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!

Completed my 4th June finish

Thanks to Dawn and Wendy for the motivation, I've managed to complete another small project today - the second of my  3 oven mitt projects [mentioned in another post earlier this month]. I'll be keeping this one for our kitchen, as DH likes bright colours.

That makes 5 less PhDs since I joined in May, so I'm delighted I've achieved this much already.  I won't be running out out of projects for some time yet, though!


 I'm also very grateful to the lovely  ladies who have added kind and encouraging comments on my posts - it's wonderful to be part of this online quilting community.

My June Finish!!!

I pieced this quilt about 8 years ago, and then had it quilted a couple years later only to discover I didn't have binding to match. UGH!!!!!! I searched online and never could find it and poked around quilt shops over the last several years but never could find the fabric to match, and those I tried to put with it just didn't work. On my way to quilt camp last month I stopped at a quilt shop. There in a sale bin was the very same blue fabric.....1/2 yard at $2.00!!!!!!!!! Woohoo. I am so excited to have this quilt done.

Mum's Bag

Last year, after I sent over a bag I had made for her,  Mum was out shopping with a friend and she saw  the panel and some plain fabric for lining.  So, not being a sewer herself, she sent it over for me to make into a bag for her.  I cut it out and put it in to the 'to do' pile ...  and yes it lay there (while I was busy with other things) until this month.   Back to Sydney it has now gone.... all finished.

June Finish

Its another bag - seems they are relatively quick to finish off - especially when they are already cut out and the outside & inside pieces made.  So really all I had to do was sew it together and add the handles.

The fabric is a very rich black and gold which didn't show up very well in the main picture. 

I'm not sure when I started it - but certainly well before January 2011.

mmm what will I do for July??

Another June finish for me

Feeling pleased I've managed to complete a small quilt this month from a pack of 30 random charm squares I'd given up on some 3 years ago.  I'd tried putting these Kaffe Fassett fabrics together as a table runner, bed topper, placemat set and even pot holders, and didn't like the way any of my layouts looked at the time, so of course they went into the UFO zone.


Serendipity struck when I saw a tutorial on Missouri Star Quilt Co's online website showing an easy pattern for charm squares, called "Xs and Os", so here's the result -

  I've found a pattern I will be happy to use with other charm packs I have that offer more co-ordinated fabric ranges, and I've used these unusual items from my stash to make an item for charity. I also used up most of the offcut half square triangles from the main blocks to make a pieced outer border on  sides, so there's almost no waste with this pattern -win/win situation.


I'm still happily  sewing other PhD's, so may still be able to post another finish by tomorrow's deadline.
Good luck to anyone else rushing to finish their projects

June Finish

When I joined this group I was soooooo going to finish a heap of projects including the big ones, unknown to me another large project was going to challenge my one project a month off my to do list. The big projects are still at the bottom of the list but the little annoying ones are being completed. I am struggling even to meet the little ones, but I am really enjoying the incentive of an email from the lovely organisers of this blog and use it as my driver to complete and post.

This finish is the leftovers from flying geese construction on this little quilt. 

So from a couple of extra lines of sewing, which at the time I thought I was nuts, I finished two coasters. The original quilt was started 3 or 4 years ago, and I was too tight to throw these bits away. I am really looking forward to trying one out tonight with my cup of tea.

Happy " End of Financial Year"........

Made It!

I was beginning to think that the wool was disappearing into some sort of knitting black hole. I kept knitting and it just wasn't growing but I've finally finished with a couple of days to spare :)

I have a scarf for every day of the week now and this one is so snuggly soft.

# 11 Little Patchwork Village

At the beginning of the year this is how this Patchwork Village looked.... I had the stitcheries done and the fabric for the blocks chosen.......

these are the blocks made up

It's taken me a while but not I can say "Sew It's Finished"

This is a Rosalie Quinlan design

lovely stitcheries

and sew is the May stitchery.....

I love seeing all the finished UFO's ... especially as I know how good it feels to have them done  and thanks Dawn and Wendy for the stitcheries... they are such fun and I will have a ready made UFO for next year ......

Not much of June left now...... 

Hugz from Fiona @ BubzRugz

Stripey Logcabins

Too much time on my hands yesterday so I got my binding stitched on and therefore my Stripey Logcabin Quilt is finished:

Awkward angle to photograph and with our cat Crystal :-)

It consists of two different size blocks - 11 1/2" and 10" with strip of dark batik on two sides. With better planning I might have avoided running short, but on a few places (e.g. top right corner) I pieced some of the log cabin strips with that same dark batik.

Some of the stipple quilting on the polar fleece backing - night time shot, the colours are a bit different in natural light (inspired by the NZ Paua shell = abulone)

And it goes with the now two cushions of that same material :-)

There are still some more leftovers of that same material... do you think I will get sick of it eventually???

Finish No. 13 I think :-)

Happy Sewing!!!

Teddy bear quilt

Some friends are expecting their first baby in August, and we dont know if its a little boy or girl.  I am loving the raspberry reds with aqua blue that are around at the moment so I chose this colour palette as I think it works well for a boy or girl

Its a perfect size for a cot quilt or floor play rug, and I have put a hanging sleeve on the back in case mum and dad decide to use it as a wall hanging in the nursery

Christmas table topper

This table topper was almost a finish for last year.  The blocks were from a Christmas Ornament block exchange for members of the Creative Quilting Forum in 2008.  The fabrics I have sashed them in, and the border fabrics  were from a noodle swap from about the same time or even earlier, with the same forum’s members. 

Before last Christmas I had sewn the blocks together and – well I remembered that I had started the quilting.  When I pulled it out this month I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had finished quilting it and had put on the binding. It was just waiting for the handstitching, and a label to be made. 

Now it is finished and waiting to be used at Christmas this year.  It will be so good as all the blocks are signed by the makers, so holds lots of memories.

One for June or maybe Jenny

This one was not a UFO but had potential to be if I had not had inspiration to finish it.  The design was one of Sally (of Millamac) and I was not going to even start this project except that I needed a swap gift and thought this would be just the ticket.

 

 I wanted to be a little creative with this one and decided to do the gumleaves and gumnuts different colours.  I am happy with how it turned out.....hope the recipient is too!

Just a close up of the gumleaves and gumnuts.

Till next time,



Bits 'n Bobs

My first 2012 finish

Hi all
I started this quilt for my 13 year old nephew when he was 12.  It is for a campervan so I have mainly done straightline industrial stitching - nothing fancy.  My machine has been at the repair workshop for a month, but I got it back on Friday and finished this.  It did also start as a much larger quilt but I downsized from a queen to a single as it was so big and heavy.    Thats why its a bit of an odd pattern and shape.  I used IKEA fleece blankets on the back.  Not perfect but perfect for a teenage boy!
Lavinia

The pattern is a Cozy Quilt Design -Stars Aligned designed by Georgette Dell'Orco.  Although this is only half so the full pattern is much better.

2nd little June finish

Managed to complete this double oven mitt /pot holder which has been on the go since November 2010, when a friend showed me the pattern.  Full of enthusiasm, I cut out out pieces for 3, ready for small Christmas gifts [2010] - but, of course, it didn't happen.  The incentives challenge brought them out again, and this one is now destined as a part 'thank you' to relatives we'll stay with overnight in August.

This has easy quilting, bias binding and a layer of wool batting plus a layer of Insul-batting, and really hasn't taken long to complete after all.  The other 2 may get finished this month, but I'm not holding my breath, as I have been working on 5 other PhD's at the same time and would like to see if I can get at least one of those quilts finished first - depends whether fabric arrives from USA in time to complete the project - and if DH can tolerate all the sewing paraphenalia taking over the lounge a bit longer.

I'm most impressed with what everyone has achieved so far this month, &  looking forward to all the new posts to come before 30th - happy stitching

More Leftovers used up!

Must be my thing this year, finishing UFOs and using up what's here. Not only have I been getting through my UFOs with the help of this site!!!!! also I have been using up lots of thread that had been used in one or another project yonks ago :-)

My actual project for the month is not quite finished yet, still have to stitch the binding to the back, but that's for in front of the telly time. Quite by chance I finished two other projects today which brings my count to 12!

No idea what you would call this - maybe door cushion?? This is my prototype, I want to use black elastic for future models :-)

In position

This contraption is to stop our cats from pushing the doors open wide and leaving them open when we watch TV at night with the heatpump on (it's winter here). We'll test it tonight :-)

I also quickly made another cushion cover from the same leftovers:

Must be my lack of photographic skills again, this photo has been uploaded upside down twice now!

I hope I get my binding on so I can add another finish for this month!

Ruffle Skirt

I am so happy I didn't leave this sitting on my sewing desk forever!

I bought the fabric and the pattern, then got a little intimidated - I haven't really got that much experience with clothes and the clothes I do are usually simple pants!

But I got into it and put this together in about 2 hours! And best of all I'm not intimidated by clothes any more (at least not ones that are baby size 2!!)

Its an awesome pattern for little girls (Lexi Ruffle Skirt by Angel Lea Designs) that I will be making again!

Happy UFO-ing!

Erin :)

http://www.erinlearnstoquilt.blogspot.com

From a lonely teddy to a treasure cushion

This little lonely bear panel was very lonely on my wall since I finished it in 2008 or 2009. It was to be a baby wall hanging but never got finished.

Until this week, when I decided to turn it into a secret pillow / pocket pillow/ treasure cushion / pyjama tidy, you can choose the name!
I cut my panel with a gentle curve to make a pocket in front of the pillow.

I made the body of the pillow with a lovely teddy bear print fabric I had stashed away.

And here is my finished item that I was planning to sale but has been claimed by my daughter already. 

Celine

At Last

my box is empty and another UFO bites the dust…



Last year I stitched so many STAR blocks when I joined the Star-Quilt –A-Long.
Pieced a single bed quilt. ( Still a UFO as it needs sandwiching and quilting)




Made a baby quilt, my 8th finish.



and  I have used the last of the blocks for a "Quilt of Love." My 9th finish...



I am off to a retreat soon so hope to work on my UFO list while there.

Hugz  Maria

http://maria-lifeonthe block.blogspot.com

Pirates Finish!

I have had this quilt in the closet for a year! I decided to get it out and finish it the other day. I have so many more to go but at least one is down!! This one is for my son. It was going to be for his birthday last July but it was early present for this year ;)

Here it is in use...

Since summer is here I am sure finishes will be few and far between but at least that will give me something to do this winter  :)

Measurements: Approximately 48" wide by 62" long.
Fabric: Riley Blake Pirates
Pattern: Mine! I took 10 inch squares and boxed them in with jelly roll strips. I cut strips 3 inches wide for the sashing.

I DID IT!

See what happens when you pull your finger out!
I worked hard all day sewing bindings on, then hand stitching the back side... and here they are:

ABOVE: all 9 placemats finished.  It took me over a year to get these done.  I'm so happy I've got one FINISH done for this year!

It wasn't that easy either:

ABOVE:  I had wee Coco cramping my style while I was doing the hand sewing! She's such a love.
Now... I'm going to get another UFO out of a box and finish it!
ONWARD...