November UFO Parade

December 1st! This is how people get to be old and wonder where their lives went!

The last "13 in 2013" UFO is number:

November, being the start of the busy holiday season, often is not the best for quilters. But we have three finishes this month, plus my own.

Here is my finish for November.

 It's from Brenda Henning's "Strip Therapy 7" and is called "Full Moon." This is quilt #48 pieced by me this year, I'm thinking I will make it to 52!

Irene was the first to submit her finish for November.  She made this Christmas-sy lap quilt with leftovers from a Christmas stocking. Irene blogged about the quilt here.

Be sure to go to Sandi's blog to see all her 2013 UFO Finishes here. including her "extra credit" finish. November's is called "Kookaburra." She tells us:

Another pattern I purchased this year in January at the Road to California Quilt Show.  Design is called Licorice Allsorts by Lydia Quigley.  I’ve been on the lookout for black 30s fabrics all year.  Kookaburra if you don't know is a bird native to Australia.  It also happens to be the name of a candy manufacture there famous for it's black licorice.

Deb's November finish is from one of my favorite "scrap quilt" books, Quilts from the Heart by Karen Renaud.  I often make one of Karen's quilts for a baby quilt, they're fast and easy but don't look it!

Look at this lovely "Arkansas Crossing" made by Deb and blogged here:

Ohmygosh, looking in my little book of "who won what," I see that all three of these quilters have won the UFO Parade giveaway -- and in the last three months. How funny! I think I should send some fat quarters to each of them, don't you? 

I don't save your addresses, so if each of you will email your postal address to me, I'll go stash-diving for you. Tell me if there's a color or designer you particularly like, and if I have some fabric that fits the bill, that's what I'll send!

Yes! There will be a UFO Challenge for 2014. My Little Sailor, and blog co-author, has agreed to make us a new cover design for "Twelve Finishes in 2014."  I just thought 14 might be a little too many!

PS Because of the UFO Parade, I will share Sunday Scraps on Design Wall Monday instead!

From the desk of your

400 Posts -- We Have a Winner

Happy Small Business Saturday! Today, I'll be visiting the newest small quilt shop in Colorado, Cotton Candy Sewing Shop in Loveland.

But first, who won that pile of Tula Pink's "Sweetwater?"

The Random Number Generator chose number 5:

Joyce, who said:

A brand new nephew for her birthday -- what a great gift! Congratulations, Joyce!

I got a good start on my Bonnie Hunter Mystery yesterday, come back tomorrow for Scrappy Sunday to see!


From the desk of your

WIP Wednesday

Have you entered my 400 posts giveaway yet? Go here to enter.

The thing about having no children at home is: you don't have to cook Thanksgiving dinner!

I remember the first time I cooked dinner for lots of people. It was when we lived on Andrews AFB in Maryland. I invited a bunch of my co-workers from the Air Force Frequency Management Center, plus assorted away-from-home airmen from my husband's office. Carolyn Thomas introduced my DH to "real" mashed potatoes (until then, he had been content with instant!). The next week, a neighbor commented that I must "really like to cook."  Umm, no, why do you say that? "Oh, because you invited so many people for Thanksgiving dinner!"

The next time I made a "big" Thanksgiving dinner, I cooked for three days after work and early in the morning before work.  It took my nephews less than 10 minutes to empty the table.

This year, we're eating out for Thanksgiving! I will miss the five kinds of dressing I usually make, but not the mess and expense.

Which means today I have time to work on the next Jelly Roll Party sample. The pattern is from Eleanor Burns, "Swirling Stars." It comes with its own little acrylic template, and can be made with strips, fat quarters or yardage.

I'm using Moda's "Vin du Jour" jelly roll.  OK, two of them. I'll tell that story when I post the finished quilt.

I threw the blocks up on the design wall to arrange the colors. I see that I will need to do a little more aranging. The finished quilt has sashing and cornerstones. Here are the fabrics I'll use for the sashing, cornerstones, and borders:

I really love this collection. Good thing, since I have about 30 leftover strips.

The sky has finally cleared so I can look out at the snow on Pikes Peak while I sew. Isn't it gorgeous?

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Have a lovely day tomorrow, whether it be Hanukkah, Thanksgiving or just another Thursday! 

From the desk of your

What's on the Design Wall Monday

Enter my giveaway here.

Yes! I have a new project on the design wall -- but first, I forgot one of the birthday prezzies sent to me from Nurse Jessi!

While I was taking photos of my  UgLy Bag from itsnursejessi, I forgot about the coffee mug coaster she also sent me. Because it was on my desk, under my coffee mug, where I use it every day!

Can you see that it's a bumble bee? and yes, that's one of the Australian Starbucks mugs sent by My Little Sailor while he was in Brisbane this summer. Jessi, every time I put down my coffee mug, I think of you!

Now, onto the design wall.  I have all the blocks made for the March Jelly Roll Party at Ruth's Stitchery. The pattern is "Main Street," by Sassafras Lane Designs. The jelly roll is Xanadu Batiks by Moda. I must confess, the piecing on this one is not as precise as I normally like to do. I was in a hurry, so some (OK, many) of my flying geese have a bit of their "wings" nipped off. I'm hoping when it is quilted and washed, the cotton batting will crinkle up enough to hide that!

I should be able to sew the rows together and add the borders today. Then it will go off to Wolf Creek Quilting for quilting.

Edited to add linking up to Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River.

And also Show and Tell Tuesday at i have to say.


Have you commented on yesterday's post to win some Tula Pink "Saltwater" fat quarters and her book? 

From the desk of your

Sunday Stash Giveaway

I realized this morning I haven't shared my birthday prezzies from last month. Quite a haul, I assure you!

First, a lovely surprise from one of my blog followers, Nurse Jessi. I was so surprised and thrilled when I opened a package from an unknown address.  Look what was inside:

An original "i make UgLy Bags" by itsnursejessi. Notice the wine bottle on this side? Does she know me, or what?

I immediately loaded it up with my current Hats for Sailors project, and it's been by my side ever since!

Inside was this charming collection of shot cottons.  I have been having so much fun stacking and re-stacking them, I may never use them!  Jessi, you are the best!

Two of my Colorado buddies gave me an etsy gift card. I taped it above my computer and within two weeks I had purchased:

and

Then Craftsy had a big sale and I couldn't resist this:

Those green fabrics on the left-hand side are from Tula Pink's "Saltwater" collection. Since this is my 400th post, as well as my birthday, I think I should give those away.

There are nine fat quarters:

And also a copy of Tula's book, Quilts from the House of Tula Pink.

 

Comment on this post, and tell me your favorite birthday gift you ever received. Next Saturday, I'll let the random number generator choose a winner to receive the fat quarters and the book.  

• Giveaway ends at midnight MDT on Friday, November 29.
• International entries welcome!
• If you're a no-reply commenter, please be sure to include contact information.

Linking up to "Sunday Stash" at Finding Fifth.

Thank you to all 52 Quilts followers!

From the desk of your

TGIFF Times Three

Not one, not two, but three finishes today!

First up, a quilt that was pieced ages ago. I made the first quilt of Japanese Taupe fabrics for the high school graduation gift for the last of the 4-H'ers from my boys' club. I had enough fabric left over to make a second quilt just like the first. It sat in the "to-be-quilted" shelf for almost three years. Then I decided the son of my friend, Lori, should have a quilt, even though I didn't know him when he graduated high school.

I took the quilt to my long-armer, Connie of Ponderosa Patchworks late this Spring. When the Black Forest fire burned her house, Connie rescued this quilt along with all her other customer quilts. Mine was the first customer quilt she quilted when she opened her new studio. Since Lori's house was also threatened by the Waldo Canyon fire two years ago, I think it's appropriate that Connie quilted this one.

 

Stuart will be home from college for Thanksgiving next week. I hope he likes the quilt!

I've decided my quilt #48 for 2013, "Full Moon" shall remain borderless. I do like the just-five "moons" rather than one in each block.  Here is a link to my post with details of this quilt.

I also calculated the sashing strips for my "Morning Joe" and finished it.   Here's the image from the pattern cover:

(Image from Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.)

And here is my finished "Morning Joe."

My blocks are 16" square, the table runner will finish at 64" X 24" -- and I know just the niece who will receive this as a hostess gift on my next trip to Idaho!

Linking up to Thank Goodness it's Finished Friday, hosted this week by Australian Lynne at Never too hot to stitch.

And also to Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation.

The first "real snowfall" of the season happened yesterday. I can't wait until the clouds blow away so we can see Pikes Peak in all its glory!

From the desk of your

WIP Wednesday Quilt #49

I might make it to 52 quilts this year after all!  The last two have been table runners, but I count them if I quilt them myself!

Here is my November "Schnibbles" quilt, "Morning Joe."

I used a single charm pack of "Java" by Deb Strain for Moda. I didn't cut down the 5" squares, just made them into half-square triangles. Because my seams on the diagonal weren't quite 1/2" apart, I could square up the HSTs to 4.5" -- so my HSTs are larger than those called for in the pattern. I don't want to go back and cut them down to the smaller size, so I'll have to calculate my own sashing strip sizes.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

I just got word from My Little Sailor that he is back on the ship after going ashore in the Philippines to document the relief efforts. He's "a little sunburnt" but safe!


From the desk of your