Monday, May 30, 2011

Design Wall Monday and Happy Memorial Day!

My design wall hasn't change a lot, just more of the Disappearing Four Patch blocks have been made. I need to make three more than I will start to assemble the top. Tutorial may be found here.

With humble *THANKS* to all the servicemen and servicewomen today! Remembering *all* that you give and have given and will give so that I may enjoy my freedoms!




THANK YOU!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Stash Report Week #22

I had no finishes this week and I didn't shop! I suppose that is a good thing...lol. So my numbers stay the same as last week.

Fabric added this week: 0 yards
Fabric added this year: +136 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this year: -131.5 yards

Net for the year: +4.5 yards (added)

What I accomplished this week: Pieced blocks for green and white graduation quilt

Goals for next week: continue on graduation quilt!

DD's birthday is Tuesday so we are now entering into her Birthday Time! It all starts today with a ice skating party with a few friends and continues tonight with a sleepover....since the kids are off school Monday for Memorial Day. Hope you all have a Great Weeekend!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

WIP Wednesday

I have been sewing more Disappearing Four Patches. I need 35 total for a 5 x 7 set~no borders quilt. Tutorial may be found here.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Design Wall Monday

I was gifted 12~6 inch squares of balloon fabric. I thought I would make some pinwheels and have a NICU quilt in a jiffy. Wrong!

I only have enough of the balloons for 6 pinwheels~3 blocks short of a 3 x 3 set. bummer.

How about a rail fence?...I *heart* rail fences! wrong again...one block short of a full rail!

that sounds wrong~but I'll run with it. :)

remember: the balloon fabric was gifted to me!

What if I use just 4 blocks set 2 x 2 and maybe a pieced border to bring it up to size?










Time to put this away and concentrate on a project that *needs* to be finished. Onto the UFO pile it goes...bummer...I really thought I could whip up something simple but fun for a NICU quilt top.

I have two nieces~one on my side of the family and one on DH's side of the family~that are graduating from High School this June. Both girls have been accepted to Michigan State University. One wants a quilt as her graduation gift and the other wants ca$h. At this point in my quilt making life~I like to gift quilts to relatives who actually want a quilt! :)

My niece asked for a *state* quilt and being the snarky aunt that I am...I had to make sure the colors are green and white (for Michigan State) and not red and white (for University of Wisconsin)~where I live!

This is the pattern of choice that I have been seeing around the web, The Disappearing Four Patch. I first saw it on Lori's blog but I am following the tutorial on The Proficient Needle. Her pattern called for squares that start at 6.5 inches cut with the middle *sashing* to finish at 2 inches.

Much better for me as I am not real good or comfortable with *small*.

A Secret Gift Received

A little over a month ago, our FAB friend Cher's granddaughter under went surgery for a brain tumor. I was trying to remember and I think her DGD is about 5 years old now. All the FAB's wanted to help in some way. Cher requested that we send her some scraps of yellow as yellow is her DGD's favorite color and Cher had promised to make her a yellow quilt~some day. So the FAB's dug into their yellow stash to send some its and bits of yellow to Cher...and to make some secret yellow blocks!


Operation: Yellow for DGD was hatched, er, born.


I asked the girls (LindaJ, Norma, Pam and Elsie~LindaJ's Mom) to send 6.5 inch unfinished yellow blocks to me. I then assembled the top~with many emails back and forth about the design~ quilted, bound and labeled it. I then mailed it off to Cher as we all waited anxiously for the package to arrive at Cher's then taken to Miss Alice. The package arrived last week and Cher was able to give it to Miss Alice yesterday! A Quilty hug from her Nonna's friends! :)



Operation: Yellow for Alice. Thanks to all the girls for making this happen! :)



Curly Hearts panto on the front



Dinosaurs on the back as Alice *hearts* dinosaurs.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Stash Report Week #21

I shopped for backing this week for future quilts but I also had a finish.

Fabric added this week: +8 yards
Fabric added this year: +136 yards

Fabric used this week: -10 yards
Fabric used this year: -131.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: +4.5 yards (added)

What I accomplished this week:
pieced Calder Cup photo album cover, the Rag quilt

Goals for next week:
begin piecing Graduation gift

For more Stash Reports~hop on over to JudyL's Patchwork Times

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Clipped, Washed and Dried

And ready for cuddling!







Although, I might wash and dry it again to increase the fray-factor!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Fours-ies.

Eights-ies.


Sixteens-ies.

Done! except for the clipping and washing~evil grin...

It measures approximately 49 x 62. I was wondering if it should be bigger?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

How Ugly is Ugly?

+8 yards worth. I thinking backs for the 4 patch animal quilts that I like to make for donation.

It's sorta animal-ish. :)

hmmm...I'm Getting Hungry...

Well, I've sewn quite a few of my *quilt sandwiches*!


Now~I'm getting hungry! Time to break for some lunch. :)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

WIP Wednesday

I started my next project, a rag quilt. I had already cut the batting squares a while ago. So that just left the fabric squares to cut. I dug into the miscellaneous flower stash and came up with a good starter pile. Now onto sewing the little *quilt sandwiches*...

Monday, May 16, 2011

Design Wall Monday

DD and I have been working on Andreas Thuresson's playoff scrapbook. DD and I decided to keep this playoff book the same as his regular season book although there are fewer games scrap booked. To distinguish this book from his other one, we decided that a Calder Cup cover would work.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Stash Report Week #20

I did buy and I had two finishes but I am still heading in the wrong direction! Think I need to stay home and sew!

Fabric added this week: +18 yards
Fabric added this year: +128 yards

Fabric used this week: -13 yards
Fabric used this year: -121.5 yards

Net for the year: +6.5 (added!)

What I accomplished this week~4 Cancer Recovery Totes, Mock Trip Around the World

Goals for next week~sew more! finish more! use more stash! buy less!


For more Stash Reports, hop on over to JudyL's Patchwork Times.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

A Finish and More Stash!

A little (well~maybe a lot) of stash enhancement! at 75% off I might add.

How could I resist?!

At least I completed this Mock Trip Around the World! pattern here. This one I plan on gifting to a friend who is going through a rough time. A warm hug whenever she may need it. :)

Curly hearts panto on the front.

Curly hearts panto on the back. Yes! more hockey fabric. You see, this is a *newer* friend that I meet through our activities with the Milwaukee Admirals this year. :)

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

A Little Charity Sewing

Well, I dug into the closet and unearth just about 2 yards of the basket fabric. This is from the 3rd or 4th quilt I ever made! The selvage read *1995*. I actually believe I brought this fabric to make a jumper *back in the day* of basket making. wow! that's old, right?


I am very happy that it has made it out of the cupboard and into Cancer Recovery Totes for donating to the local Breast Cancer clinics. I only had enough for 3 totes so I used a little creativity to get the 4th tote. :) A cutting error for the top band became a *design opportunity* for the bottom band...shhhh...don't tell, okay?!

WIP Wednesday

Working on this Mock Trip Around the World, pattern here.



The End of the Season

With a late 3rd period goal, the Houston Aeros defeated the Milwaukee Admirals. Our season ended last night. Time to work on our player playoff scrap book!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

My Mother's Day..

...was Great!


I was given this wonderful bouquet of flowers when DH and DD arrived home from shopping on Saturday afternoon. After supper, they made a delicious batch of cupcakes. yum yum. DD had also made paper pinwheels in school on Friday! very cute :) On Sunday, I opened my gift to find these cool hockey stickers and two gift cards. One to JoAnn's and one to DQ~I already hit the JoAnn's for more scrap booking supplies!

Sunday afternoon, we went to the Milwaukee Admirals hockey game. They WON! in overtime to play Game Seven tonight. Winner tonight advances to the next round of the Calder Cup playoffs. Hockey in May is some of the best all season! :)

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Sunday, May 8, 2011

Stash Report Week #19

I had one *secret* finish but I also shopped. A quilting friend was selling another friend's stash and I poked some buttons late in the week. I actually thought the Internet order wouldn't arrive so fast but, alas, it did. I ordered from Fabrics Galore.



Fabric added this week: +25 yards
Fabric added this year: +110 yards


Fabric used this week: -6 yards
Fabric used this year: -108.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: +1.5 yards (added!)

What I accomplished this week: finished *secret*, pieced blocks for Mock Trip Around the World. pattern here. my project here.

Goals for next week: more sewing!

Here's loot!





For more stash reports, hop on over to JudyL's Patchwork Times.








and Happy Mother's Day to ALL!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Friday's Recap



While I was waiting for this pile of mulch to arrive on Friday, I sewed.




First: the parts for this pattern.




Second: the blocks together.




Third: on the design wall.
I did start to sew the units together but then DD arrived home from school and other *things* were happening!




Have a great weekend, everyone!

Friday, May 6, 2011

I Have Been Working...

...I quilted the *secret* quilt with Curly Hearts by Lorien Quilting but I won't show the quilt until it is in it's Forever Home! You will just need to wait for a spell! I also bound this *giftie* but need to make a label before I will be able to send it to it's Forever Home!


Please be patient with me! Thanks :)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

WIP Wednesday

I started the day by making binding...now to quilt the quilt then the binding is ready to go!



I pulled out my leftover blocks from this quilt to get a jump start on my next project. I have enough of the same blue but a different black and white to make another one.



pattern source here.





Next, DD and I have dental appointments. DD for sealants and me for a cleaning.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Stash Update Week #18

Not a whole lot to report except that I did go shopping again!


Fabric added this week: +12 yards
Fabric added this year: +85 yards

Fabric used this week: 0 yards
Fabric used this year: -102.5 yards

Net fabric for the year: -17.5 yards (used)....I am traveling the wrong way here, gang!

What I accomplished this week: nada, zero, zip, nothing

Goals for next week: work on *another* super secret project, start another project.

Looking for a finish this week and a good jump start on another. A friend recently shared that a lump was found on her breast~I hope to start a comfort quit for her. Of course, that will translate to more fabric added to the stash. :)