Misc. Sewing

This is my first 'complete' finish for 2019.  I actually finished it Jan 13th, but haven't had much time to blog.  This is winging it's way to it's new owner now.

table runner

showing fun floral backing

The hearts are paper pieced and can be found for free here.  I pieced this on my 1927 Singer 15 hand crank, and quilted it on my Janome.  Most of the fabric in the hearts are scraps leftover from my son's wedding signature quilt. 

Last week my large quilt guild had a schoolhouse as the program.  I was one of 4 people who taught different quilting techniques.  I taught several different ways to make Flying Geese.  I taught this to my little quilt guild last August and wrote a blog post about it then.

On Saturday, I taught a mug rug class at church.  Because of the weather (snowing all day), several of the ladies didn't attend, so I'll be teaching this again this coming Saturday.  Here are the ladies who attended, and the mug rugs that were completed.

ladies making mug rugs

Ruth's

Kelly's

Carla's

mine

I have kits prepared, but still need to cut out fabrics for a couple more kits.  These mug rugs come in sets of 7, that you quilt as you go.  You can get Spiritual, Uplifting or Quilty themes.  They also have a YouTube tutorial on how to make these.  They are fun and quick to make.  All the fabrics are from my stash.  Here are some of the kits I have leftover, that will be used for the next class.

My friend Marilyn just had a special birthday.  She had been wanting to have an ice cream party at Colonial Cafe on her birthday but her hubby planned a trip, so she was out of town.  Well, Colonial Cafe is known for their 'Kitchen Sink' ice cream sundae.

The 'Kitchen Sink' sundae gave me an idea, and several of her quilting friends helped out.  On Sunday we surprised Marilyn (at Colonial Cafe, of course) with her own 'Kitchen Sink' full of 'fabric' ice cream.

Marilyn & her kitchen sink full of fabric ice cream

I'm way behind on several baby quilts.  I made 2 quilt tops back in October, but didn't get them quilted until this month.  Today I finally finished the binding on the quilts.

1st Churn Dash baby quilt

faux piping binding

back of 1st baby quilt

The 2nd quilt I used some poly batting that I've had for a while.  My Janome wasn't happy trying to quilt thru it, with minkee on the back.  The walking foot didn't want to walk very well (the layers kept shifting), so I machine quilted much less than on the first quilt.  That left some spaces without enough quilting.  Well, the baby this quilt is for is named Zariah, so, I used her initial and hand quilted it in those spaces.

hand quilted 'Z'

Here is Zariah's finished quilt.

2nd Churn Dash baby quilt

pale yellow minkee backing

The yellow backing doesn't show it's true colors.  It is really a deep butter yellow.  I used faux piping binding on both of these quilts.

Last week I found a different way to join the ends of the binding on quilts.  I tried it first on my mug rug on Saturday.  It worked GREAT!  Now I don't have to remember what size I cut my binding.  This is the easiest way to join the ends.  I'll be using this method from now on.

Churn Dash baby quilt tops

I love to make Churn Dash quilts.  They are simple and fun to make.  Each time I make them, they look different from the last time, with the different color and fabric changes.

I need to make 4 different baby quilts.  One of the babies is already here (Oops!), but the other 3 babies are due in 2019.

I pulled some fabric the other day for the 'freebie table' at quilt guild, and decided to keep one of the fabrics and used it for the centers of these churn dash blocks.  I made 2 identical quilt tops.

See, I really did make 2 tops

The colors aren't showing up well.  I do NOT have pink in the quilts.  That pink is really a nice wine color with tiny pink lines running thru it.   My secret sister gave me that fabric back in February, for Valentine's Day (I have a GREAT secret sister!).  And that color on the bottom, that looks like black is really a dark green.  All the colors were pulled to go with the center fabric.

center block fabric

All of this fabric came from my stash.  I'll back these quilts with Minkee.  I may have enough Minkee in my stash, too.  I can use the center block fabric for the binding.  I have plenty of it left over.

As for the new baby (already born) she was using her big sister's quilt last night.

big sister's baby quilt

It's nice to see something that I made, actually being used.  Since so many of my quilts head off to far off places (family all over the country) I seldom get to see the quilts being used.  

Tomorrow, hubby and I are headed to Michigan.  My Michigan TOGA group gets together for sew-in's once a month.  I'll be picking up a Willcox & Gibbs treadle for a friend of mine.  We are the 'pony express' for this machine.  I'll also get some time to stitch with the ladies, too.  I'll try to remember to take some photos while I'm there.

Churn Dash Baby Quilt

I finished the Churn Dash baby quilt.  I used pink Realtree camo flannel for the Churn Dash blocks.  The background fabric is a dotted print (it doesn't show up very well in the pictures).

speckled Minkee on the back

I used most of the extra fabric to make 2 flannel/satin blankets to go with the quilt.

flannel on one side, satin on the other

Yes, the satin is washable.  I took these pictures after I'd washed and dried everything.  I even pre-washed all the fabrics before I made anything.

I had some scraps left, so, I decorated a couple of burp rags.

matching burp rags

This is what the background fabric looks like.

background fabric

All of these are for my BFF's newest grandbaby, which is due in a few days.  I'd better get these in the mail.

I tried a new technique for finishing my binding ends.  Chris Lynn Kirsch showed this on her blog. It is called 'No-End Binding'.

trying the No-End binding technique

This was a great way to do the binding ends.  I'll be using this method again.  Thanks Chris!

Other than on Tuesday, when we went to Sewing, Etc. to stitch, I haven't gotten much sewing done this week.  I just haven't been in the mood.  I've sat in my sewing room and organized while watching movies.  Hopefully I'll get in the mood quickly, since I have several projects that really need to get done.  Some of them I haven't even started yet.  Sometimes when I have so many projects due, I find it hard to even get started.  I think it becomes a bit overwhelming.  Do you ever get that way?  What do you do about it?  

Quilt Guild Fun, and a Finish

Wego Quiltin', my little quilt guild, met last night.  I presented the program.  Shabby Fabrics has a cute sewing machine ornament, and, I made kits and everyone made their ornaments during the meeting.  I had made up my ornaments last week.  Watch the video above, and make one for yourself.  *Hint, she mentions using a drop of glue in places, and, I encourage that, since one of my ribbons came out, after lots of handling.  Here are the ornaments that I made up, to show variations of what can be done.

The ladies had fun making their own ornaments.

I also had a finish yesterday.  I finally finished the quilting on a baby quilt for Betty.  I put faux piped binding on it.  It is backed in chocolate brown Minkee.

finished baby quilt

 Up close of some of the blocks, before quilting.

 Now to get this quilt washed, and in the mail.  Hopefully I'll get lots more done this week, since I didn't get much done last month.

Stitching! Stitching! Stitching!

I've been busy stitching the past 2 weeks.  Here is the proof.

Bear Paw QAL

So far, I've prepared 560 of the 960 Half Square Triangles needed for the Bear Paw Quilt Along.  I've also cut out what is needed to make all the Bear Paw blocks.  I've stitched 4 blocks so far (lots and lots left, of course).

First 4 blocks stitched

This is what 560 1.5" HST's look like.

560 HST's

Of course, I still need to cut, trim, iron and pull papers on another 400 HST's.

10 pages of Triangulations, ready to be cut into 400 HST's

Here is what else I've cut, so far.

squares for blocks

sashings for blocks

I can relax now, now that I have so much cut, ready to stitch. 




At the Fall Festival, I worked on several projects.  Of course, since I was demo'ing some of my vintage machines, I had to use several of them.


I started straight line quilting on this baby quilt, on my 'Victor' treadle.

baby quilt

Post WWII Japanese Class 15 treadle 'Victor'

I started making some more purses, too.  I only got this far on two of them.

parts of purse, stitched

parts of purse, stitched

I had started on 2 other purses, the week before. 

OU purse #1

OU purse #2

These purses are being made on 'Betty Sue'

1939 Singer 221 Featherweight 'Betty Sue'

This is what the finished purses will look like.

Finished purse from August

I also started on a wall hanging, and got the top of it finished on Monday.

wall hanging

All the fabrics, other than the solid purple, are sewing themed fabrics.


This wall hanging was stitched on a hand crank. 

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

I'm also using this machine to stitch the Bear Paw blocks.  I love my hand cranks.  Sew relaxing to stitch on. 


Not bad, considering that I had to set up, and take down the booth at Fall Festival last weekend, too.  Yes, all the machines were put up quickly.