2023 FINISHES

 Eight finishes, not a bad tally.  I imagine next year's total will be higher since I have more free days with my granddaughter  now in school . 

 The first five are hand quilted ...the last three machine quilted on my almost new Janome 6650.

The FIRST finish is from Lori Holt's book, SCRAPPINESS IS HAPPINESS.  

 A quick, easy one using charms. My favourite thing about this one is the hand quilting.

SECOND in line was COUNTRY BOY for my great nephew.  So fun playing with Lori Holt blocks.

THIRD was a TINY TUESDAY.... long time coming.

Fourth was PLAID from SCRAPPINESS IS HAPPINESS.

Fifth was SPARE SQUARES from SCRAPPINESS IS HAPPINESS

Sixth was SUMMER NIGHTS, a fun sew along from AUNT EM'S QUILTS.

Seventh was Sew Ho Ho (  VINTAGE CHRISTMAS by LORI HOLT).

My favourite of the year...it may have to stay up for the whole winter, lol.

Eighth and last was "Positively".

This year has brought some changes, age can do that.  My husband's knee issues are worsening and my hands are worsening. However in the bigger picture we are doing well and adapting, still keeping busy.

The other big change is a quieter house since the nearby grandkids are now all in school, we sure do miss having them here regularly a few days a week. We'll make up for it with sleepovers!

Happy New Year and Quilt on in '24!!!!

Linking up with Angela at SCRAP HAPPY SATURDAY

POSITIVELY

 Last Finish of 2023

There's many WIP's lingering in the sewing room, but my final 2023 finish is new project started a few weeks ago.  As a fellow quilter posted recently....can you say SQUIRREL ?  Sometimes you just need something easy and fun.  

This was a free pattern from Emily Dennis of  QUILTY LOVE called Scrap Stash Plus Quilt.   

The original plan was to only use plus blocks of all colours...use up those scraps.  

Well you know how plans go... I didn't like it so I eliminated the pink and bright green.  

Then I decided to stick to more black, blue, green and yellow.  Looking better, but it's been so dark and gloomy outside lately, my quilty soul needed to lighten it up...making for a much quicker finish which is always a winner!

Free motion quilting, still getting acquainted with my new/used machine and loving it.  Can I just say again how much I miss the big stitch hand quilting.  My hands don't miss it  but my heart does.   ....enough whining.  

The black striped binding really makes the quilt for me. I love it and wish I had a huge stash of it, but there's only enough for one more  medium sized quilt.  

The backing:

42 x 60 {40 x 57 after washing and drying}

Linking up with Oh Scrap

SNOW HO HO 2023

Yayyyy!  Done in plenty of time to enjoy before and during Christmas.

The pattern is from Lori Holt's VINTAGE CHRISTMAS, with a few changes.

42 Blocks.

Most are from "Vintage Christmas"

The reindeer was a free applique block I found online. He was just so adorable I had to include him in the fun.

The 2 hexagon flower blocks are from a project that got derailed.  I try to use a few whenever I can.

I used 2 snowmen instead of one...You can never have too many of them in a Christmas quilt :)

These 6 inch blocks were fun to make, some definitely were challenging with all the teeny tiny pieces (toy soldiers, I'm talking about you boys!). 

 Picking out fabrics usually took me longer than making the block.

I Stitched in the ditch with my walking foot between blocks and sashing, hand quilted in the sashing and free motion quilted mostly in the blocks and border.

Linking with:

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop

Vintage Christmas Progress

Yayyyyyyy, we have a top/flimsy!!

For years now I've wanted to make a Christmas quilt but other projects seemed more pressing (no pun intended, lol ).

It appears I've become a collector of Lori Holt Books and I'm happy to keep that trend going.  Her Vintage Christmas Book was the latest purchase and put to good use.  

THIS WILL BE THE YEAR FOR A CHRISTMAS QUILT 😀

There are so many options in the book for Christmas quilts so I know there will be more in my future.  This time I did 6 inch blocks, most are in the book but I did add a few others.

All set up for business.

That train is so stinkin' cute ....I couldn't resist a closeup.

Linking up with Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

                                                                            Oh Scrap

SUMMER NIGHTS

.

 

Summer Nights is a pattern from Aunt Em's Quilts, offered through a monthly subscription.  

I followed most of the instructions ... as usual, substituting a few and using some orphan blocks I had lingering.

Sore hands halted my hand quilting once I was about a fifth of the way into the job.  I just couldn't keep hand quilting so I had to change the game plan.  Not looking forward to  free motion quilting on my regular machine with minimal throat space I was in a bit of a pickle.

I had never bought anything on MarketPlace before and hadn't planned to, but after hearing a family member bragging about all the great deals there I found  myself there checking out sewing machines.

Right away I saw my new to me machine!  Picked it up a few minutes drive away and got acquainted with my  Janome 6650.

The handquilting was removed and free motion quilting began.

Background done in loopy swirls.

Lots of practice with different designs.

Washed and wrinkly cozy.

I'm still sad that I can't hand quilt ... at least not nearly as much as before, but I am excited to make more quilts and finish them up with my new toy.

Here you can see the top section of the quilt that's not showing in the pictures over the fence:

The not so glamourous basement floor is a great spot for trimming just before binding.

Linking up with Cynthia at OH SCRAP

 

SPARE SQUARES

 A fun, easy quilt .... no triangles!  Spare Squares from Lori Holt's SCRAPPINESS IS HAPPINESS book is just one of many super cute patterns you'll find there.

My version, 54' x 66", is smaller than her pattern.

Hand quilted, big stitch with Guitterman thread. 

Binding is ready to go.

The must have toe picture ...seems to be a tradition.

My next goal is to finish a Christmas quilt from Lori Holt's VINTAGE CHRISTMAS book.  I got off to a roaring start but seem to have derailed.  September should be a good time to get back to it and still be done by Christmas. My progress so far:

Linking up with Cynthia at Oh Scrap!