Sweet Man of Mine...

Yay! Gentry's quilt is getting basted as I type. ;c) I snapped this pic of the hubby trimming the batting and backing. He threatened to quit if I did it again. LOL! He is such a sweetheart sometimes! And if doing the basting wasn't enough.... the youngest wasn't feeling well, so I had to stay home and my dear man went out and picked the backing fabric and thread for the quilt... both in the "perfect" shade of green to match! I'm definitely counting my blessings tonight!

I finished the log cabin blocks, changed the layout, decided it will need some applique here and there, and decided to call the whole thing "Raspberry Tea".

Back on track

I'm back to the log cabins and half of the blocks done! I hope to get them all finished before I start quilting on Gentry's quilt. And, no, hubby hasn't basted it yet, but then he is still working right now. :c)

Busy, busy, busy....

I feel like it has been forever since I posted, when really it has only been a few days. I did manage to work on my log cabin blocks on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon (when I was with my friend). I have only one side left to sew on them, but haven't done a bit of sewing in over 48 hours. I'm just too bogged down with life right now that I can't seem to get in the mood to sew. Before the brain fog rolled in though, I did manage to make a test block of the pattern I plan to use on my Paducah Charms quilt. I liked the way it came together so I think I'll stick with it. But I don't get to work on it until I have at least one of the tops quilted. And yes, ladies, I do plan on quilting them! I have never let them pile up before. My sweet hubby promises me that we will get the backing and batting and thread tomorrow and that he will also baste it then too! Now, I love my dear husband more than life itself... but, he does tend to break a lot of promises, God love him. So, we will see.

Yesterday we discovered that the Heffalump birthday supplies my son was hoping for (for over 6 months now) was no longer available anywhere! We went to 5 stores looking. So, we had to start over and I really wanted him to find something he could be excited about and look forward to having for his birthday. Finally, at the last store of course, he picked Curious George! I'm going to have to rethink all the plans, but they had a whole lot of different things so it shouldn't be too hard! Besides, I am fond of that little monkey myself. :c)

Took my dear daughter to her very first eye appointment today. She needs glasses. She is only 8 and it can be hard when they are so young. I was the same way. She did really well with the appointment and had fun trying on different frames. She initially had her heart set on a purple pair of frames, but when she looked in the mirror decided the gold ones matched her hair better. LOL! Oh, it is starting already!!!

Now, on a personal note.... meaning totally not quilt related so feel free to just gloss over this part. We have decided to homeschool again this year. However, it won't just be my daughter this time around it will be my son too! I know it is best for them both and I'm a firm believer in doing what is best for my kids... their needs before mine! However, a small part of me was hoping to be able to spread my wings a bit, maybe take on a part-time job or something. Hubby works morning, afternoon and evening, so I could really only do something when the kids would have possibly been in school. And we would never even think about daycare around here!!! So, that just leaves me. Now, that I have gotten over my initial selfishness, I have become completely overwhelmed at planning the curriculum for two, and at such different levels, and such. I know I will do it... just haven't figured out exactly how yet. And I do tend to be a perfectionist so I know I'm putting way more pressure on myself than probably necessary. I complained to hubby that all this "thinking" was the reason for my lack of sewing. He surprisingly promised that on Sunday he would get together with me and work it all out. Again, I know all about his promises, LOL! But the thought was nice and appreciated. One definite good thing though is that the kids will be going to "The Art House" one hour a week and I will have the whole house all to myself! I'm looking forward to it already!

Oh, and just between you and me... another reason I haven't been sewing is that I have become addicted to a BBC show that we rented through Netflix. I have only watched the first season, but am hooked! It is called "Monarch of the Glen". It is great as I used to watch Ballykissangel, but that show has been over for some time now and this kind of has the same light drama type of a feel and some great humor as well.

Sampler of Psalms Top Finished!

Yes! Another top done! I wonder what I will work on next??? I have several online mysteries that I should probably tend to, or also my log cabin. Hmmm. I guess I will see where my mood takes me tomorrow. As for tonight, I'm done! Sweet dreams to all the quilters out there! And to quiltpixie... thank you for the well wishes... you gave me a good chuckle!

Framed blocks...

Back in the swing of things today. I think I was motivated when I received a package from Quilt in a Day with all sorts of notions and things. I got a new rotary cutter (much needed as I've been using glue and tape to hold my other one together for several years now. Sounds strange, I know! So, I took a picture to show where it was broken (from too much use). This could be the reason for the design change between the side button on this one and the buttons on the newer versions. I couldn't wait to break the new one in! So, here you go... four framed blocks. It is amazing what a difference adding that lighter blue makes! Next stop, putting the blocks all together!

Sampler of Psalms Q & A

I didn't manage to get a thing done today... hubby and kids and stuff took up all my time. So, nothing to post in that regard. However there were a few questions regarding the Sampler of Psalms quilt...

Quiltpixie... I wish I could say that I designed this myself, but no such luck. It is from an online mystery at Quilters' Neighbourhood. It is the third of her mysteries I've done. The first was a simple Christmas tablerunner, then the Rejoice! quilt... pic posted somewhere in the archives here, and now this one. She has a current one that is posted that I would also like to try and is thinking about doing another Christmas one.

ForestJane... The larger image is actually comprised of the first six months of the mystery, the tree was the first one and then there are four more blocks in the corners that were four other months, then there was putting it all together in addition to the broken dishes border. I believe that was the sixth month. The smaller image of the Peace and Plenty block is one of 6 more blocks... the others are again posted somewhere in the archives here, that will go on the top or bottom of this center design. The quilt is very rectangular in shape... a banner actually. Last night I worked on Part 1 on the completion by adding the purple border. Some of the last 6 blocks are a couple inches smaller than the others, so the next step is to add borders to them. There is a picture of the completed version here. There is actually a larger version, square, but I am so behind on everything that I made the executive decision last night to just have the banner size. :c)

Psalms Center w/ Border

Okay, so I was going to wait until "tomorrow" to work on the borders. But it is well after Midnight so that counts as "tomorrow". I have the border around the center done now. After I get some sleep I'll work on the borders I need to put around 4 (not 3) of the 6 blocks. Well, those are the plans anyway. Hubby is always home a lot on Sundays and the kids aren't as well behaved when he is home, so between the three of them, who really knows what I will manage to get done. LOL!

Back to the Psalms

With those three quilt tops finished, I need to focus on my UFO's again and decided to work on my Sampler of Psalms. I only had one more block to do before I get to start adding borders and such to make everything fit together. So, here is my Peace and Plenty block. It was easy until the very last seam and it gave me fits! But it is done now. So, tomorrow I'll work on borders for the center and three of the blocks. And then perhaps by Sunday night I'll have another top completed... poor hubby, the work is just piling up on him!

Reached the Top of the Stairs!

Woohoo! Two quilts tops finished in one day. I just added the last border to the Stairstepper quilt. That makes three tops in one week... boy does my hubby have his work cut out for him. He better get to it soon as Gentry's birthday is Aug. 21.
Now I have to get back to some UFO's. I really need to work on my Sampler of Psalms, so I guess that is what I'll do. I should probably do it tonight or else I might not get around to it at all.
The AC man came back last night, "said" he fixed it and left in a hurry. 10 minutes later more flooding. Hubby called him again and he said it must be a clog in the pipe in the wall and it would be lots of work, need to use a special machine, etc. I finally convinced my dear husband that this man was completely incompetent and I suggested that he check out a couple of things himself. Well, it only took two seconds and just half a brain to see that the rubber part connecting the two pipes was all cracked and torn up and obviously was the real reason for the leak... as that is also where the water was coming from. Hubby replaced it this morning... the piece cost around $3. Now we just have to deal with the carpet... but at least I don't have to see that guy anymore!

XY and Z!

The alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end! Okay well, technically the end would be the binding. But the top is finished, praise God! Now, I'm going to cuddle with the kids and watch some PBS for awhile. Then it is back to sewing those borders on the other quilt. I never did get around to it yesterday, I just kept working on Gentry's. I love that he doesn't know those are letters are being put into his birthday quilt. What a wonderful surprise that will be!

ABC Quilt Growing...

Gentry's quilt is growing and growing. It is a bit bigger than I had originally intended which means I'll probably make the border smaller.

Thank you all for your sweet comments. The sad thing is... I'm not a "beginner". I've been at this for 11 years! How sad is that? LOL! That's okay. I know I will continue to try new things and as long as my children get their birthday quilts each year, they will be happy.

We had some loud storms this afternoon. I think we lost power about a dozen times... it was like it couldn't make up it's mind... off, on, off, on, off, on. I was actually trying to sew on my machine at the time. ROFL!

The AC man is supposed to come over tonight, but I think my carpet is completely ruined now and starting to smell. Now, we just have to see what the landlord wants to do about it.

Okay, I have to give my back a rest and then get going on the other quilt. :c)

Food for thought...

Today wasn't quite like I expected it to be. I did get to go see my friend, Jackie. Had a great time! I wasn't too productive though and then in the evening didn't feel up to sewing. Overall though I did cut and piece fabric for the inner border on the stairstepper quilt and sewed it on to the two sides. And I pieced a row together for the ABC quilt. I hope to get a lot more done on both tomorrow. However, I decided to post this tiny wall-hanging I did a long time ago so that you at least have something to look at. The colors are off as the flower in the top right is really a bright hot pink. But you still get the idea.

My room is becoming so "swampy" from the leaking AC. We keep trying to soak it all up and have gone through so many towels. It is hopeless. I thing the carpet will need to be taken up when this is all done. Oh, and the AC guy hasn't returned any of our calls today. I think I'm almost to the point that I'm just resigned to the fact that we will never have AC. LOL!

And now, a bit of perspective. I've been doing a lot of browsing around and have come to the conclusion that I am in need of creativity, talent and brilliance. I am constantly so impressed with everyone else's quilts. Mine are just so basic. I would like to think that I have improved over the years, but I'm starting to have my doubts. And I'm not "putting myself down". I just think I am lacking in several areas. Food for thought...

Top Finished!

I finished the top of my quilt tonight! No pictures though... I'm going to wait until it is quilted. :cP

Okay, so the house was so cool last night and this morning and this afternoon... and then tonight I was walking into my room and found that my carpet was soaked. Yes, there is some sort of leak from the inside AC unit (which is right next to my room). So, I had to turn it off to hopefully prevent further leakage and flooding. I'm going over to my friend's house tomorrow for a bit of quilty fun, so hopefully I won't have to be around to deal with anything.

I also finished tracing the letters/pictures for Gentry's quilt today. He has two left to color, but he didn't get to color today as he was very naughty this morning with his crayons. So, I had to punish him. :c( And we probably won't have time to color tomorrow as I'll be gone a lot. That's okay though. I can work on sewing the other rows if I want to. Besides, I still have over a month before his birthday.

I didn't work on the Stairstepper borders either. Perhaps I will do them tomorrow. Or maybe I will work on my little charm quilt. I'm going to use a different variation of the twin sister's pattern from Eleanor Burns. Oh, so many quilts... so little time. If I were really going to be a good girl, I would finish up another UFO top. I can't do any quilting on anything yet as I'm minus backing and batting for them all. But I could finish up those tops so my hubby could baste several of them at the same time. Yes, that's right, my hubby bastes my quilts... mostly anyway. He spray bastes them for me (as I have asthma and am sensitive to the spray) and then I go fold up the edges and secure the quilt further with some safety pins here and there. He bastes them in the kitchen so he has to move out the table and chairs. So, it is best if he can just do several at once. It is so easy to love them when they are this nice. :c)

What A Great Way To Start the Week!

It is always nice to have a good Monday, isn't it? It didn't start off very well, but finished wonderfully. We called the AC man several times this morning and he said he didn't get any of the messages we left on his cell phone. We finally reached him in the afternoon and he came by about 7:00. Apparently he had some wires attached incorrectly that kept causing the unit to overheat or something like that. All I know is... it has been working wonderfully since then! It is actually chilly in my house right now. The real test will be later this week when it gets hotter. In the meantime, I will sleep well tonight under cool sheets!

I finished the center part of the Stairstepper quilt. I have two borders I still need to put on it. It seems a bit narrow for me, hopefully the borders will make it significantly wider.

I also planned out the borders for my own quilt and Gentry completed "X" today. So, I feel like I had a pretty productive day today. :c) I guess tomorrow will be all about borders.

Quiltpixie, as far as the pattern for the basket liner... it already had a liner in it, that I wasn't supposed to take apart. So, I ironed various pieces of freezer paper on the different parts and sort of traced around them. Then I cut out the pieces (there were only three - one bottom, two sides) and ironed them on to the new fabric and cut around them. It was probably not the best method, but I managed.

Jane, no please don't give me any "spoilers"... I refuse to even read book jackets as I think they tend to give too much away. I like to just let the story unfold without having any clue of what is to come. However, I am not sure, but I think it is possible that Earlene may have given too much away with the title alone. But don't tell me if I'm right or wrong! I'll let you know when I finish so we can talk about what we thought.

Are you kidding me???

Okay, I'm really not an extremely angry person by nature. I am a bit impatient though. Would you believe the AC quit working again?! We are talking about a brand new unit! He came out, said he knew what was wrong, spent five minutes on it and then it was working again... for a few hours. Now it is too late to call him... or so my husband says, I'm tempted to do it anyway. It is hot and I know the kids will be waking up soon complaining about the heat. I'm probably going to have to stay in my room tomorrow if he comes out again and let my hubby deal with it. I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to hide my irritation over the matter. I do hope he comes early as it is after midnight and already 80 degrees in the house. By the afternoon we will all be melting.

On to positive things now that I've vented sufficiently. I was able to sew all the rows together and the center is now complete. I'm not going to post a pic as I'm waiting until the whole thing is done. Tomorrow I will start to work on the border, at least the layout of the border. Maybe I'll let the kids help to decide as it is a "random" type of thing.

So, now I'm tired, feeling like I had a productive day afterall. I'm going to literally crawl into bed and curl up with the latest Earlene Fowler book. The jury is still out on whether I will like it or not... I'm not too far into it yet and I miss all the characters from the Benni Harper series. And I don't think there has been even the tiniest mention of a quilt yet... hmmm. I hope she at least threw in some quilt referrences for her devoted fans.

Liner/Cover 2

I finished it! Now I can go back to working on her quilt. But for now, it is TV time with the hubby. We rented the series of Stargate Atlantis: Season 1. The AC guy came again so the house is slowly starting to cool down. Oh, I hope it doesn't have anymore problems!

Cuddles...

The kids were so underfoot today! We had the AC man installing the new one and that took about 8 hours. An hour and a half later it is not working anymore. He will hopefully be here shortly to fix it. So, the kids were in my room all day trying to stay cool and wouldn't let me do any of my own projects, so we decided to do some "recycling". We found a leftover piece of flannel, so we made this pillow. I didn't have any Polyfil, so the kids and I pulled apart leftover pieces of batting that probably wouldn't have been used for anything else. As you can see, the recipient thinks his new pillow is very cuddly. Oh, and the pillow really isn't that big... my sweet boy is just really that little. ;c)

Perhaps I'll get to work on my own stuff later on. But I at least feel good about making him so happy. My daughter wants one now. She is old enough to do most of it herself. We'll just have to set aside some time to go shopping for the fleece and stuffing.

Okay, going to go wait for the AC man...

The Best Laid Plans...

Okay, so my weekend quilting plans have not gone exactly as I had hoped...

Friday was off to a great start, but before I started working on the stairstepper quilt for my step-mom I was given another project by her. It is to make cover/liners for a basket she has. Now, I'm not a person that knows how to sew. I know how to do the stuff I need to do for quilt, but that's it. However, I gave it my very best shot (and more than one try) and came up with this. It isn't too bad. I have to do another one for her as well. I have the pieces cut, just not sewn. I will hopefully finish that up today. So, instead of working on her quilt, I worked on these. I guess it is an even trade of my time, but I was really hoping to have the top of the quilt finished by this weekend.

Yesterday, I was going to trace the blocks for my son to color for his ABC quilt. That was going to be what I did with the time I allowed for that as I couldn't bare to take even more blocks away from him so soon. Which he had no problem informing me he is still sad that I took the others. I did promise him that as soon as we were done tracing and coloring the blocks though, that he could have the coloring books to do whatever he wanted with. That definitely made him happier! Back to the point... since I wasn't going to sew on that quilt, I decided to use the time to get a bit ahead on the "tracing" part, so I traced 4 blocks! Well, yes, Gentry colored all 4 of them yesterday. So, now I'm not ahead anymore. LOL! I know he is going to want me to do more tracing today as we only have X, Y and Z left.

And finally regarding my own quilt. I was so hoping to sew the rows together yesterday and plan out the border. However, I have not been feeling well lately and each day seems to be worse. I'm tired and very dizzy. I keep feeling like I am suffering from motion sickness, even when I'm perfectly still. It has really been draining me of my energy and motivation. I'm sure it is nothing, but I just wish I knew how to make it go away. So, instead of sewing my rows together, I had to take a nap, couldn't help it!

So, here we are on Sunday. And I don't know if I even want to attempt to plan out anything. Maybe I should take the day off and rest. I just get so depressed when I don't accomplish anything. Maybe I should plan amounts of "time" to work on things instead of "amounts to accomplish". Hmmm... I don't know. I'm headed back to bed for a bit of a rest and maybe I'll have an answer later on.

Blocks into rows...

Well, I worked on my own quilt tonight and sewed the blocks into rows. I have two pattern testers working on it too, but I think I'm further along than they are. I will probably sew the rows together tomorrow and plan out the border.

Two down for today... one more to go. :c)

More ABC's

I found time to work on the first of the three quilts today... My son finished coloring "R" today and when he went to lay them out, he only had 5 total. Oh, was he not happy! He told me in no uncertain terms he wanted them back. I promised he would get them back on his birthday. ;c)
Okay, now just need to work some more on my own quilt and the stairstepper one...

Ostrich

I had a great time with my friend, Jackie, yesterday! We were sewing and talking and everything that the time just flew by so quickly. We are getting together next Wed. too. :c)
I also took a picture of a miniature (finished blocks are just over 3") quilt I made for my hubby for Christmas one year. The picture in the center is from our honeymoon when we stayed at this wonderful little cabin, thus the log cabin blocks framing it.

I have all the blocks made for my quilt! I just need to get them sewn together. Today I was working on the stairstepper quilt, in which I'm sewing rows together. This part is sort of boring, but I'm almost half way done. Tomorrow, I will be working on all three quilts again!

And if I didn't have enough projects going on, I finally decided on a pattern for some charms I got from the Eleanor Burns' presentation I saw in Paducah when I went to the AQS quilt show. So, I'm eager to give that a try.

I also couldn't resist signing up for an Ostrich Challenge! Anne's Ostrich Challenge quilt was just way too inspirational for me! http://quiltingbebbs.blogspot.com/ I just have to give this sort of thing a try! So, here is my block. It is an orphan from a quilt that my mom made for my sister. She gets a quilt... and I get a leftover block... doesn't that just speak volumes! LOL! Now, I have to go looking through my stash to see if I have any fabrics that work well with it. I'm sure I'll find something. And if you want to see what all the fuss is about, check it out for yourself... http://www.peachquilting.com/xoops/

Mad, Mad, Mad!

Yes, I'm mad! I'm trying to be calm and count my blessings though. It is going to take a bit more effort. We were supposed to finally get our new A/C today. We have been counting each and every day and boy have they gone by slowly! Hubby called the man today and he won't be here until... Sunday! And he reminded us that he hasn't been paid by our landlord yet! So, now we have to deal with that too. I'm not crazy about the A/C person that the landlord chose, but I'm not paying for it, so I can't really have an opinion. But now that the landlord hasn't paid yet either, well, I'm just flustered! Thank God my sister provided us with a window unit to make do. Okay enough of that....

Last night was nice. Hubby made up for his "misbehavior" the other night. He rented a movie, a comedy with a sexy lead actor. He actually said, "You better post this in your blog too. I don't want only bad stuff about me in there." LOL! Maybe the threat of posting all his misdeeds will keep him on the straight and narrow. LOL! Just kidding. ;c) And after the movie, he helped me lay out blocks and decide what pieces to match up together for my pattern. Then he even stacked them up, ready to pin and sew. Very sweet, indeed!

I get to go visit with my friend today for some quilting. It should be a nice relaxing time. I am looking forward to hearing about her trips and helping her with her current quilting projects. She probably doesn't really need any help though... she is really good at what she does. But I will enjoy the "grown-up" time.

Okay, I feel better now. :c)

Frogs Galore

I made this quilt for my son for his second birthday. He LOVED frogs, so there is a different frog fabric in each and every jar. This is one of my favorite quilts that I've made. Now, I didn't exactly enjoy making it, but I do like how all the colors play off the black background. And more importantly, I love how much he loved and still loves his quilt.

Happy 4th and TGFC!

Happy 4th of July! I have to admit that this holiday has definitely gone unappreciated by me for many years of my life. But I'm older now and a bit wiser. I don't always agree with the leaders of this country. I don't always agree with the policies in place. However, as a woman, I can look at so many other countries and have a true appreciation for the USA. I have rights here, I have opinions that I can express. I can wear what I want, say what I want, be with whomever I want. We have freedoms here that some other countries can't even begin to comprehend. So, for that I am thankful.

Now, this is probably one of my least favorite quilts I've ever made, but being that it is Independence Day it seemed appropriate. It is part of a 12 month series. I trade out the quilt for the next one each month.

TGFC (Thank God For Coffee)... Yes, I am addicted to my morning coffee. I didn't use to be a coffee drinker, but now I can't start the day without it... two cups of it to be precise. I have to have it with two packs of Splenda and one teaspoon of non-fat, non-dairy creamer. It is the cure-all in the mornings for me. It helps when I have morning headaches, it helps stave off my asthma attacks, and most importantly it helps to wake me up as I am NOT a morning person. It improves my mood and helps to make me a better mom and wife. It even helps to motivate me to get quilting. Yes, I know, I sound like a true addict!!! I love my morning coffee! And I know that it is the caffeine that really makes it so wonderful. But, I don't exceed my two cups and I have caffeine free drinks the rest of the day. So, that is my way of rationalizing my "habit". So, God bless coffee and God bless any other "addicts" out there. ;c)

Cheater

Tonight my hubby and I were both being slugs. He needed to go to the store and I needed to sew at least two pairs of strips together for my stairstepper quilt. We decided to have a contest, to help motivate us. I had to sew the strips and iron them... I'm pretty slow and I use a ton of pins which I have to stop to take out every few inches. He had to go to the store and come right back. Now, there was no "prize" other than just saying who finished first. I was kind and waited until after he put his shoes on and was headed out there, then I rushed into my room to sew as quickly (and accurately) as possible. No problems there... didn't run out of bobbin thread or any of those things that I would expect to happen. Then I hurry to other room to iron... but the iron was gone! That little cheater had not only moved it, but took it with him!!! I called his cell phone to find him laughing... very pleased with himself. Oh well... husbands... what can you do? LOL!

ABC's

Okay, the picture quality is really very poor. However, it is still enough to give a general idea of what is going on...
I just joined the first two rows of my son's ABC quilt. You can't really tell here, but the green is really helping to show off all of the colors in each block.
And here is a closer up view of one of the blocks... look at how well my little man can color... hardly ever gets out of the lines. :)

Great way to start off the beginning of July!

I got a pretty little present in the mail today. My dear friend, Marge, made and sent me this wonderful quilted postcard! Isn't it great?! Thank you very much, Marge!

I also got a bit of work done today as well. Working on three projects simultaneously keeps me busy, but also keeps me from getting too bored.

I completed the second row of the ABC quilt and prepared the Q/queen block for him to color... which he did very nicely. Only 9 more letters to go! And when he went to lay them out today, he didn't seem to notice that 5 more were gone... if he did, he didn't bother mentioning it to me. ;)

I found a mistake I had made on the stairstepper quilt (sewed the fabric on upside down... it was a light fabric and hard to see) so I corrected that and have started cross-cutting all the strips. I'll need to finish that cutting tonight. But I have a new blade on my rotary cutter (it's been at least 4 years since I had a new one) and it is cutting like butter. I didn't even realize how dull my other one had gotten.

And for my own quilt, I've completed step 2 of sewing the blocks together. So far the pattern seems to be working out well. I have two testers giving it a try as well, so we will see what they have say.

I also talked to another dear friend on the phone today. She just got back last night from a mission trip to Honduras (sp?) where she was helping to build houses for the people there. She is leaving again next Friday for another mission trip somewhere else. However, we made plans to get together for some quilting on Wednesday afternoon. I'm so excited, we haven't really seen each other in so long, this will be really good for both of us.

And finally the FQs my sister is selling for me on her ebay site arrived at her place today. I'm sure she'll have them up within the week. I hope they sell as I need the funds to pay for my sewing machine to be serviced... another thing I've neglected to do for several years.

Now, a question... I received a collection of about 70 5" squares (samples from Eleanor Burns - Quilt Through the Seasons fabric line) on a trip to the Paducah AQS show, when I went to her program. I would like to use them in some kind of quilt, but I don't really have a good idea. I would prefer not to have to use other fabric if I can manage except for maybe a border. Any suggestions????

My sweet son....

My daughter is sweet too, but today it was my son that made me smile over and over again. His name is Gentry and he knows exactly how to pull at my heartstrings. Well, while the two were taking their nap, I took the A, B and C fabric blocks that he had colored and sewed them into the first row of his birthday quilt. I really love the way it is looking! It is so simple, yet so perfect for him right now. I liked it so much it was all I could do to keep from running into his room to show him why he was really coloring fabric. But I so want the whole thing to be a surprise on his birthday. I mean, he's knows he is getting a birthday quilt, as both kids always do each year. And he knows it is an "ABC" quilt as that is what he suggested. He even went to the quilt store with me to pick out two fabrics for it. He had to have the green as it is his favorite color and he specified that he wants a "Green ABC" quilt. LOL! But, he doesn't know that he has been coloring this fabric for me to use in his quilt. He loves to lay them all out and look at them. Well, today after we finished coloring "P/pumpkin" he went to lay them out and discovered that the three were missing. I told them they had disappeared and he threw a fit, completely devasted! So, I told him that I had taken them and am doing something special with them, but it is a secret and so I can't tell him about it. He then proclaimed that I'm using them in his ABC quilt!!!! I said, "Now why would I do that when I already those two wonderful fabrics you helped me pick out... the green and the ABC's?" So, I didn't exactly lie to him... but I did try to mislead him a bit. The good news is that he seemed as thrilled with the prospect as I hoped he would be when seeing the final quilt. I am going to do the second row tomorrow which means 5 more letters will be gone... oh I hope he doesn't get too upset with me.

I was also productive with my two other projects today. I finished one of the steps in the stairstepper quilt and I finished cutting all the pieces and piecing the first step of making blocks for my pattern. I'm timing each step to see how fast or not so fast the whole quilt is. I'm a pretty slow lady so if it is fast for me, it should be fast for most others.

Decision Made

I finally feel at peace with my border decision. I had a big long talk with hubby last night and my original pattern is much more user friendly. Sorry, mom, but perhaps I'll use your idea at a later time. Now that I have a decision made I feel so much better! Now, I just have to get going on making the first quilt. I'll wash all the fabrics today. By the way, does anyone know what the rules are as far as copyrighting patterns?

I've been quilting for over 10 years now and I've finally decided to join a guild. A friend of mine from church is a member, so I emailed her for info only to learn that she is now the President! Congratulations, dear friend, I'm very proud of you! They are having a session on crazy quilts this Saturday and I hope to attend.

I have been relying on a friend to take the pictures on her digital camera that I post here. But I hate doing that. So, I'm going to look into other alternatives today... I have other quilts that I know I would like to post. So, wish me luck.

I designed a FQ pattern!

I excited to say I designed a FQ pattern. I have nearly all the instructions typed up and everything. But my mother suggested I do the border a bit differently so I'm giving that some consideration. I have 4 opinions on the subject and the results are split down the middle. I was really hoping for a real lean in one direction. I have already picked out my fabrics to make one for myself and a friend has offered to be a pattern tester. I have a ton of stuff going on right now, but once I get the decision on the border made I would like to spend a little bit of time each day getting the quilt done... even if it is only 15 mins.

I washed the fabrics for my son's quilt today, but didn't get to work on cutting yet. I did, however, work a bit more on the Stairstepper quilt. So far it is pretty easy, so I can think about other things while I'm working on it. LOL!

Now, something to ponder over. What do you do about friends that aren't really friends? I mean there are friends out there who are wonderful to you when times are tough, but when things are starting to go well, like a wonderful relationship or new job opportunity or whatever, they are no longer supportive... in fact, they actually try to sabotage your new happiness. I guess an obvious reaction would be that they are jealous. Does that mean that you should feel sorry for them and accept their negative behavior? Or do you realize that life is short and you want to surround yourself with true friends? Yes, there is a reason I'm having to ponder this matter. And I have actually already come up with my own conclusion. But it would be interesting to know what others have done in the same situation...

A/C, ABCs and 123

Our A/C finally quit on us! And boy is it hot in the house. However, thanks to my wonderful sister, we have a window unit in my room now, so we at least have a cool room and bathroom. The computer, TV and sewing machine are in my room as well, so we have all been camped out in here today. Which isn't uncommon, but it has been more consistent with the cooler air.

ABCDEFGHIJKLM.... yes, I'm singing. My son has colored blocks for all those letters now. We had a slight delay in the coloring with VBS and FlyLady Camp, but today he did 2 1/2 letters. I will probably trace a few more tonight so that they will be ready when he is.

123... I feel like I'm following a very easy step by step method on this quilt I'm making for my MIL. She was really sweet and took me to Paducah in April for the AQS show. She doesn't even quilt, which made it even more kind. While we were there, we picked up a pattern and FQ pack from one of my favorite stores, Pincushion. It is in CA and the FQ packs are called "sweet treats". You should go visit their online store... http://www.sweettreat.com Anyway, here is a picture of the pattern that I'm making. It is called "Stairstepper". The color choices I'm using are different, with dusty mauves and sage greens and rich burgundys, etc. I'll post pics when I can. I'll admit I haven't gotten very far yet. But now with the A/C going to be replaced I should be able to get a lot more done!

Even Hotter!

Sadly there was no quilting at the church yesterday, everyone is out of town. So, I was stuck at home in the heat. It was even hotter in the house yesterday. It is only two days into Summer and already this heat is too much.

No Flylady Camp today. My 4 year old is sick and can't keep anything down. So, perhaps before the heat is unbearable here in the house I can get at least 15 mins of sewing done.

Now, food for thought, does anyone ever come here? Does anyone ever read this blog or enjoy the pictures? I know a few people that do, but there are never any messages left. It gets lonely here, so please leave messages if you stop by. Yes, I know you have to sign up to be able to leave messages, but it really isn't that big of a deal and it only takes a moment.

Okay, I'm off to get a bite to eat and then try to get that 15 mins in before the heat takes hold like the giant flaming monster it can be!

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Oh, it is so very hot here! And my horrible home has a poor excuse for an A/C on top of not being properly insulated and sealed. So, we are all roasting here. And sadly that means no quilty stuff done for days now.
On Saturday, my birthday, I went to the church and started working on a bargello inspired quilt for my step-mom. Sunday, Father's Day, gave hubby the pillow case which he loved! It took him all day to work through the puzzles and find it though. LOL! Yesterday and today the kids and I are doing Flylady Camp. So, we have been not only hot, but very busy. Tomorrow, hubby will take over "camp duties" and I'll get to go play at the church and hopefully get some quilty stuff accomplished. I'll probably work on my step-mother's quilt, trace some more blocks for my son's quilt, or work on another Sampler of Psalms block. Wow, what if I managed to work on all three!!! That would be a good day!
Now, I recently found out, after the fact, that we had a tornado on my birthday, right here in Cordova. I knew it sounded bad outside, we had some power issues, but I didn't hear any sirens so I didn't worry too much. It was just a few miles away and I was actually watching the news at the time but there were no indications. It makes you wonder!

Head cold is weighing me down!

Yes, I have a head cold. It is no doubt something the kids have brought home from VBS. I'm still managing to get a bit accomplished though. I have been working on my son's birthday quilt today. Actually, I just cut up the freezer paper to adhere to the back of the blocks and traced some letters and pictures on a few... all ready for him to color. He is working on "K/King" block. He still doesn't know that I'm going to use them for his quilt and I still want the whole thing to be a surprise. However, he loves to open the container they are being stored in and laying them out "like a train", he says. How am I going to sew them up into a top when he wants to look at them all the time? Okay, so here is what I've decided to do... I'm going to have one row of blocks disappear at a time. He'll ask where they are. I'll say they disappeared, like magic, and that I'm sure they will turn up soon. He is only 4, he won't know any better. But, yes, I do feel guilty for fibbing to him. I'll apologize to him on his birthday... after I give him the quilt. :) I guess I should go throw the fabric into the washing machine so at least that part is done.

Saturday is my birthday, but I doubt it will be anything special, so I'll go hang out at the church and get some quilty stuff accomplished. I don't know what yet. I suppose it depends on whether or not I want to lug my machine over there. If not, I have plenty of cutting to do for various projects, definitely enough to keep me busy for a couple of hours.

Sunday is Father's Day and in addition to making the pillow case for my hubby, I've made up a ton of puzzles that he will have to follow around to eventually find his present. I'm starting off with a jigsaw puzzle, well it is really a letter to him ending in a riddle that has been ripped up and needs to be put back together. Half of the pieces will be in each of the cards the kids give him. The riddle, when solved will lead him to a Logic Art puzzle. When he solves that it will be a picture of the place to find his next clue. That will be a rebus puzzle leading him to look in his inbox to find two e-cards from the kids. One will contain a cryptogram, the other a hint to get started. That puzzle will lead him to look all over the living room for a bunch of hidden neckties, each will have a letter attached, which he will need to rearrange to find the location of his next clue. That spot will contain the final clue to find the location of his present. I chose some of the types of puzzles and games so that the kids would be able to help too. I'll get back to you on how long it takes him to complete everything. I may go by the $ store and buy a few little things for him to find with various clues just so he feels like he is getting a bit of something on the way. ;)

All of this effort makes me wonder what, if anything, he has planned for my birthday??? Hmmm...

I've Been Busy!

I have several pics to add. I've been busy and productive! First of all I finished my daughter's garden quilt...

I also made my hubby a pillow case from some donated blocks. There are more blocks leftover to make a matching quilt later on... perhaps for his birthday.

I finished another UFO. This was from a stained glass class. My 4 year old has already claimed it for his room.

And here is that picture of the Bird's Nest block from my Sampler of Psalms quilt.

Memorial Day

Well, I have you completely up-to-date now on all pictures. Sadly, that doesn't cover all that I've been doing. There are some new projects I have started, others that I've worked just a bit on here and there. But the newest and main project I have going right now, aside from finishing my daughter's quilt, is my son's birthday quilt. He wanted an ABC quilt. So, I'm tracing letters and objects on fabric and he is coloring them. We have 5 blocks completed right now. He doesn't know that he is coloring fabric for his own quilt, so that will be a big surprise on his birthday. Today I'm going to go play outside in the sprinkler with my kids and if time allows, my son and I will do block "F/Fish" and tonight I'll be quilting on my daughter's quilt. I would love to be finished with the quilting part by tomorrow night and working on the binding. We'll see how it goes though.

Crazy Pillow

While this isn't a quilt project, I did use my "free-motion quilting" foot on my sewing machine to make it. It is a bit too wild for me, but is still lots of fun!!!

Daughter's Garden Quilt

My daughter designed the center part of her birthday quilt this year. She wanted different florals surrounded by different greens (no repeats) and sashed with brown for dirt... a garden! I added a fence for a border here is a picture of the quilt top before I added a final border of green (for grass). The quilt was basted last night, so I guess I'll be doing some quilting tonight. LOL!

Jacob's Ladder Swap

I participated in a Jacob's Ladder block and fabric swap this fall. I put the blocks together and have this quilt top now. I have not made any decisions regarding borders yet.

UFO #2 Snowmen

The second completed UFO was this snowmen wall-hanging. It is actually the 12th quilt in a calendar like series... this is for January and while I finished all the other months right away, this one took two years to get around to actually doing. LOL!

UFO #1 Heart

As part of a challenge to finish UFO's, I finally completed this little wall-hanging. It took so little time that I'm ashamed I didn't finish it sooner. LOL!

Christmas Placemats

Also for Christmas, I made my brother and his wife placemats.

Trying Twelve Finished!

I finished the Trying Twelve quilt for my sister and gave it to her for Christmas. As you can see by this picture with my niece and her family that my sister found a great spot for it.

Robbing Peter to Pay Jack

This past Halloween I started working on a new project. I have only one block done, but it is so cute it can easily stand on it's own.

Autumn Sampler Blocks

I have 5 more blocks done for my Autumn Sampler...
Mrs. Cleveland's Choice, Double Irish Chain, Contrary Husband, Wedding Ring and Album.

Sampler of Psalms, Blocks 9 & 10

I've completed three more blocks for my Sampler of Psalms quilt. I have pics of two of them here...
Block 9 Treasure Chest


Block 10 Footstool


I hope to post a picture of Block 11 as soon as I get one.

Long Time... No see...

Yes, I know... I've been away forever! It doesn't mean I've stopped quilting though. I have kept up with it, but at a much slower pace. I began home-schooling my daughter this Spring and well, that really took a huge chunk of my quilty time away. I'm back now though and I do have pictures to post. So, please forgive me for my absense. ;)