Fireflies Block for QAL & Snuggly Layer Cake Throw

I have sewn the last stitch on the Snuggly Layer Cake Throw! I used the tutorial from Moda Bake Shop. I had previously only done a rag quilt, so I had zero experience with quilting at a larger scale or binding a quilt. I chose this pattern because I wanted something I could do rather quickly and that I wouldn't be completely devastated over if I made a few mistakes. The quilt top came together super quickly and would be perfect for a quick gift. I used a Domestic Bliss layer cake and wine-colored Minky. I am so grateful I found The Minky Boutique, because I shopped all around town and could not find anything but the standard pink, blue and purple. I did struggle feeding the Minky through at sometimes. I should have gone slower and basted more extensively. The struggle was worth it though! It is so soft and comfy!

I really enjoyed hand sewing the binding, which surprised me because I thought I would hate that part! It might be because I am not on speaking terms with my sewing machine right now.* I needed my space! These video tutorials really helped me with the binding: How to Hand Sew a Binding to Back of a Quilt by The Crafty Gemini and How to Bind a Quilt by Connecting Threads. It feels so good to have a finished project! There are a million imperfections in this quilt, but that makes it all the more snuggly and lovable. I plan on spending a lot of time with it and the recliner today! Domestic Bliss indeed!

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I also finished Block # 6 for the Sew. Happy. Geek. Quilt Along. I need to fix the right side, but overall I am so happy with the color combo on this one! My biggest struggle has been slowing down, especially when cutting. When I worked in advertising, everything needed to be done as quickly as possible and usually with as little notice as possible. Speed is not rewarded in sewing! The upper right hand block is a quarter inch to short, which is going to cause big problems when I  go to put it all together. Craftsmanship problems aside, I do love this QAL! I have learned so much and it has really broken me out of my comfort zone. I can't wait to see the finished product. Six more blocks to go!

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I am truckin' along on the robot quilt. Strip piecing is a dream! I would of course pick a pattern that was all corners, after complaining I struggled getting my corners to meet. From the advice from non-pinners in my last post, I figured out that it was my pinning that was causing the problem. I was shifting everything when I took out the pins. I'm not quite comfortable without pins yet, but with smaller pins that seem to hold the fabric tighter and waiting until the very last minute to remove the pins, my corners have improved exponentially. I cannot wait to see the robot start to peek out! I have to take a break on it this weekend, because the husband is back home. Between his nosiness and my ability to last five seconds in an interrogation, I can't work on it when he is here!

I seriously need to do some smaller projects after this one. I have no idea how I got caught up in all these quilts!

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*While quilting the Snuggly Layer Cake Throw, my sewing machine went on strike. The take-up lever got completely stuck! I got brave and opened it up and it turns out there was thread wrapped around the gears. I removed all the thread and it seemed to be functioning normally. I was seriously amazed at myself, but before I could even put my application in at the sewing machine repair shop it started sounding alarms every twenty stitches. Dreams of being a sewing machine repairperson dashed! It seems to be working normally after it rested overnight, but I don't trust it just yet! Hopefully it was just a one time thing, because it was just repaired two months ago.

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