2 month round up.

I finally have some time to catch up on my blogging, so I'll try to fill you in on what went on craft-wise during Sept, Oct, and most of Nov. Wow... that was a long time! I did actually work on projects, I just didn't blog about them. Bad Vio.

My quilt class went well. I was trying to think of a summary of what went on, what I learned, etc. and my first thought was "I didn't learn anything!! I already knew everything, I was just there." Silly me. That's not true at all! I *thought* I knew everything because I've been reading blogs like crazy, looking at all sorts of tutorials, etc. But aside from piecing my charm squares together, I hadn't really done anything. What this class did was give me 3 hours at a time where I could devote myself to piecing and actually putting into practice everything I thought I knew.
Our quilts are samplers made up of 7 types of blocks: rail fence, 9 patch, 9 patch variation, square dance, friendship star, flying geese and log cabin.  I was able to do the first 4 pretty easily, without much instruction besides what size to cut. The friendship star was my first stumble. I pieced it incorrectly and had to rip out the stitches. I love the colors I used so that kept me happy. I knew I wanted to see how the instructor made flying geese since there are at least 4 different ways to do it. And the log cabin actually had me lost for a bit. But I worked through them and I really enjoyed making all the blocks. My finished blanket is 5 blocks by 5 blocks with a 1" inner border and a 4" outer border ( I think). I used the fabric I showed earlier.
I was a little concerned at first because all the other ladies chose really nice subtle colors: one had Fall rusty colors, another had browns, reds and creams, one lady chose only yellows and corn flower blue,and another chose Hometown by Sweet Water for Moda. My colors were almost blinding! The instructor kept pointing it out each time I showed her a block. It got almost to the point where I wasn't sure if she liked them or if she was really aghast at them. I started to doubt in my choices, which is not a very nice thing at all. After I put them all together, though, I REALLY like my finished project.

 I pieced the back with a square dance block and strips of all the fabric I used in the quilt.

 I did grid quilting on point in the main blocks, just stitched in the ditch for the inner border and free motion on the outer border following the flowers on the pattern.

 I love the final result!!! I just hope my sister does too. All I have left is the binding. I bought white polka dots on dark gray fabric. I think that will tie everything up nicely. :o)

Oh, and I even made a quilt label. I'll have to hand stitch that one in once I finish the binding. I'd like to have it done by Christmas, but I have 2 other projects with Christmas deadlines that MUST be completed first. :o)

I thought I had a lot more going on, craft-wise, in the last couple of months, but I guess this was the biggest thing! I've posted about my place mats (finished!), I'm working on ornaments and Christmas stockings... I have all the fabric I need for my daughter's quilt... and the main fabrics for my nephew's quilt (which I bought with a gift certificate I won to the Fat Quarter Shop thanks for Lee from Freshly Pieced). That only leaves 5,783 other projects to do! Unless Craft Monster gets some more ideas. :o)

I finished!!

I finished my place mats!!! *Happy Dance!!!* It helps so much to have a dedicated sewing area where I don't have to take anything down. Well, that and sewing for about 8 hours with few interruptions. :o) I thank my husband for that one. Since our dining room table was clean from Thanksgiving dinner, I just sewed my little heart out yesterday until dinner time. Then I saw that Celebrity Ghost Stories was new, and I had to watch. *Guilty pleasure* I was able to leave everything out and pick it back up this morning. And 6 bindings later.... I finished!!!! I'm so excited. One, because it's not Christmas Eve and I'm finishing them as family is arriving for dinner. And two, because I now have time for my other projects so that I may (hopefully) finish those before Christmas Day, too.

I have 10 ornaments that are ready to be quilted. Hopefully I'll finish those today.

I made these with leftover charm squares from my place mats and a border from a few fat quarters I picked up. There are 5 with a pinwheel center and 5 with a diamond center. I'm not sure if that block has a name.  :o)

And now....the place mats!!!!!

I used my two favorite fabrics to back 6 place mats each. (Sorry, I don't know their names, and would rather not go searching for them. They're both part of the Flurry line, though) I love the one on the left because it's very whimsical, and it combines pink and blue with the traditional reds and greens of Christmas. And the one on the right reminds me of all the Christmases we spent in Mexico when I was young. Poinsettias always do, for some reason. :o)

I should mention that I did a machine binding on all of them. No hand stitching whatsoever. Maybe because I'm a little intimidated, but probably because it's so much easier! About two days after my first binding trial, AmandaJean at crazymomquilts posted this and her results kind of, sort of equaled mine (but hers were WAY better) so I felt like I was doing it the right way. I don't mind that the sewing line shows on the back. Who's going to be looking at the back of the place mats anyway?  ;o)

Okay, I think that's it! I want to upload my pictures to Kate Spain's flickr group for Flurry projects, quilt those ornaments, and get started on the super last minute Christmas stockings that I decided would be a good idea. Like I didn't already have 6 trillion projects going on. Thanks a lot Craft Monster. ;o)

Oh goodness...

I started writing a post about a two weeks ago when I realized how long it had been since my last one. I was trying to summarize my quilt class as well as any other sewing I'd done. Well, because I was trying to fit so much, I had to stop and get back to it. It's been so long, and with Thanksgiving going on, I just haven't finished. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm still going strong. I may not sew all the time, but I now have 3 projects to finish before Christmas. I just have 6 out of 12 place mats to finish binding and my first project will be finished. :o) I'll have to dedicate some time soon to finish that pending post and put up some pictures. Toodles!