Nothing says Christmas like a purple hippo

I finally received my replacement charger cable for my fitbit yesterday.

I have become very dependent on my fitbit and was suffering withdraw symptoms without it. I got my tracker charged up yesterday afternoon and went for my walk last evening. Since it get dark so early, many of the houses had their holiday lights on and this house has a purple hippo. Too funny!

Here are a few more homes lite up

After my walk I had a bite to eat then got to work on the pouches. I got two more made. The one pouch has a different fabric on each side.

We are having our company Christmas lunch today. This year's charity is the Salvation Army and they were asking for donations like gently used clothing, blankets, non-perishable food, and toiletries. I gathered up some items - toothbrushes, soap, etc. and I am donating these two quilts

The black, white, and red quilt has some bad memories for me. I have debated on what to do with it for years - destroy it was what I was thinking, but I never got around to it. It is hand quilted, 61" x 73", and I made it around 1996. It is time for it to go out of my life. I hope someone will get some use out of it.

I received a fabulous postcard from Vicki of Field Trips in Fiber. I am not sure I deserved getting one this year, but I love it!. I will hang it on my design wall with the others she has sent me. I didn't think about it until I hung it up with the others that Vicki sends me a postcard with an evergreen tree on it every year. Talk about keeping meticulous records to know this detail - Vicki you are amazing! I now have a forest! Look at them - aren't they wonderful together?

Clint kept me company

I worked on the pouches last evening. Clint Eastwood kept me company. Pale Rider was on TV. I have seen the movie many times so it was not like I has to have my eyes glued to the screen. The first thing I did was to cut out the three more linings I needed. Then I pressed the zipper tabs and sewed them on the zippers for each pouch. This takes a bit of time and is a good job to get out of the way.

I managed to get two more pouches sewn together. I am starting to get in a rhythm so my production should increase. I have no idea how many of these I will end up making, but they will be nice to have on hand for a small gift.

Pouches

I got a bunch of pouches cut out yesterday out of a heavier weight fabric call Premier from Fabric.com and some screen printed linen fabric that I bought a bundle from someone in Australia several years ago. I wanted to get two of the pouches done for today as they will be a Christmas gift for a friend I am having lunch with today. Here they are laid out with zippers.

I moved them over to the sewing machine and laid them out with their linings. I still need to cut lining for three of them. I will probably cut a few more pouches too just so I have more than I think I need. It seems I always run into someone who would like one.

22nd finish of 2015

Yeah, another finish! It turned out 39" x 49.5".

With 22 finished what has this done to my stash? Well, I have used 118.5 yards, but I bought 162.74! I haven't bought any fabric since October, but I did order a yard of two different purple fabrics this week for bags I want to make my sister. I have very little purple in my stash. Since I will have to add more of my stash fabric to make the bags those two yards will not hurt too much.

Tonight after work I need to make a couple of zip pouches for gifts so the t-shirt quilt will have to wait another day before I get the top done.

Almost done

I managed to get the scrap pink quilt quilted and the binding machine sewn on. I have half the binding hand sewn on so I will finish that tonight.

I got the t-shirts arranged for the last row on my nephew's t-shirt quilt so all I need to do is sew them together. I folded and pinned up the quilt so I didn't have to work so close to the floor arranging the shirts.

Laundry and wrapping presents was also done this weekend. I didn't get any cookies made though.

Machine quilting underway

I spent way too much time last evening watching Top Gear reruns. Those boys sure make me laugh! I still managed to wind some bobbins and get started on machine quilting the pink quilt with the leftover bits. Nothing earth shattering here, but this 39" x 49.75" quilt will be added to my giveaway stash and the scraps will have been used up.

The weather is suppose to be warm this weekend with rain possibly on Saturday. I will have to get out and do some major walking and enjoy the sunshine! Of course my projects this weekend will be the pink scrap quilt, finishing the t-shirt quilt top, and cleaning up my studio a bit. One of my quilting friends is coming over on Sunday to pin baste a quilt on my table. I also want to make some Xmas cookies this weekend too. Sounds like it is going to be a busy weekend!

Have a great weekend!

Pin basted and more t-shirts

My sister was going to call me around 4:30 so I needed to start getting my steps in as soon as I got home from work. She called at 4:40 and we hung up at 6 and yes I was walking the whole time except to scold the neighbor's dog that was running loose. So after my 6 miles for the day I got to work in the studio.

The back pressed and taped down with 3M tape for hard to stick surfaces. This green tape works so much better than the blue tape. Don't confuse it with Frog tape - that is something different. The only place I have been able to find the 3M green tape is at Sherwin Williams. The big box home stores around here don't carry it.

Spreading the batting with my trusty wooden yardstick

Pressing the quilt top

Pin basted

I will be quilting this with Superior Threads King Tut in white linen. Its the perfect color to use on the Kona Snow.

Binding cut

I received more t-shirts for my nephew's quilt yesterday.

The cool dad t-shirt, which my nephew wore to high school LOL! is interfaced and ready for me to figure out how I will work it into that last row for his t-shirt quilt.