Christmas Market Contributions

Thursday was the monthly meeting for the Common Threads Quilt Guild, and it was also the last meeting before the guild participates in the annual Christmas market. I finished up the rest of my projects just in time.

I made four more of the Diva Wallets, to go along with the others I'd done back in August (see the first group HERE.) My favorite part of these new wallets was using the ombre fabrics on the inside of them.

My other finish for the market was this border-stripe tablerunner. The fabric was one of the prizes I won at last month's guild auction. The finished size is 18" x 46". I also have a second runner cut out from the same fabric--maybe that will get done for next year's market.

For anyone who will be around the Atlanta area on the first weekend of November, you should check out the 2023 Christmas Arts & Crafts Market at the Coweta County Fairgrounds. There will be many wonderful treasures!

Linking up with:

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 8/13/2023

I've been working away this week at projects for our guild's Christmas market, which happens in early November. I recently shared my first completion for the market, three Diva wallets. You can see/read more HERE.

Making the wallets used 1-1/8 yards from my stash, and no new fabric was added this week. I have already started another project with more of the UGA and GA Tech fabrics.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                       1.125 yards

Used year to date:                 68.625 yards

Added last week:                         0.0 yards

Added year to date:                62.375 yards

Net used in 2023:                   6.25 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I've been quilting every day, finishing up the wallets then starting another project for the market.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

8/6 - 8/12             7 of 7 days

2023 Total      214 of 224 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Diva Wallets Done!

One of my main quilting goals this month was to make a start on some projects for the quilt guild's Christmas market. The market is a major fundraiser for our group, and I don't want to be scrambling at the last minute to get my pieces made.

Up first was a set of Diva Wallets, based on the guild workshop held in May. You can see the wallet I made in that class HERE. I received three extra sets of the metal frames with the agreement that I would use them to make these wallets for the market. Apparently, items made from team fabrics are very popular, so that is what I used for two of them. 

Each wallet has six small pockets for credit cards, two full-width pockets for bills, and a zippered coin pocket. You can see in this photo of the insides that I changed around the placement and direction of the pockets in some  instances.

Each wallet finishes about 7.5" wide and 4.25" high when closed, 8.5" long open. The Diva Wallet pattern is from Sew Many Creations, and they also sell the metal frames at that site.

Here are some close-ups of each wallet.

I still have more of the team fabrics and will use them in other bags/zipper pouches. That is the next project on the list.

Linking up with:

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

To-Do Tuesday 5/23/2023

I'm continuing to squeeze in quilting time between working a few days this week. It's making me really appreciate retirement and the freedom to quilt as much as I wish. Here are the results from my last to-do list, plus a new list for the week ahead. The To-Do Tuesday link-up is hosted by Carol at Quilt Schmilt: For the Love of Fabric.

Having a short list for the past week worked out well, with all three items getting finished.

To-Do List for 5/16 - 5/22/2023

1. Ring Around the Stars--finish hanging sleeve and label for exhibit   ✔done

This has been finished and the quilt delivered to the exhibit location.

2. Prep for wallet class at quilt guild  ✔done

We had a great class on Thursday, and I was able to finish my Diva wallet by the end of the class. I'm planning to make a few more to be sold at the guild's Christmas market.

3. Rainbow Scrap Challenge--make 1st set of orange blocks  ✔done

I finished two orange 16-Patch Stars blocks, shown here with the purple blocks from April.

Once again, the list is a short one to fit with my busy week. I'm looking forward to a three-day holiday weekend!

To-Do List for 5/23 - 5/29/2023

1. Rainbow Scrap Challenge--make orange Jabberwocky blocks

2. Rainbow Scrap Challenge--finish orange Rail Fence blocks

3. ABC Table Scraps Challenge--make orange placemat

4. Wash new fabrics

That will be enough to keep me busy for the week ahead. I'll report on my progress next Tuesday, and post a new set of goals too. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Quilt Schmilt.

 

Happy quilting!

Julie in GA 

Keeping Busy

It was another very busy week, including three days spent working at the Alliance costume shop, plus a guild meeting and workshop one other day. Thank goodness for my guy's support and willingness to take care of things like grocery shopping while I've been away. I'm combining my usual Saturday and Sunday blog posts into this single post today.

Yesterday I was able to do a little catching up on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts. I finished cutting the pieces needed for my Rail Fence blocks, which have become my current leader/ender project. I also put together two 16-Patch Stars blocks in orange, our color for May.

Before putting them away in the bin with the previous blocks, I pulled out the two purple blocks from April to get a combined shot. My blocks are being made with 3.5" squares and will finish at 12".

The guild workshop was a fun one where we learned how to make the Diva wallet. It's hard to get good photos of mine with all the black fabrics, plus I keep getting reflections of light off the metal frame at the ends. The wallet has six card pockets on the left, two full-width open pockets, plus a zipper pocket. The hardest part of making this was putting in those teensy little screws to hold the metal frame on the wallet. 

The most important project of the week was stitching the hanging sleeve and label on my Ring Around the Stars quilt before turning it in for an exhibit. That was another errand my sweet husband took care of while I was working, dropping off my quilt. If you are in the Atlanta area, you can see all the quilts from the East Cobb Quilt Guild's "Ruby, Ruby" challenge at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center from May 25th to July 1st.

The stash report for the week shows just over a yard total used for my various projects and no new fabric added.

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                       1.125 yards

Used year to date:                   44.50 yards

Added last week:                         0.0 yards

Added year to date:                49.625 yards

Net stashed in 2023             5.125 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I've made it a point to do some hand stitching during the morning train commute on the days that I've been working in order to keep up with my daily quilting time.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

5/14 - 5/20           7 of 7 days

2023 Total      131 of 140 days

You can see many more wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday, and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA