Inspired! (Let's Call It Make-A-List Monday!)

Hi, all!

OK, inspired by a fellow blogger,  Shannon at Monkey Dog Quilts, I am making my internal to-do list for the week very public here!  With any kind of luck, this week I will:

1.  Finish quilting my friend Wendy's gorgeous bow tie quilt.  The quilt sandwich is made, and Tuesday night is set aside for this project!  (Hubby is out of town so I can sew all night!)

2.  Bind said quilt after it is quilted!

3.  Hand sew the binding on a baby girl's quilt I'm making for the quilt ministry. (Update: as of 6/28 8:15 pm this is done!)

4.  Make a baby boy's quilt for the quilt ministry. (Update: as of 6/28 6:00 pm the flimsy is finished; as of 6/29 5:30 pm the free motion quilting is done.)

5.  Pick out at least one more set of fabric for Amy's Simple Sampler Quilt Along (to make for Christmas gifts!)  (Update: as of 6/28 6:00 pm I've pulled a stack that I think will work; what do you think? I'm not so sure about the black, pink & green between the marimekko flowers and the ladybugs.....)

6.  Make some more striped blocks for Beth's Striped Challenge..... (As of 6/29 5:30 pm I have posted one block on the Flickr group, and I've got an idea that I'll work on Thursday!)

OK, now it's public so I guess I'd better get to work!

Later!

Sarah

Sew&Tell Friday - Some Bits and Pieces!

Hi, all!

Well, it's Friday again - and time to link to Amy's Sew & Tell Friday!  It's been a fairly productive week - it started off with this little quilt, which is going to a mom who's just been put on modified bed rest for the last few weeks of her pregnancy.  We thought it might cheer her up a little, and it's such a fun quilt - all the little kids on it flying kites!  It's not a fancy quilt - just a bunch of strip print panels that I sewed together in a pinwheel - but it will make a great play quilt as the baby grows up!

Here's a picture of the new label we're trying out for the quilt ministry - I got the idea from Oh! Fransson's labeling process.  I like it because it's a little more subtle, and doesn't compete with any design on the back.


I also worked on blocks for Amy's Simple Sampler Quilt Along this morning.  Here's what I came up with for the first two:

I'm really proud of myself, too - I didn't go to the store at all,  just used fabrics out of my stash!  I've got a pack of fifteen fat quarters that I was holding back to do a quilt for Lilli's new "bruddersisser", whenever he/she gets here, and decided that this quilt would be as good as any to make it up in!  I think it's going to be really cute when we get all the squares done!  It's so easy to just do a couple of blocks a week - these only took about half an hour, that I'm thinking about working on several of these in different fabrics, then finishing them up for Christmas presents - just gotta pull out some fabrics!

Then I worked up two squares for Bee Splendid.  This is my month, so I'll be excited to see what everyone sends back to me, but I thought I really ought to try to make it myself before everyone else had to just in case there was something really weird about the directions or the fabric I sent!  I love the way these came out - it's going to make a wonderful, scrappy, colorful quilt, I think!!

And once again, these fabrics came out of my stash - well, at least most of them - I had to buy some white on white pieces - I just don't have a lot of white in my stash.  I can see, though, that I'm going to need to keep some on hand.  I love these blocks and I can foresee doing lots of these in the future!  I think it would make a good Saturday quilting bee block........

And last but not least, Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt is doing a Striped Challenge, and I decided to join in.  I pulled out some striped fabric today and while I was looking at several, I realized that one of them had the same colors as a piece of fabric I picked up a long time ago.  I love the brilliant green sunbursts on this teal blue fabric but hadn't been able to find anything to use it for - it's a little odd in coloration and didn't quite work with anything else I had paired it up with... But when I put it with this stripe, I just loved the combination!

I'm thinking of doing several and sashing them in white - but I may change my mind when I have more than one to lay out and see how they work together!  This may not be quite what Beth had in mind, and it probably won't be the only thing I work on with stripes for this challenge, but I love this block!  Thanks to Beth, though, I'll  have some more stripes to play with - I won her striped fabric giveaway!  My first win - and what a great one!  So stay tuned for more striped projects - I can't wait!!

So now, I'm heading over to Amy's Sew & Tell Friday to see what everyone else has been working on this week!  Be sure to check them all out!!

Later!

Sarah

A Few Random Thoughts.....

Hi, all!

First of all, a great picture of my two girls taken by my husband Father's Day weekend - aren't they gorgeous?

I have finally managed to get the fabric and instructions together for my very first quilting bee - they go out in the mail tomorrow!  I'm so excited to see the blocks as they come back - but I almost think I'll be more excited next month, when I get to work on blocks for someone else!

It is very VERY hot here in Nashville, TN right now - the hottest June on record since 1952!  But I have made a discovery that I missed out on when my daughter was little - Play-do is the world's greatest invention! Lilli will sit and play with it for hours while I cut fabric or clean up and be happy as a clam!  Can I buy stock in this company????  How did I miss this 25 years ago??????

Two more quilts go to church tomorrow to be given away through the quilt ministry - and I'm thinking about organizing a one-day quilting bee to make another.  It's amazing to me how it seems there's a constant need for quilts - for a fledgling ministry, we've stayed really busy!

I'm excited to see the start of the Simple Sampler Quilt-Along - the first two blocks were posted today!  It  may be time to pick out my fabrics now........  There's still time to join in if you want to come along!!!  The link will take you to the information about the quilt-along, and today's post on Amy's Creative Side will give you the first two blocks!

Stay cool!

Sarah

Sew&Tell Friday- By the Skin of My Teeth!!

Hi, all!

Well, it's been a weird week - I thought I'd have lots of time for sewing this week, because my granddaughter was in Vacation Bible School this week and not here - but my husband took a few days off, didn't go out of town when he was supposed to, and we both got a mild stomach bug!  The best laid plans of mice and men and all that......  But anyway, I got to work yesterday afternoon and finished off this collaborative effort - the 9-patch blocks were pieced by my friend Patsy.  Patsy has a new (little!) grandbaby that she takes care of during the day, and she's found out that it's not so easy to sew with a little one around!  So I finished off this quilt which will be used in our church's quilt ministry.....

And since my little assistant wasn't with me today, I thought I'd try out a new one....

but she wasn't interested and left without participating!  This is Fly, our 2-year old border collie - definitely a teenager - she only does what she wants when she wants!!

I'm also busy auditioning fabrics for the Bee Splendid quilting bee - what do you think?

The Lillibug is spending the night with Nana and Poppa tonight - we're watching a movie and having a  party, complete with cake and ice cream!  Poppa brought home play-do and they are having a fun time playing together.....   Fun times!!

Be sure and check out all the other fabulous finishes at Amy's Sew & Tell Friday!!

Later!

Sarah

Hexed by Hexies!!!

Hi, all!

Well, it's happened - I succumbed to the hexie craze and took some with me to try on my quick family trip this weekend!  Here's the result:

I have to admit, it was nice to have handwork to take with me!  It was very easy to work on anywhere I went - a small bag in my purse was all it took to keep all my supplies with me.  I can see how this could become very addictive........

Later!!

Sarah

Sew&Tell Friday - "I Can't Quilt!" Debunked! And A Mini-Quilt

Hi, all!!

Wow! It's been an exciting week!  I've finished a quilt for Another Little Quilt Swap 4, joined my first quilting bee, for some insane reason volunteered to do the first month, AND I've started falling into the hexie black hole!

But first - a finish by my friend Cassie!  Cassie started out this year saying, "I can't quilt!"  She is now the poster child for "Yes You Can!"  This is actually her second quilt, but she did this one without much assistance at all, and it's the first full size quilt she's done.  Isn't it beautiful!!

Cassie and I have such a funny relationship - my daughter isn't a whole lot younger than Cassie, but when I'm with Cassie, I really don't think about the difference in our ages until she says something like, "I used to watch that on video when I was a kid!" and I have to say, "We didn't have videos when I was a kid!!"

And here's my finish for the week, aptly named Mid Century Modern - but first the inspiration, a Frank Lloyd Wright window design:

And the end result:

Here's a close-up of the quilting stitch I hinted at in an earlier blog post:

I really love the way this little quilt came out - the interlocking squares in the quilting makes the back as interesting as the front, I think!   And the fabrics (just stuff from my stash that I didn't even remember until I ran across them in a stash box) look so much like glass with the sun coming through - serendipity!  My husband looked at it and said, "You're giving this away?"  I told him yes, but we'd get another in exchange.  He looked at me as if I was crazy and said, "It won't look as good as this one!"  High praise from my husband - but he's not seen the beautiful quilts that have already been posted for the swap - and more to come!  I can't wait to see all the designs as they are posted.....

KarrieLyne of Freckled Whimsy is "bee mama" on a new quilting bee called "Bee Splendid" and I've decided to jump in!  It's my first quilting bee, and I'm really excited!  As I mentioned before, I volunteered to take on the first month, which means I've really got to get moving to get pattern and fabrics picked out and in the mail before the end of June!  I'm really leaning towards making a scrappy quilt, so I can probably pull most of the fabrics out of my stash - hooray!!!  More on this in the next couple of weeks.....

We are going to a family wedding this weekend, which means lots of sitting around while traveling and in the hotel.  With this in mind, I'm cutting out paper hexies and fabric tomorrow to take with me - we'll see if I can avoid the addiction or if I'm going to end up with something made of hexies........

I'm headed off now to check out all the other wonderful Friday finishes on Amy's Sew&Tell Friday - stop by and see them for yourself!!  Have a great weekend!!

Later!

Sarah

I Love My Hubby!!!

Hi, all!

Just a quick post to tell you all what a fabulous and fabulously creative guy my husband is - he came up with this great quilting design when I was absolutely clueless about the best way to quilt something......

When I show you the front, you'll understand why this is the perfect quilting pattern for this project!!

One more thing - be sure to check out this giveaway by The Quilt Shoppe!  It's a fabulous prize!!

And yet one more thing - here's another great giveaway to check out!  It's on Amy's Creative Side!!  I've checked out the videos on this, plus Amy's review and wow! I want one!!

Later!

Sarah

I Feel Like An Empty-Nester.... On Sew & Tell Friday!

Hi, all!

Well, there they are - the five quilts for my daughter's silent auction.  Every one is quilted, bound, washed, dried, and photographed.  They've been named, too - from left to right above they are Chocolate on My Mind, Memories of Maui, Summer Wreaths, Breakout Butterflies, and Springtime Susies.  They are also in Nancy's possession now, and my sewing area is looking remarkably empty.  I find that I don't like being "between projects"!!

Here are photographs of Memories of Maui, which was inspired by Ashley's beautiful quilt, Framed.

My daughter saw this quilt after it was washed and said, "Oh, I love all that crinkly white goodness!"  It really is pretty, soft and warm.

And here's my friend Tracy, who donated those fantastic Sunbonnet Sue blocks left over from her granddaughter's quilt that were used to created Springtime Susies.  She wanted to see the finished quilt before it went to the auction, and I wanted to get her picture with it, since she played such an important part in the creation of this quilt!

The front came out really well - I stitched in the ditch around all the blocks, then quilted 1/4 of an inch out around the Sunbonnet Sues.  The solid blocks have wavy lines stitched across them, and the yellow borders have the same wavy lines that intersect in the blue corners.  I  love the back of this quilt, too - lots of scrappy goodness!  It was tedious sewing all those strips together, but I absolutely love the punch it gives this quilt!  The center is a white on white panel, so the outlines of the Sues show up well.  The back is actually as pretty as the front, in a different way - almost like having two quilts in one!


On a slightly different note, this morning I was trying to clean up a little bit and came across one of those 4x4 magnets that they attach to the front of phone books around here - usually advertising an attorney's office.  I started to put it on the refrigerator, thinking all the while how ugly it was.  Then I flashed on the can of spray adhesive I ran across yesterday in a cabinet, and the pad of scrapbooking papers tucked away in my desk.

Five minutes later, I had this:

And fifteen minutes later, I had this!

A beautifully coordinated fridge front!!

It looks like my next project will be a little quilt for Another Little Quilt Swap 4.  I'm experimenting with some different kinds of designs - who know what will come out of this?!  It's fun, anyway!!  I'm already starting to think about doing a "process" blogpost....

Be sure to check out all the Friday finishes at Sew & Tell Friday!!

Later!

Sarah

Check out this Far Far Away fabric giveaway!!

Hi, all!!

I really had to share this, even though it means there might be more competition for this giveaway - Jennifer at Sugar Stitches is giving away one (or maybe even two) fat quarter bundles of Heather Ross's Far Far Away 2 fabric!!  Be sure to check it out!!  And check out Jennifer's blog, too, while you're there....

Later -

Sarah

To All Our Unsung Quilting "Heroes"....

Hi, all!

Tonight I am reminded to be grateful for my quilting "heroes" - those who, while they don't quilt, enable us to do what we love most with their support.  For me, that would be my husband - who never complains about dust in the corners, and who rubs my shoulders when I've spent a few hard hours wrestling with a quilt.  It would also be my granddaughter, who even at the age of two, realizes that a little appreciation goes a long way, and always extravagantly compliments my creations.  She also "complements" them by being my photography assistant!  And it's also the bloggers who share their creations with the world and inspire me to reach higher and farther - and teach me the proper way to use a seam ripper or apply a quilt binding.  Thanks to all of you!!!

Who are your "heroes"?  I'd love to hear.....

Later!

Sarah