Christmas Placemats - YEA!

I finished one placemat yesterday and then did the other three today, just in time for Christmas dinner!

2 Placemats have fabric on the back

View of the table with the four placemats in place

Full placemat view

2 Placemats have this blue on the back

Another closeup of one of the placemats

Counting UFOs

I have now finished piecing 4 placemats. Need to get them quilted but it's going to be hard to find the time.

My sister arrived from Wyoming to visit with Mom who is living with me and we (DS & I) stayed up until 1:30 am this morning talking.

I only have to work 4 hours today so it's not so bad. Then I am OFF until Jan 3rd! YEAH!

I decided to join the Stashbusters 2018 UFO challenge. So I need to select 2 fat quarters and send them and $1 off to the holder of the FQ kitty. I am officially declaring that I have 49 UFOs.

Just One Thing

Started selecting and cutting more Christmas/Winter fabrics for two more placemats. These bowtie blocks are too stinking cute!

I'm also continuing with my selvage edge blocks that are 10.5" with a fabric stabilizer as a foundation. I used up all my old thin muslim. (YAY!) Now I'm using some old cotton sheeting; very old, very washed and quite supple. So that's also a win.

I have hardly made a dent in my box of selvages.

My nieces came down from Maryland and visited with my Mom last week. That was nice!

Shannon, Mom, and Jennifer

DH, our two DGSs and I went to the UVA basketball game on Saturday in JPJ arena. This was DGSs first experience with basketball. We had a lot of fun!

Aftterwards, DH and I got to celebrate youngest DGS's birthday on Saturday with an ice cream cake.

He blew out the candles before I could take the pic!

The remote control two-car race track present was a success. DH and both DGSs loved it. I played with it too. LOL

O, yea! We also got our Christmas tree, put it up, and the DGSs helped to decorate. YAY!

Looking forward to having the grandsons at Christmas!

Christmas Placemats

Decided to make some Winter/Christmas placemats this weekend. Used the pattern here: http://freshlypieced.com/2011/05/scrappy-rainbow-placemats-tutorial.html

24 different Christmas or Winter prints plus white. Only took a 2.5" strip of fabric each, really less but I don't cut small pieces off my fabrics. The longest part was moving around the fabrics to get it how I wanted.

I don't have an empty table near my sewing machine so I partially unfolded my cardboard cutting mat and put it on the floor. That was a lot bending over and once I actually sat on the floor. OOF! I don't like sitting on the floor. Or rather, I don't like getting up from that position... I'm not a flexible as I once was.

I managed to piece one entire mat by the end of last night (11:30 pm) and started on the second one. Will have to take photos.

It's a big-ish placemat but that's not a bad thing. The bowties look so cute too.

Saturday was taken up by a work emergency. City Hall completely lost power and the computer systems all crashed. Since I am in IT, this means working on the weekend. At least, it was remote work but still.

I made a little more progress on my 10.5" Selvage Squares. They have a 2.5" strip of black fabric crosswise down the middle first. I haven't decided what it will become yet. I cut some more muslin foundations and pinned some black strips down the middle. They really are pretty.

I paid a blogger I follow postage only for a STUFFED priority mail box of selvage edge strips and boy was it stuffed! I even found a few regular strips of fabric in it. I guess she didn't like them or else they fell into the box by accident. LOL

I need to take photos of them too. I'll also have to count exactly how many I have completed so far. I like that kind of work!

I am a little overwhelmed by the amount of stash increase that I have recently experienced. After my Mom's stroke and spending time with her in NC, I came back with three or more large plastic containers of FAB fabric! I am slowly ironing and ruler-folding it and placing them into my stash shelves.

In fact, one of my shelves collapsed onto my computer table; they were in the wall behind my computer and the shelving was not secure, i.e. the shelf just rested on a couple of boards. If I pressed too hard on the edge, it just shoved all the fabric in my face and onto my table. GAH!

DH fixed the shelf with a long screw on both sides. I am now a happy camper. But I also had to straighten all of the fabrics and re-shelve them.

OH NO! So far I have found two of my mother's UFOs! One just needs the binding and a hanging sleeve (and a label). Another is an applique baby quilt that requires some embroidery before proceeding. At least all the applique is attached! It is weird finding Mom's UFOs.

I don't think she will take up sewing any more. She says she doesn't have time for it. Really? I can't imagine. She is 86, after all. I'm only 60 and still working. LOL

2 new flimsies!

Updated photo of my Blue Irish Chain with the borders added.

Irish Chain flimsy

I finished the farm kalido to flimsy stage. YAH!

Kaliedo Time

Been working on my Kaliedo Baby with farm materials.

Stitching on my 221 Featherweight.

Blocks with no corners on the design wall.

Kaliedo blocks with no corners

Finally got all the corners on this weekend.

Kaleidos with corners!

I will start stitching the columns and rows together tonight.

Helpful Grandsons and Bountiful Harvests

I decided to bring in one of my wall hangings to spice up the office.

Storm At Sea #1 Wall Hanging

I love it.

Of course, my DGSs needed to help me with my quilting. Got to love the little monsters under my extension table! I'm working on quilting another Storm at Sea, this time in blues.

It is that time of year when the harvests are arriving. We have been having fun learning what edible mushrooms are available in our yard. The eggplants and tomatoes are kicking and a few of the sweet peppers are coming available.

Then the important harvest! Our wine grapes. DH and the grapes, getting ready for crushing.

Loading up

Ready to start crushing

The beginning of the results

Tied Completion

I finished my inherited UFO. This quilt was started by my Aunt Margaret. She had layered it and pin-basted it. I decided to tie it and use buttons I already had. (I have WAY TOO MANY buttons!) I used only white and red buttons. I love it! It went immediately on my bed.

Finished 8/24/17. 

Pieced Backs

I finished piecing a quilt backing yesterday for my 16-patch Jewel quilt I am quite happy with it.

Searched for the batting this morning and I think I have found it. I still need to measure it. Good Grief!

My grandchildren are coming for dinner tonight so I'm not layering the quilt top YET. As a reminder, this is the quilt top:

16-patch Jewel Quilt top

No new critters in the trap this morning. We are up to 2 raccoons and 1 opossum.

Pictures!

Ok, I was good last night. I dragged a bunch of my quilt tops out and took pictures. I really like the afternoon the best for pictures.

Variable Christmas Roots

Close-up of the center of Variable Christmas Roots

Straight Furrows Lap Quilt

Streak of Lightning Lap Quilt

Storm at Sea in Blues Wall Hanging

Shadows of Fall Wall Hanging, mostly quilted

Fade to Black Miniature Wall Hanging

Double Irish Chain - Still needs borders

100-Patch Quilt

 My 100-patch Quilt is a pattern by https://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com.

Still working on another pattern by the same author, Film at Five. I have about 7 or more of the 25 blocks that are needed. They are 25-patch blocks at 2.5 inches. They seem so huge compared to the miniatures I have been creating.