Mini Quilts - A Double Finish

My little "secret sewing" projects that I included on my Second Quarter Finish Along list are completed, have been gifted, and can be revealed!  Yay!

These two little quilts were made for my sweet, silly daughters.  The Easter Bunny tucked them into their baskets this morning.  Somehow, the bunny and I managed to keep them secret! 

Both patterns were purchased from Burlap & Blossom, an adorable Etsy shop.  She has a LOT of sweet patterns, and they are all traditional piecing. The patterns were easy to print and easy to follow. I will buy from her again, for sure!  I will think twice about making the 6 inch blocks, though.  Making half square triangles with squares that start out at 3/4 of an inch is not for the faint of heart!! 

The little flowers on this cactus show how much I struggled with this.  Poor things.  If I had had more time, and if I wasn't limited to sewing these when the girls were out of the house, I might have re done those parts.  But, I figure cactus flowers come in all shapes and sizes.  Maybe these were nibbled on by a road runner or an armadillo.  I decided to leave them be.  And, as a whole, I think this little guy is pretty charming.

I used the same cute mini dot background for both quilts, and I kind of wish I hadn't.  I think that the coffee cup quilt needs more contrast.  I LOVE the lid fabric, but it blends too much into the background, and the overall shape gets lost.  Again, if I had more time...

I'm not sure if the girls will hang the quilts in their rooms, or their lockers or use them as mug rugs.  They finish at about 6x9, so they would work for that purpose, too.  I do know that these won't be the last minis that I make for my daughters.  They are fun and pretty quick to make, and I can envision future dorm room walls covered with quilted memories from Mom.  I can dream, right?

Quarter Two Finish Along List

When I made my first quarter Finish Along list in January, April seemed very far way.  And so it is now, making my second quarter list.  July 1st seems to be an eternity away.  Yet, here it is, mid April, in the blink of an eye.  Another blink and summer will be here.

While I didn't finish everything on the first quarter list, having the list to follow definitely helped me to stay focused and committed to finishing some long neglected projects.  Between those finishes and the Project Quilting challenges, I logged more than 10 finishes for the quarter.  There have been years when I haven't finished that many!

This quarter's list might be a bit ambitious, given the scope of some of the projects.  But, I'll give it a try!  Finishing, it turns out, is very satisfying.

Scrappy Stars

This is a finished top, not too big, not too small.  It's a good lap or child size.  It was started to use up some half square triangles that resulted from two different projects.  I also used up a good amount of the squares I had been cutting from scraps.  The challenge with this one will be deciding how to quilt it.  I'm thinking it will be straight line quilted with the walking foot, if I can master using it.  It makes me happy to look at all those bright colors.  Can't wait to have his one done!

Round Robin Mini Quilt

This is a carry over from my first quarter list.  Some progress has been made...it now has an outer border and is basted.  It probably could have been finished last quarter, but, I'm stuck on the quilting.  I thought I might do some log cabin like lines in each of the four quarters.  But, as I planned that out, I realized that the inner borders are not at all straight  I am afraid that linear quilting is going to emphasize how NOT square this mini is.  But, I don't have enough free motion practice, yet, to go that route.  This is a quilt for me, and will hang on the wall, and will make me smile, simply by virtue of its colors.  So, I should probably just go with something straight and simple and get it done.  We'll see.

Doll Sized Hospital Gowns

These were started on a whim in January when Bernie at Needle and Foot posted about the Tiny Gowns she was making for A Doll Like Me.  This was during the time that my daughter was in the hospital.  On one of the days that snow kept me at home instead of being in the hospital with her, I decided to try my hand at some little hospital gowns, too.  I cut and started a few.  Might have finished one...I don't remember.  When they are all done I'll send a package off to Amy so she can included them with the precious dolls she makes, when they are going to a  child facing a hospital stay. Perhaps I'll see if I can get a doll sized quilt made to go with it!

Hello Fall Half Square Triangle Quilt

This is a LONG time WIP.  I don't even remember when it was started.  I know, however, that when I bought the charm packs to use as HST leaders and enders I was excited that the greens in the pack matched the green sofa and love seat in our living room.  Since the walls had recently been painted an autumn orange color (it's prettier than it sounds) I thought I could make a quick sofa quilt that would go perfectly.  Well, the green couches have been gone at least three years.  The walls are still pumpkiny though, so it will be a lovely addition.  And, while we have an assortment of fleece throws that are used constantly. we don't have an actual adult sized quilt that's used downstairs.

There's a lot of work needed on it.  I have no idea how many HSTs I finished, some are pressed and trimmed (I think) and some are not, there's fabric to do more HSTs if needed, and , oh.  I need to decide on a layout.  Getting this one done will be a MAJOR accomplishment.

Cord Keepers

Like the rope bowl on last quarter's list, these are a silly non finish.  They need velcro and top stitching.  That's it.  It will be about a two hour job.  They've been sitting in a bin for two years.  Enough said.

6 inch Quilt Squares for Secret Sewing Project

(This is my first ever secret sewing picture!)  In all honestly, these blocks were just recently started.  I'm adding these to the list because 1. they qualify as a Work In Progress and 2.  because they will be an early finish and I'll get to cross them off the list soon (which Gretchen Rubin says is a good thing to do!).  They are little gifties for my girls' Easter baskets (if life lets me get them done in the next week) and I'm keeping them secret in case anyone snoops.


As I finish my list, snow is falling outside my window.  The long, hot days of July seem so very far away.  Surely I'll be able to finish all of these projects before then!  Right?

Linking up with the Finish Along, and then off to peek at some others' lists of ambitions.

Two More Seasonal "Post Cards"

I've been enjoying making these fabric "post cards" for my friend.  The first four I made for her are here.  The latest two feature a cute girl bunny, and a Mason jar with spring flowers.

I really like the creative process in making these.  Since there is no pattern, it takes a bit of work to come up with a design and then get things sized correctly.  I like that challenge.  I also like the spontaneity involved.  More than once I've stated with a Google image, for one element, like the Mason Jar, but then I change and adapt as I go. It's fun to see where they take me, and sometimes I'm surprised.   I had been planing to embroider the flowers on the Mason Jar, but then, in the middle of the night, I woke up thinking about a fabric with the perfect flowers on it.  Sub conscious,  much?  The next morning before I went down stairs. I stopped in the sewing room and pulled that fabric out of the stack.  So much quicker than embroidery, and so cute, too.

In looking back at the first set and comparing to the latest, I notice that I have moved away from hand sewing in favor of machine applique.  Even the outside edge of these two was machine stitched.  This isn't really a conscious decision on my part.  I just go with the flow with these and machine stitching just felt right.  I won't be surprised if the next few get a bit more hand stitching.

My plan is to keep making these until my friend has a years' worth.  Then, I might try to duplicate some of my designs and make a few more sets.  These little cuties make a perfect "in between" project, and I know a few other people who might like to have a set!

Rope Bowl Finish

I don't remember when or why I started this rope bowl.  I don't know why it didn't get finished.  I DO know that it sat like this...

a tangled mess...in my Unfinished Projects bin for quite a while.  I knew that it wouldn't take much time to finish it, and it seems really silly that it sat for so long!   I put it on my First Quarter Finish Along list, hoping that would inspire me to get it out of the bin and into use!

And now, it's finished!

Rope Bowls that I've made in the past have been rather floppy, so I was careful to keep this one small and tightly wound.  I also zig zagged the heck out of it.  It used up lots of partial spools of white thread, which makes me happy!  And I have to say, it's pretty sturdy!

I'm not sure what this pretty little thing is destined for.  I don't really have a spot or a need for it.  Maybe it will be a "just because" gift for someone.  For now, it will sit here on a bookshelf where I can see it as I go upstairs.  It just makes me happy to look at it.