ALYoF 2015 Finale Link Up

ALYoF has been fun and so rewarding...

my first goal was for the October 2013 goal setting party.

I participated each month since then and was able to

achieve all the goals I set...

many of the goals were UFO's, some very old UFO's...

and some months I was working to the bitter end...but I did it!!

I know I would never have finished all my goals without

the linky parties hosted by Melissa and Shanna.

I'm so happy to have completed all 27 goals...I will miss this challenge.

I am facing a challenge of a different kind...

we are moving back to Canada in the spring.

I may be MIA even more so than I was in 2015.

Once the big move is over and we are settled I will be 

sewing more and hopefully blogging more.

January goal....finish

February goal...finish

March goal...finish

April goal...finish

May goal...finish

June goal...finish

July goal...finish

August goal...finish

September goal...finish

October goal...finish

November goal...finish

December goal...finish

Thank you 

...to Melissa and Shanna for all your work to organize ALYoF

...to all the incredible sponsors

...and to my DH for the collage of all my finishes.

I'm linking to the 2015 Finale Link Party

Happy Stitching

WIP Wednesday and ALYoF September Goal...

...a layer cake and a charm pack

had been stitched into square-in-a-square blocks,

placed in a pizza box and pretty much forgotten about.

Today I opened up the pizza box and started sewing my blocks together...

This will be my September goal for ALYoF...to have it quilted and bound.

This is what it looks like today...

 

I'm using Moda's Snowman Gatherings II by Primitive Gatherings.

.................................
August was busy with family visiting...
mid August my sister, niece and great niece

arrived on Monday and headed back to Canada on Thursday, about 7 pm.

  We shopped till we dropped but still had time to put 

a few quilt tops on the long arm!

For the past 10 years or so we had a week in August...

it was the 'girls' week, it always included sewing and shopping.
DH is such a good sport!!!

This past weekend our son, DIL and grandones 
came to visit before they head back to school.

Yes, there was more shopping but no sewing. 

Our flower beds were wanting some attention...
they needed mulch...5 yards of mulch ordered...delivered and spread...

everyone helped...from start to finish it was about four hours...

...thanks for all your help!!!!

It seemed like such a big job for DH and myself, we just kept putting it off.

Another job finished as we slowly get the house ready to sell!!

I'm linking to

September goal setting party hosted by Shanna and Melissa 

WIP Wednesday hosted by Lee at Freshly Pieced

Happy stitching!!

August just can't be over...

 ...it can't possibly be September already.

My August goal for ALYoF was finished a few weeks ago...
...it was turning out so cute, just had to get it finished.
Now I'm working on a few more...making a few for gifts.

I took the clothes pin bag to the AQS Quilt show
in Grand Rapids Michigan
and stopped by the Red Button Quilt Co. booth
to share my excitement with Sara's mom, Emily.

The mother/daughter team are so talented...I love their patterns.
Emily's company is Red Button Quilt Co.
Sara's company is Blueberry Backroads. 

Check them out...both companies offer lots of cuteness!!!

I'm linking to

 August's finishing party hosted by Shanna and Melissa 

Happy stitching!!

July's Finish for ALYoF....

I did it...July's goal accomplished!!!

This month has gone by so quickly...

on Tuesday I started my July goal...whew...got it done!!

My July goal was to make a quilt top for my great nephew.

The baby's name was going to be Charles or Cameron...

I already had the medium quatrefoil in navy and

the white background fabric with the letters of the alphabet.

Early in the month I decided to order a FQ bundle

of Riley Blake's mini Quatrefoil for the front.

The FQ bundle had six great colors for a 'boy' quilt.

I had a few designs in mind but kept changing the design.

I wanted it to have a modern feel and keep it simple.

I think we accomplished it...DH played with EQ7 

and this is what we both liked best.

 The quilt back will be the larger navy Quatrefoil.  

The binding will be scrappy, using the 6 different colors.

I'm anxious to quilt and bind it...

but it will have to wait...

We are having family visiting from Canada for the weekend,

so the quilting and binding will get done in August.

I'm linking to

 July's Finishing Party hosted by Shanna and Melissa #42

Happy stitching...have a wonderful weekend!!

A Lovely Year of Finishes July goal setting party...

I'll be working on a baby quilt this month...

using the navy and white fabric. 

The white fabric has little letters...I think it will be perfect for a baby quilt.

I'm thinking of adding a touch of lime...

My July goal is to have the top finished...but I sure would like

to have it quilted and bound too....Baby C is due next week!!

I will fit as much sewing as I can into the month of July...

it will be a busy one.

...on another note...

I am working frantically on getting the house on the market!!

I just want to get back to Canada...get this move behind us

...we had another major set back...more on that in another post.

I'm having therapy every day this month...sewing therapy.

I have samples to make for a class I am teaching on July 26

at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor Michigan. 

GAAQG is having their 3 day Quilt University

(there are still classes with openings)

I have the table favors to finish...for the Saturday dinner 

and trunk show with Susan Clevelend.

Forty five are finished 15 to go.

They are roll up bags large enough to hold 8 spools of Aurfil threads.

Every year the guild members make a quilt that will be won by 

one of the volunteers of GAAQG...the more you volunteer

the more chances you have to win.

They will have it on display at Quilt University July 24, 25 and 26th. 

The piecing of the top is almost finished and there is the back to piece yet.

Soon it will be in my hands...to quilt and bind it.

A busy month for sure!!!

I'm linking to

 July's goal setting party hosted by Shanna and Melissa #82

Happy stitching...have a wonderful week!!

ALYoF June finish...

...another quilt finished.

I used Moda's El Gallo designed by Deb Strain.

I wanted the black binding on the front but not on the back.

I decided on the 2-fabric binding and it's perfect.

My 2-fabric binding tutorial is HERE.

 ...just love the blacks, greys and reds...

and those dots!!

To make this 48" x 56" quilt you need

42 - 10" squares and 42 - 5" squares.

I saw this Fold and Sew techique on a You Tube video...

by Peg Spradlin

Under my header you can also find the video in the tab

Tutorials by Other Designers

Peg used sashing to separate the blocks and 

she centered all the 5" squares.

I chose to make my quilt without the sashing and off set the 5" squares.

I love them both...

I have made this quilt 3 times...and I know I will make many more

...it is fast and simple...perfect for a lap quilt!!

There are so many Christmas collections I love 

and I can see me making some as Christmas gifts...or

how about a Halloween quilt?

********************

You won't want to miss this....

it's a sale, and it is going on at Crazy Quilt Girl Fabric Shop.

Corinna has amazing prices to begin with, but if you use

coupon code HAPPYJUNE you will get an additional 15% off

your order of $35.00 or more.

This sale ends Tuesday June 30th...

I'm linking to

 June's finishing party hosted by Shanna and Melissa

and to 

Finish it up Friday by crazy mom quilts #108

Have a wonderful weekend...

ALYoF June goal setting party...

I've been procrastinating...
if I wait much longer I will be late for the party

...soooo I better get posting!!!

My June goal for ALYoF

will be finish another square-in-a-square quilt. 

I had a charm pack and layer cake of El Gallo by Deb Strain 

and when we took a wee vacation 

to Boyne Mountain Michigan last week.
I did get the blocks stitched while I was there

but they are still not pressed or trimmed...
...for a week now I haven't sat at my sewing machine.
I did manage to get some hand sewing in...lots of gardening
and cleaning cupboards and closets...still lots to do
before we can list our house for sale...I'm overwhelmed...
and it's almost 6 months till Christmas!!

I have a busy week coming up...
it's NASCAR weekend at Brooklyn Michigan.

Family and friends from Canada will start arriving as early as Thursday,
if they come too early I'll put them to work!!

They will leave Sunday after dinner...
this year there are 8 coming

...in past years we have had as many as 13.

It will be our last NASCAR weekend at Stonebridge Way...
We are hoping  to be settled back in Canada by the end of the year!!
My sewing days will be limited...still lots to do before we list.

Our NASCAR weekends started back in June 2004.
I know some of them have been counting down the 'sleeps'
till they arrive....I've heard Nicole, Jon and Kristen are!! 
I'm hoping the weather man cooperates!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

I'm linking to

 June's goal setting party hosted by Shanna and Melissa

A sucessful finish for ALYoF and more...

...I finished the batik quilt and gifted it to Todd and Noreen.

They were packing up the car 

to go to Niagara-on-the-Lake for the weekend.

I just had to take a picture with Noreen's new Mini Cooper...

it's sweet...Noreen was camera shy!!

...and a picture in their back yard.

The quilt back is a green batik with a hint of lavender.

They loved it...I'm now cutting the pieces to make a second quilt.
It is a quick and easy pattern in the February 2009
American Patchwork & Quilting .  

My Hands2Help challenge quilt is also finished and ready to mail.

I used a Bear Country School layer cake and charm pack by Moda.
The quilt measures 48" x 56" .

 

The lilac bushes are gorgeous this year...

I can't believe I've finished it 3 weeks before I have to mail it.

I have till June 12...I've got time to make another one,
but I have lots of other projects on my 'to do' list...
we would like to be moved back to Canada by the end of the year!!
Still procrastinating...

I'm linking 
to May's goal setting party  hosted by Shanna and Melissa
to Finish it up Friday hosted by Amanda Jean
and to Whoop whoop Friday hosted by Sarah

Happy Stitching

May's goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes...

I almost forgot to post my May goal for ALYoF....

I've made progress on my batik quilt, the quilting is completed so...

my May goal is have it bound and gifted.
As time permits

I would also like to make some progress on my Hands2Help quilt.
A quilt top flimsy would be good...
having it quilted and bound would be awesome!!

I will be using a Bear Country School layer cake and charm pack by Moda.

All I've done so far is matched a layer cake with a charm pack.

I'm sure I will move a few around.  

I will be using a folded square-in-a square block to make the quilt.
The 2 quilts below are donation quilts...
the one on the right is for the Relay for Life 
held next week in Canton Michigan.
It measures 50" x 60".

The multi colored one is 48" x 54".

I used the folded square-in-a square block to make both quilts.

I'm linking to Melissa and Shanna

Happy Stitching!!

A Lovely Year of Finishes April goal...

My Cinnamon and Cocoa table runner is quilted
but still has no binding...

...my April goal is to finish the binding...
and because this should be a quick finish as soon as
I decide on the fabric I am also adding to my April goal.
I have a couple of batik quilts I want to make,
I have the fabrics pressed
ready to start cutting and decided on 2 patterns.

My goal is to have the fabrics cut for at least one of the quilts.
I will be cutting Zen first.

We have had a lot of company visiting from Canada since mid March.
The weeks have been very busy.

I'm linking to April's goal setting party for

hosted by Shanna and Melissa
#127

Happy Stitching

A Lovely Year of Finishes – March Finishes Party

My March goal for ALYoF is finished !!

It's the BOM from 2011 designed by Corey at Little Miss Shabby.

I did change some of the embroidery designs...

just a bit from the original design.

The fabric is Moda's Dream On by Urban Chicks....

...close ups of two of my favorite blocks...

February

and June

I'm working on another UFO from January 2012.

It's a table runner by Anne Sutton, Bunny Hill Designs,

called Cinnamon and Cocoa.

It's perfect for Easter and

I'm hoping it will be finished tomorrow...

I quilted it yesterday and now it just needs the binding.

I'm linking up to 

Hosted by:

Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts

and

Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs

Happy stitching

February goal is set for ALYoF

My February goal is a UFO that I started in June 2012

in a class I took by the talented Edyta Sitar.

The pattern is Broken Star by Laundry Basket Quilts.

I finished the flimsy in less than a week but it still is not quilted.

The logs in the quilt were cut 1-1/2 inches...finishing at 1 inch.

The finished quilt will measure 40" x 40".

I haven't picked my backing, that is the next step...

so I can have it quilt and bound by the end of February.

I'm linking up to the February goal setting linky party
with Shanna and Melissa.

Happy Stitching

January finish for ALYoF....

...I am racing against the clock once again.

(a short post as I am heading to bed...)

I don't know why the days and months have to go by so quickly.

I'm excited to have another quilt off my WIP list.  

I started this quilt about 8 months ago...so I'm not calling it a UFO.

 There is not much snow in our backyard but that is to change tonight.

I hope the weather man is wrong...

we are expecting 6 - 10 inches of snow overnight through Monday.

I'm linking up to A Lovely Year of Finishes

 Thank you Melissa and Shanna for hosting again for 2015

Happy Stitching