My world in pictures

Sorry that I have been out of touch for a while...vacation, getting my classroom ready, sewing - time got away from me. So here is the photo version of my sewing life lately:

My Hidden Wells quilt, piecing through completed top:

Love these squares!

 This pieced top seemed incomplete.

So I added more blocks.. And borders! Done!

New project: a friend and I both collect batiks. We decided to make scrappy, companion quilts by sharing our batik stashes and neutral fabrics. I've made 5 of these star blocks so far. I should have a queen size quilt eventually!

Hope you are all well!

Hidden Wells beginning

I have had the material and instructions for a while, (no surprise there!), but am finally working on my Hidden Wells quilt. I played with the arrangement of the strips...

First,

 and then,

 before deciding on

.

So far, I have all but one strip set sewn and have begun cutting the blocks and diagonals.

The starching process has already seemed helpful so I hope not to have much trouble when sewing the bias edges. (I know - wishful thinking!) More updates soon!

Hexies

I have never been a huge fan of hexies. However, today at our family reunion, a cousin came to me with the beginnings of a Grandma's Flower Garden quilt. It had been her mother-in-law's project and the cousin wasn't sure what to do with it. I agreed to take it and now I'm trying to figure out how best to finish it! You see, the hexagon quilt blocks are not made well. They are wonky and puckered - some are bigger, some are smaller, and the fabrics are different. I think old dishtowels were used and who knows what else - linen, cotton, some woven material that reminds me of feed sacks. Don't get me wrong, some of the fabrics are very pretty and vibrant. Unfortunately, I'm trying to press them and found out even Best Press is causing some discoloration and color bleeding. Perhaps the discoloration will be less noticeable after I wash the quilt. Of course, I'll need to use color catchers in the laundry.

The quilt obviously has sentimental value. Maybe the best thing to try to do is just stitch the rest of the blocks together and then have it quilted. It won't lie flat but it should be better. I'm going to say that the wonkiness adds to the charm of the quilt. If I tried to take it apart and redo it, I would ruin her efforts and hard work. Please don't expect this to be a quick finish, though! :-)

Two quick finishes, plus an almost done...

A while ago, a friend asked me to make her a small purse, (based on a child's purse that I made), to use as a cosmetic bag. You know how these things go, I put it off, then forgot about it. The other day, I realized that I would see her tomorrow night, so I hurried up and made the purse. There are a couple minor flaws but I think it is what she wanted. Then I found out yesterday that another friend has cancer; it was not caught early but she is staying positive and has faith that chemo will help. I wanted her to know that I was thinking of her, so this evening, I made her a fabric basket. It is not much, but maybe it will brighten a moment or two. She can use it to keep little things within easy reach. Lastly, and although it is not quite done, I am on the last side of binding on a wall hanging that I am using as a gift on Saturday. I think I can finish it tonight! Have a safe weekend!

Happy 4th!

Have a safe and happy Independence Day! What is everyone going to do? We will grill out and watch the neighbors set off fireworks, (they already started tonight!) Very pretty. We keep it pretty calm these days. I'll remember to call my mom to let her know that I haven't forgotten the 4th was grandma's birthday. And we'll keep in our hearts and minds all those who serve and have served to keep us safe and free.



This weekend is a family reunion for my MIL's side of the family. We will go and wish all the "originals" were there with us - including my MIL - and enjoy catching up with extended family. Okay, mostly we will really enjoy all the yummy food that is carried in! :-) Enjoy the weekend!

Lazy Sunday

     I admit it, I'm having a "tough" day. It should be a pretty easy, lazy Sunday since it is too rainy outside to work in the yard. I just can't get into doing anything. I tried to square up some HST blocks but even that's beyond me right now. It took me half an hour just to do five. Maybe I'll lay down a while to try to get some more rest! :-)
     I don't have anything really new to share, so I'll share pictures from the BOM's I'm involved in currently. The brightly colored blocks are from the Virtual Quilting Bee. Amy Smart over at Diary of a Quilter is hosting/organizing that one. There is a new block every two weeks. I have managed to keep up with the schedule! We just received instructions for block 9 (of 16) this past Friday. The other blocks with white in the background are from the Sisters 10 Modern BOM. In this one, we make two blocks from the same design each month. There are a total of ten designs so we will have twenty blocks. The resulting quilt is to have a few "blank" spaces in the finished design. AnneMarie of Gen X Quilters is our host. Both groups have Flickr pages - make sure to check them out!

Fussy cut Lemoyne star

I just finished this little quilt top. It was much more involved than I imagined and I get a Southwest feeling from it that was completely unintended. Of course, it doesn't help that I changed a couple blocks along the way! I had planned on giving this to the quilt club to sell at the show this fall, but now I think I want to keep it. I feel linked to the silly thing now that I took so long with it. There are supposed to be four points on the "corners" to square it off, but I like the current shape. What do you think?

Still here

It's been another busy week and a half. I took a class last week and am taking another one this week. As a teacher, (like so many other professions), we have to complete continuing education classes or graduate classes to renew our licenses. After this week, I should be good for my next renewal!

I managed to finish my Round Robin obligation just in time - it is due tomorrow! I had such a difficult time deciding what to do. Due to people dropping out, I actually completed two borders on this block. The center flower basket is the original completed block and the black and green flying geese were the other participant's work. I did the rest; I liked completing the checked border.

I took my niece-in-law to her first ever shop hop. It was a small one at a central location, but she is now hooked! She especially loved the reproduction Civil War fabric.  She learned how to sew on her Grandmother's treadle machine so she couldn't get her new sewing machine to work properly. (That is, the one her hubby bought her for Christmas!) So, we spent time after the hop going over her machine set-up and use. The instructions were incomplete; no wonder she had trouble! Now, she is zipping along!

I have also been working on a fussy cut Lemoyne star - I'll get pictures up soon. Stay cool this summer! We are starting to warm up.

Shadow quilt finish

I hoped to finish this in May but it was not to be. I have been planning this shadow quilt for a long time. I still need to add some fusible interfacing to strengthen the white fabric. It is a little thinner and more fragile than I had realized. That will be a pain but I think it will be worth it. Now...I need to decide if I want another border or two. I think I do - I wanted this quilt top to be a bit larger. I am thinking of looking for a gray and white fabric; not too bright or busy - I don't want to take away from the shadow blocks. Any thoughts?

Prize package!

Here it is! Three fabrics lines: Annalee, Season's Best - Winter, and Poppy Modern! There are over 150 charm squares and 15 fat quarters. It is such an awesome prize that I cannot decide what all I will make.  I will have to think on it a while! Now, I need to drool over look at the fabric again. Thanks, Andover!

Woohoo!

 I am excited to tell everyone that I won this week's Andover stash contest! Here's the link

http://blog.andoverfabrics.com/

Andover has already shipped the prize package! I will give you all the details after it arrives.

Two more days with students and one workday. Busy week, with lots to do - some fun stuff, too. 

After school on Tuesday, three of us made a batch of soap. On Thursday, four of us are having

dinner at the Melting Pot. Have a great week everyone!

Shadow box quilt happiness

So...here is a look at my shadow/shadow box quilt in progress! It is actually turning out as I imagined and I am really pleased. I have three more rows to go, plus the sashings and border. I am planning a plain white border to match the sashing, but haven't decided on any additional border(s). I'm considering a thin gray strip to mimic the "shadow" on the blocks, but don't have a clue what I would use after that. (The charm material is Kim Schaefer's Tic Tac line for Andover fabrics.) Any suggestions???

Excuse the cat, Zorro, in the background. He is always so helpful! And the pool table was the easiest place to spread out the pieces. Not very elegant but it works!

Good grief!

     I can't believe I haven't written a blog post in so long! I have just been so busy at school, at home, and in general. I have managed to work on some projects -- mostly by neglecting housework. LOL. (Although my husband doesn't think it's funny. ) The school year is almost done so I hope to be back to blogging regularly in the near future.
     So what have I been up to? Well, work and state testing of students' progress, for starters. Plus, there have been meetings after school to help us prepare for the transition to the Common Core standards next year. I am also moving from teaching 7/8th grade math down to 5th grade math. I have to change rooms and move all my personal items, (the custodians will move file cabinets and my desk). I think I am in for a big adjustment! But, at least I have a job. We reorganized at the end of last year and it looks like they are still making adjustments.
     We have also been pushing son #1 to find a regular job.   He starts a new job tonight. He's a bit nervous and that's understandable, but this is a step toward achieving independence as an adult. It is definitely time!
     Son #2 came home from college about two weeks ago. He had a miserable semester and there was some fallout with his grades. These things happen, he just has to get straightened out and try harder next semester.
     As for quilting/sewing, I am still participating in two BOMs. (Okay, so one is a block of every two weeks.) I also managed to make a set of Bargello placemats. They are for my sister-in-law. The placemats are not a perfect Bargello, but I'm glad I tried the process. It doesn't seem nearly as intimidating now if I decide to make a full size quilt. And I learned a lot - next time I will pin even more, use loads more starch, and take more time. I was so excited, I rushed myself! That's never a good thing - my seam ripper became a good friend to me. Let me apologize for the photo: when I took the picture, I didn't realize how well the fabric colors matched my Berber carpet. Also, this was before I quilted them and I am just starting the binding.

     Besides the placemat binding, I am working on a new project. I have a full set of the Tic Tac line (by Kim Schaefer for Andover) in charms. I set them in color rows as best as possible and I am starting a shadow quilt. I'm excited because I love the look so far!

     I'm also excited about two fabric lines, one that I have seen and the other to be released soon. The one that I have seen is Edges by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller. I love all the geometric patterns and colors. The other is an upcoming line by Andover based  on the Downton Abbey series. I have a niece that loves the series. It should be pretty and I am ready to see it now! Anybody waiting for a specific fabric line?

Another day...at least it is sunny!

Hello all!  It is a beautiful, sunny day here although a bit chilly. It wouldn't be bad if it wasn't windy! The buds are really starting to show on the trees, so I know warmer days are coming. :-)

Matt had a temp job that lasted about three weeks. I hope he gets another soon and that it can turn into something permanent. Dan will be done with his sophomore year at college in less than two weeks!  This semester has been difficult and he is looking forward to coming home.

State testing begins this week and goes through next. Ugh. Not a fun time for students or teachers.

I have been sewing but have not accomplished as much as I would like, (which most of us say at one time or another!) I finished a Breast Cancer tote for a friend living with the dreadful disease; between now and October, I hope to make another for our quilt guild "shop." (The shop/fundraiser is open during our quilt show in October.) Our guild held an EPP class last Saturday. I have tried EPP before, but that was a self-teaching endeavor. This class was so helpful with the tips & hints. When I got home, I even ordered some paper piecing packs! I wouldn't want to do it all the time, but I can see EPP being my car trip activity!

My biggest news tidbit is...I bought a new sewing machine! Now, it is just a simple, inexpensive machine. I am taking a class next month and didn't have a portable machine. (My sm is a 40 year old cabinet model.) Anyway, I saw a Janome on sale at Hancock Fabrics. The reviews were decent and the price was certainly right, so we picked one up last night! By the time we got home, it was late, so I waited until this morning to read the manual and try it out. I love it! Sadly(?), it is WAAAAAAY better than my main machine. Eventually, I want to get a better regular machine, but I am happy with this purchase. Any recommendations on what to get when I do upgrade my sm? I like this one Husqvarna but now I think I have to check out the Janome line more. Comments appreciated!

End of break

I've accomplished a lot this break, but I am still disappointed that it is over! I made my Virtual Bee block, "crocheted" a ruffle scarf, visited with friends and ate out a lot, but I am most thrilled to have finished a set of pillowcases and a simple wall hanging. One of my students is leaving for her new home at the end of the week. She is being adopted. She is such a sweet girl and I hope she has a wonderful, amazing life with fantastic opportunities - but she will be missed. When she learned she was being adopted, she asked me to make her something. We agreed on the pillowcases. (I know that sounds very forward of her, but the social graces are learned. I suspect she will become more adept at them in her new home!) The wall hanging is plain: a simple white background with the school's initials. I plan to have her classmates sign the wall hanging as an autograph keepsake.

virtual bee block

pillowcases

A short story to remember to make purchases carefully: My son, Matt, came home from work early last night. I had ordered him new shoes but even though the design number was the same as before, the shoes were different. They weren't no slip - and he took a nasty fall. He's banged up and sore this morning. I will have to order him real, no-slip, new shoes; but now he has a nice pair of spare shoes! At least at 21, he'll recover quicker than I would!

April's fool?

There's a lot to mention today! 

• Yesterday, I finished my March UFO for Thirteen in '13 hosted by Marti over at 52 quilts in 52 weeks. I'm just giving it a final wash and need to trim the yarn ties. 
• I need to finish up the border for the first turn in a Round Robin. At least that's not due until March 16th. 
• The next UFO project for Marti is project #2. For me, that is trying out the Bargello technique on a set of place mats. I've had a Bargello book for several years. I have used the fabric that I had planned to use for these place mats, so I guess I have to go shopping. (Oh darn! LOL!) 
• New BOM's for the Virtual Bee and Ten Sisters should be coming out on Friday, also. I love the BOM's.
• I also have a student moving next week. I'm happy for her, she is getting adopted after a long wait. She asked me to make her something and we decided I would make her some pillowcases so she could remember the school. As a surprise, I am going to try to get all her classmates to sign the pillowcases. I wish her well and I hope she has a wonderful, new life.

So am I the April Fool for planning too much? Especially with state academic testing starting in less than three weeks?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! Ours was fun. We met on Saturday at my brother's home (about two hours away). We visited for quite a while and had a nice pot luck, (that way, no one gets stuck doing everything). My mother brought down some quilt pieces that my grandmother had started a loooooong time ago. Grandma tried to make six-pointed stars; there are 24 of them! Unfortunately, they were so poorly made, I'm going to have to pick them apart, trim, and re-piece them. I loved my grandmother and she could out-crochet anyone, but I can see why I never knew she attempted to quilt. (I will put some of the blame on the template - it wasn't cut straight.) But the fabrics are interesting and I really want to see what I can make out of them all. There are also just a few "fan" pieces. They don't remind me of any particular pattern, so I will have to see if they can be incorporated into anything else.

Here are my photos:

Purple Kraze quilt finally done! (But too ugly to show the whole thing!)

pre-printed panels made into quilt top

child's purse in new colors

Stars made by Grandma

Snow day!

I'm never sure who is happier about a snow day - the kids or the teachers. But today, DH & I are both happy teachers! I've spent the weekend sewing, so today I need to get something done around here. (Housework? Bleah. Grading? Double bleah! Such is life!) So here is what I did all weekend...

Being a Duke fan, I couldn't pass up this fleece that was 1/2 off. It arrived Saturday and I made a quick throw. (Yay Duke! 2000 wins and on to the Sweet 16!)



Then I made this tote. It is called Mini Bow Tucks by Penny Sturgis. To be honest, the pattern was a bit more involved than I anticipated, but I like the result.

Last but not least, I completed the second block for the Virtual Quilting Bee. It is called Origami Star by Amy Newbold. I really like the pattern.

Time to get something else done! Be safe if you must travel in the snow storm!

Ramblings...

I can't believe another week and a half has passed since I last posted. I guess I've kept busy, I'm also still getting over my cold. Let's see…
-- I've worked on the virtual quilting bee block; I used two solids and a batik. I've also worked on some more children's purses.
--Our quilt club had a display at the local library. We had a decent turnout. A couple people, having attended the library event, even came to our monthly meeting the other night to see what our quilt club is all about. Our quilt club is having a round-robin; there are not too many of us involved. The block I took is very brightly colored and it involves cats - cartoonish cats, but cats nonetheless. The block I received to work on is a flower basket block. I'm not quite sure what I want to do for the border, I'm thinking about something with HST's. I will have to look through my fabric stash to find what coordinates with it.
-- I am helping set up the Facebook page for our quilt club. The name is Towne Squares Quilt Club. If you get the chance, look it up and Like us!
-- I'm hoping to go to the shop hop in Lima, Ohio this weekend. I don't really need anything…when do any of us really need anything? LOL. Nevertheless, it is fun to look around!
-- Tonight, I am chaperoning the middle school dance at my school. Then I plan to go to the scrapbook shop to see what's new, visit people, etc. - just have a good time.
-- Oh! My mother told me that she found two quilts that my grandmother started to make. They are not finished but they seem to have all the fabric and most of the cutting and some piecing done, so I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do with those. She plans to give me the quilts at Easter. It's exciting to see what my grandmother worked on at one time. I think it'll give me more insight into what her life was like.
Everyone have a great weekend. I'll try to get some pictures up soon of what I've been working on.

Dresden Heart

Since the Dare to Dresden blog hop, I have had the Dresden Heart pattern pushing at my brain. I made one in the past and liked how it turned out, but felt the method I was taught to use was more complicated than necessary. Now that I have a little more experience, I modified the "how-to" so that it is more of a paper pieced design. More prep is involved, but I think the results will be better, quicker, and easier to obtain! I really think I would like to make a rainbow assortment of Dresden Hearts; that will be a long term project for me!. Here is my first one - it still needs to be sewn together, (please ignore the striped ironing board cover!) The blues/grays were the first scrap fabrics I pulled together in my excitement to work this through!  I think I am going to take this project to work on at the Towne Squares Quilt Club's display for National Quilting Dayon Saturday at the Greenville Library, (Ohio). What are you doing for National Quilting Day?

Time passes much too quickly!

     Yes, I know it is a Chicago song, but -  wow - it is so appropriate right now! Dan went back to college (break ended), the third quarter at school is up on Friday, and, of course, I've got too many projects and need to prioritize! I've made 9 quilted children's purses in the last couple weeks and I have 1 more to make. I think I'm going a bit crazy with them...most have been gifts, but a couple were made for a fundraising auction for a memorial scholarship.
     I need to finish my March UFO for the 13 in 2013 UFO Challenge that Marti over at www.52quilts.com thought up last December. However, it's late, I'm fighting a cold, and I am going to bed. Goodnight!

No good deed...

...goes unpunished! At least my grandmother always used to say that. So, we woke up to snow and school closings today - and someone plowing our driveway! At about the same time that we were ready to go out and thank the mystery man, he finished and left. As we looked at the cleaned drive, we realized that the kind soul hit our basketball pole! It is now leaning at about a 30 degree angle. I hope the man's truck wasn't damaged! We've been considering taking the pole down anyway; that just made our decision easier. (We found out later that our snowplow guy was a long-time friend who just recently moved back to the area. So much for good intentions!)
     I decided to add a border to the Lil Twister quilt that I just completed. I think it looks much nicer and "finished." I pieced the back, also; I was able to use up a lot of the spare fabric.
     We should be back at school tomorrow. It sure was nice having the day off to sew!

Life changes

Life is always full of change. For example:

1. My oldest son is 21 today. Oldest son & college did not work out. So, for right now, I am not an empty nester. I hope to be one again soon though! Nevertheless, we took him to Galo's in Richmond, Indiana, and had a wonderful birthday lunch.
2. Youngest son is feeling a bit overwhelmed with two of his classes at BGSU. He is used to earning good grades at college. I know he works hard, but he might have to buckle down a bit more/try to find a study group. He got home last night for spring break - and proceeded to sleep for 14 hours straight!
3. I was told last week that my teaching assignment is changing. I will be teaching 5th grade math next year. It will be different after having eighth grade for ten years. Right now, I don't know if I will like the change or not. I am just grateful to have a job!
4. DH is contemplating retirement after next year. It is NOT a certainty, but he is definitely considering it.
5. I worry about my mom. She lives 4 hours away and I am not convinced that she takes care of herself as well as she should. It is difficult to talk to her about everything to make sure she is safe and healthy.

6.  On a positive note, I finished this Lil' Twister top. Now that I have looked at it a couple days, though, I think I will add a border - maybe in a coordinating brown.






7.  My other February finishes include: completed piecing & binding a baby quilt for my new great niece, (a friend quilted it for me); made 5 children's purses, including two for a memorial scholarship fund auction; made my center block for a Round Robin that starts this month; and completed my two BOM.

 

I know that doesn't seem like much to many of you, but for me, it was a busy month! Plus, I went to every store in a shop hop, spent an evening scrap-booking at my friends' shop, and joined the local quilt club! Ohh --- and my Cuttlebug arrived! Can't wait to have a chance to use it! Yay!

So, how did your February end??? Share your finishes!

Winner!

And the winner of the fat quarters is...

     CINDY! From Quilt Doodle Doodles!

      Cindy: I have sent you an email about the win. Congratulations!

Giveaway!

Freemotion by the River along with Fat quarter shop are having a giveaway!  I thought some of you might be interested!  http://www.conniekresin.com/2013/02/Pleasant-Summer-House.html

My turn!

     It's my turn! Thank you Mme. Samm and Marlene at Stitching by the Lake for organizing this blog hop. Also, a great big Thank You to Amy Bradley for the design! After seeing the pattern, I just knew I had to join in! It has been so much fun!

     When I started my It's All About ME wallhanging, I chose some fabrics that I thought would be fun. They had a lot of pink. When I went looking for the background fabrics though, I couldn't find anything to coordinate with them. So I ended up changing my color scheme to a more blue palette. I decided to stem stitch around "biased" and then use a running stitch to add some dimension. I liked the effect but went back to the blanket stitch for the rest of it.

     I didn't have any striped fabric for the hair so I decided to use a light-colored gray Copic marker to add some stripes to blue-gray fabric. (I always think of older women with blue-gray hair. LOL!) I decided to bling out the glasses with some seed beads.

My "necklace" is a piece of ribbon that I marked to look like a measuring tape. (As a quilter and a math teacher, I thought it was appropriate.) The cats were added later - after I thought I was done - when I found some cute fabric! Anyway, here is my future self!

  This was my very first blog hop, so I want to do something special - how about a giveaway?!? Please leave me a short and sweet comment by the end of the hop - you do not have to be a follower and I will ship anywhere. If you are a follower, leave a second comment telling me so for an additional chance to win. If you do not get a reply to your post from me, you are a no-reply blogger! Please check your settings! I will randomly draw the winner on March 1st. What will you get? How about these 4 lovely fat quarters? The pink stripe is what I originally bought for this project.

Good luck & thanks for visiting! Come back soon! And don't forget to visit the other participating bloggers today!

Quilting Lines
Mountain Delights
Jane's Fabrics and Quilts
The Fuzzy Hat Quilter
Ramblings of an Empty Nester (that's here!)
NautiStitcher
Quilt Doodle Designs
Living Life
Freemotion By The River
The German Mom
Stitchin'ByThe Lake

Too tired to sew?

Wow...I really want to keep sewing, but I just looked at my last seam - the one that I pinned so meticulously...what a mess! I suppose that means it is time for bed. Anyone else do that? Besides, I need to finish up the Heart of Ohio Shop Hop tomorrow. That means I need to be well rested! I've hit the closest three shops. It's been a lot of fun. I've purchased several fat quarters, some yardage, a Steady Betty, and a tote pattern. I wonder what I will buy tomorrow ... :-)

Blog hop schedule

It's here! The It's All About ME Blog Hop schedule. This is going to be sew fun...I can't wait to share my "future self" with you.

Tuesday, February 19
Just Let Me Quilt
Sunshine Quilting
Karen at That Other Blog
Grammie Q
Gracie Oliver Arts
Marjorie's Busy Corner
SnippetsNScraps
Sowing Stitches
Pigtales and Quilts
Stitchin'ByThe Lake

Wednesday, February 20
Buzzing and Bumbling
Cherries Prairie Primitives
Kwilty Pleasures
Sew On And So Forth
Sew. Darn. Quilt.
A Stitch In Time
Doodling In My Mind
Moosestash Quilting
A Patchwork Life
Vickie at That Other Blog
Susie's World

Thursday, February 21
Kris Loves Fabric
The Quilting Alleycat
Cat Patches
Bumbleberry Stitches
Chickadees Country Cottage Crafts
In Stitches and Seams
Why-Knot-Kwilt
Quilting Unleashed
Rosemary at That Other Blog
Thimblemouse & Spouse
Sew Many Yarns


Friday, February 22
A Little Bit of Lorene
Life In The Scrapatch
Boston Bits
I Love Wool
Patchouli Moon Studio
As Sweet As Peaches
Just Quilt It
Grandmama's Stories
The Slow Quilter
Robin at That Other Blog
Scrapbook-ChickADoodle

Monday, February 25
Quilting Lines
Mountain Delights
Jane's Fabrics and Quilts
The Fuzzy Hat Quilter
Ramblings of an Empty Nester (You are here!)
NautiStitcher
Quilt Doodle Designs
Living Life
Freemotion By The River
The German Mom
Spoilt Dog Quilts

Tuesday, February 26
Pat Sloan's Blog
To Love Handmade
Feathered Nest Studio
Selina Quilts
Gypsy Dreamer Quilts
Sheila's Quilt World
Meadowbrook
13 Woodhouse Road
Zellerwear
Stitches of Love
Janice at That Other Blog
In The Sewing Basket

Wednesday, February 27
The Passions of Cliodana
QuiltMamas
Marathon Quilter
Marla's Crafts
Fiber Babble
Simple Sew
Sewn Seabees
Charlotte at That Other Blog
Nini's Patchwork
Charlotte's Creations
Ipiece2-Mary
My Spoolish Art

Thursday, February 28
Cherry Blossoms
Hill Valley Quilter
Dachsies With Moxie
I Like To QuiltBlog 
Quilt Smiles
More Stars In Comanche
Tea Time Creations
Shedding the Wolf
Life, Quilts, and a Cat Too
Judy at That Other Blog
Madame Samm

No more teenagers

Today we took a trip to visit our youngest at college. His birthday was two days ago (Valentine's Day!) - and now he's 20! No more teenagers! The oldest turns 21 in just under two weeks. Sigh. Well, it's a four-hour round trip and I didn't have any car-travel friendly quilt projects, so I grabbed this long ignored cross stitch. No, I didn't do all this today! But I did make some progress and I don't know why I quit cross-stitching. I enjoyed it even though I need to get back in the rhythm of stitching again. I know it isn't much to look at yet; just take my word for it that it is the start of an angel watching over a newborn. And even though I enjoyed working on it, the quilter called and said she finished the baby quilt that I made for my niece's newborn, so I will pick that up and finish the binding - which means the cross stitch goes back in storage as a continuing UFO!

Ready for the blog hop!

So I'm getting pretty excited about the It's All About Me Blog hop.  I'm all done with my wallhanging; I really like it. It was so much fun.

Lately, I've been working on a couple other projects. I have a pre-printed fabric that I planned on using for a quilt many years ago. I am piecing it together now; I shouldn't call it piecing, it's mostly sewing long seams.  It won't take long to finish, I have just two borders left. Then I will use the leftover fabric for the backing, take it to be longarmed, and find it a home. I think I have enough fabric to make pillowcases to match!  Originally, I had planned this quilt as an easy summer quilt to throw on our bed. It doesn't appeal to me as much now, so I think this will turn into a guest room coverlet.

I am also working on a Lil' Twister quilt. It is yellow, aqua, and brown. I really like how it looks I so far! I also have been playing with some Christmas fabric scraps to make potholders. The first was a disaster, the second a bit better, and the third is finally something that doesn't embarrass me!

In the next three weeks, we will celebrate three birthdays. Mine is on the 22nd, (George Washington's birthday), my oldest son's birthday is March 2 (the same as Dr. Seuss), and my youngest son's is on Valentine's Day. We like our "special" birthdays! But oh my, time is surely speeding up! I'd like it to slow down a bit. By the end of these three weeks, we are birthday-caked out. My DH will get an apple pie for his birthday in April. It's his favorite anyway!

Hope everyone is safe and warm!

Pay it Forward

February, what better month to participate in Pay It Forward, spreading L*O*V*E and happiness!

Here are the details and how this will work:

The first five people to comment and leave their email and blog address will receive from me, sometime in 2013, a small gift handmade by me....a surprise in the mail!

In this age of digital everything, who doesn't love actual fun snail mail?

There will be no warning, but once I know that the recipients have indeed received their surprise, I will blog about the gifts I sent with all my blog readers!

The Catch:

The first five people who comment MUST make the same offer on their blog!

If you're interested in participating, making some new friends in blog land, and sharing your creative talents, then please leave me a comment.

I will be contacting the first 5 people who comment to get your mailing address so I will be ready to send your surprise in the coming months!

Question!!!

I have a wonderfully warm down comforter that is starting to show it's age. I REALLY hate to just get rid of it and was thinking of using it in place of batting. I have some pre-printed material that would make a quick quilt top and backing; I just don't know how easy it would be to actually quilt. Has anyone done this or something similar? Suggestions are welcome!

I am working on two projects right now: the It's All About Me blog hop and a UFO from last year, a Lil Twister baby quilt. I can't show you the blog hop item yet, but here is a picture of the baby quilt top. My next step is to start cutting it up using the Twister tool template. I used Moda's Lily & Will II charm pack plus a Moda Deb Strain (Cherish Nature Honeybees) fabric for the background.

I'll wait to see what it looks like before choosing border and backing fabrics! Blog hop starts in about 2 weeks. Take care!

Blog Hop

     I finally chose my fabric for the It's All About ME blog hop coming up in February! I have this vision of my older self and I hope it translates well for the hop. The pattern we were sent to follow is very thorough -- which is very nice and much appreciated! I'm getting so excited! I am pretty sure that I will be doing a giveaway; I'm just not sure what yet. Madame Samm and Marlene have been so good about sending out the information -- it's going to be a great hop. I'll be posting the schedule and details after I receive the information!

     This week I have been working on some UFO's. i finished this little purse for my grand-niece, to give her when her baby sister is born next month. What have you been up to?

Baby quilt - top done!

Hello to my new followers! I'm so glad you are here! Sunday night was not my most successful sewing night. I'd been plugging along all day, making good progress on the baby quilt. I half thought that I could finish the top and was feeling pretty pleased with myself..."Pride cometh before a fall..." As I was pinning the last group of blocks on, I realized that the entire previous row was on upside down! I have no idea how I managed that because I really was trying to be so very careful. After ripping out that set of blocks, I decided to take a break from it until Monday. I am still hoping to take it to the quilter this week so I really do need to hurry! (That's what I get for deciding a month before my niece's due date to make her a baby quilt!)

I go to therapy in the morning. Then hubby and I are going out to breakfast, probably at Bob Evans. When I get home, I'll try to finish up the quilt. I also need to finish making a calendar for 2013. I started scrapbooking one and didn't finish it. At least I have January and February done but I need to put in some more pages and pictures for the rest of the months!

Monday: I have finished up the baby quilt. I still need to piece the back. I don't have enough fabric to make a solid back piece so I'll put some solid color fabric with some of the print fabric that I have for the quilt. I called the long-arm quilter; she should be able to get it done by the end of next month. That should work out well with the baby due in the middle of February. After the baby is born, I will find out the name and will be able to embroider her name on the quilt, also.

Back to school tomorrow for a teacher workday. It's been nice having an extra day off! Number one son is out looking for a job today. I guess since he's back home temporarily, I'm no longer an empty nester. I should be again, soon - but perhaps my blog name is false advertising right now. LOL.

There are some blog hops coming up arranged by Madame Samm. There is the Valentine's Day one - Hugs & Kisses - and then the It's All About ME! blog hop. I am only in the second one but am so looking forward to both! It's All About ME! was to start Feb 21st, but now it will be a little earlier. Marlene from Stitching by the Lake is our cheerleader.

I guess I should show off the quilt now! Thanks for visiting today! (And sorry I got so wordy!)