I Like Thursday #117 ~ Sharing the Season

Getting ready for Christmas!

I have been making Christmas Stockings since 2012:

Free Christmas Stocking Tutorial Here

I added names and made this one for Everly's First Christmas, 

and have welcomed new members to the family with their own special stocking. 

I am posting past projects today as I always find I have very little time for sewing and stitching in the busy weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

This is a time for family and celebrating all the gifts we receive everyday of the year. 

I do enjoy all the festive sewing and stitching online.

Here are some free quiltalongs:  

This Christmas QAL looks spectacular! 

Christmas Elves Quiltmas QAL 2021

Block 1 is this cute

Nordic Gnome Block @ Cotton + Joy

Block 2 is this adorable 

Christmas Angel Block @ Sharon Fraser Designs

Another wonderful free quiltalong may be found at ...

Cozy Countdown to Christmas @ Moda Bake Shop

Block 1 ~ Mom's Sweater Here

Block 2 ~ Merry Little Mitten Here

I am not sewing but I am saving the blocks.

Looking forward to another wonderful year of stitching and sewing in 2022.

Linking up today with my  Thursday blogging friends, 

I Like Thursday @ Not Afraid of Color

May you and yours have a safe and healthy and happy holiday season! 

30 Days of Improv ~ Week 3 ~ Triangles

Here are my five blocks for 

Week 3 ~ Triangles @ Broadcloth Studio

I started this 30 Days of Improv QAL here. 

This is a fun sew along. 

I started the week by free cutting triangles from my layer cake pieces.

The blue steel grunge in my setting fabric.

One of the daily prompts called for using scalene triangles,

which have three uneven sides and tree different angles. 

I sewed these to make four random quarters and trimmed. 

Then I trimmed the long edge of the halves to have a 1/4" seam allowance.

This is the result.

Then I trimmed to form a small block. 

I am really enjoying the randomness of these blocks.

The improv sewing is a nice break from the precise sewing of my other block projects. 

Looking forward to Week 4.

Have a happy quilty weekend! 

A Fun Day in the Sewing Scrapatch

 

Improv ~ Stripes  ~ End Of Week

for the

30 Days of Improv Blocks QAL

@ Broadcloth Studio

Day 5 of Stripes Week called for incorporating negative space as a design element.

I pulled this 10" square from a different layer cake by Gingiber.

Then I pulled some cutoff strips from my scrap basket. 

After I cut and sewed my first improv, this little kitty came to supervise and help.

Do you know which little kitty is giving her paw of approval?

Here is another clue.

It is Maestro!

For those of you who read my kitty stories, you will know that Maestro has had few trips to the vets this summer. This is actually the first time she has jumped up on the table to help me  sew in weeks.

I am sew happy she is feeling playful again. 

This is the block that Maestro and I made together.

After that I played some more with my scraps. 

Which resulted in this scrappy improv block.

Then there were 7 blocks.

Then I went back to my machine to use up as many of the scrap strips as I could to make a long strip to add to the strip section of my quilt.

I am happy with this week of improv sewing and am looking to the new prompt for the week in my Sunday emails.

Time to work on my Bats & Boos Pumpkin blocks.

What are you planning to work on this weekend?

Have a happy quilty time! 

Improv and Improved ~ To-Do Tuesday

My choice for my improv blocks: Fabric C!

I am loving the sharp contrast in these fabrics. 

Here is my first Improv Block for the 

30 Days of Improv QAL ~ Info Here

This week's prompt calls for "square."

"Square" seems a bit of a contradiction for blocks that are meant to be free

 and non-traditional and wonky. 

That is okay ... I have always been a little wonky and contradictory ... lol!

I pulled these fabrics from my stash:

gray shabby from Riley Blake Designs, 

white tone on tone that has paper airplanes on it with no selvage info,

blue steel grunge by Moda Fabrics,

mustard geometric from Riley Blake,

and an orange splatter dot from Windham Fabrics.

These fabrics work well with my layer cake of Words To Live By by Gingiber

 As suggested, I tried cutting my squares without a ruler.

I admit that I did use the grid on my cutting mat as a guide. 

I also embraced the wonky and did not stress over perfectly aligned edges 

and straight seams. 

My resulting block is based on a nine patch 

with bits and pieces of scraps to give it a modern new look.

I am quite happy with it.

Today is Day 2 of the Improv challenge and it called for using smaller squares so I used the scraps from day one and cut them down to about 1" square and added cuts from the layer cake to each side.

 This is Block 2 for my improv quilt.

The suggested size was 5 inch blocks

 so I am trimming and squaring my blocks to 5.5." 

Yes, I am making the blocks perfect squares ... at least for now. 

~~~

Since it is Tuesday, it is time to check my list from last week and see how I am doing with this weekly goal setting thing. 

Last Week's List:

1) Make more Kinship Fusion Sampler Blocks ... yes

2) Make the Weekly Summer in the Garden quilt block next Monday ...yes

3) Continue my Sew Sampler Sell Off ...yes, my fabric nest egg is growing!

4) Make more Cozy & Magical Sampler Spree Blocks ... yes

5) Find a  hand stitching, embroidery or cross stitching UFO and do some slow stitching ... yes

6) Decide on my fabrics for the 30 Days of Improv Blocks and be ready to sew for the start day ... yes 

7) Block off time that will be "Log Cabin Blocks Only" time and get sewing.  This quilt has to be done for my son's birthday this fall ... no 

Score:  6 Yes and 1 No ... this is a Yes!   

I have improved this week... :) 

I also had lots of sewing fun this week.

I need to get realistic about the log cabin quilt an figure out a plan. 

~~~

Goals for the New Week:

1) Make more Kinship Fusion Sampler Blocks. 

2) Make the Weekly Summer in the Garden quilt block next Monday.

3) Continue my Sew Sampler Sell Off and de-stash efforts. 

4) Make more Cozy & Magical Sampler Spree Blocks.

5) Slow Stitch of my project of choice.  Photo coming soon.

6) Make the blocks for the weekly prompt for the  30 Days of Improv Blocks 

7)  Have fun in my happy sewing place. 

I am Linking Up with 

To-Do Tuesday @ chrisknits

Looking forward to a new week of sewing fun.  

May your week be sew happy and full. 

Fabric Decision Day ~ 30 Days of Improv QAL

30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Starts Today

Click in the link below for more info: 

Broadcloth Facebook Studio ~ Facebook Page

~

So it is Fabric Decision Day

Here are the fabric pulls I considered for this project:

Fabric Choice A

My first thoughts were to choose some fall colored fabrics as the season will be starting to turn this month in my quilty corner.

It took me awhile to dig out and assemble these fabrics.

The small floral and yellow lead fabrics are from an old line by Basic Grey called "Persimmon" and have been in my stash for a long time. The tone of tone cream leaf background fabric is something I purchased on sale some time ago. The five colors are from Laundry Basket Quilt's linen weave line.

I really like these fabrics together and want to make a fall quilt with them.

Fabric Choice B

I bought these basics and prints this year at Needle & Foot

when Bernie announced she was retiring and closing her shop. 

The sale is continuing and discount is now 30%. 

 Still some very pretty fabrics there. 

They were not bought for any particular project and are sitting near my sewing machine looking for a home. I love the colors and think they would work well in an improv quilt. 

Fabric Choice C

These are the last fabrics I pulled together for a possible choice for this quilt.

I found fabrics in my stash to compliment this new layer cake that arrived Here last week.

~

I have already been sewing today on this new project.

Which Fabrics Do You Think I Chose? 

A -B or C ???

Clue:  The fabric cat is out of the bag on Instagram

 as I already posted my first day block there. 

30 Days of Improv QAL ~ Broadcloth Studio

 

I (almost) cannot believe that I am doing this.

I am (really) going to take on another timed project commitment.

Well (as my followers know) my concept of time is my own. 

If I miss a day or get side tracked I am not going to stress about it.

I sew for fun and this looks like fun.

This Improv QAL is happening at

 Broadcloth Studio

I received an invitation in my email because I have purchased their patterns

 in the past and am subscribed to their newsletter. 

There is an information post  for this Improv QAL on the

Broadcloth Facebook Studio ~ Facebook Page

and also on 

Broadcloth Studio ~ #Instagram

Because I signed up for the QAL, 

I received the fabric requirements in my email today.

Hmmm ... now I need to find some fabric ... :) 

This is going to be sew fun!