Category: scraps

One Monthly goal and a little “Side Sewing”

What do I mean by Side Sewing?  Sewing something not quilty.  I don’t do it often, but it does happen.  I like my little key chains.  Quick gift if you need one.  I used the Lazy Girl Tutorial.  I love her name, I am totally in synch with her name.  I am a lazy girl.  When I say that I don’t really mean lazy, but looking for a better faster way of doing things.  She made hers out of candy wrappers, which I will have to try.  I love reusing stuff.

So, For my One Monthly Goal, I am going to quilt and bind my “Starry Starry Night quilt. WaterMark_2018-02-26-13-45-16 I am going to attempt to use one of my new rulers.  We will see how that goes and if the plan changes.  Time will tell.

On a positive note, some things are looking up.  All the crapiness shall pass… and new crapiness shall take it’s place.  But different is sometimes good.  Sewing/Quilting is my drug of choice.  Pretty sure it keeps me from being going to jail.

So, on a happy note, I found these beautiful Robin Eggs in my landscaping.  Can’t wait to 20180430_201358see them hatch.  Pretty sure we skipped spring and went right to Summer though.  Very Confusing weather here in Ohio.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

One Monthly Goal…It is truly a miracle

I am not sure how I managed to finish my One Monthly Goal, but I did.  This is the quilt WaterMark_2018-04-21-19-28-17top given to me by Nanette.  I love it.  I quilted dog bones, free-handed it.  That was a bit scary, but it came out all right.  I used a festive multi-watermark_2018-04-21-19-26-10.jpgcolor thread.  I love multi-color threads.  I don’t know why.  I am weird.

So, the back, come crazy dog fabric.  I had a friend give me whole bolt of this stuff.  It is sort of odd, not exactly fleece and not exactly flannel.  Just weird, but perfect for my dog quilt.  Yes, this is my dog quilt.  I have already used it while lounging on the couch.  Warm and cozy and extra special since the top was made by an extra special friend.  I have plan to make another quilt like this and donate to a dog rescue so they can hopefully raise some money.

Seems that family is on the mend.  Kev is getting better and my sister’s prognosis no longer seems as bleak as it once was.  A long way to go, but there is light.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

Sarcasm is running amuck…..amuck…amuck…amuck…

I finally found a use for flannel.  Yeah.

I do say that with a hint of sarcasm.  I like flannel, just not in quilts.  Then why do I have so much?  Good question.  Maybe I just can’t pass up a sale.  Ohhhh, that is very likely.  Don’t get me wrong, I have made a  few flannel quilts with scraps.  They came out fine.  I just feel that by the time I am done, the fuzz on flannel looks dirty.  I know, weird.  But I do like these cute receiving blankets made with flannel.  Super simple and cute.  I would like to make them a bit larger, which I will work on for the next one.

20180414_085845-1.jpgThis past Saturday our guild had a quilt in.  Name tags with your name or your code name.  Hah!  Well, I could not help myself.  The sew-in was fun.  They had someone teaching free motion quilting, or you could just work on whatever you wanted to.  I took my $11.99 Bernina and sewed up a storm.  It was a rainy Saturday in Ohio, so it was perfect for sewing and I won a door prize.  $25.00 gift certificate to a local quilt shop.  WooHoo!

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

I definitely bit of more than I could deal with.. HQAL and Mystery Quilt Along.

HAPPY EASTER!

Hand Quilt Along

Yep, that is all I got done this past month for the Hand Quilt Along.  Ugh.  It has been a rough month at the Brewer House, but I think things are looking up.  I do most of y hand sewing at swim practice and winter swim has officially ended.  We will now start swimming clinics until Summer Swim starts.  I also, did not have my vehicle for three weeks and half the contents of my hand sewing bag had spilled out without my knowledge.  So, I was missing a bunch of stuff.  So, to see all the wonderful hand quilting progress from people who actually got something accomplished, please visit the following:

Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Jessisca,  Sherry,  Nanette, Sassy, Edith, Sharon, Deborah and Bella.

watermark_2018-04-01-19-55-28.jpg

Mystery Quilt Along

Well, I have not gotten much accomplished.  I have three blocks finished and a pile of cupcake papers sewn, but that is as far as I have gotten.  I do love the cupcake papers.  They work so well on charm squares.  PLease make sure to take the time to review all the other participants in the Mystery quilt along.  I am sure they are not nearly the slacker I am.

Cindy @ inastitchquilting.com

Tracy @ It’s a T-Sweets Day!

Edith @ ediscraftinglife.blogspot.com

Desert Suz @ DesertSky Quilting

Roseanne @ Home Sewn By Us

Michelle @ Creative Blonde

Abbie @ Sparkle On

Elana @ ThatFabricFeeling

Kathy E. @hazels-daughter

_Verlynne_ posting on Instagram

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

My one Monthly Goal in this crazy month

So, I finished my one Monthly goal and I don’t like it one bit.  O, my intent was to use this to practice my curved borders.  However, I got new rulers and got all excited about that and we have some pretty awful ruler work.  I thought about tearing it all out, but I just did not feel like it.  They are not all bad, but there are a couple that are pretty hideous, not to mention that for whatever reason my measuring skills were totally non-existent.  I will use it on my table.  Everyone always makes a big mess anyway…..It will blend in with the quilting.

This is the crazy birthday month.  All the kids’ birthdays are this month, along with my late mother, and my late husband, Derrick.  While I understand what everyone was doing that July before, I just do not understand why, myself included.  Fourth of July is really not that exciting.  So, the month has been getting gifts and making food and it is not over yet.  Still one tomorrow and Friday, Haley has some of her friends over.  Teenagers.  Great.  They will eat all the food, drink all the pop, and be super annoying.  Such is life being the parent of a teenager.

Due to all the crazy birthday stuff, I get little or nothing accomplished from a quilting perspective.  Add in there that I really miss my Mom and I have spent the month constantly thinking about Derrick and feeling a bit sorry for myself.   There have been numerous times that I just wanted to call Mom and talk to her about “things”.   Next month will be Dad’s birthday and I was totally a Daddy’s girl. Yeah.

Then there is the fact that, the first dead husbands brother died.  Haley wanted to see him before he passed.  I took her.  I had not seen these people in nearly 10 years.  It was stressful, but not nearly as awful as I had managed.  Sad that he is gone, I always really liked him.   At least he will have some good company.

Gosh, I sound depressing.  I don’t feel as bad as it sounds.  Sometimes, life just happens.  I need to get more sewing/quilting in and chase away the blues.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Blogging Slacker here but I got my One Monthly Goal completed! Woohoo!

I feel like it has been forever since I have done a blog post.  Way too much going on.  My daughter has had some crazy virus.  SHe is getting better, but we are still doing breathing treatments three times a day.   Kevin has also been sick.  Amazingly, the person with the compromised immune system (me) has managed to stay healthy.

I managed to completed my One Monthly Goal amidst the insanity.  I really love this quilt.  I have names it Hugs and Kisses.  I quilted circles on this quilt (hugs).  They don’t look to bad.  I used freezer paper.  basically, I used a protractor (showing my age) to draw circles on freezer paper and then sewed on the lines.  The freezer paper was good but I did learn a few things.  First being, don’t iron all the pattens on at once.  Just iron on a few at a time.  I initially ironed them all on and manipulating them under the machine caused them to loosen.  I eventually, pulled them off and only put them on one row at a time.  Then I had no more issues.  I will use the freezer paper method again.  I ended up using a sulky thread that was sort of an Ombre orange.  It went from dark orange to light orange.

I got to make this quilted wall hanging for free.  My local quilt shop Red Rooster Quilts gives a free quilt block every two weeks.  I am already collecting my next set, which is a lovely christmas wall hanging.

I really like this wall hanging and plan on hanging it in my family room.  I think it is because I really like orange fabric.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

My hand quilting and one of the many reasons I can’t get things done.

Well, not much has  been getting done around my house.  There are a host of reasons, 20180217_120109_resizedKevin and Haley both sick, plumbing issues and a very large chocolate lab who thinks she can sit on me while I try to sew.

I did make some progress on my two hand quilting projects.  My Dog Bone dresser scarf is 45.5 inches long.  I think I only need to add 2 more dog bones.  This was mostly due to the Super Bowl.  As I sat on the couch, I worked on this project.

 

The Flower Garden project now has a total of thirty flowers.WaterMark_2018-02-18-19-24-15 (1)  I am thinking that when I join all these together, I might use a yellow.  Not to sure, but that is where my mind is at right now.   To get a view of all these talented ladies hand work, click on the links below.

So, I do have to say that through my blog I have met some of the most wonderful and generous people.  I need to give a special shout out to he wonderful Nanette.  She is a super generous person and has become a special friend to me.  I am so greatful

 

Wurtle has led me astray from my quilting

So, Wurtle has kept me away from my quilting, a family watermark_2018-02-07-19-25-21.jpgfriend that attends school with my daughter informed her that he wanted a turtle pillow with his turtles name on it for his birthday.  Since his sister got a quilt form me on her last birthday, I could not deny his wish.  Wurtle was pretty easy to make.  He has a pocket under his belly, that is meant for pajamas, but I will likely put candy in it.  All in all, I think Wurtle came out pretty good for a turtle.  Only took me about 2 hours to complete, including cutting.

Happy Quilting

Happy Sewing

I Tried this out over the weekend. The results are good.

OK, so I tried out the freezer paper method for quilting.  The results are good, but there are a few things I would do differently.  So, I ironed on all my circle drawings to the whole piece.  I found this not the best approach.  So, with the all of the freezer paper over the entire quilt, I found it difficult to move the quilt around without crinkling and loosening the designs.  Plus, since I was making a complete circle for each one, I had to totally turn the quilt around on each piece.  That is a lot of turning and manipulating.  So, I took them all off and only put on those for the area I was directly working.  Once I did this, I did not have any more issues here.  So, I think that circles are hard.  I found that I had to go very slow, which is OK.  I also found that I could not quilt a circle with feed dogs down, but rather did a lot of pressure foot lifting.

So, you can see from my photo, that my quilted circle is not too bad.  It is not perfect, but I’ll take it.  The first one I attempted, I took out, but once I figured everything out, I was good to go.

So, I finally successfully used my knee pressure foot lifter (for the most part).  I find it very hard to remember to lift my foot before lifting the pressure foot with my knee.  I did eventually manage to coordinate this, but it took me getting everything in the right spot.  Then, I found it easier to quilt the circles.  I will continue this freezer paper method for this quilt and will likely use it again.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

One Monthly Goal Finish

Seriously, how can January be over?  As I get older, I do not understand how time passes so quickly.  I feel like the holidays were last week.

I actually completed my One Monthly Goal. Not only did I complete, but I did a “New” (new for me), all over FMQ design.  I guess I can call it the “Linangle” design (lines and Angles).  It is not perfect, but it is not that bad either.  The only major weirdness is the binding.  I did not have enough fabric to do all one color,m so I used what I had.  Looks a little wonky because of it.

Now I am going to have to come up with a new one monthly goal for February.  Likely to be more quilting.  I am working on a secret piecing project.  More on that later.

I don’t have any plans for this quilt yet.  Will likely just store until the right time comes along for me to give it away or donate to charity.

I really enjoy the “One Monthly Goal”.  It is a strong motivator for me to get things done.  I can not say I am going to do something and then not do it.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting