Saturday, November 1, 2014

UFO: November Assignment for 2014

This is how people get to be old and wonder where their lives went! Only one more UFO project for 2014 after this month! The November challenge is number:




I did finish my October UFO, but I posted it yesterday!

Several UFO finishers have been very productive this month -- Debra finished three quilts in October!


UFO #2 - Bonnie Hunter, Love Shack. Bonnie came to San Diego and we had a Love Shack workshop at Paradise Sewing on October 14th. It was a very fun class and we learned a lot - wonky houses, hearts (string-pieced), marverick stars, and letters. The Love Shack workshop cannot be found in any book and is only available by workshop - so if Bonnie is coming your way you may want to have the Love Shack workshop. It is loaded with information and Bonnie, as usual, is an awesome teacher.
Debra, I'll be watching for a workshop with Bonnie!  This quilt looks like so much fun!


My second picture is the finished Marcus Fabrics Designer Friends and Companions Sew-Along. There were 9 instructors who submitted there blocks and the last part was the actual "how to put the quilt together" instruction. This was such a fun sew-along. It was a mystery and blocks were provided on a weekly basis. I am not a very good picture taker, but the actual quilt is much prettier - it has reds, blues, greens, cheddars, blacks, and whites. Take a look at Red Crinoline or Heartspun Quilts blogs to obtain the instructions on how to make the quilt.
And -- there's another one in my UFO pile! Love your borders, Debra!


My last entry is Bonnie Hunters, Scrap Crystals. Bonnie also visited Sunshine Quilter's Guild in El Cajon and had two workshops at Memory Lane Quilt Shop. The first was Winston Ways and the second was Scrap Crystals. I signed up for Scrap Crystals and was so excited from the Tuesday night lecture and getting prepared with my fabrics for the Thursday workshop I think I got myself into a frenzy and couldn't attend because of horrible back pain and a headache. I did complete my Scrap Crystals - I even added another row so the quilt is 5x5 and 88"x88" large. I love it.
Debra, I'm so sorry you didn't get to attend the workshop. Your quilt is gorgeous!



 Arianna sent a photo of this sweet baby quilt:


There is quite a story behind Arianna's quilt, I'll let her tell it.
I finally finished a quilt - my first one!  In our area, women who have children or are pregnant and who are convicted of crimes must take their children with them to jail if they have no family members to care for the children.  Many are taken to jail with little more than the clothes on their backs.  As a result, our church runs a ministry that collects blankets, clothes, etc. for a local women's prison.  This baby quilt will be going to them.
Arianna, I will be sending some fabric to you. I'll try to keep it to a large envelope-size package.

Reyna also sent a photo of a charity quilt. It's called "Sunrise, Sunset," and you can read the details on her blog Yarn In, Yarn Out


It's a great story, you should go to Reyna's blog and read it!

Sandi swapped out the number of her finish for this month. Here is "Kaptain Khorous."



Details on Sandi's blog, KwiltnKats, plus a sneak peak at her next finish.

Can't wait to see it, Sandi, it looks intriguing!

Heather also sent in photos of two finishes for this month. First up is a jewel-toned beauty, "Happily Ever After."


Her second finish is her "Leaders and Enders" project, "Charming Stars." 


Go to Heather's blog, Peachy Pages, for details on these two lovelies.

Hey, Heather, is that a new quilt on your blog header? I love it!

I am absolutely in Love with Gill's October finish. This Halloween throw is perfect for snuggling under between answering the doorbell for trick-or-treaters!



Irene finished an oldie-but-goodie for her October UFO. She says she's had this quilt "in the works" for about five years.


I don't see this one on Irene's blog, A Serendipitous Retirement, just yet -- but you'll want to follow her to get the whole story! 

Ten finishes for October. That's pretty good! Arianna is our first-time finisher this month, so I think she should win the giveaway prize. Arianna, I'll be emailing you to ask for your postal address. Thanks for playing along with "12 in 2014 Finishes!"


Between traveling with My Little Sailor and a quick trip to Idaho for emergency leave, October was an overwhelming month.  I worry that I might have missed someone's UFO Finish email. If I did, please let me know so I can update this post!


From the desk of your auntmartisignature

Friday, October 31, 2014

Friday Finish: Happy Halloween!

It's my favorite holiday! When else do you get to dress up in costume, know on strangers' doors, and demand candy?

I'm a big big "Wizard of Oz" fan. I remember the first time I saw the movie in color -- I finally understood the "Horse of a Different Color!"

So you won't be surprised when I show you my new door hanging:


I think this is supposed to be a "trick or treat" bag, but I use it for my knitting bag during the month of October. It was made by one of the DH's aunts, and I get so many compliments on it!


Happy Halloween!

From the desk of your auntmartisignature

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Coming soon...

Hello everyone!

It's The Younger Son (or 'My Little Sailor') here again to announce something new and great that's coming soon to 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks... 

I'll let it speak for itself:
 Stay tuned! The video tutorial will be finished soon!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

WIP Wednesday: Block Swap Blocks

Front Range Modern Quilt Guild hosts a "block swap" each month. These are my blocks from this year.

The first blocks I requested are black and white log cabin variations. Based on a design by Barbara Vedder, I think people didn't understand what I was looking for. I didn't receive many blocks, but those I did make a great start to my next black and white quilt!


I decided to change my request to "house blocks." Initially, I asked for red and white blocks. Now I've decided to go scrappy, so any colors are allowed!


Soon, I'll have some houses from my friends at the 2013 Quiltmakers Scrap Squad to add to the collection. I'm going to use a "wonky" setting, just for fun!

Which reminds me -- I'd better get to work on my own "swap block" assignment for this month!

From the desk of your auntmartisignature

Monday, October 27, 2014

Bag It!

I love test-sewing for designers. I get such a kick out of seeing patterns before they are released!

One of my favorite designers is Sara Lawson, of Sew Sweetness.

I recently test-sewed her new bag design, Crimson & Clover.  This bag is a takeoff of the classic "train case." How I wish I had my mother's old Samsonite train case!

The bag comes in three sizes. I chose to make the smallest size. I modified the interior to make it a nail polish bag (no surprise there!).


I photographed it on my 6.5" ruler so you can see the "real" size!


Of course, I inserted a "My Aunt Marti Made It" and "PeaceLoveandHappiness" label in the back seam.


I also added a tiny little zipper trinket, just for fun!



The pattern calls for fabric pockets inside. Instead, I used decorative elastic and stitched it down at 1.25" increments to hold bottles of nail polish.


The smallest size of Sephora's Instant Nail Polish Remover fits perfectly in the middle. [As an aside, this is the best polish remover for traveling. It has a sponge inside, and you stick your finger in the bottle and wiggle it around -- polish comes off super fast!]

 

This little cutie holds enough polish for a two-week trip to Oregon and California (as me how I know) even for a polish addict like me!  Go to Sara's blog to see more photos of this great bag. I plan to make one of the larger sizes next.

Thanks, Sara, for the chance to test-sew this adorable bag!

From the desk of your auntmartisignature

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Sunday Stash and Last De-Stash

My "De-Stash" basket will be empty after today's De-Stash. It's been fun sending boxes all over the world!

Sunday Stash

For a month when I haven't been shopping, I have quite a few goodies to share in today's Sunday Stash!

I knew I had some Charley Harper fat quarters, somewhere! So when I saw the yardage on clearance at Fabricworm, I bought two prints for borders. And guess what? I found the fat quarters without hardly digging at all!


I think this line is just the best for baby quilts! 
 

And there are several new "future IBMers" on the horizon this month, so I need to get stitching!


I love "text prints," don't you? And what's even better than a text print? A text print in French!


 One of my oldest friends is a librarian, and I am determined to make her a "book quilt" this year. Won't this be perfect for the backing?


One can never have too many neutrals, right? And with Bonnie Hunter's 2014 Mystery Quilt coming up, I didn't resist this bundle of Kim Diehl's Butter Churn Basics!


It's time to start planning for the 2015 Jelly Roll Party at Ruth's Stitchery. I have a pile of new strip quilt patterns -- and I'm starting to collect jelly rolls! I love Lily Ashbury's colors, perfect for a summer quilt.

I like to made a Quilts of Valor quilt for July, so I scooped this one up almost before Sonya had it added to the computer!


After Instagramming new Kona Cotton colors for 32 days, I didn't win the giveaway of the FQ tower. So I bought one for myself!


Speaking of Kona Cottons, Ruth's Stitchery will be doing Aviatrix for a block party next year. And Cathy has ordered the Kona Cotton bundle that goes with this pattern. Squeee!


De-Stash

So what's on the table for the last de-stash (at least until I begin the end-of-year sewing room clear out!)?

How about some more batiks? It's not that I don't love batiks, it's just that these aren't big enough to be quilt backs, and the print is too big for my style of quilting! So someone gets to add them to her stash!

There are 2.5 yards each of these two tealy-greeny prints:


And two yards of the purple-pink-fuchsia:


They're yours for the cost of postage. All three pieces will fit in a medium size flat rate box, postage $12.65 US (probably about $25US to international address.)

All you have to do is comment on this blog post with your PayPal email address and your zip code. The first reader who responds with both, gets the stash!

Finally, tomorrow I get to share my Crimson and Clover bag I test-sewed for Sew Sweetness. You're gonna love it -- come back and see!

From the desk of your auntmartisignature