Final ALYoF Finish for 2015

I'm down to the last hours again.

My December goal was to finish at least one clothes pin bag.

I went from this 

to finishing all 4.  

I love them all and 3 of them will be late gifts...

I'll be sending them out next week.

I did complete 2 quilts on the Gammill, did some crocheting

and embroidery on tea towels in December...

so happy with my finishes!!

I'm linking to

December finishing party hosted by Shanna and Melissa 

Happy Stitching

ALYoF December goal...

I've been pretty good at finishing up WIP's and UFO's the last few years.
For the last 23 months I've set monthly goals and 
joined the linky parties hosted by Melissa and Shanna.
Each month I've been able to complete my goal.
It hasn't always been easy.

We just returned from Canada this evening and 
I'm not too late to join the December goal setting party.

I've been procrastinating making the embroidered pieces 
into clothes pin bags.

My December goal is to complete at least one clothes pin bag. 
If I can work some magic I would really like to finish all three...
but I really don't see that happening.

The first design is a Bird Brain Design pattern and 
the other three are  Blueberry Backroads designs.

The one on the right is already finished.  

It was my August goal for ALYoF.  

I'm linking to

 December goal setting party hosted by Shanna and Melissa 

Happy stitching!!

A few November finishes...

I had some tea toweling by the yard and 

thought it was time to cut them into tea towel lengths, 

hem them and 

add some embroidery and crochet edgings...

The snowmen a Bird Brain Designs Pattern #699

Snowmen by the Dozen.

I'm not sure where I got the kitten design...

I've had it for years.

and another one...

This Snowgal is 1 of 2 Bird Brain Designs found in the

Winter issue of Quilts and More magazine.

I used an Aunt Martha tea towel.

Wish I could find my magazine...I was hoping to stitch a few more.

I have been searching my house for 3 days...

I don't know where else to look.  

I'll keep looking for another few days...

if I can't find it I'll have to buy another copy.

Some of the toweling didn't have plain areas to add embroidery,

but they do have a crochet edging.

I completed my ALYOF November goal...

The ZEN pattern was in the February 2009 issue of 

American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  

 It is a quick and easy quilt to make.

ZEN #2

ZEN #1

I'm linking to

November finishing parties hosted by Shanna and Melissa 

and to Super Mom-No Cape


Happy Stitching

My November goal for ALYoF

I am making a second Zen quilt...I've made progress this month,

from this...

to this.  

 It has been a WIP for awhile.

I finished the first Zen quilt in May 2015.  

The pattern is from the February 2009
American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.  

My November goal is to have it quilted and bound for the

ALYoF Finishing Party.

I'm linking to

November goal setting party hosted by Shanna and Melissa 

and to

WIP Wednesday hosted by Lee at Freshly Pieced

Happy stitching!!

October finish for ALYoF

October has been a busy month...

we travelled to Canada twice to visit family...

took a mini five day vacation to Stanwood Michigan.

We stayed at the Inn at St. Ives...it was beautiful...clean and quiet.

We loved it and will go back again.

The weather was great, 

the trees were beautiful reds, oranges and yellows

This was the view from our living room window.

We went to Oxford Michigan

and watched our grandson play in a lacrosse tournament.

They were the champions for the U11 teams.

Next weekend the team travels to Philadelphia

playing their last tournament this year.

We will not be going to Philadelphia, but we are thinking of heading

to Canada to stay with the grandgirls.

Looking forward to going to a lot more dance competitions

and lacrosse games when we move back to Canada.

It is just not happening fast enough. 

On our way home from the tournament 

we visited a quilting friend who moved from Canton MI 

to Midland TX about 8 or 9 years ago, then to Little Rock AK and

now she has moved back to Michigan.  

It was so nice to see Sharie again...when she was in Canton

we did manage to get in a little of trouble at

the quilting shops.

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

My October goal for ALYoF was to 

complete another Annie doll and

give hair to the other two bodies....yes...done with a day to spare.

I just noticed, the doll on the right 

has her arms pointing backwards....dang!!!

 I hope everyone had a great October.

I'm linking to

 October finishing party hosted by Shanna and Melissa

Happy stitching!!

A few finishes

In July, I started the embroidery for another Tammy bag.

I finally finished it this week along with a collapsible thread catcher.

The stitching is a Bird Brain Designs pattern.

It is a free pattern at Lecien.

I'm loving those dots...a needle keeper will complete this sewing kit.

The tea towel with the machine embroidered poinsettia
was given to me by a friend...I was cleaning out my linen closet and
thought it was the perfect towel for a little crocheted edging.
I love it!!

I'm linking to 
Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
and to Stitchery Link Party # 26 at Super Mom - No Cape

Have a wonderful weekend!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends and family!!

October's Goal for ALYoF and WIP Wednesday...

I'm racing against the clock again to join these two linky parties...

The Raggedy Ann dolls were started many many moons ago...

It seems I never make just one of anything...

I made 6 bodies about 15 years ago

...yes that's many moons ago.

I made Annie dolls for our grandgirls for their 1st birthdays...
Leah is now 13 and Rylee is 8.  How time flies!!!
My October goal for ALYoF is completely finish one Annie
and give hair dos to the bald Annie's .
I have 2 bald bodies, 
yes I found another one today after this picture was taken...
that makes 3 that needs clothes and 2 need hair dos.
The one on the right with the poker straight hair is mine .
The pattern is by Dianna Marcum, the dolls are 19" 

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

My project for WIP Wednesday is another batik quilt called ZEN...

I have 27 blocks cut and stitched
...still have 36 more to cut and stitch.
This is the first ZEN I made
...some of the fabrics will be the same.
The two ZEN's will live in the same house...one for her, one for him...

I'm hoping to find a hour or so to work on the Annies tomorrow.

I'm linking to

 October goal setting party hosted by Shanna and Melissa 

and to

WIP Wednesday hosted by Lee at Freshly Pieced

Happy stitching!!

Some embroidery WIPs and a finish...

I finished my ALYoF goal for September...

with not much time to spare.

Here are a few pictures....taken on a cloudy day.

 on the park bench...

 a close up of the snowflake stitching with the swirling wind...

 I cut a dark blue binding...

but just didn't like it so I decided to make a two fabric binding.

You would have thought I had never bound a quilt before.

The second attempt, I cut the fabric for the back to narrow...

...the third attempt worked perfect!!

 The fabric is Moda's Snowman Gatherings II by Primitive Gatherings

The quilt is 48" x 56"

I'm loving my WIP projects...just wish I had more time

to get them made into clothes pin bags...maybe this month.

 From left to right...it's

Bird Brain Designs pattern # 701 Every Birdie Blackwork

  Blueberry Backroads pattern # 054 Oh Yellow Bird

Blueberry Backroads pattern #047 Autumn in Grandma's Backyard

  Blueberry Backroads pattern #033 Grandma's Backyard

That's it for today...

I'm linking to

 September finishing party hosted by Shanna and Melissa 

and to

WIP Wednesday hosted by Lee at Freshly Pieced
and to

Stitchery Link Party #25 by Super Mom-no cape 

Happy stitching!!

A couple of finishes...

...a few more tea towels

using Bird Brain Designs pattern #541

Fresh Picked Tea Towels

...some fresh picked juicy cherries

and yummy apples.

I consider myself a beginner when it comes to crocheting
...it has to be easy.
I did a Google search...tea towel crocheted edgings.
There are lots of free edgings...some pretty easy ones...
and still I had to rip many stitches...I know how to do the basic stitches
just have trouble counting to 4.

I'm linking to 
I'm linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
and to Stitchery Link Party # 24 at Super Mom - No Cape

Have a wonderful weekend!!
Happy stitching!!

WIP Wednesday...

I've stitched the blocks this week and now have a quilt flimsy...

The fabric for the backing has arrived.
I should have it quilted and bound by the end of September...
it's my September goal for ALYoF!!
I did piece the backing this afternoon and it is loaded on the longarm.

I would like to take a road trip to Canada...we have not been back since May!!
I'm not sure why the summer went soooo fast..

I'm also working on some more embroidery projects...
and preserving pasta sauce to use during the winter.

DH has been painting the basement...it is a big job...the basement is 1200 sq ft.
 He is painting the ceiling too.
It sure has a fresh clean look.
I love my basement and when it is all finished I know I will love it even more.
It is another big job that will hopefully be finished soon
then it is finding a real estate agent and getting it listed.

 I've started packing up some of my sewing room...it is...'overwhelming'!!

We are making progress to make the big move back to Canada.
It is an on going WIP!!!!!

 I'm linking up to

WIP Wednesday hosted by Lee at Freshly Pieced

Happy stitching!!

More Embroidery and Crocheted edgings...

The embroidery was completed on some tea towels a long time ago.

They were tucked away in a box just waiting for the crocheted edgings.

Crocheting the edgings really don't take long to...not sure why I procrastinate.

Love all three!!

The apple pie is a free design from Kaaren at The Painted Quilt.

It was one of her First Friday Freebie patterns back in 2010.

The cute rabbit tea towels are Aunt Martha's iron transfers, pattern #3828.

They are available at Colonial Patterns, Inc.

I'm linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
and to Stitchery Link Party # 21 at Super Mom - No Cape

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Happy stitching!!