OPAM Finish for January.......just in time!

Here it is, my first finish for the OPAM Challenge................

The binding is finished and the buttons are all stitched in place! Originally, I planned to do the border in the same fabric as the baskets. Got started with it and realized it did not look good at all! The narrow border in the same fabric as the runner looked much better. This is a Thimbleberries pattern that is no longer available.

And I took a picture of the back, just to show it's really finished and that the binding isn't just pinned in place! I set it on my table and added the candle in hopes that it will encourage spring to arrive early. There's a certain groundhog out in Pennsylvania that will give us his opinion on Tuesday. We shall see what Puxatony Phil has to say and I hope it's that there will be an early spring!

I am excited to think that I might put the finishing touches on a project a month. Wow, I would have 12 items I can use by the end of the year, instead of 12 projects in a pile waiting to be finished!! Now I am going to sign off and choose what project I will finish for February. :-)

Sandi

Short and sweet.......

That's what this post will be as this might be the latest at night, or the earliest in the morning, that I have ever posted. I am just about to turn out the lights after having a great night at a quilt-in and I didn't even leave the house!! The members of my Seasons BOM group joined me for an on-line quilt-in and wow! did we have a fun night chatting. Some folks actually sewed and posted photos! There were prize giveaways, too. I had fabric and some little cookbooks to give away and another member, Barb, also shared some fabric and patterns so there was lots of anticipation for who would win the prizes offered each hour or so. It kept me very busy tallying up the names to put in the drawings. Plus, I had to snack occasionally and I had to let the dog out a couple times. Otherwise, he slept through all the fun. I managed to make a little something and I will use it alot. So, would you like to see what I made at the Quilt-In........

A coaster!! That was all I could get done but as I said "I'll use it alot!" There will be a "mugwrap" to match if my little project works out. If not, it will go in the scrap bag. That bear on my mug is reminding me that I best get to sleep. I'm betting I'll sleep really well tonight! :-)
Sandi

A pillow for my sleepy head...........

I finished the "Bulb-a-licious" project! It's a design by Sandy Gervais that she has shared on the Christmas Blog Hop (you'll find all the details at Gudrun's blog - Gudrun'sWorld). To check out Sandy's blog just click here and you'll be there. I really liked the pattern she offered but almost right away, I knew I'd make it into a pillow instead of a table mat. I used woolfelt for all of the applique pieces and flannel for the border and corded binding. This will go nicely with a couple of other flannel Christmas pillows that I made a few years ago. I'll take a photo of all of them together when I get to that part of my decorating.

This project was fun and very easy to do. I stitched up the applique part while waiting at the doctor's office last week. I changed the design just a bit by adding the words NOEL to the ornament. Once I was home, I had to lay it aside but tonight, I added the border and binding, then the backing and a couple of buttons in the back for closure and it was done!! Next project I'm going to do are some of the little bags by Terry Atkinson so I can make up Christmas mugs for my grandson and niece. I found really cute mugs at Michael's so tomorrow, I'll see what fabrics I can find that will go best with the mugs.

All of the designer's are offering some really fun projects but even more enjoyable are the stories that are being shared. I can't keep up with reading all of them but hope to come back to them later in December when things settle down a bit. Thanks to all of the designer's for sharing so much fun.
Time now for a bit of a read before I go to bed. Got an Agatha Christie novel that is calling my name. :-)
Sandi

Good Monday Morning!!

Oh, yes, it's going to be a good Monday because I had a good weekend!! I actually finished some projects......completely.......not one seam left unstitched!! So what did I finish?

This lovely bag which is a pattern designed by Nanette of Freda'sHive. Nanette sent the pattern and kit to me at Christmas last year and it has been at my sewing machine waiting to be stitched. Then I took it along to our retreat this past August where I sewed the strips together and then planned to machine quilt it. Didn't happen. The machine I brought to the retreat wasn't compatible with my walking foot from my machine at home (and I'd only ever used it once on that machine!) so the project went back to my sewing desk waiting to be finished. One day I looked at the panels and thought, "you know, I think I'll 'chunky quilt' the seams with Perle cotton" so that's what I did. My friend, Denise, taught me the term "chunky quilting" and sometimes it's just the right look (especially on flannel projects). In this case, I felt it was just the "right look" on the fabrics that were in Nanette's kit. I goofed, though, when I stitched the layers together. I placed the stitched strips, batting and backing together and proceeded to hand-quilt it. Then came time to add the rick-rack trim and that was when I realized I shouldn't have sewn the lining to the batting. Oh, well, move to Plan B.

As you can see on the back side of the bag and on the inside photo, I sewed a strip of red print along each panel edge, stitched it in place and then added the rick-rack. It worked! No mistake is really a mistake in quilting. You just have to get creative and come up with a different way to correct that mistake. LOL!

I intend to use this bag as my "goin' guilting, lots of fun, maybe some shopping" bag. I plan to see that it gets lots of use! Thanks, Nanette, for the great bag design and the pattern and kit.

So, what else did I finish? Neither of these projects are very big but they are FINISHED and that feels so good! I embroidered the "Time for Tea" design for this potholder and you can find the design here . Then I machine stitched around the heart and flowers to secure the layers of batting, silver heat resistant fabric, etc. I didn't use my walking foot on this one and it worked out just fine. But then I thought, maybe I should give that walking foot a try.....so I did and here's my walking foot project.

This little fabric panel (approx. 7 1/2" x 9 1/2") was in a bag of scraps that I won at a quilt club meeting. I thought it would make a cute hot pad and a good practice piece with my walking foot. And it was! The walking foot works great! I don't think I'd want to quilt large items with my machine but I enjoy small projects more anyway. I just did an outline around the chefs and a little stitching here and there. It went so fast!

So there you have it, my reasons for why it will be a good Monday. Hope you had a great weekend, too, and enjoyed finishing a project or just enjoying time with family or lovely weather. Have a good day now!

Sandi