Another One!

I was hoping to get this done to count as a finish for January but it just wasn't meant to be. I have been busy at work and it took me a while longer to quilt than I expected. I am pleased to show you my finished Birdie Stitchery Quilt! 

The details are hard to see here. The quilting is stitch in the ditch around the squares, a simple zig zag in the sashing, a winter poem I wrote around the inner border, and a feather pattern on the outer border. 

The backing ~ the extra block is used as the label.

This block was originally planned as the June block but I decided it was too busy compared to the others so I used it as the signature block and designed my own June block. This was actually one of my favorites to stitch!

Fabrics: Sunkissed by Sweetwater and Moda Bella White

Backing: found at Joann's

All Stacked up!

Soon it will be time to head over to the Superbowl Party! Enjoy!

Refreshing

Sew the first week of the new year is over and it is back to work/school tomorrow.  Our house is once again quiet as we said goodbye to DD3 on Friday. Before she left, she asked if I could make a pennant banner for her dorm room.  So using the tutorial I pinned here, I made this.

Sew what else have I been doing on this first week of the new year? Organizing... Amber over at A LIttle Bit Biased posts Tuesday Tips about inspiring sewing rooms.  Anna from Thimbleanna guest posted a link about folding your fabrics nice and tidy. Hmmm...my stash is housed in an old dresser and each drawer is stuffed. Definitely not folded nice and tidy.

before

Sew I went about ironing and folding all most some of my stash. Here are some of the finished drawers.

stacked by color before going into the drawer

nice neat and tidy piles of stash

mostly blues, reds and greens in here.

I also weeded out smaller pieces and added them to my scrap bins. I did need to go out and buy 5 more bins. It's a good thing that I'm following the Sew Scrap Along over at Pleasant Home. [Button on my sidebar.] I haven't started on a scrap quilt yet because between ironing and folding,  I worked on...

...putting sashing and borders on my Birdie Quilt. I need to buy backing fabric and some batting before sandwiching this cutie.

I am also working on my 3rd personnel quilt made from my 'less preferred' stash fabric. Here is a peek at the blocks.

These finish at 16" and I have 7 out of 20 done. 

 Last year, Kelly from Charming Chatter challenged us to come up with a word for the year. My word last year was JOY. To feel joy in all areas of my life. One of the most joyful times of this year was celebrating our DD2's wedding and welcoming our SIL to our family! 

 My Word Up for 2012 will be 'challenge'. I already have challenged myself with my 'less preferred stash' quilt goal but I would like to challenge myself in other ways too! Sew to speak, try new things, think outside the box...not only in quilting but in all areas of my life. Here is a fun reading challenge I will be doing to start. 

I will leave you with this picture of my Christmas Cranberry Almond Coffee cake that, as tradition, we have on Christmas morning that I meant to post before but forgot. It is delicious!

I promise I'm still here....

But much of my sewing and crafting are gifts and I can't quite show them yet. I did finish my Birdie BOM for December which means I've completed all 12 block (actually 13 as I replaced the one for June). Now it is time to sew them together. That will wait until after Christmas.

I also participated in a Christmas Little Quilt Swap and here is what I made using  this tutorial. Can you see the little covered buttons? So cute!

I also want to mention that a few days after Christmas, December 28th,  I will be featured over at Sew We Quilt as a guest on Comfort and Joy! See the button on my side bar. I hope you all will hopped over there and see my tutorial.  I may be having a little giveaway here too so come back!  I hope to see you then.

Since I can't show too much of what I've been up to...I'll leave you with a few pictures from the cutest antique store...all decked out for Christmas!

A wall of woolen blankets!

baskets of shiny ornaments

more antique quilts

picnic baskets 

beautiful displays all around

There's not much time before Christmas now! I hope you all have time to relax and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas...the gift of baby Jesus!

FNSI Results!

Sew I didn't get very much done for the Sew In! It has been an incredibly busy week for me. It is collection week at my church for this...

and I am proudly on the committee. So far we have collected and packed into shipper boxes over 1200 shoe boxes. The energy is great and the enthusiasm is catching. Operation Christmas Child is such a great project for everyone...young to old, teens, families, friends, etc and it reaches needy children all over the world with the love of Jesus. We have 2 more days of collection and the boxes will be shipped to headquarters and sorted for the country they will be going to. If you haven't heard of this project, find the Operation Christmas Child collection site near you or go online to pack a box!

Sew back to FNSI...I managed to finish up my November Birdie BOM. 

and I sewed these little HST. 

As you can see they are pretty small...1"

...I did cut out a bunch more but don't have a picture of them. 

This weekend will be very busy but I'm thankful that school is closed for Thanksgiving Break and I will have all week to relax and catch up (even with the holiday.)

Hope you all had fun on FNSI! Check out what everyone was doing here.

Beautiful!

Every year over Columbus Day, we head up to Door County, WI to enjoy the fall colors. We camp in Peninsula State Park with a rather large group of friends. Hiking, sharing meals, laughing and catching up around the campfire are a few of the great things about this weekend. But really, the show is of God's spectacular creation. This year is of no exception...take a look!

Sights along our hike.

A beautiful birch tree

Colors against the blue sky!

We hiked to the lighthouse...

and amphitheater...

where the kids like to perform for the adults :D

A recent storm left many trees down.

We found this friendly walking stick...no not the kind you use for hiking 

although there were plenty of those around too!

In town, we ate at the White Gull Inn for the traditional fish boil.

And breakfast at Al Johnson's

Fall reminders were everywhere!

I was able to finish these over the weekend too!

October's block and a new block for June. The original June block is too different from the rest so I will use it on the back as the label.

I almost have a another finish...I'm hand stitching the binding :D 

Stayed tuned!