Blog Posts

March Madness 2018 - The Sweet Sixteen

3/16/2018

I have been invited for a second year to participate in the Paintbrush Studios Mad For Solids 2018 game or playoffs if you will. This is honestly the only type of March Madness that I care about. As a participant I chose eight fabrics from their impressive collection of 168 colors and created my own "color story" if you will. There are a total of 16 participants that have been randomly drawn and placed into a bracket. Starting on Sunday, 3/18/18 at 6 pm CST you will be able to vote on the Inspired by Fabric blog, Facebook and Instagram. Each day there will be a new "face off" of sorts until it eventually narrows down to just one winner. This is completely for fun and honestly most of us participants are friends, which is really great. You have the chance to win fabric just by voting, so win win! All the details and all the color palette's of the Sweet 16 can be seen HERE.

The color palette I have chosen can be seen above, and I'll tell you all about it next week when it is my day for voting (Saturday, March 24, 2018.) If you want the inside scoop ahead of time you can visit the Inspired by Fabric blog and read all about it.

I do hope you decide to play along, I think it is fun and only takes a second to vote, so why not?

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Bee Sewcial March Prompt

3/1/2018

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March is my month to choose a prompt for my fellow bee-mates and after seeing a Spoonflower design challenge a little over a month ago, I knew instantly what I wanted to do. Honestly I had never even heard of Kilim, so after seeing that Spoonflower challenge, I did some research and below is the basics of what I learned and then following is my prompt.

Curious to play along? Read through all the way to the bottom for more details.

Kilim

Definition - A kilim is a flat tapestry-woven carpet or rug traditionally produced in countries of the former Ottoman Empire, Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkic countries of Central Asia. Kilims can be purely decorative or can function as prayer rugs. Modern kilims are popular floor-coverings in Western households. Created with a basic tapestry weave, warp and weft strands, therefore having no pile The technique used today is almost identical to how they were produced in the fourth or fifth century.

What will we be making? A mini decorative “rug” or quilt block based on the geometric stylings of modern day kilim tapestries. Using either traditional motifs found in traditional kilim or purely your own design in a geometric improv style. Here is a link to my Pinterest board that is for design inspiration and not color inspiration- HERE. You will see in my pins lots of various styles, some very geometric and uniform but the rugs I love the most are very improv friendly with lots of “images” or designs, hence what I would like my finished to quilt to look like. In the end this will be a quilt and in no way an actual rug. Your block does not have to feature multiple things, you can pick/design one thing and make your “rug.” I’m hoping that my finished quilt will have a lot of large blocks that will be constructed to look like an overall rug, not a quilt that has a lot of mini individual rugs.

Size - The block should measure 14.5” x 20.5”, which is slightly smaller than the equivalent of (2) 12.5” blocks.

Amount - One block only.

Techniques - Improv piecing, paper piecing

Color - The photo below is a picture by Stephanie Ruyle (@spontaneousthreads) and is my color inspiration. Bright vibrant colors set off with any and all shades of neutrals. Limit country/western colors, think rust, tans, brown, anything that might make a rug appear dirty or aged. Bright, happy and clean is how I would like the end product to appear.

Thanks for hanging in there to the end. Curious to play along? Using my prompt, create a quilt block for yourself to keep, then post a photo on Instagram using the hashtag #inspiredbybeesewcial and if you want me to see it quickly, tag me in the photo @Marci_Girl. We would love for you to join us, this month or any month. These monthly prompts are a great way to play around with improv, learn new skills and have fun sewing! Hope you join us!

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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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2018 Finish-A-Long - Q1 My List

1/15/2018

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You know how you have the best intentions for a week and then things go awry, well that is my last week and why I'm posting my list for the first quarter on the last day to link up! And yes, still time to link up and you can find that post HERE. Worked out great for me that this year the Finish-A-Long has longer link-up dates, giving us all more time to participate.

Since the first of the year I've been thinking about my list and debating on what to include this first quarter, it's hard sometimes. I know a lot of you include your entire list, but my list is crazy person (which I am) long (think 35-40 ongoing projects) and I like to narrow it down to a small list each quarter that I think I can actually finish or at least work on. Sometimes I struggle to make the list because I'm not sure what I want to work on or how much time I really will have to sew. This quarter hopefully will be the end to our year long house addition (FINGERS CROSSED!) Once the addition is done, I'll have a small sewing space which will involve a lot of moving and organizing to make the space work the best and most efficiently for me. I'm wanting to take my time and do this right so the rest of the year can just be spent sewing and enjoying this new addition. So you can see my dilemma this quarter as I'm not sure I'll even have a chance to really sew. I'll make a list anyway with high hopes of finishing at least a few things, so here we go.

1. Bee Sewcial Flowers Quilt - I'm not sure if this one will turn into a finished quilt but I would love to at least get started and do some embroidery on the blocks and at least start hatching out a good solid plan for these wonderful blocks.

2. Ladies Waterfall Raglan - Carried over from last year, I want to make at least one top for myself in this pattern. Now to find what I did with the printed out pattern...

3. City Sampler Quilt - Carried over from EVERY SINGLE QUARTER last year I will finish this quilt this year! Now that our addition is almost done our bed will need a nice finished quilt on it and since this one was made with that intention, then it's time to get it done and put it to use. I just have to quilt the background as each of the "blocks" are already quilted.

4. Bee Sewcial Triangle Quilt - The top is together and I'm just working on the back, would love to get quilting on this one.

5. Bonnie & Camille Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt - This one is another for our bed, so it will be queen sized. Right now it is just blocks, but I know how I want to lay them out and I have all the supplies.

6. Once Upon A Time Cross Stitch - Not sure this one has ever been on my list, it's been a WIP for about 4 years now, I've been stitching on and off, but this last year I really committed and worked on it a little almost every single day. My goal was to be finished by the time our addition was done and I'm really close to meeting that goal. So I'll be plugging away on this one to be able to hang it on my daughter's wall when her room is done.

There it is, my list of 6 projects. I'll be thrilled to finish 2-3 of them, so wish me luck. I wanted to say a quick Thank-you to all of you playing along this year, it really means a lot to me have you join us for the first quarter of the year and hope that you will join us for the entire year once you see how great it is to finish up those WIPs!

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2018 Finish-A-Long - Quarter 1 Link Up!

1/7/2018

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It's time to link up your list of unfinished projects that you propose to finish in Q1 of the Finish-A-Long. We are hoping that the FAL community will inspire you to work on your unfinished projects this quarter (and throughout the remainder of the year) and to get them finished!

The FAL is hosted by a community of bloggers across the world. Our hosts are:

Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA

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

Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada

Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA

Felicity - Felicity Quilts - Canada

Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA

Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada

Lynne - Tinking Along - USA

For those of you who are new to the FAL, it is a place to find motivation and encouragement to complete those unfinished projects that are hanging about. At the start of the quarter you post and link up a list of projects you hope to finish in the next three months, and then at the end of the quarter, you link up each successful finish from your original list.

Each linked up finish is an entry into the draw for wonderful prizes from our sponsors. There is no penalty for not finishing a listed project, so feel free to make your list long or short, as you wish. The 2018 Schedule and Rules for the FAL are on my permanent FAL page, let me know if you have any questions.

Here are the fantastic and generous sponsors for Q1 of the Finish-A-Long - you can see each of their prizes listed under their logo (think about visiting them and saying thank you):

$50 Gift Certificate

3 PDF Patterns

$25 Gift Certificate

2 PDF Patterns

$20 Gift Certificate

3 PDF Patterns

2 PDF Patterns

3 Six Month Subscr.

$25 Gift Certificate

A Minikins Bundle

$50 Gift Certificate

2 PDF Patterns

$30 Gift Certificate

Join Us!

So, now it is time to round up those projects you want to finish over the next three months! Take a photo of each one and make your list. Please ensure that you have at least started your projects - pulled fabric with a pattern is considered a UFO, and remember it is only finished projects that will get you an entry toward the above listed prizes. So while we love to see your bee blocks, the "finish" is when they are a completed, usable project.

If posting on social media (Flickr, Facebook & Instagram,) it will be very helpful if you tag your list with #2018FALQ1yourname (where yourname is unique to you.) Using the same hashtag over the quarter when sharing project progress or finishes, helps the host to make the connection to your original list quickly and easily.
IMPORTANT: Don't forget to link up your finishes when the quarter closes!

The 2018 Q1 link for your list of proposed finished is now open below on my blog and each of the hosting blogs. You need only link your list once, on one blog - the link will show up on all of the blogs. If you are using Facebook, Flickr or Instagram, post a mosaic of your projects and put your list in the description. Don't forget to include your unique hashtag. Katy of The Littlest Thistle has a great tutorial on how to link-up if you need it.

We also ask that you become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others - visit and comment on their lists. We all need encouragement to get those finishes done, so please share some of your own too.
If you want you can follow us on Facebook: Finish-A-Long and/or on Instagram @finishalong, too. We'll post encouragement during the quarter, and reminders when the finishes link-up opens at the end of the quarter.

When creating your list there is one thing to remember...No deductions for not completing something so...Aim High! Nothing to lose!!! Well Now...Get those lists together and get linked up.

The Q1 proposed finish linky party will stay open until 11 pm EST, Monday January 15, 2018 - as we are global, you might want to check your time zone to determine your last possible time to link (you can also see how much time is left below the linked up images on the right.)
Remember: you only need to link up at ONE hosting blog and it will automatically show up on all hosting blogs.

An InLinkz Link-up

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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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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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