Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Design Wall Tuesday

This last week I was able to get all of my goals done!  I got a baby quilt top put together, and I finished the 2nd border tonight, which is a relief to have the top done!


To help get the top to this stage, I had learned, as I was about to sew things together, that the pre-cut squares I got from a manufacturer, were not cut to a Charm Square size, instead I had to go down and trim them all by 1/4", which was frustrating within itself.


I was able to attend a sew day on Saturday, and I got a Christmas gift laid out.  I got about two-thirds of the rows sewn together.


In addition to getting the quilt top finished, and the Christmas present worked on, I was able to trim these two items as my LQS has bigger mats I can use when I am there.  It was an awesomely productive day!


My goal for the week are pretty simple.  My only goal is to iron this fabric, cut out the quilt, and hopefully start to sew the top together so I can get it quilted the following weekend.


Simple right?  I hope I am able to get a lot done so I can make my quit appointment.  I also need to think about what my August One Monthly Goal will be.


Linking up with:
Design Wall
Monday Making
Main Crush Monday

-Christina
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July 2018 OMG Finished!


I got my goal done, which was to get this quilt top finished!  I squeaked it out tonight, which is very realeaving to tell you the truth.


Now to think of what I want to do for August, as it is only a few hours away!

Sharing at:
Elm Street Quilts
Sew Fresh Quilts

-Christina
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Tuesday, July 24, 2018

2018 Mid-Year Review


1. Blogging -

  • Blog at least once a week, I like Mondays as I enjoy sharing what I was able to accomplish within the last week, and what my plan is for the next week.  - I have been pretty consistent with this, as I enjoy these posts, plus they help me set what I am going to work on for the next week.  I love having a plan!
  • Comment on other blog posts. - I'm not the best at this, but I do try, even if it is two months late :)
  • Improve my picture taking skills. - I have not worked on this yet.
2. QAL -

  • Follow along with one mystery QAL and keep up.  There are several options throughout the year - Cora's Quilts, Meadow Mist Designs, or Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. - I did not follow along with Cora's Quilts QAL, and the Meadow Mist Designs QAL I have my fabric picked out, I still need to get my book though, but I'll get that accomplished before too long.  Bonnie Hunter's mystery I am going to also try and follow along, however we will see how far I get.  I might get stuck at the fabric choices, but fingers crossed I can keep up!
3. Showing Work -

  • Enter 2 quilts into a Quilt Show at church in March - I was able to complete this!
  • Enter 4 quilts into the local Quilt Show in September. - I will not have enough quilts that meet their requirements to complete this.  I do plan to make a Drunkards Path quilt for a show in March 2019 that I will be traveling to.

4. Personal Sanity -

  • Sew, cut, or iron fabric for 15 minutes each day.  Realistically I will accomplish it between 200-300 days this year, but I am going to strive to do it all 365 days. - I'm doing pretty well on this so far.  I'm at 86.7% success rate, which I'm proud of, and I completed 2 full months without missing a day.  I am seeing progress on some quilts that were just sitting there because I never had time to get to them.  It makes me want to do even more.  My end of the year goal is to have a 90% success rate.  I have plenty of projects that I think I can accomplish this, and I can ALWAYS find something to do!

5. Organizing/Cleaning -

  • Clean off desk - these items need ironing and folding as the fabric has been starched and it will be nice to have it ready for when I start on a project. - Funny thing, I just cleaned off the desk for my husband!  My starched fabric is all organized, waiting for me to start working on said project.
  • Organize and empty 4 laundry baskets full of fabric, putting fabric away. - I have not started working on this yet.  I should cut this goal down to 2 laundry baskets, because who knows if I can even get through that amount.
  • Organize (at least start) the quilt patterns as they are overflowing. - To complete this, I need to finish the laundry baskets, so I'm going to move it to next year.

Overall goal:
My overall goal is not to buy new projects, I have plenty and by working 15 minutes or more a day I will make progress on a few projects this year.  Focus on what I have and use it.  Do not pine over another project.  I am noticing that when I do not touch fabric or work on something crafty for a while I start to look for another project and if it is on sale I buy.

HAHAHA, not to buy no projects, has been a bust for the first part of the year.  However, I have not added as much as before, but I have still added.  I am going on a craft/project buying diet.  As of this week, I am not allowed to buy new projects.  I am only allowed to buy to finish collecting for a specific project I have in mind or if I need something else to complete a project (which I'm pretty overly prepared so I do not see a total issue with this).  Maybe next year I will try and track how much I use vs. how much I bring it.  I think that would be an eye-opening experience.  Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe I should do that for the rest of the year.  What is your thought on tracking your fabric in vs. out?

My word for 2018 is focus. This word is working well, especially since I'm focusing on finishing several projects at once, and I am focusing time each day to move a project towards the finish line.

 We will see what the end of the year brings, but I think my goals are more accomplishable this year, and I have made some progress on them.  Positive focus will get me a lot further than negative thoughts.  Here is to a great rest of the year!

Sharing at:
Sew Fresh Quilts

(I'm late for the mid-year as I was out of town when it was due, but it is still nice to review and see how I'm doing)

-Christina
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Monday, July 23, 2018

Design Wall Monday

This last week, my Mom and I went on a shop hop around Southern California.  It was two days of constant driving with 16 stops at various quilt stores.  We had a lot of fun, but are exhausted.  Of course I tried to limit my purchases, but that got away from me as I was inspired by several samples I saw.  We used all of the time that the stores were open each day, and finished 10 minutes before closing time.  Here is my passport all finished!


I also was able to get my tutorial for my snowflake pillow.  You can find the tutorial, and the list of other blogs that participated here.  I am very pleased with how it turned out, and I love everyone else's awesome ideas that they shared.


My goals for the week are pretty simple.  My first one is to start working on my July One Monthly Goal.  I hope to get the top all put together as the end of July is quickly approaching.


My second goal is to work on laying out and start putting together a quilt for my Mom.  She does not know it is coming to her yet, and I hope to surprise her during Christmas this year.


Linking up with:
Design Wall
Monday Making
Main Crush Monday

-Christina
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15 Minutes of Stitching - Week 29

Let us see how this week went on the 15 minutes of stitching front.

Days spent stitching this week: 7 out of 7
Days spent stitching in July: 20 out of 22
Days spent stitching for 2018: 176 out of 203
Rate of Success: 86.7%
My week runs Monday through Sunday.

This past week was literally about finding the 15 minutes each day, but I was lucky and squeaked out the time.  To even have a little bit of progress done each day was nice to see, as my project is progressing.  This next week should be a little better, especially since I have a sew day on Saturday!  I hope everyone has been able to make great progress on their goals for the week.

Linking up to:
Life in Pieces

-Christina
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Wednesday, July 18, 2018

On the 6th Day of Christmas


Hi and Welcome to Christina's Handicrafts, I'm Christina and I LOVE to quilt, cross stitch, knit, and read.  Today I am sharing a few decorative items you can make for your home around the Christmas holiday, and sharing a tutorial for a beautiful snowflake pillow that is perfect to grace somewhere in your home (once made) for the winter season.

First off, some things that are fun and easy to make for the holiday season.  One is the Stitch and Flip Wreaths by Poorhouse Quilt Designs.  They are really fun, fast and easy to make.  I can whip a few out in an afternoon now, as they are easy to chain piece.


The second item to help decorate is a snowflake table runner I designed last year, and shared a wonderful tutorial for it.  You can find that tutorial here, or under the tutorial tab.  I have since finished the table runner, and I love the quilting I did for it.


The snowflake pillow was created last year, with a pattern I designed.  When I shared it, a few people wanted me to share a tutorial, so I thought this year would be the perfect time to create and share it.

The pattern I designed is below.  I used it to figured out my pieces and used it to layout each section before sewing it together.  Keep this picture handy, as I'm sure you will refer back to it several times.


Some points to note.
W = White/tan
B = Dark Blue
T = Teal
The half squares with two colors in them are for half square triangles.

What you need:
Fabric - fabric for the snowflake plus background, and muslim for quilting the pillow top
Ruler
Rotary Cutter
Batting
Basic sewing supplies
Sewing machine
20 inch pillow form
Optional - Bonnie Hunter's Essential Triangle Tool

First step is to cut out everything.  You need:
84 White 2" squares
25 Teal 2" squares
24 Dark Blue 2" squares
Using Bonnie Hunter's Essential Triangle Tool or method of your choice for 2" squares:
12 White/Dark Blue half square triangles
12 Dark Blue/Teal half square triangles
12 Teal/White half square triangles
Borders:
2 - 1" strips by width of center
2 - 1" strips by length of top and bottom


Once I cut everything out, I sewed of the half square triangles together, and trimmed them up using the BlocLoc ruler, removing the dog ears.  Then I layed out the first quadrant out, and started to sew the pillow top together.  I drew out my own pressing chart so everything nested together when I started ironing.  I made sure that the pressing directions did not get too confusing, to make it simple on myself, and anyone else who makes it.  First picture is my pressing directions for the whole pillow top.  The second picture is laying out one quadrant.




When I put this pillow top together, I chained pieced everything at the same time, but I made sure to keep each quadrant separate until it was completed, and I sewed them together.  This was easier for me to make sure it went together correctly.  I still had to pull out my seam ripper on an occasion to correct a mistake.

Once I got the whole center part of the pillow top together, I sewed the border pieces on.  The sides first and then the top and bottom, pressing the seams out.  This is what it will look like when completed.


Next step is to layer a muslim on the bottom, batting and then the pillow top together, basting it with your method of choice.  This could be with basting spray (I used it), big stitches, or pins.

After the pillow top is layered, it is time for quilting.  You could machine quilt it, or hand quilt it.  I hand quilted it using perle cotton, and I love the texture it created for the pillow top.

Once the pillow top is quilted, trim to 20.5" by 20.5".  Prepare the backing fabric for the envelope backing, and sew the whole pillow together.  To create the envelope pillow case I followed Crazy Mom's Envelope Backed Pillow Tutorial.  This is how I did mine, as her pictures are great and easy to understand.  After you complete this step, you are finished, and you have a beautiful pillow that can grace your house throughout all of winter.


That concludes the tutorial for the Snowflake Pillow.  If there are any questions or uncertainty please do not hesitate to ask.

Go and visit all of the other blogs that will be/have participated in the 2018 Christmas in July Blog Hop.  


Saturday, July 14th

Selina @ Selina Quilts

Sunday, July 15th


Monday, July 16th

Jamie @ L'Fair Quilts

Tuesday, July 17th

Sharon @ Vrooman's Quilts

Wednesday, July 18th

Thursday, July 19th (TODAY)

Danice @ Homespun Hannah

Friday, July 20th


Saturday, July 21st

Marian @ Seams To Be Sew

Sunday, July 22nd

Anja @ Anja Quilts
Moira @ Quilted Snail

Monday, July 23rd

Brenda @ Songbird Designs

Tuesday, July 24th


Wednesday, July 25th


Stop by anytime, as I try and regularly post about what I'm working on.  Thank you for stopping by!

-Christina







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Quarter 3 2018 Finish-A-Long Goals


Quarter 3 is already here, which means we are half way done with the year already.  I was able to finish four things last quarter, and I am hoping to finish that amount, maybe more?  We shall see what I am able to accomplish.  My list is long, like it is every quarter, however I like to put it all on the list and go from there.  Now onto my list:

1. Stitch and flip wreaths. Make 3-4 stitch and flip wreaths for belated Christmas gifts for 3-4 people last year. They are not hard to do, it is just finding the time.  (I gave them IOUs for these beautiful wreaths).


2. Baby quilt for my Cousin's son who was born in the middle of January 2017.


3. Knitting a purple shawl - deadline long past, but I will use it in my office, especially when it gets cold and drafty.  If is a great knitting project to do in front of the tv.


4. Cross stitch Marriage record for C&T (late present).


5. Wedding quilt for C&T (late present, at least they know it is coming).


6. Handiwork (something I have been trying to catch up on for the last year, I just need to use one of my off fridays and sit down and do the minor repairs on most of the items).  The pile is getting larger each quarter.


7. Make rugs, this includes ripping what I've done out and restarting as I found a different pattern I want to use (belated Christmas gift...we won't say how many years late).


8. Charity Quilt top for Prayers and Squares at my Grandmother's church.


9. 2nd Charity quilt top for Prayers and Squares at my Grandmother's church (I started these before I got married, which means they are almost five years old.  I just found them in one of the last boxes I still have to unpack).


10. Wedding quilt for D&D (late present, at least they know it is coming).


11. Quilt for one of my Grandmother's (shhh, it is a surprise for her).


12. Mom's quilt (this one is even older.  I got the kit in college and got frustrated with it because my 1/4 inch seam was off and I was doing a horrible job at cutting).


13. Wedding quilt for N&B (this wedding was last year, 2017, shhh, it is also a surprise).


14. Christmas Table Runner  (this was going to be a present, but Christmas Eve my cat decided to play with my soda on the table and spilled some on it, so I could not gift it due to running.  I tried to remove the stain, which did not work so it is all taken apart to replace what was stained, and now it is time to put it back together).


15. Second Christmas Table Runner (still to be finished for a Christmas present).


16. Bonnie Hunter's En Providence Mystery Quilt (I've printed all of the clues and my fabrics picked out, I just have to actually start on it.  I do love the reveal, and I'm considering making it just a tad larger to fit on a queen size bed).



17. Knit scarf for my husband.  He saw the scarves I made for my grandparents for Christmas, and wants a few scarves.  As a result I am going to get this one done, and have the other two made for next winter.  It is made with a simple pattern.  Knit stitch about 30 stitches across and then 70" long.



18.  This quilt will be for charity.  I hope to have it done for 2019's Hands to Help hosted by Confessions of a Fabric Addict. I am making it with purples and greens as the latices, and I just need to start.  It is going to be gorgeous I think.  Photo credit goes to Confessions of a Fabric Addict.


19.  There was a mystery quilt a long with Cora's Quilts called Gathering.  The fabrics are gorgeous and I have finished all of the cutting, I just have to put each step together.  It will be a throw size.


20. Supplement my blog post for the 12 Days of Christmas over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict by making a pillow. It will be a 12 by 12 pillow with a single snowflake on it, appliqued and quilted down. I have no picture, everything is cut out, I just need to execute it. I was not able to complete it, so I'm going to work on it and get it done so I can present it as a tutorial this year.

21. Supplement my blog post for the 12 Days of Christmas over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict by making a pillow. It will be a 14 by 28 pillow with three snowflakes on it. The snowflakes will be appliqued and quilted down. I have no picture, everything is cut out, I just need to execute it. I was not able to complete it for the 2017 blog hop, so I'm going to get it done and present it as a gift idea for this year's blog hop.

22.  Finish Sweet Tooth Queen size quilt.  Started as a Breakfast Club project, I want to finish all of the blocks and put it together.  It will be the first quilt I have made for our bed.


23.  Finish Sweet Tooth baby quilt.  I had left overs from the two kits I bought to make the queen size, so I decided to make just one of each of the twelve blocks and combine it into a baby quilt.  I think it is going to look awesome when it is done.



24. Chenille this panel of Mickey for a birthday gift. It has been layered, I just need to sew rows and finish it off.


25. Chenille this panel of Disney Princess for a birthday gift. It has been layered, I just need to sew rows and finish it off.


26. Chenille this panel of Dory for a birthday gift. I just need to sew the rows on it and finish it off.


27. Chenille this panel of Belle for a belated Christmas gift. I just need to sew the rows on it and finish it off from there.


28. Chenille this panel of Belle for a belated Christmas gift. It matches the one before, the only difference is the minky on the back, and I'm sure the binding will be different. I just need to sew the rows on it and finish it off from there.


29. Chenille this panel of Little Mermaid for myself. This will be the last panel to be chenilled as I come last.


30. Finish snowflake pillow (shared at 12 Days of Christmas hosted by Confessions of a Fabric Addict), and make a second one for a Christmas gift and creating a tutorial. I received several requests during my blog hop stop for a tutorial for this one. I like it enough that I won't mind re-creating it.


31. Dr. Who quilt, finish as I have started cutting it out. This was an intended gift for my husband on Valentine's Day almost two years ago.


32. New baby quilt, pattern and fabric has been picked out. I just need to put it together.


33. Seth's toddler quilt. The pattern and fabric has been picked out, it just needs to be put together.


34. Natalie's wall hanging. The fabric has been picked out and the idea is in my head. I just need to put it on paper and figure out how to do the blocks as I do not have a pattern for it.


35. Storm at Sea quilt I started at the San Diego Quilt Show last year.  I have it all drawn out as to what I want to do, making it about 60" by 60".  This is the small quilt because I plan to make a scrappy teal/blue/green one that will be even bigger.  My Mom bought the templates, so I just need to borrow them from her to get cracking.



36. Proud Mary is from Splash of Color by Jackie Kunkel.  She was to come to the San Diego Quilt Show, however her class was cancelled.  All of my fabrics are picked out, I just need to finish ironing them and then start the cutting process.  


37.  L&B's Wedding Quilt is for when they got married in July 2015.  The fabric is starched, I just need to iron the fabric and then cut and make the quilt.


38. S&D's Wedding Quilt is for my sister-in-law and her husband, who got married in November 2016.  The pieces are waiting to be put together by English Paper Piecing (EPP), and the sashing squares are all cut, and starched, I just need to iron and put them together.


39.  On Ringo Lake the 2017-2018 Bonnie Hunter mystery that is absolutely gorgeous!  I have all of my fabric picked out and starched, I just have to get working on it.


40.  Meadow Mist mystery quilt was revealed in December.  I have the fabric picked out, and I have since the start of it, I just have not had time to start on it.


41.  Scrappy Bargello was started within the last week when I got to take a class with Bonnie Hunter. It was a fantastic class!  I have it all planned out, and everything is cut, I just have to sew!


42.  OSU Quilt #1 for Grandma is to make semi-matching quilts for my Grandparents to each use on the couch while they are watching games for their alma mater.


43.  OSU Quilt #2 for Grandpa is to make semi-matching quilts for my Grandparents to each use on the couch while they are watching games for their alma mater.


44.  Bel Canto is a mystery that was held at my local quilt shop for Strip club.  It is designed by Daniella Stout, and the reveal happened in December 2017.


45.  Baby blanket that is knitted.  I have casted it on, it is just buried in the my pile of projects right now.


46.  JoAnn's mystery knit, which is no longer a mystery, but I would love to get it done as it should be a decently fast knit.


47.  Moonlight Path's quilt along with Cora's Quilts.  Mystery started in March and will continue to through the first half of June.


48.  Pocket bags - set of 4 for personal use.  I have my fabric picked out, and it is on its way to me right now.


49.  Brown bag mystery quilt from Cupcake Quilts in Spring, Texas.  I am getting the clues mailed to me.


50.  Jelly Roll rug.  I am taking a class this quarter, and I want to finish it.


51.  D&D's wedding cross stitch is a belated wedding gift that I am trying to get done for the happy couple.  I'm still on the first border, but I have made more progress on it even since this picture was taken.


52.  Champagne and Pearls quilt is for a class.  I have some prep work to do before class, but I can not wait to see how my colors turn out.


53.  Ispy quilt for Niece, which will be a Christmas present.  All paper pieced, square in a square, with the Ispy fabrics in the middle.  I can not wait to see the secondary design comes out on this one.


54.  Drunkards Path for the Pigeon Forge Quiltfest in March 2019, I am creating a quilt to enter into the yearly theme for the quilt show.  I have the fabric, I just need to finish the pattern, and start cutting.  Once the top is completed, I'm going to hand quilt it with cotton perle thread, which I'm excited to do.


55.  Kingfisher QAL is hosted by Stitched in Color and Tales of Cloth.  The quilt includes EEP, appliqué and regular piecing.  I intended to work on this while away from home this last month, however life had other plans.  It will be a great evening project to wind down from the day.


56.  2nd Snowflake Pillow for the Christmas in July blogshop.  I needed to make another one to take progress pictures.  Now I need to finish it.


I am looking forward to encouraging everyone on making progress on their lists.  I am linking up to Throw a Wrench in the Works for the 2018 Finish-A-Long.

Sharing at:
Sew Fresh Quilts

-Christina
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