scrap it up!

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

First off, thank you SO MUCH for your excitement about my book announcement. I appreciate each and every comment!

I have a few finishes to share today! This trio of pincushions were inspired by one that my friend Cindy made. The scraps came from Cindy, as well. Originally, I had the three strips sewn together to make a mug rug or mini mat. I decided that they would be cuter as pincushions, so I ripped the strips apart and quilted them separately. Aren't you surprised that pincushions won out? (Ha!) I love these! They are scrap project #181.

I finished another knit rag rug, too! I love making these because they eat fabric scraps. (I've estimated that one rug uses at least 5 yards of fabric.) These rugs are also helpful for using sub-par or ugly fabric. Not that any of us would have any of that, right? (There is a tutorial here, if you care to make a rug of your own.) I knit this one on size 35 needles and cast on about 40 stitches. This rug was in progress for quite awhile, so I'm excited that it's finished. It is scrap project #182!

 

Now it's your turn! 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, 9/30/16

1.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	54.	maiden hair fern
2.	Needle & Foot	55.	Angie in SoCal
3.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	56.	Car Diddy Bag
4.	Table topper	57.	Janeen@QuiltArtDesigns
5.	Vintage Blackboard Quilt	58.	Lisa @ simpledream2.etsy.com
6.	Jo's Country Junction	59.	Hello Kitty Top @ Dresden Lane
7.	Embroidered Patches ::Porcupinestew	60.	Sacred Spirits
8.	Simplicity2226 :: Porcupinestew	61.	Pomada
9.	The Foxes Find a Home	62.	One More Thing Before I Dyw
10.	Heather P	63.	Pink Doxies
11.	Kat & Cat Quilts	64.	Wendy's Quilts and More
12.	Pillow from Scraps @ Sapphire	65.	Announcing Autumn Jubilee!!
13.	Brooke @ SillyMamaQuilts	66.	Susie's Sunroom
14.	Bloggers Quilt Festival - Sun City	67.	Sarah @Confessions of a Fabric Addict
15.	BQF - Queen's Necklace	68.	My Imperfect Life
16.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	69.	Bra Sewing Tips
17.	Karen	70.	Snowcatcher
18.	Big 'n Beautiful Betty Bag	71.	The Life of Riley - pincushions
19.	Gypsy Quilter Designs	72.	Go-Go Kim Tula Pink 100 Modern Blocks
20.	Handwrought Quilts - Rainbow minis	73.	Jess @ Quilty Habit
21.	Colleen @ Piecemakerquilts	74.	SewPsyched! Modern Dresden
22.	Katy@KatyQuilts	75.	beth@lovelaughquilt
23.	TUTORIAL : Double Four Patch Block	76.	The Inside Stori
24.	Vicki in MN	77.	Tanya Quilts in CO
25.	Elaine	78.	charlotte@GrammieQ's
26.	Wendy at Pieceful Thoughts	79.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits checkerbd
27.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	80.	kate @ katiemaequilts
28.	Martha @ Weekend Doings	81.	Terri Faust Quilts
29.	Woodland	82.	Jen @Jennifer Under the Juniper Tree
30.	Gretchen's Little Corner	83.	Medallion Table Runner
31.	Jan Altomare	84.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
32.	Road Home to Silicon Valley	85.	Saltwater Mini by Amy Made That!
33.	Abigail @ cut&alter :: Key Fobs	86.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
34.	Wonky Rose Garden	87.	Quilting Gail
35.	Falling Maple Leaf Quilt	88.	Sew Me Something Good
36.	TUTORIAL - Lunch Sack	89.	rebecca
37.	maggie	90.	Augusthimmel: Scrappy Garland
38.	Heart Strings, by Dolly	91.	Customieze
39.	Allison - Autumn Stars a finish at last	92.	Heide D
40.	Autumn Lily Custom Quilting	93.	One million stitches
41.	Ready Set Go Toddler Custom Quilting	94.	selina
42.	New Spin On Drunkards Path Book Giveaway	95.	Bike, Barge and Blocks
43.	Rosewood Lane + Finished or Not Linky	96.	Treadlestitches pink and black
44.	Maribel Bowties Quilt Process + Finish	97.	Bright and Colorful ready for binding
45.	August Progress & News	98.	Heather Ross Mendocino Mug Rug
46.	Tute: Joining Open Seams Accurately	99.	Ann @ Fret Not Yourself
47.	Tute: How To Match Binding Pattern	100.	Cowboy Row @ Creatin' in the Sticks
48.	How To Create Handquilted Cushion Front	101.	Janice@singreadsew
49.	Sarah Goer Quilts	102.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
50.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	103.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts
51.	Heidi @ Buttons and Butterflies	104.	Kelly Cline Quilting
52.	Quilts & Such	105.	Dhia @ Peach Patch Quilts
53.	Caturday pillow | vvv quilts

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No Scrap Left Behind

I'm a little excited and very nervous to share a project that has been in the works since last spring. My new book, No Scrap Left Behind, is scheduled to be released in February 2017! It's being published by Stash Books/C&T Publishing (same as Sunday Morning Quilts). This book contains 11 quilts and 5 projects that use scraps of all sizes. It's bright, colorful and happy! More details to come, but I'll leave those for another day. The book is already available for pre-order here. (Eeep!)

I am so thankful to you, my readers, who have supported me in many ways throughout the years. It's because of you that this book is even possible. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. xoxo

Happy Monday to you! :)

still running in circles

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I have another finished quilt to share today. Hurray! I started this quilt in the spring because I was teaching a class in Brainerd on curved piecing. A few weeks ago, I taught the same class in Minneapolis. I'm very glad to have the quilt completed already! There is a tutorial here, if you'd like to give curved piecing a try.

Most (if not all) of the fabrics are 30's prints. That means that the quilt has a vintage feeling already, even though it's new. I love that!

I did a simple stipple over the entire quilt. The batting is 80/20, which is a cotton/poly blend. I like the stitch definition that the batting offers, however I dislike the extra potential for puckers, especially on the back. There were a few close calls, but I think it's pucker free. (Phew!)

 

It does have a fantastic texture already, even though it hasn't been washed yet.

I used a lovely pezzy print on the back. I thought about hoarding it, but it really does work well with this quilt. A bonus, it ties in the binding print I had selected quite nicely. I love it when things fall into place! I made bias binding (just for fun) and machine stitched in on, back and front. (I have a tutorial for machine binding here.)

The finished quilt measures about 56" x 80".  This brings my WIP list down to 11, which feels pretty darn good!

Thanks for all your kind comments here on the blog this week...and thanks to those of you who purchased my most recent pattern. I appreciate your support more than I can say!

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

finish it up Friday, 9/23/16

1.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	52.	#Quiltsforpulse
2.	Braided Irish Chain	53.	Pretty pillows
3.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	54.	A finished quilt for charity
4.	Happy Cottage Quilter - Fall Quilt	55.	JulieBagamaryArt-Judges Choice
5.	Sylvia	56.	Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts
6.	Sewing Fiction Giveaway	57.	JulieBagamary Art-SlowStitchBackside
7.	Bloggers Quilt Festival Scrap Dance Tango	58.	JulieBagamaryArt-SurfaceDesign Workshop
8.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	59.	KatyQuilts
9.	Bloggers Quilt Festival Scrap Dance Small Quilts	60.	Disney Finding Dory Strip Quilt
10.	Silly Mama Quilts	61.	Heidi @ Buttons and Butterflies
11.	Cynthia Brunz Designs	62.	Little Black Cat Quilting
12.	Christina's Handicrafts	63.	halo27q
13.	Angela A @betterndogbiscuits sherbet	64.	Em's Scrapbag
14.	Kat & Cat Quilts	65.	DonnaleeQ
15.	Maria@RaspberryJam	66.	Vickie
16.	Abigail @ cut&alter :: Scrabble Quilt	67.	ABC blocks (free pattern!)
17.	Triangle Zipper Bag	68.	Shelley@TheCarpentersDaughter
18.	Shannon@The Flemings Nine	69.	Tutorial: Patchwork Teddy Bib
19.	The Colorful Fabriholic	70.	Hexie bag / Granny Maud's Girl
20.	Falling Stars + Finished or Not Friday Linky Party	71.	Dip my Toes, Take a Plunge
21.	Susan's Quilt Creations	72.	Tanya Quilts in CO
22.	Sleeping Bunny - Quilting stories	73.	Pinwheels and Zig Zags
23.	Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses	74.	Marla @ The Quilted Puzzle
24.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	75.	beth @ lovelaughquilt
25.	Smiles From Kate	76.	Kathy@KayakQuilting
26.	Bloggers Quilt Festival City Lights	77.	Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches
27.	Bloggers Quilt Festival Modern Quilts	78.	fern
28.	Star Quilt finished	79.	Terri Faust Quilts
29.	DIY wool dryer balls	80.	Miss Alissa
30.	Another Chocolate Bag @ Sapphire	81.	Summer Solstice Quilt @aaseevana
31.	Sue @ lappteknik	82.	Lynn Kline
32.	Karen	83.	Quilts & Such
33.	Patty @ Elm Street Quilts	84.	Snowcatcher
34.	Lexi (age 7) makes her first quilt @ pursuing joy	85.	Mary at Fleur de Lis Quilts
35.	Janis Altomare	86.	Walkers Road Quilts
36.	Pomada	87.	Steff`sHobbys
37.	MORE FOXES,SOME MONSTERS AND A SPIDER!	88.	Stoffbreite
38.	My Imperfect Life	89.	Pink Doxies
39.	stashbox stars (reversable)	90.	One More Thing Before I Dye
40.	Cheryl Brickey	91.	Gunilla
41.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot	92.	Snowman copycat by Beth
42.	Gretchen's Little Corner	93.	margaret @ life as posted two
43.	Thicket by Gingiber	94.	Colorful Quilts & Teddy Bears
44.	Quilters Newsletter and Sunday Drive Quilt	95.	A fun technique for potholders or quilt blocks
45.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	96.	Angie in SoCal
46.	The Inside Stori	97.	Maria Shell
47.	Jess @ Quilty Habit	98.	Sarah @Confessions of a Fabric Addict
48.	Wendy's Quilts and More	99.	Treadlestitches Pyramid finish
49.	Luna Lovequilts - Improv' quilt	100.	Barbara @ The Flashing Scissors
50.	Kelly Cline Quilting	101.	Customieze
51.	Look Who "Popped" Into Town

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scattered showers quilt and pattern

As I mentioned last week, I finished my scattered showers quilt! (Sorry about the teaser photo in my post last Friday...I really hated to do that, but this quilt is too special to post without decent photos.)

My original intention for this quilt was to use up little white scraps. Let's ignore the fact that it took about 5 yards of background fabric to use up the equivalent of 1/3 of a yard of white scraps. (Hahahaha! Welcome to my world!) I do love this quilt and how it turned out, even if it isn't an efficient scrap buster. I love the simplicity and the minimalist design.

The texture isn't too shabby, either! Since the piecing is simple, I wanted the quilting to be just the opposite.

I quilted this on my domestic machine--on my Juki. I ran out of thread (can you imagine???) when I was about 80% done with the quilting. My friend Kristin supplied me with a spool that was ALMOST a perfect match, so I could finish the quilt without having to wait for a thread order to arrive. (Thank you, Kristin!) It is really hard to lose momentum when you are so close to a finish!

For the back of the quilt, I used Kona peapod. The color looked super funky when I pulled the bolt off the shelf at the store, but I am absolutely certain that it was the right choice. It shows every single stitch, but it was worth all that pressure. (ha!) I love the pop of contrasting color on the back.

The front of the quilt (and binding) is Indigo solid by Connecting Threads. This color has been discontinued, but Persian blue would be a lovely substitute. Kona colors that are similar to this are Storm and Nautical. The quilt measures 60" x 72". It's scrap project #180!

I wrote up a pattern for this quilt, too! Rather than giving exact measurements for each piece, the blocks are pieced improvisationally. There are plenty of tips and diagrams included in the pattern that will help you be successful with improvisational piecing, even if it is your first time. The pattern is available for purchase in my Craftsy shop. It will be on sale for $6.00 for the next few days. After that, it will be regularly priced at $9.00.

This was a fun quilt to make! I want to make another version (of course!) with a solid background, but with a variety of colored scraps so that the quilt looks like confetti. Wouldn't that be fun?

WIP--need more coffee

I've been working hard on whittling down my WIP list. It's been very helpful to have some focus and it's good to see progress. My goal is to get below 10 works in progress before I start any new items. I would love to keep my WIPs at about a dozen or so. It's good to dream, right?

I've been working on this one for a few months (or more). I decided to make a larger version of my mini coffee cups quilt, but this time in reds and whites only. I like the limited color scheme a lot! I have 65 blocks done, and 45 blocks to go for a lap size quilt. It's great to be beyond the half-way mark.

I love this plaid mug...so campy and cute! It feels good to be using my stash, too.

How about you? I know I've asked this question before, but how many WIPs do you have? Or, if you'd rather not answer that question, I'd love to hear about a project that you are excited to be working on. Hopefully you have one of those! :)

blue and green

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I recently completed knitting my 18th pair of hand knit socks. They might be my favorite pair to date! I love this self-striping yarn. It made it easy to make two socks nearly the same size. (I was one row off on the green tip at the toes. So close!!!) The yarn is Regia Stripemania 6 Ply in the Forest colorway. I have a few kiddos who would love to claim them as their own, but I don't see that happening! As usual, I used my basic sock pattern, with ribbing on the leg portion of the sock and stockinette stitch through the foot portion. They are so cozy!

I finished my scattered showers quilt this week, too! The only problem is that it's raining too much to get decent photos. Oh, the irony! I'll show it fully as soon as I can. :)

Now, it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday! Have a great weekend! xo

finish it up Friday, 9-16-16

1.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	46.	TAMMY L STACK
2.	Alison	47.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
3.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	48.	Picnic Quilt & Tote Wedding Gift
4.	Vicki in MN	49.	Heide D
5.	Karen	50.	Janis Altomare
6.	Happy Quilting	51.	Liberty Hexagons Pillow - Quilting Stories
7.	Crazy lady patches:: PorcupineStew	52.	Pomada
8.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	53.	Crystal
9.	Katy @ KatyQuilts	54.	Two Color Interpretation by Karee
10.	Kat & Cat Quilts	55.	The Inside Stori
11.	Needle and Foot	56.	Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts
12.	Happy Cottage Quilter	57.	Wendy's Quilts and More
13.	Meadow Mist Designs: UFO block and tutorial	58.	Paty @ Elm Street Quilts
14.	Needle and Foot Finish	59.	Walkers Road Quilts
15.	Gail in Canada	60.	A boy's messenger bag - Karen
16.	Beautyberry Chevron Tutorial | Quilted Blooms	61.	Shelley@CarpentersDaughter
17.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs	62.	Snug Harbor Quilts
18.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	63.	Secrets revealed!
19.	Stacey @SLOstudio - Baby quilt	64.	SewPsyched! Kitty Kozy Free Pattern and Tute
20.	Ombr Butterflye	65.	Judy @ Sew Some Sunshine
21.	Aquaculture Quilt	66.	Auftrag
22.	Janine @ The Sweetest Dreams	67.	tubakk - Norway
23.	Brooke @ SillyMamaQuilts	68.	Sewing and Quilting Fiction Series
24.	Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl	69.	Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop
25.	My Imperfect Life	70.	Susan's Quilt Creations
26.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	71.	Carole @ Fresh off the Frame
27.	Rainbow Summer Solstice Finish!	72.	Kris @SewSunshine
28.	Julie @ Pink Doxies	73.	Hilary - Young Texan Mama
29.	One More Thing Before I Dye	74.	Terri Faust Quilts
30.	Quilting Voila!	75.	Ali @ arabesque scissors
31.	Jungle, a Shifting Shadows Quilt	76.	B&W Pillows @ LoGoQuilts
32.	Katie @ Good Golly Ginger	77.	Foxes, Fishes, Turtles and Boxes. Oh, My!
33.	Dear Doggie Delight	78.	maiden hair fern
34.	Grete Money Purse @ Sapphire	79.	Christine Slaughter
35.	Lucy ~ Charm About You	80.	Vickie @ Homeward
36.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	81.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
37.	Smiles from Kate	82.	Christina @ Christina's Handicrafts
38.	Art Student Tote @ Dresden Lane	83.	Augusthimmel: Reversible Scrappy String Quilt
39.	Debbie @ A Quilter's Table	84.	Margaret
40.	Vera @negligentstyle	85.	Gretchen Weaver
41.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	86.	Kelly @ Blue Bird Sews
42.	JulieBagamaryART-SlowStitching Progress	87.	Carla @ Creatin' in the Sticks
43.	Tula Pink Chipper Mug Rug	88.	blue and white small quilt challenge
44.	Emily Bailey	89.	Christmas Medallion Quilt
45.	Angie in SoCal

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very special gifts

A few weeks ago, my friend Brianne came over for a last-minute end of summer hurrah. Our kids had a great time running around and playing, while we visited. She came bearing gifts!

Look at this beautiful quilt that she gave me as a belated birthday gift!!! I'm still in awe...I can't believe that she made me a quilt!

There are countless fabrics included...so many fun designs to look at. My daughter and I have had a lot of fun picking out our favorites. We have a LOT of favorites. Haha! This is the kind of quilt that you can sit under and admire for hours.

The pattern is A Quilter's Palette, by Rita of Red Pepper Quilts. Last fall Brianne and I each started a version of the quilt. We shared scraps and swapped fabrics to round out our blocks. It was fun to work on it together. (My quilt is still a WIP!) :)

I have enjoyed snuggling under this quilt more than I can say. I am blown away by her generosity. It also makes me want to be a better quilt gifter. (I know that's not a real word, but I'm sure that you know what I mean...)

Here's a peek at the backing and binding. Perfection! I had to chuckle, because I didn't realize it until I was writing this post that all of the detail photos that I took highlighted the two pink squares. Isn't that funny?

And, as if the quilt wasn't enough, she also made me a big pillow. It's 30" square and SO soft and comfy. I love the scrappiness of it! Isn't it beautiful??? Happy belated birthday, indeed! :) Many, many thanks go out to my friend Brianne!

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a special quilt? If so, I'd love to hear about it!

good neighbors fabric winners

I've picked the winners of my good neighbors fabric giveaway! Deborah is the winner of the warm bundle and Ginger Marien is the winner of the cool bundle. Ladies, please send me your addresses so I can ship your fabric to you. Thanks to all of you who entered! Happy Monday to you!

crossed canoes quilt

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I have another finished quilt to share this week....that makes two in a row! Hurray for the structure that the school year brings! Ha!

This quilt is based on a traditional block called crossed canoes. I drafted the templates in Illustrator and used those templates to piece the quilt. That was a new experience for me. It was time consuming and challenging, but definitely worth it. The first block I made was paper pieced and I didn't care for that method for two reasons: all of the bias edges and all the fabric waste. This quilt could look quite different if the values were rearranged. As always, so many possibilities!

A portion of the fabric used in the quilt is from the  "I Want Her Stash" bundle that I chose for Westwood Acres. (It was a lot harder to pick a bundle than I thought it would be!!! I am happy with how it turned out, though.) I love this color scheme and I have plans to make more projects using it.

I quilted it with a simple crosshatch on my Janome Horizon. I only broke one needle while quilting. (I call that a win...some of those intersections are pretty bulky!) I'm so glad that I was able to find the broken needle tip and that it didn't make a hole in my quilt. (!!!!) I marked all the quilting lines with my Hera marker, which is one of my favorite tools.

I used a sweet pink gingham that was extra wide, so I didn't have to do any piecing on the back. I could get used to that!

I machine bound it with a soft gray good neighbors print. (I LOVE those little piggies!)

The quilt measures about 48" square....and it was made using mostly stash fabrics. That still does  happen once in awhile around here. :)

 

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

 

finish it up Friday, 9/9/16

1.	Melissa Corry	52.	beth@lovelaughquilt
2.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	53.	Bowl Bonnet
3.	Go-Go Kim	54.	My Imperfect Life
4.	Katy @ KatyQuilts	55.	Quiltfabrication Shadow Block Mini
5.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	56.	Augusthimmel: 3 Scrappy Pincushions
6.	Jennifer	57.	Em's Scrapbag
7.	Quiltygirl	58.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty
8.	THIS, THAT and the OTHER	59.	The Storyteller's Quilt
9.	DonnaleeQ	60.	Little Black Cat Quilting
10.	Brooke @ SillyMamaQuilts	61.	Pamela @ Mama Spark's World
11.	Maria@RaspberryJam	62.	Terri Faust Quilts
12.	Happy Fall	63.	Frankie Carson
13.	Lunalovequilts - Fabric Tray	64.	Handwrought Quilts - Notebook cover mod
14.	Q-Bits - Crazy quilt runner	65.	secret hand stitching @ pursuing joy
15.	Homemade Snickers:: porcupinestew	66.	tubakk - Norway
16.	Kat & Cat Quilts	67.	Michelle @ sewnhenge
17.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	68.	Angela A @ betterndogbiscuits sherbet
18.	Bat patch:: Porcupinestew	69.	Heide
19.	Jo's Country Junction	70.	Patch the Giraffe
20.	The Colorful Fabriholic	71.	Carole / From My Carolina Home blog
21.	Nancy	72.	Barbara @ The Flashing Scissorsr
22.	Scrap Hot Pads	73.	Amanda @ fabric engineer
23.	Adaliza	74.	Marla @ The Quilted Puzzle
24.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm	75.	Terry @ Kalicocreations
25.	Gone Awry	76.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot
26.	Gretchen Weaver	77.	Treadlestitches doll quilt
27.	Ruth@cb crafty corner	78.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
28.	Gretchen Weaver	79.	Jess @ Quilty Habit - Quilt for Pulse
29.	Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity	80.	Jess @ Quilty Habit - Kaleidoscopic
30.	Kathy@KayakQuilting	81.	Jess @ Sewjess Handmade
31.	Around the World -snug harbor quilts	82.	Sylvia
32.	Karen	83.	Tanya Quilts in CO
33.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict	84.	Portuguese Cupboard
34.	Finished or Not Friday-Busy Hands Quilts	85.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
35.	Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts	86.	Gail
36.	Giveaway Winners and Fabric as Art	87.	Summer Solstice Quilt top @aaseevana
37.	Elm Street Quilts	88.	Vickie at Homeward
38.	Carley Biblin	89.	Afton @ Quilting Mod
39.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	90.	Another Baby Quilt @ LoGoQuilts
40.	The Flemings Nine	91.	maiden hair fern
41.	Good Vibrations	92.	Jenny - the lilac cat
42.	Pretty Pincushion	93.	Red and White Winner
43.	Susan's Quilt Creations	94.	Monkey Needle
44.	Quilters Take Manhattan 2016 Giveaway	95.	packratwithaplan
45.	Laptop Case For Moriarty	96.	Ann @ Fret Not Yourself
46.	Tute: Double Zipper Pencil Case	97.	Grace & Peace Quilting goes to the fair
47.	The Simply Chic Satchel	98.	Football block @ Creatin' in the Sticks
48.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	99.	Candy corn seeing tutorial
49.	JulieBagmaryART - Surface Design	100.	Sabrina
50.	Lindasquiltmania	101.	margaret @ life as posted two
51.	JulieBagamaryART - Specialty Bibs	102.	Patty @ Quilting with a view

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WIP Wednesday--the circle edition

I seem to have at least 20 projects going on at all times, so I decided that I am going to make an effort to show more of the process rather than focusing on showing finished products. It's good to enjoy the journey, right? I think WIP Wednesdays might become my new favorite thing!

Today was basting day for the "dot your i's" quilt! This project has been a labor of love...but worth every single stitch. You can find the details about the quilt in this post.

Most of the fabric is from the original flea market fancy line by Denyse Schmidt, which is long out of print and some of my most hoarded fabric. There is also some hope valley fabrics (also by Denyse) along with some of my good neighbors fabric (yay!), and about 5 other random prints that worked well with what I had going. All of the background squares are either low volume, very light solids or white on white fabric. I am thrilled with the combination!

I had a very hard time choosing backing fabric, but I finally landed on this sweet print from Heather Ross from her Tiger Lily collection. (I got it on clearance at Connecting Threads...for a screaming deal. Hurray!) I adore how this print works with the front of the quilt. It has the exact vintage feel that I was looking for. I plan to start playing around with hand quilting designs tonight!

Continuing with the circle theme...this is another quilt I'm currently I'm working on, which uses my running in circles tutorial. I'm teaching this as a class for the Minneapolis Modern quilt guild this Saturday at the Textile center. (I believe that there are still a few spots left...if you are a last minute non-planner like me. Ha!) For this version, I am using a collection of 30's prints that I inherited last spring. It's been lovely working with these. They are a bit of a departure from my normal brights, but I love the softness of the prints and the overall vintage feel of the quilt already. I'm definitely undecided about how large to make it....but I guess I have time to figure that out. :)

good neighbors fabric giveaway

It's been one year since my good neighbors fabric was released. That may be a silly thing to celebrate, but I, for one, am excited that it is still available in both yardage and pre-cuts. I have enjoyed seeing how others have used the fabric. I also enjoyed working it into all kinds of projects...from quilt backings to pincushions. To celebrate, I'm going to give away two bundles of good neighbors fabric...one in a warm colorway, one in a cool colorway. The giveaway is open to all. International entries are welcome with the stipulation that you will be willing to cover shipping costs, should you win a bundle. If you would like to throw your name into the hat, please leave me a comment in this post. In your comment, I would like to know if you tend to gravitate toward warm colors or cool colors when you are making projects and also where you are from. If you have made something with good neighbors fabric, I'd love to hear about that, too. :) I will pick a winner in a few days!

simple summer quilt complete

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

This quilt is about as simple as they come...6" squares (cut size), sewn together to make a simple patchwork quilt. I love that quilts don't need to be complicated to be pretty! I've been collecting these squares over a period of several years. It's fun/crazy/interesting to see how much my fabric tastes have changed.

I quilted it with a simple stipple last month while I was at quilt retreat with some friends. It was a nice, easy activity to do while visiting. Quilting a single quilt is also much more contained than scrap quilting is...what a mess that makes!  

I tend to shy away from dark, saturated fabrics, but I'm learning to embrace them. They add so much interest to a quilt!

I used a few prints of good neighbors fabric for the backing and a violet polka dot for the binding. I machine bound it for a quick and easy finish. (I forgot how much I like to machine bind!) It definitely takes a little practice, but it's a good option to have in your repertoire...and it is very durable.

I'm so happy to have this one complete. It's a twin size measuring about 66" x 88". It's scrap project # 179! The best thing is, I haven't replaced it with another work in progress.....yet! :)

I also wanted to mention that Craftsy is having a big sale this weekend! 50% off ALL classes! The sale starts today and ends on Monday. If you had your eye on a class, this would be a good time to purchase!

Now, it's your turn! Please link up your finishes! Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday!

finish it up Friday, 9/2/16

1.	Carie @ Space for the Butterflies	61.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting
2.	Mini Round Robin--Finish	62.	Kelly Cline Quilting
3.	Eva.Bambi,Johansson	63.	Kissy Fishy Quilt top
4.	Sandra @ mmm! quilts	64.	Sew Preeti Quilts
5.	Christina @ Christina's Handicrafts	65.	Janeen@Quilt Art Designs
6.	Maria@RaspberryJam	66.	San
7.	The Inside Stori	67.	tubakk - Norway
8.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	68.	The Flemings Nine: Pixel Rainbow Tutoria
9.	Lynn Harris	69.	Supernova Starburst Quilt @ sewnhenge
10.	Karen	70.	57 blocks done from Elm Street Quilts
11.	Sylvia	71.	JulieBagamaryArt-Hand Embroidery
12.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	72.	JulieBagamaryArt- Commission Stole
13.	Carole / From My Carolina Home blog	73.	Hexagons Liberty Pillow
14.	Snowcatcher	74.	Debbie @ A Quilter's Table
15.	Donation Quilts	75.	PrettyinthePort
16.	Julie @ Pink Doxies Round Robin	76.	Pomada
17.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	77.	karenbbsnow
18.	Finally a quilt finish! @blockMquilts	78.	Wendy's Quilts and More
19.	Blocks 13 & 14 In Our Garden BOM	79.	Kaffe Fassett hexagons
20.	jan altomare	80.	My Imperfect Life
21.	Rainbow Swift 2 (made by my 4-year-old)	81.	scrappy bear paw finish
22.	The Colorful Fabriholic	82.	Plus baby quilt top
23.	Happy	83.	Clair
24.	Silly Mama Quilts	84.	KatyQuilts
25.	Chocolate @ Sapphire	85.	Romany Quilting Horse Quilt
26.	Brenda Suderman	86.	Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches
27.	sternwerfer	87.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter
28.	Jess @ Quilty Habit - Hamilton quilt	88.	Judy@Quilt Paradigm
29.	Dizzy Quilts: Zipper Pouch for Marianne	89.	Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge
30.	Dizzy Quilts: State of Being	90.	Patch the Giraffe
31.	Finished or Not Friday-Busy Hands Quilts	91.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
32.	Dizzy Quilts: Color Block Pouch	92.	That's Sew Julie
33.	Blueberry Quilt @ Amateur Librarian	93.	JanineMarie:2AM Quilt Finish
34.	Quilts & Such	94.	JanineMarie:Love Wins Finish
35.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	95.	Sew Happily Ever After: Apple Core Quilt
36.	faith and freedom, a custom quilt	96.	Handwrought Quilts - Crosscut Quilt
37.	Out of the Blue, LV + scrappy trip	97.	Lindasquiltmania bag challenge winners
38.	CBcraftycorner One hour butterfly basket	98.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts: Barn Quilts
39.	Rachel S.B. @ Stitch 2, Write 1	99.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts: sun visors
40.	Ruth@cbcraftycorner Hedgehog pincushion	100.	Lynn Kline
41.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	101.	Molli Sparkles
42.	Jess @ Sewjess Handmade	102.	Jen @Jennifer Under the Juniper Tree
43.	Needle & Foot Tutorial Relief Quilting	103.	Tula Pink Chipper Mug Rug
44.	Needle & Foot - sandwich bag tutorial	104.	Gemini Jen NZ Paris bags
45.	Little red riding hood::porcupinestew	105.	Gemini Jen NZ Tote bags
46.	Panto + Custom Quilting	106.	Gemini Jen NZ floral totes
47.	Gretchen Weaver	107.	Gemini Jen NZ butterfly tote
48.	Gretchen Weaver	108.	Augusthimmel: Scrappy triangles pillow
49.	IdaRatherBeQuilting	109.	Jennifer @Glinda Quilts
50.	Laura	110.	Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
51.	Adaliza	111.	packratwithaplan
52.	Smiles from Kate	112.	Paralellograms Mini Quilt
53.	Marla @ The Quilted Puzzle	113.	Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts
54.	gogokim	114.	Plastic Bag Dispenser
55.	Circus Purse	115.	Star Wars Pencil Case
56.	DonnaleeQ	116.	Janice@singreadsew
57.	Laurel @ Quilts by Laurel	117.	Shelley@TheCarpentersDaughter
58.	Elephant Baby Quilt | Quilted Blooms	118.	Treadlestitches Baby Quilt
59.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict	119.	Denim Blues | Factotum of Arts
60.	Angela A @ betterndogbisuits	120.	Pushme-Pullme | Factotum of Arts

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

back in the saddle

Well, hello, hello! Happy September! I'm glad to be back from my blogging break! My kids started school this week and we are slowly getting back into a routine. Although I miss them during the day, man, the quiet is awfully nice!

I've been working on cleaning the slate...trying to finish some quilts. I have a hundred new ideas (at the very least) that I want to try, so I have to get some of my WIPs cleared out. It's easy to get bogged down!

I basted my scattered showers quilt this week and I started quilting it yesterday. I committed to a very ambitious quilting pattern and I spent all of my quilting time questioning my sanity. I had many problems with thread breakage and skipped stitches, which made me question this quilting pattern even more. A friend suggested going up a need size, which I tried, and things got better after that. What a relief! Now, I'm quite certain that I'm going to run out of thread, but one problem at a time....

The back of the quilt is a funky green (Kona cotton in peapod) that shows every single stitch of the quilting. No pressure there! Ha! I have a long way to go on this one, but it feels good to be one step closer to finishing!

I don't share a lot of recipes here on the blog, but this one is such a good one! I made a batch of ginger molasses cookies yesterday....they are perfect for the fall weather that is just around the corner. This makes a big batch-plenty for your family and plenty to share with others. It's a keeper!

Ginger Molasses Cookies

4 1/2 cups flour
4 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
4 t. ginger
1 t. cloves
1/2 t. salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
granulated sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well. Add the molasses and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture and beat until combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

Roll the dough into small balls, about 1" in diameter. Fill a small bowl with granulated sugar and roll each ball in the sugar until is is completely coated.  Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for about
12-13 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 1-2 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Store for up to one week in a sealed container.

If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think!

See you tomorrow for finish it up Friday!