Onto the next steps

I'll have to re-write my post from yesterday on my 12 Days of Christmas BOM but for right now, I would like to share my Bliss disappearing 9 patch blocks with you.  I have 25 blocks pieced and I was going to make more but I think 24 is going to be plenty for my new idea; well, until I measure things that's my thought.

Before I tell you my idea... here are a couple of snapshots of the block (please ignore all clutter in the background)

Now for my idea.  Our bedroom gets a bit chilly in the winter.  My husband needs to look at the heating duct work and figure out what he can do to fix that.  We have an outdoor wood boiler that heats our house and it is located at the opposite end from our bedroom.  For whatever reason, the heat just isn't strong on our bedroom side of the house.  Like you all needed to know that.  ANYway... I was going to have these blocks become a traditional quilt but I have since decided to make a duvet cover for our feather duvet insert.

I've been looking online to get some ideas on how to construct this duvet cover but everything I ran into pretty much just uses two sheets so here are my thoughts.  Tell me what you think.

I have decided to back the completed top with a solid and do some (very light) quilting.  Reason is this, I don't want to see my block seams.  I want to believe that if I do this, it will help with washing and drying.  For the backing, I'm leaning towards Bliss flannel OR that Moda Snuggle fleece.  Just for extra warmth.  The fleece may be too much with the feather duvet so I'm still kicking the idea around in my head.  But it would be so snuggly!

My next steps are to sash the blocks but more importantly, find my other duvet covers that are hiding in this house somewhere and measure them to make sure I have enough blocks and figure out how wide of a border to add.  And to figure out how to actually finish the open duvet end.

I'm excited to do this.  I hope it comes out as well as it looks in my head.

Have a great day!
Jen

Friday Blog Post

I couldn't think of a cute blog title.  Friday Blog Post is all that I could come up with.

Slowly, I've been making tracks back into my sewing room.  I think part of my problem is that my mind is full of projects that I want to get done and then new projects I want to start.  Have you seen the Postage Stamp quilt along?  Well, the quilt along is now over but you know what?  I want to make one!  So now that is on my mind 24x7 but I haven't acted on it yet since I want to make it out of Sunkissed and I don't own a Sunkissed jelly roll.

About Sunkissed.  I'm a little disappointed in Moda's charm square production.  OH NO!  I am going to speak bad things about Moda!  Don't shoot me.  Just venting.  ;)  I bought 3 Sunkissed charm packs to use in some future something.  I hadn't decided yet.  Then I got the itch to make myself a new bag.  Something to use when traveling or for Punkie.  Sunkissed called my name.  And then I found a pattern in my ever-growing pattern stash.  The Chubby Charmer Tote.

I don't have any of the lining or handle yardage yet but I thought I could get started on the front and back charm panels.  I busted open 2 charm packs because I needed an odd number of charms for the pattern and I wanted to mix things up a bit.  Well, one of my charm packs had odd bits in it.  Like pieces of a charm square but not a whole charm square.  I ended up with 4 of them in one pack alone.  Did I count to see if I got even the right number of squares in my pack?  No because everything was all mixed up by then. AND my charms are all over the place with sizing.  Some are way big.  Much bigger than 5" and some are smaller.  So my piecing was a bit of a swearing showdown.  Some of my seams don't match.  This isn't the first time I've run into this either (both issues) but it's the first time I'm venting about it.  Moda is getting sloppy, in my opinion.

So here is my start.  After all is said and done, this is going to be a big tote.  I need to finish the second charm panel (2 more rows).  I started yesterday afternoon before heading out to my ceramics class and ran out of time.

Ready for some Bliss?  I've also been working (slowly) on my Disappearing 9 patch Bliss blocks.  I have decided for production reasons that I would make all the 9 patches first then make them disappear.  I'm sure many of you work that way (step A, step B...) but it takes me a while to figure these things out.  I'm usually a little late to the party.  LOL!  I also get very excited to see things emerge so I like to have everything done NOW.  It was getting to be a PITA to work one 9 patch block at a time so I changed gears.

There are 14 blocks here.  I need like 20-25 more.

I'm also working on some Valentine's Day gifts for my husband and Punkie.  They are getting pillowcases.  Chris can use his at the firehouse when he sleeps his 2 nights there and Punkie just loves pillowcases from Mama.  I will post those when they are done.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

I'm Caught Up

I think.  Here's what I got finished in the last couple of days.

First, my Bliss bag.  LOVE IT!  I made one boo-boo when I ordered fabric.  The aqua polka dot?  It's flannel.  I didn't realize it until I received it.  Oh well.  The inside is really soft.  LOL.  I left out the green and brown charms.  I wanted a red/pink/aqua color scheme.  I can't wait to show it off tomorrow!

okay.  turn your heads.  I'm tired of fighting with blogger.

I got the blue and white candlemats quilted a while back.  Just had a chance to snap their picture.  One is flipped over so that you can see the pretty backing.

I finished the personalized pillow for the birthday girl.  I love how this one came out.  It has moved to the top of my favorite list.  It will be going into the mail this weekend.  On its way to Texas.

Lastly, some zippered pouches for Christmas gifts.  I don't know who is getting which one.  I think I'm just going to put them in separate gift bags and it will be the luck of the draw by the recipient.  Actually, the Frolic one is going to go to my SIL since it has her favorite colors in it.  Rest is up for grabs.

I coordinated the zippers as best as I could.  Thought I would show you that too.

That's all here.  Tonight I will be doing some baking to bring dessert for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner.  I don't like pie.  Terrible, I know.  So I must bring chocolate!  :)

Have a great Thanksgiving!!  Gobble!  Gobble!
Jen :)

Distraction

Oh.  Why can't I focus on ONE thing at a time?!!?  GRRR!  For the MOST part, I do pretty good.  I spent some time over the weekend making some zippered bags - assembly line style.  They are all at the same point in the creation of them.  Making 5 at a time, this method works for me.

But.  But.  I want to move on.  Take a detour.  Just a short one.  Couple of days.  It won't be long.  Because I want to make this:

Out of this:

So that I can show it off on Thanksgiving.

It's okay.  I'm not very modest.  LOL.

Enjoy your day!
Jen