Monday, June 30, 2008

A stash reduction, productive weekend....

Since I finished the borders on DD1's twin bed quilt, I had to get the backing ready for the quilter. I chose a stash fabric that I have been wanting to use for 3-4 years. It's a Lakehouse fab and sooo fun for a 7 year old. So now I have busted 6 yards from my stash just with this backing. I was quite productive this weekend, course it rained a lot here. It was also a great couple of days from the mail. These little cuties arrived from Raggetty Old Annies....Nicole makes them sooo cute. I bought 2! So my Annie family is growing. I think I am going to name them....hmm what should I name them?
This is part of my Hancock's order. I had ordered a book too...but it came damaged due to the sloppy way they packaged it. Have any of you had that problem with Hancock's? I love their closeout prices but the shipping is borderline. Anyhow....for $4 a charm pack...it was still worth it.
Like I said a week ago..I had pushed buttons...but it was ALL on sale and I have plans for all of it. Frankly it makes me happy.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

The Roller Coaster.....

In the last 48 hours a whole lot of hoopla has been going on. My husband is in Japan and got a severe foot infection....he's in the hospital there, on I.V. antibiotics. I was about to have a break down but then my mother in law is here to help out for a week. That takes a load off. When I picked her up from the airport we had an hour or so available. And trying to focus on the positive and not get any more upset we decided to stop at a quilt shop that was new to both of us. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera. My MIL is a quilter too. Anyhow, the shop was called Angelics. They had 30's, civil war, batiks and Kaffe...LOTS of Kaffe. Now I have lots of fabric but I only had 6 fat quarters of Kaffe. His fabrics always appealed to me but then I never knew what to do with them...until....the Jelly Rolls book. There are 2 quilts in that book using Kaffe and I love them both. They are super easy...using 2.5 inch strips. Have you tried to find a jelly roll of Kaffe? It's not easy. So I bought 1/4 yards of 40 prints and a few solids. Yesterday, my MIL and I cut and sewed. Well, I cut the Kaffe for her and I, and she sewed. Then late after the girls were sleeping we both sewed. I finished borders for one quilt, continued with 3 other WIPS. I have not started sewing the Kaffe quilt yet....but perhaps tonight?? I am trying to get some of my bed quilts ready to go to the quilter. That will bust some stash eh! woohoo....
Now back to my husband, he's getting better ....but we don't know when he will be released. In the mean time...I am sewing to keep my mind off things. Oh and baking with the girls too...DD1 decorated the cupcakes. They are yummy.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

They're squared....

This is what I have been working on...little at a time each night. I squared up the blocks last night and came up with the lay out I like best. I basically used the Smores layer cake I'd gotten in South Carolina. There are pics in my previous posts of the multitude of quilts I want to make out of the new Design Originals book for Layer cakes. I combined my love for this fabric and the "Wee Play" lay out to make this. I have a purple and green coming from the Fatquarter shop for the borders. I am even going to try mitered borders! woohoo...can't wait for the UPS guy to bring my fabs....

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Mid week

Ok I was kinda bad again...I pushed buttons yesterday. I did. Nicole at Raggetty Old Annies posted new girlies on her site. I usually miss out on them...but not this time. I am so pleased to be getting not one but 2 little 11 inch girlies...now where will I put them? I can't wait to post when they arrive.
Oh but that was not all....no that's not all....I pushed buttons at the Fat Quarter shop too.....I have been holding for 2 weeks and just decided I was going to get some stuff I've been wanting. There are some new fabrics...but believe it or not I needed some border fabrics to use with my new Smores layer cake. I am half done with piecing the quilt made with that fabric. Plus I bought some Posh...mottled pink since I have 4 charm packs and will be needing borders for the quilt made with those.
I joined the Cupcake swap on Sharon's blog..I am sooo excited.
So now I am off to square up some 9.5 inch blocks....like 40 of them....yuck.
Btw...check out the pincushion giveaway at You go Girl and be sure to mention you heard it from me!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Annies...

This weekend while taking pictures...I decided to snap one of all my Annies...love'm




Sunday, June 22, 2008

FUN FUN

Okay I am going to do better book reviews in this post. In the past I have just posted what I bought but I am trying to be more thorough and hence...more descriptive in my reviews.....
So o-k this is a pattern, not a book....but like I said I punched a few buttons last week and this is the result! Bloom Creek designed this cutie..I am wondering if I can sub the letters for QUILTER instead of welcome??? Now this little book Big Blocks, BIG Quilts by Design Originals...um it's eye candy for me... I want to make THIS....

AND THIS............................

And especially THIS>>>>>>>
I would say that Big Blocks, BIG Quilts is a great book...the best I have seen for layer cake quilts. Now as I was saying...candy...I mean cake, yes cake....Well this book sums it ALL up..."Let Them Eat Cake"....yummy pincushions galore...and quilts, tabletopper, pillows, recipes!!!!! I can't wait to delve into one of these projects...Btw..it has 2 front covers....it's what I call a 'flip' book...not sure what the technical name is...anyhow...it's cool.

AND if those weren't enough I bought a new Jelly roll book by D. Originals...and I want to make this.....
AND THIS... So my "want" list keeps growing...but I did manage to work on a few things while the baby napped. I used a Posh charm pack and an Omnigrid windmill template and ended up with this....

SO now I have another project to quilt. Oh and I made this tabletopper from the book by Anka's Treasures...it's new...but I modified the pattern because I only had FQ's and so I made the length..22 inches and the center strip is 6.5 inches instead of 8.5 in the book.
And last but certainly not least, I DID finish my Mystery BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop!
I've got about 5 or 6 other projects in different stages. I hope to make some progress on them this week.



Saturday, June 21, 2008

Small handmade gift...

For a family we know in Japan. I made this on friday. I love the colors of the dishcloth so I found a green towel and embroidered the flower with similar size 8 pearl cotton. I added a few more small things...I didn't want to overload my husbands suitcase. In the process of stitching this towel, getting groceries, doing laundry and taking care of the family I completely forgot about NQA here in Ohio. I know...how could I do that? well I've been busy...so I decided to "punch some buttons" as LA Quilter says...and I bought a few new books and some charm packs...on sale...
Today I am trying to work on my tumbler quilt, a new table topper, and the mystery BOM from the fatquartershop. Wish me luck!

Loving my flower beds this year.....




They are small but beautiful to me...Hubby asked me to water them last night as we haven't had rain in a couple of days. I thought "How hard can that be?"...well once the flowers were watered..which wasn't tough...I started to wind the hose up. Having zero experience with any gardening...I wasn't paying attention to the handle....all of a sudden it flipped and hit the concrete sidewalk....and WHAMO I got soaked head to toe...ah did I mention I didn't turn the water off??? yeah...that was fun.....

Friday, June 20, 2008

Love Cherries

I had forgotten to post this "finish". I embroidered this towel while we were in South Carolina. I am going to knit a dishcloth with cherries to coordinate...haven't started it yet..... And yet another WIP..a quilt kit I purchased from Australia....I am hand stitching the yo-yo's to this strip. I am pleased with how easy this quilt is coming together....

Monday, June 16, 2008

An awesome giveaway..


Check out Jackie's blog . She's being very generous to giveaway quilting service for a twin quilt!!!Can you say wow? AND she has a very interesting blog...I love her inspirational quilts.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Fun today....

Today we had a great time. My sister and I and our 2 seven year old daughters went to the Ripley's Aquarium and shopping at the Celebrity Circle shops... We managed to check out the build a bear workshop....and a few gift stores. Here's my DD with her loot.

This is a just a view of the outdoor shopping....we fed the ducks and the fish. Ended up at an Arcade collecting tokens. It was like Chucky Cheese at the Beach!
Except we ate at the Hard Rock. Here I am with DD1
On our way home...I decided to stop at a quilt shop that was new to me. Sewin' in the Carolinas is a large store with great variety. All around shop...I can see why it has lasted. I just snagged a roll of Moda Daydreams...and I love this quilt done in that fabric...so I asked the gal to snap my photo here...little did she know...I was trying to remember how they put this quilt together with the jelly roll.
Here's more loot from the 3 shops...

odds and ends to finish projects....
And my deal of the day.....I finished the bolt and got 70% off! That's $2.80 a yard....
So needless to say....I am quite inspired....but we're heading home tomorrow....

Friday, June 13, 2008

First Summer Vacation?


I mean it's suppose to be vacation but all the driving to get here hardly seems worth it. Doesn't do much for stash reduction but there ARE 2 quilt shops to visit...so I can't complain. AND I did read half of "Twenty Wishes" in the car and did some hand sewing. Thus far "Twenty" is a good read. I'd like to make 20 wishes...hmm..maybe I will!

I picked a couple of 'other' books at the local quilt shops yesterday...come on, did you think I wouldn't go?? LOL Well I LOVE Anka's Treasure patterns and books and this one is no exception. There are patterns for layer cakes in this one. I recommend it! I also bought Strips and Strings. A gal I know bought this back in Ohio and I have searched several places for it. I almost went to Amazon to buy it!
This particular quilt done in Simplicity by Moda was a featured quilt at another local quilt shop. Jane was in love and I liked it too....but I found 3 or 4 other quilts I'd like to make from this book. I have been trying to limit my purchases to quilt books that have 3-4 projects I like...instead of just one. While we were out shopping we found a store called CATO. I was really interested in their outfits, and was astonished to find 5 shirts! and a pair of jean capris. There were so many great clothes there. I wasn't even looking for anything in particular but I found some great summer tops. I think they will be good for work.
Oh and we DID get to the beach today...it was sunny and 90 degrees. Then we went to my friends' house and swam in their pool. Even my parents swam. So far it's been a great trip!

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Just the beginning.....

My pictures are not that fab but I am just pleased that "something" we planted is growing. DD1 and I picked these out and her and my husband planted them. I am not a green thumb,...nor care for outside much....so I leave the gardening to them.

I have several other flowers that I can not wait to bloom...perhaps even some cut flowers..oh joy!