One in a minion QAL pattern testing

Back in January the news broke of several new QAL's (quilt-a-longs) coming up on the Fandom in Stitches group, and the call was put out for pattern testers.  Having a serious minion lover at my house, so I could hardly pass up the opportunity!  We LOVED getting each new pattern to test :)  Kudos to Jennifer Rowles (Playful Piecing) for her awesome designs.  So glad I got to be a part of it!

Patterns are 12 inches finished.

Tim

Banana

Hula Minion

Egyptian

French Maid

Kevin

Hippie

Soldier

Bee Doh

Girl Minion

Stuart

There were also several patterns we opted NOT to make including

Papagena (Hydrant)

The Vampire

Golfer

News also broke at the end of this project that there will be a Minion Design Invitational

so we saved up our space for our last block to choose one from those designs!  Keep your eyes open to find out which one we choose!

Hunger Games Update

I pulled out this project which I started last year and got back to the grind of sewing the districts.  I'm proud to say I've officially (officially?) finished them finally and now have started on working on layout and extras.  I still have the 4 mockingjay insignia's to work on as well as Katniss's bow and arrows.  Here's the new squares...

District 12 - Mining

District 10 Livestock

This a redo of District 6 Transportation (I like the monochromatic much better)

Snow's Rose

I'm not sure I like how this came out as the colors I chose don't translate well, so it may be redone at a later date.

C3PO, R2D2, and a Tie Fighter - Star Wars

It's been a hot minute since I've updated.  With the arrival of summer (and SUNSHINE!) I've been trying to spend more time getting a little natural vitamin D, but I've also been hard at work working on multiple projects.  I started this Star Wars quilt earlier this year when fandom in stitches ran it's Star Wars Invitational, and have already done BB8, Yoda, the Death Star and a collection of light sabers.It's coming along beautifully!  During this past month I've added this bunch!

C3PO (designed by Michelle Thompson)

R2D2 (designed by Melissa Bejot)

Tie Fighter (designed by Melissa Bejot)

Into the Woods - Broadway Series

Being a lover of all things musical, I pattern tested the Oklahoma quilt square earlier this year for Katie Olson's Broadway quilt, and then offered to test another of her patterns in this series called Into the Woods (which I love the music to!)  I have plans down the road to work on all of these patterns (which you can see here), but for now here is this little beauty.  Size is 10 inch square finished and I'll warn you it's a full 5 star experience.  Lots of pieces, lots of lining up, not for the faint of heart.

This pattern hasn't been released yet, but I'll update as soon as it is.

Mother's Day

I promise I haven't fallen off the edge of the planet!!  Life has been a little busy and crazy and I've been kept super busy between my real life job, pattern testing for different projects, teaching my first paper piecing class, and visiting my dentist.  Let's just say some of these things I've not enjoyed as much as quilting!

I'm spotlighting for a moment today, this amazing woman, with my Boy Wonder (and his new wife) on their wedding day.  This is my mom.  I could sit here for hours and write all of the wonderful and amazing things that make her so incredible - but it still wouldn't do justice to the woman she is.  I can say that while she is not perfect, she has inspired and taught me the lessons that have helped me to carve out my own happiness and live as grace-filled as I can.  I love her.

For Mother's Day this year, I wanted to do something for my mom that wouldn't be another tchotchke dust collector.  I've begun to understand more about how getting little trinkets and baubles becomes a double edged sword.  And because she loves flowers and plants, I searched locally high and low to find her an established lavender plant- which is one of her favorites, but to no avail.  Finally I decided to quilt some  - and let me tell you - finding a pattern for lavender was nearly impossible.  Finally I found a pattern on Craftsy (you can see it here), and while mine didn't turn out quite as crisp and clear - I'm happy with the result...

I finished this as a small throw pillow which she loved!!
Happy Mother's Day.
Thank You.

Oh - and because I'm grateful for my own motherhood experiences and the punks that call me Mom - I love you nuts.  A million swedish fish.

BB8 Droid - Star Wars

Among everything else going on, I am still working on the star wars quilt and a few other projects.  This week I give you BB8!

Pattern is available HERE
Pattern Created by Vanda Chittenden

and because I've gotten a few emails asking for the background fabric info:  It's a Robert Kaufman fabric called Stargazers Sky Navy (EKJM-6077-9)

I Open at the Close - What to do with all those HP Project of Doom Squares

Last year I made Owlsea's Hogwarts School Banner (Pattern Here) and also did the QAL of the "Dark Arts" HP Squares - but didn't want to just do another bookcase quilt, so rather than leave them to sit forever in the dark recesses of my sewing cabinet.

So I pulled them out and played around with some layouts I like and here's what I came up with

I'm liking it.  It's not too big and not too small - perfect for a couch blanket after I get it bound.  It's a weird mixture of happiness and sadness to finish up HP work - after all that is where I started a couple of years ago on fandominstitches.com  But after 5+ quilts with that theme, it's time to move forward to new fandoms.

or until they do another round of HP patterns.