WIP rundown

Since it's the last day of the year, I thought it would be a good time to review my WIP list...as scary as that may be.

#1: Missing U Quilt
Today I spent a good amount of time getting this quilt top put together. I really like it! I think I'm going to add a scrappy 6" or 8" border around the whole thing in GRAY! I'm excited about that plan...at least as of today. We shall see if I lose steam and end up finishing it as is. (Which would be perfectly lovely, too.)

#2: Super Scrap Happy
A few months ago I declared this quilt top done, but I'm going to add a few more inches to the bottom....at least 5 or 6". I should have no issue rustling up enough scraps to do so.

#3: Oh My Stars!
This one could use some attention. It's been awhile since I worked on it.

#4: Pezzy
Top is done. I am waiting for backing inspiration to strike. Or the right sale to come along. (hee hee!)

#5: Trees
16 blocks pieced....just 4 more to go. (YAY!)

#6: Log Cabin Blocks
Another scrap project. Focus fabric all the way from Sweden, thanks to my sister.

#7: Machine Quilting Sampler #2
About half done. This is an on-going project, as I use it when I teach machine quilting classes. I have another class coming up in January, so I will be doing more on this soon. (Incidentally, I REALLY like this quilting design!)

#8: Leftovers
I'm pretty sure that this is my oldest WIP. It uses leftovers from my off kilter quilt. I'm not sure what is taking me so long to finish this one. I really like the colors (even though there IS purple in it!) and it would be easy to finish the top. All I would need is a plan....and an hour.

#9: Malena's Quilt
My niece and I started making this quilt on Labor Day weekend while she was here visiting from Iowa. It was intended to be a joint project, but I'm kinda itching to work on it and try out some fancy stitches on my new Horizon at the same time.

#10: It's ALL just Fabric
Not sure how big to make this...probably just a wall hanging.

#11: Reclaimed Stars
THIS might be my oldest WIP. It's a quilt made from clothing pieces and parts...plus "ugly" scraps that I just couldn't throw away. I do like this one, too, even though it's not my normal style. I would like to make it at least a decent sized lap quilt.

In addition to these, I have a bunch of orphan blocks that I don't know what to do with but can't bear to part with them quite yet. They barely count. :)

I think that's it! It was actually fun to review the state of things and to see photos of them all in one place. It looks like I have plenty of fodder for upcoming finish it up Fridays!!!

Hope you have a happy and SAFE New Year!

winner and a WIP

The winner of the 1000th post giveaway is Kim who said:

Merry Christmas from us too! We're in NY and right now I'm loving bright reds, oranges an yellow color combos.

Kim, please email me so I can send you your prize!

Thanks to all of you for your kind comments! I appreciate them very much. Thanks so much for reading!

Now, for the WIP portion of this post....Last night we had a sew night at my LQS and I needed something fun and easy to work on while I socialized. More importantly, I needed a diversion from my trees. Luckily I have MANY WIPs to choose from. Ha!

This is my version of Cheryl's Missing U quilt (from Sunday Morning Quilts). This project provides good scrap therapy! At least 3 more blocks to go....perhaps more? I'm not sure...but it's fun to decide as I go. :)

Hope you are having a great Saturday!

finish it up Friday, 12/28/12

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

It's been a busy week and sewing time seems harder than ever to come by these days. Winter break is such a misnomer-especially if you have kids! (I don't sound tired at all, do I?)

Somehow I managed to eek out a mini quilt this week. It's a small version of my checkerboard quilt (from Sunday Morning Quilts). I made this as a shop sample for my LQS.

I put an envelope back on it so it can be used as a pillow cover when it's done hanging at the shop. (I like to think ahead!) It measures 20" square. The colors are a little more creamy and toned down from my normal bright palette, but I like that it's a bit different. It turns out that it looks great on either of my couches. Sweet!

How about you? Do you have a finish to share? If so, please link up and show what you've accomplished. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 12/28/12

1.	Diane W	47.	Caroline @ Too Cute, Sew Clever
2.	Dresden Quilter	48.	Sara @ Growing Stitches
3.	Mary Roper	49.	Valerie @ re•engineered
4.	Jaime @ StitchestoSprinkles	50.	Kathy @ CarpeLanam
5.	Granny Square and Braid Blocks	51.	Rene' Creates
6.	Abby	52.	Debbie @ A Quilter's Table
7.	selina	53.	dedra
8.	Carin @ Shaped by Stitches	54.	Maja
9.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	55.	cathy@blueberrypatch
10.	Double Hexy Quilt	56.	victoria
11.	Secret Garden Chevron	57.	Pokeytown Kim
12.	Wristlets	58.	karen @capitolaquilter
13.	Kathy@KayakQuilting	59.	Karen - triangle quilt
14.	Prairie Point Napkins	60.	The Magic of Ordinary Days - Poe Quilt
15.	Marion @ My Quilt Diet	61.	Reethi @ Global Nomad Quilt Company
16.	Crazy Love Tote	62.	szkornelia
17.	Lobster Zippered Pouch	63.	Charity
18.	Jo's Country Junction	64.	Quilt with a Mission-DONE!
19.	alidiza	65.	Sarah C. and friends
20.	Brenna	66.	Angela
21.	Peppermint Quilt	67.	....by CJ
22.	Geta's Quilting Studio	68.	Mtn Mama
23.	Eva Johnsson	69.	Julie@Distant Pickles
24.	Becca @ bryanhousequilts	70.	Amy in UK with a jam jar pin cushion
25.	Paper Pieced Sword	71.	Stephanie @ Simple Sewendipity
26.	Mustache Quilt and Sports Quilt	72.	Sue in WA
27.	Julie @ Wannabequilter	73.	Kervei
28.	Dog Pillows	74.	bee
29.	Books_Bound @My Life in Binding	75.	Heather@QuiltsintheQ
30.	Buttons Quilts-Silly Seuss	76.	improv pillow - Jenniffier
31.	ChristaQuilts QuiltCon Entries	77.	Kate @katiemaequilts
32.	Beth @ plum and june	78.	Shanna @sparrow in flight
33.	Joan	79.	Nathalie
34.	Plow Time Bib	80.	Joan@Quilting Times
35.	Alycia in CO	81.	Lynda M Otvos
36.	beth	82.	Mina@Kinda Quilty
37.	Grandmas Hand Print Quilt	83.	rachel@fourwisemonkeys
38.	Pieces of Cotton	84.	Carrying Sunshine
39.	Anna (The Crooked Banana)	85.	Cheerful Homemaker
40.	two.hippos	86.	Cathy Tomm Quilts
41.	Mrs Moen	87.	a maiden hair fern
42.	Happy Cottage Quilter	88.	PugMom Quilts!
43.	katie z.	89.	Tunde
44.	Sweet Dreams by Sarah	90.	Elena - Cosiendo Sueños
45.	Final Finish 2012	91.	April - Little Mama Hen
46.	Jean Burke	92.	Penny @ SewSimpleLife

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how to make a ticker tape on canvas

Today I'm excited to share a fun little tutorial with you! You are probably familiar with my ticker tape quilt, right? Well, I've translated the idea to canvas! I made a few several months ago and shared about them here. Since then I've made a few more and took photos along the way so you can make one of your very own.
 
Materials needed:

-Artist canvas (11" x 14" shown)
-Sharp scissors

-Mod Podge (matte finish)

-Stiff bristled paint brush
-Disposable paper cup
-A sheet of card stock or two

-SCRAPS! Several fabric scraps in any various sizes. I like to use scraps that are less than 1" on at least one side. The smaller the better! Of course! :)
 
Assembly:
Take a piece of fabric and use sharp scissors to trim off any stray threads or frayed edges.

Place the fabric face down on a piece of card stock. Paint the back of the fabric with mod podge.

Place the piece close to the corner of the canvas. Paint over the top of the fabric with a thin layer of mod podge.

Repeat the steps as above to attach several more scraps.

An alternate way to attach the scraps is to paint the area of the canvas first.

Then place the fabric scrap on the canvas.
(This scrap has not been painted with mod podge at all.)

Now, paint a thin layer of mod podge over the scrap. This way may be a bit less messy. (I think?) Either way, after attaching several scraps, my hands tend to get goopy. But no worries, a little soap and water takes care of that.

Continue to add scraps in a random yet orderly fashion.

Keep filling in the blank areas of the canvas....

....until every last corner is filled.

Step back and admire your work!

These make great wall art for kids rooms! Or hall ways. Or....fill in the blank. :)

If you are inclined, you could do this project with your kiddos, too!

Hints and Tips:
I don't pre-plan the placement of pieces...I just design as I go. If this is the route you choose to take, remember to take a step back (so to speak) every so often and check your color distribution.

Use a high quality stiff bristled brush. Cheap brushes lose bristles easily. I picked up a high quality artist brush on clearance at JoAnn's for a couple of bucks.

The stiff bristles are helpful when you want to paint the stray threads back into place.

Use a new brush if at all possible. If you have any residual paint in your brush from a previous project, it will work it's way onto your fabric and canvas. Not good.

If you make a ticker tape on canvas, please consider adding your photos to the quilting with crazy mom flickr group! I'd love to see what you come up with.

If you have any questions, I will try to answer them in the comments. Hope you have fun with this tutorial!

Terms of Use:
This tutorial is for personal use only. Please do not sell items made from this tutorial. Thanks so much!

1000!

Hello there! Merry Christmas to you! :)

I can hardly believe it, but this is my 1000th post! That's a whole lot of writing! And quilting! It's the perfect time to say THANK YOU to you, my readers. I appreciate you reading, commenting and encouraging me as I quilt my little heart out. :) Comments are my blogging fuel, you could say, and your encouragement means so much. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

To celebrate, I've gathered a few of my favorite things to give away to one lucky reader. International entries welcome.
Some of my favorite things include....POLKA DOTS! Of course!

(notice, not a purple one in sight ;) )

Also, a full yard of black and white striped fabric (perfect for binding), a hand made scrappy pin cushion (made from the trimmings of this purse), 2 spools of Connecting Threads Essential Cotton Thread in cream and grey, a pack of self threading needles (perfect for burying knots), a pack of Clover wonder clips, and a signed copy of Sunday Morning Quilts. Plus, I'll throw in a customized thread catcher in your favorite color combination.

If you would like to win this package of my favorite things, please leave me ONE comment in this post. In your comment please state where you live and what your favorite color/color combination is. I'll pick the winner sometime on Friday, December 28.

Happy Christmas to you!
xoxo
Amanda Jean

finish it up Friday, 12/21/12

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I have no finish to share today, (boo!) but I still wanted to host. So, I thought I'd show you what I've been working on this week instead.

I've had this idea in my head for a few weeks now. Last Saturday night I finally had a chance to sit down with some graph paper to sketch out this block. Lots of math, lots of cutting, and a little sewing later (with several happy squeals along the way) and voila! Trees!!! It is SO FUN to see a plan take shape!

The blocks feel very vintage and retro, don't they? I'm so charmed by them!!! For a bit I considered making a KING size quilt out of these....but that might be a little crazy. I'm aiming for a nice lap size instead. I'll need to make 20 blocks for that size. That's managable!

I'm really enjoying the process of piecing this quilt rather than rushing through just to get it done. That feels pretty darn good! There is a LOT of cutting, though, and that's not my favorite.

Yesterday I cut one of the FQs wrong (grrrrr) and I didn't have any extra fabric....so I ended up piecing some of my pieces. I tried to line up the dots as well as I could, as to not distract from the print. These pieces are only 1 1/2" wide! I think I'm taking my level of crazy up a notch, (maybe too much?) but I really wanted to use this fabric! I bet (I hope) this makes me smile every time I see it in the finished quilt. This was my 3rd cutting error so far in this quilt, which is NOT a great track record, so it's a good thing I'm good at making do!

(Because I've already been asked several times, yes! I'm happy to say I'm working on a pattern for this quilt. Stay tuned!)

On a side note...my daughter brought this home from school yesterday. They were talking about jobs in school and this is her paper. It totally made my day! She is a product of her environment, no doubt about it! :)

How about you? Do you have a finish that you can share today? If you do, please link up to a specific post. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 12/21/12

1.	Oh Happy Day Quilt	41.	Fabadashery
2.	Kerstin@sunset sewing	42.	Tile work Pillows
3.	Lolly Dolly Pillow @ OurBusyLittleBunch	43.	Anita @ Bloomin' Workshop
4.	Jennifer @ Glinda Quilts	44.	I QUILT FOR FUN
5.	Rachel @ The Life of Riley	45.	Steffi @ just Quilts
6.	alidiza	46.	Casey @ Casey York Designs
7.	Mtn Mama @Pots, Pans, Pins and Prayers	47.	scrap quilts for twins!
8.	Lucy @ Charm About You	48.	Tara @ Stitch Fancy scrappy pillow
9.	Jewelry Pouches	49.	Zipped pouches for presents-Karen NZ
10.	Jennifer @ Berkeley Mommy	50.	pam @ quiltingsquareone
11.	Honeycomb quilt @ Sewfrench	51.	Cathy in Ontario
12.	Heidi @ Fabric Mutt	52.	Gray and Yellow Quilt from Books_Bound
13.	Jo's Country Junction	53.	Amanda @ Material Girl Quilts
14.	littleandlots sparkle punch & fire drill	54.	Jess @the eleven garden
15.	Dana @ Old Red Barn Co.	55.	Sword and Shield
16.	Building Scrap Blocks	56.	Kathleen@CrabbitQuilter
17.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	57.	Cathy L -Sane and Crazy Quilting
18.	Audrey @ Hot Pink Quilts	58.	Eva Johansson
19.	ChristaQuilts Log Cabin Wreath	59.	...by CJ
20.	Melissa @ Happy Quilting	60.	selina
21.	Kim@mygogolife	61.	Terri Stradinger
22.	jean's redwork snowman	62.	ChristmasStockings@SqueekCrafts
23.	monster duffle bag	63.	cathy@blueberrypatch
24.	Sports Duffle	64.	Savanah Bop baby quilt
25.	vinyl zippered pouch	65.	Dresden Quilter
26.	memory quilt	66.	Jen @ lea & lars
27.	marion @ my quilt diet	67.	Gemini Jen NZ
28.	The Quilt Barn	68.	Jennie @ Porch Swing Quilts
29.	patchwork tote	69.	Shauna at LovinQuiltin
30.	svetlana	70.	Precious Moments Creatin' in the Sticks
31.	Katie Z.	71.	rachel@fourwisemonkeys
32.	pretty peasant dresses	72.	April
33.	Caryl W	73.	Valerie Cronin
34.	Maja	74.	Barbie @ thequiltingmill
35.	Nicole@Mama Love Quilts	75.	Michelle
36.	Mina@Kinda Quilty	76.	Inès @ Thready Bear
37.	Checkerboard Quilt	77.	Tunde
38.	beth@ lovelaughquilt	78.	Rene Creates
39.	Lap Quilts for the Hospital Residents	79.	Sarah C.
40.	Brenda@scrapsandstrings

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bright birch trees

I finished this quilt back in September but I wanted to get the pattern* written before I posted about it....so here we are in December. Everything takes so much longer than it should!

This quilt is proof positive that every scrap deserves a chance. Even the little ones! I do love working with little pieces!!!! (I know, what a news flash.) :)  The solids used on the front are Pure Elements by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery fabrics. They are super smooth and I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but they sewed and quilted up nicely. Hurray!

I do love a two sided quilt. On the back is my 'on the edge' quilt. (which is where I reside most of the time, hee hee!) The solid fabric is Ocean Mist by Connecting Threads. I am quite fond of their solids, as you probably already know. :)

 It's a bright one, isn't it? It makes me smile. :)

The center strip is my favorite one in the whole quilt. It finishes just a bit over 1/2" wide. So itty bitty! It makes me squeal a little bit every time I see it.

For the binding I used a super fun Patty Young print. I love how it finishes things off. This is sure to be a favorite quilt of mine for a long time!

If you are interested in making your own bright birch trees quilt, you can find the pattern in my shop. The pattern is sold as a pdf only, so a file will be sent to your email address used in your pay pal account.

*All proceeds from the sale of this pattern now through December 31 will go to a friend who is raising funds for an upcoming adoption! If you would like another way to help (please do!) you may purchase a calendar here, which will help bring their baby Tulip home. (If you do purchase a calendar, please be sure to use the coupon code TULIP at checkout.) Thanks for your help!

Happy Monday to you!

finish it up Friday, 12/14/12

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I'm happy to report that I finished up my drano quilt yesterday. I LOVE THIS QUILT!

 It's big! Measures 69" x 96".

The pattern is a traditional one called steps to the alter. Katy did a quilt along on her blog a few years back, so if you want to make one of your own (and I think you should!) you can find the directions here.

I threw it on my daughter's bed this morning for photos. I think it would be happy living here. (Although I do not think that will happen!)

I love that there is such a variety of scraps in this quilt...good, bad and ugly. It somehow all works wonderfully. I love the black diamond squares that give the eye a place to rest. Kind of.

 I used a simple black and white striped binding to finish it off...

...which ties in the backing quite nicely.

Speaking of the backing...I toiled over what to put on the back. I pieced a whole back out of fat quarters that I had in my stash because I didn't want to buy anything new for this quilt.

I kind of liked it-it felt campy and fun-but it wasn't quite the right match.

So I went back to the drawing board and ended up piecing it with some newly purchased fabric (the red and black) and a bit from my stash (the grey and white). I'm very happy with the outcome.

I quilted it with straight lines using my new Janome horizon. It was so fun! That thing straight line stitches like a dream. No shifting or pulling whatsoever and not a pucker in sight. Woo-hoo! (you can also see more quilting detail in the photo above.)

I'm considering using this quilt for temporary wall art behind my couch. I think it fills up that blank space perfectly. :)

I've heard that these things are addictive. I can testify to that. I'm thinking of starting another...

How about you? Have you a finish to share today? If so, please link up. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday! Have a good one!

finish it up Friday, 12/14/12

1.	Amanda @ Material Girl Quilts	40.	Pam@creativecrazygirl
2.	Em@SewingByMoonlight	41.	Valerie
3.	I QUILT FOR FUN	42.	Jen @ Sew Fishy
4.	April - Little Mama Hen	43.	CJ Tinkle
5.	Little Island Quilting	44.	Quiltnmama
6.	Beth	45.	Shauna
7.	The Quilt Barn	46.	Sue in WA
8.	Heidi @ Fabric Mutt	47.	rosa
9.	Heather @ Winding Bobbins	48.	alidiza
10.	Audrey @ Hot Pink Quilts	49.	Carin @ Shaped by Stitches
11.	Linh @ Elvy Crafts	50.	Jenniffier's Sometimes Creative Life
12.	Lucy @ Charm About You	51.	Ready, Set, Sew by Kelly
13.	Renae @ Creative Chicks	52.	Becca @ bryanhousequilts
14.	Eva Johansson	53.	Kathleen@CrabbitQuilter
15.	Caryl W	54.	Elena - Cosiendo sueños
16.	Steffi @ just Quilts	55.	Caroline @ Too Cute, Sew Clever
17.	Linda	56.	Elaine M
18.	Casey @ Casey York Designs	57.	Rebecca @ Sew Festive Handmade
19.	patchwork duffle bag	58.	Janice @ Better Off Thread
20.	marion@myquiltdiet	59.	cathy@blueberrypatch
21.	patchwork makeup bag	60.	Karen H in Iowa
22.	T-Shirt Quilt at Stamp Stitch Create	61.	Megan @ Tales of Ineptitude
23.	baby hst chevron quilt	62.	Gemma @ Pretty Bobbins
24.	Lynn - holiday sewing	63.	dedra
25.	Kathy@KayakQuilting	64.	Jenny Squawk
26.	Happy Amy	65.	Karen @capitolaquilter
27.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie	66.	Mtn Mama @ Pots,Pans,Pins, and Prayers.
28.	Alia @ card table, inc.	67.	Mug Rugs
29.	katie z.	68.	ChristaQuilts Charming Chevrons
30.	baby diamond quilt	69.	bee
31.	beth@lovelaughquilt	70.	Stitch Fancy (Tara) Christmas Quilt
32.	...by CJ	71.	Lisa @ Calicos In Bloom
33.	Alycia - Captain America Quilt	72.	rachel@fourwisemonkeys
34.	Hurricane Sandy Quilt	73.	Gemini Jen NZ
35.	Jo's Country Junction	74.	Jennifer @ Glinda Quilts
36.	Baby Boy Yellow and Blue	75.	Zipper Pouch
37.	Maja	76.	Rachel@liketosew.blogspot.com
38.	GiftCardPockets@SqueekCrafts	77.	Karina @ The Naked Spool
39.	Mina@Kinda QUilty	78.	Flowers in the Window - Knitted Cowl

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