ALYoF July Finish - A tale of two mini quilts

July is wrapping up and I am 7 for 7 in finishing my ALYoF goals. I set my July goal here to finish two mini quilts. When I finished, I realized these two minis couldn't be more different except that they each made the recipient very happy. tears shed = success!

I do Science Periodically 

Another coworker saw a periodic quilt I made and requested one of her own. I used a variety of solids to make up the table. Each element is 1" square. The background is a Kona brown. Maybe espresso?

Here is a close-up of the embroidery.

And a close-up of the amazing atomic dots fabric for the binding.

I used a dotty print for the backing.

I even had the chance to take some action shots in lab. Proving that I too, do science periodically.



Quote mini
A coworker and friend of mine recently lost her mother suddenly. I wanted to do something for her to show I was thinking about her so I slyly asked her to write down her favorite quotes.

I designed some paper pieced letters for the quote (thankfully it was a short quote!)

I kept the quilting simple - free motion flowers and leaves in the borders.

It's difficult to read in the bright light but the back is another one of her favorite quotes from Colossians 4:6

Thanks for stopping by! Check out the other finishes here. I'm also liking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and TGIFF. So happy it's almost the weekend.

WIP Wednesday - Colorful piecing and CAKE

Happy Wednesday. What have you been up to this week? It has been rainy, rainy, rainy here. It doesn't even feel like July. I have a colorful WIP edition this week:

1. Appliqueing circles to my heart's content.  I wrote a tutorial to quickly applique circles without raw edges. Check it out here.

2. Making a tote for me, because I want one. I saw Wombat Quilt's paper piecing Monday last week and just HAD to make the Garfunkel block...in rainbows....with fussy cut centers.

You can make your own - It is a free pattern available from 627handworks. 

The other side of the tote is going to have some simply color simple patchwork. A good way for me to use my mini 2.5" charm pack.

Not a WIP but I whipped up this cup holder in about 10 minutes just for funzies. I gave it to a friend for her birthday. 

 FACT: Cups look good set on rainbow Garfunkel blocks.

 Also not a WIP but it is CAKE! Chocolate Amaretto crepe cake from sprinkle bakes. This is 20 layers of crepe-y goodness. My lab loves me when I bring them cake.

What are you working on? Link up with Lee at Freshly Pieced.

No fuss circle applique {A tutoriolito}

Here is any easy way to applique circles without those pesky raw edges. I'm not snubbing the raw edge, but sometimes you just want it neat. It is perfect for circles of all sizes.

Supplies!

A circle of fabric*** 

A square of lightweight fusible interfacing the same size as the circle (single sided is fine)

1. I traced a cookie cutter onto fabric and cut out a circle. Then I cut out a square of interfacing just larger. You could cut out a circle of interfacing the same size as your fabric but that is just more work, no thanks!
***Ooh alternatively you don't need to cut a circle out either - just draw a circle on the wrong side of the fabric and sew along that line in step 3. I bet that would give you an even MORE perfect circle.

2. Align the fabric onto the interfacing right sides together. Ergo, right side of fabric with fusing side of interfacing.

3. Sew ALL the way around with a 1/4" seam - or you best attempt at one.

4. Cut away the interfacing and snip around the curves being careful not to snip through the seam. See this is why you don't need to cut a circle of the interfacing. 

5. Cut a line into the interfacing being careful not to cut the fabric. Turn your circle right side out and wrangle it into submission with your fingers, a pokey tool but do NOT iron:

SERIOUSLY DO NOT IRON. Remember the fusible interfacing is still on the back.

6. Arrange your circles in a pleasing way. The gods will let you know when you have achieved circle placement enlightenment.

7. Now you may iron. Press them onto the new fabrics according to the directions for your particular interfacing.

8. Sew 'em down using your preferred method. I chose a blanket stitch. The fabrics I used were some scraps from Kona Modern Quilts line by Robert Kaufman.

This tute is brought to you by the rain because this is what most of my weekend looked like:

I hope you have a happy week. As always if you try my tutorial I would love to hear about it. Hashtag it with #sewinghungry

WIP Wednesday - Positively Sewing

Happy Wednesday. The middle of the week just seems to slip up on me these days. Here is what I have been working on the past week:

Testing the Sew Positive pattern for Elizabeth at Don't call me Betsy. This pattern will be for sale soon. It is a fun mix of large and small plus blocks. I am going for a lap-sized quilt and made most of the large plusses 

 I went scrappy with the prints and the background, no surprise there.

The print on the right was my inspiration for the color palette. It is a Robert Kaufman mosaic print.

I made one of the small plusses blocks to test it out and have cut out most of the fabric for the rest of these. I'm already thinking about some fun ideas for the back and how I am going to quilt it. I can't wait to see where this goes.

I also made a small bit of progress on my mitosis cross-stitch. I fill in the background green when I am watching movies. No thought required, score!

What have you been working on? Check in with all the other WIPper's at Freshly Pieced.

Put your Finish-A-Long Q3 Goal Setting Party Pants On

Round three of the 2013 finish-a-long is sure to be a busy one.

1. Quilt for my bed. My bed does not have a homemade quilt on it. So I am using these lovely cotton couture solids to make one.

It will be a non-scrappy, non-paper pieced variation on my string-a-hex block. Looking something like this:

2. Diaper bag for a friend. I have the fabrics pulled and the pattern ready to go.

3. EPP quilt (HA!) This is quickly (slowly?) becoming my oldest WIP ever.

4. quote mini quilt.

5. periodic mini- This is the first one I made. I am making another for a coworker.

6-7. I have started two charity quilts from some novelty scraps leftover from other kids quilts. I am playing with rectangles and negative space on these. I'll get two quilts out of these - boy and girl.

8. Pattern testing a pattern. It's going to be patterntastic and testerific.

AYoLF July Goal Setting

Happy Independent Day for all you US peoples! Unlike some of you I do not have a 4 day weekend but, I am taking a few minutes during my lunch break to write up my post for my July goal. I am going to finish two mini quilts for two coworkers.

One of my coworkers saw my periodic table mini quilt (I think I still need to blog about the finished mini) and wanted one too. So it will be another one just like this:

I am also making a mini for another coworker who lost her mom unexpectedly early this year. 

I know this is technically two projects but they are small. So here we go! Linking up with the other goal setters.

WIP Wednesday

I didn't WIP Wed for weeks.  I haven't been sewing much because I am more into ass in couch with TV. So, uh, here to go. Mitosis cross-stitch. My own little pattern. Obviously this post translated was into English by a non-English speaker.

Also I've been cookin' and bakin'. Here are some peanut butter jelly bars (sing it). I used this recipe but I pursued perused around and they are all about the same. Just use your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe for the dough and your favorite Jam for the innards.

 I do actually make healthy food (from time to time) but I just never photograph it.

Happy Wednesday!! Linkin' up with Lee and the gang at Freshly Pieced. Spell checked by Kimberrrrrr.