A Quilting Year in Review

As 2009 draws to a close, I am reflecting on my year in quilting.

In January 2009, I had this post about my 'Quilter's Code'. Instead of resolutions, I decided to make categories in which my quilting was divided. Here is a summary:

1. Promise Quilts

I made all but one of the quilts I promised to make. I learned new techniques along the way and grew my understanding of quilty-y things. This category is a keeper~as I tend to say, 'Yes' when asked to make something for someone.

2. Home Quilts

I am happy to report that all the beds here at Bell Creek Quilts now have homemade available~if wanted. :) This category will be put to rest.

3. Donation Quilts

I gifted 8 quilts to Alycia's No Soldier Forgotten Quilt Drive and 2 children's quilts to Wrap Them in Love. This is a keeper~part of quilting, for me, is giving back my abundance to others.

4. Gift Quilts

ummm...I always enjoy making quilts to gift to others. This is a keeper~weddings, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas are just a few reasons to give a quilt to someone!

I'm pretty happy with my quilting in 2009. Some areas can improve and other areas are going great! I was an active member in the weekly stash report and it helps me to stay focused on buying what is needed rather than buying with no plan. I really don't bust stash per say, but rather it is a running total of the ins/outs of fabric from the stash.

I'm still thinking about My Quilter's Code for 2010 and I'll outline those in the New Year!

Happy New Year and Happy Quilting to All!

Stash Report Week #52

The last report for this year, a little late as I was out of town. Here we go:

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: +268.5 yards

Fabric used this week: 0.5 yards
Fabric used this year: -351 yards

Net fabric for the year: -82.5 yards (used!)

What I accomplished:

• made four wonder wallets

No quilty goals this week as the family enjoys some time together!

Thanks to JudyL for her weekly postings of stash reports! The reports help me to *think* about a fabric purchase and *shop* the stash first. My fabric buying habits are improving and I can thank Judy for that!

Thanks for the inspiration, Judy!

Happy Holidays

Warm Holiday Wishes to you and your family from Bell Creek Quilts!

:)

A Little Sewing and A Little Quilting

Yesterday I quilted a Guild Quilt of Valor. This is another Signature quilt and I used Popcorn as the panto.


I also sewed a few more Wonder Wallets~I am seriously addicted to making this little beauties!
















Tonight we are heading out to our Holiday destination~Michigan. We hope to beat the worst of the storm that is brewing this week~chat with you when I get back to Bell Creek Quilts!

Stash Report Week #51

Well...maybe I should be sick more often as I had a really good numbers week! I finished 2 quilts and 15 wonder wallets. I added 4 yards--2 moda black and 2 moda navy. My report:

Fabric added this week: +4 yards
Fabric added this year: +268.5 yards

Fabric used this week: -18.5 yards
Fabric used this year: -350.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: -82 yards

What I accomplished this week:

• bound Basketball Frogs
• quilted and bound Remembrance
• made 15 wonder wallets

Goals for next week:

• Enjoy the holidays

I really feel the urge to make something...anything...to use 18 yards and reach 100 yards used! But I need to concentrate on getting ready to visit family! :)

Remembrance Finished

At the urging of DD, I quilted and bound Remembrance today.

I quilted it with Popcorn from Willow Leaf Studio and backed it with this bicycle cruiser print. DS wanted to *know* the meaning behind the bikes~I said that simply I had the 5 yards in the stash, the colors were similar and DH had rode a cruiser on Mackinac Island this summer.

Pink Eye!

Guess I should have listened to my Mom!

Wonder Wallets!

I'm on a roll making Wonder Wallets as Christmas gifts. Just tuck a little gift card in the pocket and the gift is ready!

This group is getting ready to wing their way to under the appropriate Christmas Tree!

WIP Wednesday

I finished the Basketball
'Frogs' earlier in the week.

I backed it with this fun whistle referee fabric I found on the sale rack at the Ben Franklin. DD selected Inkblot as the panto with orange thread. You know, it works! I thought there was a silent auction with the Basketball Banquet, but I couldn't find any information on it. Come to find out, there will be a few door prize drawings at the banquet. As only one person has responded for the coach's gift (it was me!), I volunteered this quilt to go to Coach Z.


DD and I have *the crud* that is going around. Really.bad.timing. She has missed 2 1/2 days of school so far this week and I think she will miss another 1/2 day tomorrow. Me? I'm about 3 days behind I where and what I should be doing. :)

Stash Report Week #50

A pretty good week for me as I had a finish and gifted a few yards. I also added fabric but it is already on the back of the Basketball quilt, with only the hand work left to do! My report:

Fabric added this week: +5 yards
Fabric added this year: +264.5 yards

Fabric used this week: -15 yards
Fabric used this year: -332 yards

Net fabric for the year: -67.5 yards (used!)

What I accomplished this week:

• bound Christmas Strip Twist
• pieced Remembrance to a flimsy
• pieced and quilted Basketball

Goals for next week:

• bind Basketball
• quilt and bind Remembrance
• work on Christmas gifts
• label Basketball and Remembrance

Hopefully.

Another *Frog* Flimsy

Basketball *Frogs* as a flimsy.

Ursula Riekes' More Quilts for Baby'~Frolicking Frogs pattern.

My goal over the weekend is to quilt and bind this then donate to the Basketball Fundraiser on Thursday. The red/white might seem like an odd combination~but they are the school colors!

Day Guild Ugly Fabric Challenge

I gifted the Victorian Christmas fabric on the left. The funny thing is this: Kathy (who selected the fabric) has already made a quilt with the same fabric! I promised to quilt whatever she makes. I'm in the middle with the floral. I'm not sure who gifted the floral but...eewwww. and I only have just a yard to work with. Sue~on the right~didn't bring a fabric but when one was leftover she jumped right in to play along with the challenge. Our creations are due back at the June meeting. The only rule is that you must use at least a 1 x 5 piece that is recognizable on the front of your project.

Any ideas, anyone?!

WIP Wednesday

I put together this top while DS and I were referring to it as *Betsy Ross*, I think a more appropriate name would be *Remembrance*. I had purchased a yard of the 911 Flag and Commemorative Stamp fabric while at the fabric garage sale this past spring.

The pattern is *Frolicking Frogs* from Ursula Reikes' book: More Quilts for Baby. I made more blocks than the pattern called for so the finished size is about 54 x 74. I'm going to wait until next week to quilt it as I want to make the same pattern using basketball/red/white combination for a raffle donation quilt.


Bell Creek Quilts is part of the winter storm that is traveling across the US. Our snow total is about 10 inches with more snow expected throughout the day today. DH blew the snow last night and this morning. DS blew it once yesterday afternoon and is getting ready to blow it again~trying to keep the driveway clear! It is going to be a challenge once the winds kick up and the snow starts to blow all over. DD's school was cancelled today and she is at the neighbor's building some sort of snow structure! Thank Goodness the neighbor Dad is home and enjoys the snow. :)

Me? I'm an inside girl...me and Baby and Bella and Valerie. I hope to sew a little bit, stamp some Christmas cards and work on laundry. I already have dinner in the crockpot, so life is good! and warm inside the house,too. :)

Christmas Strip Twist

I finished the sewing the binding yesterday on the Christmas Strip Twist. I had started the blocks in August while at the FAB retreat in Portland, Oregon.

The Strip Twist pattern is from GE Designs~you'll need to scroll sown a bit on the page to find the pattern. This pattern is another use for 2.5 inch strips in the blocks.

I quilted it with the stars and loops panto in grass green thread. All the fabric for this quilt came from the stash...

...even the cute Christmas pigs on the back! My MIL gifted me a box of Christmas fabric about 7 or 8 years ago. She was originally going to make re-usable Christmas bags~she was 'going green' before it was popular to do so. :)

Stash Report Week #49

Okay. I did it this week...I ordered more fabric off the web. I did have two finished though, to offset the added yards!

Fabric added this week: 19 yards
Fabric added this year: 259.5 yards

Fabric used this week: -9 yards
Fabric used this year: -317 yards

Net fabric for the year: -57.5 yards (used)

What I accomplished this week:

• bound Green Treasures
• pieced and quilted Christmas Strip Twist
• pieced, quilted and bound Christmas Table Runner

Goals for next week:

• bind Christmas Strip Twist
• work on Christmas gifts

A Christmas Runner

My quilt cabinet in the family room is a favorite place to store *stuff*. In this case, the Wii and TV remotes have been sitting there for over a week now!

I made a Christmas runner earlier in the week and waited to quilt it at the same time I quilted my Christmas Strip Twist. I simply made one long backing so I could quilt the table runner after the Strip Twist.

I pulled a green coiled basket that had red bells on it out of the closet and behold, organization!







Table runner pattern: Frame Up! by Pieced Tree patterns.

I've Been Naughty...

...19 yards worth!

Ahem, I better go and get busy in the sewing room. :)

Design Wall Wednesday

I finished as many Strip Twist blocks as I wanted. Well, actually I have more as I kept changing my mind about the lay-out. Really! I think I am going to *go with* this quasi-barn raising setting. Although the bright green ring of blocks was rejected because they were *too bright* at one point. Now, I kinda like the definition they give to that ring. The center squares are a Christmas poinsettia fabric, the strip is muslin and the balance of the block is either greens or reds pulled from the stash. I'm thinking about a 1 inch muslin inner border then a wider Christmas-y green and red border to make it a bit bigger as my family likes the longer quilts to snuggle in! :)

Green Treasures Finished

I finished the binding on Green Treasures last night. I changed the name..again. Last December, I had made a Blue Treasures quilt from the blue scrap box so Green Treasures will be the second in my color series.

Here is the back that I pieced together from the stash. I think some of this fabric has been hanging around the sewing room for about 8 years and it is happy to have found a home. :)

My view out the back...almost December 1st!

No snow here at Bell Creek Quilts but there is snow in our forecast...just flurries!


Hopefully no accumulating snow but it IS that time of the year! :)

Stash Report Week #48

I did a little fabric shopping on Black Friday and I had one finish this week.

Fabric added this week: 6 yards
Fabric added this year: 240.5 yards

Fabric used this week: -7.5 yards
Fabric used this year: -308 yards

Net fabric for the year: -67.5 yards (used)

What I accomplished this week:

• bound Nephew B quilt
• pieced Green Crumb to a flimsy

Goals for next week:

• quilt and bind Green Crumb
• work on Christmas gifts

Christmas Nephew B Finish

Nephew B can rest easy tonight! I finished the binding a couple of night ago on his Christmas quilt.

Shhhh...he asked for the quilt but it should be a little bit of a surprise when he unwraps it. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my friends and fellow bloggers that are celebrating Thanksgiving~may you have a wonderful day!



and to all my friends and fellow bloggers that are not celebrating Thanksgiving~may you have a wonderful day!



Enjoy! :)

Green Crumb is a Flimsy

I finished piecing the green crumb to a flimsy!

I think it needs a new name~I kept having visions of Creme de Menthe Brownies and Oreo Mint Blizzards as I was piecing this. I was going to use a light tan or possibly grey sashing but DS thought the chocolate brown was a better look for the green crumbs. Er, Mint Parfait....hungry yet?!

Unfortunately the backing I was going to use, doesn't seem to work. I should go into the closet and piece a creative backing. Right? in the spirit of using the stash...will look for those odd ball greens to use!

Design Wall Monday

I pulled my green crumbs that I started way back in August.

Only a few more 6 inch blocks and I will be ready to assemble this top!

Stash Report Week #47

One finish this week and no fabric added! Although I went to a few different quilt shops in search of fabric, nothing followed me home. Guess it is time for an Internet order...lol!

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: 234.5 yards

Fabric used this week: 8 yards
Fabric used this year: 300.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: - 66 yards (used)

What I accomplished this week:

• bound Nephew A quilt
• pieced and quilted Nephew B quilt

Goals for next week:

• piece Green Crumb to a flimsy
• bind Nephew B quilt
• sew on labels~I have 3 quilts that need labels!
• post quilts to Michigan

Short week as cooking will take over on Wednesday and Thursday as we celebrate Thanksgiving here at Bell Creek Quilts. Also the kids will be home...DS only has class on Monday this week and DD has school on Monday and Tuesday.

Design Wall Monday...

....sorta. I seem to use the word *sorta* a lot lately...lol

In any event, here are the fabrics for the next quilt I will be making. Another Christmas gift. :)

A Christmas Finish

I finished a Christmas gift today! woohoo!

My friend, Maureen had posted her scraps when she couldn't show the finished project. Soooo, I thought I would steal her idea. :)
Thanks Maureen!

Here are the trimmings from the Christmas gift I finished binding today.

Stash Report Week #46

No Fabric added this week and one finish!

My report:

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: 234.5 yards

Fabric used this week: 8 yards
Fabric used this year: 292.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: -58 yards (used)

What I accomplished this week:

• Quilted and bound Basketball quilt
• Pieced and quilted a Nephew A quilt

Goals for next week:

• bind Nephew A quilt
• piece Nephew B quilt

Off Center Log Cabin Quilts

Judy, a guild friend, had shared her Off Center Log Cabin quilt design so I thought I would make two. One for a niece and nephew from the same family...I don't think that the parents read the blog so I should be safe posting these pictures. I'm not sure when the kids will receive the quilts...maybe Christmas but I'm not sure as the date was opened ended as to when I would complete them.

The niece quilt: She likes purple, neon green and blue. Enjoys soccer and non girl-y things. I went for the purples and blues and soccer.




The nephew quilt: He likes red, blue and black. Likes basketball but not baseball! I used some of the same blues as in the sister's quilt and tried to keep the reds closer together in values. I was hoping the pinwheel pattern would be more predominate on the second quilt.

Hope the kids like their quilts!