Honey, I'm home!!

Sheesh..what is up with me and not keeping my blog updated???? Well, I am determined to rectify that, so be warned that there will be more posts in my future!! The first weekend of October I went on my yearly Cobbled Court Quilt Circle retreat in Connecticut. We had the best of times, as usual!!! Author Marie Bostwick is the best to hang out with for the weekend...not to mention all the other ladies!!! Here is our annual pic: I did get a lot of sewing done. I don't have a pic of the wallhanging I worked on. I got the background made and the applique ironed on. I have finished the top since I got home and will post a pic of that as soon as it's quilted. I did make another Bricks and Stepping Stones (by Bonnie Hunter) quilt: I was working on this in the wee hours and I cut the black and white 4 patches into rectangles and not squares. Sigh..that's ok....I still like it!!! I made it for a friend of mine at work, Jerri, and she LOVED it!! I had a lot of leftover rectangle black and white 4 patches, so when I got home I made this baby quilt for my soon to be great nephew, Beckett: This is a close up of the kid prints and the skull binding (skulls requested by the soon to be dad). Then, since I was on a roll, I made this Roman Stripes baby quilt from maryquilts.com: This one is going to my brand new great nephew, Lucas...formerly known as Nugget. I have some momentum going, so hope to have a lot more finishes..and beginnings...soon!!

Pennies from Heaven is done!

Here it is hanging at Cafe SewCiety. I will be teaching this pattern there as a block of the month starting in October. The pattern is by Gretchen Gibbons. This was the first time I've worked with wool and I couldn't believe how easy it was!!!! About a year ago, my friend Patrice gifted me with some projects that she didn't want to finish. Included in that were 6 blocks from a block of the month. She also gave me some more of the fabrics that went with them. I dug them out and since they were red, white and blue, and since Patrice's daughter is in the military, I decided they should go into a Quilts of Valor quilt. When Shellie came back last weekend to sew with me, I finished making a few more blocks and got the top put together: It feels so good to finally be making some progress on some projects! It sure is motivating! Hope you have gotten some finishes lately and here's to hoping for many more for both of us!!!

Quiltalong part 2

Well, Shellie came over and we got a LOT of work done despite our chatting, snacking and a little imbibing!! My camera died so I didn't get a picture of the pillowcases we both made to donate. Sigh....next time! I did get a set of 10 Christmas tree napkins made, thanks to Joanna!!!

My friend, Patrice, had gifted me, about a year ago, a block of the month pattern and material that she had started. I decided to dig that out and work on that as the colors would be perfect for a Wounded Warriors quilt. She had 6 blocks done and I made 2 more. Now, just 4 more to go then to get it set and finished!

Shellie made a few more blocks to add to some she already had and got this top all together!!

So, all in all, it was the perfect day! We got a lot accomplished, but better than that, we got to spend time with each other and we haven't gotten to do that in AGES! Hope everyone else had a great weekend! Thanks SO MUCH to our hostess, Hazel. Without you, none of this would have happened!!!

Christmas is in the air!!!

Yay! Today is part 2 of the Christmas Quiltalong weekend. I missed yesterday due to a baby shower for my niece. I made Bonnie Hunter's Dancing 9 Patches for my soon to be great nephew: Now, I am stumped as to what I am going to do with my wonky log cabin I am making for the Challenge of the quiltalong. So, I am putting that on hold for today and am hoping one of the quiltalongers (like how I just made that word up??? lol) can help me! Last year, one of our hostesses had a tutorial for napkins that folded up into Christmas trees and, of course, I can't find it now that I want to make them!! Does anyone have that link or remember who shared it?? While I wait for an answer on that one, I will be working on other things. Shellie is coming to eat, sew and drink with me today!! We are going to be working on some pillowcases that we donate yearly at our retreat in October. I am going to put some time into my leaders/enders quilt as I have lots of tiny 9 patches to add to it and maybe even start on a new baby quilt. I have another great niece and great nephew due in a few months!!!! Off now to check on what everyone else was working on this weekend!!!

Thanks, Hazel!!!

Look at this beautiful yard of Secret Garden I won from Hazel!! Just for participating in the Christmas Quiltalong!!! Hazel...I just LOVE this!! Thank you so very much. You are an amazing hostess and it's always been my pleasure to participate in the quiltalong. I can't wait to see what this gift becomes!!! I haven't gotten much sewing done lately, but I did get this Operation Kid Comfort quilt made: I hope the little girl who gets it likes it! And now..for the BIG news. My grandson, Jaxson, was born July 16 and is probably the world's cutest baby....just saying! Not sure where get got all the hair from, but we like it! lol I'm getting ready for our family vacation to Allegany State Park next week. No electricity, no water, etc for one whole week!!! So, I am bringing my hexies and my my Giant NY Sunflower quilt to work on while I am there. I will be busy packing this week, but hope to get in some quilting/sewing time, too!!!

Some handwork

Couldn't get back to my machine yet, so did some more handwork on my hexies. I now have the center medallion done. Think I'm liking it!! If all goes as planned, it'll be back to working on my little cabin tonight!

The cabin

It's not much, but I got a little wonky log cabin made for my Christmas Quiltalong challenge. I am still working on what setting I want for my little cabin, but I'm excited I at least made a start!! Off to go for a swim and then check and see what everyone else is up to!

Time to get Started!

My oldest daughter, Jess, is in the very early stages of labor! Our grandson, Jaxson, was due last Wednesday. So, yesterday ended up being spent getting ready to make the trip up there (she lives about an hour away) and getting everything done around here. If Jack doesn't come on his own, he will be induced on Tuesday. I do have to make a quick run to Cafe Sewciety quilts this morning. Judy got an urgent request for 4 Kid Comfort quilts for families that are relocating. Need them done NOW. So, I am going to whip one up for her. Until that time I am finally starting my challenge project. Woot woot!!!! I only have a vague idea of what I want..no details. Hope they come to me as I work on it! Now, off to visit everyone's blog, then on to it!!!!

Invite me to a picnic!

I made 2 more casserole carriers yesterday. One is for a friend, and one I am actually keeping for myself. I love these little guys! Now I am all set for the summer picnics we are invited to....well, minus the food that needs to go in it!! lol I actually finished these last weekend, but couldn't post pictures for some reason. I finally had to install firefox so I could post pictures. So, now I have a few more things to show you since then. Here's another casserole carrier..this one is a longer one. It's a gift for a wedding: I also got the top made from Judy's pink flying geese: I finished up all those flying geese by making the stars with the black square centers. Now I just have to put borders on that and can show you that progress. This quilt top is called Summer Breezin'. Shellie, Kathy and I started these together ages ago using 30's fabrics. They used white backgrounds, but not me, of course. I chose this peachy background and really like how it turned out. It's been on my ufo list FOREVER and I am so glad to be one step closer to finishing it!!! This weekend is the Christmas Quiltalong. I FINALLY came up with an idea for Sue's challenge. I am hoping to start putting it together and see if I can come up with something I like!!! Want to join in on the fun and get a head start on your Christmas projects? Just click on the link on the right!!!

Another Finish

Yay...another finish!!! Not only is it a finish, but it was a UFO I've had sitting awhile, so I am so glad to have it quilted finally. Isn't it just the BEST feeling when you get to remove a project from the "to be finished" list?? This one is going to my soon to be born grandson, Jaxson, formerly known as Blueberry. This pattern is one designed by Marge Gordon at Mysteries for Relay and is called World's Fair. It drove me nuts when I was making it, being only 2 colors, but I am just floored by how it turned out. Just love this one...thanks, Marge!!!!

Day 2 of the Christmas Quiltalong

Nothing Christmasy done yesterday...unless you count the HOURS of thinking about the quiltalong challenge!! I have not yet stumbled across the project I want to do. That's okay..I still have today to mull it over while working on other things! I got these two little quilts done yesterday for Operation Kid Comfort (just have to sew the binding on tonight). Gosh, I LOVE finishes!!! I need more of them in my life!! Remember the pink flying geese units my friend Judy gave to me that were leftovers for a quilt that she was making for a customer? Well, I used up an entire charm pack and got those blocks made: That's not the final layout..I was just playing around with them. To sash or not to sash..what do you think? I am kind of liking it without the sashing. Hmmmmm..... Those pink flying geese STILL were not done, though. I still had a pile left! There were these squares in with the flying geese: So, I started working those up and now have 6 of these done and lots of units left to make more: As a bonus, I now have a box of these pinwheels from the dog ears I cut off the flying geese!! LOL...this was the gift that kept giving!! At this point, I will have 3 quilts made from the flying geese Judy gifted me. I do have to say, I am starting to hate these things!!! lolol Other than some Christmasy, I refuse to work on anything else until I have these things used up and GONE! lolol Okay...well, maybe I might QUILT something else, but I am not starting anything else!!!

Christmas Quiltalong!

Oh, I am sooooo excited!! Hazel from Hazel's Quilts and Joanna from Needle, Thread, Happiness have started up a Christmas quiltalong! Boy, do I need this. I've gotten so much done for the holiday the past 2 years I've done a quiltalong. This year, the ladies have made it a whole weekend of holiday fun, sewing and sharing!! This way, lots of people can join in. You don't have to be here ALL weekend (although who wouldn't WANT to be??), just pop in and join us at some point over the weekend. Sue at Quilt Times has come up with a great quiltalong challenge. There is going to be so much to see and do!! Woot woot! Won't you join us? Joanna is hosting this month, so just click on the link above to get all the official information for the quiltalong. As for me, I'm not sure what to start on! I have a few non Christmasy things I have to finish, I need to start dreaming and planning for Sue's challenge and just reconnect with the friends I've made through the past year's quiltalongs. What a FABULOUS weekend!!!!

Casserole carrier

Didn't this come out just too cute?? I made this for my best friend, Pam, for her birthday. I used a bunch of leftover strips that Judy had passed along to me. It was my first time using Insul-brite, and it was a piece of cake to work with. Being Memorial Day weekend, we have 2 picnics to go to and I am wishing I had made myself one of these to tote my goodies in!!! The pattern is by Atkinson Designs. The only other thing I have done is a little more piecing on my hexie quilt: As you can see on the right side, I am adding a border around the center. I can't wait to start the next part! I am hoping to get some sewing in around the gardening and picnics this weekend. I hope you have a great holiday weekend and are either wonderfully productive or wonderfully relaxed!!!!

Sheesh

Has it really been a month since I posted last???? I have got to get better at that. I have noticed, though, that I am not the only one. Seems like most of the bloggers I visit regularly have been posting less often. Must be the time of year!! I HAVE been sewing, though! Just not as much as I would like to. I made a second quilt for "Blueberry": This one is called On the Go and can be found at Moda Bake Shop. I am wonderfully blessed to be gifted with scraps and leftovers from my friends. Judy gifted me awhile back with all these leftover flying geese she had made: I wasn't sure what to do with them, so they sat for a while. Then, for my birthday in February, Judy gifted me with this charm pack from Moda: She hadn't realized it, but they went perfectly with the flying geese! So, I started making these: I started making some courthouse blocks as my leaders and enders: But then, I realized how lucky I was because Judy didn't trim the extra triangles off her flying geese: So, I used them also as leaders and enders and ended up with these: Now I was working on 3 quilts at once! lol Funny how that happens. I also made this little wallhanging for Judy to hang in her shop. I just need to embroider the eyes and some little details and bind it and I can deliver it to her. Then, in April, I started having some more chest pains and went back in the hospital. 2 new stents later (the 1 I had done in August was already 90 % blocked!), I got to come home. Since I wasn't up to sitting at a machine, I started browsing blogs. The I found the most amazing hexagon quilt. I swore I was never going to make one, but oh, this was lovely!!!! So, here is the start to mine: That's about it. I have a bible study/sew date with Judy and Shelly today and am hoping to finish SOMETHING up! lol Have a great day!!

"Blueberry's" first quilt!

I have my first grandbaby due in July!! We lovingly refer to him now as "Blueberry" because at one point my daughter told us he was the size of a blueberry. I pieced the top a few months ago and finally quilted it yesterday. It was fun to quilt since I wasn't free motion quilting it, I got to quilt it on my old Domestic sewing machine. I LOVE this machine. Anywho, here's a pic of Blueberry's apple core quilt: Now, off to sit in the warmth of the day for a few minutes before chores call me back inside!

Done!

Just a quick post this morning. Too many things on my to do list today!! I finished quilting and binding my Rectangle Wrangle quilt so it is now ready to be delivered..woot woot!!! Now, on to the list!!

Making some progress!

I am quilting my Rectangle Wrangle. This would be one of the reasons it is taking awhile: Hallie has decided that it is hers and I canNOT keep her off of it. It is big enough on its own for me to have to wrestle with it, but throw a cat in there too and well, it's a job and a half!! lol I also finished another quilt top. This one is wool and cottons. the wool pieces and embroidery and beads are all hand stitched down. I LOVE how this turned out. I need to get it quilted up and over to Judy at Cafe Sewciety because I am going to be teaching it there!! Keep an eye out here for more info as to when that is going to happen! Now, back to quilting (hopefully without Hallie's help!)