Stuck in a rut, or just avoiding the big starts?

I thought I'd skip the March mini from SewCanShe as I don't really like applique all that much.  I decided to do one of my desired quilts, which is a house quilt, and guess what, there ended up being a good bit of applique.  I started out with Missouri Star Quilt Companies mini house quilt, which was a take off on their full sized "Won't You Be My Neighbor" quilt.  I should have watched both videos, I messed it up from the start and decided that mine should be called "Crooked Houses in a Butterfly Garden".

And, the minis I've done so far this year, at least at the time.

I decided that I needed new trash bags for the car, as the ones I made a few years ago are very sun faded.  This is from a tutorial on SewCanShe's blog.  The Back.

The front.  I made a few changes, and this is one.  My husband has allergies and uses a lot of tissues, so I wanted a removable trash so that  emtying it is easier.

I also wanted it to hang from the glove box, not the gear shift.  It stays in due to buttons sewn to the ends of the little straps.

Then I decided that I wanted something a little girlier, since even though my husband uses the Diddy Bag most, it's technically my car.

And, then I decided that since I forgot the interfacing on the previous trash insert, I'd do another with interfacing.

Another  mini that I wanted to do is the "Spool" mini.  I used the same charm pack as I used for the houses, and I started off with Kea Bee's Tutorial, which was from https://thimbleblossoms.bigcartel.com/product/spools-pattern-154-paper-pattern.  Since I didn't have the actual pattern, I had to wing it a bit, and hers is 14 x 16, mine ended up about 16 x 18.5

My finished mini spool quilt.  I'll be sharing these on SewCanShe's Show off Saturday, 

And, I almost forgot to mention what I used the first Diddy Bag for.  I added button holes and hung it next to my cutting table, now I have a little bag for scraps and extra space for a few tools.  So far, I'm liking it there.

Also, I'm very excited.  My grandson is hanging this for me tomorrow in my dark, dark, sewing cave (if my order for the hanging parts comes from Amazon tomorrow).  Maybe, I won't have to use a flashlight anymore to try to find fabric in my dark wood cabinet.  It's not the prettiest light, and I do sew in what would normally be our living room (I use the family room for our living room), but I hope with the pretty hooks I ordered and the decorative pull that it won't be an actual eyesore.

Glasses and Strings

The last first.  Sometimes blogger just won't cooperate.  Somewhere along the line, I also decided that they were roomy enough that upside down the glasses might spill out, so I added snaps to all the cases.

My daughter suggested that I make some glass cases so I googled and looked at lots of tutorials on YouTube, and decided to do Crafty Gemini's.  This was the originals, done pretty much exactly by the tutorial.

Then, she suggested a little pocket for glass cleaning supplies, such as cloth wipes.

Then I realized that I had made the little tabs that Crafty Gemini had suggested, but had forgotten to use them.  Today, I made 2 more and decided that the cases are really roomy enough for 2 pair of glasses.  I made a little divider and tried it with my regular glasses and my sunglasses  they fit just fine.  I also decided that my card wallets needed something to hold the cards in, as I found 2 of my cards in the bottom of my purse.  At the top, I added a button and a hair elastic, it's working great.

I finished my string quilt, I decided on 4 x 6, 24 blocks.  It's fairly small, about crib quilt size, but it's just fine for the back of my recliner.

It's cozy, but not hot, fleece and no batting.  I figured the front is wild and crazy, so why not the backing, too.   I'm including this in SewCanShe's  Show off Saturday if you'd like to visit and see all the projects.

Nieces and Great Nieces and Great Nephew

It was my intention to do 2 blocks a day, but I only have 8 made.  I got sidetracked making gifts for my brothers family.

For his nephew, a pillowcase, key fob, pencil roll and large pouch.  Too large in fact, I made a smaller one to add to it.

And for his niece, a tissue holder, key fob, pouch and pencil roll.  The handle to her bag is there, too.

Here are the bags I made.  Big bag for mama bear (his daughter), a medium bag for another of his nieces and small for the same niece who is getting the things in the previous picture.  

A hanging picture of the same bags.  I don't have a picture, but I also made my great-niece who's getting the middle bag a key fob and 2 pouches,  One for pens and pencils and one for make-up

I also made this card wallet for my niece.  I made several a few months ago, and I and  many others like them very much.  I found them here 

And again, sharing on SewCanShe's Show off Saturday

Pineapples, Color Wheels, and a little bit of Etc.

I was so happy to pull up Sewcanshe and find that my mini pineapple quilt had won the Show Off Saturday Linky Party.  Pineapple's seem to appeal to people.  I like them because they are a symbol for welcome. 

I bought the Connecting Threads color wheel quilt kit from Amazon several months ago and I decided it was time to give it a try.  There was a little more to it, as each piece has it's particular place, but it was fun to make and I think may be one of my favorite minis.  It will definitely need to be in my sewing room.

So, I put it up on my design wall (which is really a temporary addition to the front of a cabinet) and asked my husband which he liked best of the mini's I had made so far this year.  He looked and showed what he felt to be husbandly support of my efforts, and decided he really liked the pineapple, but wished it were bigger.  

Sooooo.  I upped the size of the squares to 2 1/2 inches, 2 inches finished, and this is what I came up with.  There was supposed to be more of the black and white in the binding, but I misfigured.

And now my original pineapple mini has a big sister.  The finished size of the larger one is about 12 1/2 inches by 18 1/2 inches.

Now, this is my minis for 2018 wall.  I know it's a bit excessive.  I think that I'm doing all these small projects as a wall of procrastinating getting back to my large quilts.  I must say though, I'm really looking forward to SewCanShe's March mini.  I will hook up again with the Show Off Saturday Link Party.  It's fun to look at, and to participate in, take a look.  (I also have a houses mini and a spools mini on my list of to do's.  I have no idea where I will put them all.  Maybe, in the hall)

Bee In My Bonnet's beelori1 has a tutorial for string blocks on her blog.  I have tried string blocks before, and pretty much hated the whole process, but I thought I'd give it another try her way.  I still don't love making them, but I didn't hate it as much and I plan to make more to see if they grow on me.  After all, I love how they look.