_I decided as soon as I started receiving my bee blocks in the mail this month to try and get them done as soon as possible as to not have them sitting here after baby comes.  Lucky for me, I was able to finish all of January's blocks and get them in the mail!  Woohoo!  I am excited about this, and no, it doesn't take much to excite me these days!

First up is the first month in my brand new bee, Modern Blocks Bee, this block is for "fordcowgirl_85."  Every block that we will be making this year comes from the 99 Modern Blocks book that I reviewed briefly a while back.  I love this block and the fabric line, so pretty, and this block was really easy to whip up!  This block measures 12.5" x 12.5", as do all of the blocks in this book.

This block is for "jdderrick" in the Quilting newBEES group, and is a Dutch Pinwheel Block, the tutorial can be found HERE.  Another stunning block, and the fabric she provided had such a great feel to it, unfortunately my iron didn't think so, and I couldn't get those darn wrinkles out, or heck, maybe the iron made them,  I don't know, sorry about that.  This block measures roughly 17" x 17".

The next two blocks are for "hehehe922" in the Bee Connected group, and honestly are some of my favorite types of block to make, wonky stars.  Simple enough.  She asked for all sizes and shapes, so for the first I stuck with a regular 12.5" x 12.5" block, but for the second I went a little wild.  I don't remember the exact size, but it was somewhere around 4" x 6" small, and I based this block loosely on the tutorial found HERE.  I really like it, and think a whole quilt with these minis would be fabulous!

Last, but not least are some awesome word blocks for "Kreated by Kari" in the Always Bee Learning group.  She is making a word quilt for her husband that features the Clemson Alma Mater song, and I think it will be spectacular!  These blocks were challenging, but honestly a lot of fun, and now I want to make a word quilt!  They measure 5.5" tall and the length varies with the word.  When I opened the packet, I honestly was a little frightened with this project, but jumped right in and it didn't take long to figure out how to make them, kind of like paper piecing, but not if that makes any sense, and to me the only difficult letters were the "r" and "n" simply because they featured angles, and honestly it took my brain a while to wrap around that, simply because pregnancy brain is in full force right now!  I hope Kari likes them and can't wait to see the finished quilt! Oh and why the second "s" in greatness turned out smaller, I have no idea, but I hope it adds to the charming-ness of the quilt!

Amy over at Amy's Creative Side challenged us last Monday to pick just one thing for the week and get it finished.  I decided to get the straight line quilting done with my walking foot finished on the four panels of my Lily's Quilts QAL quilt, all with the exception that I didn't go into labor.  Well here I am, still pregnant (38 weeks) and with proof through pictures that I accomplished my goal! Woohoo! 

The quilting went smoother than I expected, and I enjoyed it, which is always a plus.  Now I just have to do a tad bit of free motion quilting on the center circles, then start joining these panels via my (and Leanne's "She Can Quilt") method of quilt as you go!  I will be joining the four panels and then adding a border to the whole quilt when finished.  This project is my goal that I set in Rhonda's (Quilter in the Gap) Finish-Along, so I need to have it completed by March.  So far, I am right on target to actually wrapping this project up!  I'm going to try and get as much finished before I go into labor, wish me luck folks!  Thanks again Amy for hosting this challenge and helping me to reach my goals!  I always need that extra little push.

Wow, it has been almost three months since i have done a normal WIP post, and since I am still here, still huge and currently 37.5 weeks pregnant (full term, yippee!) I thought I would do a WIP roundup of sorts. Kind of a reminder to myself of all my current projects floating around my house that I will complete this year!  And yes, I said it, I will complete these this year, or else!  Just kidding, but seriously it is my New Years Resolution!

Ongoing Projects or Works in Progress:
Row 1 - My current project, I have 2 of 4 panels quilted, using the Quilt As You Go method.  This was a Lily's Quilts Quilt Along.  Goal is to have it finished by March.
Row 2 - Bottled Rainbows Quilt Along 5 of 16 blocks completed.
Row 3 (From Left to Right) - Kaleidoscope Quilt Along awaiting basting, Fox Trails baby quilt awaiting cutting, Baby boy quilt for my nephew top halfway pieced, Denyse Schmidt Log Cabin Blocks from the Quilting newBEES group top awaiting piecing.
Row 4 (From Left to Right) - Christmas String Blocks from the Christmas Fabric Bee group top awaiting piecing, Heather Bailey String Blocks from the Always Bee Learning group top awaiting piecing, Postage Stamp Blocks from Scrapbuster Swap not sure what I will do with these, Scrappy Depression Blocks from Scrapbuster Swap top awaiting piecing.
Row 5 - Wonky Christmas Stars from Scrapbuster Swap, possibly table runners and pillows.
Row 6 (or Last Photo) - Good Fortune Fabric Bundle to be possibly used in the Swoon-Along hosted by I'm A Ginger Monkey.  Currently hoping I can figure out how to make this Fat Eighth bundle work with the Swoon blocks!

This Week's Stats:
New Projects - What is new, what is old?  Who knows? I lost track a long time ago!
Completed Projects -  0
Currently in Progress - 12

Dream Projects On Hold For Now:
Amy Butler's Style Stitches Blossom Handbag
Amy Butler's Style Stitches Everything Wristlet
Amy Butler's Style Stitches Miss Maven Ruffled Handbag
Amy Butler's Style Stitches Take Flight Shoulder Bag

_Head over to Freshly Pieced to have a look at what everyone else is working on!

I probably finished these about two months ago now, but just kept working and never took the time to photograph or blog about them (which is usually my problem!)  I wanted a bunch of bright and new burp cloths for my new little guy, so I dug through my stash and picked a lot of fabrics I liked and then went to town!  These are sewn onto cloth diapers, and are my equivalent of a mullet haircut.  A mullet is business in the front, party in the back.  These are the opposite, party on the front, cleaning up business on the back!  Ok, that was my attempt at a little humor.  HaHa!  My son had some serious spit up issues, so I am just going into this one prepared, burp cloths in hand!

Maybe I should say bee block, because there is only one.  I think I finished one early back in November, so with the other groups taking breaks, it only left this one, and honestly I can't really call it a block, but rather a really long strip!  The strip above is an example of Seminole Piecework, and there are a ton of different techniques, this being just one of them.  This strip is for Stephanie at Spontaneous Threads, and she plans to use them to add little special details to individual projects, from my understanding.  Once you understand the technique, it flies together in no time, literally I had this baby done in 10 minutes.  It really is intriguing and the possibilities are limitless!

So what is with the pouch you ask?  Yeah, Stephanie is pretty darn amazing and she made every member of our group a pouch as a thank you and a little Christmas present!  Oh my goodness...AWESOME!  I had to include a close up detail of the Seminole Piecework that is on the center of this pouch, so tiny and amazing!  I love it Stephanie, and I'm sending a super huge thank you your way!

Happy New Year!  I am going to do something that I NEVER do.  I'm actually making a resolution this year.  I am normally the type of person that follows the "if you don't make a resolution then you won't be disappointed when you don't accomplish it" motto.  Yes, I know that is so pessimistic, but that truly is how I feel, and yes, low and behold, I haven't been disappointed in myself for years!  It works, try it! Ha-Ha!  But, this year will be different, and I have known for several weeks now that I will actually make a resolution this year.  Woohoo!

My New Years Resolution 2012:  To finish all the WIPs (works in progress) from 2011. 

Plain and simple, right?  I think so.  So then today, I open up my Google Reader and see that Leanne over at She Can Quilt has posted this list of unfinished projects that she plans to finish up during the first quarter of 2012.  How cool is that, exactly what I was planning to do.  Then I realize that she is posting as part of a quilt-a-long of sorts.  Rhonda of Quilter in the Gap fame is hosting what she is calling a Finish-A-Long.  Perfect!  Basically, you make a realistic goal of what you can finish during the first quarter of the year, post about it now, then link up again at the end of the quarter with your finished project!  Easy peasy!  I'm in, sign me up!

Since this needs to be a realistic goal, and I am expecting a baby sometime in the next 23 days (my c-section has been scheduled!)  I am setting a truly realistic goal.  Just one quilt!  I started this quilt a little less than a year ago, and all four quadrants are pieced, and this one will be quilt as you go, so I will be quilting each section independently.  I picked this project first because I have all the supplies needed.  Quilting thread, backing, border fabric, binding fabric....and oh fudge I forgot I am out of batting.  Oh well, i can get that or send hubs to the store for it!  So there we go, goal number one for the first quarter of the year!  Wish me luck!  Want to join along?  Click the little button below!

Last blog post of the year.  Kinda sad the year is ending, but happy to start a new year, with real resolutions this time, and the opportunity to clean and refresh!  I love new beginnings and the opportunities that they bring!

I wanted to end this year with a shout out and photos of all the lovely things that I have won this year (and never got around to blogging about.)  Also included in this list are some of the lovely surprises I received this year from lovely friends, that I also never had the chance to show you guys.  Not all of the lovely gifts that I have received are in this post, but I promise, I will share those in the upcoming weeks because they deserve their very own blog post!

First up will be my lucky winnings!  The first Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway back mid-year, I entered quite a few and I won this lovely Jelly Roll book from Tammie over at Crafty Tammie.  She also included these lovely vintage sheet squares, that I will use in my vintage sheet quilt!  The book has a lot of great projects, all featuring jelly rolls, which is something I have yet to purchase or own!

The same Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway day also provided me with this stunning Echino handmade handbag from the lovely Sara over at Sew Sweetness.  It is a lovely bag, perfect size and weight, and I absolutely adore the fabric and lining fabric.  Sorry the pictures make it seem so wrinkly, it wasn't, I promise!

The lovely collection above wasn't so much winnings as being in the right place at the right time, or should I say purchasing at the right time!  The two handbag patterns and 6 fat quarters are from the super sweet Karen of Venezie Designs.  I was her 2000th customer, so along with my order, she included these fabulous goodies!  Lucky me!  If you ever need fabric, visit her shop, great selection and fabulous customer service!

This super cute rainbow onesie was made by the lovely Kelly over at Blue Bird Sews.  It was a giveaway in conjunction with the Stashtacular event.  Ironically, I won this not long after finding out I was pregnant, so she made me one in a size that I could use sooner than later!  Technically this was the first baby gift I received for my upcoming little one.  Can't wait to use!

This gorgeous set of slippers are handmade by the incredibly talented Aubrey over at Mauby's.  She had a great pattern review of these slippers, and offered to make a pair for the person who could guess the shoe sizes of everyone in her family.  Amazingly I guessed them all correctly and won these babies, which I wear every day now and just love!  So comfortable and cute!

Ironically this fabulous X-Acto knife set and perfect sized self healing cutting mat are from another win over at Crafty Tammie, the very same lady that I won the Jelly Roll book from!  This is a great, very useful set, and I love the hot pink color!

My last winning of the year, but certainly not the least, comes from the incredibly talented Debbie over at A Quilter's Table.  She made this Christmas Mini X quilt from her own tutorial and gave it away for the second Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day of the year.  I was lucky enough to win, and it currently sits atop the antique sewing machine I inherited from my husband's grandmother.  I have my handmade French Beaded mini Christmas tree displayed on top of a lovely quilt!  I just love this little scene it creates!

This adorable mug rug wasn't a winning, but rather a gift from the super sweet Stephanie of Spontaneous Threads.  She and I are in several online quilting bees, the first being a Christmas Fabric Bee that wrapped up a few months ago.  When it was her month, she requested that each member make a small 5" patchwork square, send it to her, and then she would turn it into something for us.  I sent her the 5" left hand upper corner simple block with the two birds, and then she created this lovely mug rug from it!  I just love it and have honestly used it for the past 5 months.  It is just perfect, and I love how she quilted it.  The fabric that she used for the backing and on the front is some of my favorite, so in all honesty, I'll probably use this baby year round!

The last lovely gift I have to share today is this super cute pin cushion handmade by the truly talented Eileen over at Blue Bird Luxe.  She and I are in the Quilting newBEES group together and after my month had come and gone, she sent me this beautiful pin cushion, in the same style as the block that I had requested from everyone.  Don't you just love the hand stitching and the handmade label for the back.  So awesome!  I currently have this lovely pin cushion on display amongst my sewing things, I love it!

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed New Year!

Let us pretend that I am a famous blogger, and I get to pick out a bundle of fabrics that will be sold at Fat Quarter Shop...go ahead imagine it.  Well here it is!  This is what I would pick, and this bundle is so opposite of my style, it isn't even funny, though I do love this bundle and would love all these fabrics, it just isn't me.  Why isn't it me?  Because If I picked a bundle it would be all rainbows and colorful and basically the vision of "It's a Small World!"  I think the majority of you would probably prefer to see a more practical palette, vs. glitter and rainbows galore!  I am really trying to broaden my horizons and try new things in the New Year, so I'm starting a bit early with this one.

Oh, and there was a point in doing this fun little exercise...there is a competition going on over at Quokka Quilts, so if you would like to see some other great palettes, head over there and check them out!

P.S.  On a personal note, no baby yet, feeling great and glad to have made it through Christmas without a trip to the hospital!  I am currently 36 weeks! Yippee!

Happy Holidays everyone!  It has been a while since I have blogged, but I am still here, still pregnant (34 weeks) and still huge!  But that is OK, I am used to the double takes when we go out in public now.  Amazingly, I have done a TON of sewing and hope to show you guys soon!  What I have accomplished in sewing I have been lacking in the cooking department, but I did want to show off a new desert I made this past weekend for my husband to bring to his family's Christmas party.  At the beginning of December Dana over at MADE started posting a treat recipe a day, and the very first days recipe caught my eye and I knew I wanted to make it!  It takes about 15 minutes total, is super easy and quick and was a big hit at the party.  I forgot to take a before shot, but this is the amount that returned back home to me!  Just enough to get a picture of the remaining 4 slices.  I also decided to photograph the leftovers on the mini quilt that I just won on Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day and received from Debbie herself, the lovely lady who hosts Tuesday at my Table every week!  So pretty and festive!

Recipe and step-by-step directions can be found at MADE, click HERE for original recipe.  Below is my slightly modified version!

Ingredients:
1 (10.5 oz.) package of mini marshmallows
5.5 cups of Rice Krispies cereal
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup Reese's peanut butter chips

Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper, and then generously spray with non-stick cooking spray. 
In a separate large bowl, microwave for 2 minutes (stirring half way) the marshmallows, butter and peanut butter.  Add in the Rice Krispies and stir until well mixed, just like you are making normal Rice Krispie treats.  Spread mixture onto cookie sheet, spray non-stick cooking spray onto your hands and press/spread mixture evenly onto entire cookie sheet making sure it is even and flat.
In a separate medium bowl, microwave in 20 second intervals the dark chocolate chips and the Reese's peanut butter chips.  Stirring after each interval.  Heat until just melted, don't overheat otherwise the chocolate will burn/scorch.  Once melted, pour chocolate mixture over the Rice Krispies and spread out evenly into a thin layer.  Starting at one end of the pan, lift the way paper and carefully start rolling into a log.  Use the wax paper to help in the rolling process.  Once you have your rolled log, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  I refrigerated mine overnight.  When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and cut log into 1/2" rounds.  Eat either cold or room temperature, both ways are delicious!

_Linking up to Tuesday at the Table over at A Quilter's Table.  Hop on over and visit the others and their great recipes!

Last minute project.  I have had this on my "to do" list for two months now, but nothing like waiting until the very last minute to actually get it it done.  Pathetic.  I stitched this baby up yesterday, and it was nice to actually start and finish a project.  Seems lately I tend to not finish very much at all, without starting something new.  Today was the deadline to get it in the mail, and I am happy to say that I met the deadline!

The basic pattern can be found over at Purple Panda Quilts (click on the button below) and was super easy to make, though I did put the hanging loop in the wrong spot, it still works, so I left it alone.  This stocking is going to a foster child so that they can have their own stocking that they can keep themselves, even though they may move around year after year.  I thought it was a super sweet idea, and knew I could contribute since I have an insane amount of Christmas fabric!  I certainly hope that whatever child receives this, loves it because I certainly made it with love.  Awww....so cheesy.

I used the Merry and Bright collection by Sandy Gervais and used fusible fleece on both the front and the back.  I stuck with simple machine quilting on both the front and the back, and I just love this collection of fabrics together.  This stocking is lined with the same fabric that I used for the cuff and it is a nice large size for filling up with lots of goodies!  Now that I have started on my holiday projects, hopefully I can keep my momentum going!  How are your holiday projects coming along?  The countdown begins today folks!