it's all about the scraps!

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Late last night I finished knitting another rag rug. (Tutorial here.)

So many scraps were used in this project, specifically selvages (I love those little numbers peeking out of the middle!) and strings that are too narrow to hold a seam allowance. I used strips between 1/2" to 7/8" wide. Lots of them!

This rug is quite bulky, because I knit 3 strands together on size 35 needles! I may have been overzealous in my scrap usage, but my bowl of scraps is nearly empty now. So, it's all good!! The rug measures 27" x 22". Now, to decide if I will use it in my bathroom or my kitchen....

Yesterday afternoon I skyped with a friend for a little hand applique lesson. I made my first squircle block from Carolyn Friedlander's book Savor Each Stitch. I absolutely loved the process AND the finished result. While I want to start a new project, and while a whole quilt of these squircles (on a patchwork background) would be lovely.....

I decided that I needed to make it into a pin cushion. You know, because I was running low on those. Ha!!!!

Ok, so we all know that isn't true! (By the way, isn't that the happiest photo?!?!?!)

If you have questions about pin cushion construction, please see this post. It's the same technique I use for nearly all my cushions, I just change up the patchwork each time. I believe that this goes without saying, but you can make them any size you want. And definitely, the more the better! :)

How about you? Do you have a finish to share today? If so, please link up! Thanks, as always, for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 5/29/15

1.	Julie @ WannaBeQuilter	77.	syglad
2.	Eva-Bambi-Johansson	78.	Pauline at Quiltnqueen
3.	Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts	79.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts
4.	Julie Bagamary	80.	Crazy Quilting Bag by Quiltingstories
5.	Sophie @ Luna Lovequilts	81.	Deb @thefarmhousequilter
6.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot	82.	Amanda @ fabric engineer
7.	Wedding Gift	83.	die Stoeckeline- a cute case
8.	Miss Alissa Creates	84.	Emmajane @ stitch and pieces
9.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	85.	Stoffbreite
10.	Ann @ Fret Not Yourself	86.	cath@wombat quilts
11.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter	87.	Chemotion: A Finished Quilt
12.	Terri Faust Quilts	88.	Stained Glass Christmas Star Block
13.	Colleen @ Piecemakerquilts	89.	Jen @ Jennifer Under the Juniper Tree
14.	Fun Pouch	90.	Maartje quilts in Amsterdam
15.	Space for the Butterflies	91.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting
16.	Heather @ modern parti quilts	92.	more bags from pursuingjoy
17.	Creature Comfort Quilts	93.	Vicki @ Sewing Softly
18.	Nancy@PugMomQuilts	94.	CJHaab - a feather quilt quilted by me
19.	Carrie @ Chopping Block Quilts	95.	Sue @ lappteknik
20.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	96.	Nann @ With Strings Attached
21.	Donna-It Really Was All About Scraps	97.	Wendys Quilts and more
22.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie	98.	Amanda @ Everyday Fray
23.	Whimsy Garden Quilt	99.	Omaha Inspired Nephew Quilt
24.	beth@lovelaughquilt	100.	Beth @ Hello Quilty Lady
25.	Sandra	101.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts
26.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits	102.	kathy@KayakQuilting
27.	Gunilla	103.	Deborah Halcomb
28.	Cindy@Live a Colorful Life	104.	Tarnia@Quilts across the aisle
29.	Sharon	105.	Jayne ~ Twiggy & Opal
30.	A jaybirds quilts finish	106.	It takes a Village | Factotim of Arts
31.	GRACE AND FAVOUR	107.	Caryl @cinnamon holiday workshop
32.	Melissa @ Happy Quilting	108.	Sarah @ 123quilt - Simple Celestial Mini
33.	Katy @ KatyQuilts	109.	pat in wi
34.	La Passacaglia:: Porcupinestew	110.	molly b BLOCK PARTY!
35.	Bunny Embroidery:: Porcupinestew	111.	Veronica Norris - Pillow for my mom
36.	ann @ anniemacoriginal.com	112.	Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts
37.	Kitty @ Night Quilter	113.	Quilt, sew Happy! QAL Blocks
38.	Hexies Placemat	114.	Alycia Quilts - Houses
39.	Shelley @The Carpenters Daughter who Quilts	115.	Bower Bird Patch: Autumn & Lime Splice
40.	Stacey @SLOstudio - "aztec summer"	116.	Gemini Jen NZ baby quilt
41.	Gina Alsop @ Alsop Stop	117.	Anne Beier
42.	Kat & Cat Quilts	118.	Fern
43.	Little Black Cat Quilting	119.	3 dresses @ Dresden Lane
44.	Karen	120.	Jennie @ Porch Swing Quilts
45.	String Piece Blocks @TheLittleRedHen	121.	How To Clean And Care For A Cutting Mat
46.	Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation	122.	Liz @ Lizzy Clips Design
47.	Julie @ Pink Doxies	123.	kris@SewSunshine
48.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	124.	Quilt Fabric Accessories Part 5
49.	Jo's Country Junction	125.	Rachel @ Quiltineering NICU Quilts
50.	Geta	126.	Mary Maloney
51.	Another Preemie Top	127.	Terry@Quilt Crazie
52.	The Inside Stori	128.	carol fun
53.	Heather @ Peachy Pages	129.	Lynn @ I Love Snowdays
54.	Laura	130.	retiree gifts by Janice
55.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	131.	Kelly Cline Quilting
56.	Karen @CapitolaQuilter Perspective	132.	Leftovers RWB
57.	Debbie @ A Quilter's Table	133.	Philipa (Ozzypip)
58.	Allison Reid	134.	Pinky Finish @ LoGoQuilts
59.	Book Update - The Colorful Fabriholic	135.	Mihaela
60.	Snowcatcher	136.	Blue Moth: new EPP design
61.	Katie @ Good Golly Ginger	137.	Little Island Quilting
62.	Teresa @ third floor quilts	138.	Julie @ Julie's Quilts
63.	Spangled Stars QAL Star Block Unit A	139.	Wish2stitch
64.	Quilt Barn	140.	Heather @ QA Creations
65.	Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge	141.	"April", Journal Quilt
66.	Lindasquiltmania	142.	Susan's Quilt Creations
67.	Embroidered Monogrammed Bookmarks	143.	Kevin the Quilter
68.	Kim @PersimonDreams	144.	Jyothi
69.	Ruth @Stitching Impressions	145.	Easy Fabric Box Tutorial
70.	Paper Pieced BOM by Midwestern Bite	146.	DIY Fabric Covered Phone Case
71.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	147.	Jennifer @ Glinda Quilts
72.	Granny Square Quilt Finish	148.	Rene' Creates
73.	Cathy@Sane,Crazy,Crumby	149.	Nesta @ Ella and Nesta's Little Room
74.	Victoria / Justice Pirate	150.	DIY Fabric Box With Lid
75.	syglad	151.	Titti
76.	Karin @ Leigh Laurel

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WIP update

I wish I had more progress to report on my WIP week, but everything always takes longer that it should. (Right?) At least I have gained some focus.....I'll take it!

I hand quilted about 10 rectangles with perle cotton randomly in the background of this piece, then I started to machine quilt it with my free motion foot. I'm working on forgiving myself for a few wavy lines. (Yes, I'm tightly wound! I so wish I could change that.) Starting is always the hardest part! It's getting much easier as I go.

The mix of textures is super fun! I've been using my hera marker to mark each section, then I have been filling in the sections free hand (mostly) as I go. I have no big master plan, I'm just focusing on one section at a time, building upon the last one. With each section I get a little less nervous that I'm going to mess it up completely.

I do love challenging myself to try new things. This has been a fun experiment! I decided to quilt the inside pieces at the end, when I'm all warmed up. :)

Over the past few weeks (since quilt market) I've been spending a lot of time on the couch working on hand quilting. It's been a good distraction while trying to recover from this nasty cold. I've enjoyed hand quilting much more than I thought I ever would. What a nice surprise! 

Even the back is looking pretty!

This quilt has been scrunched and bunched so much, it should be properly broken in when I get finished. I only have 49 stars left to hand quilt! (And then the borders, of course.) I thought this would be a good winter project, but it turns out to be a pretty good spring project instead. And I've decided that I'm going to actually USE this quilt. All. The. Time. :)

Up next, I think I'm going to work on my orange quilt!

WIP week

Well, my kids have exactly one week of school left. I am feeling the pressure to get something, anything, done. I've got so many WIPs (works in progress) that I find myself wasting all kinds of time trying to figure out what to work on rather than working on anything at all. It's quite frustrating, let me tell you! (Please tell me that I'm not the only one who experiences this?!?!)

In an effort to combat this annoying phenomenon, I'm trying an experiment this week. I am going to pick one WIP per day and see how much I can get done in that 24 hour time period. If I can't decide what to work on that day, I'll pick a slip of paper out of a hat. I hope it doesn't come to that! :)

Today's project is to work on my doe quilt. I basted it already (hurray for progress!) and I plan to quilt it a la Carolyn Friedlander. (If you are looking for a basting tutorial, I have one here.)

I had the chance to pick Carolyn's brain about how she quilts her quilts while I was at market. She said that she adds the hand quilting first, then she adds the free-form grid quilting afterwards. I was surprised by the order, but she explained that the hand quilting knots are easier to hide before the machine quilting is added. She also explained that the hand stitching always rises to the top. Makes sense! She encouraged me to think of the quilt as a blank canvas and have fun with it. So, that's what I'm going to do! I'll let you know how it goes!

What are you working on today? Anything fun? If you'd like to join me as I work on my WIPs this week, I'd love to have you join me!

catching up on bee blocks

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

This week I caught up on my bee block commitments. While it's not a big finish, it still feels pretty darn good! I know I said this before, but seriously, how do the months fly by so fast?!?!

These X and plus blocks are for Doris. She has a great tutorial here for making a 15" finished block. I didn't rush the fabric selection, so making the block took me awhile. I think that it paid off in the end...I'm quite happy with how it turned out! Selecting fabric with significant contrast is crucial.

Since I was/am so late, I decided to make another one...for penance sake. :) This one came together much more quickly than the first. I can see why these blocks are so popular...they are so fun to make! I am very relieved, though, that I don't feel the need to make a whole quilt of them. You know?

This block is for Michelle, who is making a friendship quilt. She gave us free reign to make any block that we wanted to...something that is special to us. I'm still crushing on pineapple blocks (and they lend themselves to scrappy so well) so it was an easy choice for me. I used my pineapple block tutorial, which you can find here. This was very fun to make, too! This block will finish at 12" square.

So, that's all I've got for this week! I hope you had a successful week finishing something...anything! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks, as always, for joining me for finish it up Friday! For those of you in the States, have a safe and great Memorial Day weekend!

finish it up Friday, 5/22/15

1.	Taryn @ from Pixels to Patchwork	66.	cath@wombat quilts
2.	Katy @Katy Quilt	67.	Mihaela@abeeautifulday.blogspot.com
3.	Eva-Bambi-Johansson	68.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie
4.	Caryl @cinnamon holiday workshop	69.	Valerie @ Evening in the Garden
5.	Triangle Quilt:: Porcupinestew	70.	Vicki @ Sewing Softly
6.	How To Make A Pillow From A Quilt Block	71.	Sandra
7.	Amanda @ Material Girl Quilts	72.	Stacey @SLOstudio - Aztec baby quilt
8.	Julie @ Pink Doxies	73.	Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts
9.	USA map:: Porcupinestew	74.	Kristin @ a little crispy
10.	ann @ anniemacoriginal.com	75.	Terri Ann @ Childlike Fascination
11.	Kim @ Lily Patch Quilts	76.	Geta
12.	Kat & Cat Quilts	77.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits
13.	Vera @ Negligent style	78.	Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses
14.	Bloggers Quilt Festival	79.	Granny square progress
15.	Port Softies for Chemo Patients	80.	beth@lovelaughquilt
16.	Mary @ SeeMaryQuilt	81.	Jo's Country Junction
17.	Quilts and Such	82.	Lynn
18.	Etta @ Cheerful Homemaker	83.	Frankie carson
19.	Keepsake Fabric Book Tutorial	84.	Frozen
20.	Holiday Hour basket	85.	Stoffbreite
21.	Amish Doll Quilt	86.	Karisma @ littleopihicrafts
22.	Fabric Covered Mini Notebook Tutorial	87.	Head over heels
23.	alidiza	88.	Little Island Quilting
24.	Sophie @ Luna Lovequilts	89.	Krista in Ottawa
25.	Maja	90.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs
26.	Bloggers Quilt Festival Entries	91.	American Flag Table Runner
27.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	92.	The Inside Stori
28.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	93.	Margaret @ Pieces of My Heart
29.	Doll Quilt Swap	94.	Annett@knettycraft
30.	Megan @ Crooked Tail Crafts	95.	Wendys Quilts and more
31.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	96.	The Quilter on Osage Hill
32.	Tanya Quilts in CO	97.	Needle and Foot
33.	Mod Gears Baby Flimsy	98.	Heather @ Quilts Actually
34.	The Modern Crest	99.	Strings,Crumbs,Orphan Blocks
35.	baby quilt finish | veni vidi vicky	100.	Janine
36.	Snowcatcher	101.	Quilt, sew Happy!: more quilts & winner
37.	Heather @ Modern Parti Quilts	102.	Patty M
38.	Wall quilt | Zafira	103.	Lori @ Sewfrench
39.	Allison Reid	104.	Busy Hands Quilts Rainbow Streak Quilt
40.	Kitty Wilkin | Night Quilter	105.	An Unidentified Quilt
41.	Nicole @ Mama Love Quilts	106.	Alison@thechainpiecer
42.	Amy @ Diary of a Quilter	107.	Laura
43.	pat in wii	108.	Emmajane Stitch and Pieces
44.	Melissa @ Happy Quilting	109.	Cellphone Charging Stations
45.	Cynthia Brunz Designs	110.	Serena@Sewgiving Baby Deer
46.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	111.	Linda at The Road to Oklahoma
47.	Ida Rather Be Quilting	112.	martha mumaw
48.	Susan's Quilt Creations	113.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
49.	Donna-Modern Irish Chain	114.	Fern
50.	Colleen @ Piecemakerquilts	115.	Kelly Cline Quilting
51.	tubakk, Norway	116.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
52.	Brigit @ brigitgail	117.	Sunshine Through the Rain
53.	My Best Garden Tool	118.	Jess @ Quilt Habit
54.	Foxes and Flowers - 2 Small Quilts	119.	Karon(Nana)
55.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	120.	Katelyn @singwhilecrafting
56.	Kim @PersimonDreams	121.	Quilt Fabric Accessories Part 4
57.	Grammies Baby Set	122.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
58.	Ruth @Stitching Impressions	123.	Ann @ Fret Not Yourself
59.	The Colorful Fabriholic	124.	Erica@dressesandspurs
60.	Paula	125.	Dollhouse Quilts @ dittencraft
61.	Scrappy Back Pack	126.	Angie in SoCal
62.	Maria@RaspberryJam	127.	pack rat with a plan
63.	Burning Love	128.	Nesta @ Ella and Nesta's Little Room
64.	Happy Cottage Quilter	129.	Rene' Creates
65.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts

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parachute quilts

The parachute quilt has been finished for quite awhile now...but I wasn't sure if I was going to write a pattern for it or what to do with it. Turns out that Robert Kaufman is offering it as a free pattern on their website! It is made from a variety of strips from 5 different Kona Roll ups, but you could easily use solids from your stash. It was really fun to make!

The inspiration for this quilt came to me one evening while I was watching a TV show with my husband. (Over 3 years ago!) I was inspired by the stripes on a man's button down shirt. Random, right? I quickly sketched the idea on the front of an envelope and it floated around in a stack of paper for years. Eventually, it got taped into my sketchbook. (I'm still a little surprised by that!) Not all ideas get translated into fabric...but it's pretty neat to see what happens when they do!

This is the first quilt that I ever sent to a long arm quilter. It was a struggle for me to give up control (a common theme in my life) but I am so pleased that I overcame that mental block. Steffani (from Country Fabrics in Brainerd) did an amazing job on the quilting. It makes the quilt! And it saved me a week and a half of quilt wrestling. :)

For the backing, I used an old (but oh-so-good) Anna Maria Horner fabric. I love the bold floral on the back. It's a perfect match! I've been using this quilt as my 3rd layer on my bed these past few weeks. It's so cozy!

I made a smaller version, too! This is the baby parachute quilt, which uses the same proportions, but skinny strips, which are cut 1 1/2" wide. The palettes were picked by Elizabeth Hartman and Rita Hodge. I love how the colors all work together. It's easy, fun and colorful....just like I like it! This one is available as a free pattern as well.

It's so fun to be able to share these, at last!

happy to be home

I'm home from quilt market and I get to stay put for a few weeks. I'm so thankful! It's been a crazy few months and I'm completely beat. My main objectives for the next several days are to rest and clean...because that makes sense, right?!?

My craft room is looking quite "worked in" and I need to clean it up before my husband evicts all my stuff. He's a patient man, but even he has his limits! I plan to post some after photos if/when I see this cleaning project through. It might not look THAT bad, but that's the beauty of photography vs. real life. Ha!

I got a copy of Sew Organized for the Busy Girl by Heidi Staples at market over the weekend. I LOVE the cover....I would have bought the book just for that! I started reading through it this morning and I have a feeling that it is going to help spur on my craft room cleaning. Hurray for perfect timing! It was great to meet Heidi, too. She's super sweet!

I came down with a nasty cold, so I pulled out some old hand work projects in an effort to stay put on the couch for a few hours. I can't relax unless my hands are busy, so I'll be splitting my time between knitting a giant rag rug (tutorial here) and...

hopefully I'll get some hand quilting done on this baby, too! This is the one time that it's handy to have a lot of works in progress. :) All in all, not a bad way to spend a blustery Monday!

 

For all of you who were asking questions about pin cushion construction in the last post, I can certainly do a post about it at some point soon. Stay tuned!

 

Happy Monday to YOU!

good neighbors scrap happy purse

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Quilt market is in Minneapolis this weekend, and since it's so close to home, it was an easy decision to attend. I needed a new bag, of course, so I sewed up a scrap happy purse using my good neighbors fabric! (Thanks for the wonderful suggestion, Susan Holman!) At first I thought it was going to be difficult to chop up the fabric, but actually, it was pretty fun! Hurray for that!

Sewing on the handles is a pain (literally and figuratively), but totally worth it! I sewed these on while I was visiting my sister, which made the task so much better. The pre-made handles are Inazuma 40 cm handles in black. I buy them at my local quilt shop, but I'm sure that you can find them on-line. I like the semi-professional look that the handles give to the purse--they hold up pretty well, too. I carried my last purse 1 1/2 years before the handles cracked. That's pretty good, if you ask me!

It's been awhile since I added to my pin cushion collection. I finished 3 this week--I love them all! The pin cushion on the right was made from the trimmings from making the gusset in my purse. The other two are just scraps that I pieced and quilted. Each of the pin cushions are filled with crushed walnut shells, which are sold at pet stores as lizard litter. (Weird, but it works!)

My bowl is looking pretty happy! They remind me of teeny tiny pillows. No wonder I'm obsessed!

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thank for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 5/15/15

1.	Josie McRazie	74.	Mtn Mama @ Pots, pans, pins and prayers
2.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict	75.	cath@wombat quilts
3.	Eva-Bambi-Johansson	76.	two-in-one zip pouch @ pursuingjoy
4.	Barn Quilt finished!	77.	Jess @ Everything Is Coming Up Rosie
5.	Granny squares - how to	78.	die Stoeckeline - scraps for me
6.	Ruth @Stitching Impressions	79.	Hey, Look! SQUIRREL!
7.	Quilt Fabric Accessories Part 3	80.	Gretchen @ My Pieced Life
8.	Julie Bagamary - "Hand" Quilting	81.	Quilts and Such
9.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	82.	Patty M
10.	Julie @ Pink Doxies	83.	Mary @ SeeMaryQuilt
11.	Comma Wedge Quilt	84.	Vera @ Negligent style
12.	Windows To The Soul Finished	85.	Katelyn @singwhilecrafting
13.	Terri Faust Quilts	86.	Maja
14.	Scrappy Pink and Gray Quilt	87.	Maverick Star Pouch
15.	Val's Rainbow Hexagons	88.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie
16.	Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts	89.	Little Black Cat Quilting
17.	Dresses @ Dresden Lane	90.	Vicki @ Sewing Softly
18.	Burlap Brights Block Tute & Giveaway	91.	Shelley @The Carpenters Daughter who Quilts
19.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	92.	Quilting is more fun than Housework
20.	svetlana@sotakhandmade	93.	Heather @ modern parti quilts
21.	Colleen - Fancy Foot Farm	94.	Sue @ lappteknik
22.	Happy Cottage Quilter	95.	quilted ribbon embroidery table runner
23.	Jayne	96.	Baby Quilt done
24.	Liberty Baby Quilt with Knots	97.	Pieces of Cotton
25.	Taryn @ Pixels to Patchwork	98.	Erin @ Sew at Home Mummy
26.	Pennsylvania Dutch Quilt:: PorcupineStew	99.	Sandra
27.	Karen	100.	Candy Coated Quilts
28.	Stacey @SLOstudio - Scrappy stars	101.	Esther @ ipatchandquilt
29.	The Inside Stori	102.	Sue Hall
30.	Soho Blouse:: Porcupinestew	103.	Forget Me Not Spring Petals
31.	Tanya Quilts in CO	104.	Jen
32.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	105.	Diana @ Red Delicious Life
33.	Kat & Cat Quilts	106.	Wendys Quilts and more
34.	Brenda at Scraps and Strings	107.	Cathy@Sane,Crazy,Crumby
35.	Janet @ Simply Pieced	108.	Optical Art Quilt
36.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot	109.	Amanda
37.	Karee FabricFulfillingItsDestiny	110.	Maartje in Amsterdam
38.	The Colorful Fabriholic	111.	Squaring HSTs Tutorial
39.	Darcy @ Moderncozy	112.	Design Boards Tutorial with Duck Tape
40.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter	113.	Gravity QAL Block 3
41.	erica@dressesandspurs.blogspot.com	114.	Farm Girl Sew Along
42.	Heidi	115.	Stacey K
43.	Donna-Ricky Tims Class	116.	Country Village QAL @Quilt, sew Happy!
44.	Rachel @ Around The Blocks	117.	Karin @ Leigh Laurel
45.	beth@lovelaughquilt	118.	Practical project@singreadsew
46.	Waterfront Park finish	119.	Nana
47.	Lily Patch Quilts	120.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
48.	Geta	121.	Kelly Cline Quilting
49.	MODERN QUILT GUILD CHALLENGE QUILT	122.	Julie at Julie's Quilts
50.	IMPROV Baby QUILT	123.	Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts
51.	#BFTPqal	124.	Not Sew Perfect Mom
52.	Lindasquiltmania	125.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits
53.	B&W Ties that Bind	126.	Kim @PersimonDreams
54.	Huntspatch Quilts: Pickle Dish	127.	Patch the Giraffe
55.	Barbara Gelpi	128.	bee @ Buzzing Around
56.	Gunilla	129.	Kaffe Fassett Placemat
57.	Rene' Creates	130.	Eileen in Stitches
58.	pat in wi	131.	Fern
59.	Pippi22	132.	SewPsyched! Oakshott Scandi Baby Quilt
60.	alidiza	133.	Baby Boy Circles @ peace.love.quilt
61.	Stoffbreite	134.	Baby Girl Circles @ peace.love.quilt
62.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	135.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
63.	Doris at made by a brunnette	136.	Frankie carson
64.	Katie @ Good Golly Ginger	137.	Sew & Sews quilt for the cat
65.	28 Sets of Coasters	138.	Lea Anne@Podunkpretties
66.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	139.	Circle Medallion @ Augustsnow
67.	Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses	140.	Ninja turtle cake
68.	Katie V.	141.	Tattler reusable lids
69.	Jennie @ Porch Swing Quilts	142.	Lori @ Sewfrench
70.	Black Thread on Black? CRAZY??	143.	Quiltalong Block 2 @ Quiltfabrication
71.	Maria@RaspberryJam	144.	Cell Phone Pouch
72.	DIY Liberty London Patchwork Tote Bag	145.	Susan's Quilt Creations
73.	Easy Fabric Box Tutorial	146.	Maria Shell @ Tales of a Stitcher

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

making quilt along plans

I am working on another scrap vortex quilt. You know, because I need two quilts that nearly cover my house completely...one just won't do! Ha!

Actually, I'm planning to make an easy-to-replicate layout, so I can host a scrap vortex quilt along this summer. Wouldn't that be fun? If you'd like to join me, start saving your scraps! The more the better!

I hope that I never tire of scrap quilting. I think it's a gift, in a lot of ways, to love scraps as much as I do. It's so practical and thrifty....it's so satisfying to use it all! The end product is pretty great, too!

Aren't those little ninjas cute??? I'm fairly certain that it's going to be one of my very favorite parts of the quilt!

yellow quilt

I've been thinking of sharing this quilt for awhile now...as humble as it may be. This one been dubbed "yellow quilt" by my kids, and it was finished in either 2001 or 2002. This was my first queen size quilt and it was made back in the day when I tied my quilts. It is made entirely from fabrics from JoAnn's. The quilt is faded and it has a few stains, but despite that (or perhaps because of that?) this quilt is THE favorite at my house! In fact, about a month ago, we played bingo to see who would get to sleep under the quilt for the next several weeks. (We like to do fun and crazy things like that at our house.)

The quilt has two layers of batting inside it, thanks to the suggestion of my husband, so it's nice and toasty! Wrapping up in it feels like a giant hug and I'm pretty sure that it makes one of the best quilt forts in all the land. :) I love seeing how my tastes have changed over the years, but some things still remain the same...I still love a patchwork quilt and I will always love a good gingham!

I love that this quilt is a favorite despite it's imperfections. I strive for perfection in almost everything, but it's reassuring to know that things DO NOT need to be perfect. What a relief!!! This quilt also shows me that I've come a long way in learning the skill of quilting. I love that even though it's been around awhile, it's actually getting better with age. (I can only hope the same for me, as a person!!!)

Why share this now? A lot of times I feel like I want the guarantee that things will be perfect BEFORE I even give it a try. How silly is that? So silly. But that's exactly what happens! I made this quilt before I knew how to miter binding correctly, so the corners are slightly rounded. But do you know what? That's the best that I could do at that time. I like that it didn't stop me from trying...I just did it and I learned to do better the next time around. I wanted to share this with you to encourage you--especially if you are newer to quilting or if you are just beginning in your quilting journey--to keep at it! Most things get easier and better as you practice. You never know what quilt will become a favorite! And, perfection is overrated. :)

Happy Monday to you!

winners

Thanks to all of you who entered my giveaways this week. That was fun! I HOPE to do more scrap giveaways soon....it's good to keep a constant rotation, right? :)

So....

The winner of the Fig Tree scraps is doodlebugmom.

The winner of the 5 PDF patterns is Frederique.

The winner of Every Last Piece is Aliceart.

Thanks for playing along! Hope you are having a GREAT weekend!

shoo fly pillow and a BIG finish

Welcome to finish it up Friday! Thanks for joining me each week for the link up party...I sure appreciate it!

It's been awhile since I made a pillow....and I love, love, LOVE this one! It's made up of 4 shoo fly blocks, quilted with straight lines 1" apart and it has a lovely red and white polka dot envelope backing. Isn't it so happy? I especially love the text in the one square that says, "make a pillow". That couldn't be more perfect! It finishes at about 18" square.

I have more big news to share...this week I was out in Denver filming a Craftsy class! I'm super excited that I get to cross off a BIG goal from this year's list! It was quite a stretch for me (understatement) and I'm so glad/amazed/surprised that I got through the process without a single cold sore! :) I'll be sharing more about the class, the process and the release date as it gets closer. But for now, I'm so glad the prep and filming is DONE! Woo-hoo!

Last week, fabric strike offs. This week, Craftsy. Next week, I need to NAP!!! (That's no joke!) I'm beyond grateful that I have the love and support of my family and friends, because I certainly couldn't do this without them....they are pretty awesome!

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 5/8/15

1.	Hang Time in Hazel	71.	Square Dance Quilt - Quilts Actually
2.	Gretchen @ My Pieced Life	72.	Janet @ Simply Pieced
3.	Space for the Butterflies: pink ripple	73.	Debbie@KittenCreates
4.	Eva-Bambi-Johansson	74.	Deb @thefarmhousequilter
5.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	75.	Karen @ runsewfun
6.	Kat & Cat Quilts	76.	Oh Cherry Pillow
7.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	77.	Cotton and Steel Sew Together Bag
8.	Postcard print quilt finished	78.	Ruby Granny Squares Flimsy
9.	Jo's Country Junction	79.	Libby @ No Airplane Here
10.	Katie @ Good Golly Ginger	80.	Steph@ LateNightQuilter: Giveaway!!
11.	beth@lovelaughquilt	81.	Maartje
12.	svetlana@sotakhandmade	82.	Stoffbreite
13.	Dee	83.	Brenda at Scraps and Strings
14.	Lightning Bolt Quilt - Stacey @SLOstudio	84.	Terri in WA
15.	La Passacaglia:: Porcupinestew	85.	Kelly Cline Quilting
16.	Love is a Verb:: PorcupineStew	86.	Fresh Cut Cake
17.	Eileen in Stitches	87.	Farm Girl Friday
18.	Plus Baby Quilt@snugharbor quilts	88.	Terri Faust Quilts
19.	Jane	89.	Maja
20.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	90.	Wendys Quilts and more
21.	Little Black Cat Quilting	91.	Esther@squeezequilts
22.	Christine's Liberty Four Patch Quilt	92.	dresses and spurs blog
23.	Julie @ Pink Doxies	93.	Deana @ Dreamworthyquilts
24.	Busy Hands Quilts - Rainbow Star Baby	94.	A Quick Friday Finish
25.	Karin @ Leigh Laurel	95.	tubakk, Norway
26.	Happy Cottage Quilter	96.	Dhia @Peach Patch Quilts
27.	Donna-Fig Tree Quilt Finished	97.	Janeen @QuiltArtDesigns
28.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	98.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
29.	Farm Girl Friday & a GIVEAWAY!!!	99.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting
30.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	100.	Susan's Quilt Creations
31.	ann @ anniemacoriginal.com	101.	Sally @ Wonky Patchwork
32.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	102.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits
33.	Kim @PersimonDreams	103.	Tanya Quilts in CO
34.	Shelley @The Carpenters Daughter who Quilts	104.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie
35.	Tessa @ The Sewing Chick	105.	Bower Bird Patch: Live, Peace & Fun
36.	Karen	106.	Jess @ Quilt Habit
37.	Laura	107.	BONNIE & CAMILE Messenger Bag
38.	Katelyn @singwhilecrafting	108.	CHERIE BOBBINS: Quilt Pattern FREE!
39.	Sewing Softly	109.	Tiny WONDER CLIPS Pouch
40.	Easy Fabric Box Tutorial	110.	NOTEBOOK Cover Tutorial
41.	DIY Laminate Fabric Pouch Tutorial	111.	Rainbow ZIPPER POUCH
42.	Elaine from Emily's Cupboard	112.	MEMORY Quilt
43.	amaiden hair fern	113.	Rainbow PINCUSHION
44.	"Renewing"	114.	BABY BIBS
45.	Julie Bagamary Art - Pillow Pattern	115.	Creamy BATIKS Quilt
46.	Darcy @ Modern Cozy	116.	Blocks From the Past QAL
47.	The Colorful Fabriholic	117.	Quiltnmama
48.	Mary in CO	118.	Heather @ Modern Parti Quilts
49.	Alison@thechainpiecer	119.	Cassandra @ The (not so) Dramatic Life
50.	chrissie@prairiecharmquilts	120.	Busy Hands Quilts Berenstain Bears Baby
51.	Esther @ipatchandquilt	121.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
52.	Rachel @ Snippets of Sweetness	122.	Grey Cat Quilts
53.	Esther's swap blocks	123.	SewPsyched! Easy Mod Pattern
54.	My Block is Published!	124.	Mickey Mouse Needlebook
55.	Cindy@Live a Colorful Life	125.	CarolQuiltsSometimes - Pillows
56.	The Inside Stori	126.	Another little bear @ LoGoQuilts
57.	Elena - Cosiendo Sueños	127.	Maria Shell @ Tales of a Stitcher
58.	Lone Star Quilts	128.	Wild Winnie
59.	Quilts and Such	129.	Daydreamsofquilts two giveaways+pattern
60.	cath@wombat quilts	130.	Quilt, strikk og heklegleder
61.	Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses	131.	Mulberry Patch Quilts
62.	Pieces of Cotton	132.	Nancy@PugMomQuilts
63.	Little Island Quilting	133.	Quilt Fabric Accessories Part 2
64.	Have You Ever Tried It?	134.	Grazing Geese
65.	Ruth @Stitching Impressions	135.	martha mumaw
66.	Skopelos! jumping jacks	136.	karen @CapitolaQuilter Dig Deep
67.	fern@textilemavens.com	137.	Patch the Giraffe
68.	Katy @ KatyQuilts	138.	Vintage Quilt Completed
69.	The Stupidest Tea Part I Was Ever At!	139.	Hide and Seek Dress @ Dresden Lane
70.	Mother's Day Divided Basket	140.	Dala horse and Mother's Day cards

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Every Last Piece

Lynn Harris wrote a wonderful scrap quilt book called Every Last Piece. I was anxiously awaiting the release of her book, knowing that she loves scraps at least, if not more, than I do. She did a great job on her book...so many quilts (with tiny pieces) that I would like to make!

I'm still working my way through reading the book (I'm taking my time) but I've enjoyed it so far. Lynn shares how she sorts her scraps (always an interesting topic to me!) and the quilt gallery where she shares quilts she has made over the years is very inspiring!

I love Lynn's quilts because they are scrappy, of course, but they are also authentic and timeless. She does beautiful work!

Here are a few of my favorites:

This one has to be at the top of my list. I literally laughed out loud when I read the caption next to the quilt. Lynn admits that if she had read the directions for the quilt beforehand, she probably would have never started the quilt. I love that!

Every Last Piece is published by Interweave and is available on Amazon, of course! If you would like to win a copy of the book, please leave a comment on this post. In your comment, I would like to hear what is the smallest size of scrap you save! (You can see my answer here. Please don't judge! :) )

The giveaway is open to both international and US readers alike. Please, only one comment per person. I plan to pick a winner on Saturday!

fig tree scrap giveaway

First off, thanks for all the fabric love in my last post! I'm so excited about it and I appreciate your kind response and excitement more than I can say!

Well, believe it or not, I THINK I have too many scraps! I can almost hear a collective "What??!"

As much as I would like to be able to sew them all, it's just not realistic. My craft room is getting crowded, so I'm putting these up for adoption. Most, if not all, of these scraps are from various lines by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda. If you would like a chance to win these scraps, please leave me a comment in this post. In your comment, I'd love to hear what is on the top of your bucket list (quilted or non-quilt related is great!) OR what is one thing that you would do if you knew you wouldn't fail? (I'm turning 40 later this year, thus the introspective questions!) It's so much fun to read your responses!

The scrap drawing will be open to the US only, due to shipping costs. Since I don't want to leave out my international readers, this will be a dual giveaway. For the international readers, I will pick one winner as well. For that winner, I'd be happy to send any 5 (of my) PDF patterns of their choice.

I'll pick winners later this week!

Happy Monday to you!

good neighbors fabric in hand

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

 

This has to rank right up there as one of my favorite finishes. Ever!

I received strike offs (a sample printing) of my good neighbor's fabric this week!!!! I still can't believe this is happening!!!

I found the box on my front step on Tuesday and I squealed a little bit. (Just a little. ha!) It took me an hour and 15 minutes to work up the nerve to open the box....because there is only one moment in your life when you get to see your very first line of fabric in person! I was not disappointed in the least! The colors are so vibrant and so much better than I had hoped for. I've been staring at these on the computer screen for so long--it is such a treat to see finally see them come to life in fabric form!

It was a year ago (almost exactly!) that Connecting Threads and I started discussing the idea of me designing a fabric line for them. I'm so glad that I had the chance and that I didn't chicken out. I set out to design a line of fabric that I would like to sew with. I think I did it!!!

Last night I took a little time (while I was cooking dinner!) to sew up a little pin cushion using the red dot from the line...it's got to be one of my favorites! I thought it would be hard to cut into my fabric, but it was a delight!

Good Neighbors will be available exclusively through Connecting Threads and will be released sometime this fall.

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thank for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 5/1/15

1.	Eva-Bambi-Johansson	67.	Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses
2.	Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing	68.	Ruth @Stitching Impressions
3.	Kitty stuffie:: PorcupineStew	69.	Space for the Butterflies:scrappy ripple
4.	Happy Cottage Quilter	70.	Fabric Box Tutorial
5.	Julie @ Wannabequilter	71.	Catrin Lewis
6.	Jess @ Everything Is Coming Up Rosie	72.	Michelle @ Late Night Quilter
7.	Moose on the Loose	73.	Julie @ That's Sew Julie
8.	Dot Dot Dash	74.	Cristina @ Pretty Little Quilts
9.	Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts	75.	Candy pouch - Stacey @ SLOstudio
10.	My 1 hour basket	76.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
11.	Gretchen @ My Pieced Life	77.	Sarah Goer
12.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	78.	Kim @PersimonDreams
13.	Brenda@Scraps and Strings	79.	Bear Paw and Junior Roll Quilt Tops
14.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	80.	pat in wi
15.	Brooke @ Silly Mama Quilts	81.	Maria@RaspberryJam
16.	Snowcatcher	82.	Julie Bagamary
17.	Iris @carzydutchbirdquilts	83.	Silk Tea Bag Art
18.	Sophie @ Luna Lovequilts	84.	Mary Stori
19.	Donna-Heart Pillow	85.	Deana @ Dreamworthyquilts
20.	alidiza	86.	Sewing Softly
21.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	87.	Alison@thechainpiecer
22.	Penny	88.	Karen @ runsewfun
23.	Brigit @ brigitgail	89.	Carla @ Creatin' in the Sticks
24.	Ida Rather Be Quilting	90.	dressesandspurs blog
25.	Elaine from Emily's Cupboard	91.	Vera @ Negligent style
26.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter	92.	Julie @ Pink Doxies
27.	tubakk, Norway	93.	Susan's Quilt Creations
28.	Karin @ Leigh Laurel	94.	Erica @ kitchen table quilting
29.	Mary @SeeMaryQuilt	95.	What I'm Working On
30.	Rainbow Baby Quilt @ Weeknight Quilting	96.	Katy@KatyQuilts
31.	Colleen @ Piecemakerquilts	97.	Jess @ Quilt Habit - 1
32.	Celtic Thistle Stitches	98.	Jess @ Quilt Habit - 2
33.	Megan: Sew Stitching Cute	99.	chrissie@prairiecharmquilts
34.	Sample Table Runner Finished!	100.	Jennie @ Porch Swing Quilts
35.	Cassandra @ The (not so) Dramatic Life	101.	Emma @ A Hadstitched Life
36.	Christine @ 12,450miles	102.	Sandra
37.	Amy @ 13 Spools	103.	Wendys Quilts and more
38.	Kat & Cat Quilts	104.	Tanya Quilts in CO
39.	Spring Tulip Mini Quilt	105.	Sherman the Starfish cushion
40.	Shelley @The Carpenters Daughter who Quilts	106.	Pinwheel Small Quilt
41.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot	107.	Another VA finish
42.	On Point	108.	CHERIE BOBBINS Spotlight on Motherhood
43.	Karen	109.	Sew Together Bags
44.	Megan @ Crooked Tail Crafts	110.	Fresh Sewing Day: May 1st
45.	Kymberly@Peas in a Pod Creations	111.	Heather @ QA Creations
46.	Liberty Hand Quilting	112.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
47.	Rosette #5 Millefiore quilt along	113.	Rachel @ Snippets of Sweetness
48.	A beautiful day	114.	Terri Faust Quilts
49.	Ruth @ CB Crafty Corner Hazel cushion	115.	Table runner and batik quilt
50.	Ruth @ CB Crafty Corner Quilt	116.	Puppy Dog Needle Book
51.	Stoffbreite	117.	QAYG finish @ LoGoQuilts
52.	cath@wombat quilts	118.	Fern
53.	Tessa @ The Sewing Chick	119.	wish2stitch
54.	Have Yourself a Quilty Little Christmas	120.	SewPsyched! Sewtogether Bag Tips Links
55.	Busy Hands Quilts - Rock Candy Quilt	121.	Kirsty @ Bonjour Quilts
56.	Gravity Quilt Along Block 2	122.	Charley Harper Drink Coasters | antstosugar
57.	Prismatic Medallion | Night Quilter	123.	crafTraditions: Grand Illusion
58.	Heather @ Modern Parti Quilts	124.	Irene
59.	Heidi	125.	Val's Flower Tablerunner
60.	beth@lovelaughquilt	126.	Cristina @ All The Pretty Things
61.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	127.	Farm Road Quilts Blog
62.	Sarah @ 123 quilt	128.	On My Creative Side: Two Quilts Finished
63.	Grammy T.	129.	Quilt Fabric Accessories Part 1
64.	Nicole @ Mama Love Quilts	130.	Miss Alissa Creates
65.	Little Black Cat Quilting	131.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
66.	Sue @ Lappteknik	132.	Dontwaittocreate

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