Winner of Sew30sewFUN May 2017 and June Challenge info

The winner of the $35 Gift Certificate is.....

 

MARY!!  ...from "Texas Hill Country"

https://hillcountryquilter-mary.blogspot.com/

 

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 Thank you SOOOO very much to all those who participated, and left comments about their progress and projects!  All of you have encouraged me to hang in there with this challenge myself!

 

 

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Sew30SewFUN June 2017

 

 

1) Try to sew just 30 minutes, 6 days a week

 

2) Please comment about your progress on those Blog Posts with the subject being... Sew30SewFUN

 

3)  There will be a gift certificate at the end of June.  The winner will be chosen from those who leave comments on Sew30SewFun blog posts. 

 

4)  This challenge can be different for different people in that a Winner for the Gift Certificate is NOT chosen only from those who actually succeed with sewing 30 minutes/6 days per week.  My thinking is that we can be successful even if we are doing better today than yesterday  =)

 

5)  There will be a minimum of $25 for the Gift Certificate.  But...it could get higher.  I will be putting $5 in the "Cyber Jar" each day that I do not sew the 30 minutes. 

 

6)  TODAY (June 5th) is the START date!  Ready?  Set?  Go...

 





Sew30SewFUN June 2017



 

Sew She Sews...is finished! ...with a friend's help =D

This is a quilt from "many moons ago"  =P.  I had the binding all sewn except about 12-18".  I just couldn't motivate myself (discipline isn't really woven into my DNA lol), to put it on to the machine and sew the ends together...and finish the back and front of the binding in that area. 

 



 

 

For several months, the quilt languished hanging over this or that table.  It was folded and put into the "to be finished" pile(s).  Then, it was dragged and unfolded to be dumped into a heap of things to make room for organizing a particular area in the sewing room.

 

 

One day a sweet friend came to visit with me and we sewed together in my sewing loft.  As we chatted, she noticed the quilt's sadness in it's heap on the side of a messy pile in a dark corner of the sewing room.  My friend asked if she might help me to get it finished.  I smiled and went to pick the quilt up and show her the area that still needed to be completed.  I really enjoyed making the quilt.  How did it get mixed up in such a messy pile on the wrong side of the room?  =(

 

I commented that I didn't know WHY I'd left this fun quilt for so long without completing the binding.  She said she'd gladly finish it for me as she happily put it into a big tote bag to take home with her.

 

Just a few days later when we met up again for some sort of quilty escapade, my friend brought the

SEW SHE SEWS quilt back to me ALL complete with finished binding!  (I DO love rounded corners on quilts =D )

 

 

 

 



(the back with a border strip in the middle)

And, so she (my good friend!) sewed the binding to finish my SEW SHE SEWS quilt =D

 

 

How VERY grateful I am for friends who are constantly and consistently so lovingly patient with my many personality deficits.  I'm so grateful that they are there to motivate me when my discipline and/or mojo are in the negative.  They help me get over my hurdles of frustration and are there to throw me life jacket when I'm stuck in the a "river" going no where because I didn't remember my paddles.  

 

 

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Sew30SewFUN May 14th check-in and giveaway update =D



 

 



This last week some of my sewing escapades included learning to make a "Fat Quarter Pop-up".  Find out more about them HERE.  They come in 3 sizes and this is the small one.  They are really fun to make!  And, finding fun and unique fat quarters for your pop-ups is easy at your local quilt shop!!  =D



 

 

 

 

The second picture is a "Ruby Slippers" one made for me by my friend Muriel.  The "pop-ups" make great hanging baskets hanging from the table next to your sewing machine!  The clamps can be purchased through Amazon (here).

 



 

 

Next...was a quick hem around a rectangle of cotton canvas material for a new TV tray ironing board cover!

 

 

I purchased the fabric 50% off a JoAnn's and so the total price to cover the board was about

$3.00 =D.  I have to confess that the TV tray was already padded and covered with a muslin colored canvas that I purchased at the Sew Simply Stitched retreat back in March. (a SUPER FUN retreat...may I add! more info about the retreat on their website here).  But, I wanted to pretty it up a bit =)

 

The next think I worked on this week was my Glam Clams from Latifah Saafir!  You can find out more about her patterns, specifically the Glam Clam in 3 sizes.  Her patterns are some of the BEST patterns I've seen.  Heavy cardstock with great color instructions, they are easy to read and follow! And the acrylic rulers are GREAT too!!  Check out her website here.

 

Here's some photos of my progress on these fun Clammies!!

 



 

I ADORE scrappy quilts!!!  But, they don't seem to have the same feelings towards me!!  =P.  I have always struggled with choosing what little scrappy pieces goes where and next to "who".  I find that the RUBY BEHOLDER (no longer available, but HERE is something similar) is a great tool and helps me a quite a bit. But, it can still take me 20-30 minutes to arrange just a few pieces.  

 I struggle with rearranging... many...umpteen times!  Ugh...=(

 

Notes about my personal week's challenge: 

I didn't sew six days for 30 minutes per day.  I DID sew a total of minutes for the week that would add up to 30 minutes per day.  However, MY challenge for myself is to try to create a habit of sewing a minimum of 30 minutes per day.  So...I will still be putting $5 per day into the Cyber Jar for those day that I don't sew the 30 minute minimum. 

 

There will be a minimum of $20

 in the Giveaway at the end of the month!

But, I've put in $15 so far.  =P

 

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So how did you all do with YOUR 30 minute sewing challenge this last week??  I'd love to hear how you did and what your worked on =).  Remember, to focus in on ANY and ALL progress...no matter how small! 

 

 





 



 

Sew30SewFUN May 2017 first week check-in

How did you do this last week?  Did you do 30 minutes, all 6 days?  Or was your progress, at least, better than the week before you started the challenge?

I was able to do 30 minutes (and a few days I did more, yay!) each day for 6 days.  The first few days were harder to get myself on THAT chair in front of my machine.  And, get the sewing in motion.  I don't know why I was dragging my feet?  Why did I wait until later in the day, sometimes after dinner, even though I did have time earlier?  These are things I want to figure out.  I DO like to sew.  But, for some reason I have a hard time just getting started.  eeeek...crazy mind of mine!! 

Well, this is one of the reasons that I wanted to do the challenge for myself.  I want to learn why I  drag my feet, why I just don't  "get in there!!" and put my foot to the sewing machine pedal. 

I did learn that it was satisfying even for the 30 minutes.  And, the accomplishments... as I looked back...however small, made me happy (insert a nice big smile here).

 

Okay...a girl can have more than one project in progress on her design wall, right?

The Stars are part of my Buggy Barn "Reelin" quilt.  This is the quilt that I worked on

for the first week of the challenge. 

 

 

 

these last two pictures are my favorite darker background stars

 

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So...what did you learn?  What did you accomplish?  It's not a challenge for competition.  It's more to see how the challenge can improve your motivation and help with a habit to fit some "working on projects" into your schedule on a regular basis.  If you did less days and or less time, than someone else,  you are NOT failing.  If you even got a few more stitches completed than the day or week before, KUDOS to YOU!!!  =D   Celebrate the progress!  =D

Please leave a comment...tell us what progress you are celebrating!  Each time you let us know how you are doing, you get another chance in the "end of month drawing"  (minimum of $20 gift certificate to your favorite online quilty/crafty shop)

Let's put more momentum in this next, upcoming week.  We can do it...we CAN make PROGRESS on our projects.

30 minutes of SEW FUN!

 

 

 

Grab a friend to make the 30 minutes even more

FUN!  =P

 

 

Easy half-square triangle quilt by Moda

A few weeks ago, I decided to put a sewing machine up on our dining room table so that I could be closer to our Penny-pup.  She is a 9.5 year old Bullmastiff.  She was diagnosed a couple months ago with bone cancer and can't get up and down our stairs anymore.  My regular sewing room is upstairs.  But, the dining room is on our main floor and not too far from where she sleeps.

(Bone biopsy was done to diagnose the cancer)

 

(yep, nutcracker is still hanging out lol)

 

 

I used a layer cake that has been sitting in my stash for a few years.

 

 

 

...and a white on white tiny swiss dot that was also in my stash for awhile.

 

I layed the fabrics pretty sides together, drew a pencil line diagonally across the backside or the background fabric.

 

I then chained sewed the squares, 1/4" on both sides of the diagonal pencil line.

 

I used this layout, a free Moda pattern called "Moda Love"

You can find the PDF HERE

 

Here is my version with a small border added

 

 

This was a real quilty-mojo starter!  It was easy and fast!

There are times when I'm just not in a quilty mood.   I've probably got my hands/fingers in another crafty pie.  I do, find though, that working on an EASY quilt project will get my quilty juices flowing again. =)

 

How about you?  Do you ever need an EASY project to kinda get you back in the swing of things?

 

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Farm Girl Vintage Book and Sew Along =D

I'm adding a new quilty project to my list of projects in progress.  I know...I know...I can see your eyes rolling at me!  "...not ANOTHER project on her list...OH MY!

 

 

But, in my defense...This ship book sailed into my life and looked  WAY TOO MUCH FUN not to embark on this ride!  =D

 

My very first sighting of  Lori Holt's book was last week at one of our local quilt shops.  A friend and I were out for some quilty fun.  Someone came up to the counter and asked for Farm Girl Vintage book and the clerk said they were totally sold out.  The story copy was available to look at.  After looking through the pages, seeing all the fun pictures, ideas, great instructions, we were both SMITTEN!

 

Of course, it was the ONLY copy left in the store...the store's copy, not available for purchase. Oh shoot...sigh...

 

As we walked out of the shop towards the car, our "need" to have the book started growing.  (Insert a time-lapsed video of a little seed growing into a lilac bush).  Oh MY!

 

The miracle of internet on cell phones (yes it is a miracle to an oldy-moldy like me, lol).  Right in the car, we promptly started calling shops to see if they had any in stock. We needed TWO.  We called several stores before we got, "Yes we do have two".  Flying low...we arrived, hurried out of the car into the shop and quickly grabbed the two that were left.  Seriously...how does the coils get so wound.  LOL  =P

 

 

 

Look at all these fun blocks!!  And...this is not your average sampler block quilt book...nope-nope =D

 

 

 

There are LOTS of ideas for using the blocks to make quilts other than the sampler pictured on the front of the book.

 

 

EVERY block has directions for making BOTH 6" and 12" finished sized blocks!  

 

Cute-cute hens all in rows!  There are so many blocks that would make darling one-block variation quilts.

 

 

 

And, oh-so-cute potholders.  I luv the sheep (second row, far right).  I can just see a quilt with all sheep

like the one above that is all Hens. 

 

 

There is a Farm Girl Vintage Sew-Along on Lori's blog, Bee In My Bonnet. Click HERE to find out more about it. =)  The fun is just beginning!!! =D   If you haven't gone over to visit Lori's newest quilt-along, ya otta take a peek, yep-yep.  You just might find yourself embarking on a fun ride with Farm Girl Vintage.  I won't tell if you don't want anyone to know you are starting another new project =P

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sew-Along just started this last Friday.  =)  The first block was Apron Strings...my finished block below.

 

 

 

and, remember...  =P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A blanket for Bertha

It gets quite dusty in my sewing room, more so than other areas of the house. And, sewing machines can put up quite a fuss with mis-behavin stitches and other types of antics...if they get too much dust collecting on them.

So I made a fun cover for Bertha.

 

I wanted to make the "blanket" to cover the embroidery module when attached .  

I also wanted the fabric to be something that would make me smile!

 Yep...singing and dancing frogs will definitely make me smile =D                          

Do you have a cover for your machine? If so...what's it like? 

First 2 finishes of 2014! ...one started over 20 years ago!

 
I've decided to do One Project A Month with Peg at Happy Quilting
and Kris at Tag Along Teddies.  These two ladies are soo VERY
wonderful to organize and set up OPAM every year - for the past
6 years.  There are 95 of us joining Peg and Kris this year.  There have
been "33750 finishes and counting"...since it all began!  I'm soo
VERY grateful to them for this program!  It has really helped me to
finish more projects in the last 3 years than I've finished in all the years
total before that time.


My January 2014 (OPAM) finish is:

A Halloween quilt that I'd started in September of 2013.  It was a top
in a drawer...for many months.

OPAM motivated me to get 'er out and get 'er quilted.

 

 

 

There's some really fun fabrics in this line!

And...the back -

...is pieced.

I really like to piece the backs...even if there IS enough of one fabric for

the whole back.  Piecing the back adds a leeeetle more interest, imho =)

 

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My February finish is:

 

 

These are blocks (except the one at the very top, resting on the chair seat)

are Friendship blocks made in in 1990, when our family was living in

Eugene, Oregon. 

 

Each person was given at least a yard of this fabric.

 

We were to make 8 blocks all the same using this fabric and any other

fabrics that they thought would coordinate.  We signed them with (gasp!)

pigma pen, instead of embroidery.  Doing our names in embroidery was

enough to scare most of us into having the heeebie-geeebiez.  =P

 

 

The block that I made in 1990 is this flower one from Eleanor Burns book

I don't know if it's still in print?

 

Yeah, those who know me well, know that I'm not particularly fond of yellow. 

How I talked myself into that background? Well, too long ago to remember, lol.

The deep green leaves on the flower were called a "Wood Block" prints in the 90"s. 

I think they were made to give the feeling of actual wood block prints.  This

particular fabric type, back then, wasn't individually handmade.

 

I decided to make this 9th block and add sashing with corner blocks to finish

the top. 

 

 

The back...

 

 

Quilting close up...

 

 

My quilting isn't at all fancy! It's just my signature (ha, ha REAL signature

...ya think! lol) ..."Loop-eeez UP and  Loop-eeez DOWN"  =P.

I used a pastel varigated King Tut 100% cotton thread called "Mummy".

It's quilted on my Innova long-arm named Ida. 

 

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...that you will have a great weekend!  

(I've always LOVED Yoda!)