WIP Sunday?

OH man, this has been a tough transition. The first two weeks of full time work it was all I could do to keep us all fed and in clean clothes on a daily basis.  Most of this was due to the transition happening during an exceptionally busy two weeks in the store and my working my regular part time shifts on top of my training shifts.  This past week was a bit more like what a regular schedule will be.

I was able to find some time this week to work on a custom patchwork quilt that I set a May 19th deadline for.  I was nervous for a while there but now the top is finished and I'm just waiting on a label from the client to start quilting. UPDATE: This quilt has been finished and delivered to the client.  She was so eager to have it that I didn't even get finished pictures of it!

For Mother's Day I requested three hours of uninterrupted sewing time :)  On top of that I snuck down on Saturday and Sunday evening for an extra couple of hours.  I worked on my Bee top.  It's all finished and I can't wait to get it basted and start the quilting.

Now that my body has adjusted a bit to being on my feet 8 hours a day and we are starting to settle into a new routine at home, I'm hoping to find some regular quilting minutes.  But I don't promise to blog with any kind of regularity.  To be perfectly honest, blogging is not my favorite thing to do.  So it gets pushed to the back burner.  Case in point: I wrote this post on Mother's Day, took the pictures the following Sunday and am just now combining the two today.

But I'm pretty good about instagramming so if you want to keep up with what's going on in my studio please follow me there.  I'm ellascottage :)

Linking up with Kim for SewJo Saturday!

Three Things Thursday

I've been flat out insane this week training for my return to full time work next week while also working my evening shifts.  There has been precious little time for sewing or anything else for that matter.  Here is what I have managed to squeeze in.

1.

My triangle quilt is basted but I haven't even been able to thread bobbins for quilting.

2. 

I've been stealing a few minutes here and there to work on these Dresden blades for my Library Project.

3. 

Any other time is devoted to my obsession project of the moment which will be revealed in more detail at a future date :)

Linking up with Adrienne for The Library Project and Needle and Thread Thursday.

Sunday Stash: Meadow

When I decided to make the trip to Intrepid Thread in California I knew thatI wanted to indulge in a line of fabric.  And it didn't take long to decide on Meadow by Leah Duncan.  I asked Julie to cut me a fat quarter of every print she had in stock :)

I love all of these prints incredibly and they work together really well as a collection.  But don't think I'm hoarding these!  They've already been cut up and I'm making two quilts out of them!

Linking up with Sunday Stash!

WIP Wednesday: Scattered

Normally I try to keep my active WIPs to two each week.  But this week I'm inspired in a ton of different directions and haven't been able to keep myself from working on a bit of everything.

I have been able to keep myself focused on the Triangle Quilt Along.  I finished up my quilt top this week and plan to have it basted.

This guy is 75% quilted and I plan on getting back to him tomorrow.

But probably not until I finish up the remaining blocks for my Global Scrap Bee quilt.

These lovely Dresden pieces are for one of my Library Projects and I love this fabric so much (Meadow by Leah Duncan) that I have needed to find time to cut into them.

And Monday inspiration struck while perusing IG and it definitely wouldn't wait for me to have a chunk of free time.  So while watching Game of Thrones I cut out these petals.  I predict they will be turned into something sooner than later.

Linking up with Lee for WIP Wednesday and Paula The Sassy Quilter!

Triangle Along Progress

Is it Thursday already!  Holy cow this week has flown by.  Of course, I've been kept pretty busy by more than a few non-sewing activities.

• My "baby" turned four.  How did that happen?!  We had chocolate chip pancakes upon her request :)
• My eldest had a bladder infection and was miserable.
• I decided it was time to banish the builder's beige in our bedroom (we've lived here 2 1/2 years!)
• Game of Thrones and The Voice.  'Nuff said LOL

What sewing time I did have was filled with triangles.  I'm glad that I made this my ALYOF goal for the month.  There are other projects that I've wanted to get started on but I don't need another half finished project lying around!  

I have to say that these are coming together much easier than I expected, most likely due to only working with two colors.  Less to keep track of.  Although they are definitely not a mindless sewing project.  The few times I was distracted, I ended up unpicking LOL.  So far everything is looking good but I am not making any grand statements until I have connected rows with points intact!

Linking up with Paula and Kelly

Friday Finish: Scrappy Strings

This quilt has been a bit of an obsession for me.  Way back in September I made four blocks when I was having a crappy day and absolutely loved them.  I love the process and the effect of the finished blocks.  But then I was hit with a pile of obligation/deadline sewing.  But I thought about those blocks often and yearned to make more.

In January , I got back to them but was thwarted by a lack of prepared strings.  In March, when I started sorting and cutting my scraps this quilt shuffled it's way to the top of the pile.  Once I started, I just couldn't stop.

I absolutely LOVE this quilt.  I wish that it was staying in my home.  But it makes me very happy to be giving a quilt I love so much to a person I love that much.  I met my neighbour Charlotte a few days after we closed on our house and we just connected.  Sometimes you just know from the first meeting that someone will play a large role in your life and that's what it was.

My original goal was to make it 72" square so she could snuggle under it with her three boys.  But I ran out of strings and wanted to finish it and gift it to her more than I wanted to get stuck on a size.  So it finishes at 60" x 66" which is still a good snuggle size.  Each block is 6 1/2" square (unfinished).  I followed Maureen's QAYG tutorial, using batting as my foundation.  I cut the batting 7" square as it stretched some during piecing and squared it up at the end.

It's my first quilt backed with Ikea's Britten which may not have been the best choice.  You can see the seam allowances through the back as it's quilt thin.  But, I'm not dwelling :)  I quilted diagonal lines through the white centers in both directions and bound it with a scrappy binding.

It's in the wash as I write this and will head off to it's new home tomorrow.

Linking up with Amanda Jean! (So happy she is back from her online hiatus!!)

Triangles!

I've been slowly cutting out triangles for the Triangle Quilt Along.  And I've been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is!  I'm using starch for the first time and cutting with my 6"x24" ruler.  Smooth sailing!  Except it's taking a lot of cutting to get to 204 triangles!

I've also decided that staying current with this Quilt Along will be my April goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes.  I have several other projects tickling at my motivation and I know it would be easy to set this aside and forget about it for months and months.

Linking up with Paula and ALYOF