Make-A-List Monday: 6/30/14

Wow!!! Already the last day in June!!  This year is going by so quickly, I can't keep up!  With this week being a 4-day workweek for us here in the states, hopefully it'll go by quickly and we'll be on to the big 3-day weekend!!!

Here's a recap of last week's list:

• Finish at least the top of the Pink & Chocolate quilt - D.O.N.E.  I actually finished the top on Friday night (missed the TGIFF/Finish-It-Up Friday post unfortunately).  I got it basted and started quilting yesterday.  This will definitely be a finish this week!
• Start working on the table runner for my coffee table - Haven't started yet.  Had to finish the Pink & Chocolate quilt first, but this will be carried over to this week!

So.... here we go with this week's list:

• FINISH the Pink & Chocolate quilt - just have the quilting to finish and get the binding on, and it'll be a finish this week!
• Start working on the table runner for my coffee table - Hoping to start this by mid-week and finish it over the 3-day weekend
• Start working on my next big quilt - not sure which one it will be... but I'm going to start another one :-)

I'm planning on some mega "quality time" in my craft room this week working on projects.  With any luck, I'll be able to cross off not one but TWO projects off the "To-Do" list by week's end!

Hope everyone has a fantastic Monday and a great week to come!!!

Sunday Stash - 6/29/14

Here we go with my most recent (and LAST for a while) additions to my stash...

First up, order #1 of 2 from from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

• Rosey Jelly Roll by Tanya Whelan for Free Spirit Fabrics
• 2 yds - Rosey Little Roses Pink Yardage by Tanya Whelan for Free Spirit Fabrics
• 1 yd - Kona Cotton - Azure Yardage
• 3 yds - Kona Cotton - Snow Yardage
• Yellow Brick Road Quilt Pattern
• Dritz Lint Brush - DESPERATELY needed one!!
• Missouri Star Quilt Company Mug
• Autographed 1st Issue of BLOCK Magazine - Freebie for ordering
• Three Handy Notions Bundle - Free Daily Deal item

Chalk this order up to the "Freaky Friday" sale they had on Friday the 13th!!  Just couldn't resist.  The Rosey Jelly Roll has been on my wishlist since I first started shopping at Missouri Star a couple of months ago.  I LOVE it!!  Bonus... we share a name :-)  I wanted it, but had no clue what I would use it for.  That is, until I saw last week's Missouri Star tutorial (Beach Balls Quilt).   It will be the perfect fabric for that pattern.  Again, this is another project that has been added to the monstrous "To Do" list with no recipient in mind, but I'll be fun to make :-)

Next is order #2 of 2 (and my last order for a long while!) from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

• .5 yd - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - Gray Yardage
• .5 yd - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - Green Yardage
• .75 yd - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - White Yardage
• 3 yds - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - Black Yardage
• .75 yd - Wizard of Oz: 75 Years of Wickedness - Black Yardage #2
• .5 yd - Halloween Parade - Star Orange Yardage by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake.
• .5 yd - Halloween Parade - Stripe Orange Yardage by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake
• 1 - Halloween Parade Charm Pack by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake
• .75 yd - Basic Brights - Stars Multi Yardage by Windham Fabrics
• .5 yd - Basic Brights - Aspirin Dot Red Yardage by Windham Fabrics
• 1 - Basic Brights Charm Pack by Windham Fabrics
• 1 - 5" Charm Pack Tumbler Template

All of the Wizard of Oz fabrics go along with the panel I got last week from equilter.com to make my MIL a quilt.  Not quite sure when I'll get around to it or when I'm going to want to give it to her, but seeing as though she is a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan... I couldn't pass up getting the fabric now before it's gone for good and too late!

The Halloween Parade fabrics/charms and the Tumbler Template are going to be used to make a table runner for my living room for Halloween.  I'm sure I'm going to have extra left over, so I'll have to come up with something else creative to do with the remnants.  Also, the Basic Brights fabrics are to make a simple charm baby blanket for my stash of baby stuff.  Whether I give it away as a baby shower gift, or (hopefully) use it for our future child... looked like fun fabrics to play with!

This is my LAST order from M* for a long while!!!  I've now got enough precuts and yardage to do almost 16 projects!!  I have officially put myself in the "crafting freezer" and need to focus my energy on creating instead of shopping :-)

Last up is my last order from Connecting Threads:

These were all the colors I originally wanted but missed out on during the sale due to being out of stock.  Figured for the little bit more to pay for full price, I could go ahead and grab them now so I have them, instead of waiting on a sale in the future.  Between the three orders I've placed with them over the past few weeks, I have practically every color I could possibly need!

Well, that's it for my new stash.  This will most likely be the last Sunday Stash for quite some time as the "no shopping" rule is going to prevent me from making any additions.

Hope you're having a splendid Sunday, and have a great week to come :)

WIP Wednesday - Would This Bother You?

I'm FINALLY to the borders stage on my Pink & Chocolate quilt. You start off by doing the top and bottom first. Easy Peasy, right?  Well, not as much as I thought. Lining up the block border with a solid in between proved to be a harder task than it looks. Most of the blocks lined up (maybe only a hair off).... Then there is the one that is obvious.

Ripped out and resewn three times and this was the best I could get it :-( I give up!  It'll just have to do, and hopefully the quilting will hide the flaw. 

Fortunately, the intended recipient isn't a quilter so I doubt she'll notice. 

What do you think?  Should I try one more time to get it to line up or just let it be?

Linking back to Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday and Sew Fresh Quilts' Let's Bee Social

Thank You Bubby!!

What a wonderful surprise to come home to today!!  Barb over at Whisper Of Rose Quilts (Bubby on the Missouri Star forums) sent me a gorgeous Downton Abbey charm pack to go along with the fabric I won from Audrey a couple of weeks ago!!!

Thank you SO VERY MUCH Barb!!!  It is absolutely gorgeous and VERY generous of you!!!!  This just made my day :-)

My first thoughts were to incorporate it with the other Downton Abbey fabric I have, but after checking out all the colors and patterns in this charm pack... I think I'm going to use it on a quilt for my mom. The colors will match her basement perfectly and I like them much better than the cheap fat quarters I bought from Joann's a few weeks ago!  

Thank you again so very much Barb!  You truly are a sweetie!

Hope everyone is having a terrific Tuesday!

Make-A-List Monday: 6/23/14

It's been a busy, busy week again.  Sewing, cleaning, laundry, and being sick.  All rolled into one fun-filled week.

Here's a recap of last week's list:

• Finish the Jolly Jelly Roll flimsy - Not quite..... Had every intention of working on it all weekend and having it wrapped up by yesterday, but it never happened. 
• Make a Playtime Cuddle quilt for the baby shower this weekend - D.O.N.E.!!  Kinda had a minor hiccup when cutting the pieces, but I managed to figure something out and get it all done and ready to go for the shower.
• Finish cleaning up and re-organizing craft room - D.O.N.E.!!  Well, as much as I need done right now.  Got my room all cleaned and organized between Friday night and Saturday.  It's going to be so wonderful to work in a space where I'm not tripping on everything!
• Work on the knitted pillow for my living room - Honestly, didn't even have a chance to look at it last week!  Too busy working on other projects I guess.

So.... here we go with this week's list:

• Finish at least the top of the Pink & Chocolate quilt - almost there... just need to finish up the borders and it'll be ready to baste, quilt, and bind!
• Start working on the table runner for my coffee table - I've got the pattern, fabrics, batting, and backing ready to go.  I DESPERATELY need this done ASAP as my coffee table is currently unprotected and getting scuffed up :(

Keeping it really simple this week.  Don't want to over-plan and under accomplish.  Hopefully I'll get more done, but I'm not going to hold myself to it.

Hope everyone has a fantastic Monday and a great week to come!!!

Sunday Stash - Mega Haulage Ahead!

I was a BBAAAADDD girl over the past week and half or so!  The mailman has been bringing me lots of "Happy Mail" full of yummy quilting goodies!

First up is my (first) order from Connecting Threads:

Fuchsia - Tomato - Butter - Aqua - Midnight - Sandstone - Taupe - Latte - Espresso - Slate

I wanted to take advantage of their killer thread sale ($1.79 each down from $2.79 each).  Most of the colors I wanted were completely sold out by the time I went to place my order, but I did manage to get quite a few to start building my thread stash.  Most of them match upcoming projects, and then I grabbed a few just to have :-)  Couldn't pass up the sale!!

Next we have my second order from Connecting Threads:

Wine - Tea Rose - Meadow - Lichen - Lime - Calypso - Hyacinth

Next up is yet another order from Missouri Star Quilt Company

• Home For The Holidays Fat Quarter Bundle by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake
• Natural White OMNI Thread
• 3x - A Beautiful Thing Charm Packs by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake
• 2x - MSQC Tape Measures - one for my knitting bag, one for my sewing room
• .5 yds - Kona Cotton - Sunflower Yardage
• 1.5 yds - Kona Cotton - White Yardage
• 1 yd - Home For The Holidays - Flake Multi Yardage by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake
• 1 yd - Home For The Holidays - Stripe Multi Yardage by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake

The Home For The Holidays fabric is for making a matching table runner to the Christmas Tree Skirt that I have planned.  I LOVE this fabric and just can't get enough!  I know I'm going to have more than I need, but I'm sure I'll find something else to make with it.

The A Beautiful Thing Charm packs were the Daily Deal one day last week.  I had no plan for them, but I just loved the patterns so I had to get it!  The Sunflower and White Kona fabrics go with the charm packs and I've now got a Lucky Charm Quilt on my ever-growing "To Do" list.   No recipient in mind for this one, just want to make. 

Here's a teeny, tiny order from equilter.com:

• 75 Years Of Wickedness - Totally Wicked 36" x 44" Panel

I'm going to be making my MIL a quilt using the panel and some Wizard of Oz fabric I grabbed on my most recent Missouri Star order (which should be here sometime this week).

Finally, a quick little order from The Fat Quarter Shop.

• Dowager Countess Downton Abbey Fat Quarter Bundle
• Feast Bountiful Harvest Fat Quarter Bundle
• .5 yd - Bountiful Harvest Brown Dots & Medallions Yardage
• .5 yd - Bountiful Harvest Tonal Words Yardage

SORRY for the lousy picture!!  It got dark on me too quickly last night and I had the worst time trying to get a picture.  The Downton Abbey fabric is to go along with the fat quarters I won from  Audrey at Glory Be Quilter last week.  I'm going to do a Yellow Brick Road quilt for my grandma for Christmas with this one, and I'm so excited to see how it turns out!  These fabrics are GORGEOUS and I can't wait to get started!  The Bountiful Harvest fabric is to make a muchly-needed table runner for my coffee table.  We got new furniture a couple of months ago and the coffee table is scratching easily :(  Hopefully a table runner with help with that!

Add all this to the gigantic haul from JoAnn's I got last Friday... and the TWO orders that I'm waiting on from Missouri Star, AND the third order from Connecting Threads..... I'm good to go for a LONG while!!  After those orders, I'm done!  I'm completely cutting myself off from shopping until I get more projects done and limiting myself to only purchasing stuff that I need to finish a project.  No more fabric.... no more notions... no more thread.  I'm going "cold turkey"... wish me luck :-)

Have a wonderful Sunday, and a great week to come!

SEWjo Saturday - Craft Room

Well, this weekend hasn't been as full of sewing as I had hoped.  I spent my entire Friday night and Saturday cleaning and re-organizing my "Craft Cave."  I went to Wally World and picked up some 2.5 gallon zipper bags, along with a plastic 3-drawer storage chest to house my newly acquired quilting treasures.  Here was my room before....

The picture is from a couple of months ago,  but has relatively remained unchanged since.  I had three machines with no homes, piles of fabric on the floor, and no room to move.  Since my room is home to two of my "major" crafts... sewing/quilting & scrapbooking, there is a LOT of stuff in a small space.

I worked all night last night and finally got my stuff organized and manageable. 

 

Wow!  How awesome is the panoramic mode on the iPhone!!  Lol  Here it is, all neat and tidy.  It's going to be so nice not to have to be tripping on everything all the time and to be able to do something without moving 10 things first.

Here's a quick tour...

 

The sign on the door to my "Craft Cave."  The Batman symbol is an inside joke between me and Hubby.  I always tell him I'm going to "the cave" and one day he asked me if that made me Batman.  Since then, he calls me that all the time, especially when I'm in a crafty mood.

 View from walking in the door

 My sewing station.  It's an old cubicle counter resting on top of two filing cabinets.  Multi-colored storage tower on right is full of scrapbooking paper scraps.

 My TV, wide-format printer and cart full of scrapbooking stuff in the dormer, and my computer desk

 My desk and my main working area.  White JetMax cubes are full of scrapbooking stuff and home to my two die cutting machines, but my embroidery machine and serger are now housed in the upper left hand shelf of the unit

Work station, ironing board, bookshelf (full of scrapbooks, books, and magazines), and my two overly-stuff closets.  Left one is scrapbooking mobile storage and my overflow sewing stuff, right one is FULL of scrapbooking stuff

 

 

My simple work station.  4' table with a cutting mat on top, white storage chest houses my notions, scissors, templates, rulers, extra thread, an the bottom drawer is full of my sewing machine supplies (power cords, foot petals, embroidery unit, embroidery hoops, etc.).  Two small containers in the middle are full of thread with my June Mystery Quilt kit resting on top.  The two tubs on the right - top one is my "project kits" ready to go, and the bottom one has what little "stash" fabric I have.

Sewing closet contains all my mobile scrapbooking stuff, along with a tub of pre-packaged batting, tub of yarn, tub containing finished projects, an a small tub of fabric scraps.  The two hanging ZipLoc bags contain all my muslin for backings as well as all my batting scraps.

Linking up with SEWjo Saturday at My Go-Go Life and Show Off Saturday at SewCanShe