Christmas Pockets!

Making these little Christmas Pockets this weekend.  Pattern is by Valori Wells Designs, here is a link in case you want to make your own:  http://www.stitchinpost.com/patterns_sc.html

They go together very fast.  As you can see, I am just using scraps of Christmas Fabric.  And fussy cutting the inside piece so that it has a "pop-up" or "peek-a-boo" effect.  It's great to make with a border print for the pockets.  

Enclose a sweet note, some dollar bills and a gift card for your favorite store.  Great last minute gift or stocking stuffer and doubles as a great little wallet after ward.  Make from pretty fabrics for a birthday or other holiday gift.

Swooning on a Saturday, The Final Block!

Finally, I have finished the last block for my quilt top.  Yes, this is a Swoon block, doesn't look like it does it?   I have taken some license with the block and inserted strips.  The color placement changes the shape and design of the block.  

Using the Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker, I have this as my potential layout for the finished top.  I think I like it.  The colors are very different in person of course.  Each of the photos were taken in different light at different times as the blocks were completed, so some look brighter than others.  They are all the same in intensity and hues.  It's fun to experiment with the blocks.  Each one is made from the identical pieces, it's just the fabric placement that changes it up.  There are strips added to two of the blocks.  

I have enjoyed this pattern.  Here is a link in case you want to make your own.  You can see from the pattern cover, it looks completely different made up in light fabrics on a white background.  Lots of possibilities and lots of fun!

http://thimbleblossoms.bigcartel.com/product/swoon-pattern-142-pdf-pattern

Fall Festival

It was a lovely evening of food and fun and visiting with friends and neighbors!  Costumed children ran the halls and enjoyed the trunk-r-treat out in the parking lot below the church.  Hot Dogs and Chili were the fare with plenty great sides to go with.  Some of the completed quilts were on display and enjoyed by all!  So many nice compliments on all the hard work our Newby Quilting Bee Group did.  The gals in the group surprised me with a beautiful card containing a very generous gift certificate to the fabric shop in Colfax!  Oh My Gosh!  Thanks ladies!  I was truly surprised and delighted!!!

I am almost completely recovered from my fall, I'm amazed how long it takes to get your knee working again once you fall on it like I did.  Anyway, moving around again, which is a good thing!  Catching up on some of my projects.  

Yesterday I finished the sashing on my Craftsy BOM...It looks amazing!  Yes, that BRIGHT blue color is the sashing.  This morning, I took my gift certificate to Colfax and shopped for some backing fabric for it.  I found the most lusciously divine deep royal plum.  I wanted to keep the backing simple, but still have it be a bold color statement like the front of the quilt, nothing subtle about this one.  So that will be one of my goals for this week, to get the batting and backing pinned in place and ready to sew.  Binding will probably be pieced bits of the fabric used in the top.

When I got home today I started back on the remaining blocks for my Swoon quilt, which you will remember I started a while back.  I modified the pattern a bit for this block and I'm happy with it, I like the little "butterflies" that turned up in the points.  Kind of fun.

Only one more block to go and then I can sash this one together also.  This will have black sashing, so it won't be a difficult process, just need to cut the fabric and sew it up.  Then I will have to go looking for some backing fabric and decide what I want for binding.

I see a great deal of machine quilting in my near future!  John's quilt must be finished by Christmas, so that will be the next push.  It's a simple 9 patch made with 6 inch squares, then cut in half both directions.  Blocks flipped and here's what you end up with...

Looks pretty subdued after the other quilts right?  Well it's for my husband to cuddle under and he didn't want anything too fancy schmancy. 

Speaking of John, he recently got me a "solar" dryer, in an endeavor to save some money.  So of course I needed a little clothes pin apron.  I found this pattern online at Mother Earth News.  Very easy to make, went together in about 1/2 hour and very practical!  http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1979-03-01/A-European-Style-Clothespin-Apron.aspx

The fabric is Michael Miller's China Doll.  I just love it!  Makes doing the laundry fun!!!  And it makes me think of my Gram.

And last but not least...this sweet little girl at church, Sera.  I just love her.  She and her gramma always sit near us and she is just a girly girl.  She ran up to me and gave me a big hug and wrote me a sweet little note in church about how much she had missed me. (she is 6)  Oh, you know me, I melted.  (John was almost in tears)  So I made this little purse for her.  I kind of adapted an idea that I saw online at Stitchery Dickory Dock.  Ruffled Mini Wallet

She loved it and I'm so happy!  Her little face just lit up!  Sometimes, it's the little things that just make your day.  This was one of them for me.

That about catches you up with my week!