Friday Night Sew-In results and a little more!

Did you join in the fun for last night's FNSI?  Here are the things I accomplished.  Again not quite as much I hoped but nonetheless, I did accomplish something!

I finished stitching the February block for the Birdie Stitchery BOM.  I am caught up with a week to spare before the next block is released! 

This is a good thing!

I also finished Block 8 for Block-A-Palooza - Basket of Geese!

This block is a applique block - a change from all the pieced blocks.  

I chose to machine applique the geese with a small blanket stitch and the basket with a zigzag applique stitch. 

 I like how this block is so different from the rest but fits right in.  

Take a look!  

To be honest, I am a little out of my comfort zone.  

I not used to purchasing fabric and making a quilt without knowing the end results. I chose not to use the fabric that the designers were using - even though it is among my favorites right now - I didn't want to spend the money not knowing what this quilt would look like. 

 Are you like this or do you like a mystery?

 So I chose the line Sips of Summer with a few other fabrics mixed in to round things out.

After the first few blocks, I really could not see how this quilt would come together...but as I add blocks...it's pulling itself together. 

What do you think?    

On a final note, I would like to send my thanks to my mug rug swap partner, Heather Spence.

 Aren't they cute!  Love the shoe!

I'm off to my sewing room! Hope you enjoy your day!

Busy as a Bee

I have been busy... not only in the sewing room.  Here's what I made for Valentine's Day.  

I followed the tutorial from Pleasant Home. 

After a little break, I worked on my daughter's wedding quilt and now the borders are on and it's ready to be sandwiched.  I need to get to the store to get some batting.  It is really looking good! Sorry, no pictures.

I also sent out these mug rugs and extras to my secret swap partner, Helle in Denmark.  She received them and really liked them! Yay!  

How cute is that little cat cookie plate?  And the mug is so cute!  It says 'time for tea with a cat on my knee.'  The box is just as cute.  

I so enjoyed making the paper pieced cat that I had to make this mug rug...for me?

This is a free pattern from Artisania...here.

I think I may be in love with small paper piecing!

I am also completely caught up with the Block-A-Palooza blocks. These are the first 6 blocks and

Block 7 (oops...it says block 6)

See more blocks on the flickr group page.

Caught up on stitching the Give Thanks BOM from Jenny of Elefantz, too. Verses 2 & 3 are done.  A great reminder of all the blessings in my life...God's beautiful creation and my warm home.  The little verse cards are interchangeable.

Finally, I finished the 1st block in the Birdie Stitchery BOM.  I was so close to finishing when I ran out of yellow floss.  One swirl on the birdies little belly and no more floss.  To make it worse, Hobby Lobby was out of the yellow I needed.  I either had to wait for Hobby Lobby to call and tell me they got it in OR get to Joann's.  It took a couple of days but I got some more yellow floss and finished the block.  Now I'm working on Block 2.  

I was so excited to have it finished I didn't even press it before I took the picture. Yikes! You can see more on the flickr group page.

I told you I've been as busy as a bee!

Snow Day 2!

Just a quick update on how I spent my 2nd Snow Day.  I have  been slowly working on this very cute wallhanging...Give Thanks BOM...by Jenny of Elefantz.  

I would do some stitchery when I wasn't in my sewing room or working on the extreme wedding dress makeover.  Now that the wedding dress is done, I and I caught up on the Block-A-Palooza blocks, I concentrated on getting the stitchery done.  

The first verse is hanging in its spot and the second verse is now being stitched.  Yay! I love getting things finished! And I really like how this turned out.  

I also completed the 4th Block-A-Palooza block...Gingham Pinwheel by Cherry House Quilts.  

One final note...here is a picture of my blizzard 2011 casualty.

Before I really started quilting, I use to make these little garden banners to hang out in my front garden.  I made one for just about every holiday, birthday, season or celebration.  They are actually hand quilted using a preprinted fabric (the snowman).  

This one was hanging in the garden and was swept away with the gale force winds we had Tuesday night.  20.2" of snow later, I realized it was gone and probably buried under the snow somewhere down my street.  

As the snow was being cleared by my neighbor and his handy snowblower, guess what he found?  Yep...my banner was picked up by the blades of that snowblower and spit out.  My neighbor was kind enough to bring my little snowman back to me. 

Although I really liked my cute little snowman banner, I am grateful that he was our only casualty of the blizzard of 2011.

Snow Day!

It is officially the 3rd largest blizzard in Chicago and I have lived through them all! Here are a few photos taken around this morning.

  

A snow day...sew what's a quilter to do?  Of coarse, sew! 

I started by finally cutting all the squares for Little Miss Shabby's Birdie Stitches-BOM and getting a head start on preparing the squares.  I also traced the 1st BOM...hmm...block 2 has been released.  I'm a little behind. Pictures soon!

I then got started on cutting the fabrics for block 1of Block-a-Palooza.  This pattern, Flying over Fields, is from John over at Quilt Dad.  I got that all sewn together.

Sew I moved on to the next pattern, Word Search, by Elizabeth over at Oh, Fransson. Cut and sewn!

The next pattern, Shoofly Geese, is by Amanda at sasikirana handmade.  Done!

Tomorrow the 4th pattern is released over at Cherry House Quilts.  Now I'm ready...bring it on!

I also finished my mug rugs for the secret swap.  I hope my partner likes them.  They should be in the mail soon.  Are these for you? I'm not telling!

I planned to send these to Corrie for Quilts for Queensland yesterday however Mother Nature postponed my plans by sending the blizzard.  They will be in the post soon!

A productive snow day and we have another tomorrow! 

What will I get done?

A win and a finish!

Sometimes it is so hard to be patient!  At least for me.  Christine over at Auntie's Quaint Quilts notified me that I won her giveaway!  I knew that the package was coming all the way from Tasmania and that would take some time but...I was so anxious for it to arrive.  Guess what arrived this week? 

This package is full of goodies!  Fabric (3 fat quarters) from Lynette Anderson, a Schnibbles pattern - Hot Cross (Miss Rosie Quilt Co.) and Tis the Season embroidery patterns by Natalie Bird! 

Thanks Christine!

I also finished my fence inspired quilt. 

[the little white specks you see...is snow]

I am not completely satisfied with the quilting.

 As I quilted the long colored spaces with straight line boxes, the middle tended to pull in the direction I was stitching.  

Can you see the way the fabric is distorted in the center?  

I never had that happen before but I probably never quilted in such long, straight segments. 

 I used my walking foot rather than trying free motion (thought it would keep the lines straighter). 

Has this ever happened to you? How can I improve on this?  Any suggestions are welcome. 

Anyhow, it is a finish and that means I need to make another quilt square for Queensland. 

Productive or not?

Friday Night started with picking up the computer from the Apple Store.  Nothing too wrong just annoying.  Hopefully we found an answer.  Technology....

As soon as we got home, I quickly got started with stitching and finished the binding on this quilt.  

Then I made and added the label.  

Picture is blurred so to keep the secret.

I also finally made and added the label to this baby quilt.

The baby shower is tomorrow...

 I also made another block for Queensland.  I now have made 5 blocks!  I will be making a block after every finish until I have to send them off to Australia.  I better get busy...

If you would like to join in...stop over at Retromummy and visit Corrie.  She is heading up this project-Quilts for Queensland!

That was my FNSI...productive...not as much as I hoped but I'm satisfied.

Here is another something I've worked on and finished but never showed you.  

This was a Quilt Around the Block by Helen at Hugs from Helen.  It was designed for a group of 4, each doing one round.  I just followed along on my own.  I finished the center square and the first border with the hexis.  When Helen posted the 3rd round, I was a bit overwhelmed as the flowers were to go all around. I decided that was too much for me so I added a sample of the stitchery on 2 corners.  And I eliminated the 4th round of stitchery and added a cute coordinating fabric instead and made it into a pretty pillow cover.  

Taking care of business

The lace I ordered for the wedding dress makeover came in the mail the other day and I have started to hand stitch it on (in place of the large ruffle along the bottom.)  It is coming together quite nicely.

Here is a glimpse of one of the wedding quilts that I'm working on.  It's all pieced and most of the quilting is done.  The fabric is mostly Sand and Surf by Marcus Brothers with a few additional coordinating fabrics.

After reading on so many blogs about the floods in Queensland and the opportunities to help, I decided to join Retro Mummy in making 12 1/2" unfinished blocks.  The block I decided to make is a simple scrappy block.  Make a 9 patch using 2 1/2" squares.  Then add 1 1/2" border on all sides.  

Sew more 2 1/2 " blocks together and sew around the  block. Easy peasy.  A great scrap buster too!  Won't you join me?

Here are a few of the projects that I'm participating in.  

First is a BOM stitchery quilt from Little Miss Shabby.  The birdie stitchery is too cute to resist! Just trying to decide what fabric to use. I'm in love with the Sunkissed fabric but...

 I'm also thinking of following along with the Bloggers' Block-A-Palooza Waiting for Spring over at quilt dad.  Did I mention that I am in love with Moda's Sunkissed by Sweetwater?  Both of these quilts use Sunkissed but I'm not sure if I want to use it for both.  Just have to wait to find out.  

So in order for me to find the JOY in these projects, I'll just have to follow along at my own pace. 

No pressure.     

P.S. This Friday is FNSI.  Go on over to Handmade by Heidi to sign up. Won't you join the fun!