Blog Hop Alert

A Quilting Secrets Blog Hop begins tomorrow, New Year's Eve, and it sounds to me like a neat way to begin a quilty New Year.  Mrs. Pickles has organized this event so please visit her blog to learn all about it.  http://mrspicklesgarden.blogspot.co.uk/
Here's the schedule:

Christine from http://www.quiltmonstercloset.com December 31st
Linda from http://buzzingandbumbling.blogspot.com/ January 1st
Barbara from http://catpatches.blogspot.com January 2nd
Melissa from http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/ January 3rd
Sharon from http://vroomansquilts.blogspot.ca/ January 4th
Sue from http://quilttimes.blogspot.com January 5th
Hayley from http://mrspicklesgarden.blogspot.com January 6th

I'll be checking in because I'm nosy and want to know their secrets ;-)  And I could definitely benefit from them! 

Yesterday I spent almost the entire day cleaning and somewhat organizing my little sewing room.  I filled one trash bag with trash and one trash bag to donate to Savers, and I can now walk into the room without having to follow a narrow path.  I am not a hoarder; I am a fabric freak, and there is a difference.  It is so much nicer in there. 

Hope we all have a healthy and happy New Year. 

 

God Bless You.

FMQ Challenge - December Finale

 

A year ago I joined SewCalGal's FMQ Challenge.  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/   It's been a year of a new exercise each month presented by a different expert in Free Motion Quilting.   Whether I did the challenge well or not, I learned something from each expert, such as advice on lighting, thread, needles, and even the advice most given, enjoy the process. 

 

My star above was going pretty well, except one point is short.  I think it looks alot like a starfish. 

 

I did not make a quilt with my swatches, but most often have used them for placemats or mugrugs, but I did lay most of them out to take a picture. 

 

 

 

What have I learned about my own fmq style?  I have to like the design in order to put the effort into making it look good.  I think that means I will never have a fmq business, but I really didn't see one in my future anyway.  For my own quilts, I have moved up a bit in skill, and that's what I hoped to achieve. 

 

Thank you to SewCalGal for organizing this challenge.  She really has an outstanding talent in this kind of thing, what with getting the experts involved and the sponsors support.  And she quilts, too!  Please visit her blog, click on the ads, leave a nice comment, and join in one of the quilting adventures. 

And by the way,

Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzienia

i

szczesliwego Nowego Roku!

 

That's Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Polish (without the accents.)

Christmas Quilt Along, December

This is it for 2012's Christmas QAL.  Thank you so much to Sue of Quilt Times http://quilttimes.blogspot.com/ who began this adventure.  Even though I'm in my sixties (yikes, me?)  I was really a newbie to the quilting world when I joined in the qal three years ago.  My home is now covered (literally) with many of the things I made on these second Saturdays. 

 

My polar bear and penquin wall hanging is waiting for me to get the hooks in the wall so it can be it's stunning self.

 

My Scatty Stars quilt hangs on the back post of my bed.  Looks great there, too.

 

 

I made this runner last year, I think.  There is more, but you get the gist.

 

This year's cross stitch is unfinished but I only have two sections to go and then it's done.

Last but most certainly anxiously awaited is the Festive Mystery Quilt, sandwiched, pinned, rolled and waiting for this quilter to get to the sewing machine and finish it. 

• I don't seem to have much to show off from this past year, but I have unfinished blocks and quilts that I plan on getting to come 2013.  Would anyone be interested in joining me for a "Let's Finish Those Projects" day once a month?   I definitely need one. 
• God Bless You.
 

 



Thank You and Here's My Block

 

  Thank you to Paula the Quilter for sharing a link that has the solution to my issue.  I resized some pictures and was able to upload again.  Read Paula's comment in the previous post.  Thanks again, Paula.

 

I bought two new dies for Sizzix, a tree and a deer, and put together this block for my quilt hanger.  The snow is batting and it works great as snow.  I really love my little Sizzix. 

 

God Bless.

Need Help

Blogger will not let me upload any more pictures because they say I have used up all of  my space.  I can get more space by buying it, something I do not want to do.  Does anyone know of a work around or of a different place that will host a blog for free? 

 

Any advice will be appreciated.

 

I have a really cute block I want to show you!

 

God Bless.