Playing Catch Up!

Lurking in the shadows, we find my White Chocolate quilt blocks after the second round of sewing. Why in the shadows? Simply because they are a tad upset that they have been neglected this long.

But, with any luck, one more round and they will regain their glory, trying out various and sundry arrangements before deciding how they would like to be seen in a permanent quilt top.

Sheesh! Some times it is so difficult to keep them all happy.

All kidding aside, Silver Thimble in McDonough meets again this Friday and I would really like to be able to take a completed top to show off. Okay, maybe I am being a little too pushy since I am taking my Strawberry Pie to show off the hand quilting that I have done on it. So, if I have a quilt top to show, fine. If not, oh well, I may be able to quilt it during the month and take it back next month. We'll see.

I purchased gorgeous batting for this lovely. It is chocolate brown with delicate peach roses on it! I got it on sale, to boot and that makes it even better! So old fashioned and gorgeous. Ahhh. Makes me happy to just think about it. I would like to quilt old fashioned baptist fans across it to see if I can keep with the feel of the quilt. Hours and hours of pleasant entertainment.

I love the look of older quilts. They often have so much interest in them with the quilt patterns that go across the top and are not limited to blocks and piecing lines. I want to try doing something similar.

I am concerned about trying to quilt across all of the seam lines, but this pattern should be fairly forgiving and the "big stitch" look could be perfect for the look I am going for. I could even use a strand of metallic bronze DMC thread with a big stitch to try and make it interesting. Bronze should be lighter than my dark fabrics and darker than my lights, so it would show up on both.

Any thoughts???? Suggestions?

My baby is growing up...

It's one of the certain casualties of Mommy-dom! My youngest is now promoted to DS12. This time next year, I will have two teenagers in the house and no younger kids.

Sigh. There is a part of me that will always want to love on little kids and babies for the fun snuggling times. But, I love watching my kids grow up.

It's just so hard when the "baby" of the two moves up a level.

How can they be so old when I am getting younger by the day~LOL!

Lazy Fun Day

Since I woke up feeling really stiff and sore, we have had just a restful, calm day. It was so gorgeous outside that I woke up to loads of bird songs. Spring is getting closer and I am so looking forward to it!

After going into Lowe's to purchase a microwave to replace the one that I broke the other night, I learned that since it was a built in model that it would have to be special ordered in order to fit the opening and "finish kit." So, I pay for it now, but it doesn't come to the store for 5-7 working days. That part stinks.

You don't realize how much you use a microwave until you no longer have one. Oh well.

After that errand and lunch, the boys and I went up to Hampton to see a friend of mine who is working on a new store that is opening this spring. She has a great flair for decorating and the shop is simply going to be gorgeous! When the store opens, it will be called, "Posh," which is a pretty perfect representation of how it looks so far! Can't wait for the grand opening!

It was good to see my friend. I have missed her.

Yum! Want a Slice of Strawberry Pie???

This one is a beauty, if I do say so myself! I even signed and dated it, making note of pattern and designer since I used a real pattern this time and didn't just fly by the seat of my pants. This is the first time I have put identifying information on one of my quilts. But, I hand quilted this one and I have to say that I am very pleased with it. Don't you just love that binding? It reminds me of juicy fruit gum!

This is a close up of the fabrics after being washed. Love the binding fabric and how it really makes the front of the quilt sparkle! I have applied bias binding before when I have purchased it, but never made any and applied it from scratch. I am digging the diagonals! Plus, I learned a new way of doing the corners at Silver Thimble Club that is SO EASY and SO PREDICTABLE that I am sold on it!

I was hoping that this photo would show the quilting in the center of each square, but it's not really easy to see. Just imagine hearts in the center of each square! Now to cuddle up and dream of spring time!

More to share....

Wow! I can feel my hands today, but I can say that I officially have finished two more quilts!!!

I finished a second flannel baby quilt for baby Morgan (due in Spring) to go with the one I made for her first cousin Caia, who just arrived last Saturday. I had to borrow my Mom's industrial Singer sewing machine to finish Morgan's because my machine is just not digging going through lots of layers any longer. Sigh. But, I am grateful to have had access to a great machine while mine is slowly dying.

I also finished the Strawberry Pie quilt that was designed by Pat Wys of Silver Thimble Designs. Pat is also my teacher at the Silver Thimble Quilt Club in McDonough at A Scarlet Thread quilt shop. It is the first kit offerred to us through Silver Thimble. I changed out the backing to a bright yellow, but other than that, I stuck to the kit fabrics. It's just girly enough that the guys in my life won't try to take it over. I love it. I especially love the binding, the stripes remind me of Juicy Fruit Gum and the little stripe-y zebra that used to be in their ads when I was a kid. I can almost smell gum when I look at it! It's a hoot!!!

Right now, they are in the washer, getting the cat hair knocked off of them (giggle) and ready for a good fluffing in the dryer. The Strawberry Pie needs to lose the markings that I used for the quilting.

Can't wait to see them all soft and crinkly! I have rented a movie to watch tonight. You know the kind of movie you can't quilt along with--it has subtitles. I will just be forced to curl up in my comfy rocking chair with my new, gorgeous quilt and watch. Love that part!!!

Typing with sore fingers...

Because I just finished the last of the quilting on my Strawberry Pie Quilt. Woo Hoo!!!

But, in order to complete it, I had to quilt for a longer period of time than I usually do for the last couple of days. Hence the very sore fingers.

Tomorrow will be binding and finishing for this quilt and quilting for the baby quilt. This will be my first bias binding made from scratch. Wish me luck!

Ooh Baby Baby!!!

Wow! Little synchronized baby quilts, swimming in the breeze!

I know that these photos aren't the clearest, but I loved the idea of hanging all 3 new baby quilt tops on the line when I finished piecing them this morning. The soft pink and vibrant yellow are so reminiscent of spring time! Love it!

I did learn that I have to be very careful about directional prints with this pattern. If I had re-oriented the fabrics to a more vertical arrangement, then I wouldn't have had enough to complete the quilt. If I had purchased more fabric, then I would have had left over scraps. One of the things I love about this pattern is that you have virtually no left over pieces, aside from selvedge edges.

But, on the whole, I think they are lovely. If I were to get my wish, these quilts would be lovey blankets to be drug all over the place and loved for their softness and not for my inability to get the prints to run in the correct direction!

Hopefully, I can complete two of them this afternoon for delivery at church on Wednesday. The third one doesn't have a designated home yet. Maybe I will find someone else expecting a little girl. Or it can go to Georgia Agape or Project Linus. We will see.

What can you do with....

A genuine bargain from A Scarlet Thread in McDonough, Georgia? This is a flannel bundle in sweet, little girl colors. This store has oodles of these bundles in various color ways, flannel, quilting cottons, with center panels, without center panels, just all kinds of goodies! The deal is that these are first quality quilting cottons. Get this, 5--1 yard cuts for $30! Normally, most fabrics sell for $8.95 per yard unless they are on special sale or clearance or something. This works out to $6 per yard! For good quality fabrics, no less!!!

My bundle is becoming almost a full 3 baby quilts. I will make 3 tops using this pattern: http://www.makeitsimpler.com/Quiltmaker%20Pattern-Super%20Sized%20Nine%20Patch.PDF

3 1 yard cuts of fabric will yield 3 simple quilt tops. I have 2 1 yard pieces reserved for the backings for 2 of them. The other will wait for a suitable backing, etc.

I have cut out the pieces for all 3 quilts, but now I have taken Ny-Quil for my raging cold, so no sewing (or operating heavy machinery) until morning!

Attention Frugal and Crafty Friends

There is a new sale starting at Hobby Lobby. It includes all pre-packaged battings and fabrics. Okay, it covers lots of other stuff, too, but nothing that I paid too much attention to.

The fabrics are decent quality stuff and a good price when you get them on sale. I usually try to get my purse fabrics from there. They get a fair supply of the splashy stuff that I like. Plus, when I consider the wear and tear that a purse will get, I hate to pay $9 a yard for really good quilter's cottons!

The battings are primarily junk (IMHO), but they do have some Warm and Natural and Insul-brite, both good quality stuff and 30% off is a good deal for them.

There is white stuff falling from the Georgia skies....

This is mudman. He is a Georgia snowman. He is distinct from snowmen in other regions because he comes with his own, ahem, "Mossy Oak" camouflage. He definitely clings to his redneck roots, so to speak....

These two gorgeous boys are mudman's proud creators. This was truly a labor of love, although we couldn't convince them to wait for more snow to actually make a more traditional looking snow creature.

The view down our driveway. I love living in the "sticks."

Where we have been in a drought for so many years, I can't even remember the last time it has snowed this much (which really isn't very much compared to most places). I am sure going to enjoy it until it's gone.

Our bird feeders have become a hub of furious activity and we have enjoyed watching them from the windows (as well as from outside). The colorful birds show up well against the snow.

Now, I am returning to my quilt for awhile. It certainly should be finished up this week. I have baby quilts to work on next. Got a good deal on some flannel today. Love that!

A fun giveaway to check out

Go to http://anitas-bedofroses.blogspot.com/ and check out her lovely blog. She is having a giveaway of one of Bonnie Hunter's books. Sounds fabulous to me!

Go check it out. Really. NOW!!! Tell her I sent you....

Playing 'Possum

Strange things can happen when you live in the country.

Tonight, DS13 went to spend the night with the grandparents and around 8:30pm, I took his nightly medication to him. While I was there, I was talking and catching up with my parents and the time flew by. My Dad and I were specifically discussing the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Good conversation. Good book.

I left for home just before 11 pm. It's only around 6 miles door to door, so I was home in no time.

But, imagine my surprise when I was walking from my car to the front door of my house, keys in hand, when an opossum runs out in front of me, turns and hisses (and drools). He goes halfway up the stairs and turns and hisses (and drools) at me again. Then he waddles over to the handrail and jumps into the rosemary bush.

Thinking that the way was clear, I slowly step toward the stairs. Out pops Mr. Possum, hissing and drooling some more. Finally, I had to use my cell phone to call hubby to open the door and make sure I could get into my own home without being mauled by some ill-tempered, rabies carrying beast!

Whew! That's some seriously cheap entertainment!

Six Degrees of Separation...

Or why it's good to know Pat Wys.

Pat is my teacher at Silver Thimble Club at The Scarlet Thread in McDonough, Georgia. She is incredibly knowledgeable and talented. That doesn't even begin to cover it, though, as she is also smart, funny, and willing to put up with us. It's a good thing (for us at least).

In the fun, little, quilty part of my mind, Pat knows simply everything! Everything quilt related, at least. And, in this little corner of my mind, that is all that matters.

Today, I learned that she also knows EVERYONE quilt related, too! She actually knows many of the designers who I have admired from afar. Those she didn't already know, she met at Quilt Market. I am amazed.

It's almost like, through Pat, I have access to a great expanse of information that I don't deserve and certainly couldn't have compiled on my own.

I know Pat Wys!

Murphy's Quilt

Completed! My mom played a big part of getting this one finished. After the machine quilting debacle, she helped me pick out what felt like millions of stitches over several days. Then she volunteered to tie it (like my Granny's old quilts). She even applied the binding that I made.

Here is a photo that shows the backing. It's the minkee (manufactured by the Devil)! It is actually lovely and terribly soft and plush. It feels fantastic! But, it really was a bear to work with.

I am glad that I didn't just throw it out like I was afraid to do. I utilized what I had put into it and with my Mom's help, saved it! $$$ Nothing is more frugal than a good salvedge job!

My sheets are in the dryer and I can't wait to sleep under this bad boy!!!