Super simple apron

I have a last minute finish for April. I've had several towels my boys picked out to make aprons since last fall. I had cut up one only to find that the towels were too small for the pattern I had. After searching for a while, I just gave up and made my own "pattern". It's a super-simple apron, but it will work and the boys are exicited about it since they picked the towels. Works for me!

My first 2013 finish...

Just squeaking one in for February - a UFO is from last October. One of my then-5-year-old twins started wiggling a tooth and put me in panic-mode to put together a quick tooth pillow. I had my other twin pick out a fabric, cut all the pieces, and sewed the felt pieces together, then it went into a project bag and sat. The twin with a pillow has been able to use his pillow twice - so the other twin is moping a bit. I'm hoping finishing his pillow will lift his spirits. We'll see when he gets home from school today. (That and they have tomorrow off from school for conferences...)

The new one is on the right. The first pillow turned out so skinny, I think I over-widened pillow #2. I still have one more pillow cut and ready to make. I'm hoping to strike a happy medium with that one! Maybe I'll be back next month with another finish! We just moved all 3 boys to twin beds, so I have a lot of quilting/finishing to do!
Laura

With a day to spare, I completed my September finish. It's a copy of August's finish - more old swap 9 patches turned into a table runner.

This is going to be a little surprise for a neighbor that's so good to us - a little something to help her decorate for Halloween.

August Finish

I think I could get used to this - finishing things BEFORE their corresponding holiday...

... a Halloween table runner finished before Halloween!

Back in the mid-late 90's, I participated in a bunch of charm and block swaps through an internet quilting list. While trying to decide what to conquer next, some Halloween 9-patches and charms from those exchanges caught my eye. I had been wanting to make a disappearing 9-patch for some time, so decided the time was right. I thought I might even get it done early since the sun (and my boys) are going to bed earlier these days. Then strep throat ran through the family and my gal bladder and I decided to part ways, leaving me less than a week for my 'early' project. Fortunately, my partner-in-crime was willing to set my sewing machine up for me several nights in a row, and I'm here to cheer the end of another month!

This project didn't make much of a dent in my block/charm stash, but it made 3 little boys more excited about the end of summer. It also broke up a stressful morning. Two of the three went to their first day of kindergarten today, which they've been worrying about for several weeks. I finished the runner last night, so left it on the table to surprise them for breakfast this morning. It was a great diversion - giving them something other than school to talk and think about. I love when timing works out so well!

June's Finish...

...just under the wire! Here's my second Santa doorhanger.

It's also the last of these, so I need to start digging now for my next finish. While working on this, my 5 year-old twin boys both ended up making their own versions - complete with superheroes and giant-sized flowers. Too fun!
This is my seventh finish for the year - more projects than I finished in all of last year! My summer finished aren't big, but they're still finishes and that's exciting!

5th Finish... another little quilt

On Friday, I finished sewing the binding on quilt #4 for the year - April's finish. This quilt was started by my mom for my youngest nephew. I think it was the first time she used a rotary cutter to cut out the pieces. I don't remember why it came to me to be finished, and mom can't remember either - it's been too long! The nephew in question is now 16... which pretty much says it all!

I'm not sure yet what I'll do with this one as it's a bit small for my boys. It may go into a tub to await the arrival of the next baby in the family... My oldest nephew is getting married in August, so it may not be long of a wait!
Laura

March Finish

Thanks to a last-minute roadtrip for a basketball tournament, I now have my fourth finish!

I started this wallhanging to hang in my sewing room, way back when I had a sewing room! I picked it up again last spring thinking it was a good summer project that I could complete while on Doodle-duty in the yard or at the playground. I more-than-slightly under estimated the time required to hand quilt it! Now I'm VERY happy to call it done and just need to figure out what to do with it! I also have to note how much the eyes of my quilting needles have shrunk since I started quilting this 7+ years ago! I thought I just had to worry about material shrinkage - guess I need to store my needles better now too! (I'm SURE that's the problem!)  ;)

Two Finishes...

I've managed to finish the second quilt from the top of my UFO pile. It's the same pattern as my first finish for the year - from a one day mystery from long ago. The first one had planets and this one has fish.

I didn't realize until I laid the quilt out to trim the edges that I had put the focus squares in sideways! I put the top together long enough ago that I don't know if it's an 'oops!' or was on purpose. (It may just be that I picked bright enough fabrics that I never noticed the squares due to the glare! snicker!) This is another quilt that will go right to use on the boy's beds. All 3 boys are in car-shaped toddler beds, so quilts this size are seeing a lot of use right now. Thankfully, they all love bright colors!

I had one other finish for January that I didn't think to report. I got a over-sized couch pillow many years ago that I just love. It's big, cushy, and moldable - perfect for the couch. The boys have all agreed and loved on and used that pillow since they were tiny. So many years of loving (and washing) started showing in its cover last spring. The cover was so thin that the stuffing could be seen through it. I kept thinking I would just get some replacement fabric the next time I made it to a fabric store. I have to admit I haven't made it there yet. I did, however come across a robe in January that we had sitting in the donation box. The robe was so soft, I wished I had a use for it - and then my brain finally clicked on and this is the result:

The boys love the 'new' pillow. The robe material is thick enough it should be several years before I have to re-cover it. I just love quick win projects! Now to figure out which UFO to conquer next!