Many secrets revealed (and a link party)

Several projects finished early this month are ready to be shared!

The Ongoing Project List:

1. the SK project - traced next 2 blocks
2. Tea Towel challenge and PPV BOM - quilting done!! need binding
   (this will be my April project for a Lovely Year of Finishes)
3. SYS2015 future projects - half way done with second block for May project... cannot share but I am super excited about it!!
4. D wall hanging -  one little block done, central panel designed!
5. B quilt - one block designed
6. Block Swap Adventure - no news from my April partner... I guess I will skip this month
7. Sewing machine cover -  no progress

The EverythingElse List:

1. Embroidery calendar - no progress
2. Animal blocks for charity quilts - paused for a while
3. Project of Doom 2015 @ Fandom in Stitches - paused for a while
4. College Days Blog Hop blocks for tote/grocery bag -  no progress
5. Alice in Wonderland quilt - no progress
6. As You Wish -  no progress
7. Happy Halloween wall hanging -  no progress
8. Crazy optical illusion -  no progress
9. Memory quilt 2 - no progress.

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Yesterday, in this post, I shared my entry for the Pantone Quilt Challenge for the Color of the Year.

This is my little Marsala wall hanging. If you want to read more about it, just check out the previous post!
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Last week Mary, my partner for the Spring Mug Rug Swap received the package so now I can share it with you!

Patterns by Jennifer (Sewhooked)

Tea cup: sewhooked.com/harry-potter/

Butterfly: sewhooked.com/free-quilt-patterns/ (in Perennial Pleasure pattern)

Mary told me she likes tea, patriotic themed projects and the ocean, so I tried to include all these elements in the little mug rug! This was my first time doing prairie points and of course I had to make my life difficult by choosing to make them super tiny (they finish probably less than 3/4 inches)! ;) I think they turned out pretty cute: and they are scrappy and irregular like the waves of the ocean!

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Another super secret project I made earlier this month was for the wonderful Jennifer (Sewhooked).
This is what I made for her.

Stained glass wall hanging (18''x23'')

The wall hanging was designed to reproduce a stained glass piece made by her mother-in-law (who passed away earlier this year).
Jennifer shared more pictures of both works (and very kind words) in her post on Sewhooked

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Another great news is that the package of row/round counters that I ordered from the amazing Terry (Snowie44) arrived!! And it didn't just have the 5 wonderful row/round counters that I ordered, but she was so kind to add some extra cute stitch markers for me and a little toy for my sewing helper!! :)

As you can see below, Pumpkin first read the little note Terry included and then she went completely nuts playing with Fred (the Fish).

Now I am looking forward to start another crochet/knitting project to use those great little tools!!
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Finally, the little stitching that I can share, is the first block for a wall hanging for my dad: he requested a decorative piece for our house in the mountains, so I will use many "nature" inspired fabric and patterns. This is the first block

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What are YOU going to link?

An InLinkz Link-up

Projects rolling in and out, and I need YOUR help again! (and a link party)

Last time I asked you to help me, you gave me great suggestions so I will ask you one more question (see end of the post)

The Ongoing List:

1. the SK project - no progress
2. Tea Towel challenge and PPV BOM - no progress, needs quilting!!
3. SYS2015 future projects - waiting May project ;)
4. Embroidery calendar - no progress
5. Color of the Year challenge - dooooone (can share only sneak peek)!!
   (this will be my March project for a Lovely Year of Finishes)
6. Mug Rug Swap - doooooone (can share only sneak peek)
7. Animal blocks for charity quilts - one block done (see below)
8. New project: ironing board cover - dooooone (see below)
9. New project: crochet slippers - one foot done 

The EverythingElse List:

1. Project of Doom 2015 @ Fandom in Stitches - no progress
2. Reversible sewing machine cover -  no progress
3. College Days Blog Hop blocks for tote/grocery bag -  no progress
4. Alice in Wonderland quilt - no progress
5. As You Wish -  no progress
6. Happy Halloween wall hanging -  no progress
7. Crazy optical illusion -  no progress
8. D wall hanging -  no progress
9. B quilt -  no progress
10. Memory quilt 2 - no progress.

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Let's start with my two new projects: one finished and one in progress.

The finished one is this

My small ironing board needed a new cover... badly :)

This is a super quick project, I followed Melissa's tutorial to put it together but I used only one fabric instead of piecing the rainbow. The fabric I used is special because we found this big scrap of cotton in the house of out previous landlord's mom. She passed away right before we moved to our house. At that time I didn't even know what sewing meant... but for some reasons my boyfriend picked up this piece of fabric that stayed in our closet for two years. Now to honor her memory, I have a wonderful ironing board cover and soon I will use the rest for some other decorative item for my sewing space: in this way we will always remember her!

The second project is a pair of crochet slippers. It's the first time I try to make this kind of object! And I was inspired by next month's tutorial for Stretch Your Skills (spoiler alert: it does NOT have anything to do with slippers ;) but it's crochet, so it encouraged me to get my crochet hook going and to use up the extra yarn I have on hand). The foot part turned out great... I will post pictures and more details when both feet are done! ;) but I am so excited about these new small projects that are inspired by the SYS adventure! 

This is why you should try to follow along: you never know what the SYS tutorial may inspire you to do!! :) :)

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Now for the finishes that I cannot share:

Color of the Year challenge:
(this is my March project for a Lovely Year of Finishes)
I promise... it's completely done (and washed with some issues, hence the question below ;) )
But I don't want to show it just yet... waiting for the challenge to actually start!

Spring Mug Rug Swap:

I joined this swap on FB and it was super fun! Again I can only share a sneak peek because I want to be a surprise for my partner... but I used a technique that I never tried before, and I think it tuned out pretty cute! ;)

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And finally, something I can share: one more animal block for my charity quilts project!

Lion King, by Jennifer @ Sewhooked 

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Oh, and I received the blocks from my March partner from the Block Swap Adventure (Zuzana from Ireland). Aren't they cute?

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My question to you:

How do you clean color bleed stains? I soaked my Marsala mini into water to get the washable markings that I used to trace the quilting off, and some of the "marsala" fabric start bleeding! I had a color catcher in the container, but I think that those things work best in the washing machine (where the water moves around) but as the piece was still, not all the bleeding color got caught :(

It's not too much and maybe if I put the entire piece in the washing it will go away... but I was wondering if you have any trick/product to apply on the stain or in the water to help fixing the issue!

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What are YOU going to link?

An InLinkz Link-up