“Friendship, love, health, energy, enthusiasm, and joy
are the things that make life worth living and exploring.” ~ Denise Austin

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Strips & Squares Saturday #2 Linky Party

This week I made a little table topper with the 2½" squares and 4-patches that I showed last Saturday and added 1½" strip borders and the total is 12½" square.

 I put some strips together to make some 9-patches.
 I have had this colorful fat quarter bundle for several years and decided now is the time to use it!
I cut up some 6½" and 3½" strips and am using a very popular pattern.  Anyone guess what I am making?

Smiles and hugs....Caryl





Thursday, January 23, 2014

January UFO Finish

 This table runner was started in 2009 and was the UFO I chose to finish for January....
It is Mary Englebreit fabric in a disappearning 9 patch....
 Here is the top on my sewing table on Christmas Day....
That is where I have put it for the past 5 Christmas holiday seasons....
the holiday season is one of the rare times when I close up my machine....
I have put a lot of photos on instagram so I won't put more here......
My instagram photos are in a slideshow on the right....
Notice the quilting in the border to look like the ribbon candy in the fabric....
Here is a closeup of my little clips I like to use when doing the hand binding to the back...
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Linking to NTT, finish it up Friday, Link a Friday Finish and Linky Party Tuesday


Saturday, January 18, 2014

Strips & Squares Saturday Linky Party

I am trying something new............
There are times when I just want to sew....sew....sew....
and when there are strips already cut then it is so easy to grab them and sew!!
I got the idea to do a linky party where we can share projects of what we are doing using strips and squares.. AND today is the first day.

In my last post I mentioned about cutting strips with my Go and that is certainly a fast and fun way to get those strips.  Then the fun begins to use them in so many ways.  The following photos are just playing with different possibilities.  The first two photos are something new I had not done before.  I got the idea from the book Strip Smart Quilts by Kathy Brown.

 Then I always love doing 4 patches...
 and I made them into a 16 patch..
 then I cut some squares and mixed squares and 4 patches...
 I have a box of twosies and this morning I made some chains of 4 patches...
I want to know how you are using your strips and squares





Tuesday, January 14, 2014

UFO and some new

 Pat Sloan has a UFO challenge on her blog here and this tablerunner is the one I picked to finish in January.
I just have the binding and a label yet to finish.  I have put photos on instagram and I will do a blog post of this with photos when it is finished!
I can only work on UFOs so long and I need to start something new....anyone else like that?

I have been using my GO to cut up strips of a lot of my fabrics that have been sitting around for years.  I need to get these used up and out of here.  I need more space for new stuff!  hee..hee!  Today I am trying a new block.  I sewed 2 1½" strips to a 2½" strip and then cut on diagonal.

I have been searching for different things to do with strips.  Last weekend I set up a linky so this next weekend is when it will start.  I sure hope it works.  I would like to know what others are doing with their strips.

Since my word for the year is accomplish....I want to accomplish and learn new things.  So the linky is something I have wanted to do for awhile....got that done.  Also...I was trying to figure out how to put instagram photos on my blog....discovered an instagram widget....got that done.  I still marvel at technology and all of the possibilities.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Linking up with Connie at Freemotion by the River.
Also linking with Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

My word for 2014

accomplish

This is the word I have picked for 2014.  I shared this on Pat Sloan's mashup group on the 1st.

I want to continue improving healthy habits of exercise and eating.  This will result in my losing the weight (Weight Watchers works when you follow the program).  I want to get my projects that I have started closer to being finished.  I want to go through closets and drawers and check all the spaces to make sure those areas are only for things I am using.  Making everything more efficient is what I am wanting for this year.
There are lots of new things I want to start.  I want to make cards again using stitching/quilting and do more zendoodles.  My list goes on and on.....................

Tell me what your word is for 2014.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl