Hello and thank you for joining us today, Sandra and Marci here to share with you a ton of really good resources from last year.  The 2017 Finish-A-Long produced a lot of fantastic tutorials and we thought it would be a great idea to highlight them this year in one feature post.  They are categorized by subject below and all you have to do is click through to get some really great patterns, tips and techniques.

Quilts and Quilt Blocks

• Twister Block Quilt Pattern by Sarah of Sew Me

• Tipi Quilt Pattern and Tutorial for Sewing 60 Degree Triangles by Marci of Marci Girl Designs

• Churn Link Block by Felicity of Felicity Quilts  

• Improv Piano Keys - A Tutorial on Unique Curved Piecing by Marci of Marci Girl Designs

Quilting Techniques

• How to Make Half Square Triangles (HSTs) different ways by Abigail of Cut & Alter 

• Faced Binding by Sandra of Studio Sew of Course

• Binding by Machine by Izzy of Dizzy Quilts

• Taming Seam Allowances by Sandra of Studio Sew of Course

Sewing Projects and Techniques

• Easter Bunny Bags by Judith of Just Jude Designs

• A Polaroid Mug Rug/Snack Mat by Ella of Throw a Wench in the Works

• Easy Framed Accent Strip by Karen of Capitola Quilter 

• Tiny Pumpkin Pin Cushion by Nicky of Mrs. Sew & Sow

• Cord Keeper Tutorial by Lucy of Charm About You 

• Hump Jumpers and Jean-A-Ma-Jigs by Stacey of SLO Studio

We hope you enjoy this look back on the 2017 Finish-A-Long tutorials, there were some real gems in there. And of course we are continuing with tutorials for 2018, too. See our Finish-A-Long pages for more details and a link to this quarter's Tutorial Week post.

Today is the day we are delighted to announce the winners for Q4 of the 2017 Finish-A-Long, thus bringing the 2017 Finish-A-Long to an official close.


Thank you again to our generous sponsors. Without further ado, the winners - each picked by the random number generator - of the Q4 FAL prizes are:



The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF patterns from Just Jude Designs goes to Kristin, she blogs at Gumdrops and made this really pretty colorful scrappy quilt:




The Q4 Winner of the $25 gift certificate from Sew Sisters Quilt Shop goes to Julie on Instagram (@julieschloemer) and she finished this stunning Criss Cross Applesauce quilt:


The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF patterns from Charm About You goes to Swooze who blogs at Swooze's Quilts and Tall Tales and she finished this lovely quilt:


 

The Q4 Winner of the $50 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop goes to Crystal who blogs at Crystal's Creations and she made this really fun Halloween tote:




The Q4 Winner of a surprise package from Marci Girl Designs goes to Cathy who blogs at Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting and she finished this lovely scrappy quilt:




The Q4 Winner of the $25 gift certificate from Tartankiwi goes to Chiska who blogs at Muddy Spring and she finished this adorable little baby turtle quilt:




The Q4 Winner of the 3 PDF patterns from Blossom Heart Quilts goes to Mary who blogs at Mary Emmens and she finished this handy fold up pouch (along with a ton of other projects from Aneela Hoey's book):





The Q4 Winner of the $50 gift certificate from Mad About Patchwork goes to Anne who blogs at Said With Love and she finished this stunning quilt:





The Q4 Winner of the 3 PDF Patterns from During Quiet Time goes to Jenny who blogs at The Lilac Cat and she finished this bright and colorful quilt:






The Q4 Winner of your choice of 3 individual patterns from Happy Quilting goes to Kate who blogs at Katie Mae Quilts and she finished this awesome Minecraft quilt:






The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF patterns from Cooking Up Quilts goes to Becky on Instagram (@thesparrowstitchery) and she finished this bright and cheery throw pillow:






The Q4 Winner of the 3 PDF patterns from Sew Sweetness goes to Lisa who blogs at Lisa in Port Hope and she finished this super cute little pouch:






The Q4 Winner of the $30 gift certificate from Knotted Thread goes to Kim who blogs at The Quilter at Osage Hill and she made this pretty four patch quilt:





The Q4 Winner of the Camp Bag Pattern Pack from The Littlest Thistle goes to Sheila who blogs at Chez Budsmam and she made this fun and pretty quilt:





The Q4 Winner of the $15 gift certificate from Green Fairy Quilts goes to Kirsten who blogs at Gemini Stitches and she crocheted this festive Christmas bunting:


The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF patterns from Quilting Jet Girl goes to Nicole who blogs at Handwrought Quilts and she finished this simply stunning quilt:







The Q4 Winners (3) of a six month subscription each to Make Modern Magazine goes to

1. Beth on Instagram (@bhaferko) and she made this lovely quilted set for her son:


2. Beth who blogs at The Anonymous Blueberry Muffin Thief Sews and she embroidered this spooky bat wall hanging:



3. Katy on Instagram (@pudgypenguincrafts) and she finished this lovely Sew Together bag:



The Q4 Winner of the $30 gift certificate from Clover & Violet goes to Tracey who blogs at It's A T-Sweets Day and she finished this crochet Stardust Melodies Afghan:




The Q4 Winner of the $20 gift certificate from Sew Me A Song goes to Terry who blogs at On Going Projects and she finished this black swimsuit:





The Q4 Winner of the $40 gift certificate from Imagine Gnats goes to Mindy at Operation Domestic Goddess and she finished this adorable My Little Pony costume for her little one:



The Q4 Winner of the $25 gift certificate from Studio 39 Fabrics goes to Anja who blogs at Anja Quilts and she finished a mini letter A quilt:





Congratulations to all the winners!! Thank you for joining us in 2017, we truly hope the Finish Along has helped you finish up those works in progress this last year.

A special thank you to our hosts this past year for all of their hard work and time.  A big thank you the sponsors for 2017.  Last but not least thanks to those of you that have played along with us during this past year and previous years, the Finish-A-Long wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of you and your WIP's and finishes!

We hope that you are joining us in 2018, the first quarter is about half-way through so you still have plenty of time to finish up those projects.  If you missed the first quarter link up, please consider joining us in April when the second link up opens.

It might be hard to believe but we have made it to the end of the fourth quarter of the 2017 FAL and it's time to link up your Q4 finishes!

The 2017 FAL has a community of bloggers across the world jointly hosting the FAL. Our hosts are:

• Nicky - Mrs Sew & Sow - Great Britain

• Abigail - Cut & Alter - Great Britain

• Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada

• Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA

• Lucy - Charm about You - Great Britain

• Sarah - Sew me - Northern Ireland

• Judith - Just Jude - Northern Ireland

• Felicity - Felicity Quilts - Canada

• Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA

• Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA

• Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada

• Sandra - Sew of Course - Ireland (also Social Media Director)

  Before you link up, let's give a huge thank you to our fantastic sponsors:  


The 2017 Q4 link for your finishes is now open below on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs - you only need to link on one blog for your finish to appear on each blog. Link-up "rules":

• Add one link for each finish. If you want to link a round up post of all your finishes, use that link to enter one of your finishes and then link the rest of your finishes separately. Please, only one link per finish, as your link is an entry into the randomly drawn prize draws.

• Please ensure that the photo or blog post you link up contains a link or reference back to your original list so that we can verify your entry (make sure it is from the appropriate quarter). Feel free to tag your photos #2017FALQ4yourname (substitute your name), this makes it easier for us to match your finishes with your list.

• Please become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others and comment. We all need encouragement so let's applaud each other. The 2017 FAL Facebook page is here and follow us on Instagram @finishalong. 

• Our hosts will also link their finishes to share in the community, but they are not eligible for any of the prizes.

Today is the day we are privileged to announce the winners for Q3 of the 2017 Finish-Along.


Thank you again to our generous sponsors. Without further ado, the winners - each picked by the random number generator - of the Q3 FAL prizes are:



The Q3 Winner of the 2 PDF patterns from Just Jude Designs goes to Jennie who blogs at Jennie's Threads and she made this colorful and cheery quilt.





The Q3 Winner of the $25 gift certificate from Sew Sisters Quilt Shop goes to Marisa via IG @mmckee_10 and she made these creative patchwork curtains.


The Q3 Winner of the 2 PDF patterns from Charm About You goes to Brenda who blogs at The Quilting Nook and she made this stunning dress.





The Q3 Winner of the $50 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop goes to Angela via IG @heartofcharnwood and she made this great quilt back! (The quilt is a surprise so she couldn't share the front.)




The Q3 Winner of the 3 PDF patterns from Elven Garden Quilts goes to Katie who blogs at Karma Willow Designs and she made an absolutely beautiful Swoon quilt (and isn't this photo great!)


The Q3 Winner of the $25 gift certificate from Tartankiwi goes to Heather who blogs at Quilting and Beyond and she made these fantastic quilted banners.



The Q3 Winner of the 3 PDF patterns from Blossom Heart Quilts goes to Jenny via IG @silverbellsandcockleshells and she made this great BW Sailors Top.




The Q3 Winner of the $50 gift certificate from Mad About Patchwork goes to Mercedes who blogs at LadyFriend Designs who made this lovely quilt.





The Q3 Winner of the 3 PDF Patterns from During Quiet Time goes to Celine who blogs at Espritpatch and she made this perfect Ogden Cami.





The Q3 Winner of your choice of 3 individual patterns from Happy Quilting goes to Sarah who blogs at Cedar Fork Stitches and she made this fantastic quilt.





The Q3 Winner of the 2 PDF patterns from Cooking Up Quilts goes to Cathy via IG @cathyewbank and she made this super cute clamshell drawstring bag.





The Q3 Winner of the 3 PDF patterns from Sew Sweetness goes to Joelle via IG @joellemaude and she made this fun and colorful quilt.





The Q3 Winner of the $30 gift certificate from Knotted Thread goes to Kathy who blogs at Life in Pieces and she made this super cute quilt (love the butterflies!)




The Q3 Winner of the Camp Bag Pattern Pack from The Littlest Thistle goes to Debbie who blogs at A Quilter's Table and she made this gorgeous improv quilt.



The Q3 Winner of the $15 gift certificate from Green Fairy Quilts goes to Teresa who blogs at Aurea's Kitchen and she made this adorable dress and bloomer set.


The Q3 Winner of the 2 PDF patterns from Quilting Jet Girl goes to Corinne at CorinneLouise via Flickr and she quilted this stunning pillow.





The Q3 Winner of the $30 gift certificate from Sunny Day Supply goes to Linda who blogs at The Pieceful Kingdom and she made this gorgeous low volume quilt.



The Q3 Winners (3) of a six month subscription each to Make Modern Magazine goes to

1. Jennifer via IG @CrimsonConfection and she made this pretty quilt.



2.  Kathy who blogs at Kathy's Kwilts and More and she made this great Dr. Who quilt.



3.  Helen via IG @archiewonderdog and she knitted these pretty (and I'm sure snuggly) socks.


The Q3 Winner of the $30 gift certificate from Clover & Violet goes to Kate who blogs at Katie Mae Quilts who made this bold and very pretty quilt.



The Q3 Winner of the $20 gift certificate from Sew Me A Song goes to Mary who blogs at Pondering It All and she made these super handy zipper bags.



The Q3 Winner of the $40 gift certificate from Imagine Gnats goes to Pippa via IG @Pippaspatch and she made this sweet and scrappy quilt.


The Q3 Winner of the $25 gift certificate from Studio 39 Fabrics goes to Andree who blogs at Quilting & Learning and she made this beautiful quilt.


Congratulations to the winners and thank you to the sponsors!!  I hope you are having a successful Q4, be prepared to start linking up those finishes starting December 31, 2017.

Hi there!  I'm Karen and blog at CapitolaQuilter .  I've been participating since the beginning of Finish-A-Long and am honored to have joined in as one of the International Hosts this year.   It's hard to believe we are already wrapping up 2017.

Pre-QCon Selfie 2017

Have you enjoyed reading the FAL Meet the Host monthly guest blogger posts?  Well, now it's my turn to to be featured in the series!  Here goes a picture filled post starting with most importantly, my beautiful family.

Family

Summer 2016

I am married to a wonderful guy and we have two grown boys.  We are incredibly proud of the men they have become and adore the women they have chosen to spend their lives with.  Enjoying time with our granddaughter and watching her reach milestones that we remember when our kids were young like it was yesterday and yet a lifetime ago is quite the mind game.

Look how cute and little they were!!!  My oversized glasses and shoulder pads date our family portrait and the "Big Hair-Skinny Tie" picture was the perfect share for my first ever swap called I heart the 80's a Flickr group.  I wish I still had that hand-dyed silk dress although in reality, we prefer jeans and a t-shirt.  This summer marks our 35th anniversary.

Flashback Family Photos

Capitola Quilter

BeeSewcial "Reflections" Capitola Photoshoot

Santa Cruz quilt photoshoot by Anne Sullivan

Thanks for indulging me - now on to the QUILTS!

The Early Years - Quilts from Patterns

Among the first quilts I made was a gift for my mother-in-law that included a picture of her seven grandkids.   It is sweet with coordinating prints, fussy cornerstones, sashing and a border.  Image transfer was high-tech at the time but peeling their faces off to iron down was totally creepy. Thank goodness Spoonflower came along!

1998-1999 one of my first quilts

My Birthday Quilt-themed party Quilt

Old Italian Block 2012 and Split Nine-Patch 2011

In 2013 local quilt store SueDee's featured my quilts on display in a solo show.  Using the MoStash and Friends+Fabric =AMSB bee blocks that I received and adding my own enlarged blocks, the Giant xPlus was a hit and is what I keep on our bed.

Opening Reception

I'm Felicity

and this is my family - Husband of 17 years K and our nearly-10-year-old daughter G:


I am lucky enough to live in Naramata, British Columbia. It's a village of fewer than 2,000 people nestled on the Naramata Bench in one of Canada's fruit- and wine-producing regions, the Okanagan Valley.



As you can see, we're on the side of a lake, and it's a big tourist destination because our summer weather is hot and dry.


We moved to Naramata from Vancouver just over a year ago. After living for nearly 25 years in Vancouver, we grew tired of the traffic and the astronomical cost of living and decided to take a different approach to life. We couldn't be happier.

I quit my job in the financial services industry and now I work part time in a local quilt shop as a designer, teacher and retail associate. I also work from home as a training and development consultant. My husband was a stay at home dad in Vancouver and he also works part time here in the area.

I began quilting in 2000, shortly after I got married. My husband is the one who encouraged me to look for a beginner's class because I spent a lot of time looking at and admiring quilts in museums and at shows but I was too intimidated to try it myself. But boy am I glad I did. I knew from the first minute of that first class that this was going to be my thing.

This is my first quilt - the classic beginner's sampler with one large scale fabric plus some blenders.


I even free motion quilted it all by myself on my tiny Bernina 145.



Yikes, amirite? But you know what? That was the start of something, and you gotta start somewhere.

Baby quilts for nieces and nephews happened in due course, as did a quilt for my husband's 40th birthday (2 years late).


I subscribed to quilting magazines, I read books about quilting, I could spend a whole weekend at a quilt retreat and come home and sew some more. It consumed all of my free time! Eventually, though, I got to the point where I was reading about quilting but becoming overwhelmed by all the projects I wanted to do so I didn't start anything.

Thankfully, I was able to give myself a good talking to, and came to my senses. Every quilt is just a whole bunch of seams that are sewn one at a time, right? Well, I said to myself, just commit to 20 minutes a day of sewing something. Anything. But sew. Eventually you'll get something done.


I was right! I did get lots done, aided as well by the explosion of the online world of modern quilting. I found Flickr and the myriad active quilt groups it hosted (RIP, old Flickr). I also found quilt blogs and started my own as a way to keep myself accountable by journalling my progress.


It's not an exaggeration to say that blogging and sharing online changed my life! I found Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild online and attended the first meeting in mid-2010. I met dear friends in person and via blogging (and blogging friends became in-person friends too). I participated in Flickr quilt swaps, virtual bees and met many of my online friends at the inaugural QuiltCon in Austin.


Though  I don't do many swaps anymore and online bees have fallen a little out of fashion, I still belong to a virtual quilt bee with 9 other incredible quilters, called Bee Sewcial. We work in solids only and we piece improvisationally based on that month's prompt and colour story.

Winter is my first quilt finished with Bee Sewcial blocks. The prompt was "abstract minimalist winter landscapes in shades of grey." Did my bee mates deliver or what? I love this quilt, and I will be submitting it to QuiltCon 2018 show.


I like to have lots of projects on the go, in varying degrees of complexity because I never know what I want to work on at any given time.

Here's a sampling of some of my favourite quilts from over the years:

I'm extremely fortunate to be able to have a completely separate studio to work in - we finished the 450 square foot space over our detached 2-car garage just for my quilting. (Truth be told that space was what sold us on this house. Good thing we like the rest of it!)



I love participating in the Finish A Long, and I'm so happy to be a host as well. We motivate each other to get our beautiful projects finished so we can move along to the next thing that makes us happy, yes? Yes.

Thanks for visiting with me!