YES!!!!

I was thrilled, because there are no options for purchasing quality perle cottons in a variety of colors quickly in my area.  Once again, a stash purchase of these threads during one of my quilt show vending sprees paid off!

It took only a few evenings while watching some taped shows on TV to get this quilted :*)  I used a blue Frixion pen to draw my lines, and then simply ironed them away!  You can see in the below photo at the top where some of them have not yet been ironed.  If you have questions about the use of Frixion pens, Kathy's Quilts recently posted an excellent article on this subject with some great research links HERE ♥  I use them frequently and have never had an issue.  I am careful, however, about using them on dark fabrics when I know they will not be covered completely by stitching.

I didn't worry about the length of my stitches, which made for a very enjoyable, stress free quilting project.  I just love the simple organic look they add to my stars!

The dark blue from the center of the stars will be the binding - which I hope to get done today - woohoo!!!!

There's a whole party of blue stitching going on over at Angela's So Scrappy blog today, so hop on over and see what all the fun is about!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

However,

Snow Stitching!

How many of you are covered up in snow?  Here in Nashville, we received a record 6-7 inches of snow yesterday - very rare for these parts.  And it's beautiful!!!  No ice.... just soft, blindingly white, puffy and fluffy SNOW!

I think it's interesting that the two projects I had planned to work on this weekend are the blue Twinkle Stars for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (first photo above), and Bertie's Year - December.

Angela at SoScrappy posted a fun tutorial for these beautiful Twinkle Star blocks on her blog as the January block for the RSC Column-Along she is doing this year.  I saw Sharon's beautiful blocks on her post at Vrooman's Quilts last week and fell in love!  So much so that, although I had other projects planned to be working on, I immediately had to to pull fabrics and print out the pattern right then and there!  I chose blues and whites that made me think of snow - maybe my bones were telling me the white stuff was coming our way? :*)

I managed to complete four blocks last week ....

..... and today I plan to put them together into a winter-themed runner for our kitchen bar.

Believe it or not, this was my very first time ever to use Tri-Recs rulers.  I've had the rulers forever, but always avoided them.  I was even tempted to paper piece these; Angela very kindly gave us a link to the foundation patterns in her wonderful tutorial.  But I decided to be adventurous and was rewarded with a fun afternoon of piecing.  I can't wait to finish this runner and enjoy it in my kitchen!

Yesterday, I finally pulled poor little December Bertie out of the bag and started work on her.

She was part of a BOM project for me in 2014, and this was the only month I did not finish up last year.  I felt really sorry for her, being so neglected.  I put her on my guild's UFO Challenge list so I could make sure she got finished this year in time for Christmas, and was delighted when her number was called for January!

These kits were laser-cut fusible applique, so all I had to do was peel away the paper, place them on the background and fuse.  Easy-peasy!  Then I stitched the applique pieces down, using either a straight stitch or a buttonhole stitch... Leaving me with lots of strings to tie off :*)

Last night I caught up on a few episodes of The Good Wife and worked the embroidery embellishments....

I also got all the half-square triangles made and assembled for the border.

Tomorrow I'll join Kathy's gang for some Slow Sunday Stitching as I handstitch the border embroidery while watching the NFL Playoff games with My Guy.  Our Panthers are playing for the Conference title, and of course if they win, they will go to the Super Bowl!!!  Exciting times my friends :*)

We are settled in for a long, solitary weekend.  One of my favorite things to do on cold, snowy winter days is to work jigsaw puzzles! I have this one set out to play with this weekend when I'm not stitching.

After New Year's while I was too sick to do much else beside sit, I did this one ....

Maybe I should have waited until this week LOL!!!

How well I remember the days when my children were small and they almost vibrated in their excitement to get outside and play in the stuff!  We didn't get a lot of snow in south-eastern North Carolina, so it was an exciting event when a storm dropped anything more than half an inch.  I had to go dig out a couple of my favorite memories from their childhood to share with you ....

Joshua in front of our house
circa 1980

 I bundled them up as if it were a North Dakota blizzard!!!

Christy in front yard
circa 1978
Probably one of my favorite pics of her childhood ever!!!

Notice in both pictures that there is only a small patch of snow for them to play in.  It almost always melted quickly, so they had to get out there and make the most of it!  Of course, they were out there maybe ten minutes before they were crying to come back in again, dripping water and snow all over the floor LOL!!!  In and out, in and out, for as long as the patches of snow lasted.  Those were good times :*)

Hoping you are finding ways to enjoy the snow if Jonas visited your neck of the woods!  My snowbird friends are sending us pictures of sunny Florida.  I'm not sure I'll be speaking to them when they return.... =^..^=

Also linking up:

DesignWall Monday

Tuesday Linky

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Q1 2016 Finish Along Goals

I've got a fun list lined up for my Q1 Finish Along goals!

I'm going to keep my list a little more manageable than usual this quarter because I'll be on a cruise(!) for several weeks.  I know!  It's a tough life, but someone's got to live it, right?

This will be my first cruise, so I'm equal parts excited and nervous.  Excited - because it is a quilter's cruise, so I'm going with some very good friends and there are several exciting projects that we'll be working on.  But perhaps the thing I'm most excited about is that it is going to be very WARM where I am going - hooray!!!

Nervous - because I'm prone to motion sickness and I'm not terribly comfortable on boats and don't care much for being surrounded by large bodies of water.  I like to be able to see the shore and know that I can doggie paddle to get there if I have to LOL!!!  I've never really been interested in going on cruises, but my friends insisted I try this one out with them.  If I end up sick or drowned, I'm going to blame it all on them!!!

I've already visited my friendly physician to procure the golden elixir patches just to be on the safe side :)  I'm not as bad as I used to be about getting sick, but still ... imprisoned in my room in the bowels of a ship, green and retching in my miserable cot is not how I want to spend a vacation.  (Can you tell I read too many novels?)

My friends assure me that I will not get sick or drown.  Both very good assurances, wouldn't you agree?  I think so long as the ship stays afloat I will have a very good time and be glad I went.  If not, well then, it's been great knowing you all!  =^..^=

While still safe on solid ground, I will be happily plugging away at these FAL projects ....

Bertie's Year - December wallhanging

Last year I managed to complete 11 of these wonderful BOM quilts.  This will be the last one - and I think it is one of the cutest.  It's not even out of the package, so it will be a Start-to-Finish project.  It's small though, so only the embroidery really takes much time at all.

Sassy Garden

This quilt top has been finished for quite a while, waiting on the Flimsy Shelf for its turn in line to be quilted and finished.  It was suddenly knocked to the top because the focal fabric is a Jane Sassaman print, and we are lucky enough to have Jane come to speak and teach out our guild this fall!  Needless to say, I'd like to have it done to show when she comes.  Quilt, Label, Bind

Show Me the Honey!

This is one of Kim Schaeffer's Calendar Quilts - a leftover from last year so you know I'd love to have it done soon!  It's already sandwiched and ready to quilt.  Quilt, Label, Bind

Fire in the Cabin

This paper-piecing project was started at a retreat class late last year.  I love the fire in the colors, and the squiggly effect in the focal fabric.  It reminds me so much of a breathtaking glass fireball by the amazing Dale Chihuly my husband and I saw in the Bahamas years ago - it was utterly breathtaking!  This little quilt will be a forever reminder for us :*)  Complete blocks

Love You!



I blogged about this adorable mini-quilt today . I want to have it quilted, bound and ready to display for Valentine's - which means I don't put it off until the day before LOL!!!  I need to Just Do It!  Quilt, Bind

Montego Bay

Another left-over from last year!  Repair a few quilting issues, Bind.

Bionic Gear Bags.  I need to make 2 of these this quarter.  They are not easy sews, but I've made several now, so they should go pretty fast.

I'm sliding in on the last day to link up with others who are planning their 1st Quarter 2016!  Come along and see what others are planning to finish up!  Linky party is HERE ....

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

I Love a Party!

So many BOMs and Sew-alongs and UFO-Finish-it-up parties out there in Blogland this year!!!

For me, the temptation to join them all is tough, because as the title says, I love a party!!!  And after all, one of the main reasons I began this blog was so that I could join in on some of the fun parties going on.

However, since my PHRASE this year is Just Do It!, I've decided to be very careful about how I choose to commit my time resources.  Mainly, I'm going to join in the parties that work into my goal of getting some targeted priority projects from A to Z, with a huge emphasis on the "Z"!  I don't want to come sliding into December, out of breath, frazzled and frustrated and ready to drop - with nothing really to show for it except a bunch of blocks or project boxes in various stages of chaos!  Since willpower is NOT one of my superpowers, I'm giving myself a huge pat on the back here :)

So what will I be joining this year?

Kathy's Quilts:

I've made such wonderful friends at Kathy's parties :-)  My focus UFO for the first part of 2016 is to finally finish my Blue Collection project.

I believe I started this monster in 2008 when I bought the patterns from a friend who was moving and downsizing her patterns.  It is hand-appliqued, so a slow goer.  I've worked on it in fits and starts, always putting it back in the box when something critical came up to push it aside, or when I hit a standstill because I didn't have any applique prepared.  All the vase blocks are done, and I am now working on the borders.  This is my first Just Do It! Challenge to myself :)

I'll also be working on my other current hand project, the Folk Art Album blocks.

SoScrappy's Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Using up those scraps is perpetually on my ToDo list, and there are few things I love better than playing in rainbow colors, so I'll be playing along with Angela and the gang again this year!

For my RSC blocks, I'm going to buddy up with the Quilty 365 sew along at Quilty Folk.  I've been seeing these circle blocks pop up everywhere - and the urge to join in was very tempting because I've always wanted to do a circle quilt!  I decided I could join in if I made it part of something I was already doing, like the RSC.

My mind was finally made up when my sweet friend over at Amity Quilter blog sent me a piece of fabric to make a cute deer circle just like hers!

Now how could I resist that I ask you???

So I'm in!

And I'm already behind!!  LOL!!!

The two final parties I plan to join are:

Heidi at Red Letter Quilts - OMG!

Isn't that just the cutest party name?

I love it :*)

Jess at Elven Quilts:

I'll share my detailed plans for each of these in separate posts since they can run quite long.  But in a nutshell, the OMG will fall in line with my Guild's UFO Challenge, so I know I can play along without falling behind.  And I really enjoyed the FAL last year!  I found it very helpful to have that list of projects already targeted when it came time to decide what needed to be worked on last year, and I finished quite a few projects that would still be sitting on my UFO shelf otherwise.

There are other linky parties that I often join in as I can - you can see the buttons for most of them on my sidebar, and if you click on the button it will take you to the party!

So, what are your plans for 2016?  Will you join in some of these fun sew-along parties?  Or do you plan to follow along while doing your own thing?  Does it help you to join in these parties, or do you tend to get overwhelmed with the deadlines?  I find that both are true for me, and that's why I have to pick and choose what I join, while setting limits on my involvement.  I hope to see you at some of them!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Love You!

I finished up a sweet, sweet little mini quilt top the other day that I just couldn't hardly wait to show you!  

Am I right?  You love it, don't you?  Hahaha - I knew it!  That might be why designer Jacquelynne Steves named this design "Love You!"  Isn't it just the cutest little thing?  It finishes at about 26" square - perfect mini-quilt size!  (And it goes very nicely with my red sofa too LOL!!!)

Wouldn't you just love to make one of these for your Valentine's Day decor?  It was really quick and easy to make - I pieced it in an afternoon! - and I loved being able to play in some of my hoarded neglected hearts fabrics - YUM!!!

There are directions for both an applique version like mine, as well as an even quicker one without applique.  Well..... I should clarify by saying not exactly like mine .....

Instead of drawing the inner heart, I chose to fussy cut four of the border fabric hearts for the center block appliques.  As soon as I saw the first one fused down, I knew I was going to ♥ it :-)  I also made a few minor changes to accommodate the fabrics I had to work with.  Betcha can't find what's different in mine from Jacquelynne's!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Love You! is the first of SIX mini quilts that are going to be available to everyone who is registered in the Small and Sweet Mini Quilt Club!  For a small one-time fee you get ALL SIX mini-quilt designs - one each month for six months!  You can't beat that deal, right?  Designer is Jacquelynne Steves of The Art of Home (formerly The Noble Wife), and the Club Hostess is Michele Foster of Mishka's Playground Designs (also Quilting Gallery).

PLUS - as if that were not enough! - you will receive a FREE Fusible Machine Applique tutorial from Jacquelynne!!! 



You may notice that the second little mini on the picture has the most adorable little anchors!!!  I have several friends who have nautical themes in their homes, so I think this small and sweet mini quilt will be popping up quite a lot during Show-n-Tell at my guild in the next few months :)

IT'S NOT TOO LATE!!!  If you would like to make your own Love You! mini quilt, along with FIVE other oh-so-cute Small and Sweet Mini Quilts, just click HERE to get all the details and sign up!  The club starts today, so your pattern will be in your inbox before you know it!  I promise, you're going to love the freedom of Jacquelynne's easy & detailed patterns, and who doesn't LOVE the quick reward of an adorable mini quilt?

Mine is going under the quilting needle next week so I can be sure to have it to enjoy during Valentine's ♥♥♥

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Slow Sunday Stitching - Playoffs Style!

I'm so looking forward to watching the NFL Playoff games today!  I'm all set with my hand sewing project and joining my friends at Kathy's Quilts for some Slow Sunday Stitching ....

This is the top right section of the border for my Blue Collection quilt.  Both of these top sections are complete, and I am working on the first of two side border sections now.  The sides are long vines like this that will come out of vases in the bottom of the quilt.  (I'll show you what I mean in a later post!)

All of this quilt is hand appliqued, with the exception of these side border leaves and a few very intricate motifs in the vase blocks, which I've chosen to do as raw-edge fusible applique.  They have so many curves and valleys, it would take FOREVER to hand stitch all these leaves, and I decided I'd rather finish this quilt in my lifetime than worry about whether it is ALL hand stitched LOL!!!  I've indicated one of them by the arrow on the right.....

I'll finish them with a straight-stitch along the edges.  The flower buds indicated by the arrow on the left are little monsters to hand stitch all by themselves!  The fabric I chose for the medium blue in the center is too flimsy and it's almost impossible to make neat V's.  And the points on the stems are very narrow and steep, so it's hard to stuff the seam fabric underneath such a small space.  On some of the last pieces I prepped, I drew the points in a little bit wider V to make them slightly easier to stitch.

It's a great day to be inside stitching here in Nashville!  I'm under the weather a little, battling a sinus infection with the usual accompanying aches, sore throat and cough, so the order for the day is to take it easy.  We're having one of our coldest days so far - currently 32 degrees and woke to a light snow on the ground.  Here's the view from my front window ....   Brrrrrrrrr!

The only bright spot is my little Christmas cactus....

Love that beautiful fuchsia color!!!  I bought it a few weeks before Christmas this year because I loved all my friends cacti which were blooming.  For some reason, it finally decided to wait to bloom this week - I'll take all the bloom and color I can find at this time of year, right?

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=