It's finished!

With just two hours to spare, my Zakka Block Quilt is finished.  I used a long stitch quilting method learned years ago from a dear group of women at church sewing circle.  It was here I learned how to quilt, and this long stitch was a great way to build my confidence to move on to fine quilting. It's also much quicker!  Without further comment, here it is!

I like it!  I wasn't sure at first about the blue, but a finished quilt always looks better.  

The backing is pieced as the pattern suggested.  Not exactly a Zakka style back, but...this just happened to be a large piece of fabric I had that blended well with the colors.

I'm posting my quilt here http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=156493.

My weekend project

My Zakka sewing for this week is a quilt!  Yikes -- it's a lot to accomplish in one week of sewing (after teaching all day!)  Summer is coming...

Here is my progress so far.  I need to piece the backing, get the batting, quilt, and bind it ... all before Sunday evening at midnight! :)  Will I make it?  I think I can, I think I can...

I usually go for a lighter background, but had a lot of this blue.  The back will be a bit different.  I haven't even pieced it yet, so I'm not even sure yet how it will come out!

This is a lap sized quilt.

I'm hoping to post a finished quilt on Monday morning!  Enjoy your weekend.

What's in the oven?

Mmmm... Wonderful smells are wafting out of the oven.  I'm trying a recipe from http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-pasta-with-butternut-sq-64966 

Pasta with Butternut Squash

This is just the beginning of the recipe.  After this roasts for a while longer I will pan-fry it with some pasta and cheese.  It really smells good just like this, though!

And last night -- out of the oven came...

Scone Nibbles -- They are cut small so it's okay to eat lots, right!?

...these wonderful "gems."  These mini-scones were from a recipe on Pinterest -- http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/scone-nibbles-recipe

I've not been very motivated to cook much lately, so two new recipes in two days is pretty good! What's for supper at your house?

Zakka and a little bit more...

I'm finishing up my Zakka project for this week just "under the wire".  Week #7 is the Rain Cloud Mug Rug, designed by Christie Fowler of http://www.pigeon-pair.com.  Her post features homemade pasta today, and it looks soooo good.  Makes me want to get a pasta machine and start rolling!  When I started my little mug rug I did not have a plain blue for my cloud background, so... this is what I used.

Yes, the background is floral.  Ok...if you must make a connection, clouds bring rain, and rain makes flowers grow -- OR......

...if you use your imagination these flowers look like cumulonimbus clouds!

After finishing the front of this little mug rug, I did my regular Saturday shopping and found this great plain blue fabric.  Too bad I didn't have it for the cloud side, but here it is as a backing.

I also sewed together a reusable shopping bag last evening to use as "gift wrap" for a shower gift.  I used an Amy Butler fabric, and love how bright it is.

Any guesses on what's wrapped inside?

Is it beach time yet?

It's that time of year when I can just about taste the salty air of the ocean.  I don't think I'll get there until July, but my beach bag is ready!!  Hot off the sewing machine is my Zakka Week #1 project.  Yes, it is very late, but as one blog friend said, "well worth the wait!"

This took more time to make than the other Zakka projects, but I'm very pleased with it.

The shell fabric is a Japanese fabric, the red was ordered from Fabric.com, and the blue was found in my mom's scrap box.  

Although the picture makes the lining look pink, it is the same red as used on the outside zig-zag.

The back, quilted with a straight (somewhat diagonal) stitch.

If I listen carefully I think I hear the sound of ...  the BEACH calling my name! :)

Zakka Sew-along Week 6

The "Itty Bitty Quilt Block Magnets" are finished!  Itty bitty sewing may not be for me, but I did manage to finish them.  Everything went along fine until I got to the part where you slip stitch the top closed.  It was such a tight turn of the edge ... and my fingers seemed oh so big ...  As a result, some of the sewn edges don't look very perfect!

They are so small!

The line-up of quilt blocks.

These two were my favorites to make.

Next week's project is called "Rain Cloud Mug Rug".  I may pass on that one and finish up the tote bag.  We'll see.

Zakka work in progress...

The tiny size of this week's Zakka sew-along project really did not excite me, but I finally got started on it.  Once I got going it really wasn't too bad.  Next step is to add some quilting... then a backing... and finally the magnet.  Here are the "mini-samplers" so far.

The other work in progress is my Week #1 tote bag.  From the comments I've been reading of others participating in this sew-along, the points are tricky to get right.  Mine is no exception.  The inside points are fine, but the outside ones, as you can see, have disappeared into the fabric.  The point was too close to the edge on these sides to make it work.  I think the end product will still be quite nice, though.

A stitch here, a stitch there -- hoping to finish these off this weekend.

This week's sewing

My Zakka sewing for the week will be to make some little quilted magnets.  The tiny size of them is slowing me down from getting started on them.  But soon...  In the meantime I finished a skirt, and have started a quilted tote bag.

I had lost the waistband pattern piece for this skirt pattern, and ended up  making my own.  It worked!  It always feels great when a project turns out!

Love, love, love this fabric.  It screams BEACH!!    This is for the Zaaka style project  from Week 1.  We are now on Week 5 so I'm obviously late on this one!  

Check out this left over bundle on the right!  This may appear in my little magnets...

Zakka Style Week 5 - Pencil Case

Did I ever say how much I am enjoying this Zakka Style sew-along?  It's been so much fun.  This week's project is a pencil case.  It was an easy project --  and quick!  I've posted my pencil case here -- http://lrstitched.com/).  If you scroll down to the "links to collection" you will find pictures others have submitted for this project as well.  Mine is pretty much to the pattern this time, but some of the pictures show some wonderful creativity.  Other sewing in the works right now include a summery skirt, and a tote bag (from Zakka Week 1, which I missed).  I'll post pictures when they are finished.

A pair of glasses fits nicely in this case as well.  

This pencil case is designed by Shannon at http://www.petitsdetails.com.