#60 What I've Been Sewing

What I've Been Up To:

Nested Churn Dash Sew Along, 2/4 sewn together (love this block!!!)

Moda Bake Shop Trifle Dish Sew Along; Sewing layers totally out of order

Completed all my Churn Dash block!! 48 ready to sew together!!

And as soon as the above two projects are together, this is what is next!!! Super excited to make a project from Amy Smarts new book, with RJR Fabrics!! Jinny Beyer Batiks and Cotton Supreme Solids!! This is going to be great!!

#59 Summer Speed

So I think my summer speed is going to be slow to.... oh, whatever!! lol It is nice at this stage of my life, kids all grown up, to not have to juggle all the summer time activities. Don't get me wrong I loved it, and sometimes still miss all the craziness, but it is nice to just do what I want, when I want, and not feel guilty about it!!
So what do I want to do.......I'm going to take that one day at a time, and if I change my mind, who cares. I did make a list of my summer sewing, but if it doesn't get done there is always the fall. Oh don't worry, there will be sewing, and I am determined to start quilting all the tops I have stacking up, I'm just not going to get tied to my list. I may even get a tan....maybe not! lol

What does your summer look like?

What I've Been Up To:

Started my week with weeding and gardening 

Made the Trellis Crossroads from Modern Bee, turned out better than I hoped, but there must be a trick in the trimming to make the mitred corners work??

Globe Trotting June Block

Aurifil Designer of the Month June Block

Classic Meets Modern June Block

Helped my friend make her first pouch/purse

Joined in on the fun happening over in the Moda Bake 

Shop!! Trifle Dish Sew Along

Made 3 Star blocks to donate

2 more scrappy trip blocks for a friend, love her quilt theme

and finally got around to tidying my hobbyroom, almost done!!

#58 My Summer Sewing List

I want to start with an unsolicited review of the Bag of the Month Club from SewSweetness! The short answer is      I loved it!! 
I was so excited when Sara Lawson posted about the club over 6 months ago now, and joined right away! I've only made a few easy bag/totes before and the idea of making my own purses was appealing. The patterns arrived every month in my email and every pattern looked fantastic! Even though I was filing them away to complete after I all the projects on my cutting table were done, I looked the patterns over and they all appear to be clear, well written and well illustrated.
 Then May's pattern showed up, from Anna of NoodleHead Designs, and I knew that would be my first bag!!! The Poolside Tote, perfect size, great summer bag, d ring was the only needed hardware, simple and straight forward pattern (have to ease my way into bag making, so I don't get frustrated, lol) and I knew I had the perfect fabric!! I was not disappointed!! I had one question in the pattern (not enough experience in bag making and wanted to confirm my thought) I emailed Anna and had the answer in no time!! Another great thing is, the bag looks great inside out too!!

I have managed to collect all the needed bag hardware and interfacing now, so now I have 5 more bags to make over the summer, and I am looking forward to the challenge!!

 If you haven't join this years club, you still can, till the end of June! 6 bag patterns for $40.00. Check it out!

  My Summer Sewing List:

       1. MidTown Messenger Bag
2. Convertible Bag
3. Bye Bye Love Bug Bag
4. Butterfly Sling Purse
5. City Slicker Bag (intermediate)
6. Continue Block of the Months
7. Finish Churn Dash blocks
8. Finish Mini Medallion Quilt
9. Batiks Quilt
10. Complete Quilt top for the Layer Cake Sampler

What I've Been Up To:

Making lots of Triple Stars 

Tester Pattern for Kristy at Quiet Play

and hanging out with Caleb at our annual  Church in the Park and family BBQ!!

#57 MQG Fabric Challenge Complete!!

I had just joined the Modern Quilt Guild when this challenge was introduced. I've only been quilting for the last 3 years and blogging for a little less than that, but thought it sounded like something fun to do to challenge myself. So I jumped right in, signed up, and decided to design my own wall hanging!! I've been posting pictures to Instagram as I've completed certain stages and the last post I said I still had some add-ons left. Well for all of you who were wondering what that could be....... here it is!!
I embroidered on the stems and found the cutest buttons to add, lady bugs and bubble bees! Why not, it is a garden after all, and they just add some texture and whimsy to the project!! The quilt was completed with the  Michael Miller Fabrics along with some Kona Solids, and  I used all the scraps to make the binding. The wall hanging finished at approximately 63" long by 25" high. The drop heart quilt pattern just seemed like the perfect pattern to choose for the quilting.

#56 Finally Summer has Arrived!!

I am so glad that the good weather has finally arrived!! This week, along with sewing, I hope to get out in my flower bed. They are looking sad and neglected. We have had so much rain and cold damp weather, it is nice to see the sun!!

Had a blast today, enjoying that sun. Went for a walk and then had an adventure driving the new side by side. If you listen closely you can hear me scream, lol, before my daughter screams for me!! 

And then are son-in-law and daughter followed on the 4 Wheeler!!

What I've Been up to:

Finished a few more pouches

Finished all the Tiny Mini Pouches!Original pattern can be found here, at So Sew Easy. There were 3 sizes, 3 about the size of an eraser,  working zipper and all! And another group about 2"x 2" and the ones pictured below.

Completed one of 25 Diamond EPP Hexi:

 Started on the June blocks for Modern InstaBee: Different layout options for the Triple Star

 and have finally started piecing my Churn Dash Sew Along together!! Greens and Whites!! Excited about this one!!

HERE'S MY "To Do" LIST FOR THE WEEK:

(Hopefully will be starting a new list soon, and this one will be history!!)

1.. Scrappy Trip Around the R4 (still waiting for 3 1 blocks from this round!)i've heard it is on the way!!

2. Modern Insta Bee (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan)

3. Diamond Tread Quilt (sew sides to tread pattern to complete the top)

4. Part 2 of Mini Medallion

5. Cut the Churn Dash Sew Along pieces, (starting to piece blocks)(4/48)

6. Quilt the Michael Miller fabric challenge wall hanging

7. 4-6 Scrappy Trip Around the World Blocks (2 for a friend)

#55 Having Fun With Batiks

You may or may not have noticed my absence from my blog. Not that I post a lot, but I've had a rough few weeks! First I gave myself a minor concussion, getting better. Then I went right into a bad flu bug which I mentioned. It's has been a  rough go and it has slowed down all the fun sewing stuff!!
This week however I have managed to get back some of my sewing mojo, which makes me extremely happy, but I am so behind!! Oh well letting go of the things I can't control......

I mentioned previously that I was offered an opportunity to work with Jinny Beyer Batiks from 

And let me just say, I have been having so much fun!!

There are 3 colour ways within the Jinny Beyer Batiks, Lagoon, Java,  and Sumatra. So far I've only used the Sumatra line. Here's what I've made.....

Review: first I made an  8x10" flag, for a Jog for Cancer event in Stratford Ont.

This week I made a Sunglass pouch (find the pattern here), with the scraps left over from the flag, which is going to look great in the tote I just finished today!!( I know you can't see me, but seriously have the biggest smile on my face for this one!!) Love how the fabrics look together, it turned out amazing!!!! (find the pattern here) I tweaked mine a 

bit!! First I pieced the top section of the bag, then I enlarged the inside pocket and added a swivel clip for my keys.

Here's my List for the Week:

(Hopefully will be starting a new list soon, and this one will be history!!)

1. Sugar Block Club 2014

2. Sew Kitschy BOM

3. Classic Meets Modern BOM

4. Modern Blocks BOM Top Complete!!

5. Globe Trotting BOM

6. Layer Cake Sampler QAL (Only 2 more blocks to go) (all blocks completed)

7. Triangle QAL Top Complete!!

8. Scrappy Trip Around the World Bee (still waiting for 3 1 blocks from this round!)

9. Modern Insta Bee (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan)

10. Diamond Tread (quilt )

11. Batik Quilt (just moved from UFO to WIP!!) Top Complete!!

12. Part 2 of Mini Medallion

13. Cut the Churn Dash Sew Along pieces, (partly done)

14. Finish all my mini pouches (buy clips)

15. Catch up on all Modern InstaBee blocks (priority)

16. Tester pattern for Kristy at Quiet Play (Dble Decker Bus!!)

What I've Been Up To:

Sugar Block Club May Block

Globe Trotting May Block

Sew Kitschy May Block

Modern InstaBee May Block (my month!!)

Aurifil Designer of the Month May Block

Catch up Block for Modern InstaBee 

and one for the quilt I'm building

WIP Hexi progress

and I managed to sew some extra pouches for sunglasses and reading glasses, even 2 in camo (for my husband and son!!) This lovely fabric came from one of my InstaBee mates!!! Thanks again Karen!!