The Doodles of My Mind...

Hand-Piecing???

2012-01-28T13:10:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe I am going to do this, much less that I am actually quite excited about it!

I very much enjoy having something to work on in the evenings while sitting in front of the tv. There is still a lot of embroidery left on my 'snow days' quilt, but sometimes I want something a bit different to do. Well, wouldn't you know...along comes Erin of Why Not Sew? blog fame with her bright (read fantastic!) idea of doing a hand-piecing quilt along. I'm in. Like Flynn. (OH! Remind me to tell you about that!)

So. I am going to do it. We'll be doing twelve 6.5 inch blocks...one per week.

I looked at several different fabrics that would work, and decided to use these oranges...

I'll throw in a few aquas here and there with some kind of white as background. I have the most fun backing picked out...just wait til you see it! {grin}

And, ohgosh, a major oops! Three days ago, I realized I haven't yet made a quilt for my niece/godchild, Michelle! YIKES! Her birthday is February 21...think I can get it done by then? I ordered some Kona solids that I need for it and will get going as soon as they arrive.

In the meantime, I am working on a few smaller projects. I'll show you as I get them done.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

GIVEAWAY!!!

2012-01-25T16:49:00.003-06:00

Going through boxes is always interesting...you just never know what you're going to find. Recently, while going through my rug hooking stuff, I came across this little mat. I used to have it hanging on the wall, but when I moved here in 2007, I never unpacked it. I look at it now and wonder what to do with it. It is a fun little mat and very nicely done...I think it deserves a new home.

Back in 2003, when I was fairly new to rug hooking, I participated in a swap called, "Redneck Critter Rug Swap". I no longer remember why it was called that. I do remember that we swapped rugs of farm animals. I didn't hook this mat...Faye Goode of Ontario, Canada did.

But, hey...want to see the one I hooked? Here it is...

I put a cowbell and a ribbon on the cow...isn't it cute? I have no idea who ended up with this...the poor thing. See the rooster sitting on the fence? It's all very primitive, wouldn't you say? haha. (Now you know why I moved on to quilting! {grin})

The 'sheep in goat's clothing' is the hooked mat I am giving away. The back is finished and the mat measures 12 x 12 inches.

The label tells the story

If you would like this sheep in goat's clothing to live at your place, just leave a comment on this post. And, just for kicks, tell me why you think the swap was called Redneck Critter Swap. There are no wrong answers. Just looking for something fun to read...{grin}

I will close comments and draw the winner on February 1.

Good luck!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

The Princess and the Puppy...

2012-01-22T12:23:00.002-06:00

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Still Swooning...

2012-01-21T13:32:00.001-06:00

It's the weekend...YAY!

What's especially exciting about this one is that

Princess Kaylynn is coming for a visit!

We had a bunch of snow yesterday,

but the roads should be drivable by now.

I have some errands to run

and then I think we'll bake cookies.

I haven't been doing too much

sewing this past week,

but I did finish Block 4.

I am really liking these.

In fact, they make me...

swoon.

{grin}

Question...

When piecing your quilt blocks,

do you press your seams to the side

or do you open them up?

I have always pressed to the side

(the dark side...{grin})

but with this block, pressing

the seams open seemed a better way.

It sure helped to reduce the bulk.

But, I gotta say, it does take longer!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stay tuned for a giveaway coming

this way very soon!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Scraps...

2012-01-18T18:14:00.000-06:00

Love 'em?

Leave 'em?

In this case, I am loving them.

From each swoon block that I make,

the scraps from the flying geese

give me 16 half-square triangles.

Each one measures 2 1/2 inches.

Once I'm done with all 9
of my swoon blocks,

I'll have 144 of these little

half-square triangles.

I have a plan for them.

{grin}

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Gasp!!!

2012-01-17T17:53:00.000-06:00

I didn't have a very good start to my day.

It rained and then snowed.

The roads were awful.

It took twice as long to

get to work as it normally does.

As in, 90 minutes instead of 45.

I do not like winter.

Coming home, however...

much better.

The road crews must have

worked really hard.

The roads were all great.

Until I got to the last part.

But, that's okay.

The sun was shining.

And, tomorrow is another day.

Remember the sock story?

(click here & here if you don't

know what I'm talking about)

Well. Seems there is another person

intent on getting me into trouble.

Again.

Sharon.

Yup, that's right...of 'snow days' fame.

It is her fault that I am doing

that quilt, you know.

She, of course, will say that it is my fault.

That, without me, she wouldn't be doing it.

Don't believe her.

Not for one second.

Anyway.

She told me she would send

yarn and a pattern.

Ya know, for me to knit

a pair of socks.

Oh, okay.

Thank you!

Well.

Next thing she told me was that she

had mailed a package...of stuff.

I had absolutely no clue what 'stuff'

she was talking about.

Until today.

The package arrived.

There are simply no words.

Okay...keep reading...I found words.

But, first, let me just say that with

each piece of 'stuff' that I pulled out,

my 'gasp!' got bigger and bigger.

I about swallowed my tongue!!

Seriously.

You might, too!

Ready?

Here goes...

The sock pattern and yarn.

Please note the 'heart & sole'

on the label...cracked me up.

A journal...I would like to

use it to keep track of my quilts..

A ruler that I could certainly use!

And, the neatest little gadget!

I thought it was a needle threader.

It's to pull your floss through the

back of stitches when you're doing

stitchery/embroidery...how fun is that!

In the instructions, it reads,

"great for finishing that one last stitch

when the floss is too short."

I needed this!

Thread! Now, this is really getting exciting!

Thimbleberries thread for machine quilting.

Six yummy colors!

Two spools of Alex Anderson thread

for hand-piecing & hand-quilting.

One spool of variegated thread for

machine quilting.

Micron tracing pen.

One can always use this!

Lotion.

Perfect for my skin in the winter.

Now.

This is the absolute icing on the cake...

this fat quarter bundle of

Whitewash fabric by

Crabapple Hill Studio.

This fabric came out in the time since

Sharon and I started working on our

'snow days' quilts and

we were drooling in anticipation!

I love this!

Here it is...all together.

Can you believe all this 'stuff'???

So.

Did you gasp?

I wrote Sharon a long email

expressing my pleasure & gratitude.

But, one more time...

thank you so very much, Sharon!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Not So Manic Monday...

2012-01-16T12:34:00.001-06:00

Today is a state holiday, making this a 3 day weekend for state workers. I'm not doing much...feeling kinda lazy, I guess.

But, I finished my 3rd swoon block early this morning.

I am loving these orange/aqua blocks. Did I tell you that there are 81 pieces to each block? Yikes! With 3 blocks done, I am 1/3rd of the way done with this quilt top. Doing one block a week is seeming to work out really well...no stress.

I think I'll read for awhile.

Are you working today?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

A Good Day!

2012-01-14T15:08:00.000-06:00

It's Saturday...YAY!

The beginning of a 3 day weekend.

Errands are run,

cleaning is done,

pizza is picked up

(papa murphy's = the BEST!)...

we are set!

I have finished putting

together the star blocks...

here's what I have.

I may leave it...

or move a few blocks around...

must walk away from it for a bit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those of you wondering how Tag

is getting along with Kisa...

they are doing well.

The dog vs. cat saga.

Kisa occasionally spends time out of the

bedroom and Tag, though very interested,

sometimes leaves her alone.

Other times, he wants to chase her...

and she obliges by running away.

haha!

He tries his hardest to get her

to play with him,

but she absolutely refuses. {grin}

Here's a photo...

the gate is not attached to anything...

just leans against one side of the door frame.

It is there to keep Tag out of Julie's bedroom.

There is more than enough room

for Kisa to come and go as she pleases.

Just so ya know...Tag could very easily

get through, but he does respect the gate.

In this photo,

they are inches apart from each other...

just watching each other.

And, waiting.

Kisa wants to come out...

Tag is not going to move.

She is not afraid of him at all.

He wouldn't move,

so she walked right over his

front legs and made her

way down the hall.

And, he just laid there and watched her!

Good boy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie is making soup today.

Chicken and Potato Florentine.

It's smelling good.

Is it soup, yet?

She doesn't appreciate my humor.

{grin}

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Knitting. Really???

2012-01-12T16:33:00.000-06:00

So. You all remember my post about knitting socks, right? (click here to refresh your memory)

Well, I told me Mum the story. She is, after all, the queen of all knitting. Have I mentioned that before? She is the one everyone goes to for help with their knitting.

She, being the queen of knitting, said to me, "I'm going to send you something!" Know what she sent? Apparently, she took a class on knitting socks many years ago and never finished the pair. So, that's what I got...one completed sock...

along with yarn, needles and pattern to complete the other one. I had to laugh. I mean, really. How does she know I can even do this? She told me she has faith in me...that knitting is like riding a bike.

I suppose she could be right. I should try to find photos of what I've made before. Anyway...we shall see if she is right or not!

We are finally getting some snow. From temps in the upper 40's yesterday to low 20's today...along with 3-5 inches of snow.

It took me a long time to get home from work. If the snow continues, tomorrow may turn out to be a snow day!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Bee Block and Stars for Baby...

2012-01-09T20:25:00.000-06:00

The weather is unseasonably warm, which is absolutely fine with me! In the high 40's...in January! And, no snow. I do wonder what that will mean for the next few months. It's a bit scarey.

My aqua and red bee block swap continues after a month off. Here is the block I made for Sally. She was so nice...sent all the pieces cut out and also sent along complete instructions with colored photos! This was a very quick and easy pinwheel block to put together for her.

I started a baby quilt yesterday. Should have been done last week, but I just didn't get to it. A baby girl quilt. Pink, but not too much 'in your face' pink. Ya know? So, there is a lot of white surrounding the pink not-too-wonky stars. I've only got blocks made...am in the middle of deciding where to go from here.

That's all I have going on right now.

Almost time to go squeeze into the big easy chair with the brown boy and watch one of my favorite shows.

(That would be Hawaii 5-O.)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Recycling...

2012-01-07T14:20:00.002-06:00

One of the blogs that I enjoy reading is Courtney's Sassafras and Winterberry. Courtney is a teacher. Courtney knits socks. And hooks rugs, etc., etc....you should go visit (click on the above link). Here are some socks that she is working on...aren't they fun? I love them.

Yep, I snagged this photo right off her blog.

When I saw that photo, it reminded me that I've been wanting to knit myself a pair of socks. (Yes, I do know how to knit.) The main reason being this...when I sit in my big easy chair and put my feet up on the ottoman, there is bare leg showing between the top of my sock and the bottom of my pajama legs. In the winter, this bare spot is chilled, so I need to cover up with a quilt. Not a hardship, I promise. But, sometimes, I am warm enough...it's only one little spot on my body that is chilled. Anyone else have this problem? Yes? No? Well, okay, I am weird. But, I already knew that.

I spent a few hours last night looking online for free sock patterns...wow...who knew there were so many to choose from? I also looked online at knitting needles.

Again...wow! Ya know, back in the day when I learned to knit, there were aluminum needles and plain wooden needles. Now...so many to choose from! I was completely enamored of the colored wooden needles I ran across...and would more than likely have felt bereft if unable to knit with them. I mean, really...look at these. Aren't they gorgeous?

Then, I looked at yarn. Wonderfully soft yarn. Colors so yummy, you could do nothing but smile when you had those socks on your feet. Cashmere yarn...alpaca yarn...ohmy.

Then, I woke up. I mean, like, you know, it occurred to me how much it would cost to buy everything I needed to knit myself one pair of socks. Albeit wonderfully warm, soft, colorful socks.

So. I rethought the entire 'bare space on my legs getting chilled' thing. And, decided that what I really needed was leg warmers! But, again...the buying of needles and yarn was cost-prohibitive. hmmmm...

My next step was to look on Etsy to see how much it would cost to buy a pair of knit leg warmers. Wow...I saw some that had a price tag of $54.97 on them. Plus shipping. Okay. That isn't the answer.

Next thought...what could I make leg warmers out of? I ran across an article about recycling t-shirts. Hey...how about t-shirts? Yeah...recycling t-shirts into leg warmers! They don't necessarily need to be warm and soft...they just really need to cover that bare leg. Ya know? (by the way, thanks for the t shirts Kimmer!)

So. That was my project for the day. Making a pair of leg warmers. Mission accomplished!

The toe & heel of that pink sock (bought at Wal-Mart this a.m.) are orange. Perfect, hey?

See the little paw prints near the top? How cute is that!

So, how about you? What are you working on?

edited to add: yes, I know buying a pair of longer socks or knee-highs (do they still make them?) would have easily solved the problem. Just sayin'. That I do know that. More fun to go through the above process though, don't you think?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Nesting Time on Lilac Hill...

2012-01-05T17:38:00.002-06:00

Warning...long post with many photos!!!

Be sure to click on the photos...
you should be able to see more detail on some of them.

I'll admit it right away...
just so you all know this
was not an original idea of mine.

I read about Nicole's idea
on Sister's Choice Quilts

back in November, 2010.
It totally captured my imagination.

Course, as time went by,
I had other things to think about
and I forgot about it.

Until the 'Snow Days' quilt

adventure with Sharon began.

Then, as I was browsing through

Crabapple Hill Studio's patterns,

I spied the 'Nesting Time' embroidery.

I fell in love with it.

And, remembered that I had seen it before.

I even remembered where!

I wanted to make

something very special for my sister, Joyce.
A combined birthday and Christmas gift.

I thought this would be perfect...and
I knew (hoped) she would absolutely love this!

I worked on the embroidery in August,

which was the month

that Sharon and I designated
to work on Christmas gifts.

And, remember, I had pneumonia.

So, I started the embroidery...

and finished it 10 days later.
The design area of this pattern
is 15 x 21 inches.

And, then it sat.

No reason to have it ready
too far before it was needed!

In the meantime, I received

several Lilac Hill fat quarters from

my doll quilt swap partner (click here).

How fortuitous, hey?

See how these things work out?

Here are photos of
Nesting Time in progress.

Now it's time to add on some fabric...

I got this far and thought...

'how on earth am I going to quilt it?'

I looked online at many, many

quilts that had embroidering or

that had an embroidered center.

Nothing stood out as 'the way'

to quilt something like this.

So, I went with my gut.

I did free-motion quilting...

pebbles in the crock,

small stippling on the background,

and straight-line quilting on the border.

This is how I wanted it to look.

Imagine how amazed I was when

it turned out just as I had pictured it?

Hallelujah!

The backing is a piece of yardage

from the Lilac Hill collection.

This measures about 28 x 34 inches.

Perfect for a wallhanging.

Joyce received it today.

(yes, a little late, after all. Had to redo the binding,

which involved waiting for more fabric to arrive...{sigh})

She was very surprised.
And, she is very happy.

So am I.

(Thank you to Nicole.)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

SWOON...

2012-01-04T17:23:00.001-06:00

My car is at the garage today.

Ball joints and tires and,

oh, what the heck...

why not have the oil changed.

So, I took the day off.

Gotta love the beginning of the year

with all the available hours of vacation!

I used my day off wisely.

Yes, of course I did.

I did some reading.

I did some rotary cutting.

I did some sewing.

I watched Anderson Cooper.

(cuz I do enjoy his show).

Here is what I was sewing on.

Block 2 of the SWOON orange and aqua quilt...

I love how these big blocks look!

Remember, they are 24.5 inches square.

There are many pieces to this block

and they do take a while to complete.

However, I find myself

'swooning' over them.

7 more to do.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Getting Things Done...

2012-01-02T13:08:00.000-06:00

I've been busy working on some projects.

I'm very happy about that.

What I'm not happy about is that I

neglected to take photos of everything

before I got them packaged up to mail.

It's not important enough to

open the packages and then

repackage the items.

It's just that I won't be

able to count (read show)

them in my year's work.

{sigh}

{grin}

Anyway.

Here are a few of the things I

did remember to take photos of.

Baby sister Jill asked for 2 dozen kleenex cozies.

Here they are...

She must have a lot of friends

with runny noses. Just sayin'.

Okay. So now that it's after Christmas,

a new project is in the works.

(oh. really? you ask)

Erin of why not sew?
and I are having our
own little quiltalong.

We are each going to make an

aqua and orange quilt.

What a yummy color combination!

Speaking of orange...

did you hear that Pantone's

color pick for 2012 is

Tangerine Tango?

Yes, indeedy!

But, I digress.

Erin and I are using the 'Swoon' pattern,

by Camille Roskelley.

We LOVE this pattern.

Gotta tell ya, though...

it is definitely not

for the faint of heart.

It is both labor and time-intensive.

But, oh so beautiful.

Each block measures 24.5 inches.

Here's my first block...

Did I say that I love this block?

I do.

Did I say I am happy that I

need to make only 8 more blocks?

I am.

I have a few more things

that need to be worked on.

Things with deadlines.

Things that I cannot show, yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been very nice to have 2

three-day weekends in a row.

Back to work tomorrow.

But only for 4 days.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

In the Beginning...

2012-01-01T07:09:00.000-06:00

I want to start the new year out right by giving you all a proper thank you for following my blog. Without you, well, I'd be talking to myself and we all know that's no fun! So, thank you for being here for me, for the encouragement, the support...for just taking the time to let me know you are there.

I am very much looking forward to having a good year. Lots of thoughts and many plans to work on.

I have a new look...I'll test it out for a few days...may change the colors a bit. The header photo is from a few years ago...we have no snow on the ground as I type this (though we are expecting to get some any day now!)

I am working on projects this weekend...hope to have lots to show you by the end of tomorrow.

In the meantime...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jacque & Tag.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

In the End...

2011-12-31T08:43:00.000-06:00

It's been a very busy year.

Lots of sewing has been done.
Surprisingly, more 'other' stuff
than quilts, though.
Interesting, hey?

Lots of starts and
lots of finishes
(gotta say, though...
all the things started in 2011 were
not finished and all the finishes
were not of things started in 2011...
know what I'm sayin'?)

Tote bags, doll quilts, baby quilts,

lap quilts, sampler quilts, sleeping bags,

coin purses, kleenex cozies, dog/cat mats,

and other miscellaneous items.

Here are some of my favorites...

If you'd like to see everything
I finished in 2011, click on the
'2011 Finishes' tab just under
the header photo.

I still have many works in progress....
mostly quilts that need

quilting and binding.

Wouldn't take much to get them done...
just to pick one and get going on it.

Perhaps a plan is in order.

To finish one from my list of wip's

for every new one I start!

Sound good?

Okay.

Like my friend, Kelley,
I have a huge stash of supplies...
cotton fabric,
thread & floss,
batting,
books & patterns.
Also like my friend, Kelley,

"I don't need a thing but
time to use it up."
(well said, Kelley!)

That's the second part of my plan...
use from what I have.

How about you?

What is your plan for the new year?

I wish you all a very
Happy & Healthy New Year!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Snow Days Continued...

2011-12-30T16:07:00.000-06:00

Here is the completed block 10

for my Snow Days quilt.

Only one more block to go.

Then, to start piecing fabric blocks.

woohoo!!

After that, more stitching is done.

This is going to be so awesome...

and it's all Sharon's fault.

{grin}

I have several projects with

deadlines to work on.

I'm hoping to have lots to show

you by the end of this weekend.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Winner, Winner!

2011-12-26T19:04:00.001-06:00

Congratulations!!!

The winner of the charm pack giveaway is Ann who wrote "...My favorite memories are of going to 11:00 pm church service. I played in the youth bell choir and we worked for months to prepare HARD pieces to play for Christmas eve service...."

A notification email has been sent.

Thank you to all of you who entered...I wish I had a charm pack to send each of you.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

The Day After...

2011-12-26T06:57:00.001-06:00

How was your weekend...your Christmas?

I had a lovely Christmas Day. I did nothing special...I had no company...and I went nowhere. Still...a lovely day.

Julie, Tag and I opened gifts in the morning...we all received some wonderful gifts. Tag LOVES his snowman from Aunt Jill!

Spoke/texted/emailed with all of the important people in my life.

Puttered around all day. I traced out the final block of Snow Days, did some stitching on block 10 of Snow Days (am about 1/2 hour from being finished with it), did some reading, took a nap, made another dozen kleenex cozies for sister Jill, watched 2 episodes of Flashpoint (on dvd) and that's about it. A very lovely day.

I have today off work. My goal is to clear off my sewing table and do a bit of organizing in my sewing room. Ya know, to get ready for all of the upcoming projects. Many fun and exciting projects coming this way!

How about you? Are you out shopping the day after Christmas? Are you back at work? Are you sitting back and having a relaxing day after all of the hub-bub?

However you spend this day, I hope it's a good one for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh! If you're looking for the giveaway - today is the final day - go here.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Objects of Desire...

2011-12-23T17:24:00.001-06:00

The giveaway is here...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I finished Maureen's quilt

and took it to work today.

She loves it and cannot wait

to give it to her granddaughter.

You've seen pieces of this here and here.

Here it is completed,

but not yet washed and dried.

Meaning, that it's not yet crinkly and soft.

And, here it is all crinkly and soft...

I used a jelly roll plus yardage

of 'objects of desire'.

Also, Kona solid cottons in

Peridot, Melon, Mango,

Butter and Lagoon.

It measures

- after laundering -

~ 54 x 66 inches.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Giveaway!!!

2011-12-22T17:46:00.000-06:00

{comments are now closed}

Okay, here it is.

Finally.

A giveaway!

One charm pack

consisting of 42 five inch squares.

Dang cute!

You know what to do...

just leave a comment on this post.
No need to jump through hoops.
However, if you would like to

share something of yourself...

I would love to read it.

Perhaps a Christmas memory.

I'll draw a name on Monday...

the day after Christmas.
Good luck!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Distracted...

2011-12-18T14:04:00.004-06:00

I was busy minding my own business...
quilting on Maureen's quilt.

Then, I got distracted by this news...

Mark Wahlberg
in

Contraband

Coming soon to a theater near me!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Quick Gifts...

2011-12-16T21:16:00.002-06:00

Baby sister Jill needed

gifts for her coworkers.

Something I could sew.

Something quick and easy.

I made a dozen of these for her...

kleenex cozies.
The tutorial is here...

I've made these before...

most recently for sister Joyce.

I blogged about it here.

Quick and easy.

Takes just minutes to make one.

Big plans for the weekend.

Not sure I'll be able to

show anything, though.

All in due time.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Coming Next Month...

2011-12-15T16:49:00.001-06:00

I am in the beginning process

of collecting fat quarters of these colors.

Remember them...orange and aqua.

And, this word - SWOON.

Another fabric collection to remember.

Poppy by Laura Gunn...

Big plans for these!

I am very much looking

forward to next month.

Are you?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

How Many Days Until Christmas?

2011-12-08T15:52:00.001-06:00

Christmas is coming really fast. Seems to come faster every year. But, remember back in August, when I had pneumonia and had nothing but time on my hands? For 7 weeks? When I declared 'Christmas in August'? When I thought I had gotten a lot done.

Well! Here it is, 17 days before Christmas and I have a ton of stuff to do! How can that be? I'm in the middle of two projects...and I need to start another. Then, there is the one project (sorry, coworkers) that I decided could be put off until right after Christmas.

I'm just happy that I am not giving all handmade gifts this year.

Even though it's been over a week since I last posted, I have not accomplished that much. However, I did manage to finish up the bee blocks I had waiting...these are string blocks made into half square triangle blocks. For Jill in my Aqua and Red Bee. After making these, I know a string block quilt is in my future.

Here's a sneak peek at something I have been working on...

Tag is good. His Aunt Julie takes him walking, which he rather enjoys. No fun stories of late. Sorry.

I've been reading...on my Kindle. I once said, "but I like the physical act of reading...holding the book, turning the page..." Not so much anymore! I am in love with my Kindle!!! And, did you know...at the beginning of the year, I set a goal for myself. Of how many books to read this year. I knew reading one book each week would not be difficult, so I set the goal at 80 books. That works out to about 1.5 books each week. Every week. There was a period this summer (pneumonia August) when I read 15 books in 30 days. That's a bit unusual for me. However, it helped me get to where I am now...within 3 books of reaching my goal. Not sure if you've noticed, but there is a widget on the sidebar, showing thumbnails of all the books I've read this year. I'm pretty excited about this. I am sure I've read 80 or more books in a year before, but keeping track makes it seem like a huge deal!

Also. I've been stitching on my snow days block 10. I only have this block and one other to finish. woohoo! I wasn't going to stitch on it at all in December, but I decided that I still need something to do when I'm watching tv. And, there isn't anything else to stitch on right now.

ohyeah...and then there was the giveaway I was going to have. hmmmm...will think about that and get it going.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

More Blocks...

2011-11-30T18:12:00.001-06:00

Dancing with the Stars is finished.

Reruns are showing on tv.

What does that translate into for me?

Extra time to spend at the sewing machine!

What did I do with that time?

I finished the blocks for

the 'barter with Maureen' quilt.

I have 11.

Not 12 as I should have.

11.

Not sure how I messed

up one block, but I did.

So, 11 it is.

That's actually okay.

I came up with a good plan

the other day.

It doesn't really matter

if I am one block short.

(Do you think that is like

'one brick short of a full load'?

{grin}

I surely hope not!)

Here are the 7 blocks...

If I did this pattern again,

there are a few things

I would do differently,

but this is fine...

especially considering the

new plan I have for them.

Doesn't hurt to take a different path,

you know.

I hope you are having a good week.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Pinwheels...Everywhere!

2011-11-27T15:00:00.001-06:00

In my Aqua and Red Block bee,

Karen asked for pinwheels...

lots of them.

This was the specific block

she asked for.

We could either do the block

with 16 mini pinwheels,

or a combo of mini & larger pinwheels.

I opted to make one larger

pinwheel with 12 minis...

I really like how it turned out.

And, I believe that I

mentioned this before...

Maureen (coworker) and I bartered...

hours of cleaning for a quilt.

I started on the quilt today.

She is going to give it to her

15 year old granddaughter.

I think it is going to be awesome!

I love how this first block turned out...

makes me excited to do more!

Going to take a little break now...

figure skating is on.

Edited to add: got 4 pinwheel blocks done and am calling it quits for the night.

Have a good and relaxing Sunday evening.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

First Things First...

2011-11-26T10:27:00.001-06:00

There are times when one must

do what really must come first.

Stop.

Change direction.

To me, this really did come first.

Before everything else on my list.

I needed a cover for my Kindle Touch.

So, I made one.

I used some fabric squares
and a neutral fabric (that I wish I had yards more of!).

Kashmir III is an older fabric...

one of my absolute faves!

Kashmir is also the name of a
Led Zeppelin song that I absolutely love!

Now that the cover is done,
I will move on.

Hope you're enjoying the day.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Something Fun...

2011-11-25T18:09:00.001-06:00

Remember yesterday I wrote

that I felt the need to

"just spend time doing something fun"?

Well, here is the 'something fun'.

It's just 10 inches square...

which means each half-square triangle

finishes at just over an inch.

I made a mistake with one of the hst's...

and now I just discovered another mistake!

ha!

Guess that serves me right for

shirking my responsibilities, hey?

{sigh}

What's a woman to do.

I never showed this.

Finished it last week...

block twelve of my 'snow days' quilt.

This is the quilt that Sharon is also doing.

Only two more stitchery blocks.

But, there is a lot of stitching to do

on fabric blocks once they're all put together.

I'm getting excited about putting this

together, but it's not going to

happen until well after the holidays.

And, just for something fun...

look what arrived in the mail today!

Kindle Touch.

I am so excited I can barely contain myself!

And, ecstatic that it's the weekend

so I have time to play with it

(once I get it all figured out!).

Have a good weekend!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

A Day For Giving Thanks...

2011-11-24T08:21:00.001-06:00

Today is a quiet day for me.

After having 2 meals of turkey with

all the trimmings in the last 5 days,

and now that me Mum has left,

I am using today as an extra day...

one to do something fun.

I have a quilt to start,

gifts to sew for my coworkers...

and bee blocks to catch up on.

But...you know what?

I'm going to do none of those.

I feel the need to just spend

time doing something fun.

Not yet sure what it will be.

But, I will be sure to show you!
{grin}

For some reason,
I didn't take photos while
me Mum was visiting.
Except this one...

She brought me a very
special birthday gift.
Oh, not to worry...
you didn't miss my birthday.
This gift is very early.

There is a story involved
with this beautiful needlepoint
that I will share at some other time.
For now, just know that it is very special to me.

It has now fallen to me to finish it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today is a day of giving thanks.

Among many other things,

I am thankful for all of you and

I wish you all a Blessed Thanksgiving!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

Days Gone By...

2011-11-16T09:21:00.001-06:00

I have a bazillion things on my list. I bet that you do, too. Don't you? Among other projects, I need to make a quilt for someone else to give as a Christmas gift. Before I start on that, though, I need to sew a few other things. A scrub top, a remote holder, and a coin purse. None of them are any big deal for me to make. I just would rather make the quilt. I keep thinking about it and looking at the fabrics. But, I know I cannot begin. So. Instead of getting the 3 small projects out of the way, I do nothing. Why is that? It's not as if I have oodles of time. Right? {sigh} I will get at them. Everything always gets done.

Did I tell you that me Mum (well, she's Julie's Mum, too) is coming for a visit? A nice long visit...9 days. She'll be here later today. It will be very nice to have her here. She loves to play cards...dimes, shit on your neighbor (or, in this case, daughters), and cribbage. I'm hoping, though, that I'll have a bit of time each day to work on my projects.

Knowing that company is coming gives me just the little push I need to get a few things done that I just haven't gotten around to doing. One example...I finally hung my 2Sheep hooked rug on the wall. It's been rolled up in a towel since I finished it almost 9 months ago.

Here's a closer look if you've not seen this before. Click here for the quick story.

I like it on the wall. I like being able to see it as I walk through the house. I smile at it. Making this rug was a long process and I am very happy to finally enjoy it.

More later.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Name Change...

2011-11-13T14:20:00.001-06:00

No, not me.

Though, that'd be kinda fun, don't you think?

Actually, my new etsy shop changed names.

And, why not.

I ask you.

Why not have it be something more fun?

Like...TheChocolatePuppy.

That's what it is now.

You can get to it here.

I added one new item, too.

A baby/snuggle quilt I made last year.

I love this quilt,

but it's not big enough

to do anything with around here.

I'm not getting much sewing done today,

though the day is not over.

So, who knows?

All I've been doing is housework.

Straightening.

Cleaning.

Drudgery.

Ugh.

OH! I did whip up something last night.

But, I cannot show it.

Yet.

I got this via email the other day...

My nephew, Jon, with his wife, Minerva.

He's in the army...

they were at the Military Signal Ball.

Don't they make a handsome couple?

I hope you're working on something fun!!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Couple of Things...

2011-11-12T05:53:00.001-06:00

First...I have a new etsy shop. It's in my old name...one I used when I sold rug hooking paraphernalia. But, the logo is new...a brown dog with sewing needle and thread, which I thought very apropos. {grin}

At this point, I only have 2 items listed...the doll sleeping bags I finished this past week. The widget is in my sidebar...or just click here. The shop isn't completely set up...will get to that soon.

Second...there are times when I am so overwhelmed with the people in my life. Cathy did it again. She cleaned out her sewing room earlier this summer and asked if I wanted what she didn't. Course, based on previous experience with her, one would have to be a fool to say no to that offer. So, I said yes. I received the box Thursday. Can you say, "WOW"!!! I sure did! It was full of fabric and a few miscellaneous items for purse/bag making. About 27 different pieces...yards and yards and yards of it. The generosity of this woman...well, it absolutely blows me away! Thank you, Cathy!

Now. I am totally feeling the need to pay this forward. So, I'll get a giveaway going here very soon. Not sure when...or what, for that matter...but keep checking back so you don't miss out!

In the meantime, have a great weekend!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Sleeping Bags.

2011-11-07T18:51:00.001-06:00

A little bit of sewing...

This is the size large sleeping bag,

which measures 12 x 17 1/2 inches.

Aubrey is a 14 inch doll,

so she has plenty of room.

This is the size small sleeping bag,

which measures 8 x 12 inches.

I have no other dolls,

so nothing to put in it.

That's all I have for tonight.

Time for 'Dancing With the Stars'!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Snow Days Block 14

2011-11-03T16:52:00.002-05:00

Lest you think I have been slacking off...

{grin}

here is block 14...

all done!

I have 3 blocks to go...

& I'm right on schedule.

This quilt won't be getting done

until sometime next year.

Which is fine.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

No Time for Sleeping...

2011-10-31T18:46:00.001-05:00

Well, ya know,

I was looking for something to do.

My friend, Cathy,

from Quilting on Turtle Hill,

sent the pattern to me.

To make some of these.

In various sizes.

For dolls.

Or stuffed animals.

So, I did.

I made a sleeping bag.

For Aubrey.

What do you think of that?

This is a Flossie Teacakes/Made by Florence pattern.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Bloggers' Quilt Festival :: Fall 2011

2011-10-30T11:55:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again!

Each spring and fall,

Amy hosts the festival...

a fun time for all blogging quilters

to share a special quilt and its story.

It is so much fun to visit all
of the blogs to see everyone's
entry and to read all the stories...

and comments!

Click on the button to check out and

be inspired by all of the special quilts.

I had a difficult time choosing which

quilt I wanted to showcase here.

In the end, I chose the one

that was made for a

very special friend of mine.

The 'sunshine' quilt, as I like to call it.

The one I made for Doreen...

because she has lung cancer...

because I wanted to show my love for her...

wrap her in it, so to speak.

Doreen has been a very best friend

of mine for almost 40 years.

I love this woman so much...

she is one brave woman.

So far, she is holding her own.

So.

This is the quilt I made for her.

Sunshine Quilt.

Thank you for visiting...

have fun checking out all

the other quilts in the festival!

Meet Miss Raina...

2011-10-28T16:22:00.000-05:00

The food was eaten,

the gifts were opened...

a good time was had by all.

Meet Miss Raina...

the recipient of the Baby Lattice quilt.

Isn't she adorable?

The quilt was well-received...

I was assured that it would

be much loved & used for many years.

What more could I ask for?

edited to add: Baby Lattice quilt pattern found here.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Baby Lattice Quilt...

2011-10-27T19:20:00.000-05:00

This is the baby quilt for the coworker who just became a foster parent - along with her husband - for his 9 month old niece. We're having the 'shower' tomorrow at work. Cake and other food stuff. Balloons. Decorations. Gifts.

I just pulled it from the dryer...it is so crinkly and soft! I saw the pattern at the Moda Bake Shop...'Baby Lattice Quilt', found here. I added a border all around to make it a bit larger...it measures 37 x 44 inches after laundering.

I used a Lily & Will charm pack, plus yardage from that collection. And, I used Kona solid cotton in Natural. I love how soft the colors look!

I'll take photos tomorrow.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Block 11...

2011-10-25T16:42:00.001-05:00

I have a few things to show today.

"Snow Days" block 11 is done.

I skipped block 10,

so I still have 4 blocks left.

2 larger.

2 smaller.

See the bird?

See the bunny?

I think they are kinda cute!

The other thing I've been working on this week

is a baby quilt for my coworker.

She and her husband have just become foster

parents for her husband's niece.

Raina is 9 months old and just adorable!

They're going to have their hands full!

I'm over half done with the quilting...

I should be able to finish quilting it tonight.

I like to get my binding ready

before I start quilting.

That way, I'm set to sew the binding on

as soon as I get done with the quilting.

Do you do it that way, too?

Have a pleasant evening!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Modern Workshop Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-24T16:20:00.000-05:00

And, we have a winner!

Heartsdesire (no blog) won the charm pack!

She wrote that she would offer a
workshop on "how to clean up and
organize your sewing space
and keep it that way!"

Certainly something we all could use, hey?

Congratulations!

Please email to me your mailing address.

Almost Over...

2011-10-23T19:08:00.002-05:00

How was your weekend?
It's almost over...did you get
everything done that you wanted to?

(Okay, okay...you may quit laughing and

pick yourself up off the floor.)

I was actually very productive and

got the three top things on my list done.

I hemmed a pair of jeans for a coworker.

I made 2 trick or treat bags for a different coworker.

I made them pretty much like I make my tote bags, but without pockets. The next ones I make (if ever) will not be quilted. But, this is what she wanted, so this is what she's getting. I aim to please! {grin}

I layered and pin-basted the baby quilt

I briefly mentioned back here.

And, I watched 2 movies.

"Blink" and "The General's Daughter".

I had never seen "Blink"...

starring Madeleine Stowe and Aidan Quinn.

I've seen "The General's Daughter",

but I love John Travolta,

so wanted to see it again.

Madeleine Stowe is in that movie, too.

Now, I am going to sit and do a bit of

stitching to finish up block 9 and

then relax for the rest of the evening.

Have a good week!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Sunkissed Revisited!

2011-10-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

Remember back here, when I made

the Sunkissed quilt for my lqs?

I've been visiting it on a regular basis...

waiting impatiently for it to come home.

Well, it finally did!

YAY! I love this quilt!

Not sure what I'll do with it, though.

For now, I will admire it.

And, my goofy quilt holder

(aka sister Julie, aka J3)...

when I say, "turn, please"...

this is what she does.

I have several sewing projects

planned for this weekend.

How about you?

What are you up to?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Modern Workshop...

2011-10-20T18:58:00.000-05:00

edited to add: comments are now closed.

I will announce the winner tomorrow.

Thank you for playing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No, I'm not offering a workshop.

Not a modern one.

Not an old- fashioned one.

Not a workshop of any kind.

Though, I could.

If I wanted to.

Just sayin'.

Instead.

I am having a giveaway!

Yup, another giveaway.

A real small one,

but a giveaway nonetheless!

And, it is this....

A charm pack of Modern Workshop!

That's 42 5" squares of this fab collection!

Go here to see the fabrics...

To enter this giveaway,

Snow Days...Block 9!

2011-10-19T16:13:00.000-05:00

I haven't said much about the 'snow days'

quilt or blocks, lately.

I suppose that is because

I have been somewhat neglecting them.

But, I did manage to finish block 9!

YAY!

Only 5 more left!

I cheated...

I did not want to trace out block 10

cuz it's a bigger block,

so I traced block 11 and am

currently working on that one.

{grin}

I'm thinking it's my quilt,

so I can do the blocks in

the order I want.

Right?

So.

Here is block 9...

I'm working on a baby quilt for a coworker.

Here's what I have thus far...

It's a cold and blustery day with no sun.

I think that calls for some hot apple cider...

if only I had some.

Perhaps hot chocolate would work just as well.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Tying shoes...More Kaylynn.

2011-10-16T12:53:00.001-05:00

These are the shoes that Kaylynn wears.

Dang cute...but no laces.

She also has velcro shoes.

Again, no laces.

Therefore, it's been a challenge
to teach her how to tie.

So, we practiced while she was here,
using one of my shoes.

By jove, I think she's got it!

I apologize for the fact that this video is sideways.

I wasn't thinking when I turned my camera

and pushed the button to record this.

Kaylynn loves to color and draw.

I made this out of a piece of corrugated

cardboard and an old shoestring.

Kaylynn took it home to keep up with her new skill.

We had a great time but,

as always, our time together

went by way too quickly.

Love you more, Kaylynn!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Restless Sleeper

2011-10-15T23:04:00.000-05:00

My granddaughter, Kaylynn is here for an overnight.

We had so much fun today...

she is such a delight.

And, so much like her dad...

it sometimes scares me!

We went to the orchard to buy apples.

It was very windy out there.

We went to the library and brought home several books.

Kaylynn is learning how to read and does very well.

We went to my lqs and picked up a bit of fabric.

We played Uno.

With 'Clifford the Big Red Dog' cards from sister Joyce.

Kaylynn won 4 out of 5 games.

I think it was beginner's luck.

{grin}

We read and snuggled and

watched a bit of tv and

then it was time for her to sack out on the sofa,

which is what she does until I am ready for bed.

She was a very restless sleeper tonight.

Tag thinks that Kaylynn is his little girl.

Seriously.

Good night!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

End of the Week...

2011-10-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

I am very happy that the weekend is here.
Seems to have been a very long week.

I took several packages to the

Post Office earlier this week.

A couple of giveaway packages,

a bee block, some fabric and

a few surprise packages.

One of the surprise packages contained these...

Kleenex cozies!

11 of them, in fact.

Sister Joyce had sent fabric (see it here)
and requested some kleenex cozies.

There you are, sis!

They are so fun and take almost no time at all to make.

I used the same tutorial I've used before...

found here.

That is all I have done in a week...

no other sewing at all.

Can you believe that?

I did, however, make plans for a baby quilt.

Here's the fabric I'll be using...
'Lily & Will' charm pack plus yardage
and Kona cotton solid in Natural.

Oh!

Miss Kaylynn will be here tomorrow

for an overnight.

I may be posting photos of her visit.

Have a great weekend!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Snow In The Valley...

2011-10-06T17:27:00.000-05:00

Well, what can I say?

I did it again.

I fell in love with a quilt.

One that I made.

Oh, Mercy!

10/7...edited to add: took it to work to

show my coworkers and one of them bought it!

You know that there's
nothing I like better

than a pieced back.

However.

This one was a challenge.

Here's the problem...
I have more of this fabric,

but I want to keep a specific amount

set aside to use in the future.

So, to get the size backing I needed for this quilt,
I used up every single scrap piece

larger than 5 inches that I could find!

I was almost beginning to feel
like one of the king's men
in the Humpty Dumpty rhyme!
(you know...'all the king's horses & all the king's men
couldn't put Humpty together again!")

Yikes!

{grin}

Here are the stats:

Started: September 6, 2011.

Finished: October 5, 2011.

Fabrics: Hope Valley by Denyse Schmidt

& Kona cotton solid in Snow.

Size: Approx. 58 inches square after laundering.

Pattern: Summer Sampler Series found here.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

R.I.P. Manley

2011-10-05T06:16:00.000-05:00

Manley.

Sister Julie's dog.

Tag's cousin & playmate.

The original Doodlehead.

August 24, 2001 - October 3, 2011.

Forever in our hearts.

Sneakin' a Peek...

2011-10-02T17:10:00.000-05:00

Here's what I've been working on today.

The quilting is done.

The binding is on.

Just need to hand sew the binding.

Hope you all are having a great day!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Carrycot Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-02T04:40:00.001-05:00

...and the winner is...Ana!

Congratulations!!!

I emailed you, Ana.

A huge thank you to all

who entered the giveaway.

I appreciate you!

Postage Stamp Quilt Finished!

2011-10-01T11:00:00.002-05:00

At last, this quilt is finished.

The quilt top was finished 15 months ago...
and it's been waiting to be quilted.
I am so happy that I got it done!
Cuz, I LOVE it.

I know.

I say that about them all.

But this one just looks so comfy.

Don't you think???

And, yes...

Tag has given it his endorsement.
(I knew you were wondering.)

The details:

Started: April 8, 2010

Finished: September 28, 2011

Fabric: all from stash

Backing: fabric from Kelley

Quilted: free motion circles in each square.

1296 (2") squares = approx. 68 x 68 inches

(after laundering).

Now to finish another one of my wip's.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Round and Round...

2011-09-26T16:12:00.001-05:00

pssst...If you're looking for the

giveaway, it's the next post down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember this quilt top?

From June of last year...

It is now quilted...

and will soon have the binding on.

I'll give you the stats when it's finished.

Oh, and I've been working on this...

'sit!'
{grin}

Have a good evening!

Dancing With The Stars
& Hawaii 5-O for me!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Carrycot Giveaway!

2011-09-23T17:02:00.003-05:00

Comments are now closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another giveaway!

This time, I am giving away a carrycot...a doll bed made of fabric. Cathy of Quilting on Turtle Hill and I have decided to run our giveaways at the same time. She is giving away a Bitty Bud...if you haven't seen her dolls, you are in for a real treat!

I am giving away this carrycot.

This pink with green carrycot measures 10 x 7 inches with 4 inch high sides and includes a tufted mattress, a pillow with pillowcase and a quilt that measures 10 1/2 inches square.

If you would like to win this carrycot set, please comment on this post only. And, really...go ahead and comment on anything that you want to. Just please be sure that I have your email address to contact you should you be the winner.

I will use the true random number generator and will announce the winner on October 1st.

Now, if you haven't already done so, be sure to hop on over to Cathy's blog and enter the giveaway for the Bitty Bud! Her name is Abigail and she is cuter than cute!

We both thank you and wish you good luck!

Always read the fine print. Cathy and I will be drawing our own giveaway winners. She will draw the winner of the Bitty Bud and I will draw the winner of the carrycot. Though it is entirely possible (not even going to do the math on this one), it is highly improbable that the same name will be drawn by both of us.

Sunkissed! Giveaway Winner!

2011-09-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

The winner of the

Sunkissed quilt is...

Kim of Millie's Mats, who said...

"Me, me, pick me!!!"

and, by golly,

the True Random Number Generator did!

Congratulations, Kim!

I have emailed you with the news

and the request for your mailing address.

Thank you to everyone for entering...

and for the kind words you wrote about my work.

I appreciate you all and wish I

had a quilt to send each one of you.

And!

Because I now have over 100 followers

(thank you, thank you, thank you!)

I will be having another giveaway for a small quilt.

After October 1st.

Creating...

2011-09-22T15:34:00.000-05:00

I must be better. Completely over my pneumonia. I've been looking. Looking for something more. I've got 4 quilts all set to baste/quilt/finish. I've got my Snow Days stitchery block 9 to work on. Several quilts to make without stepping out of the house to buy fabric.

Yet. I am restless. Looking for something different. Not to replace what I'm doing now. Just something to fill this little void...this one right here. I've been looking and thinking...here...there. Looking at files I've had for a long while. Wanting something else to stitch. My mind seems to be working overtime. I need to fulfill these errant creative urges...to let these creative juices flow freely.

So, I made a start at something.

Tag, You're It! Creations. Pieces of Tag. Well, not really Tag...just a brown dog. Small.Simple.Fast...Perfect! And, not always the brown dog...I've got other colors of floss. And, more designs...in a few other breeds, too.

Why 'Tag, You're It!?? Because that is Tag's AKC registered name. And, I do love the brown boy. Because he is 'it'. Actually, he's all that. And more. Really. {grin} Sorry...I get a bit carried away sometimes.

I made this little design into a pillow to hang on my cubicle wall at work. It measures ~4.5 x 6 inches and is entitled, "Stay"...the first in a series of 4.

So, what do you think?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're looking to enter my giveaway, it's 2 posts down. Only comments left there qualify for the giveaway. Hurry...the drawing is tomorrow!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Last Pneumonia Recheck

2011-09-21T09:08:00.000-05:00

No more doctor visits. At least for now. I've been cleared...my lungs look great, my extreme fatigue is pretty much gone. I am able to go back to work. No restrictions. That's all really good news. Right? Yes, it is. Except for the 'able to go back to work' part. It wasn't fun having pneumonia...not in any way. Not.At.All. However, I did rather enjoy staying home. And, being gone from work this long...well, I can only think that it'll take awhile to get everything sorted out and back on track. Things that no one else knew how to do. Waiting for my return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're looking for my giveaway...it is still open...sign up on the post below. Good luck to all!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

SUNKISSED! Giveaway...

2011-09-17T13:41:00.003-05:00

Comments are closed.

Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think I mentioned not too long ago that

I was going to do a giveaway.

I am finally getting to it.

Here.

Today.

(mostly cuz I don't have anything to show you.)

Remember Sunkissed...the fabric?

And, S*U*N*K*I*S*S*E*D,

the quilt I made as a shop sample

for my lqs (seen here)?

With some of the scraps, I made a small quilt.

A very small quilt...it measures 12.5 inches square.

It is dang cute, if I may say so myself.

Would you like to have this?

All you need do is leave a comment on this post.

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you.

I'll close this giveaway next Friday,

September 23, at noon.

Good luck, all!

Flower Girl & Bee

2011-09-16T10:38:00.000-05:00

My granddaughter, Kaylynn,

was flower girl for her Mom's wedding
this past weekend.

I had to share the photos that were sent to me...

Beautiful {sigh} just beautiful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We're ahead in our Aqua and Red Block Bee...

this is October's block.

Christine asked for a 10.5" unfinished

block with hst's using this layout.

I chose to make mine totally symmetrical.

I rather like it.

Today is Friday...last workday of the week...have a good one!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Borders...

2011-09-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

1. the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.

I am not always quite sure what type of border I want to put on each quilt I make. It depends on the quilt...I treat them all as individuals. Do I want to use just one big, wide piece of fabric? Or, do I want to make it scrappy, using several different fabrics? Do I want to make floating squares? Perhaps alternating squares? Do I want more than one border? Crazy idea...what about no border? Endless possibilities, really.

So much to think about. And, that's not all.

How large I want the finished quilt to be plays a major role in determining the type and size of the border(s).

As I wrote in my last post, I decided to make only 9 of the 12 blocks of the Summer Sampler Series Quiltalong. But, even with 3" sashing around each block, the quilt measured just 48 inches square. I wanted it to be at least 60 inches square. So, I gave quite a bit of thought to what type and size of border I wanted on this quilt. I didn't want it to be too elaborate, as the focus should be on the blocks, not the border. It took me a few days, but I finally hit upon an idea that I really liked. And, that I thought would work well with this quilt.

Half-square triangles (aka hst's)! I had almost decided upon a floating squares border when I started thinking about all of the hst's I've made lately. Between this quilt and the Aqua and Red Bee Block Swap that I am in....LOTS of them around here! HEY! I KNOW! Why not a border of hst's?? So, that's what I did. It's simple and frames the blocks nicely...I think it looks great!

I'm hoping to get that one basted/quilted/finished by the end of this weekend. EXCEPT, I am not sure how I'll want to quilt it!

OH! And, I finished the wonky charms quilt that I first mentioned here. I am in love with it (big surprise, hey?). I quilted it with simple meandering. After laundering, and in all its crinkly softness, it measures 46 x 54.5 inches. Thanks, Erin, for allowing me to rip off this great idea!

I used a charm pack of Sherbet Pips by Aneela Hoey for Moda and Kona solid in White. I purchased a bundle of Collection Coordinates from Pink Chalk Fabrics for the other solids used. The backing is yardage of Sherbet Pips fabrics with 5 more of the charm squares.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Quitter...

2011-09-12T06:26:00.001-05:00

Two more blocks of the Summer Sampler Series Quiltalong quilt were finished over the weekend.

This first one is called Lucky Pieces...all half-square triangles. Not too bad to put together at all.

After I finished Lucky Pieces, I looked at the remaining blocks and made a decision to do one more and call it quits. So, I chose the one called Rocky Road to Kansas. This one was definitely more fun than most of the others...paper-piecing that started with sewing strips of fabric together.

After I found a pleasing arrangement for the blocks, I added sashing all the way around.

I am liking this. A lot. But, it's only 48" square, so I need to add about 6 more inches on each side. I think something simple for a border is called for...so as not to detract from the blocks. Don't you agree?

Have a great day!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

2011-09-11T07:12:00.000-05:00

Corn, Blocks & Dogs...

2011-09-10T17:42:00.002-05:00

A bit of this and that today...

One afternoon, as Julie and I were driving home, I wondered aloud how tall the field corn was. Julie stopped her car and stood next to the corn stalks so I could see. You could say that she is...outstanding in her field. (ya know...out standing in her field) {grin} Okay. Never mind. Julie is 5'4". But really...see how tall the corn is?

I finished two more blocks for the Summer Sampler Series Quiltalong. Yesterday's block is called 'Star'. It was paper-pieced.

The block I finished today is called 'Arkansas Traveler'. It also was paper-pieced.

I have 5 more blocks to make of this summer sampler, but I may make an additional 4 blocks to make it larger. Time will tell.

The boys (read dogs) were having a grand time chewing sticks and pieces of bark (ya gotta eat a certain amount of 'bark' so you can make good noises, mama!...???).

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Swapping...

2011-09-09T16:20:00.000-05:00

Remember this little quiltie? I posted about it here...

Well, Erin loved it. Absolutely loved it! You all know Erin, right? Her blog is why not sew? . She and I did a swap 2 years ago...the 'we double rock swap' (click here and here). Because she loved this little sunshine star quilt so much, I sent it to her and told her we could do another swap. So, we did. Just the 2 of us. That's the name of it...'just the two of us'. Cuz it was. Just the 2 of us. Nobody else. Two. Us.

Today was my lucky day...I received the quilt that she made for me! And, you know what? I love it! I absolutely love it! It is perfect!!! Totally me!

I snagged the photos off Erin's blog...her photos are gorgeous and show off this precious quilt so well...

The fabric is Sonnet by April Cornell for Moda. It measures 16.5 inches square. My colors. Exactly! Perfect in every way. Thank you so very much, Erin!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

The Doodles of My Mind...

Hand-Piecing???

GIVEAWAY!!!

The Princess and the Puppy...

Still Swooning...

Scraps...

Gasp!!!

Not So Manic Monday...

A Good Day!

Knitting. Really???

Bee Block and Stars for Baby...

Recycling...

Nesting Time on Lilac Hill...

SWOON...

Getting Things Done...

In the Beginning...

In the End...

Snow Days Continued...

Winner, Winner!

The Day After...

Objects of Desire...

Giveaway!!!

Distracted...

Quick Gifts...

Coming Next Month...

How Many Days Until Christmas?

More Blocks...

Pinwheels...Everywhere!

First Things First...

Something Fun...

A Day For Giving Thanks...

Days Gone By...

Name Change...

Couple of Things...

Sleeping Bags.

Snow Days Block 14

No Time for Sleeping...

Bloggers' Quilt Festival :: Fall 2011

Meet Miss Raina...

Baby Lattice Quilt...

Block 11...

Modern Workshop Giveaway Winner!

Almost Over...

Sunkissed Revisited!

Modern Workshop...

Snow Days...Block 9!

Tying shoes...More Kaylynn.

Restless Sleeper

End of the Week...

Snow In The Valley...

R.I.P. Manley

Sneakin' a Peek...

Carrycot Giveaway Winner!

Postage Stamp Quilt Finished!

Round and Round...

Carrycot Giveaway!

Sunkissed! Giveaway Winner!

Creating...

Last Pneumonia Recheck

SUNKISSED! Giveaway...

Flower Girl & Bee

Borders...

bor·der

Quitter...

Corn, Blocks & Dogs...

Swapping...