Dog, Sewing and Comparison Shopping

Our dog broke 4 toes crashing into something in the kitchen.  Her cast is in the Christmas spirit, but it's a waste as I keep it covered with a stocking all the time.  

She is in the Christmas spirit, also.  As soon as I put up the tree she plopped onto the tree skirt.  I guess she thought it was there for her comfort.

Every time I think I'm finished with sewing until after Christmas, I think of something else to do.  These are pillowcases for a grandson and his girlfriend.

I'm also gearing up to hang my mini quilts and am thinking of my dining room.  I thought 2 little ones above the china cabinet would be nice and I remembered that I have some of the little bonus half square triangles, so I whipped up this one after I finished the pillowcases.  It definitely qualifies for the galloping horse scenario.  Nobody in our family is tall enough to be able to see comfortably over the china cabinet, so it should be ok.

This is more the size I had in mind, tiny, but it should be ok.  

I make the pressing spray that uses the cheap vodka and I had run out so have been trying to find some liquid starch.  I had Amazon as a last resort, but decided to try Walmart first (hence the pillowcase material).  Sometimes Amazon has great prices, but sometimes not so much.  I got the exact same starch today for a little under $3.00, and as you can see over 11 dollars was about the best at Amazon.  In case anyone wants the recipe, it's 2 cups distilled water, 1/3 cup liquid starch, 2 ounces vodka, and  6 - 12 drops essential oil, then just shake.  

Misc. Sewing, Can’t Seem to Stop

I dropped in to my local quilt shop, and made a couple of purchases.  One was fabric for a cute little quilt, and this was the other.  It was 2 kits to make 1 hot pad each, but I had the ingredients at home to make it into 2 each, so here they are.  

I added my own backs, I think the little ladybugs are cute.

Then, I got in the purse mood, so I made this bag and gave it to my daughter.

The back of my daughter's bag.

And the next day I decided to make one for me.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture until it was already stuffed to the gills.  

After seeing this picture, I decided to remove more stuff.  I had already pruned it pretty well from the giant purse that I've been carrying.  It was so big and heavy that lots of times I only took my cell phone with an ID and a couple of cards and my keys with me when I'd leave.  Here's the link to shecansew. 

Sixteen Patches

I've always liked 16 patches, so yesterday when I started out with one plan for 4 patches, I ditched it and decided to do 16 patches instead.  I'm doing 3 kinds just to make it more fun.  This is one and I hope to make enough possibly for a queen sized bed.  I also would hope not to duplicate any fabrics.

Totally scrappy is type 2, and I have 25 of them made (made them yesterday).   I'm thinking probably a large lap quilt with these, in combination with another block.

These still need work obviously, but they will be 25 of the third kind.  All will be one fabric combined with white.  

These are some of the 16 patch block quilts that I've done.  They are quick and easy and I will have my little stockpile for things that come up.  I say that with not  a lot of faith that things will come up.  I've done many quilts for many people, many of whom could probably care less, and I'm about running out of people.  I know there are also comfort quilts, but I wonder how many of the recipients of those would be just as happy with cash, or something more like food, for instance.  I don't have a large stash, and I'm thinking maybe I should just use it up as much as possible, and see how I feel about it later.  It's all up in the air, and a mystery of me, which is ok as I am also probably the only reader of my blog, other that occasional passerby's.  

I think I still have enough 2 1/2 inch squares to work with.  I did these a few years ago when I was making my Throwing up Scraps (better known as Scrap Vomit)

One More Table Runner QAYG

I decided to make 1 more table runner for a member of our family.  It has to be quick, so it's quilt as you go.  The stars were an afterthought.

The back is reversible, it really isn't wavy like this.  I didn't try for precision, I used leftovers as is.  I thought that I was done until after Christmas, but I decided on one more quilt, too.  I have 2 girls quilt tops finished, I will have to figure out how to make one bigger and get to work.  

Messy House - Here's Why!

Great -grandson's Baseball Slab Quilt.

Great-granddaughter's Kitty on front Minnie on the back, Slab quilt.

Back of Kitty-Minnie quilt

Another great-grandson's Mickey Quilt.  Should have put batting, the fleece shows through.  The mom still likes it though because it's sooo soft.

On the table at my grandson and his wifes house.

Mini quilt I made for my hairdresser ( I apologize if that isn't the correct term)

Back of mini quilt

Mini quilt for my year's mini collection.  I wanted something a little more Christmasy than the one that was part of the year's mini's (I may make it later, after Christmas), so I made this one from a tutorial on Diary of a Quilter.

Back of my tree's mini quilt.

The December mini quilt from Sew Can She.  I'll make it later.

A tote bag I made.  It has lots of pockets and a zipper top.

Pillowcases for my little great-granddaughters.

And pillowcases for great-grandchildren.

And I almost forgot, I finished my Christmas quilt.

Christmas Flimsy

Not exactly how I envisioned it, but hopefully pretty after its quilted

.  I'm thinking a green binding...?

Poor Puppy, Table Runner, Pillowcases

Sunday, our dog Callie decided to run in the kitchen, but slipped and crashed very hard into something.  I was in my sewing room on the computer, and it was awful, she screamed and screamed.  We calmed her down and called our friend, the vet, and he said call in the morning.  This is her getting pampered and ready for the long night.

The next morning we took her for an x-ray, and the poor little girl has 4 broken toes on her back right paw.  No wonder she screamed in pain. She's a little trooper though, in the house she hobbles, but outside she still runs like the wind.  It's going to be hard to hold her down, and we still aren't sure is she will have surgery or if the splint on her leg will be the best treatment.  

Here she is after the vet appointment, feeling much better and resting a bit.  First thing she tried was biting on her splint, so I added the sock as a little extra protection.

My granddaughter-in-law requested a table runner for her new home, and she has a long table.  She decided on about 71 inches long so it doesn't hang over and get pulled on by little hands.

A close-up of the middle.

The back.  I figure it had to have a back, so it might as well be reversible.  

Close up of the back.

I decided to make the kids Christmas pillowcases, they are wild and crazy due to no large pieces of fabric.  All French seams, so took longer than I'd hoped. 

Christmas Table Runners

There are ladies from my church that I'd like to do a little something for, so I decided to make Christmas table toppers (one for me).  I watched the MSQC video on YouTube, got the half hexie rulers and got sewing.  I wanted to finish as soon as possible so that they could be used for Christmas decorations this year.  I like reversible when possible, so since my blue scraps were overflowing, and most everyone uses a little blue at least, I decided something simple in blue would do the trick.  The trouble is, I keep changing my mind about which one to keep.