Final block for Sew.Bee.Create

Ahh, bittersweet...this fun block is Broken Herringbone for Joelle.  The tutorial can be found here.  This was a good tutorial and her fabric choices are beautiful....this will be a gorgeous quilt.   This is the last of Sew.Bee.Create as it is not continuing next year.  Melissa invited me and a few of the others who wanted to continue into vacant spots in her other Bee, Beejeebers so I look forward to meeting the rest of them and continuing with a few old friends and some new.

What a Fun Surprise :)

 I got this fun package in the mail today from Gail from the blog Shedding the Wolf.  She had a giveaway during the Holiday Lane Pillow blog hop and I was lucky enough to win it!  Measuring cups shaped like nesting dolls..."Matroyshkas Made to Measure", lol!  She also put in some candy cane kisses my son immediately stole and some pretty fabric pieces...thanks so much Gail!!!

 I had commented to her that I thought my Grumpy Man nesting doll would dig a playmate...he looks out of his league though, doesn't he?

I got him when we went to Disney World when I was a little girl (umm...a "few" years ago)....no Disney princess souvenirs for me, not when there were grumpy old men for the taking!!

I have started to border my Hello Sun blocks...I am using the suggested layout that April gave us with star points.  I am using 6 1/2" x 3/12" rectangles and 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares though, not sure if that's what she meant in her instructions, I emailed her but haven't heard back yet.  The way I'm doing it yields a 12 1/2" (12" finished) square.

The Last Mr. Sun Block

I am sure going to miss this guy!!!  Have enjoyed April's QAL immensely and am sorry it is at an end.  If you hurry you can still find the patterns here but I think she will be taking them down soon.

I also finished the Grandmother's Choice block from this weekend, number 15 called Centennial: New Zealand's Victory.

This is a pretty block but I am going to have to watch those points when I start to sash it...a bit close on a couple of them this time!!

The weather around here is still muddy and rainy but I hear we may see a few snowflakes later this afternoon...

Happy Mail

So I received a fun book from a giveaway given by Francine at MochaWildchild .  She had the misfortune of getting fooled by an updated cover photo into buying the book twice from Amazon and was kind enough to share her duplicate.  There is one pattern in the book which caught my eye that I may work into my to-do list in the New Year called Dancing Squares.  Thanks Francine!

I have also been working on this Creeper guy to put on a journal for my son...I guess he is a bad guy from the game Mindcraft...

Grandmother's Choice BOW 14 done

This is Block number 14, Brides Knot, of Barbara Brackman's Block of the Week Grandmother's Choice commemorating the struggle towards women's right to vote.  The patterns can be found on her blog here.

And here are rows 1 and 2 completed...only 5 more rows to go!!

Sorry for the horrible photos, the weather around here has been unseasonably warm (and muddy) and rain has been in the forecast rather than December snow...easier on the car tires but not very scenic to look at...I think that if it wasn't for the somber nature of this QAL (and all these history lessons on what it meant to be a woman living in a time of few personal rights) I would have to start nicknaming this quilt Peanut Butter Jelly Time...the colors are really striking me that way as I make more and more blocks...I really think the quilt is coming out too dark even though I am using Kona Snow for most of the backgrounds but again, I guess it's fitting as we reflect on the lessons Barbara is sharing.

Holiday Lane Blog Hop

Today is my day to join in with the Holiday Lane Pillow Blog Hop.  
Thanks again to the great Mdm Samm for her inspiration and guidance through all these fun hops this year and thanks to the lovely Pauline for organizing and making this one a complete success :)

Now I must preface this with admitting that I didn't make a pillow, (hangs head in shame,lol!)...

I thought I would be more likely to use a table topper so I went that direction...and had a bit of fun with it...

  
Here I added little minibulbs to the corners...

I used reds, greens and blacks from my stash, added some top stitching to complement the raw edge fusible applique then added some sparkles and bobbles to accent it.  I tried to make it "minimalist with bling"...is that possible?

These are the minibulbs I used, they came from Walmart...

This pattern for this project / pillow can be found here and much thanks to Jill for providing it!

Please be sure to visit all the other ladies that are sharing this posting day with me and enjoy this last day of the hop!

Friday November 30

J Kafer on the Net

Busy as Can Be

Dachsies With Moxie

28 Peppermint Grove

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Kris Loves Fabric<--you are here!

Linda - that other blog

Dora Quilts

Shedding the Wolf

Quilting, Sewing Granny

Creative Notions

Chickadees Country Cottage Crafts

Madame Samm @ Sew We Quilt

The full schedule of posts can be found on Pauline's blog here.

Grandmother's Choice BOW #13 Done!

 

So this is Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice BOW block #13 called Everybody's Favorite.  The pattern and history lesson to accompany can be found here.

This is an exercise in learning more about the fight for Women's Right to Vote as well as an exercise for me personally to try to like purple more...nope, even after 13 blocks...purple's still not my thing, lol!  

I went with this color scheme to mimic the American colors for Women's Suffrage...gold, purple and white.  The fabrics are playing nice together but there is sure a lot of purple here...I will show the first two rows complete and together after we do number 14 this weekend.  Then there will be 5 more rows to go, still easily do-able to catch up and join us as we are only on 13 of 49 total blocks.

Happy Mail and A Favorite Christmas Quilt

 I recently got my Christmas Sampler quilt back from a local long-arm extraordinaire, Cathie...it is from  The Fat Quarter Shop's Mystery block of the month for 2010.  It uses Kate Spain's The 12 Days of Christmas line and I thought I loved the top but getting it back...well, now...I'm definitely smitten!  Cathie and I both admire Angela Walter's style of quilting and are fans of her books and I thought she really translated it well to this quilt.

 There is a different quilting motif for each block as befits a sampler...

 Details such as windows, doors, and roof shingles...

 And, oooh, aaahh, pebbling!!!

Ribbon candy in the borders...

 I love everything about this quilt :) and it was a joy to piece as the pattern was clear and very easy to follow.  I did do my own thing with the finishing as I did not use their finishing kit but chose to border it with a couple trees in the corners.  And I love it with the red binding!

On a different note, I got a wonderful package in the mail from bloggy friend, Barb...I won her 1 year blogiversary drawing, yay!  Congrats on a year Barb!
She said she would send me a charm pack but she went and sent me this pretty pot-holder as well...love it!  Thanks so much :)

I looked up Cioccollatto and, as I suspected, it means chocolate and so this is perfect for me and my lightweight coffee drinking.  I only drink Mocha or Pumpkin Spice coffee :)

Sew.Bee.Create November Blocks Done!

Made these colorful beauties for Jo for her November month of my bee Sew.Bee.Create.  They use the Moda Bake Shop tutorial here.  I had printed this pattern out to make for me too...great minds and all that...I love the colors that she chose, I'm sure her quilt will be striking!  And, she drew us the most wonderful diagrams :)  loved working with those!

I Got In, I Got In!! :)

So on the off-chance I would get in to the latest Doll Quilt Swap, DQS13...I signed up and somehow was lucky enough to make it into round 13, yay! lucky number 13 for me!!

This is a fun chance to sew for a partner and receive a bit of wonderful-ness back from another partner...so exciting!

(for photo credits, please go to my Flickr page here)


This is the inspiration mosaic I created to help my partner with what I like, so many beautiful projects in Flickr...so hard to pick a few!
I can't wait to get my partner assignment so I can start sewing :)

Grandmother's Choice block #12

So here is block number 12, good thing this is a mystery BOW...I would have thought twice if I had realized there would be several with set ins and templates, lol!!!  This one isn't too bad if you take it slow although my "pants" didn't come out perfect in the intersections.  It is extra obvious because of my fabric choices. 

Purple pants is what I have named this block but the name on the pattern is Little Boy's Breeches...you can find the pattern and history lesson here if you'd like to join us.

Here is an extra pic of construction if anyone finds it helpful...

 Start from the outside and work into a 1/4" from the inside edge...

 Lastly, do up the middle pant seam...

Press the pant seam open and the other seams "up" to help everything lie flat.

Here Comes Santa

So I have a list of projects to start and complete at least 2 miles long but Marjory, evil temptress that she is, posted this cute pattern that I absolutely was forced to play with today...don't know if I will do the whole project but I had great fun with this block and only slightly modified it and used fusible steam a seam 2 lite and raw edge applique. 

Grandmother's Choice BOW #11 Done

This one is called The Little Red Schoolhouse but I guess mine is the Little Purple Schoolhouse...

I am still embracing the idea of using colors that are symbolic to the fight for women's right to vote (which in America were gold, purple and white) but I have to laugh when the pattern specifically calls out red!!  You can find the patterns and history lesson from this QAL here.  Another enlightening week, really makes one appreciate the educational opportunities we have today.

November Block For Hello Sun QAL Done

Another fun block from April for the Hello Sun QAL, I took a little liberty with the owl feet but followed her pattern pretty closely this time.  You can find it here.

Had a close call yesterday with 3 friends with a deer collision.  Thankfully, my friend kept a clear head and was able to stay on the road.  Her hood popped up and made a barrier between us and the deer and it did not go through the windshield.  All four of us are well, with no injuries and we feel very blessed.  Unfortunately, it killed the deer and heavily damaged the car.  Makes me feel especially appreciative of all my many blessings, God is good.  Thank you for reading along and sharing this quilting journey.

Grandmother's Choice BOW QAL block #10 done

Slowly recovering from whatever flu / cold / general nasty bug claimed my family for the last week or two but I am able to start back in on some sewing today!!
I finished the Grandmother's Choice Block of the Week QAL block for this week #10 called New York: Susan B. Anthony Breaks the Law.  It looks a little wonky in this picture but not in person, I'm wondering if it's the print in the lighter fabric making it look that way, a bad photo, or a combination.  I added the star to my version because purple and gold didn't really read "flag" to me, lol!

Again, if you want to follow along with the history lesson and / or make the blocks, they can be found here.  All this has been very timely with the election happening tomorrow, hope you all in the U.S. make time to vote!

And Mdm Samm and Katherine have another blog hop going right now if you want to follow along you can find the schedule here.  I am sitting this one out as I need to play some catch up with all my WIPs.  But I am enjoying seeing what others have created, be sure to cheer them on!!

Wicked Winner

Sorry this will be a quick housekeeping post, I am down with a wicked cold and am hacking and sneezing away...lol...not good for my keyboard!  I need to announce the winner of my Wicked Blog Hop Giveaway...
1/2 yd of this awesome texty print...



Congrats to Mr. Random's choice...Charlene S lucky number 42

Charlene SOctober 29, 2012 10:43 AM

Wicked choice of subjects! Crowscare awesome noise makers and really quite beautiful. Your quilt showed that.

Charlene, I have emailed you on your win and promise that it was already tucked in the envelope last week and I just need to add the address...so your fabric does not have any contact to my dread sickness...lol!

Thanks to all who left such great comments, I enjoyed all your musings on crows, Vincent and The Birds...

We are praying for all of you that were in Sandy's path...stay safe.

Have a good November the 1st everyone :)

It's time for something a little Wicked...

BUUUAHAHAHAHA...Today is my day for the Wicked Blog Hop

Thanks goes to Mdm Samm and Wendy for hosting this wicked good party!  They have done an awesome job of keeping us all in line once again...

When thinking of the theme for this hop, my mind went straight to Edgar Allan Poe with a little Vincent Price thrown in for good measure...

I found this video I had to share...

And this is the 10.5 inch block that The Raven inspired...

I used these birds from Martha Stewart for templates and backed the black fabric with Steam a Seam 2 Lite...

and bonded to this wonderful print from P& B Textiles called Scraffito

And then, rather than say Nevermore...I made lots more birds 
(13 !!) and ended up with this spooky quilt...

The Raven OR Crows in the Beanfield

 Here is the quilt up against our ready to harvest bean field I was inspired by...

 I quilted around each bird which made them slightly puffy as well as on the horizontal lines of the print...

 See the resemblance?  Maybe a bit of artistic license, lol!! Wish I could've taken a pic of some crows...we often see them in groups  especially once the field has been harvested (the collective noun for a flock of crows is poetically a "murder of crows"...just sayin'...).

I have a habit of a small giveaway for these hops and this one will be no different...if you would like to win a half yard of one of my current favorite prints from Moda's Sweetwater Mama Said Sew, leave me a comment.  If you are a no-reply blogger make sure you leave an email address where I can reach you or I will draw again.  I will draw for a winner at the end of the hop which will be on October 31st.

 

Hope you enjoyed my somewhat spooky addition to the hop...now make sure you go and visit the other fine folk I share the day with!!

  Monday, October 29th

Ariane Quilts

Cindy Crafty Creations

.Quiltscapes.

Sentimentalstitches

Moosestash Quilting

Krislovesfabric<--this is me!!

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Stitchinbythelake

Rose Creations

Simplesew
Charlottes Creations

Betty - That Other Blog
Alexa's World

And you can find the whole Wicked Schedule here

Grandmother's Choice BOW #9 Done and a new QAL

This block is called Brick Pavement and the pattern can be found here.  Again, the history lesson that goes along with this one is shocking and sad.  With it being an election year, this information really makes me thankful for the ones who came before us that fought to assure that we do now have the right to vote.

On a completely different path, it's 58 days until Christmas, so time to start another Christmas quilt, lol!

Pam at the blog Mama Spark's World has started a Christmas Fence QAL
 

Her first post with all the specs can be found here.  Hope to see you join us.  I am not sure how many blocks I'm going to do but to start, I am shooting for 16-20...I think Pam did 42 or so using a charm pack and a jelly roll.

Anyway, here are my first 4...they are utilizing Moda's Holly Jolly Snowmen from Kathy Schmitz and I am just going to make blocks until I run out of material.  This material is from my stash and is leftovers from another Christmas project.  There is a Flickr group here.

Popsicles

I have been collecting Ayumi's Super Penguin QAL patterns since July but just now had time to make the first three...

Ice Cream Bar, Neopolitan and Watermelon Pop

As you can see they are paper pieced which is my nemesis but I just love the patterns that I see using this technique so I keep practicing.

These patterns were relatively easy and oh so cute.  Mine are done with Fig Tree Quilts Buttercup and I love them.  There is a fourth Penguin Popsicle pattern which I am going to save until I work through a few more of these blocks as it is a higher difficulty level but I think it would be perfect on the back of this quilt.

Proud moment...

Look at the way the brown chocolate print matches up in the ice cream bar...I know...what?????  Now I tell the truth...pure luck, lol!!

That watermelon pop has me intrigued...I guess these are popular in Japan...I think I would like a sample :)

You can get these patterns if you want to play along here

Gram BOW #7 and #8 Done...I think...

This is Alice's Star ...Grandmother's Choice Block of the Week # 7 and...

 This is Rocky Road to Kansas Week #8...the patterns can be found here.

I wish the colors were more true in these photos, this one is particularly "off"...anyway, my concern is that number 2 and number 8 are basically the same pattern.  Number eight just string pieces the star points...are they going to be placed too close together?  I suppose time will tell...I wonder if Barbara is planing to repeat many more of these patterns?  I thought I was going to be ahead of the game this time around by sashing as I go but I may end up using the seam ripper to distribute the patterns more to my "eye"....lol!  Really enjoying the history lessons each week though...

Don't forget the Wicked Blog Hop started today...my day is next Monday October 29th...