FNSI/What Was I Thinking?

I had a great Friday night sewing, I even finished piecing a quilt top which is amazing for me! The problem, it was too windy for a photo today, even with help, so you will just have to take my word for it, and I will show more soon.

A Little Bit of Christmas And A Winner

I have wanted to make the Feathered Christmas tree pattern by Cherry Blossoms since the first time I saw it, and yet for some reason I thought it was too difficult, too time consuming, or who knows what reason I thought of not to make it and didn't.  Well, this week I decided it was time to attempt it, and seriously, it was very easy and not time consuming at all.  I have to admit I already had the Accuquilt dies for it, so it took approximately 30 seconds to cut out.

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day (And Some Finishes)

It is time again for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!!  Yay!  There are always fun things to win and new places to visit!  There are pages and pages of giveaways, so make sure to visit and enter to win!

A long time ago (which seems to be a recurring theme around here) I started making seasonal embroidery projects to hang in my kitchen.  I had finished all but the winter one, and that is probably because I had Christmas quilts/embroideries to hang, and I just figured I didn't need to until recently.

Minnesota Winters

I have always wondered why there are so many talented and creative people in Minnesota who just amaze me, and I think I have figured it out.  The winters are forever, and we can wait weeks for a little bit of sunshine.  I think everyone locks themselves in their sewing/craft rooms and creates their own sun.  (This was actually me trying to convince myself that we should continue living here, because I'm seriously not liking the no sun for days this year.  Give me sunshine or give me snow, and we have neither).

Well, I guess we are having a pink Christmas this year...OR I'm a little ahead for Valentine's Day.  At any rate I'm so happy to finally have this quilted.  I had started quilting in the ditch around each triangle, which I completed, but it just seemed too bland, so I set it aside for a while and thought about what else I could do with it.

The stripes in between the flying geese were driving me nuts, but after using the squiggle in another quilt I decided to try it here and it added so much!  It made a rather bland job of quilting fun.  (Notice the 39 seconds of sunshine).

And on the white border I used the squiggle in between straight lines of quilting to combine the two which actually makes it look like cables when you see the whole quilt further away.  I guess I don't always have to finish a quilt right away.  Sometimes when I wait a little bit, or work on something else, I come up with a different idea that I never would have thought of before!  Weird how that works.  Guess I should share that with my husband so he understands my multiple unfinished projects. ;)  It seems I'm working on everything unrelated to Christmas right now, and I should probably start finishing those projects.  No time like the present!! Happy stitching!!  --Kristen

The "This Took Forever To Finish, and I Don't Want to Wreck It Quilt"

Ever have one of those projects that you start and you love the way it has turned out, but you are afraid to finish for fear of wrecking it?  I seem to have way too many of those projects, but I finally, finally finished one of them, and I'm so excited about it.

This was one of those quilts that I just couldn't figure out how to quilt.  I didn't want to just stipple it, and the alternating stars and strip blocks just had me struggling with what to do with them.  I finally decided to just try a sort of wave and went to work.  Within a few rows I knew I was going to love it.

Minis and More

Yay!  I finally finished a mini quilt for the Minis and More parade at A Quilting Life and Island Life Quilts.  It isn't that I don't always try, it just seems some months get away from me time wise, and then I miss the parade.

It is ironic that I'm finishing a tulip quilt after our first snow of the season.  It is a fun and happy Thimbleblossoms quilt that was quick and easy to make.  I'm actually ahead of the game with one spring quilt finished.

I tried some squiggly quilting this time and wow was that fun!  I am definitely going to have to try it on a bigger quilt.  I'm finding the best way to try new quilting ideas is to use smaller quilts, that way if it doesn't really work out, it is less to tear out or live with.

Make sure to check out the other quilts in the parade today.  I'm excited to see what the next project will be.  Happy Stitching and first day of December!!!  --Kristen