Finishing Xmas with a bang!

My dream color palette.

That's quite a challenge.

After playing around a bit, I've settled on this one:


1. Floral Folio Dark Orange Allover Leaves Yardage SKU# Y0816-37
2. Flora Tangerine Feathers Yardage SKU# 25055-24
3. Flora Tangerine Lattice Yardage SKU# 25058-15
4. Curio Pumpkin Grunge Yardage SKU# 30150-134
5. Me and My Sister Favorites Purple Rick Rack Yardage SKU# 22073-39
6. Sketch Purple Screen Texture Yardage SKU# C8224-Purple
7. Impressions Purple Plaid Yardage SKU# PWTY015-PURPL
8. Amelia Cotton Playful Purple Stripe Yardage SKU# 22165-14
9. Shades of Grey Ragg Tagg Yardage SKU# S11-01-RAG
10. Shades of Grey Pinstripe Yardage SKU# S11-01-PIN
11. Hyperreal Garden Warm Illusion Yardage SKU# HG-8407
12. Black and White Black Random Pencil Check Yardage
SKU# CX4840-BLAC-D
13. Bella Solids Terrain Iris Yardage SKU# 9900-168
14. Ready, Set, Go! Orange Pure Organic Solid Yardage
SKU# Pure Organic Orange
15. Bella Solids Silver Yardage SKU# 9900-183


Purple has been a long time favorite color of mine. I've recently been introduced to the color addition of orange with purple, a combo I never thought I would embrace but am loving.
(Enough that my last set of Nubee blocks was purple and orange.)
Apparently, tangerine is THE color of 2012. I love geometrics.

I'm planning a few quilts in the purple/tangerine theme. Who knew I'd ever be on an "in" trend?!
I'm linking up to Quokka Quilts' Blogger's Choice contest sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

May you have lots of lovely time with family and friends!
To my crafty friends, may your stockings be filled with FQs, thread, yarn, and ideas!

I'm missing the Pirate, Stinky, and The Kraken, but I'm spending time with my parents and my brother....frantically trying to write the class play.


Keep safe and happy!

*Mwah*

2012 UFO list...

I'm going to count some of these are UFOs because the fabric is laying about, not because I've actually started these:

1. Monkey quilt...The rows to the top are pieced...it still needs finishing, borders, sammiching, quilting, and binding.

2. Mom's quilt, version 1. (Honestly, this one needs the services of a long arm quilter...but I still need to piece the back.)

3. The Prayer Flag quilt. (It's a mirror of mom's, but was originally meant for me. Ditto on the long armer..unless I make it an abbreviated version. I have to revisit the fabric, maybe it's not for me anymore.)

4. 241 bag for me in Loulouthi. (I have one piece cut out...ran out of time making a 241 for a bday present and shelved mine.)

5. 241 bag in Outfoxed.

6. Random charm quilt. (I started this out of charms I got that didn't work with any projects I had.)

7. HST quilt. (I made a ton of HSTs but pooped out on trimming them.)

8. 2nd apron for The Pirate. (The fabric for his Xmas present came too late for me to make one before I left for my parents.)

9. Swoon in City Weekend (I have had the stack there for months.)

10. Finish the boy version of the Across the Sea QAL quilt. The top is done. The pieced back is not.

11. My Dead Simple QAL cross quilt. I've got the fabric partially cut (in strips, but not squares yet), and the design is done....just needs cutting and assemblage. I think I even have the back pieces somewhere....

12. Pink girlie quilt for Project Linus.

Eep. I didn't think I had 12 projects...
Add to the list:

Sew. Happy. Quilt. QAL 2012
Sparkle Quilt QAL 2012

A bunch of finishes...

I finished my mom's quilt before Friday, but I didn't take pictures of it until later.

Here it is before washing. (I didn't take any pics post washing for crinkly goodness, but I have already packed it up to come to my parents with me.)





The handquilting was really time consuming. I'm not sure I'll be doing it again soon.

I finished my Charmed Prints quilt.
Originally, it had a pink border (the pink I used for the binding).
Unfortunately, I did the math wrong somewhere and the piece of flannel I had to use wasn't wide enough. (It was long enough, but not in both directions.) So, I took off the pink border and used it for binding.)



It's going to a best friend from college who has had a hard year. I wanted to make her a lovey quilt...so if she's having a bad day, she can snuggle up to it with chocolate or Chinese food. It will also act as a visual cue for her sweet hubby to give her a big cuddle.
I hope she likes it.

I finished my string blocks for Val over at PinkPlease! for her Heroes quilt.


I made a super secret present for Trollop (my best girlfriend).
I have to check and see if she's been reading this blog before I post pictures.
Needless to say, I practiced my free motion in a really random and awesome manner.
Pics will be forthcoming once I check in with her.
I am incredibly (ridiculously) proud of solving a design challenge.
It involved bacon. I'll leave it at that for the moment.

I have to finish my pouch for the giveaway and will finish my quilts for kids blocks tonight.
I'm 2 blocks behind in my skill builder, but I'm not a huge applique fan, so I'm not sure if I'll do them. The circle one is bringing back bad flashbacks to a quilt block I did for a school bee.

Is it weird that I just realized that most of my friends don't read this? Do y'all live in the quilting closet or do all your BFFs read your blogs?

Giveaway winner!

Mr. Randomizer picked #75, which is Tamie.

I'll be contacting you via email to confirm you color preference and mailing address.
Congratulations!

In other news, I finished the quilt for my mom.
I'll post pics tomorrow. It's, I think, my all time favorite ever....love love.
What I didn't love, however, was the hand quilting. The back is really bad.
It took HOURS and HOURS. I'm glad it's going to my mom, because she'll be ok with an imperfect back and will "get" how long it took to make.

Giveaway!!!

I'm hooking up with

I'm giving away a pouch! It will be custom made for you in your favorite color.

Note: It's not going to be one of these pouches, but you can get the idea of what I mean by the picture....


The giveaway closes at 5pm PST on Dec 16.
You don't have to be a follower!
I would love to have you join if you are so inclined, but no pressure.
(Although, *cough* I'm planning another give away when I hit the 100 follower mark.)
For one entry, just leave me a comment. Please make sure I have a way of reaching you.
If you are a no reply commenter, PLEASE include your email. For fun, tell me your favorite song.

For those of you following the progress on the wonky star for mom, I've got 16 out of 25 stars handquilted...
Oooo...bonus entry if you have advice for washing hand quilted quilts.

Be sure to check out the other giveaways at SewMawaSew.

Paying it forward...

You may have seen this around.
I think I've signed up for this at least once around..but I just did it over at Hitch and Thread..and I've done something similar with a group of journally blogger folks at one point (we were all crafters of varying kinds).

I'm picking three folks (the first three who comment that I can contact) to make something for.
It will come some time in 2012. I'll ask you for some hints about likes/dislikes.
In return, you need to post your Pay it Forward button within 48 hours and pass it on...

Any takers?
Also, I have a giveaway coming for SewMamaSew giveaway day.