Summer Sewing!

I have not been sewing too much this summer.  Playing lots of games and reading lots of books instead.  Barb keeps on trying to get me in the sewing room and thankfully she was successful a few times!  I sewed up these easy hand warmers to give to Kathy at Christmas time (and who knows who else).  I made some when we were in Arizona and sent them all back here, but we did not need any at the time.

I have had this Grim Ripper pattern for forever and have wanted to make one.  Barb had made it previously for a small quilt auction and wanted one for herself.  So we sewed together and whipped them up.  I decided to make a second one most likely to gift to my longarmer at Christmas time.  I gave her a 3D printed business card holder sewing machine and she loved it.  These still need quilting, I did get them backed and ready to go.  I think I will echo quilt them.

I found a free pattern for this Pride flag and decided I needed to make it too.  Love how it came out, still needs quilting.

Lora got this one done and I picked it up a few weeks ago.  Managed to get it bound in scrappy colors.  Think I am keeping this one, it has found its way onto the back of our living room chair.  This was a Quiltville Log Cabin quilt that I did for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge I made in 2022!  It is so nice to be getting some of these tops done that have been sitting around waiting!  

 

Emerald Jubilee is Coming Together and RSC from 2015!

You may remember a few years ago I completed Ruby Jubilee from Quiltmaker Magazine that year in red.  Becky and Bonnie did it in purple.  I copied Bonnie's fill ins for the white spaces as best I could.  My friend Barb made those same blocks in green and gifted them to me instead of completing the top.  Here and there I have gotten it out and worked on strings or figuring out what I needed to make to complete it.  I finally started putting it together last week.  Here is the first section.

Here is the second section attached.  

The third section was a bit of a nightmare.  There were more missing parts and not enough room in my sewing room to spread them out and figure things out.  I finally hauled it out to the living room and my gaming table and laid it out.

You can see there are lots of missing parts!

A few days later and the whole top (sans borders) is together!  We happened to have one nice weather day which coincided with this top coming together so I ran outside and took some pictures.

It still needs half square triangles around the outside and a string border when I get back to it.  I am thinking the pair of quilts will be for Hazel and Indie after they are quilted.  They can tuck them away for someday.

I went to Lora's and picked up my three baby quilts that she quilted for me (and dropped off a Bonnie quilt too).  These were rainbow scrap challenge quilt blocks from ???  I thought they were from 2015, but I completed that top already so must be from another year.  I had to do some serious searching to find out.  The link above is to the patterns and plan that Angela of SoScrappy who hosts the RSC put together.  Huge shout out to her for doing this for over a decade and inspiring so many amazing rainbow quilts.  It is one of my favorite projects that I return to over and over again.  This year I inspired my friend Barb (no blog) to make a rainbow quilt each month too!  She is doing the same block as me but many more of them as she wants a giant quilt in the end.  I am thinking I want two smaller ones for the grands.  Mine will have more white space while hers will be full butterflies.

This one is Bonnie's Princess Crown quilt.  I got all three of these bound one day last week.  

Lora did a spectacular job (as always) quilting them with I love you hands which is my go to favorite pattern!
                
I bought three backings on sale/clearance from Missouri Star a month or so ago.  The middle one is at the longarmer now with Old Town from 2024.  That reminds me I need to update my Quiltville Parade of Quilts page as I am a few years behind!

Last week I also got motivated and did some reorganizing and folding of my fabric.  My shelf is looking a lot neater now!

 

February Sewing So Far!

My Lupine and Laughter quilt top is a flimsy.  I like how this one turned out in my colors.  Different from any others I have done for sure.  

I decided since I made Hazel an H is for Happy doll quilt that I should make an I one for Indigo.  I had to "design" the I myself and it is not quite as good as the H's, but it works.  I do love how the quilting came out and I did that myself too.  Since I was gifting it to Indie for Valentine's Day I decided I better make something for Hazel too.  She gets a little tooth fairy pillow.  She loved it.

Then yesterday I decided to whip up some Frozen sleeping bags to put on the Frozen beds that Kathy 3D printed for them a few weeks ago.  Cannot wait for them to see them tomorrow.  I made mini Olaf pillows too, but not picture yet.

Speaking of 3D printing--Kathy has been making me game inserts like they are going out of style!  I had her make me this cool phone holder for my sewing room too.  

My other favorite thing she has printed me is this!  I update how many books I read whenever I remember.  I am at 22 now so need to get in there and update it!

                                    

I finally tied and bound the most recent Eye Spy baby quilt too.

I decided to make Hope Takes Flight 

for my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt for 2026.  Mine may be all butterflies and not so much background, or I may wind up with two of them....no idea yet.  I had a batik charm pack so I started with that and then just added from my batiks.  I have not used them in forever and was contemplating getting rid of them.  Linking up with Angela at SoScrappy.

Attic Stars (Debbie Montgomery quilt from 2021) is finally quilting by Lora and bound by me.  This will be for Kathy's niece Megan and her soon to be new hubby Christopher for their wedding in September.  

Krista (one of my booktubers) has started doing a once a month "Maker Monday" where we get together on the computer and do something crafty while we gab.  I whipped up an entire knitted washcloth last Monday.  Hopefully I will continue to do this each month as they make good gifts!

 

A January Catch Up!

Awhile back I finished the Matchmaker Modern Quilt Mystery.  I am happy with how it came out despite not picking fabrics ahead of time and using only scraps.  

For Christmas I made Indie a second pillowcase for her little pillow.  This one matches the one we use at my house.

I also made this Rudolph panel into a book.  It was very difficult to get in the right order and despite my best efforts it is not in the right order!  I think this went to Miles since Indie is kind of big for cloth books now.

For Christmas Becky sent me this awesome pumpkin mini quilt.  I LOVE it!  Bug had to model with it as always. I think this was her last quilt to model with (or close to it) as she died in my arms (at almost sixteen years old) a week ago today.  We sure do miss her feisty self.

I am still working on Bonnie's Lupine and Laughter mystery quilt.  I have seventeen more blocks to sew together.  Here are some pictures of the parts and blocks so far.

 I also sewed with Barb and Becky online yesterday and started the Kathleen Tracy Valentine's mystery.  Here is clue one.

                                                

Quilting and Crafting

I made Angie (Jay's girlfriend) a bag with mushrooms and stars on it for Christmas.

At guild I participated in the Secret Santa and got all this cool cookie stuff.  

I have been working on and keeping up with the Lupine and Laughter mystery quilt this year.

 I have been trying to decide which NewYear's Mysteries to make this year.  Last year was a big disappointment and so I do not feel like doing any this year.  I have done at least one every year for twenty or more years.  This year there is TONS of presewing for one of them (all hst's) and curves in one of them, and a jelly roll for another and none are appealing to me.  

Chilhowie and More

I made a few more mini tissue holders mostly in rainbow fabric.  May gift them at a post Christmas exchange with our local lgbtq group.

Not the best photo since it is in a darkish living room, but here is Chilhowie back from Lora who does beautiful work!  I plan to keep this one at least for the time being.  I gave my sister the one I had (On Ringo Lake) and gave my brother and his wife the first Packer Bliss quilt (Lora quilted).  

Here is my nephew Bear with his patchwork ghost.  He likes it so much he took it to school!  My brother and Bear called me the other night so he could read part of his story to me.  He is growing so fast!  Sure miss being near my nephews!

I am caught up on the modern Matchmaker mystery!  Next clue comes out tomorrow.  These blocks were not the easiest for me to make.  

I also noticed that other people did them in different colors.  I may wind up redoing one of each set of these.  We shall see.

I pulled my fabrics for Bonnie's new mystery Lupine and Laughter.  It starts tomorrow (a week early) this picture does not have my neutrals and that black with flowers is the inspiration fabric so may wind up in a border or binding or something.