Maine socks and stash organization

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

This week I managed to finish another pair of socks! I bought this yarn in August when my husband and I went to Maine to celebrate our 20th anniversary. As much as I LOVE colorful socks, this black and white self-striping yarn caught my eye because it's so practical. These socks will match 90% of my closet. :) I'm pretty pleased with how well those stripes lines up. Not exactly perfect, but pretty darn close. Hurray!

 

This is my 23rd pair of hand knit socks that I've made to date. You can find the free pattern here.

 

The other BIG project this week was to organize my stash. It was in quite a state of disarray, so I spent quite a bit of time folding, organizing and rearranging. It felt AMAZING to get this all in order.

I've used the same folding technique for my stash for years and I can't recommend it enough. (See this post.) If the fabric is not large enough to wrap around a 6" ruler, it goes into the scrap bin. Having a consistent folding technique helps maintain the organization long term.

Lest you think that everything is perfectly perfect over here, this is was hanging out just out of the frame of the previous photo. (See? I AM a normal quilter and a real person. Hahahaha!)

I shuffled the piles a little farther out so I could get a decent picture of the whole corner. I have a bunch of scraps that I need to get in order next, but one step at a time....right? It feels good to have the stash neat and tidy, at least.

 

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

 

 

finish it up Friday, 12/29/17

1.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	49.	Quilting Gail
2.	Bambi	50.	Vanuatu Turtle Quilt finished
3.	Tanya Quilts in CO	51.	January is Red: Monthly color challenge
4.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	52.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
5.	Nintendo Quilt	53.	Happy Little Christmas Trees & Skirts
6.	unbeehaved - Free Pattern Friday	54.	Oh My Stars!
7.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter	55.	Jill @ Sew Bliss
8.	Gumdrops - Galaxy of Stars	56.	Best of 2017 Finished or Not Friday
9.	Christmas Table Runners	57.	SarahZ@CedarForkStitches
10.	Melissa @ Happy Quilting	58.	Christmas handmade - the lilac cat
11.	KatyQuilts	59.	Janice@singreadsew
12.	Judy @ Busy Hands Are Happy Hands	60.	Sarah
13.	Pack Rat With A Plan	61.	maggie fellow
14.	🎌 Dr. Who Goes To Japan 🗾	62.	Suzy Webster
15.	Watermelon Diva - Santa Sewing	63.	triangles & squares
16.	Kat & Cat Quilts	64.	Brooke@SillyMamaQuilts
17.	DonnaleeQ	65.	Kathleen McCormick
18.	JBigg's Scrap Pieces	66.	Nancy
19.	Roseanne @ Home Sewn By Us	67.	Gail
20.	Vera @negligentstyle	68.	Terri Faust Quilts
21.	Karen	69.	Kate @ Katie Mae Quilts
22.	alidiza	70.	Janice @ Color, Creating, and Quiltig
23.	2 finished quilts! - Knit 1, Make 2	71.	steffishobbys
24.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting	72.	📕 Every Quilt Has A Story 📔 ...
25.	Moon Circles	73.	A Year at FromMyCarolinaHome
26.	Slice of Pi Quilts: Hoop + Loop + Line	74.	California Thomas Fire Quilt Project
27.	Chris @ The Art of Making Blog	75.	Carolyn
28.	beth@lovelaughquilt	76.	JulieBagamaryArt-StayPawsitive!
29.	elaine	77.	Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
30.	Kathy @ AlliKat Quilts	78.	dreamworthy quilts
31.	Kathy @ AlliKat Quilts Ornaments	79.	Katy & AlliKat Quilts table runner
32.	Kathy @ AlliKat Quilts Irish Plaid	80.	Computer Geeks and Starbursts
33.	Johnna @ Yellowbird Stitches	81.	Linda Hungerford
34.	Kathy @ AlliKat Quilts Lupines	82.	something rosemade
35.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	83.	Heidi @ Buttons and Butterflies
36.	Kelly Cline Quilting	84.	Jane in KS
37.	Creatin' in the Sticks:28 /30 in 30 days	85.	Crafty Ashley B - A Finished Pinwheel
38.	RaspberryMaria	86.	Marla @ The Quilted Puzzle
39.	Pink Doxies Holiday Slow Down	87.	Sew Me Something Good
40.	ann casey	88.	Parikrama from Sew Preeti Quilts
41.	Debora @ Studio Dragonfly	89.	Treadlestitches Rainbow Scraps
42.	Cathy Tomm Quilts	90.	Crossbody pouch @ aaseevana
43.	Wendy’s Quilts and More	91.	Charm About You
44.	The Inside Stori	92.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
45.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts	93.	Heide D
46.	Sherrill	94.	Christina's Handicrafts
47.	Em's Scrapbag	95.	Pomada
48.	Brenda @ scrapsandstrings	96.	2017 finishes snug harbor quilts

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a sew together bag for Emily

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I'm happy to share another finish with you today! I made this sew together bag (pattern here) for my friend Emily as part of a Christmas swap between some good friends.

Emily likes gray, aqua and hexagons, so I combined all of those things in this little bag. I have to admit that this took a lot longer to make than I was anticipating, but she loves it, so it was totally worth it. The hexagons were English Paper Pieced, which means they were basted and then stitched together...all by hand. I did enjoy making the EPP panel and then using it for a bag exterior. I did not enjoy cutting through the hand stitches when I had to trim the panel down. That was nerve wracking! Thankfully I measured right the first time.

This is the second time that I finished the binding by hand on a sew together bag and I'm sold on the neat and tidy results.

If you are attempting to sew this bag, I would highly recommend adding zipper tabs (see this post) as a modification to the pattern. It makes sewing up the sides so much easier. As you can see, I enjoyed selecting a lot of different fabrics for the interior. I have plenty of aqua in the stash to choose from. Hurray!

This is my 7th sew together bag that I've made to date! I have one more to make before I put this pattern on hold again for awhile. They sure do make great gifts!

As a little extra for the swap package, I made Emily this little coffee ornament. You can find the free pattern here. I used coffee beans for a filling, so it has a wonderful coffee aroma. I thought that was pretty fun.

 

Well, that's it for me today! Do you have a finish to share? If so, please link up. Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday! I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

finish it up Friday, 12/22/17

1.	Smiles from Kate	48.	Małgorzata/From the deep of a forest :)
2.	Melissa Corry	49.	Deadline finishes
3.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	50.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
4.	Bambi	51.	Kathy @ AlliKat Quilts
5.	Smiles from Kate 2	52.	Lisa @ Shinersview
6.	Alidiza	53.	100% Handpieced Quilt @ Sewn by Leila
7.	Deana at Dreamworthy Quilts	54.	JulieBagamaryArt - Quilted Heart
8.	Craftartista: Mia	55.	Hibiscus FMQ motif tutorial
9.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	56.	Colour Inspiration Tuesday: Flying Duck Orchid
10.	Luna Lovequilts - Three different pouches	57.	Jen @ Stitchified
11.	Roseanne @ Home Sewn By Us	58.	Winter Illusion Quilt - the lilac cat
12.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	59.	Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches
13.	Coastal Christmas Lantern	60.	charlotte@GrammieQ's
14.	The Inside Stori	61.	viridian61
15.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	62.	Garden Snails Quilt @ Dresden Lane
16.	DonnaleeQ	63.	Gail at the cozy quilter
17.	Em's Scrapbag	64.	Heide D
18.	Ruth @ Stitching Impressions	65.	DIY Hexie Christmas Tree Card
19.	Kat & Cat Quilts	66.	Ali Phillips
20.	KatyQuilts	67.	Slice of Pi Quilts: Paying It Forward - Again!
21.	unbeehaved-Free Pattern Friday	68.	Brooke@SillyMamaQuilts
22.	Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts	69.	New Star Rising pattern @ Huntspatch Quilts
23.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts	70.	Patterns By Jen
24.	Christmas quilt from Elm Street Quilts	71.	Tiina - Splendid Sampler finish
25.	Wendy’s Quilts and More	72.	Giant Hexagons Quilt - Christine
26.	Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl	73.	Kim@bittybitsandpieces
27.	Karen	74.	Laura
28.	Judy @ Busy Hands Are Happy Hands	75.	🍼 Arabella's Quilt 🚼
29.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting	76.	Pomada
30.	Suzy Webster	77.	Zenia Rene @ A Quilted Passion
31.	Wendy	78.	Peekamoose Mountain Quilts
32.	AngelaA @ betterndogbiscuits oops	79.	K Sorensen Fabric palette/collection advice
33.	Finished or Not Friday	80.	JulieBagamaryArt-RustDyedChallenge
34.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	81.	Tula Pink Sampler D.O.N.E.
35.	Dizzy Quilts: Radiant Splendor	82.	a maiden hair fern
36.	Debora @ Studio Dragonfly	83.	Scrap vortex potholder and then some
37.	Kay Sorensen's fabric wall	84.	Treadlestitches Christmas Scraps
38.	Quilting Gail	85.	Janice@singreadsew
39.	My Imperfect Life	86.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts
40.	something rosemade	87.	Carol Quilts Sometimes - Boy Quilts
41.	Christmas Quilt Top @ Creatin' in the Sticks	88.	Carol Quilts Sometimes - Christmas Quilt
42.	JanineMarie: Quilt for CA	89.	Karen @runsewfun
43.	tubakk Norway	90.	Tammy travelinsewl
44.	Ann @ FretNotYourself	91.	Tracy @ pursuing joy
45.	Snowcatcher	92.	steffishobbys
46.	Pack Rat With A Plan	93.	Modern Mug Rugs
47.	✂️ Staff Retreat ✂️	94.	Colleen@piecemakerquilts

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related WIPs and glamp stitchalot

This quilt was in time out for a few weeks/months (?) because I couldn't get the color break quite right. A few weeks ago I had a friend help me figure it out, so sewing has commenced. I'm pretty excited to see it come together! When sewing the rows together, I pin at each intersection, so it takes awhile. I decided that I'm going to enjoy the process rather than to rush through. (What a concept, right?) You can see an in-progress layout here, if you care to take a peek. This is 1/4 of the quilt top. I'll take any progress I can get. :)

When I was cutting out all 1000+ squares needed for the quilt above, I noticed I had a lot of fabric left that measured at least 2" x 2 1/2". So....I started cutting rectangles into that size. Initially I thought I would pair them with a white background, because that seems to be my default.

However, I decided to challenge myself to break out of my comfort zone and use a black background instead. I have a lot of black scraps in my scrap bin, so it seemed to make sense. I like how the colors POP against the black background. They seem to glow!

I've been using this as a leaders/enders project, which is another thing that is out of my comfort zone, but it's getting easier as I practice it. I'm excited to be putting these scraps to good use. Woohoo!

I wanted to share with you an exciting announcement today, too! On November 8-10, 2018, I will be one of four teachers that will be at Glamp Stitchalot, which is held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'll be teaching improv string piecing classes. You can find more details here. I'm super excited and I think it will be a lot of fun!

That's it for me today! I hope your week is off to a great start!

tea pouches

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

I have a small finish today, but it's a finish nonetheless! Considering this crazy time of year, I'll take it! :)

I made these handy fold-up pouches to give to a few of my friends that enjoy drinking tea. They were a fun little project and I can see several more in my sewing future. It's fun to mix and match different fabric combinations. Picking the fabric takes almost as long as sewing them up. I'm not complaining, though...I love playing with fabric!

The pattern is called Handy Fold-Up Pouch and it comes from the book Stitched Sewing Organizers by Aneela Hoey. It's a beautiful book filled with several practical projects that I would love to make someday.

Have you heard of the hot ruler? I used it when I was making this pouch and it's SO handy. My friend Tara gave me this gadget when I was expressing (complaining?) how hard it is to hem pants or dresses accurately. The ruler is heat resistant, so you measure, fold and press the fabric all in one step. It's SLICK! I've used it for hemming, but also for small projects like this.

This is in no way sponsored by Clover or anyone else, it's just a wonderful tool that might make a good gift for you or for a sewing friend. Or both! :)

Of course this pouch would make a super cute mini sewing kit, too! That's kind of what it was designed for. hahaha! I love that you can clip the wonder clips (another great tool!) on the band. I think I might try adding a snap on the flap and use that as an alternate closure. Wouldn't that be cute?

Alright! That's it for me today! I hope you have a finish that you can share. (I know that it's so hard this time of year, because there is a lot of secret sewing going on!) Please link up, and thanks, as always, for joining me for finish it up Friday! Have a great weekend!

finish it up Friday, 12/15/17

1.	Alex Quilt	50.	My Pillow - Elm Street Quilts
2.	Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches	51.	Kitty Wilkin | Night Quilter
3.	Bambi	52.	Thrift Shop Commando - Cowboy Christmas Quilt
4.	Towa Gauge @ From My Carolina Home	53.	Cathy Tomm Cherry Quilt
5.	Em's Scrapbag	54.	Pack Rat With A Plan
6.	unbeehaved - Free Pattern Friday	55.	Vanuatu Turtle Quilt Top Fiinished
7.	Brooke@SillyMamaQuilts	56.	Beary Colorful BOM 2018
8.	Creatin' in the Sticks - new block new quilt	57.	Frankie Baldwin
9.	Modern Freefall Quilt Pink Doxies	58.	tubakk - Norway
10.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	59.	Sandra @ mmm! quilts
11.	Fragmental @ Savor Every Stitch	60.	Fabric Charm Coasters
12.	Chris @ The Art of Making Blog	61.	Cortney @ Knit 1, Make 2
13.	La Vida en Patchwork -Block 7 Seaside Town Quilt	62.	Gretchen @ Snug Harbor Quilts
14.	Slice of Pi Quilts: Paying It Forward	63.	Sapphire's Stitching Stanza
15.	Baby Quilt Finish	64.	charlotte@GrammieQ's
16.	KatyQuilts	65.	The Inside Stori
17.	Kat & Cat Quilts	66.	Let's Panel
18.	Roseanne @ Home Sewn By Us	67.	Christmas Tree Applique Drawstring Bag Tutorial
19.	Slice of Pi Quilts: A Palette Cleanser	68.	Dogs in Sweaters Quilt: Quilting is in my Blood
20.	viridian61	69.	Snowcatcher
21.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting	70.	Yanicka Hachez
22.	Busy Hands Quilts	71.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
23.	The Flemings Nine	72.	Project Linus quilt - the lilac cat
24.	Tula Pink Butterfly Top @ Dresden Lane Designs	73.	Blue diamonds quilt
25.	K Sorensen Almost Crazy Quilts	74.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
26.	something rosemade	75.	Another Baby Quilt @ LoGoQuilts
27.	Karen	76.	Suzy Webster
28.	Wendy’s Quilts and More	77.	Handquilting finished!
29.	Puple Haze Socks	78.	Sarah
30.	Alison @ LBQ - Penguin Table Runner	79.	Luna Lovequilts : Improv' triangles quilt
31.	Ruth @Stitching Impressions	80.	Lavender Turnovers
32.	Animal House + A Giveaway	81.	Carolyn
33.	Lovely Little Christmas Trees	82.	Terri Faust Quilts
34.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	83.	Kay Sorensen Santa's List quilt
35.	TUTORIAL quick and easy Log Cabin	84.	maggie fellow
36.	Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl	85.	Janice@singreadsew
37.	Andrea @ 3rd Story Workshop	86.	Kay Sorensen Changing Up My Quilts
38.	DonnaleeQ	87.	Treadlestitches Feathered Star
39.	Smiles from Kate	88.	Q-Bits - A little Christmas project
40.	Gail at the Cozy Quilter	89.	Bernie @ Needle and Foot
41.	Cindy@liveacolorfullife	90.	2018 Quilt Along Link Up
42.	Twinchie Christmas	91.	beth@lovelaughquilt
43.	Jess @ Quilty Habit	92.	Laura
44.	Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing	93.	White & Gold Prairie Point Star w/ribbon flower
45.	A Quilter's Road Trip	94.	The Joyful Quilter
46.	❀ Plum Blossom Quilting ❀	95.	Stacey @SLOstudio - Polarity queen size
47.	Judy B- Arithmetic Baby Quilt	96.	Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses 1
48.	Quilting Gail	97.	Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses
49.	Brenda @ scrapsandstrings

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a little of everything

I've been walking around my house singing "it's the MOST wonderful time of the year", but in a slightly sarcastic manner. I just can't seem to keep up! I know I'm not alone, but I still don't care for the ridiculous pace of early to mid December. This post is a little random, so please bear with me! :)

Thank you so much for the sweet comments on my gingham quilt! I had a few requests to see the pillows a little better, so here you go. I made pillowcases with Lotta dots in Coral, the chenille pillow shams were made from an old bedspread and the kindness pillow was finished earlier this year. I love the simplicity of the whole ensemble. It makes me smile every time I walk into my room! It's wonderful to have new bedding to brighten up the dreary winter days.

I've been working on a lot of different things this week...

I started knitting an origami top hat for a friend. I LOVE this shockingly pink yarn. It's been a great project to work on while I'm on the go.

This panel of hexies is part of a larger project that I will share more of soon. I estimated that it's taken me between 12 and 16 hours JUST to sew the hexagons together. Sometimes it's better NOT to count the hours. Hahaha! It did force me to just sit down for awhile, AND they are super cute, so it was totally worth it!

My neighbor ordered a pincushion to give as a gift, so I made one for her as well. I had a blast making these from my teeny tiny scraps.

And, I had to make an extra one, just for good measure. It felt so good to finish SOMETHING! Playing with scraps and finishing a few small projects was just the boost I needed to keep going.

 

I hope you are able to find a few moments in this busy time of year to breathe and enjoy the little things, too!

gingham quilt complete

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Last Saturday evening I finished my gingham quilt!!!! I waited until I completed the coordinating pillowcases (all 6 of them!) to put the quilt on the bed. Otherwise I would procrastinate for at a least a year or two to actually sew them up. Ha! I put everything on my bed last night and I'm soooo pleased with how it all came together!

The quilt uses only 5 fabrics: White, Pink Flamingo and Pearl pink (all Konas) for the top. The binding (lotta dots in coral reef) and backing (apron in coral reef) fabrics are from Connecting Threads. That coral color is super hard to photograph, but trust me, it's really pretty!

It was pretty fun to back an entire quilt with my fabric. :) This is my largest quilt to date, finishing at about 108" x 102". I'm very happy that this quilt, which features the Kona color of the year, is actually finished before the year is over. Woohoo!

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

finish it up Friday, 12/8/17

1.	Christmas all around	53.	Wendy's Quilts and More
2.	Bambi	54.	Anja @ Anja Quilts
3.	Lakeshore @ Savor Every Stitch	55.	Snowcatcher
4.	Mickey Mouse Quilt | Quilted Blooms	56.	unbeehaved - Free Pattern Friday
5.	Greenhouse Quilt	57.	Modern Christmas Quilt
6.	Quilted Fabric Bucket | Quilted Blooms	58.	Sunset Flight - Elm Street Quilts
7.	Chris @ The Art of Making Blog	59.	Turtle appliqué quilt
8.	Gretchen's Little Corner	60.	Thread Christmas Ornament Tutorial
9.	Glass Beads Quilt	61.	Valerie @ Evening in the Garden
10.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	62.	tubakk - Norway
11.	Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts	63.	anna
12.	Roseanne @ Home Sewn By Us	64.	viridian61
13.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	65.	Pack Rat With A Plan
14.	Gumdrops - Charity Chop!	66.	beth@lovelaughquilt
15.	DonnaleeQ	67.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
16.	Cortney @ Knit 1, Make 2	68.	helenmidgetgem
17.	Postage Stamp Quilt @ My Patchwork Home	69.	Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches
18.	Charming Totes	70.	Ruth's hat
19.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	71.	Gingerbread man tag-Arabesque Scissors
20.	My Imperfect Life	72.	Allison: quillow design and finish
21.	Dog in Sweater design - the lilac cat	73.	30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days Challenge
22.	Smiles from Kate	74.	Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
23.	Judy B Merry and Bright Pillow	75.	Miss Alissa
24.	Em's Scrapbag	76.	maggie fellow
25.	Joyce Dean Gieszler	77.	dreamworthy quilts
26.	Karen	78.	Caryl @ cinnamon holiday workshop
27.	something rosemade	79.	Kay Sorensen Christmas Sparkler
28.	The Inside Stori	80.	Heide D
29.	Catarina Chr	81.	He Is The Reason For the Season Quilt
30.	Scrappy Christmas Mug Rug	82.	Sandra@mmm! quilts
31.	La Vida en Patchwork	83.	Suzy Webster
32.	The Wool Collection	84.	Giant Hexagons Quilt - Christine
33.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting	85.	Aromatic Rings @ LoGoQuilts
34.	Leanne @ Devoted Quilter	86.	Joy - Little Teabag Pouches
35.	The Colorful Fabriholic	87.	gretchen @ snug harbor quilts
36.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	88.	Goodies of Quilting&Purging Pink Doxies
37.	KatyQuilts	89.	Getterdonejan
38.	Dollandesign	90.	Holiday Quilt Runner @Creatin' .. Sticks
39.	Luna Lovequilts : Pillow	91.	Charm About You - a week of sewing
40.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	92.	Treadlestitches Cobblestones, cashews
41.	Laura	93.	Mary Hertel
42.	Brooke@SillyMamaQuilts	94.	FlashinScissors - Game Piece Bag
43.	Stacey @SLOstudio - Scrappy log cabin	95.	The Joyful Quilter
44.	Kathy @ AlliKat Quilts	96.	Marla @ The Quilted Puzzle
45.	Cathy Tomm Quilts	97.	Double zippered pouch @aaseevana
46.	Santa's Helper @ QuiltFabrication	98.	Janine@TheSweetestDreams
47.	alidiza	99.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts
48.	NICU top	100.	Laura's Santa pillow
49.	Falling Stars Twin Quilt	101.	Melanie: Merry Christmas Pillow
50.	Stitching Impressions	102.	Kay Sorensen using leftovers for bags
51.	Sue @ Quilting The Green Star	103.	Janice@singreadsew
52.	Tracie @ Riceford Streams

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

a sew together bag for my neighbor

My neighbor had a birthday this week, so I made her a sew together bag. (Pattern is available here.) These bags are NOT a quick project, so one has to choose the recipients carefully. My kids joke that they know I really like someone if I go to the trouble of making one of these as a gift. (They are totally right about that!)

I always struggle with picking out fabrics for a gift. I know what I like, but I have a hard time deviating from that. For this one, though, I knew that she would like something bright and cheery and cute, which is pretty much in my wheelhouse. Hurray for that!

I used 4 different fabrics for the pockets and 3 different fabrics for the pocket linings. What can I say? I like to use as many fabric as I can. Haha! I knew that she likes pink, so that was helpful for determining the pocket fabrics. The rest of the fabric selections were determined by the zippers I had on hand. (True story!)

 

Oh! I should also mention, I added tabs to the zipper ends, which helps immensely in assembly. (I have a post that explains the modifications here.)

Even though it takes more time, I like to make a patchwork panel for the outside and then quilt it. I start with 2 1/2" squares, so they finish at 2". (The side ones and the top ones get trimmed slightly, but it still works!)

I believe that this is my 6th sew together bag that I've made to date. I gave it to my neighbor today and I'm happy to report that she was OVERJOYED with her gift. That makes every stitch worth it!

almost finished and some wool garland

Welcome to finish it up Friday and Happy December!

I made serious progress on my gingham quilt this week! I debated rushing through the hand binding just so I could have a finish for today, but then the voice of good reason showed up. (Hurray for that! hahaha!) I decided to slow down and enjoy the process instead. I'm currently 1/4 of the way done stitching the binding to the back. I look forward to snuggling up with it as I finish it this weekend. I love hand binding!

 

(As an aside....I dream of having a stack of 20 quilts sitting in a pile, just waiting to be hand bound, especially as we head into winter. I don't think that will ever happen, as I can't wait to finish quilts! But, doesn't it sound like a nice winter activity to sit down after dinner and have some binding to do every night?? I don't think that would ever get old!)

 

Anyway.....I do have a small finished project to share with you today!

A few years ago my neighbor friend passed along some scraps that her sister-in-law had leftover from making felted wool mittens. Not one to turn down scraps, I adopted them and they sat in my sewing room for quite awhile. I cut circles (freehand, with scissors) out of the wool scraps and they sat in a basket for awhile longer.

Recently, I separated the cool colors from the warm colors and sewed some of them into a garland. It was so quick and easy...once the circles were cut, that is! I used a 50 weight thread from Connecting Threads (because it's nice and thick) and I stitched them together on my sewing machine. I sewed about 6 "blank" stitches between each wool disk. I made a few garlands...one is about 4 yards and one is 4 1/2 yards long. I discovered that might have been a little bit too long, but I guess I can always trim them, right?

I hung one on my mantle and I'm sure I'll find a home for the other one soon. This was such a fun and quick project!

These are ready to stitch up and would be perfect for either Christmas or Valentine's Day. Or both! 

That's it for me today! Do you have a finish to share? If so, please link up. Thank you, as always, for joining me for finish it up Friday! Thanks for stopping by and for reading. I appreciate it so much! Have a great weekend!

 

finish it up Friday, 12/1/17

1.	Bambi	55.	Kitty Wilkin | Night Quilter
2.	Smiles from Kate	56.	tisha @ quiltytherapy
3.	KatyQuilts	57.	maggie fellow
4.	La Vida en Patchwork Novembre calendar quilt	58.	The Joyful Quilter
5.	Handwrought Quilts	59.	Sarah
6.	Logs & Fire	60.	Giant Hexagons Quilt Top - Christine
7.	Chuckles Quilt	61.	Tumbler UFO
8.	Chris @ The Art of Making Blog	62.	Christmas Bells Ornament
9.	Gingerbread Men	63.	Strawberry FMQ Quilt Finish
10.	Candi Cane The Wool Collection	64.	The Inside Stori
11.	Just Don't Crawl Free Quilt pattern	65.	deana
12.	Knit 1, Make 2	66.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts
13.	On Ringo Lake--Clue 1 ㊌	67.	My Imperfect Life
14.	Becca Pouch @ Savor Every Stitch	68.	Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches
15.	Roseanne @ Home Sewn By Us	69.	Deck the Halls Elm Street Quilts
16.	unbeehaved - Free Pattern Friday	70.	tubakk - Norway
17.	Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs	71.	Tanya Quilts in CO
18.	Brooke@SillyMamaQuilts	72.	Riot of colour quilt - the lilac cat
19.	Kat & Cat Quilts	73.	Free Holiday Quilt Block Series and Giveaway
20.	Janice@Color, Creating and Quilting	74.	SPLINTER @ blockMquilts
21.	Stacks of Christmas Charm Square Soup Bowl Cozies	75.	Zenia Rene
22.	Molasses: A Finished Quilt	76.	Christmas Angel Wall Hanging
23.	Circles - Design 2	77.	Gretchen @ Snug Harbor Quilts
24.	Kay's Kwilt	78.	Marla@The Quilted Puzzle
25.	Diann@Little Penguin Quilts	79.	From My Carolina Home
26.	Allison: Phone case and pot holder	80.	Kay Sorensen 2 quilts in 1
27.	Frankie Baldwin	81.	Karen @runsewfun
28.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	82.	Treadlestitches Quilting with Schnickelfritz
29.	Alidiza	83.	DonnaleeQ
30.	Debbie @ A Quilter's Table	84.	Case for Smiles
31.	Quilting is more fun than Housework	85.	Suzy Webster
32.	Mari @ The Academic Quilter	86.	Terri Faust Quilts
33.	Kathy @ AlliKat Quilts	87.	Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts
34.	Slice of Pi Quilts: The View From Here	88.	Melanie- Peppermint table runner
35.	Sew Preeti Quilts - Giving Thanks	89.	Kim @PersimonDreams
36.	Quilter Kathy	90.	40 things to be happy about
37.	Minecraft quilts - Lindasquiltmania	91.	Kathy@KayakQuilting
38.	Joy Letter Pillows @ Creatin' in the Sticks	92.	Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts
39.	Karen	93.	anna
40.	Lily Patch Quilts	94.	A Baby Quilt Finish
41.	Michelle's Romantic Tangle	95.	Pack Rat With A Plan
42.	Dinosaur Tracks	96.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting
43.	T-shirt Rug	97.	Pixie Noel Fussy Cut Heart Mug Rug
44.	Sweet Marion Patchwork Queen Quilt	98.	AngelaA fall finishes
45.	Simply Color Lucent Queen Quilt	99.	Pomada
46.	Ann @ FretNotYourself	100.	beth@lovelaughquilt
47.	Shannon @ The Flemings Nine	101.	Quiltin Jenny
48.	Give Ideas for Quilters + Giveaway!	102.	Andrea @ 3rd Story Workshop
49.	Trish	103.	viridian61
50.	JulieBagamary-Stitching	104.	Craftartista: Christmas tote bag
51.	Cathy Tomm Forest Friends	105.	Scrapbaggers Christmas Quilt Swap 🎄
52.	Julie Bagamary - JOY Label	106.	Wendy's Quilts and More
53.	Charm About You - Crossed Orange Peel	107.	Janice@singreadsew
54.	Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts

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on to the next!

Thank you so much for all of the lovely comments on Curt's quilt. I appreciate each and every one!

It felt great to focus on just one project and make significant progress in such a short time. Since I was on a roll, I decided to move on to the next! I had 4 quilt tops to choose from, so it was time.

I took advantage of the lovely weather this weekend and I basted this king size gingham quilt on my 3 season porch. It was helpful to have other people home so that they could help keep the puppies occupied, too. It took me nearly all day to piece the backing (all 9 1/2 yards of it!), trim the threads on the backside of the quilt top and pin the layers together. It took nearly all the floor space I had available. Oh, boy!

I've been debating between sending it out to my long arm quilter and quilting it myself for the past few months. Sure, it would have been easier to send it out....especially since the quilt measures 108" x 102". But, there is something kind of neat about quilting such a massive quilt yourself on a domestic sewing machine. (Maybe I have more stubbornness than good sense? Hahaha!) I definitely maxed out the throat space while quilting it, but really, it wasn't terrible. No more than 1/2 of the bulk needs to be in the throat at any one time. I will say, though, that it takes a lot of adjusting and readjusting of the quilt. A LOT!

Here's a photo of my quilting set up. I have a decent amount of table space to hold the bulk of the quilt behind the machine, and equally helpful is my ironing table to the left of my chair, which supports the rest of the bulk.

The loops certainly aren't perfect, and I've had to work on letting go of perfection as I quilt. (The struggle is real!) I've estimated that it will take me about 16 hours (!!!) to quilt it. Despite that, I'm still glad that I decided to quilt it myself.

I've got 17/50 lines of loops left to quilt, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That certainly helps, too!

Happy Monday to you!

moody quilt complete!

Welcome to finish it up Friday! I hope all of you in the U.S. had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Much to my surprise and delight, I was able to finish the moody quilt this week! Woohoo! It's amazing what a deadline (self-proclaimed or not) will do. Hahaha! I finished the quilt at 12:15am on Thanksgiving day. I gave it to my brother in law to sleep under that same night (morning, actually...) which was a was a LOT of fun! He was surprised!

The pattern is called chain of diamonds from the book No Scrap Left Behind. I enlarged the blocks so they finish at 4" rather than 2" as shown in the book. The quilt uses chambray, linen, denim, and the like for the chains and Kona shadow for the background. I love the combination and how masculine the quilt turned out.

For the backing I used Kona solid in the color overcast (I love that name!) along with a strip of scraps leftover from the front. I do love a pieced quilt back!

I auditioned several fabrics for the binding, but landed on this stripe from my good neighbors collection. (It's out of print, I'm sad to say.) I love that a little bit of my own fabric made it's way into the quilt.

It really is the perfect binding fabric! Look at how well it ties the front and the back together. I designed the stripes with binding in mind, so using them for that reason (again) was delightful. I machine bound it (using this tutorial) for a quick and sturdy finish.

I quilted it on my Janome Horizon with straight lines. Nothing fancy needed! The quilt measures about 64" x 84".

Some of you requested it, so here is a quick picture that I snapped of Curt with his quilt. I know that he likes it a lot! Hurray for a happy finish.

Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday! Thank you for stopping by and for reading. It means a lot! Happy Friday to you!

finish it up Friday, 11/24/17

1.	Eva-bambi	41.	Outlook New Pattern | Finished or Not Linky Party
2.	Gumdrops - Kitchen Sink Scrap Quilt	42.	Vanuatu Turtle Quilt progress
3.	Brooke@SillyMamaQuilts	43.	Aurora Star block
4.	Laura	44.	Quilting Done @ Elm Street Quilts
5.	Tanya Quilts in CO	45.	The Flashing Scissors -Bag It
6.	KatyQuilts	46.	viridian61
7.	Karen	47.	Dollandesign
8.	Smiles from Kate	48.	Amanda @ fabric engineer
9.	Bernie @ Needle & Foot	49.	Sew Preeti Quilts - Twins
10.	Colleen @piecemakerquilts	50.	tubakk - Norway
11.	Pack Rat With A Plan	51.	Cross Stitch Mona Lisa
12.	DonnaleeQ	52.	Jen @Jennifer Under the Juniper Tree
13.	Sapphire's Stitching Stanza - a fold-over bag	53.	Mary Hertel
14.	Chris @ The Art of Making Blog	54.	Scrappy Christmas Trees @ Creatin' in the Sticks
15.	Sandra@mmm!quilts	55.	Sweet Pea Pods @ Savor Every Stitch
16.	Em	56.	A Trad Beauty @ Grace & Peace Quilting
17.	The Colorful Fabriholic	57.	Gail @ the Cozy Quilter
18.	Roseanne @ Home Sewn By Us	58.	Gail @ the Cozy Quilter (2nd finish!)
19.	Kat & Cat Quilts	59.	Gretchen's Little Corner
20.	Elaine	60.	Little Miss Tuffet - Arabesque Scissors
21.	Małgorzata /The return of a clasp lock	61.	Rosemary @ The Knitting Quilter
22.	Małgorzata /Apple tree	62.	Snowcatcher
23.	Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting	63.	Terri Faust Quilts
24.	Q-Bits: Less than, Greater than	64.	A Rainbow Scrapbuster
25.	Becky in KCMO	65.	Inch-Art: Carolina Chain
26.	La Vida en Patchwork - Quilt Christmas Tree	66.	Color, Creating, and Quilting
27.	Jan Altomare	67.	steffishobbys
28.	Heidi @ Buttons and Butterflies	68.	Heide D
29.	Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty	69.	Pinwheel Quilt
30.	Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts	70.	Pomada
31.	Charm About You	71.	a Threesome
32.	Julie in GA--top done!	72.	Janice@singreadsew
33.	Tote bag - the lilac cat	73.	Angie in SoCal
34.	My Imperfect Life	74.	Judy B and Christmas projects
35.	Wendy's Quilts and More	75.	Suzy Webster
36.	Log Cabin Baby Quilt - Christine	76.	Stacey @SLOstudio - Selvedge ornament
37.	QFTLH: Tree Quilt	77.	Kay Sorensen Masterpiece
38.	Luna Lovequilts : Quilty 365 - Last quilt	78.	A Christmas Jelly Roll
39.	JulieBagamaryArt-Thanksgiving Stitching	79.	something rosemade
40.	JulieBagamaryArt - "Hope"	80.	Janine @ The Sweetest Dreams

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change of plans

Last weekend, as I was working on a quilt back for my mostly moody quilt, it occurred to me that if I hadn't put the yellow pieces into the quilt top, it would be the absolutely perfect quilt to give to one of my brother in laws. He has been hinting (not so subtly) over the years that he would like a quilt, so it's been on my list, but it just never made it to the top! He's planning on visiting for Thanksgiving, so I figured the timing couldn't be better.

I started by doing quilt surgery. I ripped out all the mustard pieces and decided that I would sew in the replacement pieces with partial seams. It sounded like a good plan, but since the pieces were wonky to begin with, it was quite challenging! Nothing like seeing 21 holes in your quilt top to invite a little panic. Ha!

I persevered and I eventually got the quilt top sewn back together. I felt much better once the quilt top was complete. (Again.)

THEN, I decided that I needed to add a few more rows to the length of the quilt. Now it measures 64" x 84"....not quite a twin size quilt, but a decent lap size. I'm so glad that I went to the trouble to alter the quilt. I love it and I think my brother in law will, too. It will be nice to have this quilt go to a good home rather than adding it to the finished pile. (What a concept, huh? Ha!)

Instead of cleaning, cooking or preparing for the house full of people that will be arriving in a few days, I pieced a quilt back and basted it this morning before the crazy begins. Nothing like a deadline to get things done, right?

The quilt pattern is based on my chain of diamonds quilt, from the book No Scrap Left Behind.
Background color is Kona Shadow. Scraps are various chambray, linen and denim fabrics. Each block finishes at 4" square.