Tried something new for 1st finish of 3rd quarter!

First thing I did was take it for a photo shoot on my pal's yellow glider...

 ...sure wish it was on my front porch!:)

 Gotta show you how green the garden is now...beans, potatoes and squash are happy with all the rain...tomatoes and peppers want it to be hotter. I don't!

 The new product is that thin green stripe on the border. 

It comes on a 25 yard roll.  Sew it on and when you wash it you have chenille! The little piece of cardboard was my spacer.

It's called Chenille-It Blooming Bias by my online pal Nannette.  So many ways to use it and what little kid wouldn't like a bit of fluff on their quilt along with a flannel backing?!:)

 Love running my fingers over it. Some pink needs to come home with me for the other baby quilt! Guess I should have unfolded it sooner to get out the wrinkles!

My buddy Sandie sent me home with another embroidery goodie....she spoils me so!:)

Thanks pal!! xoxo

~d

Third quarter Finish Along list.

Patio redo fun!

While cleaning out my bag of leftover binding I decided on a new project!

(leftover bindings sitting on the new coverlet my folks gave me for an early bday present!)

The bindings across the top are big enough for future projects....the bindings underneath are made from smaller scraps soon to be joined to the ball in the middle and one day...one day...to be made into a rug!:)

  A little mini made from leftovers of PB&J now lives with Pam for correctly guessing about my new driveway project.  I still need to dig the other side!

One of the many quilt tops made from the Angled Frames tutorial is now a baby quilt heading to the UK

 This mini now lives in Oregon with Jodi.  Made for this month's Mini QT Swap...theme was "traditional"     pinwheel, log cabin or stacked coin.  I sort of went out of the traditional box with my stacked coin!

(Lousy photo taken at night!)

 There were a few extras in the package.  Those buttons have nine holes so you can make any letter of the alphabet on them!

Birch Trees....8"x 8.5".  I miss it!

Now for the patio redo...this is how it looked before.  Needed to be a little bigger since we put the chiminea there on the right.

Couple hours later then bench has been moved to the opposite side and hubby  has added a little low wall to hold back the dirt and those lighter colored flat stones to extend the patio.  Most of the flat stone was leftover granite countertop from remodel jobs laid shiny side down. Score!!

It might not look much bigger but we can put a couple more chairs there when we have a fire.  Old kids desk needs to be cleaned up and moved elsewhere...but that's the girl's next project...not mine!

Love, love, love Solomon's Seal in all stages of growth.   

It is a foot higher and blooming now!

On the way home Mother's Day weekend, after a lovely day with my parents and siblings, we stopped in Old Town Fredericksburg to stroll and check out all the little shops.

Of course the rare and used book store Riverby Books was the girl's favorite stop. 

 "Dad...this is how I want my bedroom to look...one day!"

In an antique store I found another future project!!

~d

Nancy is now a Grandma....

....to TWINS!:)

 Yep, our birthing instructor, family friend, Godmother to our boy and former neighbor now has two more people in her life to love!:)  Ava and Ian were born to her boy Freddie and his wife Elizabeth and of course that gave me an excuse to play!:)

A few fun strips of animals, bugs and dragons, a charm pack and some yardage of Sherbet Pips, 80 different charm squares for an I Spy and three baby quilts were born!

 But didn't they just have twins? Yep...but the I Spy stays home with Grandma Nancy!!  Can you see the Star Wars charm?  There are a few Marvel characters in there too!

 Little look at the backs.

 My favorite...I can just see Grandma Nancy and her grandbabies looking at all the cool stuff around the world...and beyond!:)

I can't say No....I mean I can but this time I couldn't! This Tardis is the first of twenty blocks being designed for the Dr. Who. Along. I think you should join us!

Visited my folks last weekend...did a lot of planting and eating good food...really good food!

 Then came home and extended a bed to include this Chicago Hardy Fig tree that my parents gave me....too cute!:) We planted some basil and lemon verbena along with more lamb's ear....hopefully the powerful smells will keep the deer away!

Now I need to plant these....maybe tomorrow!

Train of Thought....thinking Graduation!!:)

My second entry for Amy's Texting While Sewing contest over at During Quiet Time is my favorite. I mean come on, a train, text fabrics, buttons, a pocket and some wee royal bendy dolls...you'd have to be hard-hearted not to like that!;)

 Book fabric caboose, typo fabric, Book titles, and Golden book train cars and of course the Little Engine That Could....I think I can, I think I can...I think I did!  Isn't it neat how the swirly design in the background fabric looks like smoke coming out of the smokestack?  Happy happenstance!

Finished a couple of other little quilts.

  The purple one is scraps from work the other is a baby quilt for the girl to give to one of her expecting friends.

 Did some wacky straight line machine quilting and gold perle cotton hand quilting on this one. I tried to curve the edges a bit but didn't do it enough.  It looks like I just can't trim straight!

 Had fun playing with all kinds of little kid novelties on this one and since it's going to the UK thought the backing fabric with park benches and bicycles would be perfect.

On the graduation front the girl is officially done!:) She graduated last month from Oxford Brookes University with a Master's Degree in Creative Writing!!

(Rose, the graduate, Rob and Jen)

This was the girl's stand in family since we couldn't be there.  Jen was mom, Rob was dad and Rose was the boy! Ha!!:)  Thanks so much for being there to hug her for us kiddos!  xoxo

Now...the girl is living her dream....

 ....she's working at The Story Museum....we don't think she is ever coming home!

~d

Graduation, Anniversary, Baby Gifts Given...Oh Yeah!

Maria and her flatmate Rose want to give their expecting friend a handmade gift and asked me if I would make them a baby quilt.....HECK YEAH I yelled across the Atlantic!! Their friend doesn't know what she having...other than it's a baby:) ....so I ran to my stash, fondled a bunch of fabric and sent them some photos. They pondered my wonders and picked their favs...elephants, owls, monkeys, camping critters, donkeys...and some Pips!:) This is what I did with them....

Gotta love simple squares in frames some blue fabric on one side and some mauve on the other!

Oh the wonders of the washer and dryer!! Crinkly goodness!

But my favs of what they picked were the farm animals...and castles!

Perfect for a wee babe born in the UK! Yes, the animals and castles are going in different directions but I didn't want to cut up the fabric so I took some artistic license and just went with it!:)

I used some of a tapestry I bought from Urban Outfitters for the binding and

in the bottom corner I embroidered "From Maria & Rose 2011"

Hope you girls like it...I'm sure the baby won't mind what he/she is snuggled in as long as it is warm!!:)

My pal Sandie's youngest graduated from high school this June. I wanted to make her a little something to remember it all...something she could put her pins and stuff on....this is her growth from elementary school to high school and the seed that has been planted as she begins her new adventure at Temple! Congrats Court....Do Everything!!!:)
It's my folks 57th anniversary tomorrow....they love the beach, especially the Outer Banks. I was inspired by this quilt by Kelsey Creates I saw on the Fat Quarterly blog of four lighthouses (BTW...on that blog post my little quilt is #7!:). The folks don't need another quilt...but I think a little wall hanging might just do the trick!:) You can't tell from the photo but the black stripes are 4 different black batiks and the whites are tone on tones....looks better in person!:)
Now I finish up a few more projects that need to head over the ocean and then it will be time to start working on Christmas projects. In the mean time we are still enjoying the yard...finally got some much needed rain last week....and look what bloomed in the crack! Gotta love freebies!!:)

~d

She's Not Here Yet....

....but this is for Penelope....she's due next week.

Her mom and my mom sing in the same choir at church...mom asked me to make a quilt for her.

Penelope...your family is excited!

Do you think she will like this?;)

~d