I'm Ba-aa-ack!!

We took the month of June to travel and visit with our families. I delivered all the quilts in my previous posts. :-)

On the way back we saw some wonderful rainbows~ 

Our motor home campground was right out in the middle of the prairie in Wyoming.

The 50+mph wind gusts were not very fun, but the rainbows were sure pretty! 

I attended a small retreat during our trip and worked on these Scrappy Trips blocks in Christmas scraps (Of course!)  I followed Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville's tutorial.

Since we have been home I have made 10 more blocks. I want to do 26 more so that the quilt fits a queen size bed.  I counted out my strips last night and need to do more cutting. :-/  It is an easy block and I am hoping when it is all sewn together it doesn't look quite so crazy! I never knew I had so many red Christmas prints! (My Mom had a lot of red too as I acquired her stash earlier this year.) 

I will be back soon to show you the gift I made for my fellow retreats, and some of the gifties I received. ;-)

Until next time~

Happy Stitchin'!!

I Hope You~~

...aren't tired of seeing the quilts I managed to get quilted and bound in May. :-)

Two are for my DBIL and two are my Mom's.  The photos really don't do any of them justice, but they are the best I could do with my little camera and photo program. I really miss my old program! If you click on them, they should enlarge.

Today I made more 'wonder cream'. See this post for recipe.

This time the cream is white instead of baby lotion pink~ I had no idea Baby Magic was white or I would have used it last time. :-) My DH likes to use it on his cuticles, and my Dad on his arms so I am sure both will like the white better. LOL

I really love this stuff~ perfect for summer sandal feet too! 

My calla's are blooming like crazy~

And finally a little cross stitch ornament I finished~

A friend and I do a 'Christmas in July' exchange because December is always to busy to really take the time to enjoy the stitching.  Our theme was red cardinals~ I hope she likes it! :-)

That's all for today~

Until next time~

Happy stitchin'!!

Odds & Ends

Sometimes thinking of a title is a little difficult for me, so let's just go with this one. ;-)

 

I am still quilting and just finished another top for my Mom. This one is a string quilt. We did a swap last year for the blocks, she got her top together quickly and sent it back with me to quilt. We put a fleece backing on it~ nice a snuggly for those cold winters.

Our DGS has a birthday this month and I embroidered a pool towel for him and made a pillow case.

We will buy him a mask & fins to make it a pool/lake themed birthday. ;-)

I didn't use a pattern for the pillowcase. I have made so many that I just usually wing it and they turn out fine. :-)  I do like doing them the 'burrito-style' and then French seams so there are no raw edges inside.

And I finished the second quilt for the DBIL.  You may recall me telling you that my DSIL passed away before she could finish her quilts. Well, she had this one in two pieces. I originally thought it was 2 lap quilts, but soon realized it was meant to be one quilt. She had two long sections pinned together with batting & backing and she was quilting ¼" around the blocks with her domestic machine.  She had one half about ¾ of the way done and she had an 'oopsie'. She must have been using a water soluble pen and when she went to spritz it out, the red bled. Badly. I think she then packed them away in disgust. :-( So I sewed the two halves together and then did an all over pantograph on the longarm. She had some tucks in her quilting, but I did not rip them out~ they add a little character and I think my DBIL will appreciate her work.  Now that I have it finished, I am going to mix up a little paste of something and try to lighten the spot where it bled, then take it to the laundromat with a box of Color Catchers and wash it. Wish me luck! :-/

I am headed back to my embroidery machine this afternoon. I have a few things I want to get made for friends.  Please take a minute to remember our fallen Veteran's today. They gave their lives for our freedoms. I don't 'celebrate' today as much as 'honor' the day, and the men and women it represents.

Until next time~

Happy Stitchin'!!

Quilting!!

If you just started reading my blog, you probably think all I do is make fun bags. :-)

Not true!  I started this blog to journal my quilting, and I still very much love to quilt!

It's just that I can't always show you what I am working on~ it's a gift, it's a pattern test, or I forget and move on to the next thing. Oops. ;-)

I joined a BOM in January where the intent was to take 15 FQ's, mark them lightest to darkest and then make the blocks, using the numbers for placement of colors. (Did I mention I don't always follow the rules?)  :-o Well, I planned to use some of my Christmas stash and I did mark the FQ's as instructed, but as I got to making blocks, I didn't always care for the two fabrics chosen for the block. So here are my blocks so far, with generous substitutions. LOL It is nice to have a little stash to play in!

I want a bed size quilt, so I am thinking about using an alternate block to set these~ maybe a chain-type block.. do you have any suggestions?

I just finished this quilt and it is a surprise, but I don't think the recipient reads my blog. ;-) (or even knows it exists! LOL)

 

I didn't have a pattern. I was gifted a lot of strips and just sewed, cut and sewed some more.

It was breezy and my quilt holders didn't want the sun in their eyes. It measures a whopping 94" x 100", so I don't blame them for tired arms after wrestling the wind. I do wish I had gotten a closer shot though. :-/

And I finished quilting this quilt~

It is another large quilt! It was pieced by my Mom. I am going to get the binding on and deliver it to her to sew down. ;-)

That is all for today~ I am headed back to my sewing machine. I have another quilt top in the works. ;-)

 

Until next time~

Happy stitchin'!

Something Fun!~~

Hi everyone!

I have been dying to show you this for a few weeks now, and finally the day is here!

Sara @Sew Sweetness

has a wonderful new bag pattern out that I was able to test. :-)

It's called the 'Satellite Bag'. 

I made it for my DD, thus the turquoise. ;-)

It is full of pockets!~ in the flap, under the flap, inside. Oh yeah!

For a very limited time Sara is offering a 4 pattern bundle For $40...

which includes videos of each pattern! 

Check it out here~ 4 pack bundle

this includes three other wonderful patterns I have made in the past and plan to make again. ;-)

Or you can get the Satellite as a single pattern + video here~ pattern

If you have never attempted one of Sara's bags, you are in for a real treat. ;-)

I have been in my quilting cottage this week, so will be back soon wth some pix.

Until then~

Happy stitchin'!

May BOM and Stuff~

LOL, don't you just love the word 'stuff'?

It can mean so many things! :-)

This is the May block for a little BOM I am doing with friends~

It is from Quilter's Cache and is called Cathy's Star.

I had to be creative with my background fabric and piece it in a few places~ sure got my 

use out of that FQ! LOL  I now have 4 blocks and plan to stop here and put them together.

Here is another bag I made at retreat~

it is called the Sonoma Swing Bag by Pink Sand Beach Designs.

I have made this pattern a number of times now and have changed 

a few things along the way.  This one is a sample for my LQS.

 

And one more~ retreat sewing is sure fun!! :-)

 

 I have a friend who loves Coke and is moving away.

This 'Grace' bag from Moments Designs was just perfect for her as she says 

her shoulders are too round for purse straps. ;-)

The weather is getting nicer and calling me to be out playing in the dirt.

Hopefully I can get some plants set out in pots this weekend.

That's all for this time~

Happy Stitchin'!!

A New Pattern!

I taught a topper class at my LQS last weekend and can finally share the pattern with you. :-)

After many edits (because I am learning how to edit photos and draw in Open Office), I was ready for the class. And it went well! Yay!

I wrote the pattern with both left-handed and right-handed directions because it can be so confusing when told to rotate the ruler this way or that, and you are not holding your rotary cutter in the same hand as the instructor! I find I am a left handed cutter most often, but switch to right handed instead of having to rotate my fabric or mat. ;-)  LOL

You can find the pattern in my Craftsy shop if you would like to give it a try.  :-)
It is on sale for a limited time and then the price will double. 

*Another thing I am learning is how to add watermarks to photos and this was a 'fail'. LOL But I will get there! ;-)

Until next time~
Happy Stitchin'!