OMG: January Finish!

My husband and I have lived without a dining room set for most of our marriage. For a couple year's before we moved to the SW, we did have a beautiful game set but we chose to leave it behind with the snowblower. We've usually used our dining spaces as a lounge-type area, but currently it is an online shipping and storage area. Sometimes I really miss a dining room; when guests are here, holidays, and especially when I see Carole's lovely table-scapes. Last year, I sold my special china of 30+ years. Shipping them all off was a sad day really, but they had only been out of their boxes a few of those years and used a couple dozen (memorable!) times.

Point is, I am without many options for a photo-shoot to share this set of quilted placemats and table runner.

I wasn't sure of the dimensions needed and made the runner rather skinny to be sure it would all fit on the table...
It is about 7" wide and 40something long.

Bound, wrapped and shipped! These were a belated-Christmas gift! I know they look Christmas-ish, but these are colors that really go well in the recipient's home and I am really hoping that they can be used year-round.
The placemats were made as two panels, quilted and then cut apart into six mats. I used a new-to-me brand of quilting thread.
My local LSC charges over $14 for Aurifil, and very limited in colors. I found a local embroidery shop that carries the Floriani brand. I am still an Aurifil snob, but this thread quilted really well, it is 40wt, all-cotton, and I had no problems with it at all.

Yippee, my January goal is complete and I am one-for-one! I am so happy to join the finishes-party at Elm Street Quilts!

OMG: A Goal for December!

Hello, Hello!
my my my, how time is slipping by, lol.
Don't panic, but yes, we can almost count the hours until the deadline to ship packages for Christmas.

I have kind of stalled here, but with only one day left to link up with One Monthly Goal,
I have finally decided my December goal is within reason and I can put it in writing.

I really want this I-Spy quilt under my friend's tree come Christmas morning. 

The quilting is more than halfway finished, and I need to select/cut/attach binding. At least I already have the label on this time, lol! When I share the finish, I will finally reveal the backing as well!

So, that is what I am working on, as well as other gifts. We are making jerky this year, and I'll be concocting a few lotions.

I'm a winner? say what?
What a surprise, and a thrill, to win the $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop last month! They really are my favorite quilt shop and I am so grateful for their ongoing support of the cyber-community. Soon, I will share pictures of the Kona-goodness I selected!

To enter the December drawings, hurry over to Elm Street Quilts to link up with your One Monthly Goal!
I hope to see you there!

November Progress: OMG, Oh Scrap, and Quilty365

I have completed my November goal, to finish machine-quilt Panel #12. It brought me through the election, the constitutional block near the bottom-right..
One of these is from the kitchen curtain fabric I used in 1985, lol...

Oh, those Eighties,
Here is my memory still stored on a shelf:

I am still really enjoying the fabric selection process, finding things to represent daily life events.
41 more dots are required to complete my 366 blocks, and I will use those as border blocks. I have about 20 half-assembled, so I am only a bit behind:)

I have stalled completely with the big-stitch quilting though, stuck on Panel #11, right here with RSC-inspired Roses.

The last circle I quilted was here under one of the debate nights,

I have been sewing in short intervals. A little of this, and a little of that. I try to do a couple lines of quilting on my I-Spy quilt each day,

 And I trim a few of these Quilty365 centers now and then:

I do really like having the Martelli cutter, it switches the pressure points being stressed. The clasp is awkward, but I am getting used to it. Also, it is harder to keep clean since the lint gathers under the protective plastic, then suddenly poops a greasy pile on my precious.
I keep a Q-Tip nearby to catch those before they release.

Really, I have to avoid cutting though, and that means I've set aside my Kite Tails blocks. I will make one more soon, but for now all 23 are piled in their box. I have been referring to the project as BYOT; Bring Your Own Toppings.

These are indoor cell-shots, but to give you an idea of the whole!

I snapped a photo of some really good books I have been spending time with lately:

The top book was a gift from my sister a couple years ago, I highly recommend it. It is so informative, and can tell you how to deal with any odd-looking veggie you may be tempted to bring home from market, or new-to-you fruit your neighbor leaves at your doorstep. It seems to cover everything. I recently roasted green chili's, and yellow ones too, for the freezer. Those have prompted me to pull my Sante Fe cookbook.

Last week I made potion lotion, prompted by those two books in the middle.

I didn't have enough almond oil and opted for some olive oil mixed in. The almond oil is less greasy, but olive is good for dry skin and I did not want to use my yummy coconut oil since I am almost out of granola. Next, I selected these three essential oils from their descriptions in the books:

It was all pretty easy to do. I followed directions in the 2nd book, on library loan, to heat the oil, melting the beeswax, then emulsify with water. I really like the lotion, so I thought I would share this!

Thank you for catching up with me today, I am looking forward to seeing what everyone is up to!

Cynthia, at Oh Scrap!

And, Scrap-Happpy Saturday!

Audrey, at QuiltyFolk

OMG: November Finishes

November Goals: OMG!

Surprise, Surprise!
One Monthly Goal has moved locations!
The new home is with Patty, at Elm Street Quilts!

Click the new button to check out the Welcome Page!

 Isn't it cute?

So...
This means I get to link-up with a goal of my own, at the November Linkup!
I aim to piece & sandwich this panel (#12) for my Daily Dot quilt. I am using QAYG method for the QAL hosted by Audrey at Quilty Folk. These dots represent September 16th - October 20th, so I am a bit behind. I am due to stitch block #366 on November 29th. 

I hope you will join me over at Patty's place for monthly goal-setting!
Cotton Cuts has generously offered a one month subscription, fabric bundle!
Something like the one I received this month...

ooo-la-la!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments! I am still very limited with computer use and I regret that I will remain a "no-reply-to-your-comment-blogger" for awhile longer. Meanwhile, I ordered the Martelli Ergo Cutter as a way to change up muscle-use when I am cutting future quilts.
I can hardly wait to see how she handles.
Has anyone tried it?

I found this photo, and a review at Quilter's Review

OMG It's Finished: October!

With one week left for October finishes, I must finally admit that my own quilty goal is just not happening this month.
Now more than ever, I need to see your finishes, so that I may live vicariously!
I have managed to stitch a few rays of sunshine this month.

Usually, I make two Kite Tail blocks each month, for Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I need extras though, to total 24 blocks. So this month I made a third, with the yellow and orange colorway for October RSC.

These blocks require a lot of cutting and apparently this third block was just one too many for me. The day after I pressed and trimmed my strips for the 'extra' one, my wrists swelled and gave me grief like never before. I am still unable to cut, and only very limited computer time. I have managed to stitch the third block together, in five minute increments, over the past two weeks.

Hopefully, I can figure the exact cause of this soon, but for now I hope you understand if I seem quite anti-social! I regret that I will not be able to reply to comments until I am comfortable once again on the PC. I will be able to read your posts, and want you to know I am cheering for you, and that I am so very appreciative of your participation!

An InLinkz Link-up

This is the FQ bundle I put together for the OMG, October prize-pool!

Please take a few moments to visit our monthly OMG sponsors!

 Fat Quarter Shop: $25 Gift Certificate (Flash Sale Link HERE!)

Bagmaker Supply: $20 Store Credit 

Please visit Bagmaker on Facebook! Let's help this awesome shop reach 500 followers! 

Did you know Bagmaker is now stocking hardware kits to coordinate with SWOON Patterns, and with Bag of the Month Club!

 

Thank you for sharing your October goal with OMG!
Much Luck for success!

Looking for more info? Read about One Monthly Goal.

September Winners: One Monthly Goal

Winners were contacted yesterday for the September OMG Giveaways, but one of them has not responded! Maybe we should all visit Ellie's blog, Ellie at Color My World and leave a congratulatory comment! While you are there, check out her Handprint Quilt! It returned from the quilter's, and Ellie will be binding it, as her October goal.

Ellie won the $25 Gift Certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop!

Next up, the ISpy Charm Pack:

Congratulations to Barbara at Cat Patches!

Barbara has a giveaway of her own going on, open for entry now through the 7th, where one lucky winner will win the whole set of Bag Ladies! The patterns can be used for the upcoming QAL: 

$20 Credit at Bagmaker Supply: Congratulations Lena, at Quilt Art by Olena. Have fun shopping for zippers, closures, kits and such, Lena!

I made this quilty dot to replicate the Bagmaker Logo and included it with Quilty365!

Lena shared a tutorial for the cutest Pumpkin Cannister at her site yesterday, and I ripped a picture to show ya'll!

If you love giveaways, (and who doesn't!), Amy, who joined the OMG linkup her first time this month, is offering a lovely charm pack at her site: AmyScrapSpot 

 Also, Val has an Engelbreit-inspired give-away going on this week, in conjunction with her Tuesday Archives linkup!

Thank you all for another great month!

Now get to work! Let's make a dent on October goals!

A New Month and a New Goal

Welcome to One Monthly Goal!
I'm going to move this post right along, to get the party started without further delay!
Short and sweet, perhaps, but I do have an October goal:

I hope to finish the ISpy Quilt that has been sandwiched for a week or so now. Foregoing the OMG rules, I am not going to share a photo of the goal. Also assuming you have all seen enough of it until the finish. There'll be no I-Spy overkill coming from this-away...

So as not to disappoint, I do have one pretty photo to share!

This is the bundle I put together for the OMG, October prize-pool!

I am sharing two spools from the Aurifil 'Simply Color' set I recently won at From my Carolina Home. Holding the spools for inspiration, I selected a few stash fabrics to make a little (FQ)baby-bundle. Babies on the brain, who knows..
The winner will have fun with the nursery print humor, it is quite different than norm, and a bit of a hoot.

Please take a few moments to visit our monthly OMG sponsors!

 Fat Quarter Shop: $25 Gift Certificate (Flash Sale Link HERE!)

Bagmaker Supply: $20 Store Credit 

Please visit Bagmaker on Facebook! Let's help this awesome shop reach 500 followers! 

Did you know Bagmaker is now stocking hardware kits to coordinate with SWOON Patterns, and with Bag of the Month Club!

 

An InLinkz Link-up

One Monthly Goal Linkup: Celebrating September Finishes!

I've completed my first bag for the Bag It 2016 Challenge!! I am ON it, right? I want to make six bags this year and there is no time to lose; the linkup at Elm Street Quilts closes in only 83 days!

I began with a pretty batik sunflower, part of a bundle I won from Mary, at Quilting Grandma Designs.
Can you guess what I have stashed inside those pockets?

Come closer, my pretties,

aaah,
That's better.

My dimensions vary a bit from the tutorial that I used, offered by Carole of From My Carolina Home. I won a gorgeous box of Aurifil Threads from Carole recently. The brightly-colored spools inspired me to pull special fabrics, and piece the inside pockets. It'll be a cheerful burst of color every time this pouch is opened!
For the circles, I ironed freezer paper templates right on the fabric. Easier to rotary cut the fabric that way, and I can re-use them when I make another.
This bag is destined for my SIL. It has a similar style as the jewelry roll I made for her last year, the one on the right with similar bell-style, metal cord stops.

I picked them up at a local bead shop. They fit snuggly and I really like the finish!

Because this is a Christmas gift, I am linking my finish up with Ho, Ho, Ho, and On We Snowman, hosted this month by Sandra Sews!

Just One week left to reach your One Monthly Goal! 

I finished my September goal, btw, to complete the I-Spy backing, but have not photographed it yet. Perhaps I will join the party and link it up here! 

See you soon!!

An InLinkz Link-up

One lucky participant will also win an I-Spy bundle, custom cut from my stash! 
Here it is in-process:

Please visit our OMG sponsors this month, as a way of saying...

Thank you!