MOP Monday - many things are cooking!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving week and a safe Black Friday :)

I had a very very productive week!!!

-- MOP: The Xmas presents list --

1. Boxes of Rainbow (UO) - label attached to the quilt! off the list!!

2. Topolino quilt (MPB) - quilting started! see below for a "cheap" technique to baste it :)

3. the Z quilt (CO) - quilted the last section! (Couldn't finish the quilt for Nov, but I will finish it for Dec :) this is my project for Lovely Year of Finishes (Dec))

4. pillow (VP) - last week wasn't started, and now is doooone! off the list!!
5. convertible bag (IG) - printed pattern, and picked fabric
6. coasters & table runner (MO) - finished last week! off the list!!
7. something (SZ) - 2 potholders and half a pouch done, missing other 2 potholders and the other half of the pouch

Extras (because if I have tons of projects to finish I need to add some extras anyway O_o):
1. the SK project - printed next pattern
2. small project for magazine - block completed, but I cannot share (secret projects are fun ;) )
3. block swap Nov & Dec - printed patterns
4. food for Thanksgiving!!

(Linking up at Let's Bee Social)

-- MOP: This week updates--

First let me start with some updates from my Thanksgiving dinner:

Picture with the Fandom In Stitches mug that I won for my "Make it Mosaic" block!! :)

I took the picture after eating our Thanksgiving dinner for which I made: special braid bread (with olives), mayonnaise, risotto ai funghi (and arancini di riso the next day), and Pumpkin Crunch! If you want my recipes I can share them with you, just drop me an email :)

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And since I had few days off from work I had the chance to spend time finishing up some Xmas presents!!

This is a fun & quick project perfect for a man who likes ties!!

I found this idea on Pinterest, but there was no link to the original pattern or designer. I made myself the pattern and it went together super fast! I used 4 actual ties and 2 are cotton fabric that looked like ties to me :)
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The Z quilt is all quilted! Now the final step is to join the sections and bind it, for sure it will be done in a week or so!! I will share pictures once it's all done :)
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I have completed 2 potholders and half a zip pouch for a special person, but since I don't know if she is reading my blog, I don't want to share too much about them until she receives them ;)
But this is the back (fun fabric that a Block Swap partner sent me... isn't it perfect for a pot holder??)

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And finally, let me share this cheap way of basting my quilt! Pin-basting with a Foam Can Holder! :)
Ok, this is the story.
I didn't like pin basting for two reasons: 1) on a big quilt, I can never make the back smooth enough and then I spend hours trying to make it good and I just get frustrated; 2) I keep getting stabbed!! I don't like safety pins (they are too hard to put on and to move while quilting).
Now I found the solution for both problems!! 1) I quilt smaller pieces and join them later, so now having a smooth back is easier to achieve!! 2) I watched some videos where Leah Day suggests using straight pins but using some silicone "caps" to hold them in place and avoid stabbing! I checked them online and while they look cool, honestly they looked too expensive for me to buy not even knowing if this method would be good for me. So I looked around my craft shop and I found those Foam Can Holders (like these ones) for about 50 cents each... they are pretty thick so I cut them into 1 inches "squares" or weird shapes, and that's it!! here I have a ton of pin caps, super cheap and they work just great!!

They are big enough for a pin to go inside and be pretty stable, but they are easy to remove and reposition while you are quilting! Probably they are not as nice and durable as the official silicone ones, but I don't think anything can beat a 50 cents piece of think foam ;)
Now I am looking forward to baste more pieces of my quilt! :)

Here a picture before I started basting... my helper was really helpful in smoothing the three layers ;)

"Hey, I didn't do that, I found it that way!" :)

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And now, what are YOU going to link?? :)

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MOP Monday - 2 big projects close to completion

Many exciting progress from my side!!! 

-- MOP: The Xmas presents list --

1. Boxes of Rainbow (UO) - only missing step is to attach the label to the quilt! (this is my project for Lovely Year of Finishes (Dec))

2. Topolino quilt (MPB) - last block done, and top DOOOOOONE (see below)

3. the Z quilt (CO) - no progress (this is my project for Lovely Year of Finishes (Nov))

4. small pillow or table runner (VP) - no progress
5. convertible bag (IG) - no progress
6. coasters & table runner (MO) - table runner done! (but cannot share ;) )
7. something (SZ) - no progress

Extras (because if I have tons of projects to finish I need to add some extras anyway O_o):
1. the SK project - 1 block done (see below) and 1 more designed
2. small project for magazine - designed! (but secret ;) )

(Linking up at Let's Bee Social)

-- MOP: This week new blocks --

The practice for the secret event that I am organizing for next year goes on!!
In 2 weeks (during the Sew Mama Sew giveaway day) I will share (a little more) about it, so stay tuned!!
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The new block for my Topolino quilt is the sweet Minnie:

Pattern available here

I am very pleased by the background fabric I choose: I was not sure at the beginning because this fabric have large flowers in different colors so I wasn't really confident that the block would turn out fine... but I tried anyway and I love the result!! It look scrappy without distracting too much from the main character (at least that how I see it ;) )

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And as mentioned before, I was planning to have this Topolino quilt done for Xmas and the original project had an additional gazillion of blocks ;) so I decided to go for a different design with less blocks ;)

And this is the beauty of using a sheet set as the backing fabric: I wanted to use this Mickey Mouse sheet as the backing so I bought the entire set, which has a flat sheet (the backing) but it has also a fitted sheet and a (matching) pillow case... so I thought: why don't I cut the fitted sheet and use it as the background fabric in the front too?? and that's what I did!!! And I super love it!!!!

This is the top! I didn't join the different rows because I will quilt them separately, so I can say that the top is DOOOOOONE!!

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And finally we have one new opening lines for my SK project.
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Christine
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Pattern available on "The SK project" page

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And now, what are YOU going to link?? :)

An InLinkz Link-up

MOP Monday - I see the finish line!!

Many exciting progress from my side!!! 

-- MOP: The Xmas presents list --

1. Boxes of Rainbow (UO) - label done! (see below)

2. Topolino quilt (MPB) - 1 (big) block done (see below)
3. the Z quilt (CO) - quilted third section! with an helper (see below)
this is my project for Lovely Year of Finishes (Nov)

4. small pillow or table runner (VP) - no progress
5. convertible bag (IG) - no progress
6. coasters & table runner (MO) - 4 more coasters done! (but cannot share, see below)
7. something (SZ) - printed 2 patterns and picked the fabric!

Extras (because if I have tons of projects to finish I need to add some extras anyway O_o):
1. the SK project - 1 block designed

(Linking up at Let's Bee Social)

-- MOP: This week new blocks --

I quilted the top part of the quilt outlining the symbol and then doing some echo around it to make them look like lines in the sand of a zen garden

Obviously I was helped in tracing the quilting line by my special helper!

"It's a hard job, but someone has to do it" :)

"So how did I do?"

And for the first time ever, the label of this quilt is ready before the quilt!! :)
I designed this label for all my new quilts to acknowledge the great help of my special sewing assistant!
So I stitched one for my Rainbow quilt and one for my Z quilt!!

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The practice for the secret event that I am organizing for next year goes on!!
The pile of coasters doubled and one xmas present is almost complete ;)

More details are going to be revealed soon, I promise :)
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And I finally  completed one big big block for my Topolino quilt!
Topolino (Mickey Mouse in Italian) is also the name of the comic strip that I was reading every week when I was a kid (wiki says that "Topolino is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics"... that's the correct description ;) ).
Anyway this is the fonts/colors usually used in the cover of all my Topolini!

(10'' x 50'', pattern available here)

I also decided not to make all the block that I initially planned for this quilt because, let's face it, I want to have it done for THIS Xmas, not the next one :) so I will add just one more block and then start putting it together (into sections to quilt separately).

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And finally I can share with you the blocks I made for my Block Swap Partner of October (Agnes). She asked for a wonky house block with the crazies fabric I had: I went pretty crazy I think ;)


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And now, what are YOU going to link?? :)

An InLinkz Link-up

MOP Monday - good progress!

Many exciting progress from my side!!! 

-- MOP: The Xmas presents list --

1. Boxes of Rainbow (UO) - missing the label

2. Topolino quilt (MPB) - 1 block done (see below)
3. the Z quilt (CO) - quilted second section! more "hidden" text (see below)
this is my project for Lovely Year of Finishes (Nov)

4. small pillow or table runner (VP) - no progress
5. convertible bag (IG) - no progress
6. coasters & table runner (MO) - 4 coasters done! (but cannot share, see below)
7. something (SZ) - designed 4 patterns!

Extras (because if I have tons of projects to finish I need to add some extras anyway O_o):
1. the SK project - 1 block done (see below)

(Linking up at Let's Bee Social)

-- MOP: This week new blocks --

Here is (part) of the second section I quilted with text!
Following the wonderful class by Jacquie Gering called "Creative Quilting with Your Walking Foot" I wrote my name and the name of the person that the quilt is for (not shown :) )
I really like the effect because it's readable but not too invasive, so it won't distract from the overall design of the quilt!

Now just the 2 middle sections are left to do!!
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Finally I went back to my Topolino project!! And I finished my Pluto block!!

(Pattern available here)

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And I started organizing a new project (super secret, but it's going to be revealed soon... at least some details... it will be a fun team work, and I hope many of you will join us... but no more details for now sorry)! Anyway...
I used a Xmas present to test some things for my part in the project! So fun! So addictive! I made 4 coasters in a very little amount of time and they are just wonderful! Sneak peek below :)

Stay tuned for more details soon!!
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And finally we have 1 new opening lines for my SK project.
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Cycle of the Werewolf
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Pattern available on "The SK project" page

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And check out all my quotes together!! I really love the way this project is slowly but steadily growing!! :)

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And now, what are YOU going to link?? :)

An InLinkz Link-up

MOP Monday - VOTE, my name is...

First of all, the voting for the Bloggers Quilt Festival is now open!!!

These are my two entries, it would be great if you go in the Mini and in the Scrappy categories and give them some love ;)

And now many exciting progress from my side!!! 

-- MOP: The Xmas presents list --

1. Boxes of Rainbow (UO) - missing the label

2. Topolino quilt (MPB) - no progress
3. the Z quilt (CO) - quilted first section, sooooo excited!!! Love ;) (see below)
this is my project for Lovely Year of Finishes (Nov)

4. small pillow or table runner (VP) - no progress
5. convertible bag (IG) - no progress
6. coasters & table runner (MO) - no progress
7. something (SZ) - no progress

Extras (because if I have tons of projects to finish I need to add some extras anyway O_o):
1. the SK project - 1 block done (see below)
2. Make it Mosaic (on FiS) - DOOOOOOOOONE!! soooooo excited (see below)

(Linking up at Let's Bee Social)

-- MOP: This week new blocks --

As mentioned before, I am not going to quilt all at once a full size quilt any more!
So I decided to start my first "QAYG" project with my Z quilt. The three chinese symbols will be in the central part of the quilt, but on the top and bottom there are two "strip" sections (I will reveal all the many many hidden meaning of things once the entire quilt is out).
These are pretty narrow (12'') strips covering the entire width of the quilt... the perfect opportunity to add some text in my quilt!! Following the wonderful class by Jacquie Gering called "Creative Quilting with Your Walking Foot" I decided to "hide" messages in my quilt.
Can you see the message? I LOVE it ;)

The class called for a distance between the lines of 1/8'' however after doing the 1/4'' I decided to stop for two reasons: 1) I was tired :) 2) I didn't really wanted to make that section too stiff since this is a quilt not a wall hanging. And I think the message is still pretty readable anyway.

Looking forward to quilt some more text in the other strip section!!

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"My name is Guybrush Threepwood. Prepare to die!"
OMG! When Jennifer announced this challenge on Fandom In Stitches I knew that I had to make this block!!!
I had it in my todo list for a loooooong time because this is my favorite game of ALL TIMES!!
I have spent soooooo many hours playing with it!!!
If you don't know what I am talking about, I am very sorry for you ;)
This is a super fun adventure-game called "Monkey Island". There was an entire series of games from the first wonderful one (the one where the block is taken from).
But the first was soooooo wonderfully pixelated!!! Nothing can beat that!!
So here is my block from "The Secret of Monkey Island"

"My name is Guybrush Threepwood. Prepare to die!" (click link for the pattern)

The pattern will be also shared on Fandom in Stitches as part of the design challenge "Make it Mosaic"

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And finally we have 1 new opening lines for my SK project.
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Pet Sematary
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Pattern available on "The SK project" page

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Don't forget to vote in the Bloggers Quilt Festival ;)


And now, what are YOU going to link?? :)

An InLinkz Link-up