Baby, It's Cold Outside

 
And foggy. With beautiful clear blue sky's in the afternoons. We really need some rain here.

I am working on my second quilt from Kim Brackett's book Scrap-Basket Sensations. I LOVE THIS BOOK! I want to make every quilt in it.

I'm currently making Picnic:

 

I cut the fabric out over a year ago. The jelly roll is Fresh Air by Moda that I've had for years. It had a lot of strips that read like a solid so I had a difficult time laying it out randomly.

So I finally gave up on random and put the solids at diagonals on the outside edges and opposite each other in the center.  Ended up looking very random. ;o)

Hmmm...I think those two bright pink blocks in the center are too close together. Other than those the colors look evenly dispersed.

It may have to sit for a bit. I'm determined to get a top quilted, large or small doesn't matter, before I continue. My un-quilted tops are starting to feel like monkeys on my back. More on that in my next post.

 

and a Happy New Year!

 
I started off the new year with a LOT of quilting...and not just by me. I started a new project when I was at my mom's during Christmas... hmmm... is it a new project if you cut it out over a year ago and just started sewing it last week? No pictures of it yet. Soon.

I loaded a quilt on the frame and quilted it last weekend. I don't think I've shown this quilt before even though I made it months (and months) ago. Fun easy quilt.

It now has binding, has been washed, and is being stored in a matching pillowcase until it gets donated.

Nancy and Stephanie came over to sew on January 1 and 2.  Stephanie sewed the rows and borders on this baby quilt.

Nancy added the borders to this quilt.

...and started making disappearing pinwheel blocks. She was having a blast making this block. I think the fabric is Be Jolly by Moda. It is going to be really cute when she finishes it.

While they were sewing I was cutting my scraps into 2.5, 2 and 1.5 inch strips and finished up the sub-piecing on the quilt I started. It looked like my house had been hit by a fabric bomb with sewing machines, bags and bins of fabric and scraps, cutting mats set up on the kitchen counter, and the ironing board set up in the family room.

All this was January 1. On January 2, after a little retail therapy, Nancy continued to make disappear pinwheel blocks and Stephanie started making a cute little stuffed wool cat for one of her sisters.

No, not these cats. ;o)

I made a couple of little wall hangings from some embroidered dish towels I had that were stained and torn.

And Stephanie and I both made microwave bowl potholders.

These things are so easy to make and more useful than you would think.

I can't think of a better way to start the year than spending it quilting/sewing with friends.