Progress is Good

So, here's my first take on the Shades of Red Miniature quilt swap. I decided it was a little too traditional for my partner, so this one is going to stay home with me. I love it, so I don't mind. This center piecing will finish at 7" square. I still need to decide on borders.

After deciding the one above was too traditional, I aimed for a lot more contemporary.

I think that solid red is going to be the border. I like how it lets all the attention go to the center piecing. This foundation is the 13-Square foundation from Miniatures in Minutes. The center piecing finishes at 6 1/2".  The design is a wee variation on the hearts project I put on the website -- this little guy:

It never ceases to amaze me what a difference fabric makes. That more traditional heart went to a swap partner, too. I really need to make one of these little heart minis for me! Though I also have a larger version done in batiks on a 17 by 17 grid.

And just because I was off the web for a while, I didn't show this little guy from a summer swap. The general guideline was that it be six inches or under. My partner requested neutrals with just a pop of color. So, here's another variation on the 13-square foundation (though I only used 11 by 11 in order to make it fit)-- this time based on a Trip Around the World. I called it "Color My World."

 

And a little close-up:

Whew. The next few days it's all about finishing little quilts. I am SO happy to be back in the sewing room!

Ready, Set, GO!

So, 2016 was a challenge in so many ways. I enter 2017 with a sewing room that needs a lot of organization but is, thank you very much, functional. I also limp in after some surgery that's knocked me back several months worth. So it goes. That said, I'm ready to get back up and doing.

A year back I was doing my own personal challenge, the GO! Sew Challenge. I felt like I wasn't using my Accuquilt GO! enough, so I decided that every week I would work on a project that used it in some way. Sometimes it felt intimidating figuring out what I was going to do, but I actually really liked how it kept me moving. So, in that spirit, that's how I'm starting out the new year.

I have two big sewing intentions to begin with -- one, another GO! Sew Challenge, and two, working on finishing up some of the backlog of projects in process.

Week 1. I've pulled out a project I worked on earlier this year -- it uses the Hexagon and Fall Medley dies to create hot pads. I just need to add binding to one of the hot pads and I'll be done.

I think they're pretty darn cute.

I need to make a shades of red quilt for a mini quilt swap and the GO! is great for cutting out triangles trimmed just the way I need for the paper foundations. These will finish at 1 inch square.

Here's a broader view of the quilt in process:

And in the spirit of finishing, I also finally got to quilting the red and white everlasting tree quilt. Now it just needs binding.

So, here it is. A good start, I think.

Am I Blue?

There's a lot of blue going on around here.

There's more denim rag circles.

And then with the French General added.

I love that combination, the red, grey, and tan of the French General against the blue denim. But yikes, that quilt project seems to be one I can only work on in small doses! (It's so heavy and hard to maneuver once I'm joining rows).

Plus some more crochet.

Dishcloths. Because, why not?

And a little coffee mug cozy and coaster. (I've got no excuse).

A couple of new GO! dies showed up at the house yesterday. Perhaps I can find something fun to do with them this week?