Great Mail Days

I've had two great mail days in a row. Yesterday I received this wonderful little quilt from the Doll Quilt Swap III on about.com quilting forum. It was made special for me by BonnieH, and I fell in love with it immediately. She also sent me a piece of the beautfiul batik fabric she used in it, and I loved that too.

Then today I received a package (ALQS) all the way from Australia from TracyD. She sent me a really beautiful mariner's compass quilt, in my favorite colors. It is gorgeous and unlike anything else I own. She also sent along some extras like a visitor's guide about her town, and 3 beautiful fabrics. I feel extremely spoiled this week. thanks to both of you wonderful ladies.

It Is Official!

When my kids were little, I honestly never thought the day would come. And... I really thought when the day did come, if ever, I would be all excited! But... really its a bummer, and lonely. I guess I will have to get used to the empty nest.

I did see them both today. I helped Nellie pick up and deliver her new frig to her newly purchased house. It was scary driving it down the road, but I went slow. The answer to the age old question, is your refrigerator running, was NO, IT IS CRAWLING, and making lots of people behind me not so happy to be crawling. We made it there safely though. I thought this refrigerator pic I borrowed on flickr was too cute! I saw Cody and Brooke when they came over to get some more of Cody's things. I was feeling nostalgic, and told him to leave the basket of dirty clothes, and I would wash them for him. What a sucker I am sometimes for nostalgia. LOL

Apron Obsession

I don't know about anyone else out there in blog land, but I have been bitten by the apron bug. I remember my grandmother always had on an apron. My farm grandma anyway. My city grandma, I don't remember her wearing them, but I'm sure she did. Anyway, they have been making a come back. I see apron patterns everywhere. I've actually made a couple for myself recently. To spread the apron joy I've decided to host an apron swap. This will be different for me, as I usually host block swaps. Come join the fun! You can find the swap here.

Colene

Fabric Binge

I have to say that I have been really good about not buying fabric recently. But... Today I stopped at the lqs on my way home from work to pick up a couple yards of black on black fabric for a batik and black swap I am participating in on the about.com quilting forum. Wow, did I have fun buying fabric today.


Starting on the left is a pretty yellow coordinating print that came in the same line as the paisley print right next to it. The one on the left looks like dots, but it is actually little flowers all in rows. Both from Anna Griffin's Lulu Collection for Wyndham Fabrics. I love her stuff, really modern, but retro at the same time. These will become my next bag/purse/tote for me, I'm not sure what pattern I will choose yet. I got about 2 yds of each. The beautiful blue on brown flowers, I purchased 3 yds of this. This is a Robert Kaufman fabric, the selvage just says screen print D# BKT 6004. I love it! I'm thinking it would make a cute messenger bag for my very secret recipient person not to be named here as she reads my blog. shhh. (no beggin, its already been decided) And last, but not least the black on black I went shopping for to begin with. LOL 2 yds of that. I would tell you who makes it, but I can't read the black writing on the black selvedge. I am set for the weekend, as today is my Friday. Yay!
Oh, and on another note: Murphy had another seizure last Friday when I was home. The vet put him on meds on Monday when she got in. This is his fourth seizure in about 8 months, so I think it best to get the meds going. Its so horrible to see him have a seizure. People seizures are horrible, and in my line of work I've seen a lot of them, but seeing my dog have one is horrible horrible also. He is liking the meds as I sneak them into a piece of velveeta each morning and night, and he thinks he's been so good to get such a treat, and twice a day too! Good boy!


He looks so funny after playing in the sprinklers.

Summer Totes

Today I spent doing yucky stuff like laundry and housecleaning, and answering the crisis line. I did get some fun sewing in though, and made two totes. One for me to keep and one to exchange at my guild picnic next month. We are to make a tote bag, and put it inside a brown paper bag, close it up and bring it to the guild picnic. Then, we all put the bags of bags, on a table, and then everyone takes a random brown bag with a bag and they get to keep the bag they chose. I made the bags using Lazy Girl's Summer Tote pattern. I love how they turned out. I had this pattern for about a year, but was chicken to try it. It was fun, and different and it turned out great! Thanks to Lazy Girl. (I watched her video also for help)

This one is for me.



This one is for the swap

Almost Finished

I need to sew the binding down by hand, and then this one is finished. I believe the block is called Puss in the Corner. I used scraps to make it, and I love how it turned out. I tried a panto on it for the quilting. My first try at a panto. Its definately not perfect, I need to work on lining the rows up without as much space between rows of quilting, but its okay for my first try. The quilting itself turned out nice. Any tips or tricks to using a panto? I'd love to have tips.





The panto is called Simply Roses by Anne Bright, BZQuilting.com

Getting My Groove Back?

I used to play in the block lotto on about.com quilting forum every month. Then somewhere along the line I lost my motivation, but this month was too cute to resist, and I made these two blocks up for the june lotto. I love how they are so bright and cheerful.


I was also able to finish my doll swap this week. This swap was also on about.com We aren't to send these out for a couple of more weeks, but at least it is done. The picture is a bit washed out from the flash, its much clearer fabrics in reality. I made a duplicate for myself. I believe the recipient will be open to the patriotic colors, even though she didn't actually say so. The pattern is from American Doll Quilts by Kathleen Tracy.

Other stuff this week. A few years ago my eye doc suggested bi-focals. I bought them, but never could get used to them no matter how many times they changed them. I went for another visit yesterday, and ended up with a different doc as mine was on vacation. This doc said I should be wearing contacts for far away, and reader glasses for close up. I have lazy eye (luckily you can't tell by looking at me) but the result is my eyes are opposite, so when I would wear the glasses they made me very very dizzy. Anyway, I had previously tried contacts about 6 years ago, but could never get them in my eyes. I came home yesterday with a pair of trial contacts. This morning dh helped me by telling me up or down or whatever, and coached me and I was able to get them in both eyes. I love being able to see street signs etc. We went to a family reunion about 1 1/2 hrs away and I drove and could actually see well. It snowed on us at the reunion btw. It was outside and cold. That's the way it is in Idaho sometimes. I recall being snowed on, on the fourth of July one year.

I also went to the family cemetery while there, and did my cemetery thing. Not so much fun, but not too horrible either, dh was with me.

Irons

I hit the thrift store near my work today in search of an iron. I hit the jackpot. I found a cute little folding travel iron by durabilt for the grand sum of $1.75 that puppy gets HOT! and FAST! I also bought a regular old iron for $3.75 it gets plenty hot too, but needs a scrubbing as it doesn't run smooth across the fabric. Here's a pic of one just like the folding one I got.



Strange thing, that picture I lifted from the internet yesterday of the iron looks just like the one I found today. How is that for coincidence?

What an ending to a great sewing weekend

I had a great weekend, and got a lot of sewing time in. I worked on my doll quilt for the about.com doll quilt III swap. I got the binding ready for a quilt, I quilted on Friday. I started a new scrap quilt. There I was going along cutting fabric, pressing, cutting, pressing, and I realized the pressing part wasn't going so well. HMMMM what is this? My iron isn't hot. That's strange the power light is on, it was working a minute ago. Kapoot! All of a sudden, I have no heat! I guess its time to buy a new iron, this one lasted 2 1/2 years. I hate the thought of spending money on an iron when I could be spending it on pretty fabric. Oh Well! Maybe the thrift store will have one. LOL

Fun Stuff to Share

I copy catted Kim this past week and hit the thrift stores for some cheap fun. I hit the jackpot! I purchased this cool ceramic house, and I am using it for a coffee canister at home. I found a smaller cottage one at a different thrift store on my lunch break, and I am using it for a sugar container at my office, along with a cute saucer/bowl/lid combo I found at the same store. It is now a powdered creamer holder for my office. Much cuter than the original containers they came in from the store.


From the second thrift store along with the house canister I found 3 pantos for $8. I tried the first one the other night, but haven't mastered lining the rows up as the quilt progresses, and so I am not happy with my work on that, but am trying to imagine how cool it will be once I get the hang of the pantos. I also found these two ceramic baskets at a 3rd thrift store.


I loved these green bowls at the 3rd store


Two retro serving dishes, and a little yellow bowl like my Mom had, round out my collection for the day.




This morning I rearranged my little quilt collection and put it on a different wall


I took creative license and hung them crooked. I hope the makers don't mind.

Then I used the old quilt wall for this arrangement

One for you, One for me. Four Seasons Summer Swap

I have finished my swap quilt, and an almost identical quilt for me. I love the dimension on the straps, and think the background looks like the beach. I'm hoping it does anyway. I won't be mailing this one off for a while per Margaret's instructions, but I hope the recipient likes it.

Getting Started

I was able to get started on my Summer edition of the Four Season's Quilt Swap this weekend. I found the perfect pattern when I was in Boise for a job interview on Thursday. Here is a sneek peek at some of the fabrics I will be using in the quilts. I say quilts, as I am making one for me and one for my swap partner. So far I'm loving how it is turning out.

Some finishes

I've been taking advantage of the long weekend to try and finish up some projects.
The first one you have seen the blocks before, and I actually finished this a few weeks ago, but hadn't blogged it yet.
The spools quilt. Made this from noodles I had swapped, saved, and won in January playing strip poker (strips of fabric as opposed to stripping) at guild night.



Here is a close up of the quilting. I had seen something similar at an lqs, and loved it, but I'm not sure I'm loving my version/attempt. It is what it is though, and its not horrible. LOL



You may remember the Maverick Stars I had been working on from Bonnie's Qultville site a while back. I used a bunch of blue noodles I had been saving up to make sashing for the stars. I quilted it in red thread with stars and loops.



A while back I put this top together with some orphan blocks from the Carolina Crossroads mystery on Quiltville.com I quilted it up this morning with red thread and my first attempt at all over feathers. They are far from perfect. It lasted on the table until dh decided to drink a cuppa and he always spills as soon as there is a clean tablecloth, so I took it off. LOL I'm not sure what I will use it for at this point.

Mason's Quilt

I have been wanting to make a quilt for my soon to be grandson Mason that will be a stay at grandma's house quilt. I had purchased a panel with letters on it a few years ago on a clearance rack, and have been saving it for just the right moment. I made this Happy Hour pattern in the small block size using some novelties and a lot of funky monkey fabrics. Then I added the letters in the border and quilted it up using the Pajama Quilter's dwirling quilting pattern. I love how it turned out. I still have enough blocks for another quilt in the same size. I better tell the kids they can only name the next child something that doesn't use the letters m a s o n as those are all used up.

How close is this?

How close was the spring 4sqs quilt to my taste? This is how close..... Just last week I purchased this pattern by Quilt Soup It is called Corner Flower Shoppe. (scroll down the page to find it) The flowers are the same shape as the gorgeous poppy flowers in my spring four seasons swap quilt. Luisa really hit the nail on the head with this quilt. Thanks again.

Now Its Really Here! Spring is everywhere!

My beautiful spring quilt for the Four Seasons Quilt Swap has arrived! It came all the way from Portugal from Luisa. I love love love it! Here it is.



I love how she quilted the flowers. Really cute. You can see a better picture of it on her blog.

I put it on my wall of little quilts as soon as I got home last night.

Spring is Here!

Well in some ways, just not in the four season's quilt swap sense. Although I'm told my spring quilt has been mailed, and I'm excitedly checking my po box each day. But spring is here in the actual sense. My little peach tree we planted 3 years ago finally has blooms! Yay!



Also it is spring in my bedroom, as I finally put the binding on my spring quilt for my bed. I love how this turned out, and it was easy easy. The pattern is called Happy Hour.



I'll be checking my post office box in a few more hours to see if the little spring swap quilt has arrived. The suspence is killing me. :)

New Mommy visit

Happy Mother's Day! Here is the newest Mommy I know with her 2 day old baby Naomi, aren't they the sweetest?



Here is my baby holding her baby. His will arrive in 4 months.



And a close up of the cute little bundle of joy!



Look how tiny she is in the basinette.

HMQS in SLC

I just got back today from the HMQS in SLC. I got to meet up with Kathi, and spend time with my Dad and his wife. I also got to spend time with my sister and 2 of her kids. While I was gone my Niece Rachel delivered a beautiful baby girl. (Naomi)

Here is Kathi with the two quilts she had entered into the quilt show.





Here is my favorite quilt from the show. It is an almost whole cloth quilt, and then the flowers are colored on with paint or something like that. It is gorgeous. There were a couple of quilts done this way, and I loved the look of them.



Here is the label on this quilt:

Quilt Guild Show

Yesterday was the last day of my guild's bi-annual quilt show. It was fun to see all the beautiful quilts. I had entered into the block challenge, and guess what? I won first place. It was voted on by the show attendees. I think I win a little money. They then did a lotto for all the entered blocks, and Linda P. won them. So this little beauty goes to her house.



This quilt by ZZ Gilmore won a blue ribbon. I love it, and want to reproduce one for myself soon.



I'm sure I will share more pics later.

Enough Already!

Enough enough enough already! I am so sick of winter. If you recall we received our first snow of the season in September. Now here it is May 1st and this is the mess I woke up to! Enough enough enough!!!!

Instead of Celebrating

I finished quilting this quilt. I started this on Thursday night after work. It really went together fast fast fast. It is the Happy Hour quilt by Atkinson Designs. I love how it turned out. (It is for me, btw)




Hopefully you can see the quilting. It is the echo flowers pattern by Dawn Ramirez, The Pajama Quilter. (love her dvd)


click to enlarge

18 MONTHS!

In life sometimes we have to congratulate ourselves as rarely others remember these personal anniversaries. Although at 12 months I did receive an e card from a friend. It was much appreciated as you (Ann) were the only person who remembered that anniversary. Thanks. Here's to me and 18 months of this.




I haven't decided yet how I will celebrate, dh is working tonight so I won't be celebrating with him. hmmmm. Maybe take myself out to dinner or a movie? Naaa I'll probably stay home and sew. LOL

Another LIttle Quilt Swap Draft One?

I had been thinking about doing a whole cloth quilt for my contribution to another little quilt swap. Here is the result. I'm not sure.... what do you think?