January - It's a Wrap! (a 14 in 2014 update)

This strange month that was January, 2014 is finally over, and I can't say I'm sorry to see it go.  Looking back, my overall impression of the month is C-O-L-D.  I know I'm being a whiny baby, but we just don't get cold like that here in Northwest Florida very often, and I'm just not prepared for it any more - emotionally or otherwise.

But it hasn't been without its upside, and after spending the first half of the month with my head stuck in my Kindle, I finally got some motivation to get back in the sewing room and finished two quilts for my 14 in 2014 goal. 

The first was the Starflower quilt that I started last August.  The fabric is Beechwood Park by Janene Morrison, and the pattern is by my very own Amanda, whom you may know as A Crafty Fox or the owner of Westwood Acres Fabrics.  Having some tutoring in spray basting at the quilt guild meeting last month really helped push this one along.  My friend Marcy, who is an amazing long-arm quilter, was kind enough to suggest some quilting designs, and so I was really inspired to get quilting when I got home from the meeting.

I'm hoping it will be warm and dry today so I can head out to the park and get some "after" photos today.  If so, I will share them soon.

Here's a "before" picture of the other January 14 in 2014 finish.  This one I affectionately call the "Circles" quilt, although it's official name is "Spot On".  The fabric is Juggling Summer by Zen Chic, but I always think of it as more of an autumn color mix. 

And here's the "before" back.  (Yup, I've cut off all the little dangling pieces now!)

And this one is now quilted and bound and folded, and looking pretty on the shelf.

Come on, February, warm up!  I just haven't wanted to be outside at all.  Brrrr!  I need to get out and take pictures!

So, that's two of 14 finished in January.  Not a bad start, really.


Here is the list for 2014:

1.  Breath of Avignon  - no progress
2.  Basket Blocks  - no progress

3.  Citrus Quilt - no progress
4.  Single Girl - no progress

5.  Starflower - finished! January, 2014

6.  Modern Maples - no progress

7. Spot On - finished!  January, 2014

8.  Bookshelf Quilt - no progress

9.  Faux String Quilt - no progress
10.  Fat Quarter Shop Block of the Month Club quilt - no progress

11.  Grandmother's Flower Garden - no progress

12.  Shiny Brite - no progress

13.  Christmas Quilt - no progress

14.  2011 Craftsy BOM - no progress

Well, it was kind of discouraging writing "no progress" after all of those, but I'm trying to tell myself that finishing two quilts in January wasn't a bad start.

In addition to the 14 in 2014 quilts, I made:

 Two pillows to go with the Wallflowers quilt...

A quilt for the Riley Blake MQG Basics Challenge...

And two adorable little pin cushions.

Not a bad start to the year, I think.

How was your January? 

Back in the Saddle - um... Sewing Room

I've been back in the sewing room this week, and it feels pretty good.  I feel like I'm ready to tackle a few of the projects in there waiting for my attention, so maybe I just needed a bit of a break.

My friend Leona asked me to quilt this little mini pinwheel quilt for her, and it was a fun little project.  I outline quilted all the little twisters to emphasize the pinwheels, then carried that through to the first border.

I really love the texture the outline quilting gave this little quilt.  It feels great as I run my hand over it.

I herringbone quilted the outer border.  I really like the rhythm of quilting herringbones, even if they are far from perfect.  And I really haven't figured out corners yet.  They're getting better, though.

I'm still doing a couple of swaps - the ongoing kind, that I've been doing for a long time.  I made this little turtle for my partner in the Sewing With Friends swap.  The theme this time was pin cushions.  I meant to make this little guy last summer, but I had misplaced the pattern.  Finally found it and created this fun little critter.  The pattern is Henrietta by Heather Bailey.  So cute.  And fun to make.

Another swap I started just this year is the Handmade Birthday Swap.  I'm in the sewitsyourbirthday group.  Since my birthday is in January, I've been receiving fun little gifts for awhile, and when I have them all, I will do a big reveal.  In the meantime, this little quilted tool caddy is what I gave to the other birthday girl this month.

I filled it with a few fun little goodies too.

Always before I have pin basted my quilts, but when my sister asked me to quilt the quilt she made for my grandson, Britton, and sent it already spray basted, I began to think I was missing something.

So, at the ECMQG meeting last Saturday, I asked for expert help.  Cindy and Kim each showed me their method for spray basting and helped me spray baste a couple of quilts - the bookshelf quilt and the starflower quilt. 

So I decided to quilt the starflower quilt this week.  I have to say, I really like the spray baste.  No wrinkles or bumps, despite all the bias edges in this quilt.

I did swirls in the stars and what I called chrysanthemums in the hexagons.  It seemed to me to take for-ev-er, but I finally got the main body of the quilt done.

Now, all I have to do is figure out what to do with the borders. 

One of the fun things about having such a talented daughter is that occasionally I get asked to do something fun, like test a pattern.  This adorable little nosegay pattern was designed by my own sweet girl, known on IG and Flickr as @acraftyfox_amanda.  She and her husband own Westwood Acres Fabric, and she not only raises kids, runs a shop, and makes quilts, but she designs them as well.  Each month, in the Westwood Acres Fabrics monthly newsletter, she includes a unique pattern that she has designed especially for her customers (in fact, the starflower quilt above was one of her designs!)

This month, it's this cute little nosegay pin cushion.  She designed it to be made with Liberty Lawn, but I don't have any, so I grabbed some @annamariahorner Dowry and set to work.  In about an hour and a half, I had this adorable little pinnie.  If you haven't signed up for her monthly newsletter, you really should.  There's a link on the Westwood Acres website. And I think she just may have some Dowry left in the shop.

So, that's what I've been up to.  How about you?