#80 Finishes and Goals for March!!!

February was a fun month...

1. I turned 50, had a party, gave away some awesome gifts (thanks to some great shops)

2. Received a Go Big fabric cutter for my birthday, and now have 5 die cutters!! (awesome hubby)

3. Designed a Valentine's table topper (pattern is coming, because it's always a good time for love)

4. Did some secret sewing (I'll talk about that in a few months!! so excited)

5. Started designing some quilt blocks and quilt patterns (so much fun!!)

6. Started a new project (even though I wasn't going to do anything new...till all of my WIP list was done....) I did get some WIPs done too!!

7. I won 3 FQs of Black and White!!!
8. Have been doing really well with the Sew My Stash  2015 Challenge!! I have purchased, but 3/4 of all my sewing at this point is all stash!!! yippy!!

Finishes:

the new project, I wasn't going to start.....too cute it sucked me in!!

Elephant Parade: free sew along over at Sew Fresh Quilts

 Needs eyes and bird's legs added, quilting will have to wait on my list.....

January Bag of the Month:

Valentine's Day:

Secret Sewing: All I can show you for now is the backs of the minis!! 2 samples of the pattern. One made with Kate Spain's Sunnyside and the other Shot Cotton and Cotton and Steel.

And finally got the binding on my Craftsy BOM 2012!! I was so excited that I found fabric to match the front...I forgot about the backing fabric. EEK!! not a perfect fit, but I don't plan on every laying it backside up on the bed, so it's ok!

Goals for March

1. Finish sewing the bindings on the last 6 bibs for the Philippines
2. Sew March Bag of the Month and a pattern from last year that I missed.
3. Put together the Block Rock'n Quilt and backing. My Goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes

4. Sew my Come Together Quilt blocks into a top

A very aggressive list, but I think I can get it done!! ;)
 Love having the list to check off, it is really helping me stay focused to get all the WIPs done!! Feels great to cross through the text!!!

To Complete This Year List

Blocks to Piece (blocks not finished)

• (3)Triple Star Blocks
• Playing Cards (Bee Blocks)
• (?) Scrappy Trip Around the World Blocks 
• Fusion Quilt
• Flower Patch Quilt
• Lattice Bones Quilt
• Colouring Box Quilt
• Sew Kitchy Paper Pieced BOM (one more block, Miss Betty)
• Craftsy BOM 2013

Quilt Tops to Sew Together (blocks are complete)

• Sugar Block Club 2013
• Sugar Block Club 2014
• Block Rock'n
• Classic Meets Modern
• Aurifil Designer of the Month 2014
• Globe Trotting BOM
• Layer Cake Challenge
• Come Together (Bee Blocks)
• Playing Cards (Bee Blocks)

Quilt Tops: to Quilt

• City Sampler
• Churn Dash QAL
• Nested Churn Dash
• Parade (tester pattern)
• Square Deal
• Trifle Dish Moda QAL
• Modern Blocks QAL
• Virtual Quilting Bee
• Triangle QAL
• *Globe Trotting BOM
• *Classic Meets Modern
• *Sugar Block Club 2013
• *Elephant Parade

Quilts to Bind (that's all I have to do, you would think I would just get it done)

• Bloom Bloom Pow
• Craftsy BOM 2012
• Mystery Quilt

New Projects to Do this Year:

1. 15-30 adult size bibs for special needs children at an orphanage in the Philippines (church missions trip in April) (the number turned out to be 21-just need to bind them!!)*6 left to sew
2. Design 2 original projects and write up the patterns ( I am excited about this challenge) more info on this in the future  (I did one and may still try for another, but done for now)
3. 2 quilts (one niece/one nephew )
4. Set of Placemats (12)
5. 4 mini Sew Together Bags
6. 4 Regular Sew Together Bags
7. 6 Duffle Bags
8. 6-11 purses, yup not kidding, I join the Bag of the Month again this year over at Sew Sweetness and last year of the six I only made one of the bags. This year I am determined to complete them all. (1/6 done)
9. New Christmas Stockings (8)
10. Christmas Tree Skirt
11. Misc sewing of pouches, because there is always a need for a simple pouch or 10, lol.
12. *Elephant Parade, because it was so cute I couldn't resist!! Which makes an even dozen new projects. One per month....that's doable.......

*updates

#79 Sew Sweet Simplicity BOM... Putting it all together

It has been a great 6 months of making incredible blocks and meeting new people. I have had such a great time and it has been so much fun being a part of Jacquelynne's amazing project and all the prize giveaways!!

This month is even better....bigger giveaways and even bigger announcements

At each participating blog you get a chance to win, Jacquelynne's Digital book, Child's Play.

    and at Jacquelynne's blog you have a chance to win a prize bundle with a retail value of $70.                                            Also there will be a Big Announcement you won't want to miss!!!

What I've Been up to:

Over the course of the 6 months I have made the 6 blocks into a table runner and turned two of the blocks into Super Sized.....

I finished my runner with a simple sashing and contrasting binding, but pieced the backing so that I would have two choices in one runner

I also appliqued a monogram on one of the blocks for a Christmas table topper...

And my SuperSized Blocks: 32" Square

 I really Like how this one turned out...went with an oversized digital quilt pattern for the oversized block!! It's called Splish Splash....
Now I just have to wait for the binding fabric to arrive and this beauty will be going on my family room as a table topper!! Just in time for spring....I hope....come on sun!!!

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UpstairsHobbyRoom (you are here)
Jacquelynne Steves

LilyPad Quilting
Quiltscapes
Crazy 'Bout Quilts
A Quilt and a Prayer
Bejeweled Quilts
Wedding Dress Blue
Mountain Quiltworks
Garden Path Quilts

#78 Bibs for Noah's Ark

I have gotten some inquiries about the sewing project I am doing and where the bibs are actually going, so I thought a quick post was the easiest way to get the information out!!

My husband, daughter and youngest son, will be going on a missions trip to Noah's Ark in the  Philippines in April. It will be my daughters 3rd time, and my husband and son's second. 

The last time they went, back in 2013,  I was able to, with the help of other ladies from our church, sew 8 twin sized quilts, and make some crochet baby blankets and ponchos for the smaller girls at the orphanage.

PHILIPPINES – Linda Veldhuizen has lived and worked in Banaue for 20 years where she has built and administers a children’s home called ‘Noah’s Ark’ for orphaned or displaced children. Over 200 children in the community are sponsored by Childcare Plus.WATCH. 





This time the requested items were for the special needs teens that stay with them 3 months at a time and then go home to their families for 3 weeks. There are approximately 7 young adults needing bibs and washable diapers. I took on the bibs while my MIL and her ladies group at church are undertaking the diapers.

I found a bib pattern online here, with a PDF of the pattern pieces here. 

I changed mine  a bit. I squared up the corners of the pattern, knowing I was going to be binding the edges, to make it simpler. I also added a backing fabric and a waterproof lining. (soft on one side and plasticy on the other) and a catch all pocket at the bottom front. I wanted to make sure no wetness would seep through while they were being worn, and hopefully the pocket will catch anything missed while eating.

For the bib fronts I used terry towel fabric I bought at a fabric warehouse and I cut up some towels I bought on sale at Target.
To make the pocket cut some of the terry 4" by the width of the bib and bound the long top edge.

So basically to construct the bibs... I cut two full pattern pieces one of terry and one of cotton, but the liner I just cut a rectangle the size of the bib. I layered them together like a quilt, cotton right side down- waterproof rectangle and the terry bib rightside up and a pocket at the bottom ,  and serged  the edges all the way around. If you don't have a serger zig zag or straight stitch will work, just to hold everything together for binding, makes it easier. (at this point if you serged your edges, you could be finished, but I think adding the binding just looks so much nicer and more finished) For binding: It takes 3 WOF strips 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" sewn together on the short edge to go around each bib. I sewed the binding by machine both ways. Sewing the binding to the  terry side first and  topstitching on the backside, the terry at the front hides the bobbin stitches very well.  

The bib neck will be finished with velcro fastener when they try them on in the Philippines, so that they will fit properly.

and that's it. I will have the rest of the bibs bound this week, in plenty of time to pack for the trip!!

#77 Follow Up On Birthday Milestones

Thought I would give you a short update on my 50th Birthday!! And an update on our little miracle boy, who just turned 1!! (our meaning my best friends little sweetie, I just claim him, while I wait for grandkids, lol)

As you may know I turned 50 a couple of weeks ago and made an online celebration of it with the help of some of my favourite shops. (check previous post for all the details and the winners names are now posted) I thought I would give you some of the party highlights, and pictures.

My daughter went all out and with the help of my husband and 2 sons and some great friends gave me a perfect celebration!! Starting with the theme of the party....quilting... perfection!!!

The table was decorated, in my favourite colour purple, with FQs, tulle bobbins, buttons, and a measuring tape....along with fabric roses.

Circles hung on the wall covered with scrapbook paper that looked like fabric.

...and because of my food intolerances, a fabulous fabric cake, Amanda spent hours making. The 50 was a pair of party (sun)glasses, glad she snapped the arms off and used them on the cake, lol!!
 I still have it sitting in my kitchen. Eventually I will take it apart and make something with all the FQ but not yet, all that hard work needs to be admired just a bit longer.

Dinner was fantastic forgot to take any pictures... we did have dessert, and it was so amazing looking I grabbed a picture of it.....apple cranberry crisp....oh so yummy (can you tell I like dessert, lol)

From 50 to 1, another Milestone

As some of you who follow my blog will know, my friend Kellie had a little miracle, just over a year ago now. You can read the previous posts here and here, if you are new to my blog and want to catch up.

Well it is hard to believe that a year has passed already!! But it has and Caleb just celebrated his first birthday (6 days after my 50th!!) (had so hoped he would be born on my birthday!!) He is the happiest baby I have ever known and those eyes and eyelashes...... so in love.....here are a few of the pictures I took when we went to celebrate...he had his own little cake and he was liking it....a lot, lol

I know this one is a bit blurry, but it was too cute to not use!!

I'll get back to you on What I've been Up To!!

Thanks again everyone for making my birthday so much fun!!