placemats to go with five layer salad tablerunner

 Here are the 2 placemats I made to go with the tablerunner in the last post...

 I love these colorful fabrics....

 AND these are so easy to make...no binding...just sew 3 layers, turn and topstitch around edge.
I will be making some more....maybe with hexies!

 Here is another hexie project I started....

I like to sew each hexie separately....not sure what this will be....just playing!
I make little hexies at my Tuesday bee group when I don't have another project to sew....
I use plastic templates (photo of plastics on instagram of the plastics beside the project).
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Linking to Connie Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River
Also linking with finish it up Friday with Amanda Jean.

five layer salad tablerunner

 I started this project last month with the idea that I wanted to sew black and white strips together!!

 So I went searching online and in my books and quickly I came upon the book "Let's Do Lunch"  I found a pattern called "Seven Layer Salad" and I knew that I could adapt my black and white idea to this pattern.  I used jelly roll strips and made five sections....thus the name I call it!

 I used Pat Sloan's batik fabric because I wanted something bright and colorful for my table.

 Here is another photo...this photo with flash and my new plant in the middle!

I have previously posted photos of this progress on instagram.  I had decided at first just to quilt the centers of each group of three....but that wasn't enough so I just did wavy lines down the middle of each strip.  I am happy with this little tablerunner and am making placemats to match.
The measurements are 16 x 31½.
 Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Linking with Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation and finish it up Friday with crazymom quilts.
Linked with facebook group Quilt Along with Pat Sloan.

5 by 5 dark red mini

 Here is a tabletopper using the same design as a previous mini I made using squares and 4 patches.

 It started as this in February using the same fabric in the square as in 2 of the 4 patch colors.

 I drew out a plan of machine quilting to have a step by step to follow.

For the border I used a curvy line #4 on my Bernina and 2 by 2.
This is very fun and easy and I am using up older fabric and mixing with newer fabrics.
Will link to finish it up Friday....I finished this yesterday.
Be creative every day....life is short!
Smiles and hugs....Caryl

I am adding this post to Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River

March Madness

March Madness is here.....we are cheering on the San Diego Aztecs.  We will be watching a lot of games and I just love college basketball!!!

Today I started a new quilting project.....there is something about a new project to get me excited about quilting again.  I have a lot of WIP to finish later...........

Who else is following the basketball games?  And who are you cheering for?

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Life is short.....

Just an explanation of my lack of blogging.......
I am not sure if I have mentioned on this blog about the cancer diagnosis of my DIL last end of April?  She put up a good fight with chemo and then went into remission....then in January it came back worse than before and she started chemo again but the side effects were so bad and she had many complications that her body could not overcome and passed away in February.  Yesterday was the celebration of her life.  Her sisters put together a video of photos and also of quotes from her pinterest boards.  She loved pinterest and had a lot of boards of things she wanted everyone to remember.  I am sharing one of them here at the top.

I will be getting back to sharing my creative stuff soon and be blogging again and also reading and commenting on blogs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Weight Watchers~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some rambling thoughts I put on my blog on WW:

Enjoy this journey of losing weight and don't wait until the end for happiness.
Eat good healthy foods and so you won't be so hungry.
Know that some days you just get hungrier than others and use your WP (weekly points) then.
I lose better when I keep my points close to 26 every day.
Doing exercise every single day doesn't kill me.
Having a fun hobby that you are passionate about is a good thing.

Smiles and hugs....Caryl

Yellow Brick Road quilt blocks

Outside photo and inside photo with flash...
The bottom photo still has the pinned tags with the row numbers....
I always put tags on each row to keep everything straight when I am sewing rows...
A very good idea is to take a photo of your planned layout and refer to it when or if blocks get misplaced!
Also I take a lot of photos of different layout designs to help decide design layout.
Give me some ideas for borders....this is very bright and I will probably use it on a table.

This is a super fun design and very easy.  It is by Atkinson Designs.
I used 6 fat quarters for this small quilt.
AND I have a bundle of fabrics I will use to make a larger one sometime.

This is Strips & Squares Saturday #4....tell me what you are doing with strips and squares...

Strips & Squares Saturday #3 Linky Party

Last Sunday I got all the blocks together for a project and haven't done anything with them since...
I have been working on other projects...

I want to know what you are doing with your strips and squares

5 by 5 blue mini

 I finished this little 12½ square quilt yesterday...
I used varigated thread of blue and pink to quilt it....
I have a lot of fabrics that I am trying to use and not just sit...
AND these fabrics I purchased almost 20 years ago!
I have been cutting strips of my old fabrics with my GO.....
I have blogged before about these little squares and 4 patches.

 I have collections of Susan Winget panels that I purchased long ago!

 I really like her designs and decided I would use this piece as the back...

Since I finished these yesterday I will add to finish it up Friday and Link a Finish Friday.

Will also link to Linky Tuesday.

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

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

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.