My December project for A Lovely Year of Finishes is finished...

December has been a very busy month...had a few stressful days but it always seems to work out.

...I did get my  December project completed for A Lovely Year of Finishes.

I am happy with my quillow.  I am calling it Sunny Days on the Farm.  

I started quilting about 13 years ago...but I was making quillows about 20 years ago, long before I could call myself a quilter...I love the new look of my quillow...it actually looks like a quilt...with binding.  Twenty years ago I would take a print fabric 1.5 yards long x wof and place it right sides together with a plain backing on top of a piece of batting....stitch around the four sides leave an opening to pull the fabric through to the right side...slip stitch the opening closed and sew 1/2" around the outside edges of the so-called quilt.  I would then center the pocket section to the top of the quilt and attach it to the quilt by stitching the top edge of the pocket to the quilt and then stitch the side edges of the pocket and continue stitching the quilt part to the bottom of the quilt...really there was not much stitching to the quilt...only 2 straight lines of stitching to secure the pocket and the print to the solid back...for some reason I always used a plain fabric for the back.

I had originally paired this farm print with a chocolate brown backing...20 years later I changed the backing to a Kona solid, Raffia...how our tastes change.

Shanna from Fibers of All Sorts and 

Melissa from Sew Bittersweet Designs are getting ready to host 

A Lovely Year of Finishes 2014.

I started in October 2013 and finished 3 UFO's

I am joining in again and hope to finish 12 UFO's in 2014...

join in and finish your projects!!

I had a lot of new finishes in December too...many were Christmas gifts...sorry no pictures.  I made 8 Tammy bags, knit 4 scarves, and I have some redwork finishes that I will be shipping to Robin at Bird Brain Design...soon...and with any luck at all they will be hanging in the Road to California Quilt Show January 23 - 26, 2014.  I made a Santa quilt and love it even with the quilting through the embroidery!!  I have a little peek for you...some day I will try quilting without a pantograph...

 ..here is a peek of the back, quilted with snowflakes

I also finished 2 message boards...

I have 2 more projects with dead lines that will keep me busy this week along with family returning for a visit on Tuesday...and I must not forget, I also have a dentist appointment tomorrow!!  

We've had lots of family visiting for Christmas.  My Dsister, DBIL, Dniece and her Dhubby were visiting since Friday, they left mid afternoon today to head back to Canada...they arrived just as our 2 sons and their families were packing up the cars to head back to Canada.  The Winter Classic outdoor hockey game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs is on New Years day and our youngest son, DDIL and the 3 grandones are coming back as the boys got tickets for the game...Santa was very good to them...they are about to freeze their butts...they are sooooo excited.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday

sharing it with family and friends...

hugs

December Goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes...

I have sEw many UFO's...what will it be???  Today is the last day to sign up...I've decided it will be a quillow I started about 20 years ago.  The pocket was sewn but not quilted and the quilt, batting and backing have been pinned for a long time.  They must be good pins, they haven't rusted.  OK here is the quillow pocket before I decided to unstitch it...why you ask?

I've decided I didn't like the fabric I had originally picked for the backing.  It was a poly cotton blend...remember it was from about 20 years ago.  I  have unstitched the pocket and found a better backing which is 100% cotton.  I will also be changing the batting...I don't like that polyester batting...I'm off to join the linky party before they close the doors to get into the party.  

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!!  I've also been busy working on my Redwork Challenge projects.  I have finished 8 of the Santa's from this pattern.  Sorry no pictures yet...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

Happy stitching,

A winner and a big thank you...

for all your sweet comments on my blog and on the Moda Bake Shop...

If you make a Honeysweet Pinwheel quilt I would love to see it.

Join Quilt n Queen's Show and Tell Flickr group

It's a place to share your photos of any

projects you have made using my patterns.

and now for the winner...

it's number 37

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said... 37

Love the patterns, and the honeysweet fabric is gorgeous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have a finish...my November finish for

A Lovely Year of Finishes

I started it in June or July for the HO HO HO blog hop

and in August it looked like this

...on November 28th it still looked the same...

 it was my project to finish by November 30...

and I finished Friday November 29th about 11 p.m....I squeaked it in! 

I added a piping to match the sashing...luv it!!
It is a Rag-Tag Stitchin' pattern designed by Michelle Ridgway.

I'm not quite sure what my December finish will be for 

A Lovely Year of Finishes 2013.

I have some pretty old UFO's

...I think I may pick one of them....

greater than 5 and less than 20 years old.

I have to have it posted and linked by December 7th...I can do this!!!

Happy stitching

Giveaway ending at midnight...

...hop on over to the Moda Bake Shop and take a peek at my Honeysweet Pinwheel quilt.  It is a pretty easy recipe, I'm hoping you will give it a try.  I am working on another variation, it will be my third twist on the same quilt.  I am excited about it and hope I have it finished before Christmas...it will include some embroidery.  Be sure to come back and leave a comment on my previous posting for a chance to win 2 charm packs of Fairy Tale Friends and 3/4 yard Bella Red or Bella Bettys Teal for binding and inner border.  If you are the winner and you have left a comment on the Moda Bake Shop posting...there will be a surprise added to the giveaway.  Good luck!!

What have you been working on?

I'm working on Tammy bags with Hello Kitty fabric for the grandgirls...

Redwork...for Bird Brain Designs Redwork Challenge...come on join the challenge with me...

and my UFO table runner for the 'A Lovely Year of Finishes 2013', I still have to finish that.

I'm beginning to stress.  I'll be back tomorrow with the winner...have a wonderful evening!!

Happy stitching

I'm baking at the Moda Bake Shop today...

...if you are visiting here for the first time and have come from the Moda Bake Shop, welcome to my blog.  If you are a regular follower...welcome and thank you for visiting again.  

It is always fun when you are playing with fabric...and precuts are definitely fun to play with.  In May 2012 I was participating in a quilt-a-long using half square triangles made with 5" charm squares...I had all the hst's made, even had them all trimmed, laid them out on the floor, fully intending to follow along with the quilt-a-long group.  I struggled with this quilt and just wasn't happy with the fabric choices for this quilt-a-long, I picked up the blocks and put them in a pizza box...another UFO was born...out of sight, out of mind.  I abandoned the quilt-a-long June 2012...:o(

This past summer I decided I had to start finishing some of my ufo's, my stack of pizza boxes was getting too tall...out of control.  I had finished a few ufo's and then decided it was time to work on the Fairy Tale Friend hst's...I took all the hst blocks, laid them out on the floor and moved them around many, many times and finally decided on a totally different arrangement from the quilt-a-long.  I like the fabrics with this arrangement so much better.  I had to make a few more hst's from the quilt-a-long requirements...no problem, I still had some charms to work with.  

I bought some of the red pinwheel fabric from Moda's mama said SEW by Sweetwater.  I thought the fabric was perfect...I struggled with the back too and changed my mind and ended with this...

The quilt measures approximately 52" x 52". I used 2 charm packs of Moda's Fairy Tale Friends designed by Sandy Klop for American Jane and 2 charm packs of porcelain #9900-182.  The back is a Bella solid...called Bettys Teal #9900-126, I added some of the the extra charms and a remnant of Moda's Pezzy by Sandy Klop.  It all matched perfect and I love how it all came together...another ufo finished!!

If you would like to make this quilt...Crazyquiltgirl Fabric Shop has the Fairy Tale Friends charm packs and the Honeysweet charm packs that I used on the quilt featured on the Moda Bake Shop.  Corinna also has the Buttermilk Basin Halloween pattern in stock.  It was one of my Wicked Blog Hop projects and that was fun to make too.

Now...if you checked out my quilt on the Moda Bake Shop and stayed with me here you deserve a chance at a giveaway!

2 charm packs of Fairy Tale Friends

3/4 yard of Bella Red or Bella Bettys Teal

...you choose the inner border and binding color

Here's the rules...it's simple...no hoops to jump, I promise.

• one comment please, duplicates will be deleted before I use Random.org to pick the winner
• please visit my posting on the Moda Bake Shop
• come back and leave me a comment.  I will pick the winner from the comments on this posting on November 25.  That is one month before Christmas...I know I will be sewing to the bitter end...are you still sewing for Christmas??

Edited...I'm linking up to crazy mom quilts, Finish it up Friday.

Good luck everyone

This giveaway is now closed

  Happy stitching

For the Boys Blog Hop...Day 7

Today is my day to share projects made for 'boys'...

...the little boys and big boys in our lives.

If you are new to my blog  
I hope you like what I have to share 
and will come back for another visit.

If you are a regular follower...
thank you for coming back to visit again.

 Eight more creative bloggers are sharing their day with me  
...make sure you hop over and see what they have made
...cheer them on with a sweet comment.

November 14^th

I like to QuiltBlog

Marjorie's Busy Corner

My Fabric Relish

Feathered Nest Studios

Moose Stash Quilting

QuiltnQueen - this is me

Grandmama's Stories

Our Busy Little Bunch

Words and Stitches

Thank you Mdm Samm and Amy for another fun blog hop.

Your hard work is greatly appreciated.
A big thank you to the sponsor of this blog hop
 Camelot Fabrics

I have a few quilty things to share with you today, 
all are easy and fast to make...

I hope you like them.

The first project is a donation quilt suitable for a sports enthusiast
and a pillow case.  
I made this quilt especially 'For the Boys' blog hop.
It is a quick and easy pattern...
cut, sewn, quilted and bound in a week.

I used a collection of sport prints from my stash
...soccer, baseball, football, basketball.
The background is Kona cotton...charcoal grey.
I quilted it with sports equipment and the quilting
 is looking much better than the first time I tried this pantograph.

 

 

The directions for a lap size 48" x 68" can be found HERE.

I called the pattern Cobblestone Path.

I am working on the the fabric requirements for 

quilts measuring 60" x 84" and for 72" x 84"

Follow me by GFC, email, Feedly or bloglovin

and you will not miss it...it will be posted on my blog.

A few years ago

I made a similar quilt using Fair and Square
by Amanda Jean.
I donated it to Margaret's Hope Chest.

Here are a few more quilts and things I've made...some for

big boys and some for little boys.

This is the second quilt I ever made...back in 2001.

It was a flimsy for a long time and finished it about 2005.

 It is still one of my favorite quilts...a quilt for my DH.

It is wonky log cabin blocks made with homespuns

and backed with flannel.  It's a cozy one!!

You can find the tutorial for the wonky log cabin block HERE.

This summer I made another chenille quilt, perfect for a little boy.

This is such a happy quilt.

...this panel quilt was a quick and easy project...

...and a quilt with puppy dogs, kitty cats and balloons

was a fun quilt I made for Quilts for Kids...

I used Henry Glass Happy Town fabric by Jacquelynne Steves

...this special quilted bear I made for my grandson.

He quilted the fabric and

I made it into a teddy bear and 

gave it to him at Christmas  2 years ago.

and last...what little boy wouldn't like a crayon bag 

to express his creativity.

Thanks for visiting.

I hope you come back for another visit.

You can check out all the FOR THE BOYS

projects on

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy stitching

I made a big blooper...

but before you see what I did we have some fun stuff...

day 4 of the 'For the Boys' Blog Hop.
My day is  November 14th...hope you come back for a visit.
Mdm Samm and Amy added 2 more days.

Thanks to Camelot Fabric for sponsoring this blog hop
and to Mdm Samm and Amy for keeping us organized.

Stop by for a visit and see today's projects for boys.

Monday November 11

Jane's Quilting

Pieces By Polly

how Art you

Selina Quilts  

Upcycled Fabric

BQuiltin Studio

In The Boon Docks

Gemini Stitches

Secretly Stitching

You can check out all the FOR THE BOYS

projects on

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now...there is something wrong with this picture

and I can't believe I didn't see before.
Do you see what I did wrong??

It just may end up in the trash!!
or

I could call it
'A late spring snow storm'
I just realized 
I used the fabric that I cut for my snowman project.
I have started restitching it ...with a sad face!!!

Happy stitching

November Goal...A Lovely Year of Finishes..

I've been thinking about this for a few days now...

I have 2 more projects I would like to finish in November

one is an embroidery project 

using a Bird Brain Design pattern
designed by Robin Kingsley.
I found it in a book called little birds.
There are 26 handmade bird projects to sew, stitch, and quilt.
You can buy the book at Bird Brain Designs.

The other one is a project I started in July
and since August it remains unfinished.
It is a Rag-Tag Stitchin' pattern designed by Michelle Ridgway.

It will be a perfect finish for the holidays.
I'm making mine into a table runner,
Michelle's pattern has it as a wall hanging...luv it too.

OK decision is made...my project for 'A Lovely Year of Finishes'
for November is the table runner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is another Blog Hop starting today
'For the Boys'
hosted by Mdm Samm at Sew We Quilt and 
Amy at Sew Incredibly Crazy 

Please visit the talented ladies who are sure to inspire us today!

November 6^th

Vrooman's Quilts

Sew Many Yarns

Young Texan Mama

Baa’s Amazing Adventures!

Little Mushroomcap

Threading My Way

Sarah Scholz and Chasing Unicorns

Quilt Doodle Designs

You can check out all the FOR THE BOYS

projects on

Happy stitching

2 winners...and I've been sewing like a crazy woman....

Sorry I'm late again in announcing the winners!!

I'm almost finished this quilt, sorry, I can't show you 

the finished quilt for a few more weeks.

here's a peek...that's all you get to see.

I am also working on a larger version of this same quilt,

you will also get to see it in a couple of weeks.

...it has lots of these.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I said I was sewing like a crazy woman...

I've been working on 'For the Boys' Blog Hop projects...

here's a sneak peek.

The blog hop starts November 6th

I'm posting on November 14th...I'd love for you to stop by for a visit.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my blog

and took the time to leave sweet comments...

Now on to the winners!!

...my Wicked Blog Hop winner

is lucky #13 

Fiesta wrote...

Pauline, all your projects are so beautiful that I just want to drop my current project and make some Halloween ones.

and the October winner for the Tammy Bag

is #7 on my posting October 23

Bonnie Pfrimmer wrote...

Nice vegetables!! Its fun to grow your own food, it makes you feel good about yourself. Like the Tammy bag, please put me in the drawing to win it. Thank you.

The winners will be notified in the morning...

I'm off to bed.

Happy stitching