mug rug finishes and another Gypsy Wife block

 I finished this mug rug a week ago on Valentine's Day.  It is the one I discussed in my previous blog post.  I called it hugs and kisses mug rug.  I used several stamps for the images and colored with Inktense pencils and fabric medium.  The center heart was stamped with Fabrico garnet fabric ink pad.  The left two were stamped with Versa Craft black ink pad.  The bottom right was stamped with Versa color violet.
Such fun....I want to do more projects with images on fabric and coloring!

Photo is the back of the mug rug...Susan Winget old fabric....I still love it!!

 I had some scraps left from previous projects and made a patchwork mug rug.  I quilted the top and batting together and then added 1¼" strips first to the sides and then the top and bottom.

 I like this easy kind of finish by putting the back and front together and stitch, turn and then topstitch around the edge.  I used a 4.0 stitch around the top edge.

 A plate of yummy chocolate Kodiak donuts on a clear glass plate on top of an older placemat I made several years ago.  The recipe for these is in my other blog
https://recipesbycaryl.blogspot.com/2018/12/kodiak-chocolate-donuts.html

Here is another block for the Gypsy Wife quilt.  I got in a hurry and didn't trim one of the HST's properly and I thought I could make it work when I sewed the pieces together...I may do it over.

And here is a photo of what I received in the Sew Sampler box today.  Fun stuff!!

Linking to
https://conniekresin.com/2019/02/linky-tuesday-feb-19-2019.html

https://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/2019/02/oh-scrap-my-garden-growns.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

scrappy strips, Gypsy Wife and mug rug

 Projects I am working on this past week.  I did 3 more blocks for the scrappy strips around the cabin and I might make these blocks a little larger.  I am making different size blocks and I will see how it all fits.  Just....deciding as I go.  That is the fun way to make blocks.............

 Another block for the Gypsy Wife quilt along....square in a square.

Hugs and kisses mug rug in progress.  I did some stamping and then added pieces of fabric.  I started coloring the hearts with an Inktense pencil.  AND I want to add glitter.  I added some fabric medium to stickles on a fabric sample and that is what I will add to this.  I should have done the finishing on the stamped areas first BEFORE I added the rest of the pieces....but I was in a hurry to see how it looked.  Now I am practicing on scrap pieces of fabric so I don't ruin this piece!

Linking to
https://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/2019/02/oh-scrap-yellow.html

https://conniekresin.com/2019/02/linky-tuesday-february-12th-2019.html

http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/2019/02/moving-right-along-and-ntt.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

friendship bag, Gypsy Wife and scrappy strips

 Here is the friendship bag I finished today.  It is part of an ugly fabric challenge...but I don't think the fabric is ugly!  I used the "ugly" fabric in the strips, the bottom and the lining.

 I used the tutorial from psiquilt.  This photo shows when it was ready to quilt.  I used Bosal to make the bag stiffer than batting.

 Right sides clipped together to sew the lining and the bag.

 I took the plastic insert out of my sewing table to make joining the two pieces sooooo much easier.  I have made bags before and have never thought of taking out that plastic piece.  I am mentioning this because there might be others who haven't thought of it.

In this photo I used a flash to get a brighter photo.

 This photo is the hourglass with 2 borders in the Gypsy Wife quilt I am making.  I joined the 2019 Gypsy Wife quiltalong.  It just started this last Saturday.

 This is a simple block to make.....we have great tutorials in this group to help everyone.

 I had to take a photo of the back...."spin" the seam to make the seams lay down so nice.

The last photo I call scrappy strips around the cabin blocks.  I am using up scraps to do log cabin style piecing and the blocks will be different sizes.

Linking to   https://conniekresin.com/2019/02/linky-tuesday-february-5th-2019.html

https://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/2019/02/oh-scrap-kaffe-quilt-progress.html

http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/2019/02/studio-inspiration-and-ntt.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Strip Maze finished

 I finished this quilt this week.....first UFO of this year.  I started this quilt in November 2009.

 Strip Maze pattern by Gudrun of GEDesigns and I used Mementos fabrics.

I have been researching my notes and photos about working on this quilt over the years.
I got stopped on this the first time when the Cross Country Christmas blog hop started online in November 2009.  I stopped to make a lot of the projects of this wonderful blog hop.  One of them was Gudrun's Sweet Trimmings wallhanging.  In case you didn't know....I get sidetracked really easy!!!

 I restarted working on it again in the summer of 2017 when Gudrun started the Strip Maze sew along with the FB Gudrun's Quilt Crew.  I did do some blog posts about this in September 2017.  The photo shows me chain sewing the blocks by starting on the top of the left column and keeping the thread between each block.  The right block goes over the left in each row to be able to hold everything together.  The blog post September 15, 2017 shows the top together.

 This got put away again until this last November when I started quilting it.  It was the UFO I chose to work on for the month.  I did put a similar photo on IG of doing this machine quilting.  This is using the walking foot with the #4 stitch and I used 2.5 x 2.5 stitch width and length.  I got the binding on the end of November and started hand stitching the binding to the back at our quilt retreat in December.

I have worked on this at our Tuesday bee quilt meetings and finished it this last Tuesday...I am holding it for the photo.  I posted this photo on IG, WW Connect (#quiltersofww), on FB Quilt Mashup and FB Gudrun's Quilt Crew.  It was a very fun quilt to make.

Linking to
https://conniekresin.com/2019/01/linky-tuesday-january-22.html

http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/2019/01/rain-rain-go-away.html

http://thecraftyquilter.com/2019/01/january-ufo-wip-link-up/

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Jelly Roll Jam II finish

I finished this quilt this week that I started on Jelly Roll Day and blogged about it here

The fabric is Attitude Girls by Mary Engelbreit.  I took a photo before I opened up the jelly roll!  Now ....doesn't everyone do that??  

 The pattern is a shortcut free pattern from fatquartershop.com.  A very fun quilt to make!!

 I did the serpentine stitch with light green thread.  My "go to" quilting lately!

 And the backing is also a fabric piece from the same line.  And the binding is the same fabric as the back.  I finished this binding at a quilt retreat this past week.

I brought my Hello Kitty machine to the retreat and finished another little mat.  I also finished two others in different sizes this past month.  I used the blocks from improvisational piecing...crazy piecing like I have blogged about before.  I will be doing another post with more about the retreat.

I am linking to:
   crazy mom quilts finish it up Friday
   Freemotion by the River Linky Tuesday

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Cool Cats quilt and some fall small project finishes

 What a fun quilt to make!  The pattern has borders but I am not adding borders and will quilt and bind it.  The fabric is Spirited Halloweenie by Bird Brain Designs.  It is so whimsical and fun!

 I just hung in front of another quilt in the living room for now with wonder clips!

 I blogged about the Cool Cats several weeks ago.  I had the blocks laying on the back of another quilt on the floor and it was so difficult for me bending over, etc.....and then last weekend we put the quilt pieces on that quilt backing on two folding tables side by side in our dining/living room.   What a wonderful difference.  It takes up a lot of room but is so much easier than on the floor.  I had taken a photo of the layout I had planned and I kept referring to that photo over and over.  You will notice in the photo that the bottom left cats are sewn backwards.  I didn't notice it until I did the same thing with another group of cats.  That is what seam rippers are for!!  It is an easy pattern to make but you need to pay attention to placement! 

 Here is the pattern by Peggy Martin.  Very well written instruction.

 I finished this little mat/coaster/mug rug that I have hand quilted and blanket stitched around the outside edge.  I used it as a project to work on with my Tuesday quilt group.  I also finished the larger mat in the photo.  I blogged about it in this blog post   last week.

I am linking to:
 crazy mom quilts  finish it up Friday
 freemotion by the river   linky Tuesday

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Log Cabin Loonies Linky Party week #9

 This week is a totally different layout.  An idea from my friend Jan Krentz to use the friendship star design.  I am using the back of a quilt laying on the floor for my design wall.  In the first photo we used some colored log cabin blocks I had left from another project from the last log cabin loonies!  We put the medium colored blocks in the centers of the friendship star design.

The second photo we took out the centers for a different look.  AND I could make all dark log cabin blocks to fill in these centers.  We only used part of my blocks for creating this design.  My total is now 99 blocks! 
Let me know what you think of these designs!

We are having fun with this Log Cabin Loonies quiltalong!

Link to Log Cabin Loonies juliekquilts  and Linky Tuesday Freemotion by the River
https://conniekresin.com/2018/10/linky-tuesday-october-9th.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Log Cabin Loonies Linky Party week 8

 There are a bunch of us having a lot of fun making these tiny little blocks with juliekquilts.  It is fun to check the others that are following this quilt along and see what they are making.

I now have 90 4½" blocks and..........this time I reversed the block design....put the light in the center instead of the dark.  It is hard to decide which one I like best.  But there are other designs I want to try too.  AND I am still making more blocks!

 Here is a double photo of the Jelly Roll Jam II quilt I am making.  I will post the separate photos when I finish the quilt.

 I needed a backing fabric for a small mat/coaster/mug rug I wanted to hand quilt at my Tuesday quilt group.  I pulled out this fabric I bought many years ago that had the color offset (top part of photo).  I used copic markers and made it look soooo much better!

 I have been enjoying iced coffee this summer and adding a little chocolate to it makes it soooo good!

The last photo is about October goals.  They are mostly WW related but apply to all of life!  Goals....we need them......we need a plan of action....and we need one another. 

linking to juliekquilts and Freemotion by the River

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Log Cabin Loonies Linky Party week 7

 Another week of making log cabin blocks with JulieKQuilts quiltalong!!  Now I have 70 of the tiny 4½" blocks using 1" strips!  I like this design with the blocks and I am not sure how many more blocks I will make and not sure what the design will be when I finally finish making blocks??  I am just loving making these blocks and having a blast!

I got out some of my fall tablerunners and placemats and decided I needed a center mat to go with the placemats I made several years ago with Awesome fabric by Sandy Gervais.  Now it is ready to quilt and finish.  I am jumping between new projects and working on UFOs....variety is great! 

I am so happy to welcome fall and cooler weather...it was way too hot here this summer!

Linking  juliekquilts  http://juliekquilts.blogspot.com/2018/09/log-cabin-loonies_25.html
               Linky Tuesday  Freemotion by the River
https://conniekresin.com/2018/09/linky-tuesday-september-25th.html

Smiles and hugs....Caryl
   

HST placemats and easy triangle tool

 These did not start out to be placemats......
to make these I used the easy triangle tool I had purchased and used in 2012 and then forgot about it!!
Several weeks ago I decided to use some charm squares of Pat Sloan's Hometown Girl to make a mat.

 This photo is the second one I finished this past week after I decided these would be placemats.  The size is a little different than my others....16 ½" x 8½".

I blogged about a runner I made with this tool in 2012 and it is http://carylquilts.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-hst-runner.html  and there is a link on that blog post to the September 2012 blog post where I show the ruler.  Designed by Wendy Mathson.
This ruler is called fast2mark easy triangle tool   You mark on the lines and SEW on the lines.  AND no need to square up afterwards!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next I am going to tell about something I usually don't do..........decide to quit on making a quilt that I have started!!  But I decided to quit making the Regatta quilt that I started in January.  It was with a sew along with Home Sewn by Us.  I have photos I took this week of what I had done so far.  I had half of them in the strip sets with the light strips.  I have them draped on a long table ready to continue but I woke up yesterday and decided I have too many other things I am doing and I will use all of this fabric for other quilts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Weight Watcher lifestyle~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is some really good peanut butter banana bread I have made serveral times now using a recipe on WW site and IG.....Kodiak cakes and Quest protein powder and it is low points.  There are many versions of this recipe and might be called salted caramel banana bread if you are searching for it.

 The WW lifestyle is all about choices and planning and tracking!  This is not a diet and you can eat any food you choose as long as you track it.............and there are NOT lists of things not to eat like the old WW days!

Linking to crazy mom quilts    finish it up Friday
                Freemotion by the River Linky Tuesday

Smiles and hugs....Caryl