Finished a 2010 BOM!

BAM!  Another WIP can be crossed off the list. 

 Not that any of you even remember this quilt, LOL. 

I participated in the Christmas BOM at the Fat Quarter Shop in 2010.  

They were VERY generous with their fabric and I was able to eek out 2 blocks for each kit they sent!  I made one for me and one for my friend, Liz that does a lot of my quilting for me.

 She got hers quilted right up and has probably been using it for the last 9 years!  

Me?  Not so much.  

Liz quilted it and it sat in my closet waiting for be to *finally* put some binding on it.  

Anyone else do this?  No?  Sheesh. 

 I figured in my glorious binding extravaganza I have been having this month I would cycle it in. 

 I thought I had made the binding but alas that was not true.  

Then came the hunt for the fabric that matched this to make binding. 

 I was able to find it and make binding and now will have this glorious quilt to snuggle under!

The custom quilting is so fabulous!

Ho ho ho across the top of the stocking

Love the roof on this house

Love the quilting on the cap and the pom pom

I love this wreath too.

 Notice the cat in the center of the wreath?

I am so happy to be able to share this quilt!

I am even happier that it is now finished!

~XOP~

Introducing Polka Dot Playground With A Giveaway

I am happy to let you all know that I have a quilt in the April/May 2016 issue of
McCalls Quick Quilt magazine this month!

Subscription issues began shipping February 9, 2016. By March 1, 2016, the issue will be available on newsstands, as well as in print or digital download format at QuiltandSewShop.com at the following link here if you would like to purchase it.

This is my quilt.  

It's called Polka Dot Playground.  

You can find the Issue here if you want to preview it.

If you are interested in my quilt specifically you can check it out over here on the McCalls page.

I have 2 issues of McCalls Quick Quilts to giveaway (provided by McCalls).

In addition the Fat Quarter Shop has provided me 2 copies of Cozy Cottage Calendar to give away!

The FQS is such a generous sponsor!

If you are interested in winning a either thing, pop over to this link 

and leave me a comment.

Then come back here and tell me that you did.

For a second chance tell me what YOU are working on!

Please be certain that I can contact you via email.

If you are no-reply, leave your email in your comment.

That's it!

I am so excited to be able to share this new quilt with you all!

I will link up with Finish It Friday at Crazy Mom quilts too.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

~XOP~

AAMQG Retreat

I am so far behind in my blogging.  

Life has so gotten in the way of this blog.  

Sorry to all of you.  

I have been sewing just no time to talk about it here.  

I seem to be doing a lot of Instagraming. 

 You can find me there at mamaspark59.

The AAMQG had a retreat a few weekends ago that I went to. 

 I left on a Thursday and met up with my friend, Windy, from Grand Rapids.  

It was so great that she got to join our retreat!! 

 We met on Instagram and became friends in real life too.  

I packed WAY more than I thought I would finish, but I was hopeful!  

My daughter's car is still in the shop and she has my car so

 I am religated to driving the Mustang convertible.  

Awe, poor me!  

Except that the top needs to be repaired so I am not allowed to put the top down!  

EVERYONE judges me as I am driving on a beautiful day with the top up and everyone wants to race me leaving stop lights, LOL.

Here is what my trunk looked like.

First up on my long list of projects to finish was my Birdie Stitches quilt top. 

 I had to add the little squares around 3 of the blocks, cut the sashing and the borders.  

Then I got to assemble it. 

 I managed to get this finished on Thursday before I went to bed.  

Now I have to make a back and make some binding and send it to the quilter!

 Next up, on Friday was to sew my Christmas Sampler BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop. 

 I had a LOT of work to do on that top for sure.  

The sashing is pieced and so is the border.  

I worked all day on Friday and all night.  

Not finished but a good way to the goal for sure.  

Saturday I got up and started on it again. 

 This time I was successful in getting the entire top completed!

Now I was on a roll!!  

What to do next?  

As you know I agreed to help my friend make napkins for her daughter's wedding reception, 

so I dug in and started making blocks.

Windy brought some Flatter by Soak and it was fabulous to use for the pressing.  

I got about 35 different blocks done which was a great start to the 50 or so I committed to making.

It was late then so I packed up and went to bed.  

I helped clean up on Sunday and headed home around lunch time. 

 We were leaving on Monday afternoon for North Carolina to watch my daughter defend her thesis, so there was lots to get ready for the road trip!  

I will leave that for another day though.

~XOP~

Weekend Update

I wanted to work on a few more of those UFO's and I got one more top finished! 

 I participated in the Fat Quarter Shop's Christmas Sampler BOM a few years ago. 

 They actually gave me enough fabric to make 2 of each block. 

 I decided to make one top for my friend Liz and the other one for me.  

I managed to get Liz's  quilt top finished. 

 I cut the borders out for this one and mine at the retreat.

I love the top left basket and the house, probably my 2 favorite blocks.

I love the white stars in the outer borders. 

 The directions for making the taller points was not a way I had ever done it before.

The red sashing is a loop type print with white dots, but I don't have enough to use that for my quilt.

I do have enough of the red swirly print that is in the basket but 

I worry about it sitting on the same fabric in the sashing.

I am going to make stars where the cornerstones are for my quilt.  

I have given this some thought and I bought some whipstitch piping some time ago

 not certain what I was going to do with it.  

I may have found the perfect answer for separating the blocks from the sashing. 

 If I do I will have to stop it before each sashing  star.  

It could work, I just might need to play with it. 

 Do you know whipstitch piping? 

 It looks like this.

I have the aqua and lime green and will need to use both.  

Hopefully this works out.

 Would you do something like this or would you just sew it and let it blend? 

~XOP~

Welcoming the Fat Quarter Shop As My Very First Sponsor

I have added the Fat Quarter Shop as a sponsor! 

 Notice the button on my side bar that will take you directly to their shop of wonderfulness. 

 If you have not heard of them you are in for a TREAT!!  

They have everything!

They have introduced their very own You Tube channel which you can access right here.

It is an introduction to the awesome videos that are available on their You tube channel. 

 I am so excited to take a minute or an hour, and watch all the videos!!!

There is a fantastic video available showing you how to do fusible machine applique. 

 You can watch the video tutorial right here.  

They are using Heat and Bond light which is 20% off at the Fat Quarter Shop right now.

  It is the featured product of the Month.

 I love finding new resources don't you? 

 Thank you Fat Quarter Shop for being my very first sponsor! 

 I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.

~XOP~