The Stitch TV Show - Episode 209

I love this show I recently discovered.  No affiliation, but I'd love to see them continue to succeed with this endeavor.

http://www.thestitchtvshow.com/the-stitch-tv-show-episode-209/

Charity Quilts for 2017

During 2017 I am committed to being more generous in sharing my fabric hoard collection.  But of course, I want to make quilts with that fabric before I give it away!  (See 'stash justification' on my 2017 planning post. ;-)  )

One deserving charity is Quilts Beyond Borders.  Their volunteers deliver hundreds of quilts to children around the world in need.  

Because the recipients are children, the size requested is very quiltable on my domestic tabletop mid-arm.  They prefer 40-45" by 48-60".  

They also accept unquilted tops and seek volunteer longarmers to finish them.

In the U.S. there are many regional collection points, which helps save on shipping costs.  I aim to collect up a few at a time to get some savings with the theme "if it fits, it ships" -- lol.

The first pattern I've chosen is from the wonderful blogger Christa Quilts.  Her quilt style is always cheerful, so her free Puzzle Box pattern was a natural choice for its energy alone.

But wait!  There's more!  Puzzle Box is perfect for a leaders/enders style project.   

Having cut and stacked the block-makings for the first quilt, I've got a jumpstart on 2017!

Do you have any specific charity sewing in mind for 2017?  Please comment and share your plans below.  Others may want to see a variety of ideas to inspire their own New Year's resolutions!

Linking up with these generous quilters today:
Needle and Thread Thursday
Let's Bee Social 
Mid-Week Makers



Thank you for reading my blog.

Kimberly

Berry Cross QAL Top Complete

This fun quilt along hosted by Jennifer at Inquiring Quilter is coming to a close soon.  (I gushed about Jennifer and her sponsor's generosity yesterday.)

The top is together, and it's much larger than planned. I really wanted to use up the floral orange focus fabric.

So I just kept making blocks until it was gone.  That's a grand total of 35, in a 5 x 7 layout. It will be at least a full size I think.

Linking up today with Too Cute Tuesday and
To-Do Tuesday (who you really need to check out today because she just landed a great paying gig with her projects).

Thanks for reading my blog.

Kimberly

2017 Planning Party

Yvonne at Quilting JetGirl knows how to get things done!  In fact, she wants to help all of us quilting folks have a productive and purposeful 2017.  So she's hosting a fun 2017 Planning Linky Party, and you are invited!

My sights are still set a bit too high, surely, but at some point all the quilty thoughts must be listed.  It would be awesome to accomplish all most half of this in 2017.

Why Am I Doing This?
#1 To become creative
#2 To learn new techniques
#3 To expand socially

Quilt Alongs
- The Honey Pot Bee - 2 blocks/mo
- Post Cards from Sweden - unknown
- Quilter's Planner weekly block ~4 blocks/mo
- Project Quilting challenges - 2 mini-quilts/mo
- Growing Up quilt-along - 1 block/mo
- Garden Snail Sundays ~4 blocks/mo
- Paper Piecing Vintage - 2 blocks/mo
- Patchwork at FQS - 1 block/mo
- 100 Days 100 Blocks - 1 block/day
- Berkeley Springs Guild - 1 applique block/mo

Block & Gifty Swaps - committed
- Stash Bee 2017 - 1 block/mo & 1 tutorial for June
- Secret Pals - 1 pkg/mo
- Swap Pink 2017 - 1 mini by Feb 

Charity Leaders/Enders for Quilts Beyond Borders
- Puzzle Box - piecing begun
- Tutti Frutti - fabric cut
- Miscellaneous blocks in drawers
- Doey's House kit - not started

Guild Activities
- Yard Square auction quilts - 2 by Mar.1; not started
- Quilt show & sale - 2 quilts; tops complete
- Sew-ins twice a month
- Ugly FQ challenge mug rug for Jane - not started
- Show April 14 - May 29 participation

Personal sewing for
- Lindsay quilt (dd13) - not started
- Rocco quilt (ds15) - not planned
- Evelyn quilt (dd17) - not planned
- Evelyn wall-hanging - ufo
- Evelyn curtains - not started
- Lindsay curtains - not started
- Studio curtains - not started
- Complete coaster inventory - ufo

Motivators
- Commitments to others
- Charity
- Giveaway entries
- Linky parties
- Guild show and tell
- 350 Blocks Project reports
- Stash reports
- Stash justification
- Stitch TV episodes
- Stitch TV virtual sew-ins
- Hip To Be a Square podcasts
- Talk to Me Tuesday videos
- Simply Colorful virtual sew-ins
- Quiltcam virtual sew-ins
- Virtual socialization
- IRL socialization
- Foundation for life's third phase
- Mindfulness training

The obligatory UFO list
- DH's friend quilt - top repaired, needs 'quilted'
- Kim Diehl wall hanging - almost bound
- Cathedral Window - one seam & 10 windows left
- Allietare 2015 mystery - top complete
- Berry Cross - top complete
- Teal houndstooth lap quilt - top complete
- CT Mystery 2014 fall colorway - top complete
- CT Mystery 2014 blue colorway - top complete
- Barbara Brackman table runner - top completed
- Circa 2016 - top completed

- Garden Party by Bonnie Hunter - blocks complete
- Antique Goose Chase - blocks complete
- Grand Illusion - blocks complete
- Fall colors RV twin quilts - blocks complete
- Tutti-frutti charity quilt - blocks complete
- Bright large courthouse steps - blocks complete 
- Moonshine repurposed - all but tiny blocks done

- Scraps Plus One triple nine-patch - piecing started
- Japanese wall hanging - piecing started
- Autumn inset stars RV quilts - piecing started
- Colorful dots from QM's 100 blocks - piecing started
- Stars in a Time Warp - some blocks done
- Plus Sign scrappy quilt - piecing started

- Pow Wow throw quilt kit - not started
- Butter Churn quilt kit - not started
- Quiltery fall quilt kit - not started


You can find more information about the quilt alongs listed by visiting my Pinterest board.

I was brave enough to bare my quilted soul here, blemishes and ufo's all.  Won't you join me?  There are still a few days left to get it all down on 'paper'.


Thank you for reading my blog.

Kimberly

Quilt Along Rewards

It all began when I won a gift certificate for participating in the Berry Cross Quilt Along with Jennifer at Inquiring Quilter.

The generous reward was spent at Always in Stitches on-line store, going completely toward purchasing The Quilter's Planner.  I desperately wanted one but was waiting for an excuse Christmas.  Merry Christmas to me!

Look at that sweet mini-charm pack which Always in Stitches gifted with my order!  I love mini-charms; they are like a Whitman's candy sampler of fabric.


So guess what happens when you mix a fabric addiction with a paper-products addiction.  They certainly don't cancel each other out and create a return to sanity.

Synergy is a more apt description of the result.  It grows into something which looks like this -->








 

which is a two-dimensional version of the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the original Ghostbusters movie.






Owning a Quilter's Planner grants one super powers.  Now I'm confident that I can undertake nine or more quilt-alongs, block bees, gifty swaps, and project challenges in the first three months of 2017 alone!

I am Woman Quilter; hear me roar!

Once I come down from this fabric-and-paper-blend high, I'll be posting my plans for 2017 including a recipe for eating an elephant one bite at a time.

Meanwhile, I'm partying today with:
Monday Making
Moving It Forward Monday
Main Crush Monday

Thank you for reading my blog.

Kimberly


 

The Stitch TV Show - Episode 208

En Provence Clue 3

There wasn't much purple in my stash actually. There was some yardage, but certainly not enough scrappiness.  Excuse to shop!

Pardon the low quality pic, but it's like 15 degrees here!  The units are on the piano bench, under the window, and next to my husband's rosemary bushes.

I went out on the back porch to take pics, and only made it about three steps before realizing THAT was not happening!  The wind would've had my little four-patches, and I'd have died from hypothermia while chasing them across the yard.  I guess there are worse ways to go.

Linking up with Quiltville, Needle and Thread Thursday, and Finished or Not Friday. Also with Muppin who has inspired me this month although I haven't made it to blogging daily.  Patience, grasshopper.

Thank you for reading my blog!

Kimberly