diamond pin cushion

The other day I needed a little bit of sanity sewing.
(Or perhaps this could be considered insanity sewing?)
Either way, it was just what I needed!
It was inspired by my diamond pillow pattern.
Finished size is 4 1/2'' square.
It is scrap project #123!

Also, thank you so much for your sweet comments about the quilt for my dad! They are all appreciated! xo

a quilt for my dad

Welcome to the last finish it up linky party of the year! It's a little odd to be hosting finish it up Friday on Monday, but I didn't want to skip it altogether. :)

Making my dad a quilt has been on my to-do list for the past several years. I started the top last Tuesday night (!!!) and I actually finished it in time for Christmas! Crazy. Pants. Making a quilt in three days isn't that big of a deal on a normal week, (hahaha!) but on the week of Christmas, with so many other things going on, it's kind of ridiculous. (My poor husband.)

I enlisted the help of all 3 kids and my husband to make it happen. The kids helped iron, counted out the quilt blocks and did some of the layout. Everyone helped tie at least a few blocks. Most of the fabric came from shirts that my husband wore in the past. He also suggested the addition of the cow fabric. I love that it was a group effort!

When it came time to photograph the quilt, I had a lot of fun finding various spots around my dad's farm. It was so nice to have my sister and my niece volunteer as quilt holders!

The back of the quilt was already pieced. I made the back for an entirely different quilt, but I ended up changing direction on that quilt. I thought about chopping it up and just using the fabric, but then I came to my senses. (Ha!) So, I built the front of the quilt to fit this backing. It worked out pretty well!

Because of the time constraints, machine binding was a must! It's far from perfect....but it will be durable!

I used polyester batting inside the quilt, which is not my usual choice, but I wanted the quilt to be nice and lofty. I used red heart yarn (!!!) to tie it. I wanted the quilt to have an old school/throwback feel. This is the kind of quilt that I slept under growing up. I knew I couldn't make his quilt too fancy or chances of him using it would be slim. That's just the way it is! :)

The quilt measures approximately 60'' x 78''. I'm pretty sure my dad liked it. It is my hope that he actually uses it!

This quilt is scrap project #122!

As I have done for the past 3 weeks, I will be choosing one winner from the commenters and one winner from the links to win their choice of 3 PDF patterns from my pattern store, as a thank you for being a part of the party!

Now it's your turn. Please link up your finishes! This is a great time to show off all your Christmas sewing. :) Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday on Monday! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

Happy Monday to you!

finish it up Friday (on Monday!) 12/28/15

1.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot	45.	Sew Me Something Good
2.	Rainbow Hexie | Paige @ Quilted Blooms	46.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
3.	Amy @ Sea of Estrogen	47.	Sandra @ mmm quilts
4.	Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop	48.	Stacey @ SLOstudio - Barn Quilt mini
5.	Katy@KatyQuilts	49.	STH
6.	Quilts & Such	50.	Carley Biblin
7.	Orange Explosion, a OBW quilt for my mom	51.	Elaine from Emily's Cupboard
8.	twin scrappy hearts	52.	Jenn@RedPatch
9.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	53.	Heide
10.	Vera @ Negligent style	54.	Merry Christmas Corner
11.	Yanicka	55.	Karen Seitz
12.	Tami @ Thrift Shop Commando	56.	Amy - Quilts for Christmas
13.	Mary Ellen Adams	57.	Erica@dressesandspurs
14.	Leanne @ she can quilt	58.	Elaine @ Beech Tree Lane Handmade
15.	Quilt for the nephew @ Sapphire2001	59.	pink diamonds@snugharbor quilts
16.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	60.	Bunny Hoppin
17.	Sue at Lappteknik	61.	Alyssa
18.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm	62.	Dona@grateful4quilting
19.	selina	63.	Janice&quilts
20.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm	64.	Wapiti
21.	Bethany	65.	From My Carolina Home Best of 2015
22.	Dizzy Quilts: Lunch Bags	66.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
23.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	67.	Kate @ katiemaequilts - Minecraft Quilt
24.	Janine@The Sweetest Dreams	68.	Kate @ katiemaequilts - Cars Quilt
25.	Luna Lovequilts : Teal-yellow cushions	69.	Quilting is more fun than Housework
26.	Festive table runner	70.	Margaret @ life as posted two
27.	Modern hexies by I love neutrals	71.	Santa Mail
28.	Anne	72.	Quilted Christmas Tree
29.	Christmas present	73.	Becky G.
30.	Val's Quilting Studio	74.	Empress Charlotte - Toddler Blocks
31.	Kathy (Quilt Monkey)	75.	thescrappymoose
32.	10 Open Wide Noodlehead Pouches-DGroove	76.	beth@lovelaughquilt
33.	Minty Day & Pre-K	77.	Debora @ Studio Dragonfly
34.	Scrappy pillow by blockMquilts	78.	Jess @ Sew Jess Handmade
35.	Terri Faust Quilts	79.	Self Portrait @ Handwrought Quilts
36.	From My Carolina Home Christmas Trip	80.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie
37.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts	81.	placemats @ Handwrought Quilts
38.	Jingle Bell Rock quilt	82.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts
39.	241 Totes @ Dresden Lane	83.	Binding twin's baby quilts
40.	Zippered pouch	84.	Gemini Jen NZ bag
41.	Stitchified: A handmade Christmas	85.	Katie
42.	Jen @ Jennifer Under the Juniper Tree	86.	Frida Eriksson
43.	Dragonfly Quilting	87.	Charity Quilt Showcase
44.	Block O-hio Star @ dittencraft

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winners

The winners of this week's giveaway of 3 PDF patterns are Claudia and Lucy. Thanks for all your comments and kind words! Happy Monday to you!

rose city roller socks

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I have a new pair of hand knit socks! I finished these this morning...just minutes ago! I love how they fit! This is the second pair of socks I knit with this particular sock yarn. (You can see the first ones here.) I still can't believe that I was able to squeeze out four socks from 2 balls of yarn! love that I was able to use almost ALL of the remaining yarn I had on hand. It almost feels like I got a free pair. :)

I especially love the contrast toe, which was even more leftover sock yarn. One day I will figure out how to do a contrasting heel as well. But for now, this is great!

I used this pattern as a guide. What a fun knit! This is my 15th pair of hand knit socks to date! I already have pair #16 on the needles. :)

One more little finish for today...I finished my rainy day birdie coaster (#2!) that I started back in September. I love how it turned out! The pattern is in Erin's book Sweet Tweets. The crocheted edge was the challenge, as my crochet skills aren't super strong, but I think it ended up pretty cute! I used the instructions as a guide (noticing a theme?)..and then I kind of made something up that looked good on my coaster. For the edging, I used up more leftover sock yarn (yay!), which worked pretty well! The pattern called for embroidery floss, but I wanted to use what I had on hand. It is scrap project #121!

Next week we will not have a link up party on Friday, since it is Christmas day. I think I will move it to Monday, the 28th instead, so you can share what you made for Christmas or any other finishes you may have between now and then. Does that work? I hope so!

Also, I will be picking 2 winners (one from the comments and one from the links) this week to win a 3 pack of PDF patterns of their choice from my pattern store as a thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday!

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week! I hope all your last minute Christmas prep is going well. Remember to breathe! Have a great weekend! xo

finish it up Friday, 12/18/15

1.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	56.	Laurie @ Dresden Lane
2.	Road Home Snuggler	57.	Little Island Quilting
3.	Mari @The Academic Quilter	58.	unpretentious quilter
4.	Tree | Paige @ Quilted Blooms	59.	My Imperfect Life
5.	Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing	60.	Gunilla
6.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	61.	JulieBagamary Art - Semi Circles & Patch
7.	Katy @ KatyQuilts	62.	JulieBagamaryArt - Slow Stitch Leaf
8.	beth@lovelaughquilt	63.	Empress Charlotte - Baby Stripes
9.	Heather P	64.	Headbands for Christmas - Karen
10.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	65.	Jenny @ Romany Quilting
11.	The Birds and The Butterflies	66.	Stacey @ SLOstudio - Pouches
12.	maiden hair fern	67.	Quilted floor rug
13.	Kat & Cat Quilts	68.	Karen @ runsewfun
14.	Heather	69.	ruth @Stitching Impressions
15.	Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop	70.	Quilting is more fun than Housework
16.	katie z. @ Zana's Ninis	71.	Cindy @ Live a Colorful Life
17.	The Peppermint Tree	72.	Gingerbread Man Applique
18.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	73.	Christmas Pillow
19.	Laura	74.	Makers Tote - Lisa in Port Hope
20.	Julie @ Pink Doxies	75.	Kelly Cline Quilting
21.	Em @ Em's Scrapbag	76.	Celtic Thistle Stitches
22.	Debora @ Studio Dragonfly	77.	Laney @ Sugarplum Patchwork
23.	Jennifer @ NeverJustJennifer	78.	Gemini Jen NZ quilt
24.	Yanicka	79.	Linda @ The Road to Oklahoma
25.	Ruby Antoinette | Ants to Sugar	80.	Colleen @ Piecemakerquilts
26.	Lindasquiltmania	81.	Anne
27.	Mitten ornament	82.	Kate @ katiemaequilts
28.	Sew Preeti Quilts -100Acre Woods + Bonus	83.	Sylvia
29.	Christmas angels	84.	Granny Maud's Girl – binding kits
30.	Dizzy Quilts: Coffee Mugs Wall Hanging	85.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits chevrons
31.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	86.	Patty M
32.	Dizzy Quilts: Two in One Pouches	87.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
33.	Foxy Quilted Cushions	88.	Wendys Quilts and more
34.	The Inside Stori	89.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
35.	DonnaleeQ-Gray Plus Quilt	90.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
36.	Huntspatch Quilts - Masquerade	91.	Table Runner by Beth
37.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	92.	Katie and Dori
38.	Karen	93.	The Colorful Fabriholic
39.	Maria@RaspberryJam	94.	Erica@dressesandspurs
40.	tubakk, Norway	95.	Teeny, Tiny Quilts
41.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot	96.	Susan's Quilt Creations
42.	Star Quilt @ Aaseevana	97.	Mom's First Quilt
43.	Janine @ The Sweetest Dreams	98.	Doggie Baby Quilt
44.	Sue @quilting the green star	99.	My Quilt Corner
45.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	100.	deana at dreamworthy quilts
46.	Lucy @ Charm About You	101.	11 Xmas Gift Tutes
47.	Quilt Crazie-Friday Finishes	102.	Trimmed Towels
48.	Tissue Box Cover Tutorial	103.	Patch the Giraffe
49.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine	104.	Frankie
50.	Kim @PersimonDreams	105.	Merry Christmas
51.	Elaine @ Beech Tree Lane Handmade	106.	Dona@grateful4quilting
52.	Diann@Little Penguin Quilts	107.	Christmas Gifting @ Dresden Lane
53.	Organic Baby Quilt Tutorial - Christine	108.	alidiza
54.	Peppermint Candy runner	109.	Sew Me Something Good
55.	Nicole @ Mama Love Quilts	110.	Margaret @ life as posted two

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it's not too late!

There is still over a week until Christmas...so if you are a last minute person like me, here are a few gift ideas to make. It's not too late! Hahaha! I met up with a good friend of mine for lunch yesterday, so I made up this little gift package for her.

I used some good neighbors fabric (and a few other prints) to make a pair of Christmas dishtowels and a pot holder. I love how the rounded edges of the pot holder make the simple patchwork more interesting. Simple is good! I used bias binding to finish off the edges, which I hand stitched down while waiting for my son's choir concert on Monday night. (Every minute counts! Ha!)

There is a tutorial for making a simple patchwork dishtowel here, if you care to make some of your own. I love how the set turned out! These are scrap project # 120!

I also made a few decadent sauces. I used this recipe for the salted caramel sauce. (It's soooo good!) It's very salty, so you may want to reduce the amount of salt to start with and adjust to your personal taste. I did add the full amount and only 1 out of 5 in my family thought it was too salty.

 

The hot fudge sauce is a recipe I've had for years. It's easy, and it only takes about 10-15 minutes to make.

 

Hot Fudge Sauce

2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups (12 oz) evaporated milk

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool slightly and pour into a jar. Keep refrigerated for up to two weeks. (It probably won't last that long!) Warm for several seconds in the microwave before using.

 

There you go! If you have any great last minute gift ideas, I'd love to hear them! I can always use a few more.

more PDF pattern winners

The winners of 3 PDF patterns from my shop this week are Julie and Carol. Emails have been sent. Thank you to all of you who joined in! We will do it again next week! :)

Happy Monday to you!

a thread catcher, fabric ribbon and mighty lucky, oh my!

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

This week I did a little gift sewing! I made this combination thread catcher/pincushion for a good friend of mine. I always have a hard time picking fabric for others, so I did what I could to mix her likes with a little bit of mine. I think it turned out alright! :)

The pincushion is made from quilting cotton which was fused with Pellon SF 101, (my all time favorite interfacing) and then I filled it with crushed walnut shells. The magnetic strip is handy for holding metal bobbins and hand sewing needles. It's handy to have one of these next to the sewing machine, or on the arm of the couch when hand sewing binding.

I modeled it after the one I finished about 3 years ago! (There is no pattern, I'm sorry to say, but there is a similar one-see this post for photos-in Krista's book Make it, Take it.) I use mine all the time...it's one of my favorite sewing gadgets. I'm happy to report that my friend liked hers, too! This is scrap project # 119!

As I was wrapping up my friend's gifts, I realized that I didn't have any nice wide ribbon, so....fabric to the rescue! I made my own "ribbon" from the red and white ovals good neighbors print. I love how it kind of looks like peppermints! (This fabric really needs to be a Christmas quilt backing!)

It makes pretty good ribbon, wouldn't you say? I LOVE how it turned out!

 

One more thing to share today...have you heard about the Mighty Lucky Quilting Club? It's like a gym membership, but for quilters! It the first of its kind subscription based program where you will receive a different design challenge/instruction each month from 12 different quilters. (The line up is impressive and I'm a little nervous/excited/thrilled to be a part of it!) You can read all about the details of the club here. I'm looking forward to learning and being challenged in a guided format each month! It sounds like a lot more fun than going to the gym, doesn't it? :)

 

As I mentioned last week, I will be picking 2 winners from each Friday post (one from the comments and one from the links) during the month of December. Each winner will have their choice of any 3 PDF patterns from my pattern store. Just a little thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday!

 

Ok, folks! Now it's time to link up your finishes for the week...if you have anything that isn't secret sewing, that is! :) Thanks, as always, for joining me for finish it up Friday! 

finish it up Friday, 12/11/15

1.	Sugar Pop N Change Mini	57.	Sue @ quilting the green star
2.	Paige @ Quilted Blooms	58.	tubakk, Norway
3.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	59.	Cathy Tomm Quilts
4.	Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing	60.	Quick Christmas Pillows
5.	Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop	61.	Cindy @ Live a Colorful Life
6.	Debora @ Studio Dragonfly	62.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot
7.	Katy @ KatyQuilts	63.	Wendys Quilts and more
8.	Nancy@PugMomQuilts	64.	Cathy@Sane, Crazy, Crumby
9.	Easy Bold Tablerunner | Ants to Sugar	65.	Selvage Xmas Ornament Tutorial
10.	maiden hair fern	66.	Meet George!
11.	Snowcatcher	67.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
12.	Quilts & Such	68.	Little Island Quilting
13.	Vicki in MN	69.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
14.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	70.	Happy Cottage Quilter
15.	Elaine@Beech Tree Lane Handmade	71.	sylvia
16.	Dizzy Quilts: Geometric Cat Pillow	72.	Nancy Ottaviano
17.	Sew Crafty Jenn	73.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie
18.	Dizzy Quilts: Dog Pillow	74.	Erica@dressesandspurs
19.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	75.	Stacey @SLOstudio - MQG Glitz Challenge
20.	Cup Free Paper Piecing Pattern	76.	Yellow Maple Leaves Cushion
21.	Sew Me Something Good	77.	Empress Charlotte - Log Pyramid
22.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	78.	Julie Bagamary Art - Scrap Vortex Stole
23.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	79.	Gemini Jen NZ lap quilt
24.	Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl	80.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
25.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter	81.	Sophie's Bow Tie Challenge Block
26.	Colleen @ Piecemakerquilts	82.	Q-Bits Busy Time
27.	Scrappy Quilt Technique	83.	Sue @ Super Mom - No Cape!
28.	How To Make A Santa Sack	84.	Yanicka
29.	Cardinal Quilt	85.	Kris @SewSunshine
30.	Em @ Em's Scrapbag	86.	Karen
31.	My Imperfect Life	87.	Jen @ Jennifer Under the Juniper Tree
32.	Maartje quilts in Amsterdam	88.	Emma @ A Hand Stotched Lite
33.	Alycia @ Quiltygirl	89.	Frankie
34.	Cristina @The Quilted Mitten	90.	Kristin Gumdrop
35.	Julie @ Pink Doxies	91.	Miss Alissa Creates
36.	Kelly Cline Quilting	92.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits wonky rail
37.	beth@lovelaughquilt	93.	wish2stitch
38.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	94.	DonnaleeQ-Thanksgiving Revisited
39.	Jo's Country Junction	95.	lindasquiltmania/necessaryclutch
40.	Lucy @ charmaboutyou	96.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
41.	Watermelon Diva	97.	Quilting Grandma from MT
42.	Gunilla/Christmas Quilt	98.	Day to Night Glitz | Factotum of Arts
43.	Kim @PersimonDreams	99.	Maria@RaspberryJam
44.	Gail	100.	Jess @ SewJess Handmade
45.	A little bit of my life::Mendocino quilt	101.	Debbie @ A Quilter's Table
46.	Busy Hands Quilts - Key to My Heart!	102.	Kate @ katiemaequilts
47.	Anna's Hardest Quilt @ MiMP	103.	Another Baby Quilt @ LoGoQuilts
48.	Double Square Star (NoSnowball) Tutorial	104.	Fern
49.	Janeen. @ Quilt Art Designs	105.	Tanya Quilts in CO
50.	Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge	106.	Jess @ Quilty Habit
51.	The Inside Stori	107.	Julia in Mississippi
52.	Margaret @ life as posted two	108.	Cotton+Steel Placemats
53.	Gina	109.	Rene' Creates
54.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm	110.	Quilter Kathy
55.	Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts	111.	Allison @ New Every Morning
56.	Green Cheese Quilting Baby Quilt	112.	Dona@grateful4quilting

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PDF pattern winners

The winner from Friday's link up party is Cheryl and the winner from the comments is Sherry. Emails have been sent! :) Thank you for all you who joined in....we will do this again next week!

Happy Monday to you!

tiny things are my favorite

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Once again, I am thankful for accountability of this linky party and the push to finish something each week! It gets a little harder during this time of the year...but I don't need to tell you that!

These little guys....1 1/2" finished half-square triangles...are my new favorite. (Quarter in the photo for scale.) They were an off shoot from another project, of course. Quilting is one big rabbit trail, isn't it? But....it's a fun trail to be on and I wouldn't have it any other way!

I had the bright idea to use these tiny HSTs to make a cherry pit warmer. My feet will be perpetually cold until May or June of next year...but this little cherry pit warmer will help! The inside is filled with cleaned (and sanitized) cherry pits. To warm it up, I place it in the microwave for a few minutes, along with a cup of water, to prevent burning or scorching. It retains the heat for several minutes. I've also filled these types of warmers with rice, which seems to retain the heat even longer than the cherry pits. Either way, these warmers are a must in my house! I think they would make great gifts, too.

The back side is patchwork, as well. I layered the patchwork onto 100% cotton batting (since it will be microwaved, be sure to avoid any polyester in the batting) and then I quilted it with straight lines. I sewed the two panels together, turned it right side out, filled it and stitched it closed by hand. It didn't take long at all...once the patchwork was made, that is! :) My son already requested one in his favorite color scheme of blue and green. He knew better than try to claim this one as his own! This is scrap project # 117.

These blocks were leftover from my just four fun quilt (free pattern here) and since there were 6 of them, I thought they would make a perfect set of coasters. I love to make coasters because they are quick, they are cute, and they use up those long, skinny strips of leftover batting.

These finish at about 4 1/2" square and they are reversible. (Love that!) Binding coasters feels highly ridiculous, but it finishes them off so nicely...I knew it would be worth it! I used my how to bind tiny things tutorial, which worked like a charm. My husband asked if he could take them to work to put in his office, so they have already found a home. Hurray! These are scrap project #118.

To thank you for reading, commenting and joining in my linky party, I thought it would be fun to offer up some prizes each Friday in December. Each week I will pick a random winner from the links, and also a random winner from the comments. If I pick your name, you can pick any 3 of my PDF patterns...just as a thank you! This party wouldn't be a party without you! :)

Now it's your turn! Do you have a finish to share this week? If so, please link up! Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 12/4/15

1.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	63.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm
2.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	64.	Nicole @ Mama Love Quilts
3.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	65.	Jess @ Sew Jess Handmade
4.	Jo's Country Junction	66.	cath@wombat quilts
5.	Yanicka	67.	Laurie @ Dresden Lane
6.	Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl	68.	DIY Hexie Christmas Tree Card
7.	Melissa @ Happy Quilting	69.	Liberty Applique Drawstring Gift Bag
8.	Heather's Blog	70.	Wendys Quilts and more
9.	Katy @ KatyQuilts	71.	tisha @ quiltytherapy
10.	Easy quilt Free pattern	72.	Cindy @ Live a Colorful Life
11.	Carley Biblin	73.	Sew Preeti Quilts
12.	Batik and Appliqued	74.	Tarnia@Quilts across the aisle
13.	Jill @ Pie Lady Quilts	75.	Kathy (Quilt Monkey)
14.	Debora at Studio Dragonfly	76.	Valerie @ Meek Manor/Dragon Baby Quilt
15.	Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing	77.	Mihaela
16.	Gunilla/Christmas Quilt	78.	Lighting McQueen
17.	Karen	79.	Folded Star Christmas Ornament
18.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	80.	Sharon Keightley
19.	Nancy@PugMomQuilts	81.	tubakk, Norway
20.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	82.	gemstones quilt
21.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	83.	1904 Revisited
22.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot	84.	Andrea @ MiMP Mini Quilts
23.	Em @ Em's Scrapbag	85.	Jenny, Christmas Stars
24.	Pamela @ Mama Spark's World	86.	Marla @ The Quilted Puzzle
25.	Stacey @SLOstudio- Quiltcon entry	87.	Happy Cottage Quilter
26.	Kat & Cat Quilts	88.	Linda
27.	Elaine from Emily's Cupboard	89.	Kris @SewSunshine
28.	Glacier/Beech Tree Lane Handmade	90.	Julie @ Pink Doxies
29.	maiden hair fern	91.	Kate @ katiemaequilts
30.	Sue @ Quilting the Green Star	92.	Alex @ teaginny designs
31.	Abigail @ cut&alter	93.	Erica@dressesandspurs
32.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot Part 2-	94.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
33.	Kim @PersimonDreams	95.	Tanya Quilts in CO
34.	Carrie / envelope needlebook	96.	Gail
35.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	97.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
36.	A little bit of my life :: cross stitch	98.	Marie -- Watermelon Diva
37.	Busy Hands Quilts - Miss Kate Curtains	99.	Sarah Goer
38.	Lindasquiltmania-cotton+steel2015	100.	Alison@thechainpiecer
39.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter	101.	Ann @ Fret Not Yourself
40.	DonnaleeQ-The Finished Deal	102.	Burrito Pillowcase Tute
41.	beth@lovelaughquilt	103.	Quilt Crazie: Friday Finishes
42.	Quilts & Such	104.	Jane in KS
43.	Patchwork Suburb	105.	Fern
44.	O Tannenbaum!	106.	Cathy Tomm Quilts
45.	A little bit of my life :: baby quilt	107.	Emma @ A Hand Stitched Life
46.	Jan O @The Colorful Fabriholic	108.	Shelley aka Brookquilt
47.	Jen@prettyintheport	109.	Apple Leaves cushion - Quilting Stories
48.	Celtic Thistle Stitches	110.	Note to Follow Sew
49.	Alycia @ Quiltygirl	111.	charlotte@GrammieQ's
50.	Dizzy Quilts: The Guitar Quilt	112.	Mary Stori
51.	Alisa @ KnitSpinQuilt	113.	katie z.
52.	Brenda @Scraps and Strings	114.	Peggy Aront
53.	Blueberry Crumble	115.	Julie Bagamary Art - New Purse Time
54.	Make it fit	116.	JulieBagamarArt-2015 ChristmasOrnament
55.	Maja	117.	Maartje quilts in Amsterdam free pattern
56.	Colleen @ Piecemakerquilts	118.	Mary
57.	ruth @Stitching Impressions	119.	Margaret @ Pieces of My Heart
58.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	120.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting
59.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits christmas	121.	Janice@doorprizes
60.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie	122.	Tiny Minion Finish @ LoGoQuilts
61.	Sandra @ mmm quilts	123.	genie~va~a special post for Amanda Jean
62.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts

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cafe umbrellas quilt

This quilt has been finished since July...and I've had it back in hand for a few weeks already, but I never found the time to blog about it. (It's so difficult not to share things in real time!) This one was named by my friend Stephanie...who thought it looked like café umbrellas. Isn't that a fitting name?(Thank you, Stephanie!)

All of the fabrics in the front of the quilt are from my good neighbors fabric line. (I added solid white, which is also from Connecting Threads.) The idea was to design a block where the stripes make a diamond design. There is quite a bit of extra fabric leftover because the triangles are cut twice on the diagonal (rather than once) so the stripes form the pattern. The fabulous free-motion quilting was done by Steffani K. Burton. She does SUCH a nice job!

I have big plans for the leftover triangles...they will be some sort of flying geese some day. Probably in another year or two! Ha!

For the backing, I used 8 different 1/2 yard fabrics from my stash in colors that match the front of the quilt. There was a lot of auditioning to get just the right mix, but it was worth it! I love using up stash for quilt backs.

Polka dots, pigs and stripes...

 ...more polka dots in various sizes and a fun text print.

The scale of the teal dots (also from the good neighbors line) work so well for binding!

I thought twice about using this large gray dot on the back, because I wanted to hoard it until the end of time...but the scale was too perfect not to use! I'm glad that I did use it. After all, that's what the fabric is for, right? (I need the reminder sometimes!)

I really enjoyed piecing this quilt! It was fun to make something a little more traditional and I love the secondary design that the blocks make. There is a pattern for the café umbrellas quilt here, if you are interested. Connecting Threads has kits for this quilt on sale (today only!) for 50% off while supplies last. It's a great bargain!

The quilt measures 59 1/2" x 76 1/2", which is a nice lap size. It's nice and bright and cheery, unlike the weather today. :)

Happy Monday to you!

floor pouf

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

For something a little different today...I made a floor pouf for my home!

I actually bought a kit (which might be a first for me) from Modern Textiles. I fell in love with the floor poufs while they were still developing the pattern. It was a fun, practical project and I highly recommend it!

The pouf is filled with a combination of wool batting, (the old, old stuff that we would never put in quilts these days) along with some fabric scraps, batting scraps and a little bit of polyester fiberfill to the top to keep the top nicely rounded. There is an insane amount of filling in it!

I made sure to fill it quite densely, as recommended by the pattern, so it can be used as an ottoman or even a chair for a little person. My kids love it! This one was made using decorator fabric, but you KNOW that I'm already dreaming of making a scrappy version. :) 

 

It's so nice to have a BIG finish to share today!

 

I also wanted to give you a heads up...Craftsy is having their best sale of the year right now and it runs through Monday, 11/30/15. All classes are $19.99 or less, so if you had your eye on one, now is the time to purchase! I'm currently taking the class Basics of Digital Photography, which is fabulous. It's about time that I actually learn how to use my camera properly! On the quilting front, I'm taking Jacquie Gering's class Creative Quilting with Your Walking Foot, which is filled with great information. I've been watching both classes as I trim HST blocks and while I am chain piecing. It's so nice to be able to maximize my time and keep my mind occupied while I do those mundane quilting tasks. My class, Colorful Scrap Quilting is on sale, too! Craftsy classes never expire, so you can watch on your own timeline and re-visit the lessons as often as you like. That's a good thing! 

 

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday! Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!

finish it up Friday, 11/27/15

1.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	43.	Sue @ quilting the green star
2.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	44.	DonnaleeQ-Modern Patchwork
3.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	45.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm
4.	Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing	46.	Lisa ,sunlightinwinterquilts
5.	Yanicka	47.	Maartje QuiltinAmssterdams
6.	Em	48.	Katy @ KatyQuilts
7.	Stacey @SLOstudio - Scrap quilt top	49.	Jennifer @ Glinda Quilts
8.	Luna Lovequilts : Star Wars cushions	50.	Jenny - Pretty Blue Bag
9.	Undnocheinepatchworkdecke	51.	Debora at Studio Dragonfly
10.	beth@lovelaughquilt	52.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
11.	My Imperfect Life	53.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter
12.	Kate @ katiemaequilts	54.	Amanda @ fabric engineer
13.	Maja	55.	Terri Faust Quilts
14.	Kim @PersimonDreams	56.	selina - hostess gift
15.	Vicki in MN	57.	Lyndsey
16.	Kat & Cat Quilts	58.	homespun baby quilt@snugharbor quilts
17.	Sandra @ mmm quilts	59.	Alison@thechainpiecer
18.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	60.	Granny Maud's Girl – A baker's dozen
19.	tubakk, Norway	61.	Emma @ A Hand Stitched Life
20.	Quilts & Such	62.	deana
21.	Miss Alissa Creates	63.	Gemini Jen NZ bag
22.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	64.	Julie Bagamary Preemie Knitted Hats
23.	Tanya Quilts in CO	65.	Julie Bagamary Clergy Stole
24.	Christmas mug rug swap @ blockMquilts	66.	Cathy Tomm Quilts
25.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict	67.	Quilts in the 'hood. . .
26.	Holiday embroidery:: porcupinestew	68.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits christmas
27.	Abigail @ cut&alter	69.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
28.	La tassa torta	70.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
29.	Ann @ Fret Not Yourself	71.	CJ
30.	Doll Quilts	72.	Emilee-spiced chai quilt
31.	lindasquiltmania	73.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting
32.	Christmas tissue box cover	74.	Pink Doxies
33.	Brenda's I spy baby quilt	75.	Morning Coffee & Cream Quilt Finished
34.	Organic Baby Quilt TUTORIAL	76.	Shauna@lovinquiltin
35.	Liberty & Linen FPP Feather	77.	Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge
36.	Hand Tied Snuggly Tute	78.	Susan's Quilt Creations
37.	Christmas Corner November 2015	79.	Jan O @ The Colorful Fabriholic
38.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	80.	Panel Block Ornament and Gift Tag
39.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	81.	Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
40.	Wendys Quilts and more	82.	Heide
41.	Kitty Wilkin | Night Quilter	83.	Morgan
42.	Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop	84.	Maria @ Tales of a Stitcher

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an epic thrift store day

I had a bunch of errands to run today (along with everyone else in the country!) and one of the fun stops was the thrift store. Man, I cleaned up today!!!

First up, this funky, but super fun rug. I paid 79 cents for it! It is so fabulously homemade! I thought I would put it in my kitchen, but it's a little small for that, so it will either end up in one of my bathrooms or else by the side of my bed.

I love, love, LOVE the color scheme. I think I need to build a quilt around this color palette! It's so good!

This shelf was obviously homemade in someone's garage.....and I love that it's not quite symmetrical. :) I've been on the lookout for something tall and skinny with storage for my sewing room. This is just the ticket!

I found a board in my garage (already cut to the perfect size) and I covered it to use as an ironing board. I only paid $11.99 for the shelf and the rest of the materials were things that I had on hand. The best part? I got the project done within a few hours after I got home. Hurray! Oh, and my husband approves of it, so THAT'S good, too! Ha!

I covered the top with the tomato red cross stitch print from my good neighbors fabric line. I kind of love it! I purposely chose a darker color to cover it with so hopefully it will wear well and last for a long time.

And the last deal of the day....this quilt is hand made, tied and it is in really good condition. I paid $7.99 for it. I certainly don't NEED another quilt, (are you laughing with me yet?) but for that price I just couldn't leave it there!!! I love it so much!

When you add it all up, I spent less than $23 total! I'm thrilled!

This is my favorite week of the year...and thanksgiving is definitely my favorite holiday. For those of you in the States, Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have a wonderful, blessed day! xo

pincushions galore

I thought it would be fun to show my entire pincushion collection with you today! Some were made by me and several were made by my friends. I love them all! I could barely fit them all in one frame (hahaha!)....no surprise there!

These two are my favorite ones to use....at least this week! :) I love that they have a firm base (a repurposed tuna can) and that they sit up higher than most pincushions. There is a tutorial here, from a long time ago, if you care to make one of your own.

 My pincushion "candy bowl" is full! This makes me super happy!

And one more...I made this little one on retreat this weekend. I found a scrap with my birth year on it and it was centered on the piece of fabric, so I just HAD to make a pincushion out of it. Isn't that the cutest? It's scrap project # 116!

If you are curious to know how I make my pincushions, I basically follow the directions in this tutorial...I just change up the patchwork on the top panel. I like to fill my smaller pincushions with crushed walnut shells, which I purchase in large quantities from the pet store. (They are sold as lizard litter). If the pincushions are over 5" or 6" I fill them with poly fiberfill, so they don't get too heavy. I hope that helps to answer any questions you may have!

 

Happy Monday to you!

catch-all fabric baskets

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Well, it feels like winter here, so it was time to crack out the butterfly fabric! :) I actually used fabric from my stash this week--a noteworthy event to be sure. Ha!

Last summer my friend Michelle gave me a little fabric basket/tray as a gift, and I have found it so useful for corralling fabric scraps on my sewing table while I work. I have a lot of scraps, (ahem!) so I thought I would sew up a few more baskets. These were a fun, quick project to make that could be used for organizing so many different things! I was able to use up some scraps of weird stabilizer stuff (I think it was Pel-Tex) that I had leftover from making some bags years ago, so that was a bonus!

Let me mention the bamboo turner, pictured above. It's one of my new favorite tools! I usually use a knitting needle or something similar to poke out the corners of my little projects (like pincushions) but that bamboo turner is amazing! It's by Merchant & Mills and I bought it at Modern Textiles. It's a nifty little tool that I would recommend if you like sewing gadgets! Or if you make hundreds of pincushions, like I do. :)

 

You can use this video tutorial by Crafty Gemini to make the catch all baskets, if you care to make some of your own. Thanks, Vanessa!

Speaking of tools...I picked up this Clover needle threader at the free table last month at my guild meeting. (Don't you love that?) I haven't been successful in getting the needle threader to work, (although my son did) but I love the little cutter on the top! I use it for cutting apart blocks after chain piecing. It's so fun that I can even get my kids to do that task for me once in awhile. :) It ALL helps!

And just to keep things real....this was the project I was hoping to finish for today. I pulled out my scraps from this quilt and I was hoping to turn them into a throw pillow. The color balance wasn't quite right, but I didn't have the motivation or energy to push through...so that will be saved for another day. It's close, but not quite there yet! It's ok...I have plenty of other projects to keep me busy. Ha!

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes. Thanks, as always, for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 11/20/15

1.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm	66.	Katie @ Good Golly Ginger
2.	Alison @ LBQ -- Square Pegs Quilt	67.	Wendy's Quilts and more
3.	Karen	68.	Little Island Quilting
4.	Em	69.	Denise @ CrafTraditions
5.	Gunilla	70.	Turkey Place Mats
6.	Eva-Bambi-Johansson	71.	Val's Trunk Show
7.	Debora at Studio Dragonfly	72.	Erica@dressesandspurs
8.	Adventures in Machine Binding	73.	Elaine from Emily's Cupboard
9.	National Button Day!	74.	Susan's Quilt Creations
10.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	75.	Julie Bagamary Give Away
11.	Abigail @ cut&alter	76.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm
12.	Angel Scraps Quilting	77.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
13.	Stacey@SLOstudio- Lightning for Quiltcon	78.	Elena - Cosiendo Sueños
14.	Debbie @ A Quilter's Table	79.	Teresa
15.	Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing	80.	Ruth @Stitching Impressions
16.	Katy @ KatyQuilts	81.	Julie @ Pink Doxies
17.	Summer Sun	82.	Jennifer @ NeverJustJennifer
18.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	83.	Santa's Reindeer is here!
19.	Zippered bag	84.	Forest Friends pattern release
20.	DonnaleeQ-Apron Done	85.	Heidi
21.	Blocks and Borders	86.	tisha @ quiltytherapy
22.	Wild Oats	87.	Magdalena @ I love neutrals
23.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	88.	Tanya Quilts in CO
24.	Mari @The Academic Quilter	89.	A Quilted Christmas
25.	Kelly Cline Quilting	90.	cath@wombat quilts
26.	Jennifer @ Q is for Quilts	91.	Pam @ Quilting Fun
27.	Sam @ Diary of a Madfabriholic	92.	Maartje quilts in Amsterdam
28.	Marie @ Stokes Croft Stitching	93.	Alycia Quilts in CO
29.	My Imperfect Life	94.	tubakk, Norway
30.	Hansel & Gretel	95.	Elin, Norway
31.	Pamela @ Mama Spark's World	96.	Diann@Little Penguin Quilts
32.	Brookquilt and Backing it up	97.	Emma @A Hand Stitched Life
33.	Caitlin @ Salty Oat	98.	Folded Christmas Tree Ornament
34.	Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation	99.	The Inside Stori
35.	Lynn @ The Little Red Hen	100.	Lindasquiltmania
36.	Camouflage Quilt	101.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
37.	Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop	102.	Debbie @ Life In The Dog House
38.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter	103.	Finished (finally) by Beth
39.	Jen @ Stitchified	104.	A charity quilt - Karen
40.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	105.	Sew Me Something Good
41.	Organic Baby Quilt - Quilting Stories	106.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
42.	Six Pointed Star {Star of David} Finished	107.	Laney @ Sugarplum Patchwork
43.	Quilts & Such	108.	Katie and Dori
44.	beth@lovelaughquilt	109.	Laminate Liberty Scrap Pouch
45.	Karen @ runsewfun	110.	DIY Pincushion With Free Pattern
46.	Bernie@needleandfoot.com	111.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
47.	Carol Quilts Sometimes - Butterfly Quilt	112.	Rechtzeitig fertig zum Weihnachtsmarkt
48.	Treadlestitches	113.	Fall Table Runner
49.	Karin @ Leigh Laurel	114.	Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
50.	Sue @ Quilting The Green Star	115.	Alison@thechainpiecer
51.	Kat & Cat Quilts	116.	Running Thimble - finished xmas quilt
52.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	117.	gratefuldona
53.	Rachel @ Snippets of Sweetness	118.	Little Black Cat Quilting
54.	Dizzy Quilts: Baby Quilt	119.	Nancy
55.	Mystery quilt	120.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits twins
56.	Minecraft Ornament Tutorial	121.	Recovered Oven Mitts
57.	Jo's Country Junction	122.	Xmas quilt with fmq
58.	Thread Painting Portrait	123.	Fern
59.	Noah's Ark Panel with borders	124.	Chicago Blue and White Batik Quilt
60.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie	125.	Kim @PersimonDreams
61.	Crystal	126.	Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge
62.	Cindy @ Live a Colorful Life	127.	Janice@baby quilts
63.	Jess @ Sew Jess Handmade	128.	Janice
64.	Wild Cherry Limeade	129.	Laurie @ Dresden Lane
65.	Janeen @Quilt Art Designs	130.	Maria @ Tales of a Stitcher

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