2016 Show and Tell

Thank you so much for sharing my quilting journey with me this year!

I thought I would do a little show and tell... looking back at the year.

While I was pulling these photos together though, I was able to see the quilts that had been started... but not yet finished! Yikes!

I think that I might have to dedicate January as my 

Back Burner organization month!

(all the projects that I started and had to move to the back burner...

that I still hope to get done in 2017)

I did manage to

make 19 quilts

6 little projects

fit in 3 sons' weddings

1 new grand littles birth

and unfortunately, 

2  funerals...

 for family members that I continue to hold very close to my heart.

It was definitely a year of highs and lows

but there is a whole lot to be grateful for.

fabric: Zen Chic

fabric: Fig Tree and Company

fabric: Me and My Sister

fabric: Minick and Simpson

Fabric: Liecen

Fabric: Sweetwater

Fabric: Thimble Blossoms

Fabric: Fig Tree and Company

Fabric: Fig Tree and Company

Fabric: Art Gallery Fabrics

Fabric: Erin Michael 

Fabric: Art Gallery Fabrics

Fabric: Assorment of Moda fabrics

Fabric: Denyse Schmidt

Fabric: Red Ruby Fabrics

Fabric: Zen Chic

Fabric: Thicket from Moda

Fabric: Verna Mosquera

Fabric: Wenche Wolff Hatling for Moda

And then

 here were some smaller type projects

 that I was able to

fit in also...

Fabric: Heather Bailey

Fabric: PKM and assortment from stash

Fabric: Fig Tree & Co.

Fabric: Moda assortment

Fabric: Moda assortment

Fabric: Pam Kitty Morning for Lakehouse

It is a Wonderful Life!

Happy New Year to each and every one of

you dear people...

thank you again for being here with me through the year!

*** please note that a lot of these quilts were given away upon being quilted

so I do not have a completed quilt photo to share***

Best of 2016

It's always nice to take a look back at your year...

and this year I am participating in the Linky Party with

Meadow Mist Designs.

Cheryl is hosting the Best 5 of 2016.
~Thank you Cheryl~

1. Snowballs and Celebrations

One of the projects in this post was a really 

fun opportunity of pattern testing for Whole Circle Studios!

I now have a thing for flowering snowball quilts!

This was just my tester quilt... I have a king sized version 

in mind for 2017!

2.  Most Comments Category.

(that didn't include a giveaway)

This post was about how "life" happens.

But with it I was able to make a quilt that took my down memory lane...

but I refer to it as my Paper Route quilt.

3.  A Secret Challenge

I was able to participate in a red and white small quilt challenge (of sorts) for Moda

I made two small scrappy red and white quilts and sent them to Moda,

 (along with the other people who did the same).

Then they were made into beautiful quilted pillows! 

The Moda Cutting Table post of these pillows was amazing!

 It was called Christmas in July.

I was so honored to be

a part of the group!

4.  This was a special personal challenge...

I hadn't made an Orange Peel quilt before but it became the one

I had to make for my son's wedding this year.

  

5.  In the most views category

 was my post for the First Blush blog hop.

I got to celebrate the first line of fabric by Red Ruby Designs!

I loved this fabric... and still have a lot of it stashed away!

The fabric was sent to me and 

I was allowed to do any pattern I wanted

with it. So I had fun... you can read about it in the post!

But the fun part is that it was partly

 a promotion for Fat Quarter Shop.

They have a block of the month 

starting using First Blush and a special book and ruler they designed.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Shopping, Sewing, and Some Celebrating!

 I have been a busy little elf in my sewing room...

when I find the extra time to be in it anyway.

December always seems to get away from me.

I have a list of things to finish making...

and family coming, starting next Tuesday.

Wednesday is my twins birthdays... so the celebrations

officially start!

Thank goodness for Amazon and on-line shopping in general.

But in the middle of that... I managed to get myself

a little bundle of 

Olive's Flower Market that I have been lusting!

(photo from Lella Boutique) 

But when one thing comes off the list...

another one 

gets added!

Vintage daydream by Dani for

 Riley Blake is so sweet... 

and will definitely go into my

 "shopping cart"next month!

I saw this 

sweet kit also...

(photo from Cotton Berry's website)

At Cotton Berry Quilts. 

I've been in love with the pattern for a while... and this kit is a

perfectly sweet

combination of Moda fabric and pattern!

Tomorrow night I will be decorating the tree

(finally) with the help of my grand little's.

Tonight... dinner and sewing (gifts) with

a quilter friend!

Blessings and Good Cheer

(this is Jol fabric by Northern Quilts for Moda Fabrics)

Well, I have been missing my sewing room and it seems

I have been missing my blog for a couple of weeks now too!

December is a marathon of activity and added to it...

this little sweetie pie was born last Wednesday!

My oldest son and his wife had a little boy...

I was in the car when I got word that it was

"real" labor pains and she was being admitted. 

I had picked my husband up from a 4 day

stay in the hospital... starting the day after Thanksgiving.

We had a 4 1/2 hour drive ahead of us...

and yes, the hubs was a trooper and opted to go too!

 We walked into the hospital just as Killian James was born.

I got to hold him for a nice long time over the next couple of days.

What a roller coaster of a holiday week!

I am feeling blessed to have everyone home now and doing well!

Oh yeah, the photo on top...

I managed to play in my sewing room  in between all the

other things plus

getting out

 and setting up

 Christmas decorations.

However, 

the tree remains outside...

until I can cut the bottom branches etc.

For My Bookshelf

(photo borrowed from Pinterest)

Have you seen this quilt from Market?

It's by Laundry Basket Quilts.

Edyta has a new book that has just been released...

The quilt is called Quilter's Patch.

The photography is so beautiful in this book!

The Fat Quarter Shop will be starting a Block of the Month 

program to make this quilt... if you are interested!

It will begin in January.

Here is the information on it.

I would love a garden like this!

And until next Spring...

I have this book to look at!

I might make the quilt and use my stash but the 

BOM is very appealing... for only $20 ish  per month.

FQS is always very generous with their fabrics

 and 

pick the perfect ones...

 taking that headache out of the equation! 

I for one wouldn't miss a Laundry Basket Quilts book.

I love them all!

100 Small Blocks

Something else I finished.

It's a pattern from the book 

Modern Heritage Quilts.

I love this book! 

This is the best photo I have right now. 

I'm still daylight challenged...

I think I actually finished it on a rainy weekend.

I used my leftovers from a project earlier this year. 

There are a variety of low volume fabrics and

a dash of Zen Chic.

It was a perfect pattern for it... it just uses the 

smallest of scraps!

There are 100 of the small plus blocks... fair warning!

I also used the same leftovers in this quilt.

I had purchased this unique panel and a junior layer cake.

I don't usually like panels but this one was so artsy!

I had it finished pretty quickly (an advantage of using a panel)

even though there are about 100 blocks in it.

At least these are 4 1/2" blocks... the quilt above was 3 1/2" blocks.

It's called Thicket.

The pattern can be found for free. 

Here is another free pattern using Thicket at Moda Bake Shop.

I have a couple of little things to make using the leftover panel animals...

maybe a little pillow and a stuffed toy with ribbon tags on it.

It is going to be for the arrival of my grand little...

coming December 1st!

Or maybe... this:

(photo borrowed from Stacy Bloomfield's photo at Moda's blog)

I was feeling good about getting it finished and to my long arm quilter...

but my LAQ liked it so much that she requested a little trade...

An offer

I couldn't 

refuse!

I will be making another  one...

but not until the first of the year!

(I'm not showing her the tote though)!

Celebrating October in November and Thinking about December

I have been challenged every since the time change!

Maybe even prior to it.

It's been dark when I get up in the morning and 

dark when I return home from work.

And a new discover...

I haven't driven in the dark in a long time... my eyes are

having a heck of a time with those headlights from

oncoming cars!

I am able to be a little productive in the mornings...

but it is terrible trying to get photographs!

I was happy to complete this quilt from Simply Retro book.

It's called Vintage! 

I have been hoarding this line of fabric for a couple of years...

and knew that I needed a pattern that would compliment the large

scale of the prints.

I like the way it turned out...

I'm calling it October Skies after the line of fabric.

I am trying to get some of my "outstanding" projects out of the way...

so I can switch gears and think about Christmas!