Introducing....DA DA-DA DAAAA.....

a new young pattern designer....MAXIMILIAN QUILTS!! Yep, this is the same Max that swapped minis with me last year and now he's designing paper piece patterns....and he just turned NINE years old four days ago!!

(Part of my stash in the jelly cupboard!)

Isn't this dolphin just perfect?! I was going to give it to someone but I love it so much I'm going to keep it and put my favorite pins (brooches) on it!

What's even better is young Max is sharing his pattern with the WORLD!:) All you have to do is go visit him in flickrland and you can download the pattern for free!!:) Thanks so much Max...you ROCK! Can't wait to see what you design next...can I be one of your pattern testers? Please?!:) xoxo

Yes, I know it's been a long time since I blogged...thanks so much for sticking with me! Been doing a little of this and a little of that.
A little of this...a Mystery Quilt at work. Like the fabric we picked? I've done the first month's block and need to get brave and work on the next one...triangles...oh my! I'll post photos soon.

Here's a little of that... something I made with some scraps of David Butler's new line Curious Nature. I used some Bella solids and did a little hand stitching. Then I did a dumb thing. I washed it...cause I wanted it more crinkly...but I forgot to put a color catcher in the wash....needless to say there are a few dark spots on the light green border. Oh well, live and learn....and I was going to give it to someone but guess it's mine now!:)

I've also been bitten by the Zentangle bug! Here are a few Valentine's I made the kids...it really is a fun thing to do and having new patterns to doodle is great...no more stuck in a rut with my stacked boxes doodle!:)

See the US and UK flags in this one?

I wonder if the girl noticed?!








One other little project I finished last week....

....a mat to put under Slate's bowls...Max and Whiskers...too cute!

I don't think Slate really noticed the change!:)

~d

I MADE three yards of fabric today!

It has been a really strange winter....warm, rainy, cold, rainy, warm, rainy, gloomy, gloomy, gloomy! I don't remember a winter with so few days of sunshine. I can take the cold but I need my vitamin D!

One redeeming thing about the clouds...we have had some lovely sunrises!

In the meantime I have been busy with all the flickr swaps I joined...silly me! More than I have ever done at one time and my first Round Robin. Above is my center, signature block and journal that has crossed the pond joining Jo in the UK...all a part of the Around the Bend and Across the Pond round robin! If you go look at Jo's photostream you can see the fabric she has pulled for my center and all the other lovely things she has created! WhoooHOooo!!

Also for the first time I'm doing a traditional online Bee, this one is called

Sew Fun Bee! Cute huh?!:) Twelve crazy quilters, each assigned a month, each gets to pick what they want the other eleven crazies to make for them. Krista, our fearless head crazy, wanted anything Trees! Above is what I made, a swing tree and HP's Whomping Willow. Click here to see all the other amazing free paper piecing patterns on the blog Fandom in Stitches! My month is November so I have a long time to pick my theme.

Round 3 of Hoop Up! is getting ready to start....sign-ups are until Jan. 31. Last round my theme was Classic Modern Furniture. I enjoyed it so much I picked it again for this round. Above is my inspiration piece... Snowflake of Ghost Chairs! I really, really love those chairs...one day...one day! So if you love embroidery and I know you do, go check it out and maybe even sign up!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I did make some yardage by sewing together loads and loads of WOF (width of fabric) scraps in a rainbow of colors!

Each of them are at least 12" wide so

12 times 9 divided by 36= 3 yards of fabric!:)

What to do...what to do?!

~d

Last Week of Dec 2011...FUN!

Had a great time celebrating Christmas on the Eve with my parents and sibs.

Christmas morning drove four hours back north to in-law's....lovely day!
Then the day after Christmas we did it all over again, just the four of us...rip and tear...it was great!

Several days later took the girl to her biometrics appt. She is applying to extend her visa to the UK for two more years. Then we went walking around Old Town Alexandria...where they hang their trees!
When we returned home there was a package on the porch...it came all the way from Scotland!

Dear sweet Lynz made me an awesome yellow and grey pillow...with a pony button!! She included this amazing calendar of Scotland...it is already hanging above my computer...waiting for tomorrow...the first day of 2012! Thanks bunches Pal...I heart it!:)

The last thing I managed to do this year is finish The Sketchbook Challenge. I'm happy to report that I submitted something all twelve months and I'm excited that they are doing it again in 2012!

Speaking of 2012....

...this is what we are going to indulge in on the first day of the new year...gift from my brother. But for the last day of the year it's lasagna and Haagen Daz...Cherry Garcia and Half Baked Chocolate ice cream....um...and I think we'll drink that little bottle of Processo!!

Happy Freaking New Year Everyone!

xo

~d

Happy, Happy!!

Happiness is being with the ones you love....

(The trunk is a scarf I crocheted for my brother)

...Spreading a little Humbug Bag joy....

...yep, these are called Humbug Bags and I made 18 of them!

Happiness is a new Birthday Banner...made for my in-laws....

...and a clutch of chicks, a brood of hens, and a parliament of owls made for family and friends.

(Opposites Attract pattern by Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts)

Happiness is a new lap quilt or two made for mom and pop...

...and new Perle cottons for quilting and embroidery....

...ah....but mostly I wish you the happiness in those eyes...really....he's happy!;)

Merry, Merry to Everyone!!

~d

Tis the Season!

Wow! It has been quite a busy couple of weeks and I am happy to report I am DONE! Everything is wrapped and baked! Now we are just counting the hours til Wednesday when the girl comes home for the holidays from the UK and the boy joins us next weekend. The boy gave me this Christmas cactus last year and it is give, give, giving! That's just the start of my wealth of receiving!

Max...my 8 year old buddy on the west coast...sent me this amazing "Window Tree" mini for last month's Mini QT swap! Isn't it amazing! There is no end to this young man's talents and we are all the luckier to have become online buddies with him! Look at the luscious fabric he sent and that fantastic card! I have strung it on a ribbon and pinned it to the back of the mini. It is now hanging right above my nightstand so it's the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night...I dream about what is beyond the window tree!!:) THANKS MAX, I'll treasure it always!! xoxo

The bounty didn't end there...my Scotland pal Jo (bearpaw) sent me this totally unexpected surprise! She started to teach classes at the family shop, Avery Homestore, and I often bugged her with ideas...cause I'm extremely jealous and so wish I could be there to help play! Because of my pestering this lovely personalized journal arrived at my doorstep! It is just beautiful and what's nice is after you fill the journal you can always replace it! Just look at that keyfob, yep she sent that too! The leaf is so soft I just sort of play with it while I'm driving...just kidding...but it is soft and lovely! I even saved the wrapping! Thanks so much Jo, your kindness has touched my heart! xoxo

Still having loads of fun at the sewing machine (even though the light bulb is out!) making things with scraps from work.

This mini was made with scraps from a line by Dan Bennett, very colorful. I only had a few wonky pieces so I paired them with a grey Bella solid....I really didn't notice the big circles until I took the picture! The binding is from one of the girl's dresses. Love recycling!

Here were some Blueberry Crumb Cake scraps. I meant to make this look like it was woven, should have just put that cream sashing on opposite sides of each block then alternated. Don't know what I was thinking when I put it on all four sides!

I love making stockings....this one is for the boy's girlfriend and the scarf is from something my folks gave me...I have enough cream fleece leftover to use for the cuff of future stockings. I finished sewing a bunch of other things...but I can't show you right now....you know why!:)
Here is our tree. First time we have ever put up an artificial tree. It belongs to the girl, she used it when she was at WVU and has informed us that when she returns home from the UK for good this tree is going with her. That's fine with us...as long as she does return!:o

Hope you all are having a great December too...can you believe it is almost 2012?

~d

Remember that Stack of Loulouthi?

It was killing me...I really wanted to play with my Loulouthi but Christmas presents (which I can't show to you) had to have my full attention. Then I caved.



...I mean come on, how could I resist and our sad looking couch was calling for some attention!

See! I mean SAD! It's bad enough that we have an ancient This Ends Up couch but I can't do anything about that so the gross old pillows and dated duvet cover had to go!

Found a two-sided coverlet with colors that compliment the Loulouthi...at least I think it does....then I headed to the sewing machine....

NEW PILLOWS!!

Really...it's kinda hard to tell from the photo but the pillows really do go with the colors on both sides of the coverlet!:) But something was missing...

...oh yeah...a new quilt!:)

Yes, so much better...I mean I'd love a new couch but that will have to wait for a new house!;) There's a new area rug too...but I have to leave a few surprises for the kids!

Now I want to play with these. I need a bigger container!
Here's a wee peek of the rug...with a new stocking for boyfriend of little sis. OK, back to sewing and cooking and baking and.....!;)

~d

I'm swapping with an eight year old....

....and I am so honored and thrilled!:) Especially since Max is a Star Wars fanatic like my own kids!:)

This month's theme at The Mini QT Swap was windows and doors sooooo since my partner is the very talented Max and his favorite character is Obi-Wan Kenobi I thought What did Obi-Wan fly? An email to my girl in the UK and a quick reply...."an Eta-2 Actis-class light Interceptor." Of course...why didn't I think of that?;p


So here is my version using some Stonehenge for the planet and space, some batiks, a little Fairy Frost, Dimples, felt...and clear vinyl...

...instant Jedi interceptor...well maybe not instant!:)
I made a slit in the back of the window and a pocket in the front because I wanted Max to be able to take the figures out.

I permanently "borrowed" a couple of my son's micro machine figures...these were made WAY before Max was even born and before the SW prequels...back when Polly Pockets and Micro Minis were one inch tall...before they made them bigger because they were a choking hazard!

The ion cannons were made out of shish kabob sticks colored with Sharpie...the laser fire is glow in the dark thread as is the...

...white Fairy Frost binding!:) Love that My Universe backing fabric...you can just see the little slit to the left of the E in Earth. Love that seamripper too!:)

Can't just send a mini to an eight year old without some goodies and a few things for his sister....no those books aren't the boy's...I bought them especially for Max. I hear he loves the mini!;) Thank heavens!

(I put the avocado there for size reference!)

Now I'm making (trying to follow) recipes for The Turnips that Ate Virginia! Hope the relatives are ready for these on Thursday!:o

~d

ps...I can't wait to get my mini from Max....stay tuned!