And just like that, November is gone. Well, it actually left last week but that’s ok. So, how was November you ask? (even if you didn’t ask, I’m telling…lol) It was great! I didn’t get as much done as I wanted but I feel it was still pretty productive. And I can’t complain about the 4 day Thanksgiving weekend. A much-needed break.
What happened in November?? Well, as I am writing this on Dec 8th, I feel the Twelve Days of Christmas song coming on…
12 Instagram mini quilt blocks
11 bobbins of thread
10 more IG mini quilt blocks
9 feet of binding
8 more IG mini quilt blocks
7 glasses of wine
6 more IG mini quilt blocks (DONE!)
5 Swoon blocks
4 borders added to a second IG mini quilt
3 nights of handsewing binding
2 Christmas Pillows made
and
ah-mazing Tula Pink Swag!
Sorry about that. I had too! Ok. Moving on….
Those IG mini quilt blocks took a lot of my time. I even spent our guild sewing day working on them. I mean, look at this…this is a 3″ block:
Here is the “for scale” photo. As you can see, small. So small. Not sure I will ever make this one again. If I do, I will generate up a paper piecing pattern for it. Without that stability, some of the smaller half-inch squares started to get a bit wonky.
All in all, it turned out magnificent. I added a border to not only bring it to size but to also keep all those small edges from unraveling during quilting and binding. This way, everything was secure. It went out today and I can’t wait to see what my partner thinks about it!
And while we are on the topic, I had a participant in my IG mini quilt group that couldn’t fulfill her obligation so Julie and I stepped in and teamed up to make her partner something great. Julie made the center block (its like an altered log cabin…so great!) and I added the outside curved geese borders. They brought it up to a good size and gave it a bit more playfulness. This one also went out today but she doesn’t know that we are the ones that made it. I figure she will find out eventually (my names is on the box) so I felt there was no harm in posting it here.
After sitting for over a year now, I am bound and determined that this Swoon quilt will be finished by Spring. (Hopefully sooner if I can figure out how to piece a 120″ x 120″ backing in my room that isn’t much larger than that. Oy!) I have decided that instead of doing one block here and one block there, I am just getting them all finished at once. So, I have made a Swoon assembly line. I have 5 left and they are all being worked on at the same time. I have a system and for some crazy reason, it works! These suckers are so big (24″ each) that it’s like putting together 16 mini quilts to make one large one.
What else…oh, 2 Christmas Pillows. Chrissy over at Sew Lux made up these pillow kits and I scooped two of them up to throw on the couch this Christmas. They don’t really match any of my stuff but then again, none of it matches each other so I figured, why not? I did try a new technique out though while making them and once I got the hang of it, these little things flew right along.
I am holding the pillow top with one hand and taking the pic with the other and as you can see, everything is hanging there (the first 3 rows have been sewn together). Because of the way that it was pieced, there are no rows to worry about mixing up or pieces that get turned around. Everything is where it should be. Once you get to this point you just keep sewing the rows together until you get to the bottom. Its hard to see but if you enlarge the picture you can see the threads holding all the rows together.
Here are my 2 pillow tops. They are basted and ready for quilting as soon as I get the Swoon blocks done and off my table. Hopefully this week.
And lastly, my favorite part. I have an Angel who got me some Tula Pink stuff while at the International Quilt Market in Pittsburgh last month. A brochure about her new line coming out next year, a sticker (which now lives on my sewing machine) and the highly coveted, rare, numbered, and autographed deck of playing cards. I may have squealed a little when I opened this (ok, a lot)!!
And that my friends, was my Nov. Well, that and the first week of Dec but who’s really counting. I have a Chem final coming up followed by the holidays with family. Can’t wait!!
🙂
Jess
Sew Patched Up 