Hand Sewing

I managed to get both quilts quilted, and bindings attached the other day.  

North Woods is nearly done.

I went to Miranda's for sewing night, and managed to get a lot of it stitched.

I like having hand sewing to do, and since both are Christmas gifts, I'm in no rush.

I do have to tell you that my friend Kristen sent me some fun notions recently.

 I tried this Peel last night and totally LOVE it!

It will be in my binding pouch permanently! 

I hate having a spool of thread unraveling in my pouch.  

Problem solved!

 Since all I have left are those bindings I decided that I should start a new project.

It's a secret, but I am confident I will be able to finish it and gift it before Fancy Forest begins.

Progress and Prepping

Remember when I said I'd share progress soon...

Here I am.  

Last night I did manage to get both quilt tops basted. 

This morning the little dog needed an urgent trip outside at 6:44 so I was up early, which meant I had time before the monster woke up to get Lil' Red quilted!

After I finish this post I'm going to get started on the North Woods.

After I get those two finished I will be ready to start my Fancy Forest, which I am now ready for supply wise.  

I created a small frenzy at the HoLo cutting table yesterday when I was buying my whopping five yards of Kona Stone for the background.  The woman asked if it was for a quilt backing, and I explained the project to her, showing her screenshots of some fancy forest beauties.  

Which I have a lot of on my phone.  

 Well, she called all the girls over, including one over the intercom, and everyone went nuts for it!

Those ladies sure are nice.  I'll miss them once Jo-Ann opens!

Anyhow.

I'm off to go quilt...

toodles!

Lack of Sewing

I'm not sure if it's actually having time, or if it's just a lack of motivation.

Maybe both!

But I took some time off from sewing.

I didn't like the way it felt, but it was still hard to carve some time to get myself going again.

Sewing night last week helped a little.

 I had a big heap of trimming and pressing to do, and didn't want to.  

Nothing works better than an evening sewing with a friend.  

Especially when said friend brings a surprise mini for my wall!

I did manage to get the top I had been working on finished.  

Also, I should note that I finished the North Woods top before my slump.

 To celebrate I cleaned my Juki well, and even oiled it!

I'm sure as these nice days dwindle, my sewing time will benefit.

I am going to get out for a walk tonight after supper, then I'm planning to baste my two tops.

I'll check in soon with progress.

Christmas Sewing and Goals for the Rest of the Year

I've been doing early Christmas gift sewing!  

So far I have two quilts done!

I even have their blog posts done and scheduled for Christmas Day!

This past weekend I finished two sets of Lil Red dolls for our two- three year old nieces.  

I'll take proper photos before they are gifted.

I have three remaining Christmas gifts to make, one I got cut out yesterday after school.

Yay me!

For the rest of the year I have a reasonable list of goals.... since we have the last of boating season, a fence to build, the holiday season, and school stuffs it needs to be basic.

1.  North Woods quilt (by X-mas)

2.  Lil Red quilt (by X-mas)

3. Star Wars Carpenter Star (by X-mas)

4. Fancy Forest QA- my online friends are doing a quilt along beginning in Oct

These four will get me an average of one per month.  

If I have more time I would like to try to finish my Summer Sampler.

I've got this!

Vintage Triangles

How appropriate to have my final summer finish be so bright and summery?! 

I had a bit of a quilting marathon earlier this week!  

I finished two large quilts! 

Only one can be blogged, as the other is a Christmas gift.  

For probably 5 or 6 years I had two vintage pillowcases in my stash, and it feels so great to finally have this idea transformed into an actual quilt!  

My good friend Kristen gifted me this vintage sheet a couple years ago, and I knew immediately I would use it for this project!  

Now our school year begins on Monday, and if you remember in May I wrote......

......I thought I might just make a formal list for the summer.  Before school starts I'd like to make these six quilts.

1.  Pink Retro

2.  Summer Fresh QA

3.  Avalon Summerville 

4.  Patriotic Swell 

5.  Low Volume 

6.  Vintage Sheet Triangle

If I get these six accomplished this summer I will be VERY pleased.

Well, I am very happy that I did indeed finish those 6 quilts.... in addition I also made several mini quilts and the Hearts for Orlando group quilt.

Finishes

I finished my triangle top last week!

I would have basted it, but it was set aside so we could do the flooring in our dining/sewing/homeschool room.  

It was quite a task, but it was worth it.  I've been putting the room back together this week, and that got me into getting the classroom ready for the new school year.  

I think I'll be back to sewing soon!

I did finish the hand sewing on the binding of the Avalon Summerville quilt.  I'll share after Christmas once it's been gifted.  

A Marvelous Mini

Marvelous.

I did not make this mini.  

It was gifted to me by my friend April.  

She got my name in the latest secret mini swap our online group had.  

I could not have been more thrilled and in love with this quilt.  

So beautiful! 

The quilting is amazing, and I love this little fussy cut point on the butterfly! 

In my sewing room things are moving along. 

I haven't taken a picture of the finished top, but I have my Avalon ready to baste.

My solids arrived!

They are delicious!

I started cutting them last week on sewing night at Miranda's.

I'm excited about this project!

I have been thinking about my goals a lot lately. 

 A bit disappointed to be honest.  

We have three weeks left before we start third grade.

I have three quilts, half of my six, not done.

I will get the Avalon done.

I hope to get the vintage triangles done.

That leaves my low volume, I do not have hope that this will happen.

However, the hearts for Orlando quilt was unexpected, and I think that is a valid excuse for not meeting my goals for the summer.  

This week is the Sturgis Rally.

I will not be leaving my house unless my husband drives me.

Maybe I'll make crazy progress.

Stranger things have happened. 

Happy Sewing!