Rainbow Scrap Challenge- and catch-up

February's color is yellow:

And it doesn't appear that I posed January's red:

Linking to Rainbow Scrap Challenge :)

January Block Report

It was a good month - 37 blocks total, and I met my goal of sewing some every day (except for that one day I went to the ER!).

A variety of blocks as well- happy little crumb blocks, that are starting to go together; some 25-patches that'll be stuffies like Hope the Turtle; and hand-pieced blocks. I need to get going on my guild challenges, so that'll be a few blocks more.

No photos, because the memory on this computer is so full I don't get photos displayed!!

Linking to Prairie Moon Quilts for the block report.

OMG for February

I missed January at Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal February Link-up, but have high hopes for this month!!

I need to finish this little string quilt, for a sweet baby girl- my grand-niece.

I have this incredibly cute fox fleece to back it with. Quilting will be easy-peasy, I just need to clean off the dining room table to baste it (or take it to work with me to baste it there).

Hand-Pieced Quilt Along - Block 2

Block 2 is half-square triangles, again in pink and teal:

The QAL is co-sponsored by Elm Creek Quilts and Simple. Handmade. Everyday. 

Sunday Stash January 27, 2019Pat

Linking to quiltpaintcreate for the Sunday stash report.

I don't think I lasted very long last year at this; we'll see how it goes this year! I'm not sure if starting this late is a good omen or a predictor of things to come.

I actually have a few finishes so far this year. I've re-joined the 52 week sewing challenge, so that gets something done every week - this week it was the phone rest I posted earlier. And Project Quilting will get a few things done - two small quilts so far.

Finishes so far this year:
Christmas trees mini-quilt - .15 yards

 Hope the turtle - .22 yards

Catbus - .26 yards

Guitar pick bag - .05 yards

Patriotic heart- .09 yards

Phone rest - .06 yards

Grand total:  .83 yards

And I haven't *bought* any craft supplies, but I won two fat quarters at the January guild meeting, and brought home a trash bag full of really nice yarn from a knitting buddy today.

Used last week:                        0.83 yards
Used year to date:                    0.83 yards
Added last week:                      0.50 yards
Added year to date:                  0.50 yards
Net used year to date:               0.33 yards

Sewing challenge

For the second year, I'm following the 52 week sewing challenge on Facebook. Last year was a fairly spectacular fail- but I'm on the 3rd week and keeping up :)

This week's challenge was:  Sew Something Red!

I made a phone stand/pincushion.

I started with this really cool stick figure fabric that I've been hoarding for a while.

I really wanted to be sure you could see these kitties.

I cobbled this together from a lot of different phone/tablet stand tutorials. I started with a rectangle 9.5" x 10", folded in half to 9.5" x 5". Do NOT sew as below- or you won't get a pyramid. Sew that bottom seam, leaving a space for filling, and the seam on the right, also leaving a space for filling later.

My space for the bottom channel is smaller, maybe half an inch. Big enough to get my funnel into. The one for the other side is a little bigger, easier to stuff fiberfill into. Again, ignore that seam on the left that's WRONG. 

 

What you want to do instead, is to leave that entire top half open, then refold it so that your side seam is in the middle of your closed tube.

When you turn it right side out, you get a little pyramid on the end.

Now you create the bottom support and channel. I drew a pencil line 3 inches up from the bottom and top-stitched along that line, then two more lines a quarter-inch farther towards the bottom - so a 2.5 inch total width for the channel.

Now, time to fill! Most of the tutorials suggest rice, but since I have access to crushed walnut shells, that's what I use. 

I did this inside a tub to contain any spills. I stuffed a little fiberfill into the end first.

 Pour the walnut shells in- they don't want to go all the way in, so I use a chopstick to push them in.

I also finished with a little soft stuffing- fiberfill was just too hard to get into the smaller opening, so I started using scraps of batting, which worked much better. 

Sew that closed, and you have your sturdy base/handy pincushion.

I stuffed the bigger top part with mostly fiberfill, but also added some walnut shells to give it a little more weight, and it's done.

Red, White, and Blue - Project Quilting Challenge 2

This week's challenge theme from Project Quilting is "Red, White, and Blue."  I took the opportunity to make another in my collection of quilted,  beaded hearts.

Hand-Pieced Quilt Along

I've started the hand-pieced quiltalong, co-sponsored by Elm Creek Quilts and Simple. Handmade. Everyday.  

I'm using a combination of turquoise/teal and pink, with my favorite Kona PFD as background. My first block is done!

My seams are a little too big, but  I can adjust for future blocks.

Project Quilting - Season 10, Challenge 1 - Hope Springs Eternal

Well, this challenge went through some changes.

I had a spiffy little art quilt drawn up.

Then my cousin posted a photo of a little lovey she'd made, and I was...challenged!  Although she wound up sharing a link, I changed the animal completely and realized it fit the challenge.

This little girl TOTALLY symbolizes Hope for me, in so many ways.

The back is a 25-patch, quilting in a spiral. Tummy and underside of head are fleece. Head is lightly stuffed; flippers and tail are not quilted or stuffed.

DOH. Edited to add the link to the challenge at Persimon Dreams. Go vote for your favorite!