PROJECT UPDATE

Wedding quilt is mailed - and is supposed to be delivered today.

Log cabin quilt being basted

Notice the vintage Tupperware sugar bowl that I use for holding safety pins.

Quilting started.  I'm using caramel Essential Pro polyester thread from ConnectingThreads.com for the top thread and turkey red thread for the back.

Table runner bound and listed in my Etsy shop.

3 dresses finished to be donated to Lori who is taking them to Bolivia on a mission trip.

Pocket embellishments.

I have a new favorite place to photograph items - on the fence just outside our patio door.  It has to be done in the morning before the sun is so bright though.  We are almost finished painting the fence - which is very long.  The area behind the shed is mainly what is left to be painted.  Woo Hoo!

A NEW WEEK

Since my GD got married just a week ago, I have been trying to get back to "normal."  The realization that she has moved from the west coast to the east coast with her new hubby is a reality now.  This past year she spent most Sundays here with me in the sewing room.

Since they couldn't take much with them on their flight I told her I would send the quilt that I'm giving them as a wedding gift.  So today, I am getting it ready to go.  This is my Civil War quilt made by following Barbara Brackman's blog in 2011.  See a better picture of it here.  She picked it out from 2 choices available.

Last week I finished quilting this table runner and sewed on the binding.  Now I just have to hand stitch it to the back.

I picked out some fabrics and rick rack to make "pillowcase" dresses for Lori at Humble Quilts to take to Bolivia in October.  I plan to start making them this week.

Today, I plan to baste my log cabin quilt and start getting it quilted - finally!

My new neighbor and I have plans to attend at least 2 quilt shows in small towns in Oregon this fall.  We decided we wanted to explore some places we haven't been to yet since moving here from Texas (she is my next door neighbor and we both moved here from Texas last year).

Have a good week everyone!

WINNERS OF GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCED!

This is my "high-tech" system of picking the winners of the giveaway.  Sorry I didn't announce them sooner, but they were notified on Monday.  

1.   print out all the comments.

2.  fold and place in basket.

3.  Select winners.

OK, here they are:

First prize (receives thread catcher, 4 fat quarters and the felt ornament pattern):  Elizabeth from Elizabeth's Quilt Projects.  Your package is in the mail!

Second prize (receives Baskets for You pattern):  Gloria (no blog).  Your package will be mailed this week.

Third prize (receives Over the River and Through the Woods pattern):  "Love" from I Just Love Quilts.

I hope you will visit Elizabeth's and Love's blogs - they have some wonderful projects on them.

Thanks so much for everyone who entered my giveaway and for your sweet comments!  I had a couple requests for the thread catcher pattern, so I am including the link to the pattern here.  The only change I made was to make the pincushion a little larger (I don't remember the exact measurement I made it, but I think enlarged it maybe about an inch).  I also filled the pincushion with ground up walnut shells, which are available at a pet supply store.  One bag of the ground up shells will last a long time unless you share it with someone.

I MUST BE LUCKY, OR SOMETHING!

At least I was very lucky last week, because I won a give-away from Rogue Quilter!  I won a pin cushion kit, some tumbler blocks all cut out, a tiny flag to use in a little wall hanging and the magazine with the PP pattern for making more tiny flags.  Farther down in this post you will see the finished pincushion!  Yes!  I made it right away - I couldn't wait and it went quite fast.  My sewing machine was at the doctor's, so I took a tiny break from using it.  I was just about ready to get my Featherweight out when they called to say it was ready!  Thanks so much for the wonderful gifts, Janet!

The apples are ripening on DS/DIL's trees and this morning I made 2 apple pies.  (I made one on Monday as well).  We won't be eating all of these ourselves as I'm taking them back for them as with the wedding on Saturday they have company and are very busy.

I love labor saving devices, don't you?  I purchased this apple peeler/corer/slicer at a garage sale and I love it!  It's so easy because it peels, cores and slices just by turning the handle!

Here's one pie out of the oven.  Do you notice something?  I have an old sheet and when I bake a pie I tear off a strip which I get wet and then wrap around the edge of the crust so it won't get over done.  This is what my Grandma and Mom did and I have been using the same old sheet for at least 20 years.  Normally, I only would bake a couple apple pies per year, but now living here in Oregon near DS/DIL, they have 3 apple trees, so I am baking lots more pies.

I love home made apple pies.  Don't bother to offer me any store bought one.

Here is my patriotic wool appliquéd pin cushion sitting on a book shelf in my living room.  I love the way it looks!

Another pin cushion that I just finished recently (having started it a few years ago) is on the next shelf.  This one was a pattern in "Primitive Quilts and Projects."

And on the bottom shelf in an old wooden box I have three pin cushions.

Don't forget to enter my give-away here!  Good luck to everyone!  I will draw on Monday.

CLEANING THE SEWING ROOM!

With company coming, I decided I needed to do some serious cleaning.  The fact that I took my sewing machine to be serviced meant that I couldn't do any quilting anyway.  I have my Featherweight if I get the urge to sew.

Look what I found!  It's a small basket, but it's stuffed with 1 3/4" unfinished HSTs!  These are left-overs from my GS's high school graduation quilt that I made last year.  I think I'll make a doll quilt out of them.  I found some other missing items as well and had to shake out the dust cloth many times.  Once in a while, it feels good to clean and organize.

Some more that are trimmed.

And some that need to be trimmed!

Here's another bunch that I did trim and put into a baggie!  Wow!  I wonder how many quilts I can make with all these.

This is what I did once with left-over HSTs.  I made them into pinwheels, then added borders to get them to a certain size - 4 1/2" I guess, and made a donation quilt out of them.  Lots of ideas!

Here's my stack of projects ready to work on after my GD's wedding on Saturday - and when I get my machine back.  There are 2 table runners and one doll quilt basted and ready to quilt.  Then there is my log cabin quilt and a Scrappity-Do-Dah quilt ready to baste and then quilt, both queen size.  I can't wait to get them finished.

Don't forget to leave a comment on this post to enter my drawing.  Some of the entries don't have an email attached (in other words, you are a "no reply blogger"), so you need to be sure and send me your email address if you left a comment.  To fix this problem, go here and click on "How not to be a no-reply commenter" for directions.

Thanks for all the comments I've received so far!  I love comments!

TIME FOR A GIVE-AWAY!!!

 I want my quilting/blogging friends to know how much I have enjoyed getting to know so many quilters over the years I have been blogging.  Yes, quilting friends, it is time for a Give-Away!  In fact, it is long overdue, so I decided not let it delay any further.  No, it's not a blogging anniversary (that would be in November - believe it or not, it will be 8 years).  It's not my birthday or anything like that.  It's just TIME to have a give-away.

These are the items someone will win:

1.  A thread catcher made by me.

Thread Catcher

2.  4 fat quarters.  Three of them go together and are so unique.  I love them, but I will sacrifice them for the give-away.

4 Fat Quarters

3.  3 patterns that I have used, but will never use again (Baskets for you, Over the River and Through the Woods and Warm Feet).  The first 2 are wall hangings and Warm Feet is a set of 6 "stocking" Christmas Tree Ornaments - no wool provided.  The 1st place winner will get to choose one and 2 runners up will each get one of what's left.  All three of these are used, but complete patterns that I have made.    You may remember seeing the finished products.

3 Patterns

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and let me know which pattern you would want should you win first place.  If you come in 2nd or 3rd, I will try to give you the pattern you want unless it's already taken.

One entry per person, no extra hoops to jump through and you may tell your blogging friends if you want to - no extra entries for this.

Good Luck!  I will draw on August 17.  I'm so sorry, but this will be for USA only because of the cost of postage.

TABLE RUNNERS GALORE!

I have been busy making table runners to decorate the tables at my GD's wedding reception.  They are not quilted and are fairly simple to make, but so far I have made 14 and have one more to finish.  Below you can see examples of the table runners, which will sit on top of a white tablecloth.  The printed fabric is from Japan and there will be a Japanese theme to the decorations.  I'm also making 5 bow ties out of the solid fabric and am almost finished with those.  

Small table runner and doll quilt top

The following 2 table runner tops will be for my Etsy shop.  One is a custom order and the other is just because.  Both are easy patterns, but I really like them.

I have a shoe box full of 4" finished saw tooth stars and decided to put these together into a doll quilt size quilt.  I have backings picked out for these last three items, so maybe I can get them basted and quilted soon.  I think I'll wait until after the wedding (on the 15th) to tackle basting and quilting 2 large quilts.

If you follow "The Quilting Show" you may have seen an article about a man's view of quilting.  But if not, follow this link to read a speech given by a criminal judge in Canada regarding his wife's quilting hobby.  It's hilarious!

Last, but not least, come remember to come back soon as I will be having a Give-Away!  I decided it was about time I have one.