1st Finish Of November

It is a dark & rainy day today but I think I've got good enough pictures to post about Batik Noodle Recipe 1... this time of year it might not get better for days! November is typically the dreariest month for us as the fall colors are pretty much over and we don't seem to get a lot of sun again until the temperatures drop.

So I tend to turn to bright colors in my quilting room for a spark - crank up the tunes, turn on all the lights and sew. I played around with some walking foot waves that aren't symmetrical on this top and I really like the look. I tried to sew these lines quickly and not think about them too much which got easier by the time I flipped the quilt and did the other half. More of this please!

I used a variegated Star thread that has become my go-to on tops that aren't traditionally bright like this one... it adds a bit of subtle interest but also blends well. I bought it on sale thinking it was kind of blah but liked the price. It's a mix of lavender/mauve - not exactly something I'd ever go looking for!

It also looks great on the darker fabrics - just wanted to share it as an idea in case you struggle with choosing thread on some projects like I do. Sometimes the unexpected choice is the right one.

I had a length of batik in my stash that I bought to make a jumper eons ago, I think it is much better used as backing on this quilt. I used the blue/teal/green batik I bought at SR Harris last week for binding.

Batik Noodle Recipe 1 is my 55th finished project in 2013 (UFO Finish #48) and will be donated to Project Linus. It is the 1st of 3 that I will be posting this week. I also have a "new" UFO on my design wall today - Primary D9P which I am using as my leader/ender project. This UFO is on my Q4 list and it will go together quickly I think. I'm loving the pops of yellow!

I'm linking up to Design Wall Monday@Patchwork Times.

Scrappy Sewing and a Finish

9 Patch Swap is finished! Measuring in at 60.5" x 72.5" makes this by far the biggest top I have quilted myself... and while it wasn't THAT horrible to do I'm very happy to mark it DONE! as one of my goals for Q3.

I used royal blue Connecting Threads Essential thread to match the backing and I'm glad I decided to use it as top thread too. I like the look of the grid quilting to separate some of the lighter fabrics.

These 12" finished blocks were from a swap on the HGTV Quilting Forum several years ago. We were to use dark blue centers, dark/medium values on the outer corners and lights in between. It's always fun to see the mix of fabrics in swapped blocks. I had sewn the top together immediately after getting the blocks back... and then it waited.

I love this backing fabric and remember buying it on a trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul with my Mom. It's a brushed cotton and is very cozy. I machine sewed the binding so it will stand up to many washings.

After a wash to crinkle it up nicely I'm going to put in my car to use at outdoor sporting events. Too bad I'm about 5 years too late to bundle up in it to watch my daughter run track in those chilly April outdoor meets!

Last Sunday I posted the 1st of these 2 pictures on the blog of the UFO I've been using as my leader/ender project. I did go ahead this week and flip every other block on my design wall to put the dark corners and light corners together.

Making blocks with HSTs is so much fun... I just love playing around with layouts! Which one do you prefer? While I like them both I have a definite favorite but I'm curious to get some other opinions. I'll post again about this quilt next Sunday and share your feedback.

I'm linking up to Scrap Basket Sunday@Kim's Big Quilting Adventure, Design Wall Monday@Patchwork Times and Building Blocks Tuesday@Quilter in the Closet.

Scrappy Sunday

Today I have another finish to share and a peek at a "new" UFO on my design wall.  Both are scrappy projects so I thought I'd combine them into one post for ScrapBasket Sunday.

Charm Quilt #5 is my 40th Finish in 2013 (UFO Finish #37). There is something about the mix of colors in this quilt that I really like... on the softer side with a few pops of color.

I think the walking foot waves in white Aurifil thread add to the soft feel and I found a mottled pink flannel to use with a pieced strip for backing.

There are so many fun charms in this quilt.  I love the vintage Holly Hobbie (does anyone else remember her besides me?) and the clothing prints in the above photo.  The bright ladybugs and the vintage chairs are fun set next to each other too.

Who can resist this section... adorable soccer girls, rabbits, girly accessories, dragons, happy computers and farm animals on chicken wire... anyone?

This quilt will be donated to Project Linus along with Charm Quilts #1-#4 the next time I'm in the town where I drop them off. I'll try to remember and take some pictures after they are washed and ready to go.

After I finished assembling Mod Art into a flimsy last week I needed a new UFO on my leader/ender section of my design wall. After a look through my UFO Drawers I pulled this one out. The block is called "Prints Charming" and is yet another way to use HSTs. Each block uses 1 dark, 1 light and 2 light/medium 5" charms.

During the course of the week I sewed together the remaining charms which were already put in pairs. I have to say that I am LOVING this color palette so much! I put them on my design wall in a different layout than in my UFO Collection picture. Now I'm tempted to flip them around so I can see them all laid out with the light diamonds and decide which layout I like better.

I'm also contemplating whether to make it bigger for a keeper quilt or donate it to Project Linus. Decisions, decisions!

With football season underway I need to start keeping some TV watching projects around... like sewing the binding down on this Schnibble "Gentle Art which is a WIP from last spring.

I'm linking up to Scrap Basket Sunday@Kim's Big Quilting Adventure and Slow Stitching Sunday@Kathy's Quilts.