*2010 12-N-12 Quilt Challenge Last Submission (almost)

So somewhere before Thanksgiving and now, a day or two before Christmas, I lost myself!

So, without further ado.. well with some (you will see what I mean), I must present to you the WiNnEr of the 2010 Quilt Challenge.  Many beautiful quilts were pieced with much love over the last twelve months, so were given deep consideration and never made it to the drawing board, some partially pieced but not completed, some set in but not quilted - this is the story of a quilter.  I will be posting the November and December submissions after Christmas but for now the winner of the $100 gift card goes to Jenny!  Jenny actually upped her odds in the drawing by having the most finished projects over the last year and it paid off. Way to go!  You can actually see her latest project by visiting her quilting blog at Rosy Crafts.

This Challenge has been fun and encouraging to me as the months of 2010 rolled by.  We will blast off in 2011 in February with another Quilting Challenge. Please send me your ideas, suggestions etc on a fun challenge we can all encourage each other with.  Stay tuned for a post in January with the last submissions from this year. (Ladies, if you have some projects that you finished since your last submission, please go ahead and send them to me so I can include them in the Jan. post!)   Thanks to each of you quilters for participating and keeping me challenged along the way! 

*2010 12-N-12 October Beauties!

The  year is coming to a close on this Quilt Challenge!   I am excited about putting those names in the basket and drawing out a winner!   I am amazed each month at what is submitted because these ladies who are participating are busy ladies!  They are anywhere from nurse, to mother of two children under 5 with one on the way, to a new grandmother who is traveling across country at each opportunity given to see that precious bundle!

I do not have a completed project for this month, but one that is in the works of needing to have been completed!  I know there were more projects completed this month by some of the other quilters, but I did not get those pictures yet. Perhaps you will see them next month!

This is the front of the sweet little quilt.

and the back.. I wish my barbies had had a quilt like this!

Jenny, who has been on bed rest has made good use of her time by working on a "crazy quilt" and also completed a small doll quilt for her daughter.  I am sure Kate is loving her doll quilt.  Good news: She is now allowed to get up and get out a bit.  Thanks for keeping her in prayer.

Have a great month!

*2010 12-N-12 August-September Beauties!

So somehow I am finding myself posting both August and September's finished quilting projects for the 2010 12-N-12 Quilt Challenge.  The tail end of our summer turned into a tail spin!  I am sure you all can relate.

On to the "Beauties!"

Nicole has been B.U.S.Y in more ways than just sewing!  Her dear husband recently deployed (AGAIN) and she is once more holding down the fort.  Take a look at the sewing projects she has recently completed.

Nicole finished this for a dear friend. I LOVE the WORDS!!

This is a handbag that Nicole made for a fund raiser for SCTNow.org   The bag brought in $200 for Stop Child Trafficking, awesome job Nicole!

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Cheryl's husband is also deployed and while her sweet husband is away she has been carefully piecing a quilt for her number one soldier! Her husbands favorite holiday is July 4th so she will suprise him with this beautiful quilt when he comes home at his half way mark on this deployment.

Don't you love how Cheryl used fabrics from the front and pieced the back.   A two sided quilt! Mike is going to love it. 

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Franziska has completed a couple of table runners and she is sooo close to having an lovely quilt completed as well, I am sure we will see it here next month.  Last month, while visiting Franziska, she had her Fall decor out and I was able to get up close and personal with the second table runner I ever made. In fact, it was very early in my quilting 'career'. It was not pretty. Um.. did I know how to bind.. I don't think so.  She loves it because I made it. It is proudly covering the hall table at their front door.

This fall table runner rest on the sofa table in Franziska's living room.

So, a matching table runner for the kitchen island only seemed right.. so a matching one was made. LOVELY.  Just in time for fall!

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I have been busy quilting as well as helping with all the house projects.  Most of my projects you have already see here.  Check them out.

Franziska and I had a blast sewing table runners together on my last visit at her house!  In a combined effort we made the three fall runners in this post.  This one is on our front hall table in our humble abode! I LOVE IT. 

We have two more post left in the Challenge!  Get busy ladies!  Oh.. on another note.. please keep Jenny (one of our quilters in this challenge) in your prayers. She and her husband has two little ones and they are expecting their third blessing but as of my last understanding she was/is on bed rest.

*2010 12-N-12 July Beauties!

Most of us, the 12-N-12 participants, were not using our machines this past month, at least not in the completion of a quilt project! Jenny has been ever faithful in monthly progress and her lovely quilts are all so beautiful. I love Jenny's style of quilting and how she uses floss to quilt her pieces of work. The project below is her completed July submission.

You are an encouragement to each of us Jenny! Keep up the good work.
Until next month's update, keep your pedals to going.   We have three to four months left until Christmas so there is still time to finish some projects as presents for those you love.

*2010 12-N-12 June Beauties!

This month marks the half way point for the quilting challenge, six more months left! I think I am cheating this month with my submission, but you be the judge. Hey ladies, (Robyn, Franziska, Cheryl, Sharon, Nicole, & Jenny) thanks for helping keep me spurred on with your beautiful creations!

This past month Jenny has been working on this...and plans to finish it up and submit a full view for July!

Franziska worked diligently to create this quilt she named "Riviera Breeze" for her friend Dianna.  Dianna is one of the most giving ladies with a heart of gold that Franziska met when she first moved away to the mountains.  When asking Dianna what colors she would use in her home decor she described the blues of the ocean with the orange sun setting, hence the quilt's name.

Franziska used batiks in the Turning Twenty quilt pattern by Tricia Cribbs.

While I "finished up" a quilt this past month.. I do not claim it as one done all by myself.  I posted about this quilt a week or so ago, but here is a picture of what I "finished" this month.








Personally I hope to get several quilts finished this month, even in the midst of packing, painting and preparing for a move.  Unrealistic? Probably so!  I hope you find a few moments to steal away to sit with your machine and sew if that is what your heart desires!  Keep that pedal going! 

*2010 12-N-12 May Beauties!

The May update for the quilt challenge is a bit delayed. Sorry about that, doesn't that simply mean that June's update will come quicker? Are you all working your fingers to the bones on the next project?

As you can tell from this post many of us have been unable to get to our sewing machines as much as we would like.   Summer travels and more family time have been put in the mix among other things.

Jenny was the only one to submit a finished project this month and boy is it a beauty!  I love this quilt. I don't know about you, but it is another one of those quilts that I feel like I must make!  This one was finished and given to her son just before taking a trip to the Keys with her husband. What a sweet bundle of love to wrap in while momma and daddy are away on their trip! 

Jenny is also the winner of the quilting tool drawing for this month! It is not surprising though.. Jenny has the most quilt projects finished thus far. Go JENNY!  This is the tool that Jenny will be mailed this week..

*2010 12-N-12 April Beauties!

So here we are .. four months into the challenge! You ladies rock and I love looking at each one of the expressions of art that you create!  I have been working to complete some projects that had been in the works.. but found that I did complete two new tops in the last few months. These are now hanging on the PIP's (projects in progress) rack. How about you?

Check out the latest completed projects for the month of April 2010:

One of our featured quilters, Jenny, who is having a blast in the Keys as I write this up completed a number of wonderful projects this month, one of which was this quilt for her daughter. Check out Jenny's craft blog to see what else she has been up to. I love the receiving blankets she made for some babies in her life! But to stay focused.. this is her completed quilt for April.   The quilt is ALMOST as cute as her little girl! What sweet delightful quilt for her to snuggle in while watching movies or snuggling in for the night!

Another one of our featured quilters, Nicole, is expecting her first granddaughter this summer. Surely this child will have a quilt for every month of the year-- January will be winter themed, February will likely have hearts that will be themed around Valentines Day, March will be.. well you get the idea!  On to her granddaughters completed quilt.  Awe.. I am seeing a that Nicole and Jenny both chose long strips to make these!  I love the look of these quilts! Beautiful.

 I completed this quilt for my sister in early April. This started out as a turning twenty quilt which was double this size. I ended up needing a lap size quilt to give as a gift last year so I simply split the quilt in half to make two quilts from the one. Instead of a queen size.. I ended up with two twin sized or double toppers!  The fabrics I chose to use in this quilt are mostly the Shangri-La by Three Sisters for Moda.

I know that Franziska, Robyn, Sharon and Cheryl are all working their fingers to the bones.. or at least living life out which may sometimes get in the way of quilting. LOL.  Next month for each submission that is made your name will be entered into a quilting gift drawing!  You will be the lucky winner of a cool tool and some great fats! Until next month, keep that pedal to going!

12-N-12 March beauties

Let us all gather around to view the handiwork for March in the 12-N-12 Quilting Challenge. Some have surpassed the three (which is how many months we have been going with this) and some have yet to make a submission - either way, do not dismay! Let this be a place of encouragement, to spur on your own creativity for your own projects that you have in the works. I am sure some of you have several tops finished but are not to the setting in stage yet. For some of us, life may be "setting in" and taking place. Surely this will be a challenge for me (our family) before the year is up!


This month Jenny has been a pace setter!  She completed a spring table runner earlier this month, as well as a couch throw for a friend and another quilt.  I love the vibrant colors in all three of her projects!

Spring table runner (click on any picture to enlarge)

This couch throw was delivered to one of Jenny's friends upon completion!

I love a pieced back! The colors in this line of fabric is just delicious! Beautiful work.

I have had the opportunity to be pretty occupied with sewing this month as well.  (This will likely not be the story next month!) I completed two quilts this month!

Finished and mailed out.  This is a picture of Tori with her quilt.

 This one will be mailed off this week to a sweet friend, I can hardly wait for her to get it!!

Before Cheryl left the area this past summer we went shopping together to pick out fabrics for her to make this quilt. She was to call it her Lynette Quilt.  Anyway, I am sure it will be a reminder of many good memories from many good friends from this area over the coming years. I love it!

Franziska submitted this table topper.  Several of us who are participating in this challenge were at the "class" or Midnight Madness group the night this quilt was started. What a great feeling to have a started project for several years ago finally finished!  I do like this pattern and I bet it adorns her dining room table nicely!

Robyn, Sharon and Nicole if I missed your submissions please let me know right away and I will add them to this post or I can hold them until April's update (either way is fine with me). 

Until next month.. keep that pedal to going!

*2010 12-N-12 February beauties

Wow, can you believe we are ending the first quarter of the year 2010?  I am so glad to have the focus and drive of a challenge to help me stay on course with my quilting projects this year!  This month I have finished submissions from Nicole, Sharon, and myself. Enjoy!

This beautiful baby quilt  was lovingly put together by Nicole  as well as the quilted diaper bag below. The diaper bag is piece work and then layered with lining fabric and quilted.  Some who have either received her bags as gifts  or purchased them from her etsy shop have commented on how durable they are. Check Nicole's etsy shop out by clicking HERE.

This month I realized I didn't have a "spring" runner to usher spring in.. so I picked up some fat quarters from Loving Stitches and went to work cutting, sewing, and creating this runner.  It is out and I think spring is finally on its way!

I also finished one of the kaleidoscope tops I started. I actually had more pieces cut out but grew weary of this pattern (made 3 now), so I decided to finish it up smaller than initially planned. If need be, it would make a great toddler or baby quilt, but I have chosen to use it as a topper for the island in our kitchen. It fits near perfect and I love it, hope you do too!

Sharon has a larger project in the works but this month she finished a sweet springy runner as well!  She picked up these Aunt Gracie fabric's from Mary Jo's in Gastonia some time ago and found a simple pattern, which made a darling table runner!

Cheryl is putting the binding on a baby quilt and spending precious time with her sweet husband who will be deploying soon for an extended period of time (we will see her project next month!).  Robyn is putting the last stitches in her labor of love,  we are likely to see it soon as well! 

Franziska has many irons in the fire - and surely we will see one of these next month all completed!

Jenny and family have relocated to NC and while moving has surely kept her busy she has had some time to user her beloved machine piecing this together. Each time I am able to peruse her blog I am a bit envious of her wonderful sewing skills!   Happy settling Jenny and family! Hope you love NC!

Well... until next time, keep those fingers busy and that pedal to going! 

May the Lord bless you in all your work, in all you set your hands to!