A Little Stashbusting

I finished 2 little projects today. This Quilted monogram pocket key chain is new at Five Star Fonts and I could not resist making one. The reason is that besides being really pretty, it has a secret pocket in the back to hold a credit card. Now, with 5 kids to keep track of, I don't like to carry a purse. I just grab my keys, credit card, and cellphone when I go into a store (and now the diaper bag, too). I used to have a Discover credit card made for a key chain, but they've been discontinued. Since my last one broke, I have been embarrassed a few times at the checkout to realize that I left my credit card in the car. So, this was a perfect project for me!
 Everything I needed to make this was stuff I had on hand. I think it's a fabulous design and would have taken about 10 minutes if I hadn't been interrupted a few times (bringing the real time to about an hour). A bonus is that it fits in the 4x4 hoop, so uses very little stabilizer. The best part of this project was when I showed it to my kids and Petey said, "if you can find some fabric I like, I'd take one for my High School ID". Whoa, that's high praise! This has scope for giving gift cards, too, and probably other uses. I think I'll be making these over and over.

The other project I finished today is a little girl charity quilt, which will go into my Quilt Guild's Comfort Quilt Cupboard (to be given when a need arises). The blocks were done by ladies in my Guild last year when I tried to teach them how to smock. I handed out about 20 kits, but only got 4 back. These 4 didn't necessarily co-ordinate, but I tried to let go of my "planned scrappy" mentality and just do it. I found some $1/yd fabric at Walmart for the backing (a blue floral) and I had a piece of batting just the right size. It was a chance for me to try my free-motion quilting, which I have only done once before. I'm making the picture X-large so you can see the quilting. I just meandered around each dress and in the pink border. I think this will be a cheerful quilt for some little baby or girl. Hope you are enjoying seeing my creations. I love to read your comments, so keep them coming!!