How Did It Get to Be 2013 So Fast?

Since it's been 5 months since I last posted, I'm not sure there is still anyone checking my blog.  Thank you to anyone who has stopped by.  After my last post in August, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue blogging.  My projects were not unique and I didn't have any tutorials or quilting tips to share.  Unfortunately, this lack of motivation carried over to my quilting and I found that without the accountability of a blog, I wasn't finishing my UFOs or starting many new projects.  When I finally  decided that I wanted to blog again, Hurricane Sandy hit.

Unlike coastal communities in New York and New Jersey, our area of northern Westchester was mostly menaced by downed trees and was without electricity for 8 days. Even though our electric power was restored, we experienced problems with our internet and landline telephone service caused by software problems that Verizon was not able to remedy for about 7 weeks.

It took me quite a while to catch up with my favorite blogs.  Seeing all of the UFO challenge posts starting off for 2013 has really inspired me to open up the sewing room and allow my UFOs to see the light of day.

As you can see by the buttons on the right of the blog, I'll try and use the inspiration from a few blogs including:  A Lovely Year of Finishes at  Sew Bittersweet Designs, 2013 the Year of the Finished Project at Never Too Hot to Stitch, 2013 Finish Along with Leanne at She Can Quilt, Judy at Patchwork Times' Getting it Done Challenge,  and Nothing But UFOs in 2013 at A Passion for Applique.  I don't plan on limiting myself to UFOs.  I think I would get discouraged if I couldn't start anything new so I'll also be participating in Barbara's 2013 NewUFO Challenge at Cat Patches.

Some of the UFOs I'll be tackling were on my list last year and never managed to surface to the top. A number of them are tops that need to have backings put together and quilting.

1.   Disappearing 9 patch.

2.  This bright quilt was made during Marcia's scrappy challenge last winter.

3.  The tutorial for this quilt is available on Sharon's blog at Vroomans Quilts.  I'm sorry I couldn't find the link to the tutorial.  I will try to provide in a future post.

4.  These paper pieced blocks were the reason I started to blog.  They were part of the "Too Good to Cut" challenge.  The pattern is Jambalaya.

5.  This top was also part of Marcia's Scrappy Challenge last winter.

6.  I made the "Little Twister" center for this quilt as part of a charity round robin.  The borders created by the other 3 quilters are gorgeous.

7.  These blocks were made in response to a Veteran's Quilt challenge on Debra's blog.

8.  These blocks were made from an Eleanor Burns pattern in a class at a LQS.  They are for a table runner.

9.  Strips of 2.5 inch charms and the central block ready to be made into "Fading Charms"  a tutorial available at Wedding Dress Blue.  

10.  The Tetris quilt along last summer used 5 inch squares for each of the 6 blocks.  I decided to use 2.5 inch squares and make 4 blocks each week.  The blocks for weeks 5 and 6 are still undone.  Melissa still has the tutorial  available at her blog Happy Quilting.

11. These blocks will be cut and reassembled as Twister blocks.  The pattern is from a video tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Shop.

12.  This Little Twister table topper wanna be was made for the Cyber Quilters' Bucket List Challenge.

13.  This star quilt featuring 3.5 inch square novelty blocks was part of a The Made in Cherry quilt along at Pins and Bobbins.  I experienced some problems with the white setting squares.  Hopefully, I can find a way to resolve the problem.

I have 6 more projects in various stages of abandonment.  It's exhausting just thinking about all of these UFOS so they will have to wait for another time.  My goal is to finish quilts, 2, 5, 11, and 12 in January and 1, 4, and 10 finished by March.  Hopefully, the UFO challenges will keep me focused on the finish line,

How Lucky Can You Get?

I really enjoy participating in all of the blog hops that Madame Samm comes up with.  I have only made blocks for 2 of them, but I always visit the blogs on the hop and see what everyone is doing.  It's a great way to get ideas and to find blogs you might enjoy reading.  Sometimes when I stop to make a comment, I notice other comments that sound interesting and I check out the blogs of the quilters who wrote them.  That's how I found The Slow Quilter.  I liked a comment that she made on my favorite blog Vroomans Quilts.  The rest is history.  I enjoy The Slow Quilter's warm, friendly style.  I always feel like she is bringing her quilts and lovely bags to my house and sharing a cup of tea with me.  Obviously, many other people enjoy reading her blog because she is almost at 100 followers.  I won the R/W/B blog hop giveaway at the Slow Quilter's blog.

It included some beautiful batik fabrics.

The Slow Quilter collects turtles and sent a beautifully carved wood turtle from Malawi, Africa to guard the fabric and make sure it got to its destination.     It has a bottle opener on the under side.  When I was a nursery school teacher at the Nature Center, we had many animals who were injured and could not be released into the wild.  My favorite was a one eyed Eastern Box turtle named Willi.  Although this turtle has 2 perfectly good eyes, he is now called Willi.

Included in the package was a special surprise.  This wallet is made in Ghana from recycled water containers.  It has a velcro closing so it is not only environmental sensible, it's also very practical.

Thank you Slow Quilter for the lovely giveaway and for sharing your work and wry sense of humor on your blog.  Stop by and have a visit with The Slow Quilter.  You'll be glad you did.  Just don't read her post on Underwear Dust if you have a mouth full of liquid, it may end up on your key board.

Welcome Christmas Blog Hoppers

Thank you Madame Samm and Lesley for putting together another fun blog hop for all of us to enjoy.  I'm embarrassed to admit, I've been so busy I have only been able to visit a few blogs during this  hop.  Hopefully, I can catch up and see them all this weekend.  Welcome!  Please come in and take a look at my Christmas tree.  Doesn't it smell wonderful?

Two years ago, Denise at Just Quiltin with Denise Russart organized a swap featuring a snow globe block that she designed and distributed for free.  I loved each of the 8.5 inch blocks that I received.  I must have loved them so much that I put them in a treasure chest and buried them, because I can't find them or the pattern we used.  Using Denise's block for inspiration and a cake plate to trace the shape, I came up with my own 12.5 inch version.  Although Denise is not one of the stops on the blog hop, visit her blog to download a gorgeous butterfly quilt she is sharing.

I'm sorry for the poor quality of the pictures of my blocks, but I snapped them at 11:00pm.  Hopefully, I will be able to edit the post and put in better quality photos tomorrow.  The snowman is machine embroidered on the tree print fabric.  I think they look kinda sorta like the real thing if you squint.

Sally over at Sew Wonderful has a great tutorial for the Disappearing 4 Patch, also known as the 4 to 9 patch block.  I decided to put a wintry spin on the block by adding some Redwork snowmen. Charming Station Embroidery offers free Redwork machine embroidery designs of snowmen and clever sayings to go with them.  Over 200 of their free snowmen designs are available to download for machine embroidery.   I embroidered the snowmen on 10 inch squares and trimmed the squares to 7 inches with the snowmen centered on the square.  Major error!!!  I did not take into account that when creating the 4 patch block you cut one inch from the seam both vertically and horizontally.  As you can see, the snowman with the song book is too close to the edge.  I embroidered the squares before we left for vacation so it was too late to embroider another block.  I love the block, but when I get back to my embroidery machine he will be replaced.   I am showing this block as a cautionary tale and to remind myself that Sister Diane Marie  was right 49 years ago when she told us that geometry/math is an important skill.  If only I had paid attention.

Thanks for stopping by.  Don't forget to visit the other blogs scheduled for today.

Creations On The Island
That Other Blog
Sunshine Girl
Hallbrook Designs
The Recipe Bunny
Sisca At The Other Blog
Polka Dot Classic
Ariane Quilts
Katie's Salt Marsh Path (you are here)
The Cuddle Quilter

Tetris Quilt Along Blocks Week 2

I just wanted to post photos of my Tetris Blocks from week 2 of the Tetris Quilt Along before I started my blocks from week 3.  If you haven't joined the quilt along, it's not too late and it's lots of fun.  The pink and yellow look washed out in the pictures, but they are very bright when seen in person.

Sorry for the picture quality.  I didn't notice how much alike the blocks were until I just posted the pictures.  I think once they are distributed though out the quilt it will be fine.  I can't wait to start on this week's blocks.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

I belong to an online charity quilting group called the Sunshine Quilters.  They are currently running several Round Robin groups.  This is the first time I am participating in a Round Robin where you add a different border to each block you work on. I really want to make my row in the Round Robin to enhance the block I have already received.  This is where you come in.

This is the 17.5 inch center block sent to me by Kathy from Tampa.

I decided to add one solid border to make the block 20.5 inches square.  I also wanted to use half square triangles in the border.  I have the blocks made, but I can't make up my mind if I want to echo the purple and black star point or to go in a different direction.  This is a bold step for me.


After sewing a row and a half of the blocks in this direction, I decided I should explore another opinion.

 This would be the other choice.  I can't show the complete border because some of the HST are already sewn in the direction above.  It wouldn't be a problem to take them apart.

Hopefully, you will share your opinion.  After me, there will be 2 more participants to add rows.

I also made 2 more Tetris blocks from last week's shapes.  I plan to sew this week's block later today.

After seeing all 4 blocks together, I decided I will not be using sashing between the blocks.  I also feel kind of dumb realizing in all 4 blocks I put the orange shape in the bottom row.  I don't know how I didn't notice it before, but when the blocks are all sewn together it won't be a problem.

Tetris Quilt Along Week 1

If you haven't succumbed to the infectious fun known as the Tetris Quilt Along, visit Melissa at Happy Quilting. She has designed a quilt based on the colors and shapes of the Tetris game  The shapes for the first week have been released and it is an enjoyable challenge  putting these blocks together.  Melissa is using 5 inch squares for her blocks, but I prefer using 2.5 inch squares.  I am planning to make 2 blocks each week from the shapes using a different placement.  It's so much fun I may decide to make 4 blocks per week so that my quilt will be closer in size to the original project.   I used white squares to represent the empty spaces where I wasn't able to fit a block.  There are no restrictions as to size or even color.  I plan on saving the extra squares from the parts of the shapes that did not fit and plan to use them  to make a block for the back of the quilt.

I'm going to link my blocks with the rest of the Tetris quilters at Happy Quilting and also with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for "Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?"

Sharon of Vrooman's Quilts is hosting a Crafter's Campfire today.  Put on some sunscreen and bug spray and stop at her place to see the fun craft she has posted.

Red/White/Blue Blog Hop Giveaway Winner

Thanks to the 124 hoppers  who stopped by during the Red, White, and Blue blog hop and left a comment.  The winner of the Tried and True charm pack by  Nancy Halvorsen is number 108, Sharon of Camp Gramma   She said,  "Both blocks are beautiful! and that is a great little charm pack...hope it finds my house :) 

My handsome assistant Retired Guy chose the lucky number.

It's been miserably hot here for the last week.  I can't bring myself to iron the fabrics I need for my  projects.  I did manage to sew some blocks with strips that were already cut..  The quilt requires 110 blocks.  I only need to make 13 more.

I was also able to make some HST to use for the Round Robin I am in.  I'm not sure if I like them with the block, but I'll make my decision once they are all made.

It's raining now, so hopefully that will help to cool it down a bit and I can cut my charms. for Melissa's  Tetris Quilt Along at Happy Quilting