Make-A-List Monday #49! Happy Memorial Day!!

Hi, all!


A different kind of Monday for me today - because of the holiday, my hubby is home and my granddaughter isn't!  Hopefully I'll get a little sewing done today, because it's going to be a short week for me....  But first, let's see how I did on last week's list....

1.  Finish and deliver the new ministry quilt.

Done!  This beauty was delivered last Tuesday and is in the hands of its new owner...

2.  Applique the flowers on the front of the first H2H quilt.

Done!  I did something a little different and appliqued them to fleece, then did some detail stitching on them before attaching them to the quilt.

3.  Piece a back for the first H2H quilt.

Done!  Used up lots of the scraps from the front...

4.  Quilt the first H2H quilt.

Partially done - the Juki developed a skipped stitch just before I finished quilting this, so I can't finish it until the repair man comes out on Tuesday.

5.  Piece the top for the second H2H quilt.

Done!  And not only did I get the top finished, I also pieced the back!!

So - I did manage to finish all the stuff on my list last week - ok, well, except for the quilting, but that was beyond my control!  This week, I'll be going to Richmond for a big family birthday party, so I won't have much time for sewing, but I do hope to get a few things done...

1.  Finish quilting the first H2H quilt.

2.  Quilt the second H2H quilt.

3. Machine sew the bindings on both H2H quilts.

4.  Sew some more of the strips for my Marine quilt.

I think I'll be lucky if I get all of that done, so I'll leave it at that!  

What are you working on this week?

Later!

Sarah

We Interrupt Our Regular Programming to Bring You H2H Update v. 2.0...

Hi, all!


Well, it's the last Sunday of the month again - and that means it's time for another Hands2Help update/check-in!


This is just a time to pop in, say hello, tell how things are going with your H2H project - nothing heavy duty, although you can link up to a blogpost at the linky party at the bottom if you want to!  This month, tell us where you'd absolutely love to live - and why!

Last month, I had mailed off my fabrics and cut out one quilt with fabrics received from Cindy.  That quilt was on the quilting frame this week, and I had every intention of quilting it on Friday.  I got about 4/5 of the way through the quilting, when my Juki decided to start skipping stitches!  Nothing I could do fixed it, so I called the "come to your house" sewing machine repair guy.  He'll be out on Tuesday, so hopefully I'll get this one finished by Tuesday night.

It really is coming along nicely - I'll be excited to get this one done!

Since last month, I also received some beautiful fabrics from my other partner, Robyn...

And those have been sewn together into this top...

This is only showing a quarter of the top, but the light was going and that was all I could fit in the spot where I took my picture!  It still needs a border, then the back pieced - but maybe I can get both of those done by Tuesday and quilt this one right after I finish the other!

And see all those pretty ladies?  Well, that's my bunco group.  We play once each month, but we don't play for money or prizes - we take the money we would use for that and donate it to a worthy cause chosen by the hostess - and last month I was the hostess!  So we raised about $100 that will be going to Judi to use for her mission work in Romania.  Last year they bought food and school supplies to distribute along with the quilts.

So that's my update for the month - and if I could live anywhere I wanted, I would probably live in either Ireland or Seattle - two of my favorite places in the world!  Seattle because of the Farmers' Market, all the flowers, and all the great quilting and fabric stores there; Ireland because after we spent ten days there, I fell in love with the place - even though we had to drive on the wrong side of the road!  But I'd have to take my DH with me, or neither place would be any fun at all....  

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And now, something much more interesting 

to each of you, I'm sure.....

We've got some new prize sponsors 

for the end of the giveaway!

In addition to the prizes listed last month,

here are some new sponsors and prizes...

Anna Luna at Crafty Girls Workshop is donating 

a $25 gift certificate to her shop...

Kate Conklin of Kate Conklin Designs is donating 

some of her great quilt patterns...

and Julie at The Intrepid Thread is donating a 

fat quarter bundle of Kumari Garden Holiday!

All prizes will be given away at the end of the challenge - and with this many prizes, 

you've got a good chance of winning something!  

So get those quilts done and sent to Judi!!

So now it's your turn.  Tell us how things are going, link up to a blogpost if you want to, and be sure to tell us your dream place to live!!

Later!

Sarah

PS - the linky party will stay open until midnight, May 31st, so you've got plenty of time to join in!

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Another one that reminds me of Hawaii...

Hi, all!


Friday again, already??  Well, I can tell I'm not going to be getting as much done this summer - but I'm going to have fun with my granddaughter!  Right now she's having a sack race with the dog, using the dry cleaning bag as her sack....  there's never a dull moment with Miss Lilli in the house!  Oh wait, now the bag's a sleeping bag....

And here's my finish for the week - Maui Sunsets.   When we went to Maui a few years ago, the place we stayed had beautiful areas set aside to sit on a chaise lounge and look at the ocean.  Lined with Bermuda grass and palm trees, hibiscus bushes and other beautiful native Hawaiian plants, you could sit and watch the sunset every day.  The colors in this quilt remind me of that - the green of the vegetation and the pink and orange of the glorious sunsets!  This completed top and backing material were donated to the quilt ministry by the wonderful Staci Payne over at The Confused Quilter.  She made up the top, then decided she just didn't like it at all (you can read her post about it here) so she asked if we would be willing to take it off her hands and finish it up for charity.  

And look at that beautiful backing material!  She tells me it isn't really hand-dyed, although it sure look like it - and it sewed up like a dream.  So Staci, thanks so much for this gorgeous WIP - it's going to get a very good home with a young mother who just had surgery for thyroid cancer and will be undergoing radiation treatments.  This is sure to brighten up her days!!


I also did one little thing this week - a block to send to a friend....

This is the first time I've tried the blanket stitch stitch on my sewing machine, and I'm very impressed - much better than I could have done by hand!

So now - what have you worked on this week?  Remember, it doesn't have to be a finish - so show off!  We're all dying to see what you've done!!  You've got until Saturday midnight to link up.  

Later!


Sarah

Summer Tuesdays With Lilli #1

Hi, all!


Well, preschool is out for the summer, so Lilli and I are home together Monday through Thursday - no more Toddlerless Tuesdays for a while!  So I thought we'd do something a little different - still show what I got done quilt-wise on Tuesdays, but also a little bit about what Lilli and I are doing!


On this, our first summer Tuesday, Lilli got a new swing!  She had outgrown her baby swing, which broke her heart - so Bill got her a "big girl" swing....

Sorry the video is sideways - I still haven't figured out how to fix that!  But suffice it to say she really likes her swing. This morning we went out to walk the dogs and she immediately ran over to the swing.  Now, I hadn't put bug spray on either of us yet, and standing still in the yard is a guaranteed way to draw a crowd of mosquitos.  I told her we needed to go inside so we could put on some spray, and instead of going in, she call Jonathan, her imaginary friend, to "pertek" us from the mosquitos!  Silly Bug!!


Yesterday, when she woke up from her nap, she told me that her shirt had stripes on it.  I agreed, and said that I saw brown, and pink, and purple, and white stripes on it.  She informed me that the white wasn't a stripe, it was just there to make the stripes look pretty!  A fashionista, already.....


So that's just a small taste of what I get to enjoy with Miss Lilli every day - such a silly girl!!


But early in the morning and while she was napping, I managed to finish the top for my first Hands2Help quilt, and piece the back - here they are, all ready to be loaded on the quilt frame.....

Back is to the left, front is on the right!

Hopefully today or tomorrow I'll get this loaded on the frame and get it quilted on Friday!


Is your schedule changing for the summer, or do things still stay the same at your house?


Later!


Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #48! Finally Some Sunshine...

Hi, all!


Well, after a night of storms and some rain and clouds this morning, the sun is finally shining!  Hopefully it will keep it up long enough for me to get a picture of one of the quilts I've nearly finished this weekend...


I didn't do so well on last week's list....

1.  Finish piecing the ministry quilt "Hawaii".

2.  Quilt "Hawaii".

Done!  I did get this one done, and my husband has taken it to let some more people sign it.  It will be delivered this week.  Oh - and I changed the name - it is now Maluhia, which means peaceful or tranquil in Hawaiian.  (If you want to read more about this quilt, check out last Friday's blogpost.)

  

3.  Applique flowers on the front of the first H2H quilt.

Well, they're cut out and bonded to a piece of fleece, but I haven't stitched them yet, or appliqued them to the front of the quilt.  Hopefully today!

4.  Piece a back for the first H2H quilt.

5.  Quilt first H2H quilt.

Nope!  Total fail on these two....

6.  Quilt this top that was donated to the ministry by the amazing Staci!

Done!  This is the quilt that I need to take pics of in the sunshine, 

as soon as I finish handstitching the binding.  

Hopefully I'll have some pics tomorrow for the blog. (This is Staci's pic...)

6.  Straighten up the studio!

Complete, total, abysmal failure.....  the studio looks like a bomb hit it!

I told you I didn't do well on last week's list!  But I did get my house cleaned up on Friday for bunco Friday night and my sewing sisters on Saturday morning, so it wasn't a total wash.  I hate housework......  ;-)

So - - - for this week - - - 

1.  Finish and deliver the new ministry quilt.

2.  Applique the flowers on the front of the first H2H quilt.

3.  Piece a back for the first H2H quilt.

4.  Quilt the first H2H quilt.

5.  Piece the top for the second H2H quilt.

- - - and I'm going to stop there, in hopes that I can do better this week than last!

So - what are you working on this week?

Later!

Sarah

Surfin' Sunday - Featuring Spontaneous Threads!

Hi, all!


Are you ready to go surfing?  I'd like to introduce you to Stephanie, who blogs at Spontaneous Threads!!  She's a relatively new blogger - she only started in January - but wait until you see her work.....

This beautiful sewing machine cover was my first introduction to Stephanie - isn't it amazing?  You really should check out the pictures on her blog, because these barely do it justice.  She shared a lot of her process, too.

And check out this quilt - such gorgeous blocks, but isn't the back amazing?  Very creative....

Her skills aren't limited to quilts, either - look at these great bags and pouches!

And don't you just love this block?  It's part of a new quilt she's working on for the Robert Kaufman Solids Quilt Challenge.  It's such a creative take on pinwheels!!

This is just a small taste of the inspiring things you'll find on Stephanie's blog - so be sure to hop over there and take a look!  I think you'll definitely go back again and again!

Later!

Sarah

Can I get a Whoop-Whoop?? Maluhia.... Peaceful, Restful, Tranquil...

Hi, all!


I hope you've had a great week - I know I've spent a lot of time looking at all the beautiful quilts on the Blogger's Quilt Festival and getting lots of inspiration there!!  And here's another chance to inspire and be inspired - it's time to link up for Whoop Whoop Friday!  I hope you're ready......  Here's my whoop whoop for the week....

"Maluhia"

Maluhia means peaceful, restful, or tranquil in Hawaiian, and it felt like a really appropriate name for this quilt.  The front is a mix of Hawaiian themed fabrics I ordered from GotFabric.com, which has a great selection of fabrics and a fabulous website, including a virtual design wall so you can see all your fabrics together!  I first saw this design on Shiner's View - Lisa designed a great quilt and it was perfect for these fabrics.

Maluhia will be going to a man that my husband works with.    He lived in Hawaii for many years and loves all things Hawaiian.  Since he was recently diagnosed with cancer, this quilt is a way for us to help the people he works with show their love and concern for him.  

The back is signed by his co-workers - their expressions of encouragement and hope are heartwarming!  But after I finished quilting it, the back still looked a little bare.  So I called an artist friend of mine who lived in Hawaii for many years and does a lot of beautiful paintings of the islands.  She added some Hawaiian flowers to the back of the quilt... (you can click on the pics to make them larger...)

I really love the addition of these flowers to the back of the quilt - they add so much to the Hawaiian feeling of the quilt!

And one final shot of the quilt.....

We had such lovely sunshine today for taking pictures!  It's been a while - lots of gray days lately that are terrible for getting good pictures.  But it was a pleasure getting these shots today!!

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So now it's your turn - what have you been working on this week?  What made you do a little dance of happiness?  Share - we want to dance with you!!  The link will stay open until Saturday midnight, so join in!!


Later!


Sarah

Toddlerless Tuesday #28! Where Did Tuesday Go???

Hi, all!


Well, Tuesday kind of slipped away from me at the end - and you'll see why by the end of this post.  So here's my Toddlerless Tuesday report, except on Wednesday.

This quilt, made with Hawaiian themed fabrics, was quilted yesterday, and I managed to get the binding machine sewing done - now it just needs to be hand stitched to the back.  Here's a close-up of some of the fabrics...

This shot's a little more true to the colors, too.  It's a really nice quilt, and I think I'm going to name it Maluhia, which according to the internet means Peaceful in Hawaiian.  I'm going to check with a friend of mine who lived in Hawaii first, though - I don't want to give it an unfortunate name because I didn't get a correct translation!  My friend is also going to draw some Hawaiian flowers between the well-wishes and prayers written on the back.  I'll have more pictures of this probably on Friday when it's finished....


After all that work, we had time for some merriment last night.  Lilli had her preschool program (with graduation for some of the older kids) and our daughter came over for dinner and to get Lilli ready for the program.  Here's my beautiful daughter and granddaughter - please note Lilli's outfit.  Poppa picked out the dress, but Lilli chose the shoes...  and yes, they are purple!

And here's a fairly good picture of the three of us - thanks, DH!!

Anyway, it was off to church then for the program. If you haven't been to a preschool graduation program before, then you really should.  I laughed until I thought I'd cry - not the least because of my silly granddaughter's antics!  So here, for your enjoyment, is her portion of the program...  you can't miss her, she's the one in the green dress!  (There's a spot where she acts fairly normal at the beginning of the second song, but you ought to hold on to see her grand finale....)



Lilliana's School Program from Chris Cornwell on Vimeo.


I hope your Tuesday was as much fun as mine was!!  See you Friday for Can I Get A Whoop Whoop?


Later!


Sarah

Make-A-List Monday #47! Back to the Real World...

Hi, all!


Back to the real world, after a lovely vacation!  Lots of sun and sand, great food, time spent with my favorite guy in the world - it can't get much better than that!  So now I'm all energized and ready to get back to work!!


Since I didn't have a list last week, there's not much to recap - you can see the quilt I started during vacation on last Friday's post - but there's plenty on the list for this week!


So here's what I need to do....

1.  Finish piecing the ministry quilt "Hawaii".

2.  Quilt "Hawaii".

3.  Applique flowers on the front of the first H2H quilt.

4.  Piece a back for the first H2H quilt.

5.  Quilt first H2H quilt.

6.  Quilt this top that was donated to the ministry by the amazing Stacy!

6.  Straighten up the studio!

There's tons more that I could add to the list, but I think I can get this much done for sure (ok, well, maybe, but it's a manageable list, at least!) 

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And now, just for fun (and because we need another pic in this post!) take a look at what the darling Lilli did - all by herself, I promise - this morning!  

What is it about kids and small spaces?  She used to crawl into the dog's kennel when she was little, but I haven't seen her do it in a while - and she never closed herself in before!  But she's got plenty of company - Bear and Sully!  Funny girl...

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So - what are you working on this week?

Later!

Sarah