WHAT I WORKED ON LAST WEEK

I just realized that it's been a while since I posted on my blog!  I have been spending less time browsing as well because I have been keeping pretty busy on quilting projects.

This block is the September BOM from Barbara Brackman's Civil War blog.  I haven't done the August one yet.  Both of these have Y-seams, which are not my favorite.  I tried to make mine more like the one Becky Brown made (see Barbara's post).  Also, my friend/neighbor and I have signed up for a craft show in November and I'm working on some projects for that.

In case you didn't know, I love going to garage sales and thrift stores.  I look for fabric and projects that I can use and/or sell from my Etsy shop.

The quilt show that I went to in Salem, OR had a sale section of fabrics, panels, etc. that members of the group donated.  There were some great deals!  Below is a small panel of a dalmatian dog along with some pieces of fabrics to finish it.  I put some of them together, but now I'm thinking of making it into a small quilt.  The top and bottom border pieces aren't sewn on yet and I don't have any more of that fabric.  Right now it measures about 22" x 29".  I was thinking about making a wall hanging, but if I make it into a baby or child's quilt I would need to enlarge it.  Any suggestions?

This Santa place mat/table topper or Santa's cookie and milk mat, was also found at the quilt show.  It was layered and partially quilted.  I just added some more quilting and finished it.

I found this rabbit at a thrift shop and she needed a dress.  The package included a pattern for a dress and I had this fabric on hand.  I made the apron out of a vintage napkin.

I love the old crocheted corner on the napkin.

This table runner was purchased at an estate sale and it was all layered but not quilted yet.  I decided to finish it off and hope to sell it at the craft show.  It looks like a mardi gras design.

This is some of what I have been doing.  The weather has turned rainy, so it was a good time to spend inside sewing.

A NEW BOM FOR 2013 - AM I NUTS?

Before Christmas I went to my favorite LQS to spend my gift certificate when I saw a BOM program on the wall that I really liked.  It came in Red or Blue.  I had always wanted to join in on something at this shop which specializes in reproduction fabrics, but never have.  I thought, maybe I should do it this time - as I had resisted for years.  I had a hard time making the decision, but I decided to join in. Am I nuts?   I selected the blue one.  The pattern is below and comes with a template for the baskets.  Each month I will receive a package with fabric for 12 baskets to be hand appliquéd!  Yikes!  I received the first month at the shop and there was enough fabric for 12 blocks, six background fabrics and 6 blue fabrics for the baskets, so I will have 12 blocks with 2 from each fabric.

Pattern and template.

Six of my first month's 12.  The others are basically the same.

 They are not perfect, but I hope my applique skills will improve.  I used the back basting method this time and might try a different method on January's blocks.

I just received this book as a Christmas gift from my DS#3/DIL and am already enjoying it.  I love Marie Bostwick's Cobbled Court series.

I received this mug rug from Karen  when we met for lunch a week ago.  We had such a good visit!

We left Florida and are now in Alabama visiting our 3rd son and family.  Jonah (4) and Eli (2) are such precious little boys!

DS/DIL helping the boys climb on the old "truck"

Eli is such a smiley boy!

Jonah is a good climber!

Tomorrow we head back home and it will be good to get there. We had a wonderful visit with 2 of our sons' families! We will sure miss them!

STARS AND A BOM

When I saw the "A Little Starstruck" quilt pattern by Ann Hermes in the June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting, I knew I had to make it into a doll quilt. I hunted through my reproduction fabrics and added another row of stars to it. Even though I have plenty of quilting to do - both hand and machine - I wanted to start some of these star blocks. I love these blocks and I see them in so many patterns, I've used them in quilts before, but I wanted to use them again. They are so basic and I love basic!
I made enough for two quilts!!
I finished my "A Tisket A Tasket" BOM just in time for the new one to come out!! At least I'm not falling behind!

This is my 99th post and for my 100th post I'm going to have a gift drawing. Be sure to check back! I don't know when I will post it, but I will give bloggers about a week to comment.

GRANDBABIES AND FIRST BOM

Jonah turned one yesterday! Unfortunately, he's in Wisconsin. I think he liked the cake!
Abigail gets her first meal of mashed carrots! What a cutie!! Unfortunately, she lives in Florida!
Here's my first BOM. It was from a quilt shop in Arlington, TX, that is out of business. The fabrics are all Thimbleberries. A friend of mine and I participated in this BOM - it was the kind where you pay $5 for the first month, and if you bring the completed block back the next month, you get it for free. It was a number of years ago, so I don't really remember how much I actually paid for the blocks. I sewed this together in sections, quilted the sections and then sewed the sections together and slip stitching the backing together. I decided that I didn't like this method of quilting. This was the biggest quilt that I had every quilted by machine - and I think it still is the biggest. It's twin size.
Here is a small runner I made for this desk. I have been wanting to make something for this desk for a long time! It might be my only finish for May. I have lots of WIPs though. Hee Hee!
I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and appreciate the sacrifice of many for our freedoms.

FIVE (?!?) BOMS

I can't believe I'm participating in FIVE BOMs now. Here are the some that I just completed:
Gail Pan's Christmas BOM, Willowberry's stitchery BOM...

Below are the first 2 months from the LQS Just Stitchin's BOM. They are doing it in brights and pastels, so I joined both of them!!! The fifth one is "A Tisket, A Tasket" which I haven't done for this month yet. Before I started blogging, I had only participated in one BOM at a LQS and it took me a long time to get that quilt finished. (I'll have to post a picture next time). It always seemed so hard to do a block a month. But now, it seems a lot easier. I guess I get lots of motivation from other bloggers. Thanks, everyone!
My DH had hernia surgery a week ago and I have spent a lot of time stitching while he lies in bed recuperating. I stitched 3 of these flag quilts. I still have to put the border on before I can sandwich them. I also made 2 small log cabin table runners, which I forgot to take pictures of (next post).
I have been working on this tumbler charm quilt for a while and I am going to add one more row to what you see below. It measures 38" by 36" now. I'm going to hand quilt it since it is all hand pieced. Any ideas on quilting designs? I was thinking of simply stitching 1/4" inside of each seam. Another idea would be the fan quilting. What do you think?
This is a cross stitched quilting picture that I did before I really got involved in actual quilting, but was thinking about it a lot.
Another weekend almost gone! How come they're so short???

I MIGHT LIKE APPLIQUE AFTER ALL!

Here is the latest BOM from Gail Pan designs. I think I'm current on this one, except I haven't been putting the borders on yet. And here's the latest "A Tisket A Tasket" applique BOM. When I started these, I didn't know how I would do them, because I usually don't do applique. The first month, I tried needle turn applique and while I got it done, I wasn't real happy with it. The second one I tried the kind where you iron freezer paper on, turn the edges under and applique like needle turn. Then you cut out the back and peel off the paper. I really didn't like this method and decided I would not do it again. The last two I used Wonder Under and machine applique and I like this method the best. I know it doesn't look as good as "good" needle turn applique, but I think it looks better than MY needle turn, so I decided to do all of them this way.
I can't believe I am up to date on these! (I'll post the 4th one soon - I need to take a picture of it). I gives me a little hope and even desire to do some more applique. It would probably be better if I would do some "country" or "primitive" type applique with large pieces. Tee Hee Hee!!!

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND THAT

I thought this looked like a fun BOM. This is the first month and there will be 8 more for a Christmas quilt. Go here for the pattern.I received some neat mail last week! This is from an exchange with Sigrun in Norway! She sent me this star and I hung it in my sewing room above the calendar from Australia (below).

I did another exchange with Leanne from Tasmania, Australia. It is so neat to make friends around the world! She sent me these great Australian fabrics as well as the calendar featuring Australian wild flowers.
Thanks so much, Sigrun and Leanne!
Here I am playing with some tiny pieces left from cutting my tumbler blocks out of charm squares. I'm trying to figure out how to use the little pieces and might sew these together for a doll quilt.
Not too much accomplished. I seem to find myself jumping from one thing to another.

2 more Stitcheries

The name of this Polka Dot Girls stitchery is "Sisters."  I am the one on the right and my sister is the one on the left with the cat.  She's holding only one of her three cats.  Tee Hee Hee!  I am really enjoying working on these.

This is my latest Noah's Ark BOM from Lynnette Anderson Designs .  We have a new granddaughter due in December, so I think this wall hanging will be for her.  It's not too late to start these - you can download all of them from her blog.  They are small and quick.
I have been real busy at work this week, but today the boss is gone...Yeah!!!  I can catch up & get ready for another busy day on Monday.  I took a quilt for GS#1 to the quilters this week, so I hope to be able to show you that soon.  My next project is a baby quilt for the new GD.

Have a great weekend and get lots of sewing done - or other stuff....

Busy Week

I made this bag for my sister to use as a lunch bag.  When I told her she was very hard to buy gifts for, she came up with some suggestions, one of which was a lunch bag.  I had this pattern for the "Button Bag" from This and That Patterns  so I used the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum charm squares to make it.  It was quick and easy to make - I think I'll make some more of these.

My quilt guild hands out a BOM each month and I try to make one or usually 2 of them.  This is the block for July and we will be putting them together to make a quilt for the Fisher House  that is being built near the VA Hospital in Dallas, TX.  All the guilds in the area are making quilts for the beds.  I think it is supposed to open in September.

I've been buying a lot of fabric lately...I can't help it...really!  This collection is going to be used in my Polka Dot Girls quilt.  I am working on the stitchery for the first block, but haven't had much time this week.

This fabric is for the A Tisket A Tasket wall hanging by Liberty Star that I admired at a quilt shop (check out the designers blog here.  My girlfriend bought me the pattern and 2 of the fabrics as an early birthday gift!  I got the 2 fabrics on the top at the Mesquite Quilt Show on Saturday.  I still need more pinks and browns for this project.
I'm busy today getting ready for my DS#3, DIL & new GS to arrive.  They are moving from the Naval Air Station where they were instructor pilots, to another Air Force Base where DS will be stationed.  My DIL will be a stay at home Mommy!  I just took a blueberry pie out of the oven and cooked some potatoes for potato salad.  More cleaning & shopping to do this afternoon.  Have a great weekend, everyone!  I can't wait until they (especially Jonah) get here!  My rocking chair is ready!

Why are weekends so short?

I can't believe it's Sunday night already!  This weekend just flew by, but I want to show you what I have started.  This is my first stitchery from the Polka Dot Girls quilt.  It is really fun to work on!

I also finished 2 BOMs:  Noah's Ark and Capricorn Quilts.

Yesterday I went to a small quilt show and found a few fabrics for the Polka Dot Girls quilt and other projects.  

Tomorrow I will take DH to the airport so he can go to help DS#3 move.  On Friday, DS, DIL & new baby will come here on their way to their new home, so I will get to see Jonah again.  I can't believe he's a month old already.  I can't wait to see him again!

My other GS wants me to make him a new quilt, so I will need to get fabric for that.  Have a great week!

A couple projects

Last weekend I finished up this small quilt and Monday I took it to my quilt guild meeting where I turned it in for donation to the Children's Medical Center.  These blocks were made by various members of my guild and I won them in the drawing for that particular month.  I got enough to make a quilt.  I hope it gives comfort to someone.

Here's another BOM from Lynette Anderson Designs.

Go to her web site to sign up for a new free pattern drawing.  Or you can download her Noah's Ark patterns.  This one is the third and she added the kangaroo stitchery recently.

There is another drawing at Canton Village Quilt Works.  This one is a really special prize - she will quilt for FREE a quilt up to twin size!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!  

Weeds (?) and other stuff

We have been taking a lot of pictures with our digital camera lately, including pictures of flowers.  I told my DH that I wanted him to take some pictures of Queen Ann's lace, but he didn't know what it was.  There is a field that I go by sometimes and last year about this time it was covered with QAL, so we took a little ride over there.  It wasn't covered this year, maybe it's too early (or late), but we did get some good pictures.  I also picked some and put it in a vase.  Isn't it pretty?  I love it and it is lasting really well in the vase.

Here's the second BOM that I did from Capricorn Quilts 

When I went to a quilt show a couple months ago I bought a panel of an airport scene for a child's quilt.  I was going to save it for our new grandson's first birthday, but decided to do it right away.  I just added a border and quilted it.  I practiced my free motion quilting some more.  As you can see in the picture, I was quilting the border of cobblestones.  It took a while to quilt around all the little cobblestones, but the good part is that the quilting didn't have to be perfect as it blended in really well.    The last picture is a close up of a small section of it.