Bear with Me!

 Can you handle any more animal quilt block photos?  Well say hello to the bears!  This first one used Thimbleberries fabrics in red and green to make a bear paw (appropriate, right?) quilt.

This one did a log cabin block quilt.

And this one did a heart quilt with French General fabrics.

And all of the animal show and tell blocks are complete!  I have measured them and cut the sashings and border strips and have put them away for now.

Why is it when everyone is trapped inside by the cold snowy weather that everyone looks to me for food?  They're all just laying around sleeping, so how can they constantly be hungry?

Mabel resorted to hanging out on top of the piano.............

even during a piano lesson.  Apparently it was a good lesson as she went to sleep!

And Willow was chilling on her bed.

And my farmer was hard at work in the basement office.

As you read this, I may or may not be sitting in a jury box.  Hopefully NOT!  Time will tell.

Christi

Oh Deer!

The deer for the Show and Tell quilt are finished!   

This one loves Halloween, so made her quilt with Halloween prints.

This one went black and white........a more modern deer.

And this one used her favorite kitchen fabrics to make her quilt.

I had lots of supervision while I was making deer blocks.

How many cats does it take to fill a quilt project box?  

Those blocks they are sleeping on are going to be well pressed.

I got the binding finished on the Waverly quilt.

And I quilted the Jimmy John quilt.  I'm still working on the binding of this one.  It is going as a birthday gift at the end of February.

Believe it or not, there was nothing else hanging in the TBQ closet after Jimmy John.  That has since changed as I pulled out this block kit that came from an auction box of fabric.

I pieced the 2 turkey blocks and have since this photo made an addition star block to put in the middle and create a table runner.  Backing and binding are now hanging with it in the TBQ closet.

With all the extreme cold temps and snow, the outside pets have become inside pets.  This is how Willow has been spending her days.

With animals in and out, the floors in my house have become disgusting and are covered with dog and cat prints.  There was no school here yesterday or today either.  I have been summoned for jury duty and have to report tomorrow morning.  So in an attempt to not miss all of my Wednesday/Thursday piano students, I have done a marathon piano day with 10 lessons yesterday, 2 this morning, and 2 more this afternoon.  All that foot traffic hasn't helped the dirty floor issue either.  After the last student heads out the door this afternoon, I will be sweeping and scrubbing.  I've caught up the laundry, finished all the church and community center bookwork and tax documents, and hopefully all this prep work will be for nothing and I will NOT be picked for jury duty.  

I'm prepping another post for tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Christi

Show and Tell

This post is quite literally Show and Tell.............that's the name of the quilt pattern I've been working on by Elizabeth Hartman.

You may remember this bunny and her quilt made from scraps from a recent quilt.  

One of her bunny friends also finished a quilt for Show and Tell.  This was made from 4 patches from the 2" squares box.  And another friend made this flying geese quilt from batik scraps!

So here are all of the bunnies for the Show and Tell quilt...............

You may also remember this shy fox and her quilt made with a block from the Scrap Jar Stars block lotto blocks.

One of her equally shy fox friends made this patriotic quilt!

And another fox made this quilt from Civil War scraps.

Here are all three of the shy foxes with their quilts.

And here is the whole crew so far.............6 quilts done and 6 to go!  The deer and bears need to get to work on their quilts.

The only other things to show from the sewing room are the new block lotto blocks I made.  It is a disappearing four patch in blues and whites.  

And I quilted the Waverly quilt.  I'm still working on the binding.  I had a little extra help getting the batting loaded.

Mabel and Harry Potter had to go outside while I was quilting.  I'd feel sorry for them, except.......

They have a pretty cushy lifestyle...........

Shhh!  I think it's best to let them sleep.

Christi

 

Animal Takeover

 Animals have taken over my sewing room.

Yes, it's another Elizabeth Hartman pattern, Foxes in Flannels.  I have spent nearly 3 weeks working on the fox faces.  Finally, all 24 are finished.  There are 36 pieces in each face for those who are counting along.  That was all the cutting I had done for this quilt, but I was so thrilled to have the faces done that I got out the project box and cut the needed green backgrounds for the bodies (and I realized that I had already cut the paws and chins).  So then I started digging through the scraps to find shirt, undershirt, and jeans fabrics.  I cut for one fox and went right to the machine.  

Here he is!  Can I just say that the cutting takes 3 times the time that the sewing does.  Part of the issue is cutting the plaids to match.  Honestly, I probably wouldn't bother, but after reading the pattern and there being a whole page devoted to cutting so that the plaids would sorta match, I figured I better do it that way.

And for those who are still interested, there are 37 pieces in each body.  So I'll let you do the math, (36+37)x24 foxes...............???

A few more animals showed up to play in the sewing room.

One of them is rather shy (another fox!)

These are the first 2 blocks for another Elizabeth Hartman pattern called Show and Tell.  There is also a bear and I think there are only 9 of these, 3 of each animal, each with a different quilt.  I already had the little quilts done.  The one the fox is holding is actually a block from the block lotto blocks I won at quilt guild back in November.  It somehow came out a little smaller than all the others, so I just slapped a border on it and gave it to the shy fox for Show and Tell.  

The one the bunny is holding is made from scraps from 2 larger quilts I have been working on.  It's a little busy for my taste, but then, bunnies are busy little creatures, are they not?

Here's the first quilt that caused those scraps.  

I love this quilt.  I love the colors.  It comes from a line of fabric called Maple and the pattern is Proposal from the book O Happy Day.  I really love the pattern.  And I love the quilting pattern.  This was a new design that showed up on my tablet after I did the free upgrade to my quilting program in December.  I'll definitely use it again.

And of course, I put a couple of tags on the back!

And for the last animal reference, (I know, you've been expecting photos of LIVE animals!) I played "chicken" with a bolt of fabric.

That little sliver is all I had left after I cut what I needed for the back of the Waverly quilt I want to quilt next.  This might be taking "Waste Not, Want Not" a little too far.

I know, 2 blog posts relatively close together.  Don't get excited.  It will be a few days before there's another.  I have some major house cleaning to do and will be out and about on Tuesday and Wednesday, so there won't be much to show and tell about.

I hate to say it, but a few good snow days would make the world slow down and give more sewing time.  Just let me hit the grocery store first!

Christi

Updating the list!

 Well right after completing my list, I found another UFO hanging in a different closet.  It's an old fan quilt that my great grandmother pieced.  It was passed to me with the words, "Maybe you can do something with this."  So, thinking I would quilt it, I spent some TV time ripping out the "hem" which had been put in around the edge.  Then I took it to the ironing board and tried to get it pressed.  That's when I started finding all the holes.  I started fixing them, but finally decided there were so many that putting this on the longarm wasn't a good idea.  So it's hanging back in the closet and I plan to take the blocks apart and use the good ones in other projects.  So, let's add another UFO to the list bringing it up to 29.

But now some finishes..........

This was a panel I picked up at the estate sale in Gower last fall.  I finished it and am gifting it to a cousin for her birthday this month.

And then the St. Pats stuff also from the estate sale.............. Table Runner finished!

And a pillow that just needs an 18" pillow form.

And a wall hanging.   We're definitely ready for St. Patrick's Day now.  This is a special holiday at our house because it is also someone's birthday!

So that's 4 more (small) finishes which brings the list of 29 down to 24.  The baby quilt from the last post is on it's way to Florida.

I quilted another quilt yesterday, but it's still on the longarm.  I was just thinking that I need to get a bunch of things ready for binding so I have plenty to work on while I veg out in front of the TV for the Olympics next month.  

I also pieced the 2 blocks I had cut for the Snailing Around Town quilt.  I'll be doing these gradually as I'm following 2 different monthly color challenges.  January's colors were blue and teal.

Of course there was "help" at various times in the sewing room.  Treats are dispensed regularly.  Harry Potter seems to have 2 speeds..............actively dismantling the automatic feeder and water dish, or splashing in the other water dish or this........

Kinda makes you forget what a pain he is.  They're so cute when they're asleep!

Christi

First Finish!

 

This is the second Lookout (pattern by Elizabeth Hartman) baby quilt I have made.  I needed to get this one finished since it is going to Florida and we know someone traveling down there this month who will deliver it for us.  I made it totally from my stash.  The quilting design was called Heat Wave which I thought was appropriate for a quilt going to Florida.

I put a couple of labels on the back which was a plaid flannel.  The recipient will be a boy we've been told.  I figure if it's going to Florida, a Missouri tag is appropriate.  When you flip the tag up, it says "Made in MO" on the backside.

Here is a photo of the recent cross stitch finish.  It has now joined two others that are waiting to be fully finished.  I started it on Christmas and it was a quick easy stitch.  Those are my favorite kind.

I spent most of the day cleaning and organizing the sewing room  I cut up all the scraps that were littering the cutting table and put them away.  It's sad to realize that I had cut several things, but never put them away, just kept sweeping them to the pile and they got lost.

Normally this is not my favorite thing to do, but I had some exceptional help yesterday.

And then there was double the help!

Harry did his best to hold the ruler still for me.

Obviously it was exhausting work.  

I also quilted a quilt for my mom that had been hanging in my TBQ closet since Thanksgiving.  

The quilting design is called Transformation.  Mom normally likes feathers and florals, but since the fabrics in this one didn't scream girl, I decided to use a more geometric design so that she could gift it to a guy if she wanted to.

In all of the organizing and decluttering, I made my list of UFO's for 2026.  

1.  Proposal

2.  Waverly

3.  Lookout

4.  St. Pats Pillow

5.  St. Pats Runner

6.  St. Pats Wall Hanging

7.  Jimmy John

8.  Snailing Around Town

9.  Chalet

10.  Foxes in Flannels

11.  Show and Tell

12.  Love in Bloom Panel

13.  O Christmas Tree

14.  Heaven and Nature Sing

15.  Scrap Jar Stars

16.  Hash Tag

17.  Jelly Twist

18.  Halloween Panel

19.  Thanksgiving Panel

20.  Redlin Panel

21.  Legendary

22.  My Kinda Town

23.  Turkey Lurkey

24.  Turkey Blocks

25.  Cat Nip

26.  Pineapple

27.  Tea Time Topper

28.  Vintage 20's Blocks

I know.  That's a lot.  I only had 12 last year and I finished them all as well as a bunch of things I started, but once that 2025 UFO list was completed, I sorta went off the rails starting new projects.  

Well, Hope Springs Eternal!  We can hope that I get several of these done this year.  Actually, Lookout was #3 on the list and it's finished, so there's really only 27 now.  That makes you feel better, right?

Christi