2016 Finish-Along ~ 4th Quarter Results

Last Quarter of 2016!  I have to say I love being a part of the Finish-A-Long.  I jumped in for the last quarter of 2013 and haven't stopped since.  It's just so motivating ~ so a big "Thank You" for those who host and cheer us on every year!

Here's my 4th Quarter list and the results:

I'm working with the Seasonal Silhouettes pattern book by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts and I've decided that each block is going to be its own mini-quilt so that I have something to hang each month.  Here's my basket of fabrics for the next 3 months.  (BTW, this is the Oslo Craft Bag ~ a free pattern by Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness)

1 - Seasonal Silhouettes - November.  This one is fused, but I didn't finish it.  Here's the pattern.

2 - Seasonal Silhouettes - December.  Still not started yet, but here's the pattern.  NO PROGRESS.

3 - Seasonal Silhouettes - January. I started this one when I first got the book and finished fusing the applique pieces.  Love the skates!  NO PROGRESS.

  

4 - Downtown Cabins - from the book Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts by Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting.  FINISHED!  Blogged here.

5 - Boxing Match.  Pattern by Nancy Mahoney for Quiltmaker (Sept/Oct 2015).  Quilt for my grandson in Detroit Tigers colors.  FINISHED!  Blogged here.

6 - Nonchalant.   Another pattern from the book Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts by Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting.  Quilt for another grandson in U of M colors.  FINISHED!  Blogged here.

Oldies but goodies (i.e. not much hope here):

7 - Star Light Star Bright Quilt.  Another quilt-along that I lagged way behind on ~ still have only 4 blocks finished.  NO PROGRESS.

               

8 - Diamond District.  I'm still on six blocks ~ hopefully a few more blocks by the end of the year!  (This makes a good leaders-enders project ~ I really should take advantage of that!)  NO PROGRESS.

That makes 3 finishes out of 8 projects on my list this quarter ~ 3 big lap quilts for my grandkids, so I'm happy!!

Linking up with Rhonda at Rhonda's Ramblings!  #FALQ4theshyonesews

2016 Finish-Along ~ Third 4th Quarter Finish: Boxing Match

Happy to say that I managed to squeak in one more finish for this quarter ~ quilt #5 for my grandkids.  (Only 3 more to go!)

My grandson Nathan is a big Detroit Tigers fan, so of course his quilt had to be Tigers-themed.  I thought Boxing Match, the pattern by Nancy Mahoney for Quiltmaker (Sept/Oct 2015) was perfect for showing off those fabrics.  

I did end up changing the orange Kona fabric to a deeper orange to coordinate better with the Old English D.

I kept the quilting simple, following the lines of the skinny strips.  I thought it made an interesting plaid pattern in the end ~ you can see it really well on the back of the quilt.

Love the front ~ very bold with the navy and orange on a white background!

Quilt stats:
Pattern:  Boxing Match by Nancy Mahoney for Quiltmaker (Sept/Oct 2015)
Size:  66" x 66"
Fabrics:
Top:  Kona Navy, Kona White, Basically Patrick Orange, Mirage Indigo
Back: Faux Burlap - Rich Navy
Binding: Low Country Indigo Diamonds by Nancy Gere.  

Batting:  Warm and White

Thread:  Aurifil 50 wt.

Linking up with Let's Bee Social and Needle and Thread Thursday!

WIP Wednesday - A Thing on my List, Something Unexpected and A New Long-Term Project

Still plugging along on my 2016 Finish-Along list, but I had this bright idea to start something unexpected (like I really needed another something!)  Oh ~ and then there's a new EPP project ...

I started on Boxing Match, the pattern by Nancy Mahoney for Quiltmaker (Sept/Oct 2015), and I have to admit this has been the fastest quilt I've put together so far.  

Fabrics cut

I put the pieces together for the first big block (which ends up at 20") and before I knew it I had all 9 blocks finished.  (Excuse the bed in the photo ~ my design wall is up in our guest room!)  As of right now, the blocks are sewn together and I've started to add a couple of small borders.  Hoping to have it checked off my 4th quarter list by the end of the year!

My unexpected project this week is a Christmas mini.  I've had a mini charm pack of Nature's Gift by Deb Strain forEVER, so I decided to use that to make a little table topper (I think).  I'm using the pattern C'est La Vie by Lella Boutique (SO cute! ~ it was an exclusive pattern for Fat Quarter Shop in their Sew Sampler Box for November).  I'm making the mini out of 9 blocks which are each 4-1/2" finished.

I did start on a new-for-me project ~ it's a long-term EPP hexie project that I'll write more about later.  I really like having a project I can work on while I'm watching TV or sitting with a group of friends working on their own projects!  Here's a peek at Block No. 1.  

That's it for now ~ linking up with Lorna for Let's Bee Social!

2016 Finish-Along ~ Second 4th Quarter Finish: Nonchalant

Finish #2!  Even with a trip to Seattle to see this little one, I managed to finish my second quilt for this quarter.

This is the first of my grandsons' quilts (I need to make 5).  It's called Nonchalant from the book Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts by Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting.  The original in the book is grey, gold and white ~ I made this one in University of Michigan colors since my grandson is hoping to go there once he graduates  (Go Blue!)

I really liked the wavy quilting in the book version, so I thought I'd give it a try on my JUKI with my walking foot.  

The waves on mine aren't quite as wavy or evenly spaced as the original, but that's OK!  As Angela Walters says ~ finished is better than perfect!

Quilt stats:
Pattern:  Nonchalant from the book Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts by Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting
Size:  67" x 67"
Fabrics:
Top -  Kona Navy, Kona White, Kona Gold
Back - Basic Mixologie Hashtag Navy by Studio M for Moda
Binding - Quilter's Candy Mirage in Indigo
Batting:  Warm and White
Thread:  Aurifil 50 wt.

Linking up with Let's Bee Social and Needle and Thread Thursday!

2016 Finish-Along ~ First 4th Quarter Finish: Downtown Cabins

I'm happy to say I can check off my first finish for this 4th Quarter ~ my granddaughter Maya's Downtown Cabins quilt.  After the paper-pieced quilt I did last time, this one went together pretty quickly.  The pattern is from the book Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts by Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting.  

I love the way the back turned out!  I had some half log-cabins left from the front and I thought it created an interesting design.  I used a couple of those to create my label.

For the quilting, I did an uneven grid of serpentine stitching.

I love all the solids Maya picked out for the log cabins, but I didn't keep track of what they were.  The backing and binding is Topsy Turvy by Karen Dumont & Deborah Edwards for Northcott.

Soaking up some sun :)

Linking up with Myra for Finished or Not Friday!

2016 Finish-Along ~ 4th Quarter List

Hard to believe it's the last quarter for this year's Finish-Along!

I'm hoping I can continue being productive this quarter ~ fingers crossed!  Here's my list for this quarter:

I'm working with the Seasonal Silhouettes pattern book by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts and I've decided that each block is going to be its own mini-quilt so that I have something to hang each month.  Here's my basket of fabrics for the next 3 months.  (BTW, this is the Oslo Craft Bag ~ a free pattern by Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness)

1 - Seasonal Silhouettes - November.  Not started yet, but here's the pattern.

2 - Seasonal Silhouettes - December.  Not started yet, but here's the pattern.

3 - Seasonal Silhouettes - January. I started this one when I first got the book and finished fusing the applique pieces.  Love the skates!

  

4 - Downtown Cabins - from the book Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts by Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting.  Top is finished ~ working on the back.

5 - Boxing Match.  Pattern by Nancy Mahoney for Quiltmaker (Sept/Oct 2015).  Quilt for my grandson in Detroit Tigers colors.

6 - Nonchalant.   Another pattern from the book Cabin Fever: 20 Modern Log Cabin Quilts by Natalia Bonner and Kathleen Whiting.  Quilt for another grandson in U of M colors.

Oldies but goodies (i.e. not much hope here):

7 - Star Light Star Bright Quilt.  Another quilt-along that I lagged way behind on ~ still have only 4 blocks finished.

               

8 - Diamond District.  I'm still on six blocks ~ hopefully a few more blocks by the end of the year!  (This makes a good leaders-enders project ~ I really should take advantage of that!)

Linking up with Debbie at A Quilter's Table for this quarter of the 2016 Finish-Along!  #FALQ4theshyonesews

And now for something completely different

So I asked my daughter Jen what she wanted for her birthday and of course she said "A new bag!"   I haven't made a bag in a while, so I was happy to oblige.

She picked the Brooklyn Handbag by Swoon Patterns and we decided on these fabrics:  Floral Swell from the Fleet and Flourish line by Maureen Cracknell for the exterior and a Monokeros Ocre Stripe from the Fantasia line by Sara Lawson for the lining.  All the contrasting trims were made with a Natural Cork fabric from Sew Sweetness.  I've always wanted to try the cork fabric ~ it sews like a dream!

Between the pattern and a Photo Tutorial on the Swoon blog, the handbag went together without any hiccups and I'm SO happy with how it turned out!

Linking up with Lorna for Let's Bee Social #145.

2016 Finish-Along ~ Third Quarter Results

Much better this quarter ~ especially considering the finish of that totally paper-pieced Sea Swept Quilt!

This was my list for the 3rd quarter:

1 - Seasonal Silhouettes.  This pattern book by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts is my first attempt at such detailed applique work.  I've decided to make each block a separate wall-hanging, so each block will be a mini-quilt.   This quarter I created the mini for October, so I'm counting that as a finish!

   

2 - Day Break Quilt.  Pattern by Jaybird Quilts.  FINISHED!  Blogged here.

 3 - Star Light Star Bright Quilt.  Another quilt-along that I lagged way behind on ~ still have only 4 blocks finished.  NO PROGRESS.

               

4 - Diamond District.  I'm still on six blocks ~ hopefully a few more blocks by the end of the year!  (This makes a good leaders-enders project ~ I really should take advantage of that!)  NO PROGRESS.

5 - Garden Fence Comfy Quilt #2.  February was my month for the Newbie Quilters Bee (Hive #11), so I'm doing another Garden Fence quilt and have lots of blocks from my bee mates to put together.   FINISHED!  Blogged here.

6 - Sea Swept (pattern by Cotton Patch Quilts).   FINISHED!  Blogged here.

7 - Sew Together Bag (pattern by Sew Demented at Craftsy)  FINISHED!  Blogged here.

So that makes 5 out of 7 finishes this quarter and my best quarter ever!!  (Patting myself on the back)

Linking up with Debbie at A Quilter's Table for this quarter of the 2016 Finish-Along!