Let's start with a finish (and a link party)

Finishing and good progress are a great way of starting the year!!

The Ongoing Project List:

1. Play with Me QAL - worked on finishing Feb board
2. WGACA projects
1. Jane T - 2 more blocks done (see below)
2. The SK project - 1 block done (see below)
3. Mirror Mirror Afghan - 10 rows completed!
3. Block Swap Adventure -  block done for January partner (see below)
4. Charity Quilts for DC General Homeless Shelter project - great donation arrived (see below)
5. American Quilt (previous known as Americana QAL) - reassessed what I want to do with this
6. Project Quilting (#1) - done! (see below)

The EverythingElse List:

1. the 31000 Xs project - no progress
2. Spirit cross stitch project - no progress
3. Alice in Wonderland quilt - no progress
4. As You Wish -  no progress
5. Crazy optical illusion - no progress
6. Memory quilt 2 - no progress

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List of projects for my Q1 list

1. Project quilting, challenge #1 - using my scrap bin, art related piece (current status: done this week)
2. Project quilting, challenge #2 - using my scrap bin, art related piece (current status: not started)
3. Project quilting, challenge #3 - using my scrap bin, art related piece (current status: not started)
4. Project quilting, challenge #4 - using my scrap bin, art related piece (current status: not started)
5. Project quilting, challenge #5 - using my scrap bin, art related piece (current status: not started)
6. Project quilting, challenge #6 - using my scrap bin, art related piece (current status: not started)
7. American Quilt - several blocks done, need to put them into a layout
8. Spirit Cross stitch - started, very little progress
9. Floral charity quilt - top, back and batting ready, need quilting!

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This is my piece for Project Quilting, Challenge #1: Confetti.

Konfettinsky, 15'' x 15''
Made in Maryland (MD), USA

This is the story behind my work.

"One day, last spring, I went to visit The Phillips Collection, in D.C. I admired all the paintings and art pieces and I was even inspired to make a piece for the AMB Tiny Quilt Challenge (that's another story, you can read it here if you are curious).
In the gift shop, I was browsing the magnets and I kept picking up the magnet for the piece by Kandinsky called 'Succession'. I am not usually particularly attracted by abstract art and honestly I don't even remember if I saw the piece in the exhibition :).
But the fridge magnet was attracted to me and I didn't know why.
I didn't know why, UNTIL I saw the PQ challenge! When I read the word "Confetti" I immediately visualized that magnet and how I could take some pieces from it and make it in a mini! So now I know why the Universe wanted me to get the magnet!!
I fused all the desired pieces in place and added very very little quilting on it. Why? For three reasons: 1) some pieces are crazy small, so it's not good to add stitching on them; 2) this piece is never going to be washed, so as long as the pieces stay there, I am happy; 3) I wanted to keep the simplicity of the original work."

If you are curious, this is my magnet :)

More info about the original work is available at this link.

Few more details picture, just for fun :)

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First week of my WGACA project (to know more you can read this previous post).

This strategy proved to be very effective, as I had progress on each of the three projects!

*First on my Jane T quilt. 

Two new blocks from my WoaF series

Progress on the entire quilt. 11 blocks!

*The SK project (paused for several months) got back in the making and I finished this embroidery quote

Pattern available here

*The Mirror Mirror Afghan, doesn't have progress to show, as I completed only 10 rows, but since the project was abandoned for at least 6 months, I see 10 new rows of crochet as a great progress!! 

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For this month block for the Block Swap Adventure, my partner said she likes 30's fabric on white background. I don't have much of those colors in my stash, but I hope she will like this block.

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And last, but not least, I want to remind you that I am working on charity quilts,
and I would love your help!! 

Quilts are for a quilt drive to help the kids in the DC General Homeless Shelter. 

And you can help me by donating orphan blocks, partial blocks, or fabric (scraps, strips, leftover, uglies, whatever). 

If you are willing to mail them to me, I could use them to make more quilts for these kids!!! 

If you are up for a loving donation, please send me an email at tweloq[_at_]gmail[dot_com] or leave a comment here with your email address so I could give you my mailing address. I promise that your donation will be used to make some kids happy and feel more loved!! 

This week, I have to report a HUGE donation from Dolores and her friend Marg!

Early this week I found a package on my door step... I tried to lift it and I thought: "why would someone send me bricks?" :) yes, it was that heavy :) and full of fabric goodies

Scraps, strips, pieces, blocks and few big pieces. Let me make a special note about 60''x60'' cheater panel that will be so perfect for the back of one of the tops that I have ready!!

As you can see, my sewing helper inspected the donation and she verified the extreme good comfiness of the different pieces! :) :)

Now I'm off to basting and quilting. Maybe soon I will have another finish to report!! :)

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How about you? What are YOU up to?

Link it here and share it with me!!

An InLinkz Link-up

SYS 2015 - Last week to enter this month giveaway!

Earlier this month Jordan shared an embroidered literary quote for a chic piece of hoop art.
You can find the tutorial on the SYS2015 page!

Are YOU enjoying stitching up your quotes? Share your creations below!!

Remember that in this link party only projects belonging to the SYS2015 series should be added 

(I reserve the right to delete any non compliant link). 

This link party will be open all year long and you can add as many finished projects as you want! 

The same link party will be shown on the SYS2015 page.

Each link will give you a chance to win one of the monthly prizes.

This month, in order to be eligible for a prize, you are required to embroider a literary quote on a piece of fabric!

I encourage you to use Jordan's quote, but if that is "not your thing", any other quote from any book will qualify as an entry!! As long as it's a finished embroidery piece!

As the first entry, you can entry the embroidery block, and for additional entries you can enter any finish (different than simply putting in a hoop or hanging it) that you come up with! Let's see what you can come up with!

You can still link up blocks and projects from the Foundation Paper Piecing, Quilting, Crochet, Pixel Quilt and Fabric Postcard tutorials!!

For rules about what will be accepted in those cases, please refer to this previous post (Tutorial 1), this other post (Tutorial 2), this other post (Tutorial 3), this other post (Tutorial 4), this other post (Tutorial 5) and this other post (Tutorial 6).

This month prize is offered by myself and it is an 10$ Amazon gift card! (or equivalent value in other currency, if an international winner is chosen).

Remember that ANY new project (even from previous tutorials) will be entered to win.

I will draw a winner (using random.org) on November 4th between all the new entries in the link party. 

International participants are welcome!!

--

An InLinkz Link-up

SYS 2015 - Are you embroidering along?

Earlier this month Jordan shared an embroidered literary quote for a chic piece of hoop art.
You can find the tutorial on the SYS2015 page!

Are YOU enjoying stitching up your quotes? Share your creations below!!

Remember that in this link party only projects belonging to the SYS2015 series should be added 

(I reserve the right to delete any non compliant link). 

This link party will be open all year long and you can add as many finished projects as you want! 

The same link party will be shown on the SYS2015 page.

Each link will give you a chance to win one of the monthly prizes.

This month, in order to be eligible for a prize, you are required to embroider a literary quote on a piece of fabric!

I encourage you to use Jordan's quote, but if that is "not your thing", any other quote from any book will qualify as an entry!! As long as it's a finished embroidery piece!

As the first entry, you can entry the embroidery block, and for additional entries you can enter any finish (different than simply putting in a hoop or hanging it) that you come up with! Let's see what you can come up with!

You can still link up blocks and projects from the Foundation Paper Piecing, Quilting, Crochet, Pixel Quilt and Fabric Postcard tutorials!!

For rules about what will be accepted in those cases, please refer to this previous post (Tutorial 1), this other post (Tutorial 2), this other post (Tutorial 3), this other post (Tutorial 4), this other post (Tutorial 5) and this other post (Tutorial 6).

This month prize is offered by myself and it is an 10$ Amazon gift card! (or equivalent value in other currency, if an international winner is chosen).

Remember that ANY new project (even from previous tutorials) will be entered to win.

I will draw a winner (using random.org) on November 4th between all the new entries in the link party. 

International participants are welcome!!

--

An InLinkz Link-up

Little to share but a lot going on behind the scenes (and a link party)

Secret projects piling up...

The Ongoing Project List:

1. SYS2015 future projects - October project done and Nov one started (see below)
2. Block Swap Adventure - October block done and Sept one received (see below)
3. Charity quilts - no progress
4. Happy Halloween wall hanging - no progress
   This is my project for "A Lovely Year of Finishes" (Oct)
5. Zipper pouches - paused for a while
6. Americana QAL - have the pattern, need to stitch it up!
7. Applique pictures - no progress
8. Adam's wall hanging - new secret project, designed :)
9. 2016 QAL - secret project :) 3 "blocks" done, 3 more designed

The EverythingElse List:

1. the SK project - no progress
2. the 31000 Xs project - no progress
3. Spirit cross stitch project - no progress
4. Mirror Mirror Afghan - no progress
5. the Ender project - no progress
6. Embroidery calendar - no progress
7. Project of Doom 2015 @ Fandom in Stitches - paused for a while
8. Alice in Wonderland quilt - no progress
9. As You Wish -  no progress
10. Crazy optical illusion - no progress
11. Memory quilt 2 - no progress
12. B quilt - no progress

--
Blocks for my Block Swap Adventure keep coming and going!

The ones I made for Cathy (Cathy's Campfire)

And this is the one I received from Jen

I may lay mine out all together to see how many I have because I could have enough to make myself a throw quilt for our living room. We'll see! For sure I enjoy the challenge of making blocks I never tried before!

--
Do you remember "Vincent" the mini quilt that was accepted in the Road to California quilt?

Well, the wonderful artist that I took inspiration from (Adam Lister) told me that he likes my work so much that he wants a mini quilt for himself! :) and he offered me to trade one mini-quilt with one of his paintings! Isn't that amazing? I love when different kind of artists interact and inspire each other like that!
So he sent me a piece to use for inspiration... and I think I found the perfect way to merge his style with mine in this piece. More on this in the future!!
--

This past week I completed my project for the Stretch Your Skills series.

For pattern and info, check this previous post.

Despite the fact that I did embroidery before, I found ways to learn something new and to test something new (using a black fabric as background and variegated thread for the butterfly). These little projects are just perfect for testing out things that you are not too sure about, as they don't require much commitment.

This is why I really don't understand why people don't participate much (or at all) in this SYS series :( :( :(

Well, we have one last tutorial next month (English Paper Piecing) and I started putting together the project (it's hexagons, so nothing secret there ;) ).

Despite being disappointed and sad for the lack of participation in my series for this year, I decided to design and organize a new "QAL" for next year too! Because I am not giving up on trying to involve people of the community to make things along with me!

The format will be different... it's going to be a quilt, but also not a quilt... sewing but not just sewing... we will be still include many techniques and try to build skills, but in a different kind of way... well... I cannot tell you more, stay tuned for sneak peeks and teasers :) and I will announce that in late November or December.

I hope more people will join me there!

--
And last, but not least, I want to remind you that I am working on charity quilts,
and I would love your help!! 

Quilts are for a quilt drive to help the kids in the DC General Homeless Shelter. 

And you can help me by donating orphan blocks, partial blocks, or fabric (scraps, strips, leftover, uglies, whatever). 

If you are willing to mail them to me, I could use them to make more quilts for these kids!!! 

If you are up for a loving donation, please send me an email at tweloq[_at_]gmail[dot_com] or leave a comment here with your email address so I could give you my mailing address. I promise that your donation will be used to make some kids happy and feel more loved!! 

I have to say that sadly I didn't work on this project much in the last couple of weeks as I was trying to get ahead in the QAL idea. But I think that by the end of the month I may complete another quilt and finish another top!

--

How about you? What are YOU up to?

Link it here and share it with me!!

An InLinkz Link-up

SYS 2015 - New prize and my project!

Earlier this month Jordan shared an embroidered literary quote for a chic piece of hoop art.
You can find the tutorial on the SYS2015 page!

I made mine! Since I am pretty familiar with basic embroidery, I thought: how can I make it challenging for me to "Stretch My Skills"?

I never used a dark fabric before, so that would be fun to try!

I researched several methods to transfer the design to the fabric (since usual markers are not visible on black fabric). I don't have fancy chalk markers or pen. Many people use a water soluble stabilizer that positioned on the fabric and dissolved once all the stitching is done... but I don't have that fancy thing either. Then someone suggested using tissue paper... when I read that I though "great, another fancy kind of paper that I don't have, moving on to the next option"... but then I stopped... wait... isn't tissue paper that thing you use to wrap gifts? I DO have that at home!! :)

It's great to transfer the design as it's very very thin.

The fact that is very very thin is a good thing also when it comes down to taking it off your work when you are done.

The fact that is very very thin is not that great as you are trying to pull your work through the hoop. You have to be very delicate... and I found out that using pin to hold it in place is not good... using washable glue along the text is actually much easier... 

I never tried stitching on dark fabric and I thought the thread wouldn't show up well... but I really like the contrast. I also used a variegated thread and different stitches, just for fun and I like that it's very dynamic.

So overall I really like how it turned out!

I will frame it when I find a suitable frame, but it's all done!

First project of my long Q4 list, done!

Are YOU enjoying making stitching up your quotes? Share your creations below!!

Remember that in this link party only projects belonging to the SYS2015 series should be added 

(I reserve the right to delete any non compliant link). 

This link party will be open all year long and you can add as many finished projects as you want! 

The same link party will be shown on the SYS2015 page.

Each link will give you a chance to win one of the monthly prizes.

This month, in order to be eligible for a prize, you are required to embroider a literary quote on a piece of fabric!

I encourage you to use Jordan's quote, but if that is "not your thing", any other quote from any book will qualify as an entry!! As long as it's a finished embroidery piece!

As the first entry, you can entry the embroidery block, and for additional entries you can enter any finish (different than simply putting in a hoop or hanging it) that you come up with! Let's see what you can come up with!

You can still link up blocks and projects from the Foundation Paper Piecing, Quilting, Crochet, Pixel Quilt and Fabric Postcard tutorials!!

For rules about what will be accepted in those cases, please refer to this previous post (Tutorial 1), this other post (Tutorial 2), this other post (Tutorial 3), this other post (Tutorial 4), this other post (Tutorial 5) and this other post (Tutorial 6).

This month prize is offered by myself and it is an 10$ Amazon gift card! (or equivalent value in other currency, if an international winner is chosen).

Remember that ANY new project (even from previous tutorials) will be entered to win.

I will draw a winner (using random.org) on November 4th between all the new entries in the link party. 

International participants are welcome!!

--

An InLinkz Link-up

SYS 2015 - Tutorial 9, Embroidery

Let's give our sewing machine a little summer break!

The ninth tutorial of the series is brought you by the great Jordan (dozmuffinxc.livejournal.com).

A literature quote for a nice piece of hoop art!

The pdf (links below) contains detailed instructions on how to create that beautiful piece!!

Click here to download Tutorial!

The link up for SYS2015 is still open for your Syndrome blocks, FPP projects, free motion quilting/tangle stitches pieces, crochet projects, pixel quilts and fabric postcards!

This month, in order to be eligible for a prize, you are required to embroider a literary quote on a piece of fabric!

I encourage you to use Jordan's quote, but if that is "not your thing", any other quote from any book will qualify as an entry!! As long as it's a finished embroidery piece!

As the first entry, you can entry the embroidery block, and for additional entries you can enter any finish (different than simply putting in a hoop or hanging it) that you come up with! Let's see what you can come up with!

Next week I will give you more details about the prize!

--
All the information about the series (as well as all the previously published tutorials) will be available at the SYS 2015 page.

If you have any question about the series, don't hesitate to contact me via email or add a comment here on my blog (and if you want an answer, make sure you are not a no-reply blogger!).

So now let's go and Stretch Our Skills!!! :)

Until next time
Happy stitching!!

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!!!

--
"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)

--
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! :)

--
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!! :)

Less than 10 days to Giveaway and new tutorial

Less than 10 days are left before the first drawing of the TestALong giveway!! 
The link party is still empty and no comments on the page :( :( :(
Submit some blocks for a chance to win some goodies... see the Quilt&Stitch TestALong page for more details!!

I am back from my California trip! It was amazing... just few pictures from the trip:

And I didn't forget my quilting addiction during the trip. I brought some projects with me (see later for details) but I didn't have a proper project bag... then I went to Carmel... and by chance I walked by a wonderful shop (actually a wonderland shop) called "The White Rabbit" :) :) Can you believe it? and it was obviously full of Alice in Wonderland things... so I found the perfect project bag!! :) :)
(the yellow tea-cup fabric is also from there. The other pieces of fabric come from another shop in San Francisco... too Halloween cute to resist :) )

During the trip I embroider the block with Alice and the Cheshire cat, then I crochet a super-cute "giant" amigurumi doll (it is 10'' tall) and I pieced the tree of the Modern Tree QAL (from Christa's blog).

(Block 8 from the Alice in Wonderland quilt from my TestALong)

(Amigurumi doll, pattern bySayjai)

With the trees, I decided to create a different layout than the one Christa propose, and I decided to make a tutorial for that. If you are interested you can check it in the Tutorials page.
It guides you to go from

to

(the pictures have terrible light but I couldn't take them during the day :))

---
And now I have more projects waiting for me on my to-do list... the first of which is a block for the #TFIOS Design Challenge on Fandom in Stitches. Thanks Jennifer for suggesting this book!! I read it during my trip (and during my 5 hours spend in Chicago because of a 3 hours delay of my plane!! :( ). I really really liked the book... very touchy story and very well written. I sketched my block during the trip... now I need some time to put it in the software and on fabric :)

---
And as a last update, I joined the Secret Santa Swap... I am so excited :)

Disney Patterns completed and new projects in my list

Just few updates:

1. I completed all the patters for the Quilt&Stitch Test Along. I cannot wait to see some of them come alive!! but for my own I will have to wait because I am leaving for a 2 weeks holiday so no stitching for me for a while :) but remember that the Link party for your blocks is open!! So you can add your block there whenever you want!!

2. Last week I forgot to share this little cute Hogwarts Sue that Jennifer @ Sewhooked designed.

I also won a Sunbonnet Sue's Magical Friends pattern so you may see some of the Wand Wielders here soon :)

3. I created another Finger Labyrinth based on my Pattern (available on Crafsty)

Front: 

Back:

Unintentionally I picked a fabric for the border with flowers similar to the one that I choose for the center. I didn't realized it until it was done. Don't you love when those nice coincidence happens?? ;)

4. My September Block Swap partner received my blocks so I can post them here now :)

She asked for a star pattern but I didn't want to make the "classic" ones to I found these two unconventional stars, I made them small and I added a border :) just because I need to be kind of unconventional ;)

5. I was looking for a nice Christmas wall hanging and I came across the Modern Tree QAL @ Christa Quilts. I really like the improv/scrappy version but (as usual) I want to give my spin to the QAL so I didn't follow her tutorial and I instead decided to do it with paper piecing and my Christmas scraps. I didn't follow the tutorial also because I don't have the rules she is using... and I don't like to cut fabric in triangle form anyway :) I think that paper piecing solves beautifully all my problems ;)

So I draw my templates in a random way and collected the fabric: I will take everything with me during my holidays... I will try to paper piece by hand... let's see how it goes :)