Batik Table Runners

Several weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive a parcel of 10 inch batik squares to use in a project and review.  Now, batiks are not my usual fabric of choice, but I do love working with them as they do not fray as easily as quilting cotton does.  These particular batiks caught my eye with their smashing cobalt blue and crisp, clean white.  Who can resist that blue?  Not me, apparently.

With 9 different prints in this pack, I wanted to show off the design of each and every one of them.  I particularly liked the crisp designs like the leaves (upper left) and daisies (lower right), so I decided to make two table runners by framing each batik in Kona White.  I bound the runners with Kona White too just because I liked the clean look that created on the top.  On the back (which you can see peeking through on the left) I used a Dot to Dot green with white polka dots.  Just a nice little surprise and I liked that shade of green with the blue batiks.

Just like Chaos, I had to bring these with me to the US to photograph them in a bit of sun. While packing up to return to his home, my brother quickly packed these to return home with him.  What a nice surprise.  I love that they're in his house brightening up his kitchen table.

Postie Happiness

The post lady has been so fantastic to me lately.  Do you remember when this table runner arrived?

It was a magnificent sample of Trudi's quilting skills as we were trying to decide on the quilting pattern for Stargazing.  Well, I finished her off recently with a cute little pink binding.  I struggled to find a binding that matched the blue dots or the green star points, but then I finally realized I had the perfect fabric!

I used the little pink strips left from the Stargazing back after squaring it.  I now have the happiest, most intricately quilted table runner I have ever seen.  It's all washed, dried and crinkly now.  I couldn't be happier.  Thank you, Trudi! (PS - I'm so sorry the photos are horrid. Just as I went outside to take the photos the rain started.  So sorry for the stinky inside shots!)

In other news, I received the nicest note from lovely Jerri, the Wool Shop Junkie, asking for more information on the Community Quilt about the quilt and its pattern, I tossed a few of the Community Quilt 2 inch squares into the post for her to start her own.  That's the spirit of the quilt, after all.

And what arrived in the post as a surprise thank you gift?  This cuteness!

How much do I love that card?  Adorable.  There was also a super nice note, but I won't share that with you.    And this!  This little pin cushion!

Oh my goodness I love it.  Jerri made this out of wool scraps wound in a circle and then she decorated the edges with flowers and beads.  How fantastic is that?  Jerri, thank you. You made my day!

Happiness is a Table Runner

In super duper exciting news, I received a great surprise in the mail from Rhonda!  She was my table runner swap partner, but for some totally not understood reason she was unhappy with the table runner she made for me.  We love it and have it hanging in the house right now.  Anyway, being the eternally creative and persistent person she is, Rhonda re-crafted the table runner and sent a brand new one over!  How fantastic!  I was absolutely thrilled to see it arrive.  Isn't this gorgeous?

I love the fabrics!  I love the quilting!  I love the binding!  I love that they're reversible!  Oh, this runner rocks it.  Rhonda, thank you!  We are simply delighted.  xx

Winter Stitching Wrap Up

I missed you guys!  I fell of the face of the planet for a week there, but I am hoping life gets back to normal this week.  How better to re-join blogging than by checking projects off the ever growing to-do list?  As you know, I was yet another list maker joining in with FairyFace Design’s Winter Stitching Goals List.  I find things like this to be completely helpful in giving me direction when I am overwhelmed.  To keep the list moving along, I also just joining in with Rhonda's Finish Along....and so far it's working!

Birdie Stitches: Finish the Quilt Top

Done!  I finished my Birdie Stitches top and sent it over to Elisa so she can layer, quilt and bind it for use in her house.  You can hear the whole story here, but in the end I'm super happy to have expanded my embroidery skills and thrilled that Elisa has a quilt she likes.  Win-win.

Brother’s Mixer Cover: Finish it as a Christmas Gift
Done!  I was lucky enough to visit this little mixer cover in my brother's pantry this past march and it's lookin' pretty cute there next to the ice cream maker!  

Sister-In-Law’s Bag: Finish it as a Christmas Gift
Well, I finished a bag, not THE bag.  This 241 Tote was her Christmas gift that was delayed until 2012 as the fabric took nearly 8 weeks to arrive from the states!  Eek!  So, I had to giver her an IOU under the tree.  Anyway, we're both thrilled with this finish.  My mom has already asked for one for herself!  

Blankets of Love: Finish Two Tops, Two Backs, Two Bindings

Done. I really like what Kat is doing with her local organization, so I tried to chip in.  I wanted to make two quilts for her, but the shipping would be nuts given the weight of the batting.  So, I made two tops, two backs and two bindings and Kat assembled and quilted our quilts.  It was my first time doing a DP, which then included a huge learning curve, but I got there eventually!

There was even a third quilt top made as part of our Do. Good Stitches CARE circle!

Bees: Contribute On Time

Done.  I'm in four bees now, a list that is quickly growing to six. I am still completely in love with them.  Let's be honest, though.  I think I've hit the maximum number of bees I can contribute to in any given month.  I won't bore you with all of the photos, of the blocks made, but if you hop over to my flickr page you can see them all!

Swaps: Finish Two Swaps

Done.  I finished my Modern Christmas Table Runner swap with Susan of Canadian Abroad.  Doing just this one project has kicked me off on the table runner path and there have been several more since: one for my Mom, one as a PIF, and one for my SIL!  Oh, Susan, the slippery slope you've put me on!

I also co-organized the Mouthy Stitches swap with Susan and Hadley, which was great fun.  It was my first pouch, first zip, first time organizing a HUGE number of lovely ladies.  We had a great time!  I made this pouch for my partner...and again several more since! 

Quilts: Finish Mod Logs, the Community Quilt and Start Chaos and Scrappy Stars

I fell down a bit in this category.  Mod logs is finished and used every day in our house.

The Community Quilt and Chaos are going no where fast.  They're now officially UFOs...I have to do something about that ASAP.

Scrappy Stars has morphed into Stargazing.  The top and back are finished and off with the lovely Trudi to get quilted.  I can't wait to see what she creates!

International Quilt Festival of Ireland: Finish Cúchulainn 

Done! I am quite happy to have Cúchulainn  finished it and handed it to the festival organizers.

Guest Post: Write One

Done!  I was super excited to contribute to Sarah's tutorial series by submitting a notebook tutorial.  It was my first tutorial...and it took WAY longer than I thought it would.  Still, I love these little cuties!

Off to link up with Sarah.  Hop on over and see what everyone else created this past winter!

Little Random Bits and Pieces

I hope you had a fantastic holiday weekend, for those that had a bit of time off of work.  It has been spectacular here - lots of sewing, catching up on stuff around the house, visiting friends, dining with family and general laziness around here.

You might see the general laziness sticking to this post...I just can't get myself organized enough to give you a glimpse of my sewing right now, so I thought I'd fill you in on the other scattered bits and pieces over the past few days.

In super happy news, my charms from Jenn's polka dot charm swap arrived.  They're super!  Isn't it funny how you look at the prints in flickr and you know exactly what you are going to receive, but when they arrive they are a million times better in real life?

In other news, Fluffy Sheep Quilting and friends made the Spring 2012 issue of the Irish Patchwork Society's news letter.  Now, I know it's not like my quilts are appearing in some super fab publication, but still it was a nice surprise to see my quilts featured.

Now I'm wishing I wore something a bit cuter, but there I am in my little white shirt and blue jumper with jeans.  There's Mod Logs in the upper left, Rhonda's rockin' Christmas table runner in the bottom left and Lattice Illusions in the bottom right.  How fun!  Next time I'll dig a bit deeper into the closet before the Society meeting :)

Finally...and I wish I had a photo for this...Stargazing is winging its way to Trudi to be quilted.  I am so super duper excited about the swirly design we have agreed on.  I hope it arrives at her place soon!

Christmas (?!?!) Table Runner Finish

Do not adjust your computer screen.  Indeed it is Christmas fabric that you see in February (gasp!).

My brother and sister in law have recently moved to a house that is large enough for them to really celebrate Christmas with all of the decorations and hoopla.  So, this past Christmas they bought their first tree...and very quickly realized how many decorations you need for it to look full.  They need a serious influx of decorations to make this next Christmas extra festive in their new home.

When I made a Christmas table runner for my Mom this past Christmas, my SIL asked for one as well.  I am so happy to have been asked; of course I will make one!

I did not want this to be her Christmas gift for next year because by the time she received it, the season would be too late to enjoy it.  So, I wanted to make it now for her to tuck away over the next 10 months, then pull out in late November.

I used pretty non-traditional Riley Blake fabrics in oranges and light blues, but finished it off in swirling green and a red and white polka dot binding to bring a little holiday spirit.  It's filled with snow flakes, Christmas trees, snow men and awesome stripy and dotty fabric.  I am in love with the colors and prints in this line.

This is my first attempt at hand quilting anything. I really like how it brings out the "home made-ness" of the runner, but I need to work on my stitch quality before trying it on a larger quilt.  Anyway, it will be packed up and shipped out over the weekend. Guaranteed it will be a great surprise when it arrives in their home!  I can not wait to hear their reaction.

Table Runner Finish

Woo hoo!  A finish feels great, doesn't it?  Well, this one is special as it is a gift for a friend.

I made this table runner from a Tweet Tweet charm pack, one of my favorite Moda lines in the past few years. When I saw Laura Jane's table runner from the Modern Christmas Table Runner swap, I was super inspired and wanted to make something similar.  Laura's was a bit different than mine (read: more organized) as she had matching halves of the charm squares on either side of the lattice.  I went for a super scrappy look and had charm squares scattered all over the place.  

It's quilted in double lines along the white lattice strips.  The back is one solid sheet of a red Tweet Tweet print that I can't find the name of....

I wish I remembered to take a photo f the back when it was out on the line.  Too late now :)

That's the news.  I'm so very happy to have a nice little finish like this.  I love the pattern (thanks, LJ!) and I hope my friend is super surprised when it arrives at her house.  Enjoy it!

Christmas Wrap Up

My holiday time in the US is coming to a close.  It has been just wonderful being here with my family, but I am also really looking forward to getting home to Galway to relax in our new house, unpack a bit and to start stitching again. 

There are just a few things to tidy up here on the blog before we close off this part of the holiday.  First, photos of a table runner that had to remain super top secret while it was being made:

I made this for my mom after loving the Modern Christmas Table Runner swap hosted by Susan at Canadian abroad.  So, I just kept stitching and made one as a gift too.  If I could do it again, I would not use the light colored prints at the star corners as you loose a bit of contrast that makes the star pop.  Beyond that, I am happy.  More importantly, Mom is happy.

(PS - you'll have to forgive me for the photo - I am  not at my computer and I am using software that I am not at all used to.  For the life of me I can't import this photo rotated at 90 degrees so that its hanging!  Arg!   Back to my computer tomorrow....)

No trip to the US is complete without a bit of fabric shopping.  I didn't go really nuts, but of course I have goodies to bring home....

Four Echo FQs.  I wanted more, but the shop only had 4 bolts from the 20 print line.  It will be like a scavenger hunt trying to find the rest as I have not seen them in Irish shops :)

Variety of FQs that just made me happy.  A little Riley Blake, Michael Miller (I think) and Joel Dewberry. 

Quarter yard cuts of Kona and Moda solids for a quilt I have in mind.  I needed a light, medium and dark of red, yellow, blue, green, orange and gray to go with the Kona white background.  I think these will work.  I am actually in love with them.  The only thing that makes me sad is this shop is filled with fabric rippers.  I hate that.  Hate the little hangy-off threads that get tangled and the off kilter piece you receive.  I'll get over it.

And finally.  The shopping extravaganza that will actually break my back going home....six (yes, SIX) yards of Warm and White.  What was I thinking!?!?  I wanted to buy some to make two design walls in my new quilting space, so it was going to happen some time.  Here, though, it was on a crazy sale so I saved tons of cash.  And it's hard to find Warm and White near me.  So I couldn't say no. 
That's the shopping news, ladies! Now I just have to squash it all into my suitcase! 

Table Runner Love

How fantastic was the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap hosted by Susan of Canadian Abroad?  I found this to be eye opening for me as I had not made a table runner before.  The lovely ladies participating were encouraging, chatty and filled with inspiration, so it just flows from the flickr group right into your sewing room at home. 

Much to my surprise, my online bloggy friend Rhonda was creating for me!  Rhonda writes Quilter in the Gap blog and hosts a podcast which is completely entertaining to listen to!  Anyway, I was so super duper excited to see her return address label sticking out of my post box!  Want to see what she made? 

How spectacular is this?  I love how Rhonda took a creative approach to the runner - its not the usual rectangle that we always see.  Circles!  How great!?!?  Want to see each circle up close?

I love the fabric!  Now, do you notice anything special here?  Yes!  Each circle is an independent little quilt that could be used as a place mat, but they're all linked together using little handmade cuff link-like buttons.  So, each place mat has a button hole on either side that can then be used to link it up with its buddy.  You could even make a circular runner if you have a circular table!

Rhonda also included a handmade Christmas tree ornament with "2011" on it, to commemorate our recent move into our new home.  How thoughtful!  there were also sheets of stickers that I have since plastered EVERYWHERE.  

Rhonda, thank you.  Your creativity and inspiration are making my Christmas shiny and bright.  I am entirely grateful for your thoughtfulness and your huge effort to make something so beautiful. xx

Still Running....

Maybe not running, but jogging.  Or a slow trot.  Still, I am slowly moving along with my Modern Christmas Table Runner for the swap hosted by Susan (of Canadian Abroad).  I really, really like the idea of this swap and am constantly inspired by the beautiful creations in the flickr group.  I am just having trouble finding chunks of time to dedicate to this project as we're traveling nearly every weekend.  

Enough with the excuses....want to see where I am?  Well, I have nearly finished the top.  My partner wanted bright, light colors that were still Christmasy and she likes lots of white.  I hope this suits her!

To make it a little more special, personal and unique, I am hand stitching a little embellishment in each star.  This is where I am a little stuck as I just ran out of red floss.  Argh!  Can you see it on the third star in?  There's only a small bit to stitch before I can finally layer it and move onto quilting.

I think the top is a little generic as I am seeing lots of this sort of thing in the inspirational mosaics and in what the other swap buddies are creating.  Now, I do really love this theme...don't get me wrong.  I just want my partner to feel special and that she has received something unique, made just for her.  So, I will try to make it reversible so she gets a two-for-one deal.  Hopefully she'll like one side at least :)

In theory they should match up so that I can quilt between the stars.  Fingers crossed that's true!  I still have a Christmas "goodie" to make, but I have a clear idea in my head and the fabric worked out.  It's not what you'd normally associate with a Christmas "goodie" like a tree ornament or a wall decoration, but its something my family has been getting into the past few years and its nice to share that with someone else.   Or at least that's what I am hoping :)  More to come later this week!

  

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.  Its been ages since joining in the link, so I am super excited to see what everyone else is making.  Use the button on the right to hop over yourself!

Bits of Happiness

The postman has been so good to me lately.  My mailbox has been filled with happiness.  Want to have a peek? 

This gorgeous package arrived from Nicky at Mrs Sew and Sow.  I met Nicky in our Goodie Swap - thank goodness I did!  She's been a source of inspiration and support since.  She's one of the main nudgers to go ahead with our FMQ practice-a-long.  Not only does she make beautiful quilts, but she also creates her own beaded jewelery, something that I have been meaning to try.  Well, Nicky was kind enough to make a little pouch (and show off her FMQ skillz) and send over pretty pretty beads and string to play with.  The super cool thing is that the back of the pouch is fuzzy so I have a place to put my beads and they won't roll away.  Good thinking!  Thanks, Nicky!  You rock.

We can now show off our Scrappy Swap packages too!  Woo hoo!  Unbeknown to me, my secret partner was Kat of Diary of a Flutter Kat.  It is no secret that I think Kat is really great - creative with a great sense of style and color.  Well, lucky me!  I get a bit of her craftiness here in my home :)  Kat sent this fab pouch with scraps fussy cut to show of little critters, like this little goldfish and bunny on the back...

...and a really cute cat and chicken on the front.  I love it, love it, love it.  Thanks, Kat!

Inside is a little label.  Aren't they cute?  She knows I love for them to be there, but just hidden a bit.  :)

But what about the scraps?  Well.....get a look at this gorgeousness!  I already have a scrappy quilt in mind to use nearly all of them!  Some are super special and I may just pet them a while longer.

When I'm not busy opening my post, I have been stitching away.  Honestly I have.  I made two of my four blocks for the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap.  Each will be hand embroidered a bit to highlight the stars.  I am hoping it will also be a reversible table runner with little pinwheels and stars on the back - just not quite there yet :)  I hope my partner likes them!