W.i.P. Wednesday: And Now For Something Completely Different...

It's turned rather cold here this week and I decided I needed a new hat.  Of course I couldn't just go buy one like a normal person...  I have to make my own:-)

I found this adorable Hermione Hearts Ron pattern inspired by this hat on Ravelry, dug out this gorgeous pink yarn I had stashed, and got started.  If ever there was justification for having a huge stash of crafting supplies... it's so nice to be able to start something the minute you get the urge.

The pattern suggests an Italian Tubular Cast On which I'd never done before but Anacapa Knits demo made it simple.  The hardest part was counting to 132;-)

I've finished 2 of the 4 cable and lace repeats and I love the way it looks.  Hopefully I can get it finished up before the spring thaw arrives.  With a long weekend of kids home from school and house guests this may be just the thing for keeping calm;-)

See what else is in the works at this week's W.i.P. Wednesday:-)

Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding

It seems like it's been a long time since I finished anything which makes it especially gratifying to have this Figgy Pudding table runner done.  This levitated out of my UFO  pile last week.  I made the top back in 2011 as a prototype for my Boston MQG Kitchen Swap.  I decided the design didn't work for my swap fabrics but it was all basted and ready to quilt *someday*.

Last year it was on my Just 3 for December list but it still didn't get done...

It was a great way to practice my FMQ.  I obsessed over every stitch but with the busy prints most of my stitching really doesn't show.  True to form, I had started quilting this with gold Madeira rayon and then ran out:-(  I couldn't find anymore Madeira so I switched to a Superior metallic.  At least I saw it coming and made the change after I finished the ribbon candy swirls...  totally a design decision;-)  The metallic thread in the setting triangles does add a little extra sparkle, it's subtle but it almost looks like twinkling Christmas lights.

It's amazing how quickly the quilting goes once you just sit down and do it!!!  So many things get lost waiting to be quilted when really the could be finished in just a couple of hours....

And with all that practicing I got this fabulous Sparkle Star mug rug as a bonus...  just what I needed;-)

Linking up to the fabulous Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts.

Quilt Stats:

Finished runner is 18" x 66"
Pattern: Original design based on a Bento Box block.
Fabrics: Figgy Pudding, Fruitcake, Jovial and Grunge by Basic Grey
Thread: Madeira Rayon 1055, Superior Threads Metallics #2

W.i.P. Wednesday: Christmas is Coming!

This week I've been quilting away on my Figgy Pudding runner.  I tried a ribbon candy swirl on the inside white boxes.  It's not too bad if you don't look at where I turned the corners (which you instantly did). 

I always like to make a sample to practice my design, adjust my thread tension, and choose a thread color before quilting any project.  The fancy term is a Maquette but around here they're referred to as yet another mug rug;-)  In this case I made a sparkle star block and then tried a loopy stipple.  I love the way it looks like Christmas lights.  Once I felt like I had it under control I used this to quilt the setting triangles and finally finished quilting my table runner.

I slapped on the binding and just need a movie night to finish this one up...  just in time for the holidays;-)

See what else is in the works at this week's W.i.P. Wednesday:-)

W.i.P. Wednesday: Seasonally Challenged

So after failing to finish my Halloween quilts on time I threw them on the UFO pile which promptly toppled to the floor...

At the bottom I found this Figgy Pudding table runner I've been promising to finish forever.  With 41 days until Christmas, this may be the year:-)

These holly garlands are one of the first FMQ designs I mastered...  they're totally forgiving and easy to use to fill a narrow space.  For the center boxes I modified Oh, Fransson!'s loopy flowers to look be pointy flowers so they look like Poinsettias.  Of course after practicing endlessly I realized they really don't show all that much.

And when you pull something off the UFO pile you get to start something new so I've jumped on the Modern Maples bandwagon.  These go together really quickly so maybe I'll be able to finish them before Spring arrives;-)

See who else is sewing at this week's W.i.P. Wednesday:-)

Undone

I had big quilting plans this Halloween...  

When I was digging through my stash of Halloween fabrics looking for Ghastlies I found this Haunted Mansion jellyroll.

Inspired by My Quilting Journey's Cute and Spooky Spiderweb quilt, I decided to use my Hex 'n More ruler to make Spiderweb Hexagons.  

After playing with a few different arrangements I pieced them together to make this table runner.  It's basted and ready for some spiderweb quilting.

I also started this Ghastly strip quilt but didn't get it quilted either...

But I did manage to finish this Ghastly pillow, which looks fabulous with my Ghastly Coffin quilt:-)  I guess there's always next year!!!

See more fabulous finishes at Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts.