A CHRISTMAS PLAIDISH QUILT

2020 has been a year of confusion,

exhaustion, anger, frustration and

the drive for me to stay busy!

I have to create to keep my sanity!

I want to share with you a quilt that is a free pattern

from Erica Taylor Jackman aka @kitchentablequilting.

This pattern is Plaidish 2

and I have pulled a lot of Christmas fabrics...

well red, green and white fabrics.

Many are Christmas prints I pulled from

stash and scraps.

Here is a link to download

Plaidish 2 over on Erica's blog.

It seems more like a check than a plaid to me.

Should look good in the Christmas color.

I doubt I will finish this by Christmas but

at least I am gathering the fabrics and perhaps

I will get it all cut out.  

QUARANTINE KNITTING

When I am not sewing...or card making...

you can find me knitting.

I could call it Quarantine Knitting but

I began the first two projects before RONA

raised her UGLY head.

In January, while in Florida, I began this lovely shawl.

It's the "Dusk to Dawn" pattern you can find on Ralvery.

I used a fingering weight yarn, 50 Shades of Gradient.

I finished it in April after my return from Florida 

Next on my needles was a sport weight yarn called

Pima Prisim yarn and the pattern is free on Ralvery.

"Letters from Russia"

The last finish was a fingering weight

call Cherry Garcia.  I used another free

pattern from Ralvery called "Arlequin Shawl"

This would be perfect for football season...

however, RONA has put her nose all up into

that business as well.

I have several more skeins to knit and have

found patterns to go with the yarns.

I must keep busy because but seriously

my creativity is halted now and again

by CORONA BRAIN!

What are you doing to keep your sanity?

SCRAPPY TRIPPY KIMMY

I have a great kwilty friend who loves scraps.

One of the first projects she encouraged me to do is...

Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks.

I have a project bin, with all the blocks

ready to sew.  Clover clips keep each block separate.

I used a light green print down the center of each block.

Looking at it now...there's not a lot of variance in color value.

I used the Bonnie Hunter's tutorial

and you can find that one here!

These (now) ugly blocks will come charity quilts.

Proves once more...I never have been a fan of BH.

 

My scrappy queen friend is Kim Hensley.

She recently came to sew with me and her

scrappy quilt blocks are amazing!

Kim is using a Christmas Jelly Roll.

and she added white as an alternating row.

She found the more MODERN tutorial,

that uses a jelly roll for the blocks,

over at Woodberry Way Blog.

For the sewalong / tutorial click here.

I want THESE blocks...not mine!

Have you made a Scrappy Trip quilt?

IF I make another it will be

 with a jelly rolls from my stash!

MODERN CHRISTMAS TREE BLOCKS

I have FINALLY finished a Christmas quilt top

 using the Modern Tree Blocks by Amy Smart.

 I made most of the blocks, 2 years ago.

I used Amy's free Tutorial over on her blog, 

Diary of a Quilter and 

you can see it here.

The tutorial offers directions for two sizes

of the blocks.  I made the bigger size.

Its sew easy and I love the wonky look of the

trees, cut them all the same, or different.

Stack two fabrics and slice, following her instructions.

I love wonky and different!

Then I put the blocks on the design wall about 5 times.

I just couldn't decide how I wanted them to look.

Did I want my layout to mimic the original design?

Did I want to stagger the vertiacal rows?

 Did I want to add shashing?

To help me decide the final layout I like to take a 

black and white photo to see the color value balance.

This time I decided the blocks were NOT coming down

until they were sewed into a top.

And finally a top was made.

I went with the original design.

I was worried that I had to many colors?

I found out...I did not.

I love the almost scrappy look

of all my Christmas prints.

I made the top 7 rows across and 8 rows down.

A great lapsize quilt.

No borders for me!

That being said...

My first Christmas in July top/project is complete.

Of course, it needs quilted.

Perhaps that will happen before Christmas.

Are you sewing any Christmas in July projects?

After all, its only 5 month til Christmas!

FLAG QUILT

Before July has slipped by...I wanted to share 

my finished Stars and Stripes quilt,

 pattern by Thimbleblossoms.

I started this in 2019, making the blocks at a quilt retreat.

It is quick and easy but it sat in a pile of  "to quilt" projects.

My friend, Coleen Rains, offered to quilt this one

'on the house' as she learned about how to use

 her new longarm machine.

We played with a wave design

and decided a long soft wave was perfect.

Like a flag, gently waving in the wind.

Binding was blue/white and perfect to frame this beauty.

I love the yellow gingham I selected for the background.

The backing was a fabric I had in my stash for over 10 years.

A "Pez" print by American Jane!

And then, there is the obligatory and traditional photo 

of my husband Phil, under the quilt I just finished.

He served in the US Navy in the 60s

and loves all things patriotic!

He also loves my quilts and 'gets' my obsession.

He is a good sport to pose for me!