Curves  Carnation Pink

Anyway, the end result is still fabulous in my eyes and that’s all that counts. This challenge, even though it’s time consuming, is sparking a bit of creativity in me. I knew when I started it, that I wanted scrappy, embroidery, beautifulness. And so far I think I’ve achieved my vision.

Like everything else I design, I kinda fly by the seat of my pants at first and my ‘scallops’ didn’t end up meeting where I wanted in the corners. But I’m not gonna fret. Embellishments can fix that! I have cute buttons to add as a ‘distraction‘ after the quilting is complete. Do not add embellishments like buttons and sequins before sending to the quilter. That’s a big no-no!!

And obviously I’m taking my sweet ass time on the embroidery work…I’ve still only finished the two corners. Time seems to escape me these days, between family, the guild commitments, SewMod, and all of the wonderful opportunities so far this year.  I wish I could clone myself!

March’s task is dresdens and the color is red. Dresden blocks are a plenty! If you Google dresden quilt block you will find so many creative ways to make one. I’m looking forward to this one for sure!

Find the medallion and border #1 HERE & HERE.

SewMod has been invited to host our Handmade Littles presentation…‘Small ways to create fun things with fabric’.

We will be doing a presentation on a variety of small projects designed by SewMod and other artists. We love to make quilts but it’s also rewarding to sprinkle in some of the Littles along the way. We will have quilt examples and sewing patterns showing how we use up scraps, feature our favorite fabrics, and create unique, fun items for gifts.

We’d love to have you join us Thursday, February 4th at the Country Quilters Of McHenry Guild from 7-9pm for the program and vending at…

Shepherd Of The Hills Church
404 N. Green Street
McHenry, IL 60050

We hope to see you there!

I’m participating in the CLMQG block lottery.

• The block lottery has rules and rules must be followed!
• The block must be a 12-1/2″ unfinished.
• It needs to be a star. Not just any star.
• A polka dot star with a low volume background.

Any polka dot. Any low volume.

If I make 2 star blocks, I get two chances to win. If I make three blocks, I get three chances. And I bet, even if I made 10, I still probably wouldn’t win…like I said…not lucky. But I’m doing it anyway, because it’s fun!

My first block pattern was a freebie from Craftsy and I had enough different Kaffe dots to make it scrappy. Scrappy dots. One low volume print.

My second block was a really good tutorial from LaineyBugDesigns. This time I used a variety of orange dots for the star and mixed up all of my fun, low volume prints. I fussy cut the little “good works” birdie. Cute, huh? Orange dots. Scrappy low volume.

If you’re a member and need some quilty star inspiration to join in on the fun, check out my Pinterest board! I’ve collected a few for the girlies in the group.

I’m going to take my chances…are you?

Are you ready to Bee wowed by the cuteness factor of our March door prize? I used an orphaned dresden block, Ring a Ring a Roses Candlemat dresden, from one of my demos and whipped up this little bit-o-honey.

I’m kinda obsessed with small projects lately.

Just a few matching fabric scraps, trim and some embroidery.

TBT..I didn’t wanna part with this either:) But that’s what it’s all about right? Whether I’m making projects, participating in swaps or giveaways, I always strive for my best work. After all, it’s a reflection of myself in each project. My goal is to make something I don’t want to give away. Because if I love it, so will someone else!

Bee your best. Bee-lieve in yourself. Bee Creative!

I struggle with this name..mug rug. Why does my mug need a rug and why for heavens sake would I spend all day making something this adorable to potentially spill coffee on it!?!

It’s not something your beverage should have the pleasure of resting its little ass on top of.

The idea of your buttery bits of morning toast falling all over this cuteness makes me shudder.

I even thought about adding washing instructions to the back, with just a simple “don’t”…because why would it ever get dirty!

Let’s call it “My Sweet Ride”.

Lorrie’s

Let’s call it quilt art.

Lorrie’s backing

Let’s call it a personality project because I see us in each one of them.

Paige’s

Let’s call it a mini reflection of our style…all in a teeny size of approximately 7″x 9″.

Wendy’s

But don’t call it a mug rug!

Not only is the Guild hosting a UFO Challenge, we have lots of other ideas, projects & guest speakers planned this year!

Keeping the Guild running smoothly is a team effort. Not just by the executive board, but also the members. So one of the fun things we do monthly is thank our members for all the wonderful things they do by passing out tickets.

For example, volunteering for a demo, bringing a friend or a treat, helping to clean up, and wearing a name tag will earn you tickets! Each ticket increases one Lucky member the chance to win a door prize.

The door prizes are typically handmade items from either myself or Shelley. January’s prize was a Henrietta Turtle kit with a handmade crochet flower.

February was the coffee cozy..

And March?… It’ll have to bee a secret for now! But I’ll be showing all the fun door prizes for the year so stay tuned each month.

We have a guest speaker in March. Lynn from A Different Box Of Crayons is coming! Lynn continues to inspire us with her use of mixed media into her designs. She incorporates alternative fabrics into her work such as silk, wool, embroidery, and decors. Her newest BOM is Cathedral Doves. Is that a beauty, or what?

She recently moved her studio to 121 West Wesley in Wheaton, IL . If you happen to be down there, check it out. I’m going to make a special trip to Wheaton just to see it. How can you resist!? The studio has regular, but not typical hours. Thursday & Friday 10 – 4, & ODD NUMBERED Saturdays are 10 – 2 during the winter. Head over to her FB page, give her a ‘like’ to check for studio updates and see what she’s up too.

March is also our first swap for the year…the Mug Rug Swap. We’ve posted a couple of sneak peaks on the guild FB page. If you’re already a guild member, I hope you’re planning on participating. The ones I’ve seen so far that are finished, are swaptastic! Lol, yes, I said that.

Remember, that if you’re in the ChicagoLand area and would like to join us for a meeting and give it a test run, we’d love to meet you! We are a welcoming, friendly group and we encourage you to come have some fun too. The CLMQG typically meets the 2nd Sunday of every month at the Crystal Lake Mortgage Center on Rt. 14 but check the CLMQG blog before attending for any updates. Guests fees are $5. I hope we see you there!

Who knows? Maybe you’ll get Lucky!

Or how about making a little something for your Sweetie Sewistas?

If you’d like to surprise someone this Valentines, all it takes is the pattern, 2 pieces of scraps, a piece of batting, a button, and an elastic tie. You can find the colored elastic (hair)ties at Target. They’re the tiny, skinny ones in the girls section where the barrettes are found.

Follow the directions on the ‘Handmade Holidays‘ blog post found here. I eliminated the patchwork and embroidery this time. I simplified.

Finish up with your handmade fabric labels for a personal touch. Grab a gift card from Starbucks and toss some candy hearts inside your disposable cup! Yes. Starbucks will give you a free, unused cup if you ask sweetly!

I made these cozys for the CLMQG board members and one lucky girlie from the guild meeting gets to walk away with the one filled with goodies as a door prize for February. It’s not only filled with sweets, I added embellishments too, like cute buttons and sweet crocheted hearts(thanks mom)! Personalize your cup to suit your Valentine!

The CLMQG is having a UFO contest from January-October. The idea is for members to register their forgotten loves for $2/project…unlimited. All the money collected goes towards prizes. Once a project is completed, you get a stamp of approval and your registered quilt/sewing item goes into a quarterly drawing with a chance for a grand prize in October!

I’m going to register 5….and 3 of these are doozies. They’re going to be time intensive. Lots of handwork/applique. I’ll need to be disciplined in scheduling time for them, which sometimes can be a problem. I already sew for SewMod and there’s only ‘sew’ much time in the day!

Dare I estimate how much time I’ll need for each completion?

Susan’s Dresden Garden. (8weeks) A CrabApple Hill embroidered bluework quilt. I’ve had all the fabrics and finished over half of my embroidery work so far. I’ve even made some of the pieced Dresdens. It takes a lot of commitment to stitch the same Dresden, with the same color floss 12 times y’all. What can I say..even though it’s going to be positively beautiful when completed, it’s boring the hell outta me!!

Batik Spools from the book by Edyta Sitar Friendship Strips And Scraps (2weeks)
I started this quilt about 3 years ago with Shelley right before my move and didn’t find the time or the actual project until about a month ago. I’d really like to finish this one up. I just need to work on applying the applique to the borders, then it’s off to the quilter.

SewMod Halloween Row Quilt (2weeks)
My row quilt has been on and off of my design board so many times I’ve lost count. It was up there as recently as two weeks ago. I want it to be spooktackular and I think it’s paralyzing me creatively. I have a few ideas I’m playing around with. It’s just a matter of conjuring the right spell.

The last two are basically just about crossing something off my list and freeing that space up in my closet and my brain.

Batik Tuffet (1week)
The foundation pieced tuffet is almost completed. I have one more section and I’d like to also write an accompanying blog post with tips and tricks to making and finishing a tuffet. After the top is completed, it’s just a matter of assembly.
This one pictured is Paige’s Batik Tuffet…

And lastly, 2 Bindings (1week)
Just waiting for these to come back from the quilter. I’m considering these 2 as one finish.

My time estimates are assuming I’m not wasting time lollygagging around on Pinterest or whatever Netflix series I might be binging on that week. Also..3 out of the 5 projects requires them being sent to the quilter and that alone can take 4-6 weeks.

What I wouldn’t give for just 2 extra hours in a day…Who am I kidding? I’d probably just end up doing more lollygagging…