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!

April Showers

Well, today is Monday and it's April and it's Raining! So it seems like a good time to show you the postcards I have received this month from my PC pals across the sea. This month's theme was appropriately "showers".

The woman sitting on the park bench in the rain is from Jenny in the UK and the clothesline picture is from Brigitte in France. I just love how we all interpret the theme differently and with different techniques. These ladies are super talented! They really set the bar high every month!!

The kiddies under the umbrella are from Annette in the UK. I love the background fabric and the little 3D flowers! The landscape is from Christine also in the UK. She painted this on Pelmet Villene and the border is Angelina fibers!

And here is my interpretation! If you are one of the PC ladies DON'T LOOK ANY FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED!!

I went with an old favorite, Sunbonnet Sue, even she has to deal with April Showers! These are on their way to my PC pals.



This weekend I worked a bit on my borders for my quilt. I should have the top finished in the next couple of days. I also worked on my snowman bluework. I have four blocks done so maybe I'll show those tomorrow.

As is my way, I have overextended myself quiltwise. I have decided to drop out of the Take it Further Challenge. Although I really enjoyed the challenge, I just don't have the time to do it with other commitments. Next up is making valances for my living room and a new window seat cover. The fabric that I ordered came in this weekend. After that, I have a RR challenge to work on as well as a little quilt swap, the mystery quilt I have started, the graduation quilt for my son, and forty jillion other projects!! Oh, so many quilts, so little time!

It's Good to be GREEN

I know that I'm a day late! What else is new?? But in celebration of Earth Day, I wanted to take an opportunity to thank all of you quilters out there for being green! Yup, We are all recyclers even if we don't realize it. Think about all of those scraps that we cut and cut until there is nothing left to cut and add to your scrappy quilts! And all of the fabric swapping we do! And the prizes we offer for free when we don't want or need some quilt related item! And all the bags we make!

I want to give an extra special pat on the back to those Aussie and English gals who hit the op shops and use the shirts, skirts, blankets, and other items they find to use in their quilts. And we can't forget the art quilters who can take just about anything (tyvek envelopes, mesh onion bags, you name it!)and turn into art.

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to extend recycling into my quilting and into my life on this planet, I wanted to share a couple of things that I've been doing to be a greener consumer and quilter and general human being.

1. I've stopped buying paper napkins and gone to cloth. I had a couple of table cloths that were pretty but had some serious stains, so I just cut out the stained parts and used the rest to make cloth napkins. I've since started looking at yard sales and Goodwill ( or as I call it Awesome Williams) for table cloths to use for napkins. We've also cut back dramatically on using paper towels. I keep a bag of rags cut to paper towel size handy and use those instead.

2. Old hand towels and towels that aren't saved for rags are sent to the dog shelter in town. They can always use them and the dogs don't care if they are a little grungy!

3. My shop hop bags are now in my trunk to use in the grocery store. No more plastic or paper bags!

4. I've also been saving my dryer sheets and using them for the foundations for my string blocks. Although they are rectangles instead of squares, they will make a nice quilt and will smell great!

5. After working on my February TIF Challenge, "Blowin' in the Wind", I decided to put the old clothesline back up. I don't use it all the time and for everything but I definitely use it for my sheets and blouses and stuff that I would hang to air dry anyway. I know that some of you live in places where you are not "allowed" to have a clothesline. I don't know when a clothesline became an "eyesore" but that was a sad day. Recently, a gal in our area challenged the covenant about clotheslines and won! Now that it is "chic" to be green, you might want to think about challenging that stupid rule.

6. We also compost our scraps. It's not a lot of work and right now I have a bin full of the most beautiful black dirt to use in the garden this spring. Our town actually encourages composting and gives out free bins to hold your compost. We are greedy! We have three bins going right now!

So here's my Earth Day challenge. Post the ways you help save the planet in your comments here or on your blog! I'm sure there are other little things that we can all do to make this world a greener place!

P.S. Kermit and all the other critters on this planet thank you!

Finally PIctures!!

My DH finally got a camera, a Kodak Easy Share. I personally found loading the pics from the camera to my computer anything but easy! Well, I guess there is a learning curve.

While Hubby was at Mohegan Sun for a nite out with the boys, I took some pictures of things in progress. Here is a picture of the shams I made to go with the Dizzy Diamonds quilt.

They were pretty easy to make. And can I say that the guys who invented Google deserve every penny they make! Thank you for making one place where I can find everything, including a link to a site that gave me directions to make shams!

And remember the 2nd Round Robin I'm doing?? Well we exchanged our 12 x12 blocks at the meeting on Tuesday and when I saw what everyone had done I was sort of embarassed! My block was lacking and I will admit I really rushed to get it together. So, this weekend I emailed the gal who works on my block first and told her to hold off so I could make another and redeem myself. Here it is! It's paper pieced and then I added the borders with the Japanese writing. I don't know what it says or even if it's words. But I think it looks really cool!

I also have all the blocks together for my summer quilt. The block name is "Rusty's Block".
It goes together super easy but the layout was another thing. I had the layout for a lap and I am making a queen. I finally made copies of the lap layout and cut out all the little blocks and pasted them into a 6 x 5 layout. I'm happy with it. Now to add borders! I also completed 20 9patch blocks for the Mystery quilt that Life's a Stitch is running. This is going to be a twin quilt. I put together about 5 of them and THEN I measured them. Now I haven't done any block piecing in a while so I was a bit surprised to learn that my quarter inch foot is really more than a 1/4 inch. The blocks I made measured 8 1/4 not 8 1/2! Sew, I UNSEWED the five blocks, made an adjustment and then continued on. I guess I should be glad I only had made 5!

I also went out this weekend and bought fabric for new valances, a new window seat ushion (that hides the cat hair better) and coordinating pillows for my living room. I was in need of a new area rug which I bought a week or so ago and as the story goes, once you get one new thing everything else looks old and tired.

Whewww well that's it! My coworker is on vacation for the rest of this week so I will be buried in my office til the weekend. Have a happy week!!

Lend a Hand

I know I haven't posted since my pictures from Puerto Rico but we still haven't replaced our cute little digital camera. I'm not crazy about our other camera, it's sort of a big ELEPHANT. But we are having guests this weekend and our friend is into cameras so he is going to go with us and help us pick out a new one. I will have pictures next week. Anyway, I do have this to show you!




I came across this gal's request on Nellie's blog. This gal is collecting fabric hands. She just wanted your hand traced on fabric and cut out, no name on it, no embellishments. But you could choose any fabric you liked. I'm not sure what she is going to do with them but I thought "what the heck". I figure it will only take me a few minutes to do this. But, OH, NO!! I wanted my hand to "reflect" who I am. Well, I knew what fabric I wanted (the shamrocks, I mean, I am McIrish Annie ) but how long do you think it took me to find this particular FQ!! LOL, 30 minutes. The actual tracing and cutting took 7 minutes! I think I need to spend some time reorganizing a portion of my stash!

Oh, and back to Nellie. If you have never visited Nellie, please do! She is so talented and I have learned so much from her about color, composition and different techniques. Even a traditional quilter will find her work very inspiring!

So, my hand is on its way to France! Au Revoir!!

I have been sewing.. I have all the blocks together for my summer quilt. I will be adding borders this weekend. As always, I am short on fabric so I need to be creative in putting the border together. I also got a bit sidetracked last weekend. I have made two pillow shams for this quilt, Crazy Diamonds, which I made a couple of years ago for a guild challenge. This quilt is on the bed in the guest room and I have wanted to make shams but you know how it goes. I kept all the extra strips etc. Well, we are having company this weekend so of course, they needed to get done. I have the fronts done and quilted and will put the actual shams together tonight. Of course, company arrives tomorrow! Flames to my fanny!!

I have also started a mystery quilt, courtesy of Kate North (she twisted my arm, I swear!!) through this gal's blog, Life is a Stitch. She is posting the steps every two weeks so it won't be too bad! I'm doing the twin size for a nephew. And speaking of Kate, I also signed up for her little quilt swap and pulled some victims along with me! Right, Dandylion!! Oh well, so much for my New Year's Resolution not to start any new challenges! Oh and I also got my block for the 2nd Round Robin I'm doing with the gals from my guild. We had soo much fun doing the first one that we started another! Oh well, so much for my New Year's Resolution not to join any new challenges! Is there a support group for Challenge Junkies??