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Marci Girl Designs

A Round-up of 2017's Finish-A-Long Tutorials

4/4/2018

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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.




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2017 Finish-A-Long Quarter 4 Winners!

2/23/2018

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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.


If you are low on inspiration or maybe your sewing mojo has been missing lately, we highly recommend you visit some of the finishes from the last quarter of the year.  There are a lot of beauties linked up and ready to inspire you!

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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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):


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:

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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:


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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:


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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:


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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:


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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.

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2017 Finish-A-Long - Quarter 4 My Finishes

1/4/2018

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You can find the Quarter 4 finishes link up HERE, it is open and you still have time to finish some things and link up!

When it was time to make my fourth quarter list, I decided to have just 4 projects as I knew the holidays were coming and wouldn't have a ton of time to sew, though I did need to finish at least two of the four, which I am happy to say that I did accomplish.
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My first finish this quarter was the Moana costume for my daughter and I blogged all about it HERE.  This was a Halloween costume and play costume for the future so I needed to get it done first.  Happy to report she loved it and it is finished!

My second and third finishes for the quarter were to sew up these flannel and cotton Christmas pajamas for my boys.  Finished the week before Christmas and gifted Christmas day, both boys were thrilled to have new pajamas.  The blue penguin set is long sleeved and long pants, size 4/5 and made entirely from scraps that were gifted to me.  Also everything from buttons to elastic was from my existing stash.  Yippie!  The crazy red/green/every color under the rainbow set is a size 10/12 and long sleeved and long pants.  The pants fabric was also scraps gifted to me that I had to get really creative with cutting out and piecing.  The top was a cotton print I bought on black Friday at JoAnn's.  Now they are on constant rotation at night and I'm thrilled to have finished them in time.

The BeeSewcial Triangle quilt totally got worked on and is a finished top right now.  I just have to finish up the backing, then I can baste and quilt.  I was happy to have at least made progress on it.

The hot pink knit top is still in the state it was when I took that photo.  It would have been made this quarter except for the fact that I somehow misplaced the pattern for it, so now I have to search.  I'm not reprinting it because it was already cut out and taped together and I'm not doing that again.

Statistics:
2 Complete
1 Progress Made
1 Untouched

Two out of four is pretty good for me and seemed to be the theme for this year, which I am happy with.  I'm hoping you all had a great holiday season and are enjoying the new year.  I'm thrilled to say that the Finish-A-Long will be continuing next year, it will remain Global with 7 other hosts plus myself, and the first link up will open right after the Q4 finishes linky closes.  Start working on those lists and I truly hope you will join in this next year.

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2017 Finish-A-Long - Quarter 4 Finishes Link Up

12/31/2017

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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:  
Just Jude Designs - 2 PDF Patterns
Sew Sisters Quilt Shop, $25 gift certificate
Charm About You - 2 PDF Patterns
Fat Quarter Shop, $50 gift certificate
Elven Garden Quilts - 3 PDF Patterns
Tartankiwi - $25 gift certificate
Blossom Heart Quilts - 3 PDF Patterns
Mad About Patchwork - $50 gift certificate
During Quiet Time - 3 PDF Patterns
Happy Quilting - choice of 3 patterns
Cooking Up Quilts - 2 PDF Patterns
Sew Sweetness - 3 PDF Patterns
Knotted Thread, $30 gift certificate
The Littlest Thistle - Camp Bag Pattern Pack
Green Fairy Quilts - $15 gift certificate
Quilting Jet Girl - 2 PDF patterns
Sunny Day Supply - $30 gift certificate
Make Modern Magazine - 3 six month subscriptions
Clover & Violet - $30 gift certificate
Sew me a Song, $20 gift certificate
Imagine Gnats - $40 gift certificate
Studio 39 Fabrics - $25 Gift Certificate

InLinkz.com



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.

The Q4 Finishes link will stay open from now thru January 6 at 11 pm EST - link up your finishes early and if you have a last minute one, add that one later so you don't miss out. The prizes will be awarded as soon as we can verify all the entries and do the drawings. We will post the winners on each hosts' blog.

And don't forget to start making your 2018 Q1 lists as the Q1 list link opens on January 7, 2018. More details about next year's Finish A Long will be announced soon.  Hope you will join us.

An InLinkz Link-up
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Moana Costume

12/20/2017

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My little girl is now 2.5 years old and around turning 2 discovered the greatness of movies.  Before 2 she had no interest in anything television, so it took me by surprise when she expressed such a huge interest in the movie Moana by Disney.  Interest turned into obsession (you know, watching it three times a day) and I just knew what she had to be for Halloween.  I thought about buying a costume, but they had nothing in her size, so you know what comes next.  I spent a long time searching for fabric on etsy that "matched" or at least came across as the same as how the outfit looked in the movie.  I actually feel like I really lucked up with my prints.  You can see the three prints below, all purchased on etsy, all designer quilting cotton.  I bought a ball of cotton crochet thread and proceeded to make 20 tassels (my estimate of how many I would need.) 
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This was the stage I was at when I made my fourth quarter Finish-A-Long list.  Fabric purchased and tassels made.  I also had purchased the necklace to make the look complete.

The top was a simple tube top that I wanted to add straps to and I knew I wanted it adjustable so she could wear it as play clothes for years to come.  In the end I used the Made for Mermaids pattern, Alyssa Top, Tunic, Dress & Maxi.  Though I changed a lot, I was able to use the basic pattern/measurements to figure out how big to make this top for my daughter.   I gathered the back with elastic that has button holes in it (what is that stuff called) and added buttons to the sides and now it is completely adjustable and will expand quite large.  I also added buttonholes to the long straps and buttons to the back and now the straps are adjustable too.  I had some trim in my stash that matched the crochet thread perfectly and I sewed it to the front of the top to mimic the detail that was in the outfit from the movie.  I was pleased as punch.
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The skirt however was a different story and was just really a lot of trial and error as I didn't use any sort of pattern.  I measured my little girl's waist and how long the skirt should be.  The top layer or sand colored fabric had to do this funky wrap around effect and then the bottom "straw" layer was more of a traditional skirt.  I used the same technique as the top and had the back gathered using that same elastic with buttonholes, so this skirt expands quite a bit.  I made it longer than I would have liked to accommodate her getting taller throughout the years.

As far as all that trim goes, and I know it looks complicated, it really wasn't.  I went to Hobby Lobby in hopes of finding some sort of pre-made trim that would work and was about to leave empty handed when I walked past the floral ribbon section.  They had this crocheted flat 3" ribbon/trim that I realized I could fold and then sew to create the triangles, which is exactly what I did and it worked even better than I imagined.  I then attached all those tassels I had previously made.  The zig-zag trim on the top layer was some random crochet-like thread that came in a bundle so I just used the entire bundle and pinned and then sewed straight lines right on top of the trim.  I sewed two lines on the top and bottom to hold it in place, it isn't perfect but creates that hand made look.  For the large "flowers" I just drew a design on paper and then used a fusible webbing on the back of a Kona cotton, fused it in place and then stitched 1/4" away from the edge (I wanted fraying) to permanently hold it on.  It took a lot of manipulating and trying to figure it out, but in the end I think it turned out fantastic.
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Here is the finished costume.  What do you think?  I love it and so does my daughter.  I was really happy with how close it looks to the original but without being an exact copy.

Below you can see my little model.  Since my little girl has very little hair we added a "wig" to mimic Moana's flowing locks and she wore it for the photos and then ripped that fake hair off her head.  It totally looked like a rat's nest. HAHA.
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This was my first finish of my fourth quarter list, which can be found HERE.  I'm hoping to have one more finished by Christmas (those Christmas pajamas) so I better get cracking.

You guys still have plenty of time to finish stuff up before the last link up of the year opens December 31st.  I hope you will have some finishes to link up.

Merry Christmas and I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Holiday season!
Marci

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2017 Finish Along - Q3 Winners!

12/15/2017

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


If you are low on inspiration or maybe your sewing mojo has been missing lately, we highly recommend you visit some of the finishes from the third quarter of the year.  There are a lot of beauties linked up and ready to inspire you!

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.


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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.


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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.


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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.)

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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!)


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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!)


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.

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Meet A Finish-A-Long Host - Capitola Quilter

11/15/2017

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Once a month (and two months, twice) I will be featuring one of my co-hosts for the Finish Along so you can get to know them better.   This month is Karen from Capitola Quilter and I'll wrap up here so you can read about her life directly from her!  Enjoy! 


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
In 2002 we adopted two German Shorthair pointers. Always underfoot,  Dottie's trick was to step on my foot pedal (until I upgraded my sewing machine with a start/stop button) and innocently walk in the way of photos.  Chase perfected the skill of lying on a quilt if I glanced away - for a minute - while basting. 


Sadly, we recently lost them both to sudden illness after long full lives and have no animals at the moment.   Pets are considered family members to us and Hubby wants a puppy but I am not ready.

Capitola Quilter

Frequently mistaken for "Capitol, a Quilter" or "capital A quilter" , my blog name is easily misunderstood if you don't happen to be familiar with the small town on the coast of California USA where I live, Capitola.   Spanning less than 2 square mile with a population of about 10K, it isn't a big city but is rich in history and a constant source of inspiration. 

BeeSewcial "Reflections" Capitola Photoshoot

Although our house is not one of the big beautiful oceanfront ones you see in the picturesque backdrops when I take my quilts on a photoshoot,  we're still pretty lucky to be able to walk to the beach and enjoy mild weather.

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 Scrappy Maximalist style had a kickstart when my friends brought fabric to a surprise Quilt-themed birthday party in my honor.  The assortment received did NOT go together so I used black and white with uniform shapes to bring order and incorporated quote blocks.  It is one of my most sentimental quilts and the beginning of my desire to create original works.

My Birthday Quilt-themed party Quilt

Following patterns from books, I made these wedding quilts out of batiks, traditional and modern stash.  I had the chance to meet Anita Grossman Solomon at Quilt Festival Houston 2014 and see her Old Italian Block quilt in the exhibit.  I subtitled my blog SecondHandScraps because I eagerly accept leftovers from friends who know my reputation for scrappiness.

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
It didn't seem like an ambitious task when I set out to make each of my nieces, nephews and my own kids a 21st Birthday quilt.   I stayed on track until the final three and thankfully all twelve are finally delivered.  Among the tardy is this Full size quilt that rolled over from quarter to quarter on my FAL list frequently.  I included a jumbo delectable mountain for the backing and two matching shams.

a rare "Guy" quilt
Early on I only sewed for gifts and charity giving away all of my quilts.  I didn't have a single one in my house!  Since then I've kept  a few - as evident by this adorable photo: 



More than Quilts

Quilting came into my life as an adult but I grew up wearing handmade and learned to sew clothes in 4-H as a kid excelling in HomeEc in Jr. High and High School.   Somewhere along the way I misplaced the confidence and skills and have had little success making myself garments.  I've dabbled with clothes for my granddaughter since she's much easier to please and fit than I am.  



Hart's Fabric, a family owned independent brick and mortar fabric store since 1969 (a rarity these days) is still the same place I go to shop.  My improv seagull, poppy field and mountains design was chosen for their 2016 Row by Row Experience pattern.

Bags are quick and rewarding makes.  I enjoy browsing thrift stores for handwork and feel compelled to rescue the abandoned treasures like the patchwork cat needlework used in The Wasted Swap tote (lower right).



Original Designs and Influences


Most of what I make now are original or modified designs rather than from patterns.  Perspective was designed using Play Crafts tool Equal, made in a whirlwind 10 days and displayed at Hart's to show off the Loominous fabric line. An edgy improv butterfly seemed fitting use of the Sweet Rebellion fabric line for Ink & Arrow's blog hop.

Goats Askew  pushed a lot of technical boundaries.   I loved being one of the Score for Bias Strip Petals testers and part of Sherri Lynn Wood's gallery here even though it was not published in her book.  I've taken two workshops with her and got to show and tell in person at the last one.

I didn't make an All-Solids quilt until 2014 which seems crazy since that is the majority of what I work in now.  Capitola Crossing was directly inspired by an antique quilt, details blogged here.  It was displayed at Amish: the Modern Muse, a juried exhibit representing three Modern Guilds in the FiberSpace section of the San Jose Museum of Quilt and Textiles.

Perspective, Dare to Fly, Goats Askew and Capitola Crossing

My style has expanded to include Improvisation with Meaning in the Make since joining BeeSewcial.  The Graphic and Minimalistic focus also comes from Quilt Design A Day, QDAD a Facebook group that I am admin for.   Both encourage exploration and push me beyond boundaries more than I'd ever imagined.

The transformation of a design mock up to a finished quilt is a process I highly recommend trying.  Here are four samples: Two challenges for our local show,  "Resonate" for the AGF Heartland Tour Blog Hop, and Castle in The Sand a collaborative quilt with valued mentor Pam Rocco.   As you can see I've deviated from he original design but have captured the essence which is more my goal.

Examples of #QDAD2Reality

Contributing blocks for QuiltCon First Place group bee winners: 2016 Debbie Jeske's Mod Mood and 2017 Stephanie Ruyle's Direction Optional  was such an honor.  Fortunately I had the opportunity to be there to see the quilts up close in person and help celebrate.  Thanks to the QDAD Showcase and Quilt of the Month Special Exhibit,  my own quilts hung in Savannah at QuiltCon East.

Left: Me & my Quilts, Right: BeeSewcial at QuiltCon
QDADers being silly
This year I'm going to enter my absoulutely stunning Reflections BeeSewcial quilt and hope, hope, hope it is accepted.   Now that I've puzzled this one together I should have no trouble with the next two, right?

Reflections BeeSewcial Quilt
Here are just a few of my favorite BeeSewcial blocks that I've made and a mosaic from 2015:



I was diligent about documenting blocks back in the Flickr days and am sentimentally fond of them despite how different in style they are.

2012 Flickr Group Bee Blocks

Quilting with friends is really special to me.  Fortunately this happens on a regular basis with a small local group and annually with our guild.  I've also managed to crash a couple of sister guild retreats too!  My wish is to have a larger Multi-Chapter or Regional sewing meet up, a casual no frills opportunity to hang out with nearby peeps that I "know" from social media someday.

Local Friends, Sew and Stroll
SBAMQG Annual Fall Retreat 2012-2017

I'm also lucky to meet up with my sis who lives far away at quilty events like QuiltCon, Quilt Festival and Empty Spools.  For the 90's themed party at Glamp Stitchalot we had fun dressing up and although my closet may still have authentic garments from the era,  I repurposed a plaid blazer into a skirt.

Sewing Sisters

We'll be together at another QuiltCon in February - say "hi" if you see us. She'll be the one perfecting her skills in back to back workshops and I'll be the one striking up a conversation with a perfect stranger, embarrassing myself with fangirl selfies and sporting a blue volunteer t-shirt.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Being part of our MQG guild chapter South Bay Area MQG from the beginning, serving as VP and chairing committees has made a huge impact.  Learning from one another and being part of something bigger holds a special place in my heart.

QuiltCon Charity blocks 2013
I never would have guessed the first tutorial as a brand new blogger, Polaroids Chain Pieced would generate the highest traffic to date and show up on tons of Pinterest boards.  A special shout out to my blog followers!



This summer I had the pleasure of teaching my first workshop, a technique and design rather than project based class.   Students did great playing with parts and possibilities and their enthusiasm made for a fun time.  I hope to have more opportunities in the future and am developing a spin off class that I'm excited about.



  Last but not least, My Workspace

Once upon a time, I had an organized sewing space in a small L-shaped room of our house as a legit place to create.  Yardage stored on comic boards in bookshelves and FQ-ish bundles kept in an antique cabinet with scrap tubs lining the perimeter of the ceiling on a shelf.  Some weekends I would rarely step away and loose all track of time.  It was all inclusive but a little lonely and cramped.  




To be more centrally located I temporarily put up a portable design wall, sewing and cutting table in the living room only I have never moved back.  My old room is now a glorified closet,  piled high with projects in buckets and bags waiting to be put back where they belong - or better yet, finished.

Sewing in the Living Room
When I get in the productive zone, I just push aside what's in my way or brush it to the floor and keep going.  I may be sewing fewer scrappy quilts these days but I am certainly not making less scraps!



Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me and the creative frenzy that has been my journey so far.  I wish you all the best of luck with your FAL goals and hope you continue to carve out a quilty path that brings you joy.  

Happy Stitching, Karen aka CapitolaQuilter
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Meet A Finish-A-Long Host - Felicity Quilts

10/15/2017

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Once a month (and two months, twice) I will be featuring one of my co-hosts for the Finish Along so you can get to know them better.   This month is Felicity from Felicity Quilts and I'll wrap up here so you can read about her life directly from her!  Enjoy! 


Helloooo!

I'm Felicity

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

being silly, something we do very well

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.

One of my first modern quilts

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.



These two quilts won honourable mention at QuiltCon 2013.

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.

Winter, a Bee Sewcial Collaboration

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:

In a (Solid) Pickle, 2011 (swap quilt)

Burst of Colour, 2013

Helen Keller Wisdom, 2011


Selfie, 2015


Naramata Summer, 2014 (made after a visit and before we knew we'd be moving here!)


Modern Stripes, 2016 (accepted to QuiltCon 2017)

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!)

 
Before

After

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!
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My 2017 Finish-A-Long Quarter 4 List

10/4/2017

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Here we are at the last quarter of the year, which absolutely blows my mind.  I know I say it all the time but where did the year go, my goodness!  I'm keeping my list short and simple this quarter, so here it is:
1.  Bee Sewcial Triangle Quilt - You can see some of my progress above.  The quilt is in nine sections and I have half of the back done.  I am currently waiting on yardage to arrive so I can finish up the quilt front and back.  Very excited about this one.

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2.  Christmas Pajamas - Surprised this one carried over?  I doubt it, obviously I want to get these made for my kiddos for Christmas this year.

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3.  Women's Waterfall Raglan - I really want to get this pattern made because I really want to have this shirt and hopefully I'll love the fit and want to make lots more.

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4.  Moana Halloween Costume - New this quarter, I started making tassels last month and have the majority of my supplies and I have a plan.  Since this one is for Halloween this year I better get cracking!

That's it folks!  Four projects, hopefully doable so I can finish out the year with a bang.  You still have a few days to make your list and link up, please do, we would love to have you!  Find the link up HERE.
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My Finish-A-Long Quarter 3 List - How Did I Do?

10/2/2017

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I like to check in at the end of each quarter (or at least before I post my next list) to take inventory of how I did that quarter and give thought to what should end up on the next list.  I don't know what to say about this third quarter of the year.  In a way it was somewhat successful but then I also think it was a total fail, I'm not sure, I guess it is all about perspective.  So let's see what happened:

Finished

I did finish two projects, but didn't link them up with the Finish-A-Long for two reasons.  First, I'm not eligible for prizes so it doesn't really matter if I link up and second because I don't have good finished photos yet.

I finished my Little Girl's Waterfall Raglan, it fits and is super cute, so that is a win.

I finished my Take The Plunge Swimsuit for myself.  It is a win for so many reasons it isn't even funny, it fits, it fits GREAT, it is flattering and I wore it on vacation and several swimming excursions that we went on.  I love everything about it and will make more.

I plan to photograph and blog about both, especially my swimsuit, I just need to gather the strength to post a photo of myself in it online.  EEK.

Worked On

I worked on two other projects, worked on them diligently, just didn't finish them.

I had a small stack of quarter yard cuts of knit to make Little Girl Leggings but when it came down to it I had a change of heart of how I wanted to use these fabrics.  I pulled two out that I would make leggings with, and I have made one pair.  The other three fabrics will be used as ruffles or sleeves on other projects because in the end my little one doesn't need so many leggings right now.

I really made an effort to get my Triangle Bee Sewcial Quilt Finished or at least a top.  And I did make a lot of progress.  Right now it is in 9 large pieces and I'm awaiting additional fabrics to arrive for me to finish.  I've also made pretty good progress on the backing but also need more fabric.  Once that fabric arrives I'll get right back to this one.  I'm excited at how it is turning out.

Didn't Even Touch

The title here says it all, didn't even touch or think about these.  I just didn't have the sewing time, which sadly has been the case this year.  Some of these will carry over to next quarter but not all so you will have to stay tuned to see what makes the cut.

Bee Sewcial Floral Mini Quilt
Christmas Pajamas
Take The Plunge Swimsuit Version 2
Women's Waterfall Raglan
Little Girl Simplicity Pattern

There we have it, nine projects, two finished, two worked on and five I didn't touch.  I think my next list will be a short one.  I feel better when it is a short list that actually seems doable for me, so maybe 3-4 projects instead of so many.  I'll post that list in a few days.  The link up is open right now, so go ahead and write up your list and link it up, you can find the linky HERE.

Thanks for joining along with us, I do so enjoy reading all your blogs and link ups, especially all the finished projects.  I may not always leave a comment but I do visit a lot of them and I appreciate you all playing along.

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    Marci Girl

    A feisty mom designing, sewing and blogging her way through everyday life!

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