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

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!!

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!!

ALYoF February Finish Party...

...so happy to have another UFO finished.  

There is a quilt show at the museum in Belleville Michigan,

for the month of March.

Broken Star designed by Edyta Sitar 

is my February finish for ALYoF and is on display at the quilt show... 

...now I'm itching to sew another log cabin quilt.

I have some UFO logs that are cut at 1-1/2" wide...and 8 different lengths.

I cut them about 9 years ago...

do you think it's time to make them into a quilt???

Happy Paws is also hanging in the museum.

It was entered in the 

Embroidery Challenge at the Road to California Quilt Show.

This was the second year Robin Kingsley, Bird Brain Designs

organized the challenge.

In 2014 it was all Red Work...

in 2015 we could use any color floss or perle cotton 

to design a quilt using BBD patterns.

We could enlarge, reduce, and combine patterns.

I used 3 different patterns to design Happy Paws.

The visitors to the show picked their favorites and voted.

I was thrilled to have Happy Paws chosen as one of the top 3 quilts.

This is what Robin wrote on her Facebook page...

Pauline Francis created a Winner for the Embroidery Challenge at Road to California Quilt Show. She combined 3 BBD Kitty patterns to create a cuddly quilt honoring cats....critters loved at my house. Voters liked her fine embroidery, the yummy warm brown tones plus the pop of color in the top long block. See what you might like to "invent" for next year's Challenge! 

I am linking up to February finish party 
with Melissa and Shanna #113

Happy Stitching

Happy New Year and December's ALYoF Finish

Happy New Year ... 

I'm hoping 2015 will be a better year!!

Mr. QnQ is doing well...still no decision made about surgery.  

He did see the neurologist on the 29th, I stayed in the car as

I didn't want to spread my germs.

After 4 days in bed, I believe I am on the mend!!!

I really didn't think I was going to finish my December goal.

At noon today, I still had not started the quilting.

We had a few errands to run this afternoon,

I had a nap when I got home and didn't feel too bad...

at 11:00 it's a finish!!

 The wall hanging measures 34" x 44"

 I quilted it with stippling and added a few paw prints.

Mr QnQ's cousin opened a veterinary clinic this year...

I'll see if they would like it for the clinic.

I love how it turned out.

My goal is to get it in mail to send to Bird Brain Designs on Monday so it

can be included in the Road to California Quilt Show later this month.

I'm linking up with Fiber of All Sorts and Sew BitterSweet Designs

Happy stitching!!

ALYoF July goal setting...

#1 procrastinator...that is ME...was going through some pizza boxes

containing UFOs this weekend and look what I found.

There are 8 blocks in Bird Brain Designs pattern #490

Love Me, Love My Cat Quilt

It has been a couple of months since I've done any embroidery.

Soooo...for my July goal....

I am going to be realistic....since it is already July 7th

I am going to complete the hand embroidery for 4 of the cat blocks.

I would love to say I could stitch all 8 but I have a few other

projects I have to get started

...for Mme Samm's See You in September Blog Hop. 

It will be September before we know it!!

I am linking up to Sew Bittersweet Designs #109 linky party.

ALYOF's goal setting party for February....

It's that time...to set my goal for the ALYOF February goal setting linky party. Last month I did succeed in finishing my quilt. 

...for February's ALYOF's goal setting party, I am going to machine applique the letters on this baby quilt, quilt it and bind it.  The words have been ready to applique for a few years. I am not sure if I will quilt it on the long arm or do a chenille backing.  I shared the chenille backing technique with Mama Spark a few years ago and she did a tutorial for the Moda Bake Shop.  The eat.play.sleep.repeat pattern was on the Moda Bake Shop too.

 

I have made this quilt a few years ago and loved how it turned out. 

.   

Other projects I hope to work on this month are:

• Something that has ruffles...I joined Sew We Quilt's blog hop...Think Ruffles.  I have a few ideas but I am still in the planning stage.
• I'm making a red and blue string quilt that will be going to the Veteran's Hospital in Ann Arbor MI.  Last week I came across a box with  some red and blue precut stripes...1" to 3" wide.  I have 36 blocks made and trimmed, now I have to decide how big to make the quilt. I think I will make 6 more blocks.  The blocks will finish 8".  They don't like the quilts to be too big.  
• I'm hoping to work on my Michelle Ridgway project...there is a peek on this post. 

I am linking up with Shanna and Melissa for their ALYOF February goal setting party.

I took this picture through our library window...
believe me I have seen enough of this white stuff
just wish it would go away!!

Happy stitching

January 2014 Finishes...

#1...my January finish for ALYOF was to complete a flimsy using

Bird Brain Design's pattern #301.

...yippee I finished the quilting and binding yippee again!!

#2...crocheted 5 scrubbies, I'm getting faster at making these.

OK all you scrubbie lovers....here is the link to the pattern I used.

Pat's Crocheted Scrubbie by Pat Linn, Saskatchewan Canada
The link is also in the Knitting and Crocheting tab under my blog header

#3...I made 4 more Tammy bags...and all will have new homes soon.

3 are going to Canada and one to California.

#4 finished knitting another scarf for Mama Spark.

She is a Michigan Spartan fan.

#5...I finished the 4 seasons quilt early in January...it travelled to the 

Road to California Quilt Show.

It is now back home and

I was thrilled to learn it was one of the top 4 red work quilts 

to win viewer's choice awards.

Thank you Robin and Tina for all your hard work to 

make the Redwork exhibit such a success.

Looking forward to the 2015 Redwork exhibit!!

I do believe I had a very productive January in the quilting department!

 Not so much in getting the house ready to sell.

Hugs and Happy Stitching

It's that time...to show you my January finish for ALYOF

I had 2 sets of 8 reindeer and snowmen blocks.

My Januaary goal was to take one set of the blocks and make a quilt top.

If I still had time I was going to work on the second set of blocks...

a woman can change her mind right??  

My flimsy was finished and I couldn't wait to see it quilted so...

I loaded the flimsy onto Lizzy.

...with 5 days to go I'm hoping I can have the quilt bound
and have a finish!!  I can do this!!

I had been working on some redwork projects that travelled to
the Road to California Quilt Show.
There was a Redwork Exhibit using Bird Brain Designs.
If  you have been following my blog you will know
I love to embroider...
I started stitching in October and finished 4 projects...

2 message boards,

a 4 seasons wall hanging

 I called it "I Love All Seasons"

 I've changed my mind...I love only 3 seasons...I can do without winter!!

I called this quilt "Santa is Coming to Your House"
All the embroidery patterns are available at Bird Brain Designs.

I quilted it with snowflakes....it was easier than I thought it would be
and am quilting the Snowmen and Reindeer quilt with snowflakes too.

I'll be posting again on Friday....hopefully I will have
the Snowmen and Reindeer quilt bound...
and a few more finishes to share.

I am linking up with Fiber of all Sorts' Finishing Party.

If you are in Australia...stay cool
if you are in Canada and the USA...stay warm!!

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