Ask and you shall receive

Recently I have been surfing the blogosphere looking for some new blogs to follow. I have a core group of blog friends but I add and subtract on a regular basis. And as you know, you can go from link to link to link checking out who is reading who, etc. Well, this blog came onto my radar recently. It's a group of 13 (there's a lucky number!) fiber artists that are challenging each other to make pieces based on a theme. From there, I started checking out each gal's individual blog and fell upon this talented lady.


Well, when I saw this necklace, it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. I immediately searched to see if Sandy had an Etsy store cause I was wanting that necklace. As it turned out, she did not so I decided to leave her a comment about how gorgeous it was and how I would have scooped it up if for sale. Of course,this was the day that BLOGGER decided to be contrary and would not allow me to leave a comment no matter how hard I tried. But I was not to be deterred, I sent Sandy an email telling her about the comment problem and told her how much I loved the necklace.

Next day, I got an email from Sandy. She asked if I would like the necklace and that we could do a swap.. DID I WANT THE NECKLACE???? !!!! Heck, yeah I did!!

And so, a swap was done.

The necklace arrived today. It is sooo beautiful and I am totally in love with it. Sandy, thank you, thank you! This is the highlight of my weekl I love, love, love it. Your box went into the mail this morning.

I've been trying all weekend to upload a picture but BLOGGER is not being cooperative at all!  Any one else having problems??

Hopefully, I can get a picture up later in the week of me and my beautiful necklace!!
Hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day weekend.


Woohoo!! I tried uploading my picture from work and that worked!!! Guess I need to check out my computer at home and see what's not working right! 

Paint chip Challenge

Before I get started, I wanted to post the pics of my pincushions that I received from the Pincushion Swap. I've done many swaps over the years - blocks, fabric, pay it forward, etc., and LOVE them. It is so nice to get a squishy envelope in the mail from another quilter far away and to make something for someone that you know will appreciate your time.
   So here they are...   In addition, I received a luscious Lindtz chocolate bar that sadly never made it to the picture :))

The owl and the rabbit have been confiscated by my cat, Mr. B. He likes to cart them around to different places in the house and sleeps with the owl on occasion.  The little finger pin cushion is my favorite and I use it LOTS~~~.

In addition to loving swaps, I LOVE challenges!!  My guild does one every year. We receive it either at the Xmas party or at the annual picnic in June and they are to be ready for the next picnic which comes up in three weeks!!  When I think of my "best" quilts, they are the ones that I did for the challenges.  The nice thing about the challenge is the IDEA is already done. I just have to work within  the perimeters.  The challenge has always taken me outside of my comfort zone and gets me to explore new techniques and ideas. It really gets my quilting mojo in high gear!!

This year, it is a paint chip challenge. We were each given an envelope and told to make anything but you could only use the colors on the paintchips and you could add one more color. 

Here are my colors...  Blues and oranges. 

Here are my fabrics..... I know these blues look really dark but acutally they aren't. The other thing a few of us like to do is try to "push the envelope" of the challenge so to speak. For me, I am adding white but not as my other color. For me, white is the "absence of all color".  We'll see how that flys on the flagpole. LOL~

and here is Round one.  I decided to go with  a pieced background and then applique on top.  I've used Ricky Tims' convergence concept before so thought I would start with that. Although the piece came out ok,  I was not in love with it. The last one I did the fabric had more pattern to it so it didn;t appear so static and flat.  This one has been relegated to the orphan box for another project.

I wanted something more flowing.  I've had Karen Eckmier's book Layered Waves for some time and actually am taking a class with her in July. But once I took a look at the cover, I knew that was what the bacground had to be. If you have never tried this, it is ADDICTING!! You cut, sew and add waves. If you don't like something, you take it off. You tweak as you go. It takes on a life of its own. Very organitc~ I was at it for hours and it felt like 5 minutes.  

This is the piece I have so far. I am absolutely in love with it~  I'm going to add a bit more to it and then will move on to the borders.   Hopefully that will be done by the end of next week. 

But this will be pushed aside for a few days so I can get my greatniece's quilt quilted and sent to her for her 3rd birthday. Check back for pics of this one mid week. Till then , 

 QUILT TIL YOU WILT!

A busy non-quilty month

I know I've been MIA the last few weeks but life (in a good way) got in the way.  The only quilty thing I did prior to this Monday was make this and send it off as part of the Pincushion swap.  I received mine but haven't taken pictures yet.



The guy pictured below is one of the things that got in my way of quilting.  Here's my DH on his 59th Bday.  He wanted to go to NYC to see a show so we headed in on a rainy Wednesday and stood in line to get discount tickets to see Memphis.  It was sooo worth it.  A great musical about the move of black music onto mainstream radio back in the early sixties.  This picture was taken at lunchtime in our favorite Irish bar where we go whenever we are in NYC.  Notice how his paws are wrapped around that beer glass!

This is the other place we always go when in the Big Apple.  It's a little shop called Crumbs and their specialty is cupcakes.  We always stop for a Six pack before heading back home.  They make the classic 2 inch cupcakes as well as the SUPER sized ones. My favorite is, of course, Irish Creme.  We tried the Elvis ths time as part of the Memphis theme which was delicious.  PB and chocolate, YUM!!

My DH took this picture and sent it to our trainer at the gym.  He likes to torture the poor kid.  I brought him back the Squiggle which if you are from the Northeast is the classic Hostess cupcake.  Chocolate cupcake, chocolate frosting with the white squiggle on the top.  Needless to say, Mr. Trainer did not say no to the cupcake.  

Lastly, we spent Mother's Day at Fenway Park, courtesy of my son. He sent the tickets to us. He knows how much his mom loves her some Red Sox. It turned out to be a lovely day with great seats and a win! Yeah!

Now I'm back to the grind.  This week I spent some time cleaning up some little projects.  The shams for my Fall quilt are done and ready for September.  I hemmed three pairs of pants, finished a wool pillow that I started months ago and cleared the deck for my Paint chip challenge which has been started.  I'll have pics of my progress on Sunday!

Til then, QUILT TIL YOU WILT!