Without Rain there is no Rainbow

I am hoping to finish this up soon and use for a quilt swap this month! I will post pictures when it gets completed.

UFOs! EVERYWHERE!!!

UGH!! I have been so busy lately that I haven't had much time to get to as many of these UFO's as I would like. All of my unfinished objects are in various states of completion and I hope to get to them- SOMEDAY! (What you are not seeing here is another set hanging up- I was too embarrassed to show all of it!) 

So my question to fellow quilters is- how many UFO's do you have and what are your goals for completing them? Sometimes I love, love to design, and others I love to just free motion, and yet others it is binding (well I don't love binding but I get in a groove and do several in one sitting). Is anyone else like this? Why can't I treat these like I book and just plow trough one before starting another?

Until Later, keep sewing and creating!

Tena

A wreath for a friend.

A friend of mine is having a baby girl and I offered to make her a wreath for her hospital room door. At first I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew, but finally an idea came along and it was easy to do! I cannot wait to make more wreaths for different occasions.

The Big BIND Theory! Use Craft Ribbon for Binding!

Okay folks, so I love the design and I like the actual process of appliquéing my quilts, since we all know by now that I am NOT a traditional block quilter. There, of course, is nothing wrong with block quilts and I love to receive them in my swaps, but it's like putting a round peg in a square hole for me to create them. I dislike the rigidity and the whole patterness of it all for me to make them. Have I done it before- yes, once. Can I do some of the amazing complicated blocks that are out there? I have no idea, I've never tried and probably won't. It's the same reason why there are so many varieties of clothing and furniture in the world- we are all different and that's awesome.

But back to the original reason of this post, I have heard many a quilter groan about the binding. The blasted, final thing that requires the dexterity of a concerto pianist it sometimes "seams".  If I "cheat" and wrap around or get bias tape, I am really limited and can't get those awesome contrasting, bada bing finished edges. So I have been successfully playing with.....drumroll here..... RIBBON. It works PERFECTLY. It comes in unlimited colors and patterns that are perfectly proportioned for the width. (We have all been excited about a contrasting fabric for a binding, only to cut and iron and find out you can't tell what the pattern is cause it looks like a blob.) It takes a little bit of practice, but it is EASIER, CHEAPER, FASTER, and GREAT-LOOKING. What's not to like? You can pick up ribbon anywhere- Wal-Mart, Craft or Fabric Store, Dollar Tree, and you can find ANY COLOR, ANY STYLE, ANY WIDTH, and ANY PATTERN. I love it, and it is now a go to favorite. Give it s try on a practice piece and you won't be disappointed.

Here is an abandoned mug rug that I use as a threading scrap where I practiced using a pink 2" houndstooth ribbon as the binding.

Til Later, Keep Sewing and Crafting.

Tena

Now you Ski Me!

I am working on a birthday present for my mom and here is a sneak peak of the soon-to-be-finished quilt. Ssh, no ruining the surprise! She loves to ski and the skier looks surprisingly like my mom (I included a picture of her, so you can see!) What do you think?

Until later, keep sewing and crafting.

Tena

Valentine's Mug Rug is Finished!

I finally finished the tiny little Valentine's Mug Rug for the Ipernity group. Here it is:

POP ART quilt Mania!!!

Lately I have been in love with Pop Art (more Roy Lichtenstein and less Andy Warhol mind you).  I just can't seem to get enough of it. So much so that I am doing a Pop Art inspired Valentines Day Mug Rug over at Ipernity with the Mug Rug group. (Check them out on my favorite links page).

I realized as I am almost done- whoa, Tena you are really going a bit nuts with this theme. Here is a sneaky peek at the mug rug, and I will post a picture when it is finished in the next few days.

And to prove my point that I am a woman gone mad for quilting pop art, check out these other pop-art inspired quilts that I am currently working on:

 

 

Hopefully I get my fill and find another theme to wear out!

Until later, keep sewing and creating.

Tena