MOP Monday - old things and new things

I still didn't get back my paper piecing mojo :(

But what is the best way to get it back? simple: doing something else (e.g. traditional piecing), get tired of that and wanting to go back to the nice things of paper piecing ;)

And I also have some old blocks that I did some time ago but I couldn't share, so, let's get down to

-- MOP: The list --

1. As You Wish - Miracle Max & Valerie (paper piecing and embroidery block (see below))
2. Celtic Solstice - Finished (see last week post)
3. Tea Towel challenge and PPV BOM - no progress (progress last week)
4. Alice in Wonderland quilt - no progress
5. Happy Halloween wall hanging - no progress
6. Topolino quilt - no progress
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7. B&W pillow - DOOONE (actually done 2 pillows, see below)
8. Grocery bag - done last week (off the list!)
9. Triangle QAL - Final show off, post last week
10. Emerald wall hanging  done last week  (off the list!)

-- MOP: This week new blocks --
Last week on Fandom In Stitches, the last pattern for the As You Wish quilt was released...
I designed the PP block!! Here it is

 You can find both patterns on Fandom In Stitches!
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And as I mentioned before, to get my paper piecing mojo back, I did many other things :)
First, I completed my Downton Abbey pillow... and then I made a second pillow for a person who loves music.
The Downton Abbey pattern is available in my Free Pattern page.

(pillows - front)

The piano keyboard make some "pockets" in the front... because the pillow is intended to be a "remote control pillow" :)
And I think that the fabric on the back of both is a really good fit: for Downton Abbey there are cars from the early 1900 and for the music pillow has some musical instruments, notes and names of famous musicians! ;)

(pillows - back)

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And then, to get tired of traditional "cutting + chain piecing" I made 5 blocks for my Rainbow Starburst quilt (you can find the pattern here).

I love that block! It's super easy, super scrappy, super wonky, super fast... and I do just few blocks at the time... I don't even know how big the quilt is going to be, or how many block I will need... I just cut 3'' squares and I put them together in blocks of similar colors... and when I have enough I will make a quilt :)
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And my partner for the Block Swap received her block so I can share it here with you!
This is the Star I choose for her (pattern available on Craftsy)

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And last week I promised a special post to thank all the wonderful people that used my patterns and shared they work with me, but I didn't have time to put it together... I will do my best to share it this coming week... and there will be a new Alice in Wonderland pattern tested, fixed and officially released...
--

And now, link YOUR own progresses below!!

Rules for the linky party:
1. You can link finished projects or WIP at any stage! Every step is worth sharing
   (A journey of thousand miles is made of single steps)!
2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others to read about your progress!
3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link (code for the button on the side bar)
4. Comment on other links!! It's always good to support each other every step of the way!! :)

An InLinkz Link-up

MOP Monday - 4 extra projects started!

I need to update the list of projects that I am dealing with right now because that's the only way I will finish them soon and go back to the sweet six :)

In a future post I will share with you the lessons I learned about how to organize my project and keep up with them so that they don't become UFO for too long or they don't get abandoned... but that's for another week :)

-- MOP: The list --

1. As You Wish - Done Vizzini Embroidery block (see below)
2. Celtic Solstice - 3/4 of the back is done! only one section left... probably will share next week
3. Tea Towel challenge and PPV BOM - waiting for next month pattern
4. Alice in Wonderland quilt - no progress (progress last week)
5. Happy Halloween wall hanging - done new block that was not planned (see below)
6. Topolino quilt - half way in a Donald Duck block... hope to share it next week
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7. B&W pillow - printed, cut, colored the pattern pieces
8. Grocery bag - cut the fabric
9. Triangle QAL - cut half of the triangles
10. Emerald wall hanging - top done, missing everything else


-- MOP: This week new blocks --

I also traced Fezzik quote already. I am behind with the PP blocks for the As You Wish quilt...
because I have already so many other "sewing" project that I need something different sometimes... so embroidery is perfect for that!! But I will make the PP blocks too soon because I am almost done with the quotes ;)
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I designed this block because of the current weather here in Virginia :)
The weather keeps changing (one day is sunny spring, one day is snowy winter), so I keep saying my favorite quote "It can't rain all the time" (which is from The Crow) and I usually add "but it can keep snowing ;)"
Anyway, this is the block!

The pattern is available in my Free patterns page.
It has the quote (in italian "Non puo' piovere per sempre") in the lower right part (close up)

I didn't want too much contrast but I think it's still readable.

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B&W pillow: it's going to be a new fandom pattern... but not ready to share what just yet ;)
The only thing that I can tell you is that is in the "Requests" list over at Fandom in Stitches...
I can also tell you that the pillow is a present for my landlord...
it's something about a tv series that she likes a lot... ok, I already revealed too much!! ;)
--
I saw the Triangle QAL @ sassyquilter and initially I thought "Great! I hate triangles! finally a QAL that I can just watch without being involved since I already have many projects going on".
Well...
A week later I won a triangle ruler that is exactly the size used in the QAL, a friend told me that she is pregnant and then I went through my stash and found pieces of fabric that is perfect for a baby quilt and that I set aside because it couldn't be used for any of my current projects...
Ok, I've got the message from the Universe ;) I will participate to the Triangle QAL, then!! :)
This is my assignment for this week.

I decided to cut only about half of the triangles I need because I want to start sewing them together before committing to the full cutting!!
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And as a final note, my partner for the Block Swap adventure received her cat block, so I can share it here with you.

The pattern was part of a Halloween blog hop in 2012, it was designed by Lynn and you can find it at Thimblemouse & spouse. I changed the pattern a little bit to accommodate the request of a purple background :)

--

And now, link YOUR own progresses below!!

Rules for the linky party:
1. You can link finished projects or WIP at any stage! Every step is worth sharing
   (A journey of thousand miles is made of single steps)!
2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others to read about your progress!
3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link (code for the button on the side bar)
4. Comment on other links!! It's always good to support each other every step of the way!! :)

An InLinkz Link-up

MOP Monday - one top done and much more!!

DISCLAIMER: This is a post with a lot of text and a lot of pictures... but I think it's worthy: 1 quilt-top done, 1 new pattern tested and released and other 3 blocks done...

But first... let me THANK every person that reached out to me after my last "sad" post, where I was wondering if it's worth my time to share my patterns here on my blog (the summary of the post is that I did have a lot of download but very few people used my pattern and some of them didn't contact me to show me their work or they didn't give credit (at least on the picture that I saw) to me or my blog).

After that post, many of you wrote me kind emails telling me that they appreciate my work and they collect my patterns even if they didn't have the time to sew them yet (I am in the same situation, LOL :) ).

So you cheered me up and now I am back with my linky party and my patterns...

But I hope that in the future I will get some personal connections (email, facebook messages, something) if you try my patterns because I share my blocks just for this!! To find friend with the same interest!! :) 

Ok, enough bla bla bla, let's get down to the progresses of the last 2 weeks!! 

-- MOP: The list --

1. As You Wish - Count Rugen embroidery block done (see below)
2. Celtic Solstice - QUILT TOP DONE!!! (see below)
3. Tea Towel challenge and PPV BOM - PPV block (Ice Cream Bowl), 1 done (see below)
4. Alice in Wonderland quilt - Caterpillar block done (see below)
5. Happy Halloween wall hanging - "Do Bats Eat Cats?" block 2 done (see below)
6. Topolino quilt - next block printed

-- MOP: This week new blocks --

The pattern has been tested and fixed and is now available in the Quilt&Stitch-TestAlong page.

I used this amazing text fabric that I won in a giveaway some time ago... I really like text prints but I didn't know in what project I could use them... and then (since I have a resolution not to buy fabric for a while) I had to go through my stash to find a suitable background for the caterpillar... and I started reading the fabric :) there are words like "1 inch, 3 inch, 6 inch, ..." "queen" "painted" "roses" "joyful"... I mean how can a printed text be more perfect for an Alice in Wonderland block??? and for the Caterpillar in particular??? :)
Thanks Tiffany@sewinsomethin.blogspot.com!!!

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"Do Bats Eat Cats?" is my second block for the modified version of Melissa's "Star Light, Star Bright" block

Do Bats Eat Cats? (block 2)

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I also made one of my two blocks for the PPV BOM...
This block looked pretty complicated (and it 6'') so I was tempted to make the modified version which is simpler... but then I told myself "If I don't try, how do I know if I am able to do it?" And I am glad that I choose this version!! It's not hard at all!! just the few rounds from the center are kind of slow because aligning those small pieces is not super-easy, but once you get past those, it's super-easy and super-fast!! It's one single block, no points to match... I am really happy about the final result! Now I need to do another one with the aqua/blue switched... but that's for another week! :)

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And another reason why I didn't post on the blog last week is that on Thu I got pretty sick (bad cold) that knocked me out until late Monday :( so no energy to do any sewing on the sewing machine... but a lot of time on the couch to do some embroidery ;) so I completed the last embroidery block for The Princess Bride QAL :) I really like this block! It was my first time in doing that small cursive writing... and I think it turned out pretty readable, so I am happy about it! :)

--
And finally... a FINISH (quilt top at least)
This is the wonderful Celtic Solstice by Bonnie Hunter! I did a smaller and modified version... I love how it came together... the colors are so bright (I am not able to capture that in a picture) :)

Celtic Solstice (quilt top) on my design wall

Celtic Solstice (quilt top) on my couch... 

just to prove that the previous image is not a computer generated image ;)

I now have big plans for the "back"... I put back between quotes because I don't do quilt backs... I do quilts with two fronts ;) I started designing the back but is not ready yet, it's just a draft on my computer... once the first block is "done" I will share the design and put it up in my MOP list so I can keep track of the progresses... the back will be scrappy & modern, that's the only thing I can tell you for now :)

--

And now, ling YOUR own progresses below!!

Rules for the linky party:
1. You can link finished projects or WIP at any stage! Every step is worth sharing
   (A journey of thousand miles is made of single steps)!
2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others to read about your progress!
3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link (code for the button on the side bar)
4. Comment on other links!! It's always good to support each other every step of the way!! :)

MOP Monday - A Prince and a Pirate

And here we are for another week of progress reports!

I did quite a few things this week considering that three days I couldn't touch the sewing machine because one day I was sick and for other two days I couldn't feel my arms and shoulder due to excessive snow-shoveling (we had about 20 inches of snow in 24 hours... never seen so much snow in so little time... and it took two days to free our driveway!! O_o)

Anyway, here is what I was able to do despite the snow!

-- MOP: The list --

1. As You Wish - the prince and the pirate are done! (see below)
2. Celtic Solstice - missing chevron blocks done
3. Tea Towel challenge and PPV BOM - paused until march when next PPV block will be released
4. Alice in Wonderland quilt - no progress (progress last week)
5. Happy Halloween wall hanging - no progress (progress last week)
6. Topolino quilt - started Scrooge McDuck block, done about 10 pieces

-- MOP: This week new blocks --

Pirate Roberts and Prince Humperdinck are done done!

You can find all the pattern as part of the As You Wish, Quilt and Stitch along @ Fandom in Stitches.

You can also see the "chevron" sashing that I plan to use. My idea is to quilt those blocks with the quilt-as-you-go technique but I am not in a quilting mood so I will just accumulate the blocks for now and wait for a quilting inspiration to start that adventure :)

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I also completed the February block for the Block Swap Adventure (for Marina in Netherlands).
She wanted a log cabin block with batiks... since she knows already the block, I want to keep the color a surprise so here a greyscale picture of the block (I will share the actual block when she receives it)

--

And now, ling YOUR own progresses below!!

Rules for the linky party:
1. You can link finished projects or WIP at any stage! Every step is worth sharing
   (A journey of thousand miles is made of single steps)!
2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others to read about your progress!
3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link (code for the button on the side bar)
4. Comment on other links!! It's always good to support each other every step of the way!! :)

An InLinkz Link-up

As You Wish - The Prince You Love to Hate :)

Finally today is my turn in the As You Wish quilt and stitch along!!!

I designed the paper piecing pattern for Prince Humperdinck!

You can find the pattern of the PP block and of the embroidery block (designed by Amber) on Fandom In Stitches!!

I actually changed the embroidery pattern because it was my first embroidery block and I was scared of the overlapping lines in the original pattern ;) but I think it turned out pretty good for the first embroidery block!!

MOP Monday: please come and link your progress!!

Despite the fact that last week I had only one person adding a link... and despite the fact that I didn't have big progress on all my projects... here I am for the second week!!!

Because every step count... and I hope that eventually you will share your progress here with me!! :)

-- MOP: The list --

1. As You Wish - finished Roberts block and quote (see below)
2. Celtic Solstice - assembled missing pinwheel, white triangle and orange triangle
3. Tea Towel challenge and PPV BOM - done third block (The King's Crows) and printed the chevron patterns
4. Alice in Wonderland quilt - printed next block (The Red Queen)
5. Happy Halloween wall hanging - no progress
6. Topolino quilt - printed next bloc (Scrooge McDuck)

-- MOP: This week new blocks --
Westley (pirate Robers) block, from the As You Wish, Quilt and Stitch along @ Fandom in Stitches.

The pattern is available for free on Fandom In Stitches.

--

And now, what are YOUR own progresses? Link them below!!

Rules for the linky party:
1. You can link finished projects or WIP at any stage! Every step is worth sharing
   (A journey of thousand miles is made of single steps)!
2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others to read about your progress!
3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link (code for the button on the side bar)
4. Comment on other links!! It's always good to support each other every step of the way!! :)

An InLinkz Link-up

MOP Monday, a new Linky party!! :)

Hello everyone!!

I decided to host a new weekly linky party here every Monday because it is always fun to share my weekly progress and see what you all are up to.

This linky party is called MOP Monday - My Own Progress Monday :)

The idea for myself is to have a specific list of projects and every Monday share with you the "step forward" that I took on all those projects. The "step" can be anything related to that project (from finishing a full block, to cutting the fabric, from just printing the pattern and picking the fabric, to finishing up the entire project). No step is too little to be reported! A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step!! :)
To make my progress easier to track I will use both a picture (showing the entire project with the progress) and a written list... but you can decide to share whatever you want (as long as it is about quilting/sewing/crochet/crafts :) )

-- MOP: The list --

1. As You Wish - finished Buttercup block (see below)
2. Celtic Solstice - assembled the missing four-patch units
3. Tea Towel challenge and PPV BOM - done second block (The King's Crows)
4. Alice in Wonderland quilt - done Heart Rose Tree block (blogged in a previous post)
5. Happy Halloween wall hanging - designed (in QA) the corner blocks from Melissa's QAL (I needed a smaller version of what she is doing, so I had to do it myself and I prefer paper piecing than classic piecing ;)), printed and cut the pattern pieces
6. Topolino quilt - done Number 1 block (see below)

-- MOP: This week new blocks --

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Buttercup block, from the As You Wish, Quilt and Stitch along @ Fandom in Stitches.

The pattern is available for free on Fandom In Stitches.

I choose the simple version of the embroidery pattern, but there are also an intermediate and an advanced option that are just amazing!!

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I tested another of my Disney blocks, Scrooge's Number one Dime :)

I found some minor mistakes in the pattern, I fixed them and now you can find it in the Quilt&StitchTestAlong page. 

<div align="center"><a href="http://tweloquilting.blogspot.com/search/label/MOP%20monday" title="TweloQ blog"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WTdv6HLVey4/UuQGWgKlcPI/AAAAAAAABEI/tV3x5aqjAB0/h120/MOPMondayButton.png" alt="TweloQ blog" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

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And now, what are YOUR own progresses? Link them below!!
Rules for the linky party:
1. You can link finished projects or WIP at any stage! Every step is worth sharing
   (A journey of thousand miles is made of single steps)!
2. Link to your specific post to make it easier for others to read about your progress!
3. Spread the word and post my button or a text link (code for the button on the side bar)
4. Comment on other links!! It's always good to support each other every step of the way!! :)

An InLinkz Link-up

As you wish, Princess Bride!

The fabulous event organized by the wonderful Jennifer @ Fandom in Stitches started TODAY!!!

Click HERE to go and check out the great first pattern (patterns actually) of the sweet Princess Bride herself, Buttercup!!
I am really excited because now I will be able to share here some pictures (soon) of the blocks I made!!
Since I am one of the designers (more to come soon, so stay tuned) I has been involved in the preparation of the event so I have been stitching and piecing blocks for about a month already so I have few finishes to share in the future!! Soooooo exciting!!!

It's going to be a fun event, so please go and check all the details HERE and join us in this journey to find our True Love!!

P.S. If someone is wondering, I am making the Book Layout!! It's amazing!! I already made one block (that I cannot share yet) but it's an easy but very effective layout for this quilt... I highly recommend to try it!! :)