there are so many creative ideas everywhere....

Here is a list of some of the places I look for inspiration and ideas..

Pat Sloan's website and her new website for sewalongs, challenges, etc
I Love to Make Quilts........here
I am doing the Solstice Challenge (last post) and The Children's Library mystery

Julie has a lot of tips and inspiration
at the crafty quilter.......here

Amanda Jean has a lot of ideas and has a finish it up Friday every week
at crazy mom quilts......here

Leah Day has a lot of tips and videos and did a Quilting Basics series this month.
I started prewashing my fabrics again after watching her and also bought
Niagra spray starch to use instead of Best Press...a lot cheaper.
The Free Motion Quilting Project....here

Joanne Sharpe has many ideas and classes using paper and fabric and has started
"Whimsical Wednesday" on her blog.
Whimspirations.......here

Connie has a lot of ideas and has a Linky Tuesday every week
at Freemotion by the River.......here

Bonnie Hunter has a lot of patterns and does a mystery quilt every year
at Quiltville.........here

Julie makes a lot of quilts and last year started the Log Cabin Loonies on full moon days
at JulieKQuilts.....here

Kathy has 30 day challenges on using markers
at The Daily Marker.........here

There are many other places like The Quilt Show and Craftsy.
And Pinterest and Instagram and...........
Facebook groups..Quilt Along with Pat Sloan...Gudrun's Quilt Crew...Quiltville's Open Studio.
....The Art of Whimsical Lettering with Joanne Sharpe....Sew Joy Creations Quilt Group.
The list could go on and on of blogs to check and websites to check...........

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Solstice Challenge blocks 1 through 4

 Pat Sloan has started a Challenge Project......a project for 182 days from Winter Solstice to the Summer Solstice.

 She posts a new block pattern every Wednesday and there will be 25 blocks.

 Her site for sewalongs, challenges, etc is I Love to Make Quilts.........

These are the first four blocks that I have completed...........

I am using a bundle I purchased many years ago...

 Robert Kaufman Imperial Collection metallic and I am adding some batiks also.

The instructions are very easy to follow..............

 If you would like to join in on the fun go to her website here

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

2017 projects and 2017 Word!

There are a lot of people who are talking about a WORD for this year.
My word is FOCUS.  I am going to focus on many different areas............
...........continue with weight loss...........
...........work on making more creative projects.........
...........continue to declutter and organize..........
ALL of these pertain to FOCUS to accomplish my goals.

AND there is talk of finishing 17 projects in 2017....WOW!
I will plan on working on 17 or more projects.....those started and also those yet to start!

A quick search and I found these 3 photos of projects I have started and not finished...

 Another Part of Me....GE Designs....Gudrun Erla
Little Wishes...........Pat Sloan
Cabin Posies...........Lori Holt

What is your word for the year?  AND are you making a list of projects to work on this year?
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Happy New Year

Oh the beginning of another year...........

Thinking of what was accomplished last year.....

Making sure there are good things added to each page every day..........

I am in a daily journal challenge on WW online........

Here is my page from yesterday....the prompt is the typed area and my response follows......

2016 was a great year..........but 2017 will be better!

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Workbox 2.0

 The first three photos were taken several weeks ago and the rest of the photos in October when we got the new Workbox 2.0.  The website shows it really good with a video.  I got the chocolate knotty alder and it is white on the inside.

Website is theoriginalscrapbox.com

 I wanted to get the right door kit when I ordered the cabinet but they were sold out.  The right door kit looks like the left door with the shelves, etc.  Right now the right door has velcro and I put a piece of batting to see how it would stick.  I might cover all of the velcro on the right for now.  It works good as a design board!

 It all came in a huge box.......with many parts and my sweet hubby put it together!

 Some action shots........

 Here it is with the table down....and the light is turned on.  It is hard to get a photo of the whole thing.

You will notice on their website they now have a workbox 3.0.

I got rid of furniture on one side of our living room so I could put this unit in the living room.  I didn't want it in another room....it has worked out great in that location!  It can be closed up and looks like a piece of furniture.  I would highly recommend this if anyone is thinking of getting organization furniture.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

En Provence mystery quilt, Part 1

Bonnie Hunter has started another mystery quilt along.........
Here are my neutrals in different stages for part 1......
Strips, and twosies and 4 patches........
She gives a lot of tips and techniques....
The last photo is the back of a 4 patch....she has a "spin the seams" tutorial.
Today is the link-up for part 1.
Here is the post to link:
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2016/11/en-provence-mystery-monday-link-up-part.html

Who else is joining us on the mystery?
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

WW journal prompt and Happy Halloween

There is a journaling group on the WW online site.  AND here is my page for today that I posted to the WW online site Connect.  Every day someone in our group posts a journal prompt and we respond with our thoughts and post the page we have written.  If anyone is on WW online....join us.  Ask me about it.

I keep motivated with different challenges and the hashtags in my journal photo above refers to some of the challenges going on now or those just starting.  I also have a small private FB group where we do different challenges.  I have been determined this year to get back to my lifetime goal.  One of the challenges is recipes and I am looking forward to trying more new recipes.  I have found some that we really like a lot!!

I am interested to hear from you about this WW lifestyle and great journey we are on together.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

October Full Moon and Log Cabin Loonies

Because it is full moon again...........
it is time to share more about log cabin blocks........
This month I am sharing what I made last year at different times during the year..

 Foundation quilting is sooooo fun and easy and quick....

I am still working on the blocks I have shared in earlier posts....but not close to done yet...

I am linking to JulieKQuilts with the other Log Cabin Loonies......

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

September Full Moon and Log Cabin Loonies

It is full moon again....and time to post about our log cabin blocks.

Some of us are linking together when it is full moon each month and showing our log cabin quilts.

This month I am showing the quilt I have hanging in my dining room.

It was finished in 2011 and it is one of my favorites.

I used the tutorial from crazy mom quilts.

 I blogged about it in 2011 but I have never shared the finish on my blog.  This quilt has Mary Engelbreit fabric friends and flowers.  It was a lot of fun to make!

I am linking to JulieKQuilts with the other Log Cabin Loonies.........
and linking to crazy mom quilts  finish it up Friday.......
and linking to Freemotion by the River   Linky Tuesday....

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

August Full Moon and Log Cabin Loonies

Full moon and time to post about log cabin blocks.  Some of us are linking together on full moon day each month to show log cabin blocks and quilts.

I have been working on more of the blocks I started for this Log Cabin Lunacy but no pics of those today.

Yesterday I did do a blog post showing quilting of what I call a picnic quilt...
There is a link on yesterday's blog post to last year June 24, 2015 blog post with photos of how I made the blocks...like log cabin blocks.

I am sharing a photo of a log cabin quilt I made last year.  It is called string bean log cabin and it is a free pattern on Craftsy by Pat Sloan.  I used some of her jelly roll fabrics plus others for this quilt.  It was a very fun quilt to make.

Linking to JulieKQuilts with the other Log Cabin Loonies........

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

finally quilting scrappy picnic quilt and misc...

 I started quilting this scrappy picnic quilt yesterday...
I finished piecing the top June 2015 and the link to the blog post is   here
In the blog post I talked about the 16 patches and other blocks that are all 4½" unfinished.
There is a tutorial that shows my system for making the blocks.

 Here is a quilt block for an online friend I made in June.  Photo is before I trimmed...it is a Bonnie Hunter block from a magazine.

 Here is another quilt block I made in July for another online friend that likes butterflies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The WW site has changed with the community section gone now.

I decided to continue my WW blog posts at the WW site at Connect.
Connect uses hashtags for direction to everything and  #hungrytolose is the hashtag for my blog.

There is an awesome challenge going on there...  #30daysjournalchallenge.

Here is a photo of a blueberry muffin microwave in a mug and the recipe is here  at hungry girl.
I have a tip to make it easier each time....make up separate bags of dry ingredients.
There are 6 dry ingredients....so then all you have to do is get out 5 ingredients when you are ready to make them.  Each one is 2 smart points.

Linking with Freemotion by the River...Linky Tuesday.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

D9P mug rug tutorial

Step by step instructions for a cute little mug rug that is so fun to make.....
These are specific directions for this mug rug.

 Make a 9 patch block.....using jelly roll strips...sew groups of 3 strips x 3....
OR if you are making just one mug rug use 2½" squares...

I made sure to have darker fabrics on the corners and a plain red in the center...
And lighter colors in the centers of each side.

 Cut the 9 patch down the center each way to make 4 blocks........

 This is the arrangement I chose for this block but you can arrange it any way that you like....

Place the batting behind the block and do FMQ with words and loops and hearts...

Stitch close to the edge of the block where the opening is going to be so the seam doesn't unravel when you are turning it.
Use a light box to mark the edge of the block on the batting with Frixion pen.
Put right sides together and stitch 1/4" away from the mark and leave about a 2" opening.
Trim away the extra batting and trim the corners.
Pull through the opening and poke out the corners.

 Put glue on the seams in the opening to hold them together and press the seam all around.

Then top stitch close to the edge.

I made this last month specifically for an online friend that makes Christmas gifts all year.
I wrote on the back - Queen of Christmas Countdown.

Several years ago I made some that were very similar to this one.  Let me know if you make any of these following my tutorial.

Linking to Linky Tuesday Freemotion by the River

Smiles and hugs....Caryl