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

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.

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

Microwave Bowl Holder

 My sister Marilyn gave me a microwave bowl holder that she made....
And then she showed me how to make one...

 I used Tim Holtz fabrics and cut 11" squares of two fabrics and
11" squares of pellon Wrap-N-Zap....

 In the photo Marilyn is making an X from corner to corner....
You do this on each fabric with the batting on the wrong side of the fabric...
Sew an X corner to corner on both....

 Here she is marking the darts at the center of one side 1" in and 2½" down....
You do this for each side of each piece....

 Stitch all the darts and cut the excess off....
Then put right sides together and stitch all the way around leaving a 3" opening to turn...

Stitch next to the edge all around....
here is the inside of the bowl...

And here is the outside of the bowl..
My sister's neighbor made over 200 of these and sold them for $7.50 each!

Let me know if you make one of these and also if you have any questions.  Be sure to use 100% cotton fabric and no metallic in the fabric that goes in the microwave.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Links to Linky Party Tuesday, finish it up Friday and Link a Finish Friday.
Will also link to Needle and Thread Thursday.

Merry Christmas

I just walked around the house taking photos of my decorations and this photo is a present I received many years ago and it is a rug that I have hanging on my wall.  

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!  Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Christmas tabletopper 4-patch and rectangles

 Here is the tabletopper I made last weekend and took to a party this week...
It finished at 12 x 20

 I started with jelly roll strips and made into twosies and then 4 patches..
The rectangles are cut at 4½".....

 I sewed right sides together and with batting and stitched around the edge leaving an opening for turning.

 Here is the other side...

 close up view of stitching with variegated thread....

 On my Bernina I used #643 stitch 4 length and 5.5 width...

 Then I wrote words.......hope..........peace.............love............joy...........

Every year we have a gift exchange and play the game where we draw numbers and #1 goes first and chooses a present.  Then #2 can either "take" that present or choose another wrapped present and on down the line and back to #1 again to keep their present or "take" another.  Does anyone else do these kind of games at their parties?  Every year I usually try to make something in addition to taking some kind of decoration for these parties.

I had a lot of new people commenting on my last post and thank you.  I will check your blogs, if you have one, and get back to you soon.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

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

Hexie tree mug rug

This might be larger than the usual mug rug...

It is 9½ x 13...

 It started with some hexies I had been making with scraps of Kate Spain 12 days of Christmas...

 For the background I decided to use fabric from Ho Ho Ho Jolly Christmas by Camelot Cottons with
snowflakes as the top fabric and presents and trees at the bottom....
I sewed the hexies onto the fabric with batting behind.....

I used some squares for the side from the Kate Spain fabric....
And this photo is before I quilted the layers together....
I decided to not use a binding and just sew right sides together and turn and..
then topstitch around the edge...

Here is the back from the Ho Ho Ho fabric....
Another fun project to do.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

I will be for the first time to Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation Needle & Thread Thursday.
Also will link with finish it up Friday and Link a Finish Friday.

And also linking to Connie at Linky Party Tuesday.

coasters for quilt friends

Last evening was our Christmas party for our quilt bee group

The stack of coasters I made were an inspiration from Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation

I used jelly roll strips sewing two together 

then cutting and making 4 patches

closeup of one of them

The back is Bobbins and Bits batik so these can be used all year

 The table setting was lovely.  We usually do a potluck for Christmas but this year one of the daughters cooked us a really delicious meal.

Here is my awesome quilt friends.  They are so special and what a special evening we had at Jackie's.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

I am linking to finish it up Friday and Link a Finish Friday
Also linking to Linky Tuesday Freemotion by the River

I won in a blog hop giveaway

This is what came in the mail today.....I was the lucky winner.
Connie at Freemotion by the River had a giveaway and here is the post where I made a comment

The Strip-Smart Quilts book by Kathy Brown uses jelly rolls.  These quilts look like fun..fun...fun!
The ruler is one I am looking forward to using.  Bonnie of Quiltville used this ruler in her first mystery post last Friday.  (note:  I am not starting the mystery quilt now but will be later.)  
The Lovely charm pack.....sooo pretty.  Lots of purples and "lovely" florals.
All of these are awesome and such a generous gift.  

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

D4P block

I finally got my sewing machine back from getting a tuneup!  3 weeks is a long time!!  A reminder to myself not to be without my sewing machine in November.....take it in earlier!

This is Pat Sloan's birthday month and she has requested blocks for her birthday and I decided to make a D4P block.  I used 4 charm squares out of her batik Bobbins and Bits fabric.  Here are the photos:

 I did a D4P tutorial in June 2010 on my blog.

I ended up with a difference in the last seams and I tried to pull them together...
so now a decision....
rip it out and hope it improves with a new seam?
just leave it?  I am tempted to leave it as in the past when I change something it gets worse!
Anyone reading this....what would you do?  Thanks for any suggestions.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Update:  thanks for the input...I did send this block to Pat.

ME tabletopper UFO

ME tabletopper, a photo by carylwilson on Flickr.
Here is the photo from flickr that was taken on Christmas 2009.  I didn't have it finished but put it on my sewing machine table.  Now I am going to finish it this year.  Pat Sloan is having a UFO Challenge and this will be the one I finish.  I will take another photo as soon as I find it and the backing.  (smile)

Smiles and hugs, Caryl

Creative play

Here is a big pile of 1 1/2" strips sewn together light to dark....
I used my Go cutter to cut up some of my fabrics into strips...
No idea what I am using them for.....just sewing away.....

 Then I started cutting them into "twosies" ready when I decide how to use them..

I went to the sewing machine yesterday instead of munching on snacks....
It was a great distraction.....
I had walked 5 miles with Leslie Sansone DVD and I was feeling real good...
Being on Weight Watchers keeps you tracking all of your food you eat and all of your exercise...
Most of the time I am doing okay keeping my points within proper range....
but anyone trying to do this knows how difficult it is sometimes....
I was not about to eat up the activity points that I had sweated so hard to get!!

I am thankful for my creative hobbies...specifically sewing when I can get lost with putting the petal to the medal!

Back to creative subject...
Today I read this blog post from 15 Minutes of Play....
It was about making tiny little blocks for a mini quilt....
I have a lot of little pieces and it sounded like fun....
but I did not start off small enough....
I will be making more and see how small I can get the blocks!
It is fun to use up all of these little pieces that I can't bear to throw away....
Back to the fun...

Smiles and hugs....Caryl