Nesting Time on Lilac Hill...

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

Pneumonia Recheck...

I had a pleasant visit with my doctor yesterday.

I went to see her for a
recheck on my pneumonia.

Her decision...take another week

to recuperate and build up stamina.  

Okay.  That's an easy one to agree to.

Because I really have no stamina.

Every little thing I do

leaves me gasping for breath.

Well, okay, perhaps not gasping...

but definitely wanting more air.

So, it'll be nice.

To relax and feel better

without pushing to get back to work.

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

I have been working steadily

on this stitchery piece.

Still a bunch to do, but am sure I'll

have this part of the project done

before I go back to work.

And, I finished Jerry's quilt. 

After washing/drying, it measures ~14x16...

just the right size for a miniature dachshund.

Hope he likes it!

Not much else going on around here...

how 'bout with 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 I Spent My Week with Pneumonia...

A huge thank you to everyone who has commented here and emailed me with get well wishes, good thoughts and prayers.  I am on the mend and feeling a bit better each day.  I've been taking lots of meds, (antibiotics, 2 inhalers, cough syrup and steroids) and they are doing what they're supposed to be doing.  YAY!  I go for a recheck on Monday.  

I've been reading and napping and watching tv (last weekend's Lucille Ball marathon was totally awesome!).  

And, I've done a bit of sewing.  Mind you, I do about half an hour of something and then I get tired and need to rest.  So, the progress I've made on these projects has been slow...but that's okay. 

So.  First up.  I finished this Christmas table topper.  It is for me Mum to give to a friend.  Fabric is Jovial for Moda by Basic Grey.  It measures about 23 inches square and went together very quickly.  Last seen here, I added the borders, quilted/bound it.

Second.  Here's what I have done thus far on my doll quilt swap quilt.  Last posted about it here...it's been waiting for borders...been very undecided about them.  I finally made a decision and put them on last night.  It measures 17 inches square.  I am a little behind...but I think I'll get it into the mail by the due date (August 16). 

Third.  Remember the Sunshine Quilt for Doreen?  Well.  When we met for lunch, Doreen  showed me a picture of Jerry, her miniature dachshund.  She absolutely adores him.  I mean...she is over the top in love with him.  (nothing wrong with that...just sayin')  He is pretty cute...but I am not a huge lover of small dogs.  So, I was a bit less effusive with my adoring praise than she thought I should be about him.  {grin}  He is pretty cute.  I guess.  So, now every time I talk with her, she asks me if I don't think that Jerry is just the cutest dog ever!  I decided that - because of his adorableness factor - or was it to do with how much my friend loves him - he deserved his own little quilt.  I had more than enough fabric scraps from her Sunshine quilt.  So.  I did what any other quilter would do.  Made Jerry a quilt.  Here's a photo of the finished top, which measures 15 x 18 inches.  I made a simple patchwork quilt with squares.  The borders are the same as the borders on Doreen's quilt.  Refresh your memory here.

And, fourth.  This is, after all, 'Christmas in August' for Sharon and I, so I am working on a Christmas gift.  I started this last Monday evening...and have made some good progress.  I'm using two basic stitches...stem stitch and back stitch...with twelve colors of floss.  It's much different than working on the 'snow days' blocks that use only the one variegated floss.  I'm trying to be fairly relaxed about color placement and so far, I'm happy.

Must go rest now.  I'll keep you posted on my pneumonia progress.  Please keep up the prayers and good thoughts.  Thank 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