2014 NewFO Challenge - September

While browsing at an antique store with my friend Marianne the other day, I saw a quilt I really liked that had scrappy dresden plates on it.  Then yesterday when I was browsing through a quilting group on Facebook, I ran across another dresden plate quilt. This one had the plates appliqued on the center of a larger 4 patch.  I decided that I would like to try doing one my self.   I went through my 3 1/2" strips and picked out about 15 fabrics that I thought would look good together.

Then I used my Dresden template and cut one blade from each fabric sewing the longer ends into prairie points.  After I did that I began sewing the blades together.

I was happy with how they turned out, but it's clear that I will need to pick out several more fabrics to complete the plate.  I haven't decided yet what I am going to do with it, but I am thinking about making a pillow when I finish putting the plate together.

 You can visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others have started this month for their NewFO Challenge. 

2014 NewFO Challenge - August

I really liked Bonnie Hunter's Carolina Chain block that was her Addicted To Scraps block in the Quiltmaker Magazine May/June 2010.  I decided to start making these blocks with my 2" strips.  I've gotten a couple blocks made and I'm happy with them.  So, I'm kitting up more of the blocks to use for my Leader/Ender.

I am hoping that I can get a lap quilt made with theses before winter gets here.  I love to cover up with a quilt when watching television in the evening.  You can visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others have started this month for their NewFO Challenge. 

I have finished my Quilt Doodle Block of the Month for August which is 10 pieces of candy!  I used a red striped fabric to try to imitate the peppermint candies that my husband likes to carry in his pocket.  We only have two more blocks to go.  All of the Quilt Doodles blocks can be seen here.   

Happy quilting everyone!  Tami

2014 NewFO Challenge - July

I had been doing several table runners for my sister-in-laws as well as a dish drain quilt.  My husband decided that he wanted a dresser quilt for sitting his things on for his birthday.  So, I made another quilt as you go quilt, but this one was 15" by 40".  He wanted colors like I had used on the dish drain quilt.  I picked several out and let him pick the ones he liked.  Here's the result!  He was really happy with it!  So once again, I have finished my New FO for this month.

I also finished my Quilt Doodle Block of the Month for July which is five cups of hot chocolate!

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others have started this month. 

Happy quilting everyone! 

2014 NewFO Challenge - June

I really don't remember where I saw this Dish Drain Quilt, but I really liked the idea of making one to use in my kitchen instead of using a towel to dry the pans on that I had wash.  I really like doing quilt as you go projects and thought that this would be a good project to do that way.

I picked a fabric for the backing and cut it and the batting the size I wanted for my kitchen.  I started in the middle with a 4" square placed in the center of the batting.  I went through my 2" strings and picked out some fabric I liked together.  I sewed all around the center square with one fabric then another.

I had ordered some Clover wonder clips a while back and found that I really liked using them when doing the bindings on quilts.  I used to use straight pins and got stuck a lot!

Well, here it is in the kitchen.  It turned out just the right size.  My husband is worried that he'll spill stuff on it, but that's okay as I can just throw it in the wash.

I also finished up my Quilt Doodles June's Block 2014, which was Northern Hockey Skates.  I was a little slow doing this month's blocks as it included appliqueing the blades on the bottom of the skates. This was the first time that I had done any and I was surprised that it was as easy as what it was.  My mother-in-law had given me many of her quilting items since I had taken up quilting after she had moved on to counted cross stitch.  Quilt Doodle's instructions called for heat n bond, but I only had Wonder-Under and I wasn't quite sure that it worked the same.  I'm glad to say that it did!  Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches and see what others have started this month.  Happy quilting everyone!

2014 NewFO Challenge - May

My husband and I went to Memphis to visit our daughter and needed someone to watch our cats.  My sister-in-law volunteered to care for them for us.  She came over every day to check on the cats and make sure they had plenty of food and water.  I wanted to do something to thank her for taking care of them and decided to make her a table runner.  She's very fond of maple leafs so I included one in her table runner.

I had fabric that had lots of maple leafs on it and used that for the backing.

I am a member of the Denver Chapter of the Green Bag Lady Project and I used the same pattern that I use for those bags to make a bag for my sister-in-law's table runner.  You can watch a video to learn about the Green Bag Lady Project.

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others started this month. Happy quilting everyone! 

2014 NewFO Challenge - April

This month I actually finished the project that I started this month.  Since my sister-in-law was hosting the Easter meal this year, I decided to make her a table runner with Easter colors.

I used an assortment of different fabrics that had colors that you might find on Easter eggs.  I used the quilt as you go method with little bunny rabbit fabric for the backing and a lavender striped fabric for the binding.

I used the same pattern that I use for the Green Bag Lady bags to make a bag to put it in. You can watch a video to learn about the Green Bag Lady Project.

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches to see what others started this month. Happy quilting everyone!

Baby Quilt for Elizabeth

When I got the invitation from my old boss for a baby shower for his first grandchild, I decided that I had better finish the baby quilt that I had started a while back.  It would be a good one since the parents had decided not to find out the sex of the baby.  They wanted it to be a surprise!

I quilted it in the ditch and picked a cute little multi-colored striped fabric for the binding.  I think this will work just fine for a boy or a girl.  I remembered that I had run across a cute pattern for a baby bib and decided that I would make one of those.

I picked out several 1.5" strips and sewed them together.  I then used Bonnie Hunter's directions in her Streak of Sunshine pattern to cut that sewn piece into 1.5" strips and sewed them back together.

I used the template that was provided in the pattern and followed the directions to finish it.  Now I just needed to have something to wrap them in, so I dug through my stash and found real cute sock monkey fabric.  Since I am a member of the Denver Chapter of the Green Bag Lady Project, I thought that I would use the same pattern that I use for those bags to make a bag for Elizabeth.  I added a lining in her bag.  You can watch a video to learn about the Green Bag Lady Project.

I guess I am going to have to find some more Sock Monkey fabric because when my hubby saw Elizabeth's bag he wanted to keep it!   Happy quilting everyone!

2014 NewFO Challenge - March

Cynthia Brunz has come up with this very cute scrappy quilt she named Scrap-A-Palooza that I like!

I decided to use some of my leftovers from other quilts to make a lap quilt for while I'm watching TV.

I got more pieces sewn together, but got side-tracked from working on this quilt because I had baby shower items that I needed to finish up.

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches and see what others have started this month.  Happy quilting everyone!

Quilt Doodle BOM 2014 - March

I really enjoyed this block.  It was really easy to put together and I just might make another one with larger blocks.  I have a perfect place to hang a Christmas Tree.

This really has been a fun quilt so far.  You can see every one's blocks HERE.

I have also finished my Tumbling Leaves wall hanging that has been hanging around waiting to be quilt and bound since before Christmas.  

I've got a baby shower coming up at the end of the month, so it's back to sewing for me!

2014 NewFO Challenge - February

I have quite a few of Bonnie Hunter's quilts that I want to make.  I decided that the next one I want to work on is her Boxy Stars quilt.  It is made from 2 1/2" strips. I really liked Bonnie's latest one she made!

 I have quite a few 2 1/2" strips in my stash so I started picking out strips to create the 6" block quarters.  These stars are fun and easy to make with no set in seams. Each 12" block is made from four 6" quarters.  I like how the blocks are turning out.

I have several strips picked out for 7 more quarter blocks ready for me to sew up.  I haven't decided on just how big I want to make this one.  These stars are fun and easy to make with no set in seams.

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches and see what others have started this month.  Happy quilting everyone!

Quilt Doodle BOM 2014 - February

The layout for the quilt was revealed this last month as well as the directions for this next block.

I enjoyed putting the pieces for this block together.  I had several different blue fabrics that I used for the sky of the Cozy Cabin block.

I think this is going to make a fun quilt!  You can see everyone's blocks HERE.

2014 NewFO Challenge - January

I had decided that I wanted to make a Churn Dash Quilt, so I asked hubby for assistance.  Of the ones I showed him, this is the one that he said he liked the best.

I started working on the blocks using a variety of the different red fabrics that I had in my stash.  Hubby and I both like red, so I had quite a few.

I don't have a design wall, so I use the floor in the living room.  I originally had made only 16 blocks, but decided that I'd like a rectangular quilt rather than a square one.

Here I have all of the blocks turned into rows.  I'll be connecting the rows together with sashing between and picking out what I'll be using for the border.

Visit Barbara over at Cat Patches and see what others have started this month.  Happy quilting everyone!

Quilt Doodle BOM 2014 - January

I cut out all the pieces I needed for the January Quilt Doodle BOM and I've got the HST's created.

I got all of the Snowman heads sewn together.

Then one by one I connected each of the Snowman heads together to make the entire row.  I had to stop and think about what I wanted to use for the eyes.  It looked like the french knots made the eyes way too small and I didn't have any beads to try.  I thought about using heat and bond to make them, but remembered that I had some buttons that I had saved from old clothes.

And here is how they turned out!  I liked the way they looked all willy nilly and so that is how I put them on! It turned out they I had even more buttons than I needed.  I just might make a couple of Snowman pillows and use the rest of the buttons.

Every month photos of the Quilt Doodle BOM finishes are posted in the BOM flicker group and they can all be view there.  

Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt Part 6

I finished putting together the blocks for Celtic Solstice which is this year's Bonnie Hunter Mystery.  I decided to not do a full-sized quilt as I already have three that haven't been quilted yet. This one will end up as a baby quilt.

Check out everyone's progress on the Celtic Solstice Mystery here.