Sew Saturday ~ SSMQG Stuff

It's been awhile since I've shown you what I have been sewing.   I'll start with the blocks I made for our October meeting for South Sound Modern Quilt Guild.  This was our first block of the month and I thought it was an easy one to start with.  It would have been easy if I had printed off the directions or brought my laptop with me.  Instead I ended up sewing one of the blocks wrong.  Can you tell the difference?  It makes a cool pattern when you do half and half like this, but I'm afraid I am the only one who didn't follow directions so my block might stick out like a sore thumb. 

There are several fun designs you can make with this block, but you need to be careful of your placements for the red strips or they can start to look like a swastika and nobody wants that!  The aqua colors aren't showing up well in these pictures, but they are a pretty combo with the red and white. 

I've been wanting to make an aqua/teal and red/pink quilt for awhile.  I'm seriously considering making all of the BOM for the quilt guild challenges in these colors for myself and making it into a quilt when the year is done.  The two blocks above were already donated for our charity quilt, but I have more of all of these fabrics.  ;)

Now for a sneak peek.  Do you remember the bag of scraps I got from our September meeting?  We exchanged bags and were asked to make something for the person whose bag we chose.  This week I was compelled to finish Melissa's item.  Unfortunately my sewing machine was a mess.  It was not wanting to pull the fabric through.  The fabric was getting caught in the feed dogs and it was skipping stiches, so I replaced the needle.  The machine started making a funny sound and then it stopped pulling up the bobbin thread altogether.  In my mind I was thinking it might be time to get that fancy machine I was planning on waiting another year for.  BUT, I couldn't, because....

Tyler had his senior pictures taken on Wednesday. :)  First I had to buy clothes and shoes for him to wear.  Then I found out Michael has a concert this week and he too needed formal clothes and shoes because he's outgrown what he wore last Spring.  Add in the cost for the photo session, pictures and CD and you can see why I didn't have money to spare.   Thankfully after turning the sewing machine off for a couple of hours, giving it a thorough cleaning, replacing the needle (again) and re-threading both the upper and lower threads it started working again.  Just in the nick of time too, because Ty came to me the next day with a brochure for Cap & Gown & Announcements. 

Fall Foliage @ Tumwater Falls

For those of you wondering how much the senior year costs, just plan on $50-$400 each time your senior brings something home they need.  Yearbooks, Senior Pictures, Cap, Gown, Tassle, Formal Clothes (Homecoming, Prom, Pictures, & Graduation), Senior Trip, Safe & Sober Grad Night, College Applications, SAT/ACT/etc., AP Tests, and that is just what I am aware of right now.  I'm sure there will be more surprises to come.   Four years of college and by then the younger child will in his senior year.

Start Saving Now!

Sorry for the lane swerve, Melissa.  :)  Here is what you have been waiting for.... a peek at what I'm working on for you.

This project is almost finished and it turned out so well that my son, Michael, asked me to make him one in his colors.  I'm hoping my machine holds up long enough for me to make another little item for Melissa using her scraps, but I may need to take her in to be repaired before that happens.

Creative Blessings,
Heather North

P.S.  Come back tomorrow for more pictures from last weekends Stars Guild Quilt Show.