Tag Archives: projects

A Quick & Not So Quick Sew

Posted on March 15, 2020 by heARTs Creations

bird quilt

Purging and reorganizing have consumed me the last couple of months.  Last week I went through the two donation bins of fabric, blocks and quilt tops I have.  Some I passed on to other worthy causes.  I pulled a couple of quilt tops ready to be quilted. Then I found a panel of bird blocks. I immediately cut them and paired with two solid fabrics.  Two days later a completed Hospice quilt top was on my design wall!

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This was such an easy and gratifying sew.  As soon as the fleece I ordered for the backing comes in, I’ll get it quilted.

Then on to the not so quick sew.  We recently put in new countertops and a backsplash in our kitchen.  The windows needed new toppers.  This was not a big undertaking, but mentally, I just wasn’t into it.  I found fabric I truly fell in love with and it was birds! So fitting, as we have many birdhouses in our yard, a few feeders and lots and lots of birds. After two days of sketching, cutting, sewing and lots and lots of griping – ta da! They’re up and I love them. It’s amazing how a simple window treatment can transform the look of a room.

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I was so pleased that I purchased fabric for the living room window treatments.  Hmmm, I wonder how much I’ll procrastinate and gripe before completing that project!

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Lollypop Trees Block 5

Posted on February 24, 2020 by heARTs Creations

Yeah! Block five is done and I am now working on the sixth and final block of Lollypop Trees.  The pattern has many more blocks, including appliqued borders, but I have simplified my plans for this quilt.

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It will be a wall hanging with two rows of three blocks.  The blocks are large, so it will be a sizeable wall hanging and the plan is to hang it over our bed.  The borders and sashing will be pieced. I still need to sit down and calculate the pattern for those – will probably recruit Hubby (the family math nerd) for some help. I also need to choose the two fabrics for the borders and sashings.

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This applique project has been quite a commitment and I’ll admit, extremely enjoyable and satisfying.  Above, my very first block was with a different background than what I’m using now.  I switched gears, but will use this block for a pillow although the stitching is not quite complete. I will consider it a major accomplishment when complete, although I won’t be enjoying that moment for a while.

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A HOT experience! A friend and I recently attended a hot glass demo workshop at Starworks in Star, NC.  Fun experience! And look at the pretty glass paperweight I made! Not a craft I will pursue further, but how fun to participate it and be able to more fully appreciate this craft.

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Cutting Quilt Blocks

Posted on February 2, 2020 by heARTs Creations

Spring Quilt & Sew-In has 2 spots available! Please come join in the fun & creativity!

April being not too far away, and the Spring Quilt & Sew-In Retreat, I prepped blocks for the charity quilts that the attendees will be sewing. The first block is for a quilt called Mid-Century Quilt. There’s a variety of blues and tans for the blocks and enough blocks to build a twin size quilt.

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Thank you Pineapple Fabrics for donating the fabrics used in these blocks.

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The next two sets of blocks are for nine-patch quilts. One will have various light neutral squares in the center of each block, with the remainder of the squares being scrappy. With the exception of some of the center squares coming from Pineapple Fabrics, most of the fabrics came from stash scraps.

The second set is also for a nine-patch twin size quilt with a gray pin stripe as the center square and the rest are scrappy.  Several years ago at a warehouse sale I bought a bolt of the gray pin stripe. It’s almost all gone which is very sad because it has been such a useful and attractive neutral.

Being charity quilts, my hope is that the completed quilts will bring a smile and warmth to the recipients.

Many thanks to all those attending the retreat who are always so enthusiastic about sewing the blocks!

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Twin Size Quilts & a Winner

Posted on January 27, 2020 by heARTs Creations

Each year at the Quilt & Sew-in Retreats, the retreaters sew blocks that are then put together for Hospice quilts. This spring, however we’ll be putting twin size quilt tops together for another great cause – Snuggled in Hope Quilts. They accept quilt tops for volunteers to quilt and/or tie and bind. The quilts are then sent to Flying Horse Farms, which is a camp in Mt. Gilead, Ohio for children with serious illnesses and is part of Paul Newman’s Serious Fun Network Camps. Thank you to Kayla, a beautiful young woman who attends the Quilt & Sew-In Retreats for this wonderful suggestion.

A real bonus to donating to this cause is that the quilts do not need to be finished! I know many quilters have twin size quilt tops in their stash that may never be quilted – please consider this donation avenue!
The above quilt top will be accompanied by the backing and binding fabric below thanks to the maker of the quilt top.

 

Winter Blues Blog Hop – thank you to all who hopped along with the Winter Blues. Your kind and uplifting comments were so very much appreciated! Congrats to comenter #28, Dixie, for winning the Batik Surprise.

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Winter isn’t over yet! May you spend many happy hours keeping warm while creating!

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Bedroom Full of Green Leaves

Posted on January 12, 2020 by heARTs Creations

I’m also working on an applique wall hanging for above the bed. That, however, won’t be finished for a long time. Then came the window treatment. Our bedroom doesn’t have much light, so this is the best I could get for a pic.

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This bedroom makeover is quite a change for me, and I’m glad to say I like it. It was a project that seemed to take me forever – and it’s done!   A nice way to start off the New Year.

Linking with: (links will be applied on the appropriate dates)

MIDWEEK MAKERS ●NEEDLE & THREAD 
PEACOCK PARTY  ● TGIFF ● WHOOP WHOOP FRIDAY
FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY ● OH SCRAP!

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A New Year of ? . . .

Posted on January 6, 2020 by heARTs Creations

Quilting, creating, travel and fun with friends! A two night sew-in with friends in March, three retreats in April and one in November. No firm travel plans yet, but I’m working on it!

First up is prepping to make a quilt for a baby girl due this spring.  The requested colors are red, gray and black. Here are the reds I’ve chosen:

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And here are the grays and blacks:

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My plan is to make a scrappy sawtooth star, with four patches between each star block. The fabrics are all prewashed and pressed. I’d like to get them cut this week, put in a project box with my notes and drawings, and bring to the March sew-in.

Next I need to make a plan for my flimsies (unquilted tops). Realistically, I will not quilt them all myself, so I need to decide which will go to the long arm professional. I’ll also need to choose and prep backings.

Then comes the charity quilts. The donations received need to be sorted through and a plan formed. The blocks made at the November retreat will be pieced. New blocks will be cut for the April Quilt & Sew-in. A new cause has been chosen for this retreat – more about that at a later time.

And then there is this basket FULL to be sorted, cut and put away.

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Whew! That’s all my overwhelmed brain can handle for now! Have you made plans for the new year? Or do you take it a day at a time – free and unstressful?

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A Very Good Year

Posted on December 29, 2019 by heARTs Creations

My year was not as productive as some, but it was enjoyable. It is the process, not the progress that I now focus on.  There was still a lot of thread used! Each year I post a pic of my empty spools.  Not as many as last year, but I also had less partial spools when the year began.  It continues to amaze me how much thread quilters go through!

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What are my plans for 2020? I will continue to minimize the contents of my studio.  I have been cleaning out my craft bins, tossing, gifting and rearranging as I go. I sold some of my fabrics because  it would have taken at least a dozen quilters to stitch through my stash! I also sold my electronic cutting machine (Scan n’Cut) because I was not using it. Beware – stand in one place too long in my studio these days and you’re on your way out! Now I’m seriously thinking about finding my Featherweight a new home. I’m not acting too quickly on that decision as I want to be sure. The cleanout has been very freeing.

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I’m also knitting again! Starting out with something simple like a dishcloth seemed like a good approach.  Next week I’ll be taking a sock knitting class – something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time and I am excited! I chose a pretty jazzy yarn!

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There are several flimsies in the wings waiting to be quilted. I need to decide which ones I will tackle and which will go to the long armer. There are also a few projects that have been around for a long while. Hopefully the motivation will hit me to complete them. A couple have challenges that I have been avoiding.  Hmmm…am I passionate about them enough to meet the challenge?  We’ll see!

So here it is – my end of year Project Progress Listing. Lots accomplished – lots more to do!

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Thank you for being part of this past year with me. May your new year be filled with joy, peace, love and creativity!

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Nine More Days!

Posted on December 16, 2019 by heARTs Creations

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It’s been a fun and busy week.  A friend has a family farm and invited two of us for a 3 day sew-in.  All that time concentrated on sewing and friends (and food) was such a treat! I put the main body of this batik and black & white quilt together.  I cut the squares after I reorganized my batiks a while back.  Now I’m working on the borders.  I need to cut a little more and look forward to a finish before the end of the year.

Yard/house chores have taken some of my time.  We mainly heat with wood – it’s nice and warm but there is work involved.  We used the beastly wood splitter and then there was hauling and stacking.  Whew! I’m not used to so much manual labor!

A friend that I meet once a month for a day long sew-in made these two lovely ornaments for me.  I love their elegance!

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The house has been decorated since the begining of Advent and I have been intentionally sitting and enjoying it all.  The living tree is a skinny tree and adds enough festivity to make me happy.  Ornaments from when the kids were little still adorn the tree and yes, we hang tinsel! Can you spot the little boat and water skiier? That’s from the early years of our marriage. There’s also a little lit tree with ribbon on the kitchen island and a slightly larger little tree in the dining room with bright lights and a little ceramic angel on the top that I made years ago.

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And, of course, there’s all the wood carvings my son did many years ago.  There’s even a carved candle! He no longer carves, but oh how I hope he’ll take it up again one day.

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I’d almost forgotten that I stitched these pillows a couple of years ago and put them out about a week ago.

I hope you are enjoying this wonderful season and that all your prep work is progressing along merrily!

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A Few Finishes!

Posted on December 8, 2019 by heARTs Creations

Oh how I like to say “finished!”  Two of these are little, one bigger, but all make me happy.

First, for a couple of little Christmas time gifts, I embellished these towels.  From my stash, I made prairie points and cut strips.  These make great hostess gifts and guild gift exchanges.  They’re also pretty quick!

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These next are, as my hubby declared, “Cute, Cute, Cute!”  I found these little dishes at our local Habitat Store.  Buttons added around the rim and magnets on the bottom and voila! Pin dishes.  I am struggling though, I want to keep one.  I already have other pin dishes and a LOT of pin cushions.  Let go, let go.

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And finally, I got the last border on my Tula Strings. I know, technically not a complete finish because it’s not quilted. That, however, won’t happen for quite some time so I’m declaring a victory – a finished flimsy!  Off to Flimsy Land it goes.

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I’m also prepping for a two day sew-in that I am really excited about. I have two projects prepped and packed and am working on a third – just in case.

As the year is coming to a close, do you find yourself finishing?

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Linking:  Oh Scrap!    Monday Making   Midweek Makers   Quilt Fabrication

 

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Tula & Shot Cotton Strips

Posted on November 24, 2019 by heARTs Creations

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Progress! Yeah! I first brought this project to a retreat in SC and got a number of blocks completed.  It then it made its way to the Fall Quilt & Sew-In and I completed all but about 4 blocks.  At last they are all complete, sewn together, and the first border is on.  This solid border, however, is probably going to be reduced. Unfortunately, there was gobs of rain today and could only get this inside picture – pretty dull.

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The border is my next step.  There are a ton of the cuts from the strip sets that will be stitched in pairs, solid fabric added, to make flying geese. At least that’s the plan now!

A not so fun house project is taking up the bulk of my sewing time. Once that’s complete, I hope to attack this for a happy finish!

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