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.

Halloween Night wallhanging finished - UFO started in 2007

 I first blogged about this in 2010 when it was a UFO I was going to finish that year...
the blog post explains it and it is here if you want to check out more about it....

 Here are some closeups......I really like this little wallhanging....
The kit was purchased at Deer Country Quilts in Seeley Lake, MT....a great shop...

 I decided to leave the pumpkins plain without faces...

The quilt guild I belong to is having a UFO Challenge this year....
We select 3 or 4 quilt projects that we want to complete and list them on the entry form...
The first one is due for the November meeting and this witch wallhanging is the one I chose to finish...
The last photo shows the rules and the Challenge Hexagon Pin they give us when we signed up.  We get a button when each project is completed to add to our pin.  AND we get a ticket to put in a drawing for prizes.  Just a fun way to get a push to finish some projects.  I am so glad I listed this one first...now it is done!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

I will link to Linky Party Tuesday, finish it up Friday, Link a Finish Friday

Pink & Zebra Mug Rug with a Stamped Flower

 I really like little mug rugs but I haven't made one in a long time until this week....
I used some scraps from a quilt I made and a flower (CL375) I had stamped on fabric and stitched with batting behind it...

 I started with the left top side and the bottom right first...
I liked the larger zebra stripe under the flower and decided to balance it with a square on the bottom left corner......

I did a small #4 stitch around the flower outside and around the inside circle...
To put this together I layed down the back fabric wrong side up...
then I used fleece and then the mug rug top....
I brought the backing fabric to the front for a self binding and used #332 stitch....
I had used that stitch in a mug rug Dec 2010 and it worked for that one...
But for this one I think it would have looked better if I had chosen a stitch that stayed on top of the binding....
I used Smooch sassy pink for the flower but it is not waterproof....
Soooo next time I make one I will probably use paintstix after stitching the design....

There are a lot of mug rugs on the internet on pinterest, flickr, etc....
I just joined a group on flickr called Scrappy Mug Rug Gallery...
they have 859 members and over 5,000 photos...
Be sure and check it out for a LOT of inspiration!

I finally have a finish to link to finish it Friday and Link a Finish Friday...
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

ready...set....go...

I have four projects in the corner of my living room just waiting for me....
I need to make some progress on them before I start something  new....

the four are on My WIP and FIU Projects list on the sidebar:
Roman Holiday HST tablerunner
Eden tablerunner
70 9 patch 2009 crazy mom quilt along
KiwiBerry Bali Pops quilt

I really enjoy looking at so many things that everyone is doing....blogs, pinterest, flickr, quilt mashup, facebook, twitter, etc....got to get busy now...
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

another finish

Last night with my Tuesday night quilt group... I finished another project in January... the Be Attitudes Be Warm mini quilt by Nancy Halvorsen... I added some heart-shaped leaves I learned from the FMQ challenge... It feels so good to have this done.... Smiles and hugs....Caryl

finally finished Chantelle

I have blogged about this before.....and it has been on my FIU list since I started it in 2007....I used Ricky Tims method of cutting the fabric with just a rotary cutter and no ruler... a fun method....I used Patrick Lose fabrics and Ricky Tims dyed fabric for binding...

I used different colors of thread to quilt each separate color of the wallhanging.. now it is hanging in my dining room...these are my very favorite colors!! Smiles and hugs....Caryl

answer to what am I working on?

Today Pat Sloan asked on her blog to share what we are working on and add to Mr. Linky... all I have left on my Chantelle tulip is hand stitching the binding to the back...

More progress done on this mini quilt...blogged end of the year....

sorry for the blurrr....some strips using blues and purples... Also...I am going to make a recipe I pinned on pinterest called the easiest bread ever...made with club soda... OH...and I bought an AccuQuilt GO! I got it last weekend at Joann's in Temecula on sale....when we were on our way to the Road to California quilt show. Then I had fun in the booth at Road buying fabric cutting dies. So I want to do some cutting up fabric too! Smiles and hugs....Caryl

January FMQ Challenge and TNT Thursday

This is my entry in the SewCalGal 2012 FMQ Challenge. I have enjoyed this design and will keep practicing but decided to submit my sample today. My previous quilting style was rambling....so it was difficult at first to focus on just doing one design.

I got brave and decided to do more than practice...just put it on a "real project". I have this UFO since 2007 (it is on my FIU list and I have blogged about it before) and it has been on the wall with push pins waiting to be finished!

I am also linking to Melissa's TNT Thursday as this is a new design to add to my quilts. I added the heart-shaped leaf design to the light blue border. If anyone is thinking about doing free motion quilting...my advice is to "JUST DO IT"!! Practicing 15 minutes every day helps a lot! AND it is really fun! Smiles and hugs....Caryl

persistence

oh no!! I did it again!! I misspelled a word in my quilt!! I didn't notice it until I looked at the photo.... I have done this before....and I used to be a really good speller!!!....I decided to just leave it..... sometimes it is funny to see if people notice mistakes....hee hee.......... the reason I took this photo was to show my binding progress on the giddy postage stamp quilt... and also to show the blue backing....

another project is the 12 days of Chrismtas tabletopper... with the hand stitching merry christmas started.....

the next photo shows the machine stitching and the hand stitching...

last evening I wanted to capture the dark pink color across the sky... with the moon coming up.... also captured some blue hour.... Smiles and hugs....Caryl

my FIU project list

I started a WIP and FIU list on my sidebar....
soooo...trying to get everything listed...
this first photo is Chantelle tulip wallhanging...
I made it after going to Ricky Tim's Super Quilt Seminar in 2007...
I have it on the wall with push pins!!...

Strip Maze is a pattern from GEDesigns...
I started it Nov 2009....

KiwiBerry Bali Pops....
strips sewn together in groups of six started last November...

all of my FIU projects I definitely want to finish...
and there are even more!!
but I also have new things to start....

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

weekend FIU projects

Pat Sloan is having a FIU challenge this weekend...
bars of gold two borders to add....
binding on D4P tablerunner....
70 9 patches done in a 2009 quilt along with crazy mom quilts...
calendar quilt strips to sew...
will make some progress on these projects....

Ohhh...and dessert we had on the 4th...yummmmm...
sorry you missed it!!!

progress with FIU

did I think this paper pieced block would be quick to do? yes
was it quick to do? no...not all
I like the exactness of paper piecing BUT what I didn't notice about this desig was all the "matchy" areas!!!

now I have to decide if I want to add a border or just bind it...

the other FIU project...the gardenkeeper....almost done and I will finish that when I meet with my Tuesday night quilt group tonight!!
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

FIU Challenge

there is a FIU Challenge going on...
Pat Sloan's blog and QuiltMashup forum...
it started on Monday...
that is the day I took these photos...
I had wanted to finish the bars of gold quilt...
but opted for several smaller projects to finish...
one is a Debbie Mumm wallhanging called gardenkeeper...

the other one is a Carol Doak paper pieced block...

this week I worked on the wallhanging...
and it has been a very busy week....
I would never have done that if I wasn't in this challenge...
Yaaahhhh Pat for having this challenge.....

more about red, white and bold

this quilt sat for 6 months.....
waiting to be quilted....
other projects took priority....
then last month I started to machine quilt it....
lots of loops and hearts and stars and words.....
now I need to finish it up...
to be continued...