Friday Finishes

I only had one finish this week.  A small zipper pouch.  I am working on a couple long term projects and I just needed the satisfaction that comes with a finished project.  Does that every happen to you?

It's about 9"x5" and is great to hold pencils or quilting tools.  This is probably about the 5th or 6th one I have made.  It's great because they only take about an hour to do.  Maybe less.  I don't have anything in mind for this bag so I might put it up on my Etsy store a bit later today.  (I just put it up for sale here.)

I did finish my June block of the A Year to Crow About BOM but I forgot to take a picture.  Ooops!  This one was much easier than the last.  

And here is a cute picture of my kitty keeping me company while I made the bag just because this is a short post for me.  Besides, what quilting blog wouldn't be complete without a cute cat picture.  She's such a sweet kitty.  

Voting for the Blogger's Quilt festival has started so head over to vote for your favorites.  I have one is the applique category.  It's number 5.  Its a snowman applique quilt.  (hint hint)  I obviously wouldn't mind if you voted for mine but there are so many cute quilts in every category.  Today is going to be fun to go through and vote!  Good luck everyone!

Today I am linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Product Review: SteamFast Mini Iron

SteamFast SF-717 Home-and-Away Mini Steam Iron

• 420-watt mini steam iron removes wrinkles from almost any fabric
• 1-2/5-ounce water tank; heats up in 15 seconds; variable temperature settings
• Non-stick soleplate; 1-touch steam control; dual voltage for travel convenience
• Heat-resistant travel bag and plastic measuring cup included
• Measures approximately 5-2/7 by 3 by 3 inches; 1-year limited warranty

I was searching for a small iron to take with me to quilting classes when I came across this iron on Amazon a few weeks ago. It was inexpensive at 19.99.  I also have Amazon Prime so shipping was free for me.  So I figured I would give it a try.  I was going to a Bonnie Hunter workshop and would try it out there.  

I loved it!  I could not believe how hot it got.  It was the perfect size.  It wasn't too small yet perfect to fit in my bag to go to class.  It came with a travel bag as well.  It also has a switch on it to change the voltage if you are traveling overseas.  The cord was long enough to reach from the outlet and then some.  

My neighbor also shared this iron with me all day and she loved it too.  I have a huge heavy iron at home but now when I am just ironing small pieces when piecing I use this one.  Its lighter and very ergonomic.  I have carpal tunnel and its so much easier on me.  I still break out the big iron for larger yardage.  

I'll be honest I never tried the steam function on it.  I don't use steam when I am quilting.  However, the reviews on Amazon raved about it.  I have only used this lightly over the past month so I am not sure if it will hold up long term but for such an inexpensive price I am willing to take my chances.  

If you are looking for a decent travel iron for classes this is a great one to try out.  

SteamFast SF-717 Home-and-Away Mini Steam Iron

WIP Wednesday 5/22

I am not sure why I haven't blogged about this WIP yet but here we go.  I am working on a block of the month through my local quilt shop.  It's called A Year to Crow About.  It is designed by a couple of local quilters Sue Harvey and Sandy Boobar of Pine Tree Quilts.  They are located in the next town over from me.  The fabric line is from Red Rooster Fabrics and is designed by Jacqueline Paton. 

All the blocks have a small panel with a crow and they all have something to do with the month that it is released.  This one is for May.  See the cute little baby birds.  I have all the blocks done so far except June's and I am getting two more this Saturday so I plan on getting June's done this week as well.  They are released two at a time so I should be done this quilt in just a few months.  I think the aim is to get it done before fall because of all the pretty fall colors.  

I had a hard time with this block and I am not sure why.  Those star blocks are small, 5 1/2".  I had a lot of difficulty with keeping the small parts lined up and sewing over the bulky seams.  My seam ripper got a work out last night.  Everytime I sewed the flying geese to the middle squares and had to go over the point my sewing machine would move the seam over so my fabrics weren't straight any more.  It really didn't like them.  I had to resort to using an elmer's glue stick to glue the seams together.  Which worked like a charm.  Despite all of my problems I am really happy with how this block came out. They all line up and my points are pointy.  I was worried that the finished size would be off.  The block measures 15 1/2" x 15 1/2" and my block came out just a hair larger.  At least its not smaller.  :)  

Today I am linking up to Freshly Pieced.  (Lee actually isn't hosting a link up today after all.  She was at quilt market all last week and has been too busy to get a post ready.)

Want to try Craftsy for free?

On May 18th, Craftsy is hosting Free Class Day to benefit DonorsChoose. For one day only, new members can choose one free course from a selection of favorite Craftsy classes, up to a $39.99 value! If you haven't taken a Craftsy class yet, Saturday is your chance to sign up for your first by choosing from classes in quilting, sewing, knitting, cake decorating, and more.  All you have to do is click the banner above.

If they meet their goal of giving away 10,000 classes, Craftsy will donate $5,000 to DonorsChoose to fund arts education in public schools across the US. Existing members are not eligible for the free course offer, but will still receive a special treat. 

 I can't say enough good things about Craftsy.  I loved them since I first found them.  I have taken 5 classes with them and have loved every single one.  This is a great chance to try them out.  And if you don't happen to see this post today and still want to give them a try they always have free mini classes that are just as great as the paid ones.  Craftsy isn't just for quilters.  They have so much to offer. 

As a disclaimer, I am a paid affiliate of Craftsy.  But only because I am so fond of them.  I would never promote anything on my blog that I wasn't a firm believer of.