Poor Witchy Poo!

This side...

and that side

And then there's Witchy Poo.  I started this baby quilt last year, after I had already completed two Halloween playtime blankets for my granddaughters.  Poor Witchy Poo!  Her threads are still dangling, which bespeaks her unfinished condition.  On the other side, I pieced together a simple two-color checkerboard pattern.  See the "Happy Halloween" skeleton fellow in one of those lime-green blocks?  I used a fusible, iron-on printer sheet for this design, and I am not exactly pleased with the result.  Next time I will try stamping directly onto fabric with a rubber stamp.  There must be some kind of fabric-friendly ink available for this kind of project.  I'll have to check it out.

Progress report...

This quilt wall hanging has been pieced and ready to be quilted for some time now.  The design is Edyta Sitar's "Mini Star Quilt," from her Scrappy Fireworks Quilts book.  Definitely, one of my UFOs that I hope to finish before the end of 2013.

L'il Mitts and Potholders

Useful l'il mitts

8" patchwork potholder

Back of patchwork potholder and one in the making

I love making these little mitts and patchwork potholders.  I went through my boxful of fabric scraps and fat quarters, mixing and matching colors and prints; an artist working her pallet, one might say.  I'm thinking the yellow patchwork potholder is a little bit busy?  But it's adorable.  I didn't put hanging loops on any of these and I'm wondering if I should or not.  The loops would definitely give them an official potholder look, but I don't hang my potholders...so there you go; I'll have to think on that.  Right now, I'm on a roll.  Reasons I love to make mitts and potholders?

1.  Great use of fabric scraps (Always on the lookout for scrappy patterns)
2.  Mixing and matching colors and prints is so much fun
3.  Small-scale machine quilting helps me improve my skills
4.  Great reason to make my own bindings (not so hard to do)
5.  Practice applying binding, especially in the round and at corners
6.  Finished potholders and mitts are useful and they make great gifts