Yes, it seems like the year has gone by quickly! And, with the Covid numbers increasing and talks of future lockdowns, I’ll be hunkering down and quilting!!!

Next week, starting on Boxing Day, I will be hosting a mystery quilt. It’s a quick and easy mystery – and it will be fun! Are you going to join me?

Finally finished!

Do you remember the picture on the left? After lots of procrastination and neglect, I finally finished this hot air balloon quilt. The pattern is from Kelly Young’s book “Scrappy Improv Quilting.”

Before I taught a class, using this book, I wanted to demonstrate a few different techniques in making the slabs. There are many different ways. In this quilt, I used stripes, bargello, “twosies, foursies, eightsies …” and my own invention “random pieces in a line.” I have also use orphan blocks.

The baskets were chain pieced and made all at the same time.

Once the baskets were attached to the balloons, I played around with the layout and positioned them all slightly different … I wanted it to look like balloons were in the sky.

The fabrics were all from my Island Batik stash … bits and pieces of this and that. The background is BE34-E1 Dot Sky from the Blender’s collection. Hobbs 80/20 is used for the batting. The free motion quilting was pretty simple … clouds and meandering in the sky and vertical wavy lines on the balloons. The baskets were a grid of mish-mashed straight lines. It is bound with Island Batik’s Black solid.

The binding looks a little wonky on the bottom right, but that’s because it won’t be finished until after a special baby is born and I can put the label on it.

Design Wall

#1 SAHRR: I have my centre block done! Whoo hoo!!! And plan to work on the other rounds! The SAHRR will start on January 10. I’ll show you the centre block then!

Here’s the Schedule of Events for SAHRR:

• Jan. 10: Introducing our centre blocks
• Jan. 17: 1st Round: Anja @ Anja Quilts
• Jan. 24: 2nd Round: Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
• Jan. 31: 3rd Round: Roseanne & Sue @ Home Sewn by Us
• Feb. 7: 4th Round: Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
• Feb 14: 5th Round ME!!! @ Quilting Gail 
• Feb 21: 6th Round: Chris @ Chrisknitssews
• Feb 28:  Linky for finished quilts ;;; Show quilts
• Mar 21:  SAHRR Parade

SEW … start thinking about what you can use for your centre block. Will it be an orphan block? Will you start something new? something different? Will it be square or rectangle? It’ll be fun to see what you choose!

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#2 Polar Bear Plunge: This is for a blog hop in January … it should be fun! Of course, I can’t show you until the blog hop!

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#3 Tickled Pink: This is for a blog hop in February … and again, I can’t show you until then!

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#4 Monthly Colour Challenge – with Patterns by Jen. Yes, I’ve pulled my fabrics for the first few months. I’m excited to show you January’s block on January 1!

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Quilting: 

#2 A&A’s Quilt: This quilt is under the machine at the moment!

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Stash Report

The back of the balloon quilt used 2 1/2 yards of flannel – from my stash.

This will be my last stash report for 2021! By the end of the year, I will have used at least another 9 yards of fabric, but I’m not counting it until it’s finished. I will continue with my Sunday Stash report in 2022 – it keeps me honest about what I buy. And, I will often 2nd guess a fabric purchase when I think that I need to report it on my blog! (and that’s a good thing!)

Well, my husband didn’t add any fabric this year. Yes, he was with me on a few occasions when we were in a fabric store, but he didn’t pick up anything for me to buy! Well, the next trip to a fabric store could be another story!

• Fabric Used this week     2.5   yards
• Fabric Used this year:       104.25 yards
• Fabric Bought this week:  0 yards
• Fabric Added this year:      50. 75 yards  (my husbands amounts as well)
• Net Fabric used                 52.5 yards 
• Husband’s purchases:  0 yards (which are added into my total amount of Fabric added this year). For those of you who don’t know … my husband often buys more fabric than I do … so, I’m keeping track! Unfortunately, he doesn’t sew!

Stitchin’ Time

This is my last Stitchin’ Time for 2021. The “Any Which Way” Mystery quilt is happening next week and I want to focus on that!

As for this year, I think I did pretty good … only missed 9 days in the whole year! Wow!! It does help that, aside from one 10 day trip, we didn’t go anywhere! If Kate continues this next year, I’ll be back with more Stitchin’ Time in 2022!

• January – Nov –  324 / 333
• Dec – 19/19
• Total: 342 / 351
• Percentage = 97 % 

For more Stitchin’ Time, you can check out Kate’s blog: Life in Pieces

To Do

Linda from Texas Quilt Gal is now hosting “To Do” every week. You can check out her blog HERE.

I won’t be posting a To Do list next week, but I’ll be back in 2022 with updated lists!

The To Do list last week:

1. Get A&As quilt sandwiched.  √   DONE
2. Finish Scrappy Improv top.  √   DONE
3. I find it interesting that I had a blank on the list from last week!
4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS!  HA! HA! … I started 3 new projects for the new year … I’d say I was distracted !!! Unsuccessful
5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes   √   DONE  

This week’s list:

1. Finish A&A’s Quilt
2. Bind the guild Fall Mystery Quilt
3. Prepare the PHD in 2022 blog post.
4. Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! 
5. Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes

I have 2 projects to finish before the end of the year. Unless something weird happens, I should be able to get them done this week! The BBQG Mystery #3 just needs the binding done and A&A’s quilt needs the quilting finished and the label and binding … doable … I hope!

One who sleeps under a quilt is covered by LOVE!

Happy Quilting! 
Gail 

Linking to:

• So Scrappy @ Scrap Happy
• Sunday Stash @  quiltpaintcreate
• Oh Scrap @  Quilting is More Fun than Housework
• 15 minutes to Stitch @ Life in Pieces
• Frédérique  @ Quilting Patchwork Applique
• Monday Making @  Love, Laugh, Quilt
• Design Wall Monday @  Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
• To-Do Tuesday @ Texas Quilt Gal