Quilt Top Review 2021

 Quilt Top Review 2021

           Modern Maple Leaf                                              Cactus Quilt

                 70 x 70 inches                                               70 x 80 inches

      Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park                         Fancy Fox II

               60 x 67 inches                                                60 x 72 inches

       Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #12                        Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #13

                        Triangles                                                                 On Point

                     60 x 70 inches                                                        80 x 90 inches

           Red/White Sampler Quilt                      Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #14

                   60 x 60 inches                                                 Jelly Rolls

                                                                                         64 x 78 inches

                  Candy Crush 2.0                                    Mode Charm Pack x 4

                    64 x 64 inches                                            

        Red/White Historical Rework                              Crescent Moon I

                   72 x 96 inches                                             60 x 72 inches

                     Crescent Moon II                                     Stars & Stripes

                       60 x 72 inches                                         60 x 72 inches

    Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt #15             Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt # 17

                  Easy Patchwork QAL                                  Solids - Paint Drips

                       72 x 72 inches                                            68 x 70 inches

                         Pumpkins                                                    HEARTS

                      66 x 80 inches                                             75 x 75 inches

            Red/White Mugs QAL                                    Red/White Strings

                  67 x 67 inches                                               56 x 67 inches

It has been a very productive year in my sewing room. Over the years I've been making scrap quilts for my fabric stash and that will continue. Then there is my obsession with Red/White quilts and this year I really dove into making quilts that I have always wanted to make. I joined a few quilt-a-longs with a few of my favorite fabric designers. It has been such a fun and relaxing year in my sewing room. So much so that have 20 completed quilt tops that I need to get quilted and bound.

Hand Quilting

 Hand Quilting

This is my Modern Maple Leaf quilt and I have been hand-quilting this quilt for at least 5 years. I used to hand-quilt all of my quilts but then meet a wonderful long-arm machine quilter and started sending my quilt tops out for quilting.

I've always enjoyed hand-quilting, it is a very relaxing activity. And, I love big stitch hand quilting so much. 

It is my goal to finish hand quilting this quilt in 2022 and to start hand-quilting more of my projects as well. I do enjoy hand quilting and some quilts just need to be hand quilted.

Bounty

 Bounty

Birthday and Christmas Bounty

I received an Advent Calendar for my birthday and it was amazing.

All of these sweet gifts came in the calendar.

A month full of surprises and inspiration.

Kick starting 2022 creating in my sewing room.

And, this little beauty ... my heart is full!

I've been eyeballing this little iron for over a year now. The only reason I didn't buy it for myself is because the iron I have still works!

💖💖💖

Christmas Day 2021

 Christmas Day 2021

It isn't Christmas without family and champagne!

Cheers!!!

A bit (small bit) of my Christmas bounty.

My "pig" Piggy bank collection continues to grow.

Santa riding a pig ... so cute!

3rd year of taking out picture with Snapchat filters on Christmas morning.

 

Traditional can of tuna for my fur babies!

Strings

 

Strings!!

Red/White Strings 

Size = TBD

Presently 42 blocks ... 

My Red/White Quilt Collection continues to grow! 

Christmas Eve 2021

 Christmas Eve 2021

Casa de Gibson Christmas Eve 2021

White Chicken Chili 

Liquored up Fruit Salad 

Grand Marnier

Traditional No Bake Cookies!

As I sit here Christmas Morning in my daughter's home watching Harry Potter drinking Champagne Cocktails ... my heart is full!

Christmas 2021 has been (is) such a blessing!

Comfort Food

Comfort Food

I've never been much of a casserole person ... a crock pot girl YES ... but not much of a casserole person. Until recently that is ...

I found this easy (oh so easy) Tater Tot casserole recipe!

Ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, single slice American cheese, and tater tots.

I added fresh green beans (you can add or not add veggies to this recipe) and it was delicious!

Comfort food at it's finest!

And, lunch and/or quick dinner for next week!

Meal Prep WIN!

One of my favorite comfort foods ... no bake cookies!

 

Red / White String Pieced Blocks

 Red / White String Pieced Blocks

I love string pieced blocks, I love taking "strings" (scrap strips of fabric) and piecing them into a quilt top. I have made several string pieced quilts over the years and I continue to love making them.

After I completed my mugs quilt top on Tuesday ... it kick started my red/white quilt obsession into overdrive yet again. I willingly admit to my passion for red/white quilts. They fascinate me and I continue to be in awe of quilts made with just two contrasting colors ... Red and White. The results are always so stunning.

I've been on vacation from work this week and it was my plan to complete some of the quilt projects that I have abandon to the waste land that is the bottom of my sewing room's closet. I'm happy to say that I did manage to complete one of those abandoned quilt projects. The Red/White Mugs Quilt that I mentioned above. 

But instead of moving to the next abandoned quilt project ... there are several ... 

I started a new red/white quilt project. These beautiful red/white string pieced blocks are 10 inches square.

I love playing with these blocks. This may or may not be the final quilt design. Right now I'm just playing around with the blocks and enjoying the process. I am chain piecing these blocks and there will be several more made before it is all said and done. I love it when my quilting passions collide. In this case, my love of string pieced blocks and my obsessive love of red and white quilts.

I have 2 more red and white quilt projects in my head ... I'm obsessed!

😀😀😀

I've had a wonderful week of vacation here at home. I've spent time in my sewing room, obviously, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Trimmed

 Trimmed

Whenever I get quilts back from my machine quilter ... I can hardly wait to get them home and get them trimmed and ready for binding. Of course, it may take me a year to get the binding on them. For me, binding a quilt is my least favorite part of the quilting process.

Ugh!!!

Saguaro Cactus Quilt

70 x 80 inches

This is a free pattern by @kairleoaks on instagram 

100% cotton flannel backing

With the cutest little llamas - purchased at Joann's

Fancy Fox II

60 x 72 inches

This pattern is by Elizabeth Hartman and can be purchased on her website,

https://elizabethhartman.com

100% cotton flannel backing

Geometric design - purchased at Joann's 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Quilt

60 x 67 inches

The panel is by Riley Blake. I designed the layout and border for the panel. I used Kona Solids and the outer border is another Riley Blake print, I believe called Great Adventures. I think this quilt is my favorite make of the year. I love at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Tennessee side. This quilt is a keeper. I love the quilting ... gentle curves. I think the quilting makes this quilt even prettier. 

100% cotton flannel backing

Adventure badges - again, purchased at Joann's

I love this little stack of trimmed quilts ready to be bound.

Which I probably won't get around to until after New Years.

So these cute little quilts will be 2022 finishes!

Red/White Mugs Quilt

 Red/White Mugs Quilt

30 of the 31 blocks that I made for this quilt project.

As I mentioned a few days ago, this quilt top required 56 mug blocks - I got to 31 one blocks and lost my steam for this project.

This project languished in the bottom of my closet for almost a year. As I'm on vacation this week, I decided to revisit some of the projects hanging out in the bottom of my sewing room closet.

My sister suggested that I piece the top with an empty shelf ... and although I did try that ... it was just to much negative space for me.

I am not unhappy with these cute little cups (mugs)

I decided on 9 Patch Corners and thick borders.

As you can see there are various shades of white fabrics used ... that is because 1) I started this quilt project last year, 2) I'm sewing my stash and using the fabrics I have on hand.

Therefore ... the various shades of white in this quilt top.

The quilt top finishes at 66 x 66 inches square.

My daughter got me an Advent Calendar from 

https://www.stitchsupplyco.com

And, I love it! As my birthday is in December this is the perfect gift for me.

A sewing/quilting themed Advent Calendar

This year there have been a lot of personalized gifts, labels, an ornament, and this cute personalized stamp for labeling the things that I make. I love it! So far this is my favorite little advent calendar gift.