Catching up with Etsy, things for the table.

As you may have noticed, there's been nothing in my Etsy store currently.  Absolutely nothing!  I've been working on lots of things to try and change that- but so many projects need just a little bit more.  Some of them I need good pics, and I guess I'll have to break down and go get another Kodak EasyShare camera.  I absolutely loved my old one, and nothing seems to compare.  I like having photos, but am not a photographer- just want to point-and-click and get good photos.  Haven't yet found a new camera that offers that.  So many have weird color, or just don't take good pictures simply.  Anyway....

I just finished up this bright Valentine's table-runner, and posted it on Etsy today.

And the back.  Binding is hand-sewn to the back, runner is completely reversible.

Finished measurements are 23 x 41 inches.

I tried something new for the quilting, I've wanted to for awhile but didn't have the right quilt for it.  I like the results!  Next time I might not do the extra-wavy lines in there, but I love the look of the vertical and horizontal lines in two different colors of thread. It took a long time, but the texture is awesome, and I'm sure it will be enhanced when washed!

It seems like I've been doing a lot of things for the table lately.  Since I made this table runner for ours, I've been hooked!  I absolutely love it, perfect answer to having 3 or 4 hot dishes to put on the table- and trying to  use mismatched potholders.

I used the same fabrics as mine, to make this one for my SIL, Clover.

 Somehow things just look "funner" all rolled up.

 Laying out on the table.

The back.  I loved the ridges made by the wavy-line quilting.

I started out with 2inch strips, laid out in the desired order..

There were two of each fabric, so I sewed each fabric to the one on both sides of it.  Does that make sense?  Except for the ends, I saved aside one of each for squaring up.  String-piecing saves a lot of time and thread, and also keeps them in order!

When pressing, I've learned that it really does pay off to take a little extra time and "set" your seams before opening them.  Don't ask me how, but it just works.  This is actually a trick that Mom taught me a long time ago, but I was sure it was a waste of time- till I was trying to make a really hard pattern work.  Imagine, Mom really does know a LOT, the older I get!  ;)

Speaking of irons, what do you prefer?  I had a Shark that I loved, but the button wore out and it had to be replaced.  I got another Shark with a dial, (actually Dad got it for me), but it leaked water out the back like a sieve.  So I finally looked at the Goodwill for the kind I grew up on..... sure enough, $3.99!!! And I love it, gets very hot and works great.

I cut each strip into groups of squares, which (for 2-inch strips sewn together with a 1/4-inch seam) was 3 1/2 inches.

Once again, leaving them in order makes for quicker layout.

Start by zig-zagging the strips across the table.

Then the next row, and the next.... pretty soon it's looking good!  Rows are sewn together on the diagonal, so it's a bit challenging to keep them all in order.  Once you've got strips from one direction, sew the strips together in the other direction.

I cut up the end leftover strips into small strips, to fill in the triangles.  Then I squared up the quilt, there is a bit of waste from the triangles, but it's a very fast layout so I don't mind.  I learned this pattern/style from crazymomquilts, although she used a solid for every-other zig-zag, instead of all of them different.

The boys LOVE practicing with scissors, cutting paper into little bits is quite fun!

Andy's getting more teeth, hence the constant slobber.

I found a cute way to do heart-cinnamon-rolls on pinterest, they tasted yummy but I forgot to take a finished pic before the evidence was eaten....  ;)

Mom and Dad bought us a vacuum-sealer years ago when we lived in Alaska and they would come to visit and go Halibut fishing, but I haven't used it in years.  After being at someone's house who uses it constantly, I decided to give it a try.  Oooops, guess it wasn't a good idea with fresh rolls!

Sucked all the air out of the rolls, and I don't think they'll automatically pop back up when thawed and opened!  Oh well, I do intend to use it for solid foods, it seems so handy and makes things taste better for longer in the freezer.

I used my new Go Baby! cutter for these little circle blocks, and they sure made the cutting faster!  Piecing the tiny ones, however, was not so fast.  Here's the pile of completed blocks.

Here is the finished top, I've been dying to quilt it, but just got minkie for the backing today.

I used the leftover blocks to make two hotpads.

I'm in love!

The back.

A little hook in case you want to hang it for decoration.  Although I do make them with insulated material, so they are meant to be used!

I used the smaller scraps, along with a few on my own, for 4 log-cabin blocks.

First idea.

Amazing how the same blocks, in two different layouts, can look entirely different!

I chose this one, and finished it as a pillow cover.  This pillow has had three different covers now, and gets lots of use, so it's nice to have something bright and somewhat valentine-ish.

Andy trying it out.  He wanted to make sure Tigger liked it too.  ;)

And for a laugh, here is what I found the kids doing today out behind the house.

Tyler'd been making the shed into a little "workshop", and adding shelves; so had left the sawhorses out to finish.

Hope you are having a great week!