NewFo Challenge 2014 Preview!

Hooray!  Barbara, over at CAT PATCHES, is once again sponsoring the NewFO Challenge for 2014!

For an explanation of what this challenge is, click on the link above.

Now, for my possible NewFOs, here's my list:

A few pincushions

Some place mat sets for my guild's first stand-alone boutique.

I'd also like to make some fabric canisters or buckets, using stash & scraps.

Okay, I know how I am, so I'm going to stop here.

I'm also signed up for the UFO Challenge with my guild, TLC Quilters.  I picked 6 of my UFOs & numbered them.  At our last meeting, we were given the first number that we're supposed to finish - number 3.  I now have until our February meeting to finish it & bring it for Show & Tell.

I'm linking up with the party here!

Wish me luck!

sue

November 2013 NewFOs

Back in October, I won a giveaway from my friend Kat at http://flutterkat.com, and won a lovely metal purse frame with sweet green knobs, a fat quarter of fabric to go along with it and the pattern for a bag.  Not wanting to rush into anything, I had to let my prize marinate for a while.  Then, when shifting a pile of, er, stuff, I came across some fabric that I had purchased quite some time ago, and suddenly I just knew that I needed to use my new frame to make this purse!

I used Kat's terrific tutorial to make the purse, with one small change.

Since I didn't have any fusible fleece, I decided to use some cotton batting, and did a little hand quilting to hold it in place.  I only quilted through one layer of fabric & the batting, so it doesn't show on the inside lining of the bag.

I used E6000 glue to attach the frame & it worked like a charm, as well as being easy to rub off the the outside of the frame when I got a bit carried away.

Here it is with one side of the frame attached.

There's a peek of the fabric Kat sent, that I used as the lining.

And DONE!

I really like the way it turned out.

I can heartily recommend Kat's tutorial too!  Trust me, if I can follow it & get a good result, you can too.

(I gave the bag to my great-niece for her 15th birthday - that's why I managed to get it all the way done!)

Here's my other NewFO:  The beginnings of a queen-sized braid quilt, using Eleanor Burns "Braid in a Day" pattern.

This will be for my sister & brother-in-law.

I'm a bit further along with it now...but that was done in December, so this is all you can see for now!

Check out more NewFOs at Cat Patches!

sue

Fun with pins

It's that time again - 

I'm joining in on the fun over at CAT PATCHES

for the October NewFO Party.

I made this pincushion for my Secret Pal at quilt guild.

Our theme for October was animal print or nature.

Since I hadn't made her a pincushion, this is what I came up with:

I found that button in one of my button tins & thought it went just right - what do you think?

Check out the rest of the party here.

Hope you enjoyed a very Happy Halloween!

sue

52 Photos Project: Starts With a C

COW

Doesn't it have great eyelashes?

My sister & I were on a photo daytrip, when we saw some cattle in a pasture.

If I walked up to the fence, they just stared at me.

Whenever she walked up, they turned & trotted away!

Ouch!  Dissed by the cows.

"C" more great photos

at the 52 Photos Project Gallery.

sue

September NewFO Challenge

Even though it seems to me like I didn't do much of anything this month, I was wrong!  I haven't got a bunch of projects to show, but I do have a few, and that makes me pretty happy.

Without further ado, I present to you....

I made these using a technique from a video posted by the Missouri Quilt Company called "Amazing Jelly Roll Quilt by 3 Dudes!"  I used 3" strips that my friend Mary Ann from Auntie's Ceramics gave to me.

I wanted big blocks, so I started with strips sets of 5 strips, measured the set across, then cut into squares.  Then you take those squares & layer them together with one set going vertically & the other horizontally & sew all around.

After that, cut them from corner to corner in both directions.

 When you open them, this is what you get!

You can see the video here.

Next are some door knob covers:

I used this pattern from Crafty Erin.

And, last, but not least,

a quick table runner:

Still needs some pressing & I want to tack down the triangles, then it will be finished.

I'm linking up with the September NewFO linky party

at Cat Patches.

Check it out!

sue

52 Photos Project: In My Hands

Preparing to do the frog stitch.

Check out other hands

in the Gallery.

sue

August NewFOs

It's that time of the month again!

Yep, the sharing of the NewFOs with Cat Patches.

The first of mine is actually a finish

(oh amazing rarity for me):

Thank you Steam-a-Seam!

First, let me say this:

I do not like garment sewing.

Nope, not even a little bit.

Garment sewing gives me great stress.

But I have persevered, and I finished 2 pairs of boxers for my great-nephews, who are big San Francisco Giants fans.

Did you realize that no one seems to make cotton SF Giants logo fabrics?  Fleece, yes, but not cotton.

I hope they fit & that they like them.

Next, an actual start:

Yep, you're right, ANOTHER pair of boxers!

At least with this print, you won't be able to see the stitching if I wobble a bit.

They are actually a little farther along than this right now - I just have to do the waist band elastic casing & the fly.

The good part is that I have learned the basics of sewing with a serger.  The bad part is cutting out the pattern with...scissors!  Aren't those really just to snip threads with?  Blerg.

That's it for me for August.

Check out more of the 2013 NewFO Challengers here.

Stay cool!

sue

52 Photos Project: On The {Fire} Line

This week's prompt at 52 Photos Project is

On The Line.

These are on the fire line,

taken in June 2012

in Glendora, CA.

Thanks to the fast response by the firefighters,

no homes were damaged and the fire was quickly contained.

Right now, my cousin & his wife have been evacuated from their home near the Rim fire near Yosemite National Park.

That fire is currently only 20% contained & has burned over 184,000 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

My thoughts & prayers are with the over 4,000 firefighters on site fighting the Rim fire, and all the other firefighters working fires elsewhere.

Stay safe.

To see more photos, check out the Gallery.

sue

52 Photos Project, week 18: Light & Dark

Full moon from December 2013.

I love the soft focus of this one ~

sort of like how I see someone across the room when I have my "computer" glasses on!

See the Gallery for more great photos!

sue

52 Photos Project: Unusual & Uncommon

Unusual & Uncommon

This was somewhere, between Texas & Arkansas

I think.

(Please excuse the roadtrip bugs on the windshield!)

Not every day you see an airplane parked on the side of the highway, no airport in sight.

See more Unusual & Uncommon photos

in the Gallery.

sue

52 Photos Project: Fresh

This week's 52 Photos Project prompt is

 

FRESH.

 

 

I'm calling this one

 

"Fresh Peeled".

 

This is another Eucalyptus tree in Claremont, CA.

A while back I showed a different tree that had layers of bark lifting up.  You can see that one here.

To see more FRESH photos,
click over to the 52 Photos Project Gallery.


sue

 

July NewFOs

Here are my July NewFOs!

 

 

My first project is a pillow cover.

I used a partially paper-pieced pattern from Quilter's Cache

called "Bird of Paradise".  Thanks to Marsha Hohn!

 

Here's the front 

 

and the back

When I measured for the back, I decided that 10.5" would give me the 3" overlap I wanted.  So I cut two 10.5" squares...instead of 10.5" by the width of the pillow!

Argh.  But, no worries, I just made a design decision & added a rectangle to each half & voila!

 

 

Now here it is "stuffed":

 

I did have one other problem.  When I printed out the paper-piecing patterns, my printer would NOT print it at the correct scale. I didn't think about that when I made the 4-patches, so they were a bit too big.  Of course, it was an amount between 3/4" & 7/8" inch off, but I did the best I could.

 

Next is another dish mat, using free-piecing with lots of scraps with a terry cloth dish towel on the back.

 

It really does lay flat, honest!
 

 

And finally, I've made some blocks that will eventually be a philanthropy quilt for my quilt guild.

 

I'm using a technique from a video by the Missouri Star Quilt Company.  They used a design by 3 Dudes Quilting in Phoenix, AZ.  They used a Jelly Roll, but my strips are actually 3" instead of 2.5".

 

 

 

To see more July NewFOs,

pop on over to Cat Patches!

 

 

sue

 



52 Photos Project: Down Below

This week's 52 Photos Project prompt is

Down Below.

A new little tree

photographed on New Year's Day 2012.

Amazing the things you can see

if only you adjust your

point of view.

See more in this week's gallery.

sue

52 Photos Project: Layers/Stacks

Our prompt this week for

the 52 Photos Project

is

Layers/Stacks.

 

This is what came to my mind

immediately:

 

 

 

I think that stacked stone walls are so beautiful.

And the thought of the care and artistry

that went into the making of the wall

is inspiring.

This wall is in the historic gold mining town of Downieville,

in the Sierra mountains of California.

 

Enjoy some more stacks & layers in the gallery.

 

 

sue



52 Photos Project: This Is What I Found

 

I've never seen the inside of a cactus before,

have you?

 

There are more interesting finds

in the 52 Photos Project Gallery!

 

sue

52 Photos Project: Red, White, Blue

I couldn't pick just one color.

Our prompt for this week of the 52 Photos Project is

Red, White, Blue.

I could have picked any one of the colors,

but I remembered that my friends Juline & Tom

always participate in their town's

patriotic decorated home contest.

I wish there wasn't such a glare today,

but there you have it.

Congratulations on your 3rd place award Tom & Juline!!

See more great photos in the gallery.

Happy Independence Day!

sue

June NewFOs!

Hooray - I have some things to share this time!

First, I did a bunch of binding, that will go onto the blue & white quilt that is currently with the long-armer.

Next, I made some cloth napkins & napkin rings from buttons.  The napkins are 2 layers of really soft flannel.

This next block will become a throw pillow cover soon.

I used one block from the Generation Q Magazine

Playdate paper pieced pattern, 

"Extra Olives, Please" by Robin Koehler.

It's been a while since I've done any paper piecing, but once I got into the swing, it went pretty quickly.

I'm going to add a border of the blue to finish it off.

And last, but not least, I've been doing some

free-piecing with my scraps.

This one will end up with a dish towel on the back

to be used as a dish drainer on the counter.

I'm linking up to Cat Patches' June NewFO linky party!

Stay cool!

sue

52 Photos Project: Neon Color

This week's prompt at

52 Photos Project is

 

Neon Color.

 

 

 

It wasn't easy to find something neon colored.

I drove through the Old Packing House area in Claremont,

last night, and of all the shops that are there,

only ONE had actual neon!  Of course, it wasn't in an easily accessible area for me.

I decided I would come home & go online to see if there was a neon shop anywhere nearby.

Before I made it all the way home, I thought I would check out a small strip mall close by.

And look what I found!

 

An actual neon sign!

 

Check out the

52 Photos Gallery

for more neon colors.

 

 

sue



52 Photos Project: Chopped

For week 9 of the 52 Photos Project, our prompt is

Chopped.

 

 

 

Check out more things

Chopped

at the gallery.

 

 

sue

 

52 Photos Project: Stripes

This week's prompt is

 

STRIPES.

 

 

10 windows with mini-blinds =

LOTS of stripes!

 

 

Check out the gallery

for more stripes.

 

 

sue

 

52 Photos Project: Crimson

This week's prompt from the

52 Photos Project

is

Crimson.

 

 

See more Crimson

in the

Gallery.

 

 

sue