Just Fun!

I've been hard at work on this little quilt since I shared the fabrics a week and half ago.  (Well, except for a wonderful excursion to a quilt store where I picked up some luscious fabrics to be shared later!)  I probably shouldn't use the word 'work', because this quilt has been nothing but fun.  I have so enjoyed making every single block and even the binding!  I wonder if it's because I used fabrics that are so different from my usual choices or perhaps because I'm just loving the time in my new sewing space.  Probably a combination of both.  In any case, I'm calling this little quilt 'Just Fun!' in celebration of that...

This is the Schnibbles quilt chosen by Sinta and Sherri for this month.  There will be a parade of quilts on their blogs October 1st and it's always so much fun to see how the same quilt looks in different fabrics.  By the way, this pattern is called Mercerie and is a Vintage Schnibble by Carrie Nelson. I used 2 Charm Packs of Simply Style by V and Co. for mine.  I also made 20 blocks instead of 16 and used the extra 4 as a label for the back.

Quilt Label on the Back

Although I bought enough of the backing fabric to use as the binding, when I had the top together, I just thought it called out for a scrappy binding.  However, there wasn't enough fabric left over to make one.  So I had to get inventive.  I figured out if I joined strips of my backing fabric with some of the leftover strips from the charm packs I could make a wide enough piece to use as binding.  And since the binding gets folded in half, you never see the backing fabric!

2.25" x 5" binding sections

I don't know if everyone is already doing this or perhaps it's a big no-no, but it gave me enough strips to join together so that I had my scrappy binding and I love how it turned out.  I didn't have any problems applying it either, even with the extra seam down the middle of many pieces.

Scrappy Binding

Now that my quilting room is almost finished, I have the perfect place to hang it too (and all future Schnibbles quilts)!

So, the stats for this quilt are:

• Size: 33" square
• Fabrics: Simply Style by V and Co.
• Batting: Warm & White
• Thread: Aurifil #2600 to piece, Superior Threads So Fine #451 to quilt
• Pattern: Mercerie by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.
• Quilting: Celtic Braid by Patricia E. Ritter
• Completed: September 2013

As usual, I had some help on this quilt.  (None of my quilts are solitary projects.)

Jack, insuring none of my blocks go missing

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT)

Block Swap Wrap Up...

After a year of trading boxes, I've finally finished the last block for my bee's Quilt in a Box swap.

Tamah's Block

This was a fun swap to participate in (for the second time) and I really enjoyed seeing how each block turned out depending on the fabric used.  As a matter of fact, here's a collage of all 12 blocks together.

Even though everyone's quilts will have the same blocks in them, they're all going to look so different because of their fabric selections.  I'm particularly keen to see how the blue and yellow quilt turns out.  (Once I have my box and all it's blocks, I'll share pictures of them too.)

All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the motives.

Proverbs 16:2

A New Project...

As most of you already know, Sherri and Sinta have continued this year with the Schnibbles parades.  The theme this time around is 'Vintage Schnibbles'.  For obvious reasons, I haven't been able to join in that often this year.  So I was excited to see that this month's pattern is Mercerie, because I'm finally ready to jump back in.  I've got my pattern, my fabric and I even ordered Monique Dillard's Fit to Be Quarter ruler which arrived today.

I'm really going outside of my usual box with my fabric choices this time, but I'm eager to see how it turns out.  And I have the perfect spot in my sewing room to display it when it's done.  Now I've got 2 weeks to make it and quilt it.  So looking forward to it!

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 

Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

O is for Ornaments...

I've been doing a little bit of hand embroidery at night lately.  Enough to finally finish the next Snowmen A to ZZZZ block...

O is for Ornaments

The pattern is by Crabapple Hill Studios (love their patterns!)  I'll fess up to a few changes to this block though.  After I had finished embroidering almost all of the pine branch, I discovered a small green pen mark on the ornament on the right.  I don't know that I even own a green pen, so I don't know where the mark came from, but it wouldn't come off.  It took so long to embroider the pine needles that I just couldn't face the thought of starting over, so I embellished the ornament to cover the mark.  Hopefully, no one will ever be able to tell it was there!

Now that I've finished this, I really must get back to working on my Ladies of the Sea blocks!

Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. 

Romans 12:21 (NLT)

Picture Day...

It's been a while since I've taken the camera and gone on a photo shoot.  Some of the pets were obviously a little more cooperative than others...

Sam - Doesn't she look grumpy?

Jack - She loves this scratcher when I put fresh catnip on it.  She rolls all over it.

David - He would love to be a lap kitty, even though he's too big to fit in a lap.

Moses - This was the best picture I could get of her.  She just wouldn't cooperate and her coloring makes it difficult to photograph well anyway.

Gabriel - She's been getting a lot of exercise lately, so she's napping a lot.

Jack, Sam and Moses have all celebrated birthdays recently as well.  They're now 13, 13, and 9 respectively.  Boy, how the time does fly!

The Lord will work out his plans for my life-for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me. 

Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

Some Bee Stuff...

One of the things that has been keeping me busy recently has been working on projects for my quilt bee.  Right now we're doing a HST Swap and a Quilt in a Box swap each month.  I had fallen a little behind on my blocks for the latter and spent the last couple of days catching up.  The idea behind the swap is that each person selects all of the fabric for their own quilt and puts it in a box.  That box then gets passed around to each bee member who will use it to make a 12.5" block.  We each picked our block pattern before we started the swap and we make the same block for each person.

I had 3 blocks to make this month, so I did a little assembly line sewing.  First, I cut out each block from that person's fabric.  There are quite a few pieces, so I needed a cheat sheet to keep them organized when I was cutting them out.  (I used the Thangles paper for the HST's and Monique Dillard's Fit to be Geese ruler for the Flying Geese units.)

Pieces for 3 different blocks

Several hours of chain piecing, ironing and cutting and I had all my units ready to join - HSTs, Flying Geese and Square in a Square.  It looks like a complicated block, but breaks down pretty easily.

All 3 blocks ready to sew together.

Another couple of hours later (give or take) and I was done!  I'm not sure how long I spent on these blocks, but I was enjoying myself so I didn't rush it.

Ann's Block

Bridget's block

Kathy's block

I really enjoy seeing how different the blocks look depending on the fabric choices.  I only have one more box to go before I'm finished with this project.  And actually, my bee has already finished passing my box around so I have all of my blocks back.  I'll have to share them sometime soon.

While I was busy sewing, Gabriel was taking advantage of the view from the window seat.  It's a great lookout spot to see what the neighborhood critters are up to.  (Excuse the chair, I'm in the process of hanging stuff on the walls.)

I've actually started to unpack a few boxes and am slowly trying to find the perfect place for everything.  I love, love, love organizing, so this is a lot of fun for me!

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 

Ephesians 1:7 (NLT)

Renovation Giveaway #5 - Strips... (Winner Announced)

Life has been busy here lately with quilting, cleaning, painting and some cat training (which is not going well!)  I had intended to start this giveaway earlier, but blogging and computer time have suffered from a lack of time.

Just as I found that I wasn't using my collection of charm squares, I'm finding the same is true of my 2.5" strips.  So I'd like to find a new home for them.  I've been collecting them for years - some have come from swaps and others from the scraps at the end of a project.  You can see that I obviously favor some colors over others.  FYI - Although the strips will go to a new home, I'm going to keep the containers!

Collection of 2.5" strips

Yellows and Purples

Neutrals and Pinks

Oranges and Reds

Batiks and White/Blacks

Christmas, Blues and Greens

If you're interested in winning them, just leave a comment below.  (Sorry, but due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US addresses only.)  I'm not sure yet how long I'll leave this open.  It'll be a surprise to both you and me and probably depends on how busy I continue to be.

9/10/13 - Congratulations QueenB!  I've sent you an email.