WIP: Super Edition.

...And we're back for another Wednesday peek at the never-ending stack of projects!

Better photo coming later--no good light now!

This week, I finished up three superhero capes for my niece and nephews. The original plan was to make one for my four-year-old nephew for the holidays, but the plan quickly morphed into making a cape for both nephews and my niece too because capes are awesome, and who doesn't need one? (Mine will be lined with hot pink faux fur, FYI.) I'll be making at least one more for my oldest kidlet. The capes are made from kona solids with the fabric for their initials coming from stash. I raw-edge appliqued the letters and top-stitched the diamond down, then top-stitched the entire cape. Isn't it amazing what a difference top-stitching does?

I did finish Scout's blanket, and he's currently tucked into my son's bed with it. (Yay for mommy points. Also, yay for learning FMQ!)

I also finished up Banzo's quilt top. Woo!

I knocked a few other things from my November list, but they're still very much in progress. I pieced all of the columns for my Marie quilt, but I still have the rows, and that's the more difficult task of the two. I started work on the binding of one of my mini quilts, but it made me angry, so I might have thrown it across the room.

It has been rainy and there has been no good light, so there are fewer photos than usual. I'm plugging away at my November list and 100 Day Hustle list, and I'm on track (I think) to get everything done on time. I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced, and now I'm off to hang out with my mom because she just got here. Up on the agenda is IKEA because she's never been, and I find that a tragedy. Have a lovely Wednesday!

 

WIP: Hello, Busy Workload Edition

It's Wednesday.

Again.

Oh boy.

The halfway mark of the 100 Day Hustle served to remind me that I have very very little time left to accomplish all I need to accomplish before year's end. Here we go!

I've pieced together the rows of Banzo's I-spy quilt. I toyed with the idea of making it "fun" and sashing it with rainbow sashing, but when it came down to it, I chain pieced those 5" charms, and it'll be a basic patchwork quilt. He'll enjoy snuggling under it, and I'll enjoy having it off my to-do list. (Doesn't that sound awful? Son, I love you!)

I finished my November block for the HST BOM, and after much deliberation, I've decided I'm going to sew up this quilt and give it to my younger sister and her husband. I had intended to keep it for me, and I do love it, but gray and yellow? Those are my sister's colors. I must have unconsciously picked them knowing it would be headed her way. Thankfully, I've already informed her that her holiday gift will be late, and since she's pretty sure I'm making her a quilt, she is content to wait. I wonder if she knows it will be this particular one?

I've started cutting fabric for some postage stamp pillow cushions. In what crazy mindframe did I think I could possibly manage this? But the plans are set, the fabric is purchased, and I'm committed.

 
I've picked up velcro, and now I need to stop procrastinating and make some superhero capes out of these puppies. Like, today.

Finally, I've pieced, basted, and finished most of the quilting for Scout's blanket. Scout is Banzo's toy dog, and Scout comes to bed with him every night and requires a share of the blankets, kisses from mama, etc. It's a little gross since my son went through a phase where he carried the thing by biting it across the snout, so Scout's face is dirty and smelly, but it's one of those mama things, right? Well, Scout needs his own blanket, and I'm taking the opportunity to practice some new quilting....

What have you been up to this week? I'm linking up to Freshly Pieced! :)

 

WIP: Much Too Busy Edition

Blocks for Hurricane Sandy Help
Finished Sewing Tool Organizer (with tutorial)
Quilt top for Scout (disappearing 9 patch with side borders)
Quilt top ("Le Mille") finished for Tula Pink Sew Along - more on that later
Tula Skirt finished - Used this tutorial
I-spy Quilt top started

Friends, it's been a busy week.

One more close up of the pretty quilt top?

Linking up to Freshly Pieced!

 

100 Quilts for Kids Finish!

Hi Friends!

I'm pretty stoked that I'm three days into October, and I've already slashed two items off my October quilty to-do list. Granted, they were almost almost almost done at the end of September, and all it took was a little marathon hand-sewing to get things completed, but I'm still pleased as punch. I learned a very important thing from this marathon session--my needles are all nickle-plated. I'm allergic to nickel, or rather, nickel is allergic to me, and I stripped the nickel from a couple of needles. Yikes! They look ugly, but they still work, so whatever, right?

But before I blather further about unimportant things, I finished my quilt for 100 Quilts for Kids, and none too soon! I'm donating it to Project Linus because those dudes just sound fabulous.

I knew I wanted to make a quilt for 100 Quilts, but as usual, I couldn't figure out what kind of design. Then, I heard about an I-spy charm swap, and I thought, what a fun idea! It's certainly not the most original quilt out there, and sewing patchwork for the first time confirmed my suspicions that it was a little boring to sew, but I'm happy that this quilt will be snuggly and fun to play with.

I quilted it with straight lines on the diagonal and bordered it with some sort of red Kona solid. The assembly was super fast, and I think the longest part of the quilting process was laying out the squares and figuring out what I wanted and where. I swapped for two charm packs so that I'd have enough to make my boys one as well. My oldest especially is just starting to get the fun snuggly aspects of a quilt, and I think he's sad that this one isn't for him. My baby wanted to chew on the corners, but I'm not sure if that means he likes it or not.

The binding is super scrappy. I gathered all of my binding scraps and used them to seal the deal. I figure with a top as crazy wild as this one, weird binding isn't going to be a deal breaker. The backing is a pale yellow flannel, and it was a delight to hand-sew underneath it. So soft. So snuggly! I may be a flannel convert, as now I want to back every quilt for my home with the stuff. (Seriously. I have every intention of backing my Marie quilt in flannel.)

Since my last few days have been all about hand-stitching, I'm hoping to change direction and get to some piecing today. Woo! Have a lovely Wednesday, all!

thwarted!

Oh, Friends! I had such big plans for this weekend!

You see those triangles? I had PLANS for those triangles, and now, in a matter of moments, my plans have been dashed, thwarted, destroyed! I received a phone call, and the bookkeeping project I've been waiting to start since May is finally ready for me. I have two weeks to finish a year's worth of bookkeeping. (Which means that I really have to get on it.)

I'd also planned to sew up this quilt top, and maybe even get it sandwiched and ready for quilting. And then there's my Sequintastic September piece that dare I say, I'd also hoped to make good progress on this weekend?

But instead I'll be doing tax prep work. See you...soon-ish?

I-Spy with my little eye...

I may have kind of seen an I-spy quilt and been filled with a great desire to make one of my very own. Maybe.

Lucky for me, Jennifer at Knotted-Thread is hosting an I-spy charm swap. Fifty-six charms of I-spy goodness, and no repeats. Meaning I do not have to find 56 different kinds of I-spy worthy fabric in my stash. (Which is a good thing because...well...I'm seriously lacking there. I have dancing monkeys! And that's about it.)

I bet you're saying to yourself, man, I wish I could be a part of it. You're in luck because the swap is a few peeps shy of being complete! If you're interested in playing along, contact Jennifer at Knotted-Thread.

My big plans for the I-spy quilt included producing a mind-blowing quilt that the boys and I could use for snuggling. (Yep, I did just make up an adverb.) But then! I read about 100 quilts for kids at Swim, Bike, Quilt! I made my brain hurt trying to think of a way I could fit in another (affordable) quilt this summer, until I remembered that I was already making an I-spy quilt--why not give it away instead? Wouldn't that be way more fulfilling?

My plan is to donate my quilt to Project Linus. I'm thinking a 7x8 grid of patchwork squares with a border. Oh-so-awesome in one beauteous rectangle. And maybe, if I enjoy making it a whole bunch, I'll make another one for my boys later. You know, after I finish my Marie quilt. And the picnic quilt. And the other kajillion small projects I want to make.

Soooo...if you're feeling it, you should join the I-spy swap. Or make a quilt for 100 quilts for kids. Or...both!

Now, to pick out my yard of fabric. Oh, the choices!