GETTING READY FOR TRIP

Tomorrow morning we leave on our trip to Oregon. We'll be gone about 5 weeks, spending time with our DS & family, BIL, Arches National Park, Yellowstone National Park, etc. Today we load the camper.

Liri at Liriopia's Legacy sent me this Texas stitchery when she sent my blocks for the block swap and I wanted to make it into a little wall hanging. I came across some scraps of Texas fabric (which I had looked for and couldn't find), so I decided to make it up. I quilted right across the embroidery and it turned out OK! I'm going to hang it in the camper!

Western fabric on the back.
Well, I better get busy packing. I'll try to post some pictures along the way!

Remembering our veterans and service members over the weekend too.

PACKAGE FROM AUSTRALIA!

Today I received a package sent by Ann from Australia! It contained 2 more blocks for the block swap, a box of candy and an Australian quilting magazine. I love the blocks (especially the border on the red and blue one)!

Look at this box of chocolates!! Thanks, Ann! I was afraid they would be melted, but they were fine.
In between getting ready for our next trip, I've been making string blocks. I started by making 2 per day, but upped it to 4 per day because they go so fast. So far, I have 34 blocks! I love these blocks and can't wait to put them together!
I also made some more of these Scrappity-D0-Dah blocks. I started making these in January and haven't done much with them. I now have counted them and tied 100 in one bunch and 50 in another bunch, then made some more. I will need 360 for a queen size quilt. Only about 200 more to go!!

ANOTHER FINISH

First of all, I received another set of blocks for the block exchange. I have now received half of the blocks that I will get! This set came all the way from London, England from Breezy Bree. Thanks so much!

Below is the quilt that I finally finished - after having started it almost 2 years ago. It is called "Polka Dot Girls" and I am entering in the Ellis County Quilters quilt show in Midlothian, Texas. The quilt show will be held July 16 and 17.
This quilt has 18 embroidered blocks, which I really enjoyed doing.


Here is my stack of quilts that I will finish on the trip by hand sewing the binding to the back of each. I will have one more added to this, for a total of five!

We decided that we will be leaving on Sunday, May 30, and will take a full week to get to Dayton, OR. On the way we plan to spend a couple nights at Arches National Park, in Moab, Utah. We will be away from home for at least a month this time, so this week we are getting everything ready to go.

MORE BLOCKS, ETC.

Saturday I received these blocks and an ornament from Marsha. Thanks for the awesome blocks! This is almost like Christmas!

Today I received a package from Liri. These blocks are gorgeous and I got treats as well. I love the Texas embroidery! I can't wait to see how this quilt is going to come out!
I ran out of thread for the quilt I was quilting on, so I took a break and decided to work on a new purse.
I received the batik fabric in a giveaway from Barbara in American Samoa and added a couple more pieces to it. I love the way it turned out!
I have been wanting to try strip piecing for a while and when I saw that DH had put a phone book in the recycle bin, I decided to start! I saw the instructions on Quiltville. DH cut the pages to 8 1/2" for me. It didn't take long to do two of these 8 1/2" blocks. If I do two per day, I will have lots of blocks in no time and will have used up some scraps! We'll see if I can get a few more finished before we leave for Oregon.
I'm getting some hand work projects ready for our trip so I'll have things to work on while DH drives. I am sewing the handles for these baskets onto the fabric by machine, but they still need to be hand sewn on the other side. There will be 80 baskets and I think I've done about 10, so that is 70 handles to be sewn! Then they can be sewn together to make the baskets.
I had to return to the doctor and am now on another session of antibiotics for my ear infection. This is the first one I have ever had. Aren't I kind of old for one?

ANOTHER WEEK

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted! Yesterday I received 2 more blocks from my block swap. The shades of blue are gorgeous! Thanks Joanne! This is so much fun!!!

These are my purchases from the quilt show last week. I bought the Quilt Sampler magazine, which is one of my favorites. It comes out twice a year and features 10 (this time it was 11) quilt shops around North America. It's fun to "visit" the shops via the magazine and try to find ones that I can actually visit.
I also bought this Benjamin Bunny panel to make either a book or a baby quilt from.
I found out Monday night at my quilters guild meeting that our local quilt shop is closing at the end of the month. Boo Hoo!! That is such a shame, but they are victims of the economy. I guess I should have bought more fabric there! Hee Hee! Anyway, on Tuesday, I went shopping there because everything was at least 50% off. So that part was good.

I have been practicing my free motion quilting a lot this week. See my practice piece below. I have a DVD by Patsy Thompson - Fast & Free - that I have watched quite a bit. Then, I have received lots of help and encouragement from Elaine in Nebraska. She's the one that recommended Patsy Thompson DVDs and I have seen her work on her blog. We have emailed back and forth, and with her encouragement, I am slowly improving my quilting skills on my domestic sewing machine (DSM).
I am working on a twin size quilt now and won't be showing it for a while, but I am pretty happy with how it is turning out. Patsy Thompson recommends spray basting, so I tried that this time and it is really nice to not have pins to deal with. I will post it sometime next month.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

ARLINGTON QUILT SHOW

After having laryngitis a week ago, it turned into an ear infection and now I'm on antibiotics. I've been able to get some sewing done - not too much quilting because I'm making curtains for DS#2/DIL for their new apartment.

I received another 2 swap blocks along with some pieces of fabric - this time from Kathleen. So far I have received four blocks. By the end of the month, I will have 24 blocks! This is great!!

This afternoon, DH and I went to the Arlington (Texas) quilt show. This quilt top below is not an entry but is displayed by one of the vendors. I really love this quilt. I didn't buy the kit, though, as I have too many other projects to work on. I did buy a couple yards of fabric from them - they specialize in reproductions. Yummy!
The following quilt is a group quilt made by my guild - Cedar Hill Quilters Guild - and we won a blue ribbon. This quilt will be raffled off in October. (No, I didn't work on it).
The rest of these quilts are ones that I really liked. I'm sorry I don't have the names of the quilters who made them. And the pictures aren't the best because I couldn't get back far enough to get the whole quilt in the picture. Hope you enjoy these!

IT'S MY MONTH FOR THE BLOCK SWAP!!

Yesterday the mail came late and this was in it. My first box of blocks for the APQ Block swap from Katie!!! I am very happy! The blocks are perfect and she also sent me a darling bracelet (it's actually a scissors fob!), a little flower pin cushion and chocolate. After being in the mail truck all day, the chocolate was very soft, so it went in the refrigerator right away, but I tested it this morning and it is wonderful (I am addicted to chocolate). I have my May & June blocks ready to mail and will send the May blocks to Karen in England soon.

I received another surprise on Saturday from DS#3/DIL. The card says Happy Mother's Day, but it was a week early, so I think it is actually a thank you for going to take care of Jonah. The florist said that I would be receiving another bouquet, because the order was for Lilies and they didn't have any - so I'll be getting a Lily bouquet at some time this week!!! That's a good deal!
Since we arrived home, I have been sick with laryngitis, but not feeling too sick to sew. I finished this doll quilt as well as 14 more star blocks.
This baby quilt was actually finished before, but doesn't have the binding on. It is for our niece, who is expecting in July. I'm saving hand work for our next trip, so I'm not rushing to get the binding on. We plan to deliver it in person on our way home from Oregon.

Our next trip is planned for May 25 or 26. We'll be going to Oregon to visit DS#1 & family. Our GS will be graduating from 8th grade and GD will be having a birthday while we're there. In the mean time, I need to get a bunch of hand work projects ready to work on in the truck as well as piecing to do with my featherweight.