Feeling the Christmas Pressure

Lately I have been stealing quick moments to sew here and there.  Since I last checked in I have finished the last of my blocks for my Farm Girl Sampler.  

 Hand Mixer

Penny Pig

  And finally, Corn and Tomatoes.  

If this block hadn't been my last, I would have quit this project.  Seriously 94 itty bitty pieces go into this 6.5" block.  It took me days of cutting because I just couldn't stand to cut such small pieces for very long.  And sewing it took me awhile.  I had to take breaks, because I felt cussing and screaming coming on.  

I still have the sashing and setting stones to cut out, but I wanted to set it aside for a minute.

I felt the pressure to get the two tops I had waiting, basted.

So one night after the monster went to bed I got the floor mopped and went to work. 

 My Hello Darling quilt really is beautiful.  

I cannot wait to get it finished.  

I think it will be out on the sofa this Christmas Season to cuddle up with.

 But first I want to get the Monster's Christmas gift done.  

I'm in the thick of quilting it now.  

I need a good stretch of time and motivation.

After these two are quilted I might put the Farm Girl away so I can FINALLY pull out my Blitzen and get it made!  

Slowly.

My sewing room has been getting some use this past week or so.  

I've found time here and there to get in there and work on the Monster's secret Christmas gift.  

I only have two rows left to sew, and then I need to sew the rows together.  

This robe stole some of my sewing time this past weekend.  

The monster wants to be a Jedi for Halloween.  

I thought we could use his karate gi and find some tan pants($6). 

Then the hubs insisted he needed a robe.  

So I made it($24).  

I do not enjoy sewing garments.  

Yesterday after months of busyness my friend Miranda and I finally got together for sewing night.  

 I worked on my calendar blocks.

August

September.

I got a good start on my October block too, hopefully I will finish it up before November!

It feels great to sew again.

Movin' on Up

I haven't been sewing much since the Hubs has returned home.  

It's nice to have him back and we've been doing lots of family things that make me skip sitting down at my machine.  

I did finally finish these new Halloween placemats.  

I'm enjoying them.

Then I was like, "Honey, I think I want my sewing room upstairs." 

And he agreed it would be a good decision. 

So, we moved everything out of the guest room and moved my stuff in.  

I don't have everything set up quite yet, but it's good enough to get some sewing going. 

 I started the Monster's Christmas gift!  

I've been getting a little worried about having enough time to get this secret project done in time.  Hopefully I can skip a few hockey practices so I can sew it up!

For a New Baby Boy

Very recently my cousin Erin had her baby.  She has two sweet girls, and they waited to find out what their third would be.  Because they had two girls already and most of their life is pink, I decided to wait until the baby arrived before sending a quilt.  I hate making gender neutral quilts.  I try my best, but I think they always turn out too boyish for a girl, or too girly for a boy.  I know babies don't care, but it bugs ME. 

So after the baby arrived and he was in fact a boy I was so glad I could make something BLUE.  I started pulling fabrics from my stash.  I started with the pirate and whale prints and picked  fabrics from there.  I had everything in my stash but the light blue solid and the backing.  

While I was grabbing those I noticed Fabric City had some pretty cute flannels.

Since they are moving up north from many years living in the south I thought a blanket might be useful. 

But back to the quilt.  

I decided to use the pattern Lori Holt has in her Farm Girl book.  The Picnic Quilt is large, but assembled in quarters, so I thought I would just make one quarter and it would be baby size!  Plus it was just simple stars.  Easy, but boy cutting gave me a headache!  Between making two different sizes and trying to vary the centers and points and backgrounds it was alotta thinkin! 

I decided on straight line stitching.  I only had this thin painters tape, it was a little thinner than .75".  Boy that took awhile.  And of course I ran out of thread and had to go to HoLo, then I had a pucker I couldn't stand to leave.  

But I do love this little quilt.  

Hopefully this quilt and the blanket will get loved up.  

Just to Do Something

I sewed a little this weekend.  

I didn't really feel in the mood, but I had nothing else to do so I did.

I broke out my Simple Abundance layer cake.

I am using the latest layer cake pattern from FatQuarterShop. 

I'll be making the twin sized version of star cakes. 

After sewing I made myself cut them all apart. 

Now I need to make myself press them.

Someone please find my motivation!

I've lost it!!

After Putting it Off

This project has been staring me down for a week.  

Waiting for me to start working.  

I just couldn't. 

I'm not sure why.

Just wasn't in the mood I guess.

Today I forced myself for lack of anything else to do.

I'm glad it's done.

Still not motivated to work on it.  

Hopefully that changes soon.  

I'd like to get it finished by the end of the month.  

For a Boy with Three Sisters

One of the projects on my overwhelming list, was a quilt I knew I would have fun sewing.

My neighbor from New Mexico is expecting her fourth child, and after three girls this one is is a boy!  Our online group made a bright and wild and somewhat large group quilt.  But I wanted to send a softer, smaller, baby quilt of my own to welcome her little one.  

The other night I ran out of thread while I was quilting my Road to Tennessee quilt, so I decided to get this baby quilt made!

  

It was a fun and quick one.  I love baby quilts because of this.  I love this pattern too!  I've made it before, but I enjoy how different it looks, and how simple it is.  I hope my friend's little guy gets lots of use and love from this sweet little quilt.  

This makes 3/23 projects done!