Here's another part of her Christmas gift.
There are other items in the box, but you'll have to wait to see them.
I spent the last few days trying to decide what type of project I want to work on and what color do I want to add to the black and white. As I walked into the kitchen tonight the perfect idea came to mind. Do you see the blank space above the kitchen cabinets? DH does not want to use the space for storage. I think the room looks unfinished. What did I decide to do? I'm going to make a series of coffee cup blocks to hang across the wall. I'm thinking of using cranberry as the third color.
Why coffee cups, you ask? Well, five years ago I made this Coffee Time mosaic for the back splash in our previous home. The mosaic now sits behind our kitchen sink. It was the source for the name of both my blogs and over time I've some to think of myself as Coffee Time. Therefore, I think coffee cup blocks are the perfect choice. Don't you agree? DH thinks it's a great idea.
So now I have a little over one month to start planning my first block. I'm excited to begin working on this project, but I must wait to finish my Christmas gifts first. Then it will be time to play with coffee cups.
Project B was a truly impulsive project. I was digging through my cupboard trying to find my muslin when I pulled this pile of four inch squares from a Challenge I gave myself earlier this summer. They spoke so strongly to me I had to work on them. This is where I am at on the project. Five long strips of the blocks have been sewn. Now I need to finish the project.
Projects C, D and E are all made for a friend. Not all of the projects are done, but soon they will be done and out the door.
I still have three more swap projects to work on and get out on the mail before December 6. Then I can concentrate on DIL's new clothes.
I told DIL I would make her a dress for Christmas. The pattern is a jumper with a dress underneath it. She chose the green fabric as the jumper and the purple fabric as the underneath dress. The black dots on the fabric are actually dark green sequins.
So what have I really done? I've moved beyond quilting into sewing clothes. It's been years since I've sewed clothes. Wish me luck! I'm excited to get started!
Here is a close-up photo of the white snowflake buttons I sewed in the border.
I'm happy I've finished this little quilt as my Christmas Cactus is about to bloom.
While I'm on the topic of Christmas, please visit Hanne's blog. She is having a giveaway for a Christmas tote bag she designed. Wouldn't it be fun to go Christmas shopping with this bag on your shoulder?
This is what happens when you've been sewing too long. You grow fabric ears!
My first project of the day was storage cubes from Crazy Mom Quilts. Instead of using the vinyl as a place to put a label I added one of my stitcheries and sewed it in. I started a second basket, but had problems with the vinyl and need to do some unsewing on it.
Project #2 was grocery totes. The pattern came from Valori Wells. I had three of them ready to sew, but only made one. I added a pocket to the front of it for keys and a phone.
This last tote was a pattern I purchased from Jo-Ann Fabrics. The pattern was easy to follow. I'm not quite done with it yet. I'm going to add some applique to it. I quilted it instead of using interfacing. I thought the bag would be stiffer. It isn't. It is roomy though and will make a great shopping bag.
Sunday I have the day off and will spend it playing in my studio. Yippee!
Click here for the results of the states. So far there are 27 states that are blue and 21 that are red with three still processing results.
The mill building is very visible now. The leaves are falling fast around us. By next month I bet the trees will be bare.
DIL and I spent time sewing today. DH came into the studio and took this photo of DIL sewing away. We tag teamed on a baby quilt. I cut the pieces. She sewed. I ironed and pinned.
Here is the completed baby quilt. We used one of the baby fabrics I bought while in MN.
A quilter on one of my Yahoo groups asked if anyone is doing an Election Night Challenge. My brain immediately clicked into high gear and thought what a great idea! So I'm issuing an Election Night Challenge. I don’t want to get bogged down with lots of rules about the challenge so I’ll keep it simple.
Don't forget to vote on Tuesday!
I used coffee-themed fabric for the outside. A perfect choice for Coffee Time Stitches, right?
I lined the inside with brown flannel for holding projects in place. I added a row of pockets for holding thread, a small hoop, scissors and miscellaneous items. The original pattern called for wrapping the end of the roll around a PVC pipe. I wanted a roll that could lay flat and be squishie if I want to toss it in a suitcase.
And now for the teal fabric. I made a Flirty Skirty reversible apron for the Hot Drinks for Hot Mamas Swap at Yarni Gras. This is the reversible side.
And, without further ado, here is the front of the apron. I really like the way the apron turned out. I know my swap partner will like it, too. It's going out in the mail tomorrow morning along with some other goodies.
I have Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday off. That means I'll be able to get some more serious sewing time in. I can't wait!
I have to get this project done today as it needs to be sent in the mail by Wednesday. Stay tuned to see if I make the deadline.
Our first stop of the morning was the New England Quilt Museum. The exhibition was Metrotextural: Art Quilts of the Manhattan Quilters Guild. The quilts were definitely art quilts and many were gorgeous. Some left us wondering, but I guess that happens often. In the sale section of the gift shop I found this book on Big Stitch Quilting for 40% off. Since I started big stitch quilting without directions I figured for $8 I would make sure I'm doing it right.
The two-hour drive to Keepsake Quilting was gorgeous. The trees were colorful and the skies were a brilliant blue. Karen and Bron were amazed by the gorgeous colors. We shopped at Keepsake for a little over an hour. As I always do when I visit a quilt shop I check out the sale area first. I found these stripe prints for $4 a yard - bought one yard of each.
This alphabet panel was marked down to $4. There are two full alphabets on the panel. I'm thinking of making an alphabet book for the new grandbaby with them.
I was born and raised in Minnesota and laughed out loud when I saw this Minnesota fabric on sale. I bought two yards of it. I will add it to some other MN fabric I purchased last year.
While waiting for Bron to finish shopping I noticed a stack of cupcake and candy print fabrics by the cutting counter. I asked if they had any medley packages of the prints and they didn't. So I chose these three cupcake fabrics and bought half-yard cuts of each. I also bought a package of 10-inch squares of Aunt Grace solids to use with all the Aunt Grace repros I got for my birthday.
I'm definitely done shopping for a while. In the last two weeks I have purchased close to 50 yards of fabric and received 20 FQs as a birthday present. All of those fabrics should keep me busy for a while, don't you think so?
Karen and Bron say hi to all their readers. Karen is trying to figure out how to get on the internet to post a blog entry so you should be hearing from her soon.
I browsed through the book before deciding I had to buy it. She has created some terrific patterns that look fun and exciting. It wasn't until I got home and did some internet browsing that I learned the book just came out as in the release date is October 20, yet B&N had several on the shelf.
I though I'd share another fall photo with you. We got home from work just as the sun was setting and this tree was gorgeous. It is one of the trees behind our deck. It is also the tree I see out of the window in my quilting room. Don't you just love fall?
It's time for the Red Sox/Tampa Bay Rays series to start so I'm off to watch some baseball.
Here's a close up of the quilting. The lines look little crooked in the photo,
I need some suggestions on what to do in the border. The Christmas print border is 3 inches wide. I don't want to cover too much of the print since it is the only Christmas print in the quilt. I'm thinking of stitching a straight line just outside the green border and then another line close to the outside of the Christmas print. Do you think that would work? Or do you have any other suggestions?
Could it be you? Or you? Or . . . .
I've been drawn to bold, geometric prints lately. The striped fabric on the right has light-colored circles on it. I'm tempted to cut it on the diagonal and make blocks out of it.
There are two yeards of each of these fabrics. They will look good in my kitchen. Maybe a table runner or some placemats. The yellow is a gingham and I'm thinking of making an apron with chicken scratch stitching on it.
There are four yards of this fabric.
This isn't a very good photo, but it is home decorating fabric and I bought four yards of it. I think it will be curtains in one of the rooms in the house.
In total I purchased 28 yards of fabric at Marden's for $75. At a minimum that same amount of fabric would cost $200 if purchased at quilt shops or from Joann's for the home decorating fabric. That's why I love shopping at Marden's (and also why I don't do it very often).
What did you do this weekend?