BluePip Designs

It's been a crazy month - I'm working more than I'm sewing and we've had a lot of family time with the holiday.  I also had a sewing block, which I worked through by cleaning up the piles of fabric left behind by several projects and getting myself a special early Christmas present.  This was an ambitious goal month for me - I had three things I wanted to accomplish . My first goal was to finish my Modern Fans top, and I'm happy to say that I did!  I made it in time to be eligible for the grand prize of the sew along, and while I didn't win it felt good to finish on track.  It was a little windy when we were trying to take the picture and my helper wasn't feeling very helpful - I'll get a better one when it's all finished. My second goal was to finish my Dwight the Deer pillow, and I was also able to do this as well - I put the last stitch into the binding on Thanksgiving Eve.  He got a full blog post to himself, but here's his picture a

Today I'm sharing my one and only handmade Christmas gift for the year: the Dwight Pillow that I made at the retreat I went to earlier this month! The pattern is a three-quarter size Dwight the Deer by Elizabeth Hartman , and he was made to go along with the Dwight B Plaid quilt I gifted my father-in-law last Christmas.  My plan now is to sew without deadlines, when I have time, for the rest of the year.  One less stress for a very busy month!

It's hard to believe that I only need two more rows to finish my temperature quilt top (the last five will be part of the label if you are counting!)  This has been such a fun project and I love how it looks scrappy and yet the colors mean something.  My son snapped this picture of it while I held it on a windy, overcast morning. I'll get a better picture in 36 days when it's finished.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Last weekend I went to my first-ever quilt retreat, located at a fantastic old mansion on the bank of the Mississippi River.  It was a one-owner residence from the time it was built until it was donated to the city and the entire thing has been preserved as close as possible to how it was in the early 1900s.  I had to keep pinching myself to believe that I was allowed to be walking around freely in it, looking at and even touching things.  I stayed in that third floor room right above the front door. My biggest take-away was that I need to bring more stuff with me!  Also, I probably should have started packing earlier, but I was so focused on finishing up my Halloween tote bag that I put it off until the morning of the day I was leaving.  But once I was there, I was ready to work!  I first made progress on two of my goals for the month . I started with the rest of my non-scrappy blocks for the modern fans quilt.  The fabric for the scrappy blocks is strewn across my sewing roo

My sewing room is getting a little too crowded with UFOs for my liking.  From the chair at my machine I can see eight different projects (and there are plenty more tucked away). My goal for the month is to clean it up a little. First, I've mentioned this Modern Fans QAL before - I'd like to get the top finished on time.  I've got the top two rows made and just need to make two more. Second, I've got these two quilts from 100Days100Blocks completely pieced, they just need to be quilted and bound.  I'd like to get at least one of these finished. Finally, I want to get a start on my Christmas sewing list by making a Dwight pillow to match the Dwight Quilt I made last year. So, can I finish one top, one quilt, and a pillow?  I hope so!  I'm linking up my goal with Elm Street Quilts .