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 Night Sew In Results

I got some sewing done yesterday.  I also got side-tracked by another 'need to make' project.  I focused my time pretty much on getting that one done.  But I'm not finished with it yet.

I've ignored my Bliss Disappearing 9 patch blocks for some time now.  I finally pulled those back out and got 4 more done.  They haven't "disappeared" yet.  If my math is correct (and it hardly ever is), I think I need 36 blocks plus sashing and borders for the top to fit my bed just the way I would want it to.  I need my husband to do the calculation for me to double check.

Postage Stamp top - 6 more blocks done.  Rachel is way ahead of me!  I have lots of sewing to do to catch up.  My plan is to sew some more this afternoon.  At least for an hour.

And the 'need to make' project.  If you are familiar with the site youcanmakethis.com and are a "fan" of them on Facebook, they are giving a free download until the end of the month for a super cute Summer wallhanging.  Mine isn't completely finished yet but I'm super close.  It will be done next week.  At least that is my plan (minus quilting and binding of course).  I'll show it again when I have the white blocks completed.

There you have it.  My FNSI results.  I have something else I've been working on.  I'll show that soon.  I know I've been complaining about my non-working status but I've been getting tons done in the sewing department.  I just feel guilty sewing the day away so I've made a schedule for myself.  House chores in the morning (or errands or whatever) and sewing after lunch.  It has worked out for me.  Someone suggested that to me in a comment in one of my blog posts.  I can't remember who but it has worked.

OH!  One more thing... today is my husband's birthday!  We did our little family celebration last night with a delicious ham dinner, a sinful chocolate truffle "bomb" dessert and presents.  This morning, Punk and I treated him to breakfast out and this afternoon, we're going to his parents for steak dinner and cake.  Weekend full of celebrating.  Happy Birthday Honey!  We love you!

Enjoy your 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

Friday Night Sew In Results

This Friday's sew-in was a bit of a bust for me.  I took the day off from work to get some things finished and started around the house for the upcoming holidays and sewing just didn't fit into my schedule the way I would have liked.

Only thing that I sat down to finish was finishing the hand sewing the binding on my 12 Days of Christmas table runner.  It's on my table now.  One more Christmas decoration on display.  LOL.

I found the backing at one of the LQS here and I really like it.  Red snowflakes.  Coordinates will with 12 Days of Christmas.  They also had it in blue but the blue was too royal blue for the top.  I have plans to get more of both for my stash.  Would make a cute stocking cuff, wouldn't it?

Other than that, I got some cleaning done.  Our tree is up and lit but not decorated.  That is on the agenda today.  I got some dark chocolate almond cranberry bark made and some dark chocolate cookies baked.  Oh. And some gifts wrapped.  Today's plan is to make the dough for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, continue wrapping, decorate the tree and have Amelia finish her last beaded snowflakes for her gifts.  Busy busy day!

Have a good one!
Jen

Stash Busting

I've been hoarding my stash of red and aquas for while.  I made some of it useful for myself and made a little Nifty Note.

I've been using it all week.  Keeps all my little notes and shopping lists under control.  My purse ends up with a lot of little bits of paper in it.  Then it starts to weigh a ton.  Hopefully this will help.  I showed it to my cousins and they really liked it and hoped that one will its way to each of their Christmas stockings.  I guess I can manage that.

12 Days of Christmas.  I had 4 charm packs and I used 2 of them; one to make my Secret Santa project plus another for myself.  Then I had a bunch of leftovers.  Instead of letting them sit and collect dust and then finally handed to Punkie for her fabric habit, I made myself a simple disappearing 9 patch table runner.

I have big BLISS plans in my future so I thought I would see how I like the disappearing 9 patch block.  I like it.  Quick and easy but looks cool too.  I took it to my local favorite fabric store to buy some backing because I didn't have enough of something here at home and the ladies there liked it too.  This is going into the mail today for Sharon and some quilting magic.

That's all I got.  Hopefully I will get some sewing done this weekend.

Enjoy your day!
Jen