TGIFF/TW: "The 12 Days Of Christmas..."

It's Sew Good To Be Back!
[I snuck back on a day early :-D] To say that I missed you all would be putting it mildly; blogging has organized my life and enticed me to finished more projects than you can imagine!  By Thursday last week I could not figure out even what day of the week it was and I was itching to get back into my craft room.  Feeling quite a bit more rested, I begun spending small pockets of time trying to work on some of the little things still plaguing me and of course I started a couple little projects...<laughter>  I have also been working on some pre-apology sweets for the nurses/hospital staff for when I go into labor; one bucket of goodness for each shift!  So far I have made cake balls, chocolate cream cheese truffles, and I am thinking of maybe cookies as well; any ideas??

How was your Christmas, Hanukkah, or other holiday celebrations?  As Anglicans our family is learning more about the 12 Day of Christmas; it amazes me how many celebrations happen all around the world this time year!  Before next Advent season, I am hoping to make a liturgical Advent calendar, but first I am so excited that I finished my first regular [wonky] Advent Calendar top (backing fabric is in the mail, I am eagerly waiting for delivery)!  So on to the complete finishes for the past two weeks!

1 Mug Rug 5.75" X 8.5" (14 cm X 21.5 cm) in sage green/mustard yellow/coral

Flared girl's top in black/brights with Lime Green accents (Size 2 child)

QAYG baby quilt in Pastels with Bright Yellow print backing (40"X 40")

And along came some WIP/UFO's...Yes, once again I have unearthed more random unfinished projects hidden in storage boxes!  Even if I do not get them all completed, at least I will have them all together before our next move (I think/hope).  I am waiting to make decisions on claiming some of the projects I found, but for now, here are 4 more to add to my list<sigh>

I can't remember what these are for, but I am thinking of making them into place-mats...

The fate of these 3 Projects:  currently waiting for me to claim them

I was also able to sandwich & quilt the Modern Pinwheel Twist Quilt; the binding has been attached as well.  I just need to hand-sew the binding to the front and I can deliver it to the winners of our Baby Name guessing Contest.  I will be wrapping up 2011 in my post tomorrow and announcing my own small giveaway on Sunday (I need to clear out more fabric to make way for Ziona)!

Linking up this week to:
TGIFF hosted this week by Jess @Life Under Quilts,
& This Week hosted by Sunni @Love Affair With My Brother!
Also check out Laura's (of Quokka Quilts) Fabric Giveaway!!

TGIFF5: Late to the Party...

So it's been a very slow week in my corner of the world.  I am on a "lay down as much as you can" kind of bed-rest.  Of course my definition probably differs than the doctor's or my husband's...So I have been laying down a lot and sitting/sewing very little.  The mug rugs have been wrapped along with their Cocoa mixes and 9 were delivered yesterday.

Note:  For those who asked about augmenting the cocoa recipe to be more like a "drinking Chocolate" I am sorry to tell you that it just does not work.  My recipe ends up being a non-fat american cocoa recipe.  I have learned from my research and experimentation that "Drinking Chocolate" is basically made from milk and a melted candy bar which includes the chocolate fat & milk fat, which is why is tastes soooo good!  I was able to only find one drinking chocolate mix in my local area; it was very good and worth the Benadryl (allergy medicine).  So those who have access to such mixes, you really have it better off!  lol.

I finished getting the pieces cut and ironed onto my "melting rainbows" and have begun the slow process of zigzagging around each piece.  I like the look of the black thread on the front, but if I had put more thought into it I would have used a rainbow thread for the bobbin/back.  I can tell this one may take a couple weeks at the rate my sewing times are appearing in my day.  I have been asked how I made this project...since it is being made up as I go along I will have to tell you what the process was/is when I finish.

I had 4 very small finishes this week; I was able to hand-sew the binding on the 4 of the mug rugs I started a few weeks back (I missed taking a picture of one of them).  I have assembled the burp cloths, but have not added the embellishments yet.

New projects (since last Friday)- 11

In process - 29

Finishes (Since last Friday)- 4

Linking up this week to:
TGIFF hosted @ Quokka Quilts
Also check out Laura's give-away
& FMQ-QAL for 2012!

WIP: "The Flight of The Bumble Bee..."

I am trying so hard not to tear into the new fabrics I spoke about on Monday to get working on Nugette's quilt (don't forget to check out her naming contest).  Plus I still have a few more Christmas presents to try to get done by Friday's TGIFF linky party!  The picture in the upper left hand corner starts off today's WIP list with the Ticker Tape Wall hanging a new addition for this week!  My belly and I are getting the background spray basted in preparation (with a mask, don't you worry),  I added a few pins just in case.  I did add my baby bump, we call her "Nugette," to my WIP list on my side bar this week, she has been counted in my numbers since I started, but someone pointed out she should be on the list!

I have 12 more Christmas Projects that I started this past Saturday, but I was able to finish 9 of them on Monday evening Post, but now I need to get them gift wrapped with the Hot chocolate mix that I make-up every year for gifts (and personal consumption of course!).  I am gifting them in tea tins and then plan to wrap the whole bundle in plastic & ribbons.  [I plan to share the recipe for the hot Chocolate mix next Friday when I am hosting my first TGIFF linky party!]

I do have 4 more "Mug rugs" to complete.  I only have one left to do for Christmas and then the other three I plan to use as prizes for my baby shower or maybe as birthday gifts this spring, I really haven't made up my mind yet!

I also started another 6 baby bibs, some of which I plan to give for Christmas, some are for the Spring Baby Boom (I have 7 friends due within 3-4 weeks of myself!) which I intend to pair with a burp cloth for a little set.  Since almost all the babies are little girls or supposed to be, I pulled out Tula Pink's Spirit fabric from my Moda scrap bag collection.  A friend walked into my craft room the other day and exclaimed over my large bundle of bias tape, which is what I like to use on my bibs that tie;  I made it.  Yes, I was crazy, and spent many hours when we were back home in the Alaskan winter evenings cutting and ironing strips to make a million yards of bias tape!  I have to say in part it was so worth it because in the 3 years we have lived here I have only run out of one of my bundles, the green one of course!

I also found more UFO-WIP's from some storage boxes which has grossly inflated my WIP count!

So my WIP's this week are:

New projects -22 (Since last Wednesday)

In process - 42 (Found a few more in boxes, sigh)

Finishes - 16 (Since last Wednesday)

For another happy little finish, we have for your viewing pleasure a nice little blue table-topper I made for one for one of the end tables in my living room (I hate to dust)!  I have plans to make a second one to match for the other table.  I know I said I wasn't going to make anymore items for our household, we have plans to move in 6 months, but I have plans to bring these end tables with us!  Plus it was already started so I was trying to get it off my WIP count (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

Linking up at these places this week:

I Am Such A Nerd...

I admit it, I am such a nerd [noun Slang. an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit: a computer nerd.]  I had this idea a couple days ago that I could play with some of my orphan blocks and scraps to make some mug rugs for Christmas, and it looks like everyone is getting one for Christmas!  I might have, just a little, gone perhaps a tiny bit, overboard (as per usual).  John from Quilt Dad is perhaps known as (or should be, I think) the King of Mug Rugs because it always seems that he is making one every week.  In fact that is where I first even heard of the idea of basically a fancy coaster.

This past week on WIP Wednesday I ran into a lovely blog called, Sew Awesome, who posted about a lovely moment with her mother and she inspired my attempt on the abstract blocks you will see a little of in the pictures!  Another inspiration was A Girl In Paradise's post about her Folded-star mini quilt she posted for AmyLouwho's Mini Quilt challenge.  I will admit I had thought about trying to enter my link in as well, but I misbehaved (ie. lifted things to cause a little pains to happen and husband to get a little panic'd) and missed the deadline.  I was able to get 9 of the 12 Mug Rugs done, but I also have a picture of the other 3 which I plan to use as baby shower prizes (I know one is not supposed to do things for their own shower, but...).  I really like how the scrappy binding turned out which I modified from Jaybird Quilt's Scrappy Binding Tutorial, I used scrap bag strips 3" inch wide and cut my binding to be 2" straight across instead of on the slant.  I will have to try to follow her exact directions next time though cause I really like how her's turned out too!

9 Mug Rugs 5.75" X 8.5" (14cm X 21.5cm) in green/yellow/blues

3 Other MR's that still need binding

My husband, lovely man that he is, was tied up this past weekend with a wonderful opportunity to "beta test" the new Star Wars:  The Old Republic MMORPG (Massively Multi-person Online Role Playing Game).  In a world before I had all my fabric organized, I would have been sitting right next to him all day, but in my new world I just sew all the time (I used to play MMORPG's, which are really great fun).  We did get out Saturday night to register a few more things on our baby registry at Babies R' Us (seriously the name of the store, crazy, huh?), although I think my husband just likes hold the scanner because every time I turned around he was scanning another item or two; I just may need to double-check that list!  So with a few more finishes under my belt this week I think I will be able to rest a little easier having Christmas almost wrapped up (literally!).  And now I will leave you with a little tidbit of fun with the trailer for the game!

I am linking to: