May Flowers

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Despite being a long weekend, it was not long enough to get everything done. However, I did get my summer quilt bound and on the bed. I still have to make the shams. These pictures are my postcards for the May theme- Art Deco Flowers which will go out in the mail today. These are made from wool felt and I used my Baby Lock Embellisher! Loads of fun! I really need to pull it out more often and start playing around with it!


I spent time in the garden and planted my tomatoes, lettuce and basil in containers. I still need to relocate a few things and put my soaker hoses in a couple of the flower beds but there is only so much time in a day.

My next quilting project is my Round Robin due on June 10th and the ALQS quilt swap organized by Kate North. I also hope to get my new valances done this weekend!OHHH,
a quilter's work is never done!

In non-quilting news, I became a Great Auntie this weekend. My nephew and his wife who were married last June just welcomed Isabella Grace into our family on Sunday. I guess that honeymoon was a great one! She looks just like her dad did when he was born. Well, enjoy the rest of this short week!

Hump Day Giveaway #3

It's Wednesday again and sewww I have a couple of patterns to give away. I received these as raffle prizes and they are really not my style. I'm really having fun sharing some of the things that were just hanging around the sewing room! Just let me know if you are interested and I will draw a name on Friday morning.

Zig Zag is 9 inch finished blocks and the quilt finishes 52 x 64.



The Bear quilt is actually two quilts. The one shown is blue work blocks and there is also a wall hanging quilt included that is 19 x 28 inches>

It's been really hard getting anything quilty done lately!! Last night I finished Step # 4 of my Mystery Quilt. Tonight I am determined to get the binding cut and ready to be put on my Summer quilt. Here are a couple of pictures as promised!

This quilt is soo big it's hard to get a good picture. here is a close up of the quilting. I think it looks fabulous. I also have fabric to make a couple of shams.

With the long weekend coming, I have BIG plans! Here's the list:

1. put the binding on my Summer quilt and make the shams

2. make my May postcards

3. finish a couple of Nellie's birds (I'm still working on them!)

4. make a purse for me ( I just got some awesome Michael Miller fabric)

5. make my new valances

6. work on my round robin (it's due 6/10)!

Of course, some yard work will need to be done also but sewing is really primary for me this weekend.

If I don't get back here before the weekend, everyone enjoy!

The Graduate

We had a wonderful weekend in Vermont. Although the forecast called for showers, Saturday and Sunday were beautiful sunny days! The graduation went off without a hitch. It wasn't too crowded as there were only 200 graduates in Alex's class. We were surprised when they announced that Alex had graduated Cum Laude. He now has a B.S. in Ski Resort Management with a minor in Marketing. Here are some pictures!

The proud parents and the Graduate

Nana (my Mom, can you see the resemblance??) and Alex

Alex and Bob's parents

We all stayed at a lovely B&B and had a nice dinner at a local restaurant.

We got back late Sunday nite and Alex is now firmly ensconced in our guest room for the summer. He returned to work today after a week of partying with his friends. He is planning on working and saving his money to head out to Colorado, Utah or Northern California in the fall to work at one of the ski resorts.

I got my quilt back from the longarmer and it is fabulous!! I am soooo pleased. The binding still needs to be put on but I hope to get to that this weekend. I will try to have pics for you tomorrow for Hump Day Giveaway.

By the way, last week's winner was Elaine Moore! Your books will be going out in the mail in the next couple of days!

Hump Day Giveaway - Piece by Piece

Here it is Wednesday again! This week will probably not result in much quilting. On Monday I spent a bit of time downloading some podcasts to my new little Nano. I have a sampling of five different podcasts, including Alex Anderson to preview. I spent a bit of time piecing the remaining 4 patches and cutting the remainder of my nickel squares for the next step of my mystery quilt while I listened to Alex Anderson talk about her trip to Paducah.


Last night I was at my guild meeting. I don't know how it happened but when I finally left the meeting I had promised to make friendship blocks for July, log cabin blocks for a charity quilt for the local Lupus organization, signed up for a class with Karen Eckmeier ( she is doing the Happy Villages workshop), promised to buy paper plates and napkins for our picnic in June plus make a salad and I became co-chair of the Program committee. Whewww~ Although this was supposed to be my "year off" ( I've been secretary for 2 years, then VP for 2 years), I just couldn't let the other gal try to handle it alone. The upside is I can pick the programs and classes that I LIKE ! Yipee!!



The rest of the week will be spent getting ready to head to Vermont for graduation on Sunday morning! My inlaws are driving up with us and we will be leaving early Saturday morning, having our graduation dinner on Saturday night at a lovely local restaurant and staying overnight. I still have to locate some appropriate clothes for Alex to wear under his cap and gown. When I mentioned it, he had a blank look so that meant he didn't have anything decent or he was planning on going Nekkid! He's already headed back to school to tie up loose ends, give his final presentation and clean out his apartment so I am in charge of wardrobe.



Sewww, here is the giveaway for this week! Lately(since I started my Mystery Quilt) I've been more conscious of the fact that quilts go together piece by piece. I know, pretty deep huh?? So with that in mind, I am offering this little book on paper pieced quilt labels. I'll also be including some preprinted paper foundations for star blocks and flower blocks that I found. If you are a paper piecer, leave me a comment and a way to reach you by email and I'll draw a name Friday morning!


I shouldn't say that there was NO quilting completed (just not by me personally)since I did get a call from Butch the longarmer and my summer quilt is done!! I'll call tomorrow and make arrangements to pick it up! I'll have pictures next week. If I don't get back before next week, have a wonderful weekend and try to do something quilty!

Happy belated Mom's Day

I hope all the moms out there had a great Mother's Day! I had a super Mother's Day weekend. Bob and I went to New Jersey to visit with friends that we had not seen since September when we all spent the week at Cape May. Mother's Day was the only weekend we were all available so off we went. We took our bikes and got to do some bike riding on Saturday in a fabulous state park near our friends' house. Saturday night we had a belated Cinco de Mayo celebration complete with Mexican music, mexican hats, margueritas and sangria. It was really fun.

On Sunday, we took our bikes to Sandy Hook and rode the new bike path along the shore, about 10 miles back and forth. It was really great. On our way back to CT, we stopped to see hubby's mom. And when we got home, my one and only baby was waiting for us. And this is what he got me for Mom's Day!! A pink nano!

I was sooo surprised! I had been blabbing how I thought it would be great to have so I could listen to quilt podcasts, downloaded books, etc. I never thought he would actually buy it for me! He has just been home a week and has been working every day but Sundays at his new landscaping job. I was really touched that he spent his first paycheck on dear old mom!! Thanks, Alex!! You are the best son a Mom could ever wish for!!

Now I have to figure out how it works! It's soo little! Of course, the first thing I thought of was what fabric I would use to make a little case for my new pink baby! LOL
Any of you who can direct me to some good ebooks or podcasts, let me know!!

Oh, and the winner of the Humpday giveaway was Sunbonnet Sue of NY! Sue, your birdies are on their way to you!!

Check back later this week for another giveaway!! Until then, quilt til you wilt!!

Hump Day Giveaway - Birdies

Well ,Wednesday is over!! I thought since this was the middle of the week, also known as HUMP DAY for many of us, it would be nice to offer a giveaway. I tried to post this morning but no matter how sweetly I talked to Blogger -NO LUCK! Bad Blogger!!


Seww, here it is Wednesday evening and finally Blogger seems to be ready to work. I guess it will be a Thursday giveaway! I have been cleaning and sorting in my sewing room and have a pile of things to offer~ Sewww, since it is spring and the birdies are returning and nesting and hatching eggs, I thought I would offer these two patterns.


GOLDFINCH is an applique pattern. And for you CW Repro gals, I have ROSIE FINCH. I have made both of these little quilts so thought someone else might like them.



Leave me a comment and be sure I can reach you by email for your addy. I will pick a winner Friday morning and put these little birds into the mail!

And speaking of birds, I spent part of last night prepping my patterns to make these little cuties. Nellie Durand of Nellie's Needles has generously posted the pattern and instructions for any one who is interested! I have a shelf with birdhouses on it and these little birdies will be a welcome addition. I hope to have a few birdies sewn and ready for stuffing and beading so I can take them on the road with me this weekend. Thanks, Nellie! You are super!


In other quilting news...., I finished the 4 patches, there were only 70 not 7 million! :)
I will be sewing those together tonight which will complete clue #3 of the mystery quilt and I will be up to date! Yea!! I think the 4 patches are for borders. This has been a really fun quilt to put together. I also hope to get my binding made and ready for my summer quilt.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Wednesday!!

FiberArt for a Cause- Collage Mania

I subscribe to the e-zine Fiber & Stitch and the editor and founder, Virginia Spiegel, a fabulous fiber artist, is running Collage Mania. There are (were, they are going FAST!) collages offered by many different artists and available for a donation to the American Cancer Society. This was a two day event, yesterday and today. Luckily, I was in time to purchase this beauty by Lenna Andrews called "Cherish"

Check out this very worthy cause and pick up some eye candy of your own. My little treasure will be hanging in my office very soon. Also, check out the free projects at the Fiber and Stitch website. Once I tasted one of those little treats, I had to have a subscription to the magazine!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. My weekend was a four day event. And I sure did need it as the soon to be College Graduate has returned to the nest for the summer. In addition to his adorable self, he brought 4 snowboards, snowboard boots, a computer, 4 boxes of clothes, backpacks, a sleeping bag, a refrigerator and that's just the first load! He is in town for about a week and then he will return to Vermont to make a final presentation and walk the stage on May 18th. He has already got a job for the summer and is hard at work at this moment! We are all making some adjustments to this new living arrangement. Mr. B is clearly unhappy that he has to share his bed with Alex! LOL

In quilting news, my summer quilt is finally in the hands of Butch, the longarmer! Yeah!! That is one quilt that just did not want to be finished! It finally ended up being 85 x 92 inches. Can't wait to get it back and put it on my bed! I was in such a rush to get it out that I didn't take a picture with the borders on!

I also finished Clue #2 ( 20 spool blocks) for the mystery quilt I'm doing and I am well on my way with Clue #3 (7 million four patches, at least it seems like that many), which is a good thing as Clue #4 may be available now.

I have also made a decision on my May postcards, which is half the battle for me. This month's theme is Art Deco flowers. I am going to do them in wool and will be using my embellisher which I've haven't played with in some time. Hope to have some pictures later in the week.

Spring has finally sprung here with temps in the low 70's. It ain't summer but I'll take it!